What are the latest fashion must-haves and makeup trends? What are the 10 ways guaranteed to spice up a dull relationship? Do you think Kim Kardashian’s derriere has been looking pudgy lately? Do you believe the Kristen Stewart-Robert Pattinson breakup was part of an elaborate publicity stunt?
Unfortunately, we don’t have the answers to these painfully thought-stimulating topics. And we have a feeling you have been spending your hard-earned dollars on us every three months for five years now for the very reason that we don’t carry such things. When we took a leap of faith with Oasis five years ago, we didn’t think that airbrushed pictures of puckered up lips and plunging necklines are stuff worth writing home about. We wanted substance.
Unfortunately, we don’t have the answers to these painfully thought-stimulating topics. And we have a feeling you have been spending your hard-earned dollars on us every three months for five years now for the very reason that we don’t carry such things. When we took a leap of faith with Oasis five years ago, we didn’t think that airbrushed pictures of puckered up lips and plunging necklines are stuff worth writing home about. We wanted substance.
We were tired with the unwarranted substance abuse. We wanted images that mirror the true essence of our times and not just numb our minds. We wanted a content-driven publication with no fluff. Apparently, so did many others, including you.
We are well aware that it’s not all peaches and roses in our part of the world. Yes, we have a lot of dragons to slay. Yes, we have quite a few perceptions to change. So is publishing silly-frilly page-filling entertainment the way to go about doing that? We don’t think so, but neither is shooting ourselves in the foot whenever our region takes a step forward. We thought we need to pat ourselves on the back whenever we do good, and be prepared to take the heat when we do otherwise. In the past five years, we have attempted to reflect our Middle Eastern culture, celebrating the victories and not shying away from criticizing the misses. And we crown our efforts with the Zeitgeist issue in your hands.
We handpicked folks that we feel echo the spirit of our age, the likes of Saudi film producer, Mohammed Al Turki, who has been rolling with Hollywood’s big guns as well as the mad and beautiful dreadlocked artist Hassan Hajjaj who captures North-African street iconography with such panache and warmth. We rub elbows with the Dihzahyners, those volunteers bent on polishing Beirut’s architectural makeup, and catch up with Cairo based photojournalist Karina Al Piaro whose recent work has been championing the cultural and natural heritage of the Nile Basin. Meanwhile, Saudi climber Prince Bandar tells us how he climbed the world’s seven highest mountains, as we take it outside with urban artist Mark Jenkins.
We would like to think you want us to keep quenching your mind with such things and such characters. We would like to think we will not rest on our laurels so that your cup will never empty. We would like to think you would stick with us for another five-year round. So for now, high five us! For continuing to take a chance on us, we high five you!
Here's a look back at some of what we've been up to the past five years!
No comments:
Post a Comment