Rabih Alameddine
Rabih Alameddine
Rabih Alameddineis a Lebanese-American painter and writer. He was born in Amman, Jordan to Lebanese Druze parents. He grew up in Kuwait and Lebanon, which he left at age 17 to live first in England and then in California. A lover of mathematics, he earned a degree in engineering from the University of California at Los Angelesand a Master of Business in San Francisco. He began his career as an engineer, then moved to writing and painting. The author of...
NationalityLebanese
ProfessionArtist
CountryLebanon
beirut burning fit frail left quiet
In 1975, I left the burning city of Beirut for the quiet insanity of England. To say that short, frail and wispy 15-year-old me didn't fit in would be such an understatement as to be a joke.
car cared good loved mechanical understood
I loved problems on paper, and I was good at math, but I was a mechanical engineer, and I never understood - or cared to - how a car worked.
algeria believe country
In 1982, Algeria made their first appearance at the World Cup. I believe it was the first Arab country to do so.
anywhere available country east religion terms west
In Lebanon, there are completely different opinions and values in one country in terms of religion, modernity, tradition, East and West - which allows for a kind of intellectual development not available anywhere else.
civil great lebanese war
I jokingly say if there was one great thing about, you know, the Lebanese Civil War was that it forced me to read.
god
If I were to pray in Arabic, I'd pray to Allah. If I were to pray in English, I'd pray to God.
sports widely
Soccer is the most widely played sport in the U.S.
certainly player reasons
The reasons why a player is better on one club than on another are many. I certainly am not an expert and can't explain.
britain english european fondness history invaded languages perhaps recorded speakers spot
English has always had a special fondness for other European languages, a neighborly soft spot - perhaps because Britain has been invaded by speakers of those languages from the onset of its recorded history.
america large west
We seem, particularly over here in the West and in America in particular, to have forgotten that we are, in large measures, the story we tell ourselves about ourselves.
arabic looked
As teenagers, a lot of us just did not want much to do with Arabic culture - we looked to the West.
paragraph
I started writing half a paragraph of a mystery novel, half a paragraph there, and they were terrible.
finding francisco pickup problem san sure teams
I've never had a problem finding a team, a league, or a pickup game. Actually, I'm not sure I want soccer to get bigger. We have so many teams in San Francisco that there aren't enough fields.
game soccer
A game of soccer induces more than enjoyment, more than entertainment.