Package deal

Carrying my highlighter-kind-of-screaming-pink Douaihy bag through the streets of Achrafieh, I felt rather glam. It got me thinking about how this sweet-treat packaging is so very similar to the Lebanese woman. Dressed up in ‘packaging’ that cannot be resisted, where staring at such way-out beauty is the norm – decorated with all the glitz and glam one would expect from a showstopper, the Lebanese woman knows how to attract attention.

Like the gold lettering and handles of the Douaihy carry bag, the Lebanese woman embellishes herself with jewellery and glimmering make-up and anything else that will stop men dead in their tracks (or be the cause of death of some of these men – either because of the sordid affairs taking place due to such alluring beauty or because some of the oldest sidewalk-sitting Lebanese men are the ones losing their breath over these curvaceous vixens).

Just like the luscious Lebanese woman, removing the inner package from the decorated bag leaves no room for disappointment. In fact, when you remove the Cleopatra-like eyeliner, dangling sapphire earrings and designer heels, let down the coiffed hairdo and deflate the Botox lips, you’re left with a look that’s equally, if not more, intensely breathtakingly beautiful: intoxicating eyes, striking cheekbones, rounded hips, shoulder-length curls – just like the perfectly designed Douaihy box; sculpted according to the Creator’s perfect proportions.

You see, the outer packaging just protects what’s beneath, so only those willing to try the inner product will get to see the raw beauty of this Lebanese deal.

And when you finally get a taste of what’s deep inside that exquisite cover up, you see that the heart of the product surpasses all praise. It’s the sweetness of the woman, like the deliciousness of the baklawa, which becomes the most inviting aspect of the package. Suddenly, the material adornments and the deep hazel eyes are forgotten, and it’s the sweet gesture, the nutty conversation, the way she’ll stick with you no matter what, the way she’ll make you forget any worries, the variety of things she has to offer and the manner in which she brings excitement to your life by just being her colourful self that make her the most gorgeous gift in the world.

Although she doesn’t dangle in sapphire and hasn’t succumbed to the Botox fad, this entry was inspired by my friend for life, a gorgeous Lebanese woman: bride-to-be cousin.