Learn Lebanese Arabic with weekly transcribed podcasts exploring Lebanon and its people | تعلم اللغة العربية باللهجة اللبنانية مع البودكاست الأسبوعي والمكتوب الذي يعرفك على لبنان وشعبه
Lebanese movies are recently achieving a growing success and many have been nominated for international awards. These movies are a great way to know more about the local society. In this episode, Rana and Khaled are trying to decide what movie to watch. They suggest different titles and highlight what they like best about each … Continue reading Episode 73 – Lebanese movies
Mother's day in the Middle East is celebrated on March 21. In this episode, Mariam hosts her mom and asks about her early years raising a family during the dark chapters of Lebanese history that included the 25-year Civil War and 15-year Israeli occupation in Lebanon. It was a difficult period of violence and economic … Continue reading Episode 71 – Mother’s Day
Ziad Rahbani, the talented son of Lebanese musical icons Fairouz and Assi Rahbani, grew up to be a composer, playwright, pianist, and political commentator. He directed his first play Sahriyye when he was only 17 years old. In this episode, Rana and Khaled discuss his artistic contributions, as well their favorite songs, plays, and books … Continue reading Episode 69 – Ziad Rahbani
The delicious maté drink is quite popular in Lebanon and the Levant region. Maté is traditionally a Latin American drink. As Lebanese emigration to the Western Hemisphere increased towards the end of the 19th century, the culture of drinking maté took root in Lebanon. In this episode, Rana and Khaled, both maté lovers, chat about … Continue reading Episode 66 – Maté
Sursock Museum is one of the most prominent museums in Beirut. It represents an important landmark of the city’s art scene. Not only does it have a distinct architecture, but also an impressive interior. In this episode, Rana takes us a journey down memory lane, recounting how the museum evolved from being a beautiful palace … Continue reading Episode 63 – Sursock Museum
Layal and Nadim go to a fancy seafood restaurant in downtown Beirut to celebrate their 10-year wedding anniversary. Layal has second thoughts about going to such a pricy restaurant but Nadim convinces her that such a special occasion is worth it. They take a table overlooking the sea and discuss the extensive menu before ordering. … Continue reading Episode 61 – Skit: anniversary dinner
Fadi and his family decided to spend next weekend in a hotel by the beach in Byblos. He is calling to book the rooms. Farah, the hotel receptionist, answers the phone and tells Fadi about the hotel rooms options, amenities, and scheduled events. Fortunately, it turns out that the hotel has lots of options and … Continue reading Episode 59 – Skit: hotel reservation
Undoubtedly 2020 was a tough year. We faced a global pandemic, political and economic upheaval, as well as natural and man-made disasters. We hope that during these historic times you have periodically experienced moments of goodness and upliftment. In this episode, Leen and Naim recap some of the events that marked this year. As 2020 … Continue reading Episode 58 – Happy New Year!
Christmas as a holiday is celebrated around the globe but there is always room for cultural differences in celebrations, tales, and customs. Lebanese Christmas celebrations include bounteous food spreads with family, Santa visits, big lit up Christmas trees, and goodies filled holiday markets. In this episode, Rea takes us on a tour of the major … Continue reading Episode 57 – Christmas in Lebanon
Join Mariam and Naim as they travel through Lebanon noting the art and slogans on cars, buses, trucks, and vans. Learn about this cultural and artistic display on Lebanese roads. What is the purpose of the art and writings? What do some of these phrases mean, and what do they tell you about the life … Continue reading Episode 55 – Art on vehicles