Mind Soup

M Gourmet and Online Collaborative hosted a sushi tweet-up on October 21, 2013. During the tweet-up, invited tweeps got to mingle of over 60 members of the Lebanese Online Community and experience the different sushi selections at MGourmet in addition to the specialty dessert wraps made with Nutella and fruits. M Gourmet lights up the streets of Ashrafieh with its innovative sushi, pop vibes and upbeat mood. At M Gourmet, you are invited to taste innovative Japanese food overseen by the master chefs of Buddha Bar. Whether you are coming to have a meal with loved ones, or a Martini at the bar, everything about the place is bound to glam up your experience. Spread among three stories, the eclectic decor is highlighted by dim neon lights, frequent nods to pop art and playful notes (think hopscotch on the floors or snakes and ladders on the wall), making it a place that does not take itself too seriously.

When looking for a job online, most people tend to go directly to Linkedin.com and create a profile while disregarding their existing social networks. What they don’t realize is that most employers search for potential employees on personal social networks before professional ones. I am going to discuss a few measures that you should undertake to survive an unexpected stalking from a potential employer. Firstly, your email address should be professional. Try to create a professional email address using your first name and last name, or first initial and last name. Email addresses like sexybeast69@aol.com or puppy_loveXOXO@msn.com will deter an employer from considering your resume. In addition, your email provider says a lot about you. If you are using AOL for example, you would give off an internet newbie vibe: "Hi. I'm from 1996. What is this internet that you speak of?“. If you use Hotmail, you are perceived as an amateur or a teenager: “Hi, I’m 16. Would you like...

Inspirational People from the Lebanese Online Community In an attempt to promote inspiring stories about people from the Lebanese Online Community, we, at Cloud961, have decided to dedicate a monthly column to interview an inspiring figure that has left a mark in the Lebanese online sphere. For your suggestions for this column, feel free to email me on mhijazi@cloud961.com . This month’s inspirational member of the Lebanese Online Community is Rawad Habib, one of the few Lebanese Youtubers. He moved to Paris at 17 years old, alone, to study Medicine, and it was the "tournant" as the French put it, the turning point, that led him to ignite the fires of creativity within and begin snapping photos with his first own phone, took part of Lancôme's facial product as one of their faces in minimal coverage ads, partied with international designers and photographers and danced with Rihanna in Palais M one night. There, Rawad renounced to the planned safe life for him, and...

Since Semsom opened 5 years ago, it has been adding an innovative twist to Lebanese cuisine through its passion for the country and by inviting people to share their recipes. Lebanon is a unique mix of traditions, villages, heritage and history. A land of modernity with bubbling cities, positivism, and openness…and Semsom is also a unique mix that brings people together! In addition to Semsom's winning menu with traditional dishes the way grandma used to cook them and innovative new dishes created by its chefs and guests, Semsom has been cooking up fresh delights! Semsom is taking the much-loved concept to a new level of delicious fun. Semsom now has live music and stand-up comedy on some nights and will be broadcasting famous football leagues on other nights. Special business lunch and corporate formulas are also available. That's not all! Semsom has opened its Sodeco branch and launched it with a Tweet-up and Media Dinner on the 10th of October. The newest a...

Screenshot from Gino Raidy's acceptance speech at The Social Media Awards Pan Arab Web Awards Academy Sues Blogger Rita Kamel Over Blog Post I am no stranger to being threatened for my outspoken opinions about social issues in Lebanon.  In 2010, I was “let go” from a staff writer position at one of AUB’spublications because I wrote a blog post on my personal blog that someone in AUB’s higher management did not like. In 2011, I got a call from a so-called-lawyer of a burger joint (which has went bankrupt since) threatening me with a lawsuit over negative tweets about their food quality. I laughed in her face at the time since she did not even know the difference between Facebook and Twitter and I had documented proof that the owner of the place had created an account for the purpose of bashing me. I was not the first or last victim of corporate bullying in Lebanon or around the world. In 2010, Octavia Nasr, a renounced Lebanese journalist, was fired from her position...

Can you put borders on social media interactions? In January 2012, Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri unknowingly responded to a “Good Morning” tweet by Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Avichay Adraee and Hezbollah affiliated media such as Al-Manar Television and Al-Akhbar newspaper had a field day with it, dubbing it as “tweeting with the enemy.” Soon after, Hariri publicized a formal apology that reads: "When I answered today's good morning greetings, I answered one some of you say belongs to an Israeli official's Twitter account. If that's true I would like to clarify that I did not know it when I answered him, since I consider Israel to be an enemy state.” In January 2013, blogger Elie Fares from Separate State of Mind received a supportive email from an Israeli and wrote about his dilemma of answering him back. “I recently received an email from an Israeli […] and the email was touching. People advised me not to reply. So I didn’t. But I really, really wan...

Over 400 geeks, tweeps and onliners attended the latest Geekfest Beirut on October 2nd at City Mall. This event was unorganized by the Online Collaborative in partnership with Empire Cinemas, Roadster diner, Cinemacity and Fiesta Group. Instead of munching pizza to an illegal torrent on their computer screen, the organizers took the geeks out for a socializing treat! Those who were lucky enough to grab the scarce tickets from ihjoz.com enjoyed the munchies and music at Roadster diner's new terrace. In the meantime, the bravest and the hungriest of them faced a super-sized food challenges while tweeps stuck to a virtual food fight. As for the staple Geekfest Talks, they covered a wide range of topics. Roadster diner revealed some of their secret figures, while food blogger Anthony Rahayel talked about his quest for the perfect burger accompanied by a tantalizing slideshow of all the burgers he has tried. Liquid nitrogen poured on stage, in a live Molecular Gastronomy...

I was honored to be interviewed on Future TV's English News last week. Check out the video below where I talk about the state of social media in the Arab World , the Lebanese online community, the Social Media Awards and University for Seniors . I'm also very humbled to have been called The Social Media Consultant of Lebanon. Thank you Youmna for the superb interview! For more information about what I do, you can connect  with me on Linkedin.