September 2023: Coffee with Cassandra
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September 2023: Coffee with Cassandra
Why is it still over 30*C?
After visiting AUBMC (I’m fine), I walked to Salon Beyrouth for a morning coffee in their outdoor, enclosed space. If Hamra wasn’t such a pain to navigate/park in during the week, I’d camp out at this spot more often. I got my coffee and, in that brief moment of respite in the sticky heat, we had to be reminded that we are in Beirut. The power cut and their generator just up and died. The waiters apologized as now, without power or backup, they couldn’t make my friend’s espresso or offer anything other than the tables we were starting to melt at.
“Why didn’t you tell me before I sat down?” huffed an irritated customer on a laptop behind us. I don’t know if he’s new here but things not working the way they’re supposed to is what you have to roll with. Your tolerance for this specific brand of daily bullshit is directly proportional to how long you live here. Anyway, this interaction was a perfect example of not just the many agitations that are part of living in this country but also the misdirected anger that results from swimming in them.
“Before the crisis, they were extracting air from the lungs of society,” said Sami Zoughaib, an economist at Beirut-based think tank The Policy Initiative. “Now that society is dead, they are preying on the carcass.”
From Kareem Chehayeb’s AP piece on Lebanon’s tourism boom
It’s not the waiter’s fault - it’s not even the restaurant’s fault - that a generator is necessary and operates for +20 hours a day in late-summer temperatures. It’s not a comedian’s fault that those in the army have to be delivery drivers to make ends meet. It’s not the marginalized-community-of-the-month’s fault that the economy and capital exploded. We’re so good at kicking the cat and those in power know it. But beyond self-regulating, what do we do about all of THIS? Once again, I’m stumped.
In other news, Auntie Yinka, my entry to this year’s edition of the Jancis Robinson Wine Writing Competition, made it to the Top 20. There will be a judges’ winner and a readers’ winner (you can scroll to the bottom here to vote, open until the 11th) but honestly, I just wanted to get published on Jancis’ site again. For those who weren’t here back then, I last entered the WWC in 2021 and that essay on Sept’s secret garden also made it to the Top 20! I’m really proud to be the only entry from Lebanon both years and to have both entries get published and shortlisted.
All summer, I was working toward getting a monthly wine column going with a local newspaper but that has since been put on hold. As more sparkling opportunities fall flat, I have been more frustrated with the financial viability of B for Bacchus, especially as I navigate if wine’s what I really want to keep investing in after the last 4 years. I’m questioning if this is the beat I want to stay married to and I’ve considered renaming this Substack because writing is the only thing I know I’ll keep doing regardless. For now, I’m going to stick with it as I feel there’s still more to do and learn in this space but it may be demoted to a side-hustle soon.
Of course, as I type that, I must admit I’ve been dabbling in another medium (video) instead of focusing on ones I’m avoiding (podcast). Even though it’s videos, I don’t think what I’m doing is purely for TikTok/IG and I don’t have the energy to build a following on yet another platform. I’m enjoying stretching out my words visually though and perhaps that’s all it needs to be. Creating for the sake of creating.
I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE
The Wine Zine, an indie wine publication that I was a contributing editor/writer for since 2020, is ending its run with their last issue (#8) now on pre-order. There are a few copies left of previous issues too (I was involved in Issues 4, 5, 6, 7). Get ‘em while you can!
So far, thanks to sales of the collaborative earthquake relief sticker pack I did with Shitty Wine Memes, Rami El Sabban, and Ayla Mortada, we were able to donate $400 to Sawa for Development and Aid. There are more stickers available if you still want to contribute.
The same Rami El Sabban has launched his own cuvee, Qaws, a tart blend of Merwah and Concord grapes.
THE LAST MONTH OF AANAB NEWS
AT LEAST 10 LITTLE LINKS
A new YouTube gem I found is the NEVER TOO SMALL channel that features small living spaces with innovative interior design. Here’s one video on the Cairo flats.
Also, Mean Girls’ Kevin Gnapoor has a YouTube channel and it’s pretty amazing?
As the climate gets hotter, I’ve found myself wondering the question that
thoughtfully ponders in Where should I live? The answer makes me wonder if Beirut still has what it takes after the last 4 years.If you’re in need of a new T-shirt or a weekender duffle for the upcoming holidays, I have some suggestions.
- makes some good points in Machines Are Coming For Natural Wine. Speaking of natural wine, co-ferments are all the rage right now so make sure you know what they are.
The world’s biggest Swiftie might shock you but wow, what a story.
I’m rewatching The Bear because it’s excellent and I want to take notes. Thus, I’m consuming all extra periphery pieces and analyses on it too like EEAAO’s Daniel Kwan interview with Ayo Edebiri.
Nada Bakri writes about her father, husband, son, and dog, Louis.
(In)Sovereign Soils: Lebanon’s Entrapment in a Global Monopoly on Agriculture
PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS
COMING UP NEXT
This month, I’ll be revisiting the article that was featured in Aanab No.4. The story is essentially the same but it’ll be updated and edited down. There *might* also be an IN PERSON social event in the works.