English
This, here, is the first of a series of posts on GeekFest Beirut 5.0: I had a good time, there are many things I would love to share with you guys, but I do not want this one blog post to turn into a phonebook-size novel. So I will introduce my two-cents on the event in several reviews hoping it will make it easier on your eye. I know you appreciate the thought (which was actually a request/order from my sister. ahem).
Yesterday I attended my very first GeekFest.
The hot temperature and extreme humidity did not deter me. I bravely dumped my kids on my mom (Parenting 101) and ran as fast as I could (Mommy Survival Manual Lesson 149) towards Gemmayze, before grand-ma started pulling her hair and pulling me back home in the process.
I am not what you would call a geek although I do spend a lot of time using technology (does that count? I mean babies are born with that skill now, so that cannot be the only criteria) but I have a few friends in the Geek community and I was looking forward to seeing them in the flesh. Facebook and Twitter are fun enough but it is always reassuring to know your tweeps are not some computer-generated modern Imaginary Friends.
So we all gathered in The Alleyway in Gemmayze, on the über-popular Gouraud Street (I still cannot believe it has a page on Wikipedia) with our unintentionally sophisticated frizzed up hair flowing in Beirut's tragic wet breeze. The summer has started and over here, it equals excessively high temperatures and toxic humidity. Granted, we all looked like we had just been groomed by Cyndi Lauper's stylist but it was a happy crowd nonetheless that mingled and snapped photos and twitted and facebooked and... Danced. Apparently, geeks dance too.
Do not get me wrong, I love my geeks. I grew up with one and I am married to one. Not the same one (for those of you out there, keen on getting into specifics). But honestly, I was surprised by the look of this event and the attitude of everyone there: geeks are actually pretty cool! They are not your usual nerdy stereotyped losers Hollywood loves to mock so much.
Geek is truly the new cool (thank you Steve Jobs, I guess).
As GeekFest would say: "Le Geek C'est Chic"
And because I do not just babble, I present you the indisputable evidence that geeks do rock indeed, on video!
And this is when I realized one of my favorite online people is also the bravest geek ever. Lynn, you rocked that red carpet!
It was also a pleasure finally meeting face to face one of the most active young women on the blogosphere and the founder of One Wig Stand, the stunning Loryne who gave a presentation on Bras For A Cause and brought t-shirts and bras with her so we could grab one of the last limited edition pieces that are now off the market.
But I will leave my "talk on the talks" for another post.
Right now I will just leave you free to loop that video over and over again, because geeks are as addictive as the internet and it is so much fun to watch them nerd that red carpet! Yes, I did just use the word "nerd" as a verb and synonym of "rock". After what I experienced last night, I believe it is well-deserved.
Oh, and no internet all over Lebanon on GeekFest day. A coincidence? I think not.
To the conspirators who tried to ruin GeekFest by annihilating the internet yesterday, just know that you may "break" the connection but you cannot break a geek's spirit! Your evil plan will not ever discourage them. If anything, you only gave them more reason to come up with new ways to drive you crazy! And to those of you out there who think I am just another conspiracy theory freak, I have one word for you: "hack". If you remember, many Lebanese government sites were recently hacked by Anonymous Lebanon... Aha! Busted! ;)
Bookmarks:
Find this blog on Facebook
No comments:
Post a Comment