FoodToday

Celebrating Seven Years of Running a blog

Precisely seven years in the past, a lightning bolt electrified my
ideas and induced me to launch this weblog. For many who weren’t readers then, my
motivation was two-fold: (1) I sought a inventive outlet during which to chronicle
my adventures in my comparatively new nation of residence, Lebanon; and (2) I
wished to color an actual and optimistic picture of that nation for buddies round
the world to discover. International notion of Lebanon is relatively restricted to what
the media tasks, and that may be a nation riddled with strife, corruption, and
disillusion. I could not be capable to take care of these unwieldy labels, however what
I can do is present an alternate view of what it’s like for an American transplant
to make a everlasting house for herself right here.
The weblog has undoubtedly taken me on a journey I by no means might
have foreseen. The focal factors from the start have been tradition and meals,
which is probably what made the weblog in style with Lebanese expats across the
world looking for to reside vicariously by means of a fellow compatriot. I’m not going to
sit right here and wax poetic concerning the awards and publicity this weblog has modestly
racked up – nobody appreciates a show-off. I can, nevertheless, gently direct you to
the “In the Press
part, the place plenty of my accolades are enumerated. For those who do peruse them,
my hope is that you simply kind an impression of simply how vital of an
achievement this literary creation – a compilation of 480 articles – has been
for me.
As a substitute, what I’d like to the touch upon are a number of misconceptions
about my work earlier than concluding with a dialogue on the shelf lifetime of
Beirutista the weblog (Beirutista the thinker and author will reside on
indefinitely, I guarantee you!).
For a while now, I’ve been bombarded with the query of
how a lot cash the weblog rakes in. I believe individuals have a skewed perspective of
the target of a weblog, and I blame influencer advertising and marketing, social media, and
sheer myopia for this. Beirutista was by no means meant to amass any funding immediately. The aim of this soapbox, actually, is to offer insights which are
as goal, technical, knowledgeable, and real as attainable.
Whenever you need an opinion on a pair of Air Jordans, once you’re
deciding which automobile to buy, once you’re making a dinner reservation
at a restaurant – are you actually going to hunt out paid posts which were planted by the model or venue itself? Or are you going to pursue the
outspoken fanatics, the aficionados, of us who’re so educated of their
discipline of experience that they err on the facet of emotional within the supply? These are
the individuals poised to provide the ins and outs of no matter services or products
they’re reviewing as unbiasedly as attainable.
Certain, a great blogger acknowledged in her discipline can actually entertain
a paid collaboration right here and there, and so long as it resonates with the theme
of her weblog and matches her spirit completely, it can solely reinforce her
authority. However paid restaurant or resort evaluations? You received’t discover a single one on Beirutista.
I write as a result of it helps me set up my stream of
consciousness into one thing coherent and logical. I proceed to put in writing as a result of
I discover that folks world wide are actively studying and gleaning worth
from this weblog. If within the course of my competency as a author is organically
showcased and that spirals off into unbiased freelance tasks, then so be
it. That may very well be a confirmed supply of earnings for any aspiring wordsmith. However the
weblog in and of itself will not be.
Others have been questioning whether or not I will transfer on from Beirutista within the wake of extra visible communication
platforms, like Instagram and YouTube. Nobody reads anymore, these self-proclaimed
sages level out. You’re losing your time, they insist.
I received’t refute that commentary – little doubt the brand new
technology is savvy at scrolling mindlessly by means of feeds, admiring pictures, and
glossing over captions within the infinite quest to love and be appreciated. Nor am I blind to the truth that my very own Instagram following has plateaued at
7,700 followers for over two years now, indicative of algorithms that reward
herd habits.
What these cynics do not understand is, I’m not searching for one thing mainstream
with Beirutista. Actually, the purpose has at all times been to function a classy, honest, and
niched reference relating to the lesser-seen scene Lebanon has to
provide. I don’t care to highlight the hip and classy new joints influencers gravitate to due to shallow invites and the promise of free
meals.
There’ll eternally be a have to doc, to weave tales,
to wield phrases for the aim of shining a lightweight on what in any other case would possibly
escape the annals of historical past. And there’ll eternally be passionate readers
thirsty for data who wish to spotlight and underline and make notes subsequent
to text-based tidbits they snatch up.
The written phrase will at all times be my lifeblood, my weapon of protection!
I haven’t stopped studying the information, or novels, or paper magazines
just because we now have TVs, smartphones, and tablets. Have you ever? Little doubt there
are many individuals such as you and me, which is immediately corroborated by the quantity
of every day hits to my weblog.
So when you’re questioning whether or not I’m seeking to shutter this
area, I’ll say this: the frequency of posts could diminish, as I turn into extra and
extra immersed in different duties vying for my consideration. However so long as the weblog
continues to make sense to me and function a supply of actual delight, it
can be self-perpetuating. I can render no guarantees someway, however I
hope you stay steadfast readers, that you simply chime in everytime you’re piqued (or
perturbed!) by what I’ve to say, and that you simply share the enjoyment, if there’s any
available, in order that others would possibly derive pleasure from this little ardour
challenge, too.

Thanks for being right here and to your unwavering religion in me
from 2012 to the current. Phrases of gratitude are merely not sufficient.

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