Welcome to this latest episode or issue number of live eight and a half. And I'm my name is Suzanne Kota. I'm director of Mudam Luxembourg and I'm delighted to be here this evening. I'm speaking with Akram Zatari, who is going to talk with us from his apartment and particularly his kitchen in Beirut. I'd just like to say a few words of introduction about Akram. And Akram is an artist who I think many of those who are listening may already know through his work that's been presented in museums and galleries throughout the world and is also present in a number of very important museum collections, such as the The High Museum in New York, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Tate Modern in London, and the Surales Foundation in Porto. And Akram was born in 1966 in Lebanon and he earned a Bachelor of Architecture in the late 80s from the American University of Beirut and a Master of Arts in Media Studies from the New School in New York in 1995. Since that time he's produced more than 50 films and videos, all that share an interest in writing history, and which pursue a range of interconnected themes for relating to excavation, political resistance, the lives of former militants, the legacy of an exhausted left, and the circulation of images in times of war. So the Akram has played a critical role in the formal intellectual and institutional infrastructure of Beirut's contemporary art scene. I myself had the pleasure of first meeting Akram in 2005, and of working with him in an exhibition which we presented in Oxford in 2006 called Out of Beirut, which was a group exhibition presenting the work of Akram and his contemporaries from Beirut. As a co-founder of the Arab Image Foundation in 1997, Akram has made invaluable and uncompromising contributions to the wider discourse on preservation, in particular photography and archival practice. In 2011 he was the fourth laureate of the Yangon Prize. In 2004 he received the grand prize from the Associação Cultural de Vídeo Brasil, and his work has been presented at the Venice Biennial where Akram represented Lebanon in 2013 with his film Letitural Refusing Pilot. His work was also included in Documenter 13 curated by Carolyn Kristoff-Pakaviev in 2012. So Akram, hello, you're there in your kitchen. Hi, welcome to my kitchen. So tell us, I mean a very interesting way of thinking about how we might have this exchange, which was about cooking and drawing during confinement. I think it's because of all the pictures that I put on Instagram, all of a sudden people associate me with cooking, which is great. Your studio is also there in your apartment, right? I don't have a studio space like a proper studio space. I have a desk and a living room and a reception space and I work everywhere. Yeah. Well, I wanted to, I'd like to come, we'll come to the cooking and the confinement, but I just maybe wanted to start off with a kind of statement and would love to hear your response to this. I mean, when I think of you and your work, I think of the photographer, the photograph and photography in general. I mentioned earlier this subject of the archive, which of course you've been actively involved in creating or founding. One of the most important photographic archives, if not the most important photographic archive in the Middle East, which is the Arab Image Foundation. But you also in the past at least used to talk a lot about field work and the archive and the field work come together. I just sort of point out some examples for those who are listening, who perhaps are less familiar with your work. Working with the studio Cherizard of Hashem el-Madani in the city of Saida, which is where you are from. You have been working with that, the archive of that studio of the famous portrait photographer for many years now. You have also created an important body of work around not only that archive, but around the studio of the photographer. The field work also comes in and perhaps here is where we move into the idea of excavation. You've made work about a house in Beirut in a buried letter in this house in 2005. But also about a school building in southern Lebanon that was refused to be bombed by the pilot during the period of the Civil Wars. And you talk about refusal as a constructive act. So I guess I wanted to ask you whether you're thinking about refusal has been further nuanced by the experience of confinement and the global pandemic. Oh, refusal and the pandemic. I don't know. Refusal is something that has a double sword. I mean, it's great to be able to refuse an order, but it's great at the same time to be able to bear the responsibility of one's refusal. I think this is by ethically is by far much more important because you can one can keep on refusing and refusing and refusing and running away from the circumstances of one's refusal. If refusal is a political position, then great. But if refusal is just for the wish of refusing and which I would respect as well because some people's being entire being is based on on refusal. And there was once we would call it in Lebanon, the refusal front would say no to any proposition. And they are it is the culture of refusal, which I wish, as I said, as I respect, but when it's about the political position, one needs to assume one's position one if it's refusal, therefore, bearing the consequences of refusal is very important. Well, if use it and confinement is is intense because under confinement, things come back to you things from your past. Therefore, the memory acts on your system in such a way that it brings back things feelings. The mere fact of being locked in one position with the impossibility of circulation as one used to circulate in the past is a violent change. It's like going. It's not like going to prison. It's similar to going to prison and the fact that you are stuck in a geography, not by choice, not by your personal choice. So this gives makes your imagination sometimes go wild. So whether refusal comes imposes itself or something else like seduction like emotional state that you might be in that you that makes you do things that you've never done before like calling your friends more intensely telling them things you never told them before things like that. But I mean, I think confinement has to do with some kind of between brackets nesting. You can you look inwards and you tend to produce in inwards, at least that's that's in my case. And if you were just if it's possible to project your mind into the future, despite everything that you've just said, how might you think about the archaeology of now. I met I'm just going to qualify that question because I think we could think of your practice as an ongoing archaeology of the present. And I know I mentioned earlier the work that you've done with archives such as with the archives of El Medani and his studio shows art, or the photographer, the Egyptian photographer Van Leo. And it's through this ongoing excavation of the archive and representation that you it's been recognized that you engage in a sort of rewriting or in a writing of history through the subjective lens, both of the photographers concerned but also of the photograph themselves. So it's a very, and we can talk a little bit more about other projects, you know that you're working on. Yeah. Have you had any thoughts as to how you might begin to imagine the archaeology of now from your in terms of the way that you work. It's irritating to think of the archaeology that the archaeology in the future that is going to deal with the subject of today. It's scary because it's going to be so advanced if it happens it's going to be so advanced technologically. And so open to data. So I mean, imagine people who look from the future till today will be able to look at our Facebook accounts, look at look at our Twitter accounts, look at our photographs and the comments that we get on our photographs on Facebook, Instagram or any other. They will be able to see what we bought. They will be able to have the log of our the transcript of our credit cards see how what we bought for how much etc where we traveled. So in a way I'm jealous of them because I'm working on a period where it's really really hard to get a piece of information about an individual. And that would be a king. So, so yeah, it's, it's frustrating. I don't want to think about it. I want to resolve the periods and the information I'm looking for. In a like 50 years ago or two centuries ago, because that's the earliest in the past that I'm, I have worked on is 500 BC that's my current research about two Phoenician kings and father and the son. And they are both in between 500 and 2400 BC and it's quite difficult to get access to information. Do you want to say a little bit more about that I mean that these are, or maybe I can just sort of add to that as I understand it.  And as you said of two successive generations of rulers of kings Phoenician kings and that one of the suck off guy is now in the collection of the Louvre Museum in Paris, and the other is in. I'm not sure which museum it in a museum in, in Germany. So, I know you're sort of asking a number of questions around that but could you say something about how you're beginning to approach that subject. And first of all, these are two artifacts that were found in my city inside up. So I reached them in the framework of an interest in the city's history from Hashim el Madani backwards. And very specifically my interest, like my curiosity actually led me to that because, okay, why one of them is at the Louvre and the second one is in Istanbul. And that raised a curiosity. Therefore, I started searching and realizing actually that there's an Ottoman law that somewhere in between the two dates of these two excavations did not allow anymore the sale of archaeological artifacts or the export of archaeological artifacts outside the Ottoman Empire, Sidon and Lebanon were part of the Ottoman Empire until the French mandate in the 20s and until the fall of the empire. So that raises questions. Okay. Therefore, if from a 19th century perspective, the one of them only has been exported because the second one was taken from a province into the capital, simply because Istanbul was the capital of the of the empire. And I'm interested in because of the Arab image Foundation because of my long history in taking photographs transporting photographs from a place to another, generating copies of them and studying them. I often compared the gestures, what what you called fieldwork I compared it with the fieldwork of archaeologists. I started getting interested in the artifact itself, not the data only that it carries so I'm interested in a photograph because it's an artifact not because it shows me something specific, not because it's a description, but because it's an object that was born in a certain era and reach me at a certain time. Similarly, a sarcophagus could be the use of the sarcophagus is is is to put a corpse in it to bury someone in a sarcophagus. But today we we exhibit sarcophagus not because of that we exhibit sarcophagus because there is a culture of making sarcophagi ornamenting them with sculptures and in the absence of sculptures from that time, maybe those artifacts are substitutes talking they're they're they're talking about the culture of making sculptures, let's say. I'm interested in all of this in the displacement of objects from within a function to serve another function in another time. I'm also interested in the idea of provenance and what links does it establish between the Louvre and Sidon and the Istanbul Museum and Sidon given that it's showing in its gallery objects from that place. So I'm interested. Yeah, in like in the theoretical framework that carries all of this that's it. I mean, it's a very big subject and I know that it's also part of your interest, sort of broader discussion and in museums in general, particularly in Europe around restitution. And, and I think it's interesting at this moment that you're thinking about that and if we take the term restitution we think I think back on on your work, such as the work you've done with Madani but for example the project you did inside. Now, quite a number of years ago, it was during the 2000s, where you took, you took portraits of shopkeepers and business owners insider, and you replaced them in those those shops, sometimes it was with the succeeding people from the same family who are running it sometimes with different people and I had the privilege of actually going on that visit. And it was a it was a tour through the old city of cider but it was also kind of a tour back in time. But there's something I think now thinking about what you're working on now is there's an act of restitution somehow in what you were doing there and through that act, generating various levels of reflection and certainly different questions. But it's an interesting time to be thinking about the subject of restitution, exactly at the same moment when monuments are being toppled. Don't you think if you think in many places parts of the world, particularly in sort of the, let's call it form a colonial world, certainly the Western world but in North Africa and in Europe, statues are being taken down and then the question is what happens to them. You know what you think about that in relation to it's more the sort of conceptual relationship between taking down statues and then restitution because what does. Yeah, I mean, taking down statues as as as an act of violence against political leaders or dictators are you talking about that or are you talking more about ISIS destroying sculptures in Palmyra in the Museum of Palmyra. I mean these are two different things and I don't know. Very different and interesting. Now more to do with, for example, in in England, there's a statue of the colonial project and slave and the slave trade, of course. Yeah, you have. And so there's a, there was a fantastically interesting article that just appeared in the last issue of Art Forum written by Paul B. Preciado, precisely about this question of the monuments and at one point in the text. He proposes well find a place or a site somewhere in the world where all of these toppled money monuments can be placed and people can just walk through them. So it's a, it's a different it's a restitution of a different height because in a way I think what the toppling of the monuments there is. You're right in bringing this up because both of them try to unmake to undo to undo colonial gestures. But in reality, neither one would succeed. You cannot undo rape. You cannot undo physical mutilation. Even if you say sorry, it's not undoing. Sorry is accepting the past. So let's put the term undo on the side. It helped me only explain what what what these phenomena are. But clearly, one of them is spectacular and the other one is less spectacular like destroying a monument that glorifies a colonial period. Whoever is doing it in England is doing it. Some kind of with a I see these are as like a little bit like populist people have the right to do them. They are they do not hurt. They do not hurt. They are only hurting as culture. They are not really undoing violence. This is why I'm saying there are there are like populist discourses or acts, but still people, I mean they want to invite your news or BBC or whatever to film it and therefore raise that discourse or the raise that position and put it forward. Restitution is less is less of an event. But its problem is that it claims that damage can be undone, which is only partial. I think damage could because damage is not only the possession of it's not about theft. It's not like I stole from you 100 euros and I will give you back the 100 euros with interest. A court would have resolved it that way. But when when you're only addressing only a part of the equation that is that has to do with creating museums and appropriating archaeology and moving it from colonized to colonizing capitals, you are only you're taking the easy way and you're addressing only a part of the of the damage that was caused by by colonialism and sometimes even if you send it back the problems of dealing get dealing with it at home sometimes there are of course it's the problem of that country but sometimes that issue is not really resolved. I mean in the sense that museums might not be prepared to have something of that scale, for example. This is why I think I would want to problematize restitution and complicated so it's not it's not the easy. Let's address all the issues of that that are related to restitution, and maybe restitution in the sense of moving this from Europe to Africa or Europe to the Middle East, maybe would not be the primary thing to do. Maybe there are other smarter ways, not smarter the idea is not to be smart. Maybe there are ways that have studied the complexity of the situation way in an advanced way and thought that it's healthier and more knowledge productive to resort to something else that is a big question mark and then that big question mark needs to be researched case by case problematized case by case. And therefore the project father and son about these two sake of a guy that were that each one took a different path and ended up in France and Turkey today. Maybe there is a more knowledge productive way that allows us today to serve better their provenance. Can you believe it. I mean we only have five minutes left. And we haven't talked about cooking and we haven't talked about drawing. That's fine. That's totally fine. But on that point. It's interesting and also in another recent essay I read by Hal Foster. He, because many are historians like everyone is trying to make sense of this very dynamic current uncertain moment. And I think that he in his essay he refers to more layer more layer right in one of the songs in 1846 and border using the term them memo technique, which is means a sort of transmission of memory. And I think your work and you know this thing to you talking about this new project with the two sake of a guy but all of your work with the archive and fieldwork is also, as you say a kind of exercise in resurrecting certain memories but as a result of that same what can we learn from this what can be transmitted and working from in Lebanon and within the broader Arab speaking world. It's an important role that you're playing in giving expression, making visible, and also giving expression to cultural memory, but also perhaps asking some questions that are so easily answered, but that's also part of the richness of what you're doing. I'm a product of the place, it's not me that is acting like a member I don't see myself as the person who's keeping the memory of a place I think my interests are actually the product of this place. It's problems. They are a mirror of its problems. It's, it's, it's pitfalls, it's lacking registers maybe. Yeah, and Bodler is, is great. Imagine they made us. I always say like they made us read Bodler at 16. I mean I want to read Bodler now. Thank you for bringing up this. I think I have to read it. Hey, you must. And well, though, just for we've got a few more minutes left, tell us about drawing. What's going on with the drawing. I mean, I picked up drawing a few years ago, maybe in 2015 I started doing pencil drawing. I mean, of course I have a drawing. Background. And education with it comes with architecture. You need to draw and yeah I took a lot of painting classes but I kind of started to take this seriously in 2015. And I was working on photographs on pornographic photographs that I did not want to repeat and I did not want to exhibit because I don't want, I did not want to circulate for pornography even as a, as a material of study so I decided to draw them. And I enjoyed it so much. I think drawing is a great meditation. Like swimming. We've done swimming me and you and that thank you. I cannot thank you enough for taking me swimming in New York. They are actually meditative. And now when the when the confinement started again in April, I picked drawing again. I did small paintings with acrylic. And I love it. I love it. It's exactly it's the feeling of creating feeling feeling of cooking like when you cook something you can't wait to taste it. You can try it's cooking but then later and next day you also try it try it because it changes taste. When you wake up next day after doing a painting you go taking it and just looking at it a fresh. And I love those videos. Video does it too. Yeah, video does it too. But it's different because video is already a time based. And so you need to switch it and wait and it's an experience in time. But the food is the smell of it the taste of it are immediate and the look of something still that dates from yesterday evening is also something so so so much you look for it. Yeah. So when do you think we might see some of those drawings I mean I think you have been showing. Some of them already were advertised on the on the mudam. Yeah, sites on the site. Those I made in April. So it's interesting that just from what you were saying at the beginning with you know this whole question of the archaeology of now. You know where everything's via you know the passage of social meat images via social media the connectivity of everything that you're actually really focusing in on these small intimate things such as drawings of just cooking and also swimming. So you're fortunate you can go to the ocean. Yeah, I mean, yeah, we are so I mean I'm like we are so literally humans even if we're surrounded by people. What what makes us who we are are very very specific traits that makes you an individual an individual meaning like you are not like him. Him is not like her. Her is not like her. So what adds to the traits of us is is is what we like to do what we like to do. Our time is up. So we can stay on a little bit more but I think we're going to be switched off. So I think just say thanks to everyone who joined us. And how he is going to switch us right now. Thank you. Thank you. I think we're still live. Well, we can keep talking until. Yeah, by the way, I did not mention that I'm the project I'm doing now has become my PhD project. So I'm a PhD candidate. I'm at the University of Sergey and at the in Berlin, Sergey is in Paris and then he was in Berlin and this is where the confusion might have come by the way that the other side of a guy is in Berlin.


I'm not with a safe person, someone who I've perhaps had a meltdown around before and they've, you know, constantly pressured me for questions, they've made things really difficult for me, they've, I don't know, they've shouted at me, they've made fun of me or, you know, anything like that in a public situation. I'm going to hold it back and I'm going to do that temporary control and it's going to be a lot more intense once I'm actually in a place I feel safe. It's really weird because like, I kind of have such, you know, stronger versions to people when I'm in those states because I can't really communicate well. And with all that anxiety and paranoia on my brain just going haywire and not being able to communicate, it's kind of, it's kind of a state where if people do things wrong, I'm going to try and get away from them. I'm going to push them away.


Hey friends today. We're hanging out at Disney's Port Orleans resort. This resort actually recently reopened And I wanted to come out give you guys the grand tour show you some of my favorite things about it And then also take a stroll over to a French quarter to eat some Mickey beignets and maybe a cup of gumbo Anywho's let's go do this We're gonna start our day right here at Port Orleans Riverside. It also looks like they put up Christmas decorations I believe this opened up in October and it's November now so it's been open for just about a month and I'm finally happy that I've been able to come out and see it and also get the Mickey beignets. I've been craving those The funny thing is is I've never stayed at this resort. I've never stayed at Riverside or French quarter But I feel like this resort is probably the resort I've hung out the most at like I've made so many memories here hanging out with friends and just enjoying the resort amenities and It's nice to be back. Like I said, it's very awesome Here is a bunch of the Christmas garland Near the Port-au-Corché and as we actually make our way into the lobby. It looks like they got the Christmas tree up as well And yep, it looks like the Christmas tree is up looking as beautiful as always. I really really do love it in here I've had so many fond memories of coming here to the River Roost Seeing Yeehaw Bob or playing Disney trivia with a bunch of friends and it was always a great time I I like I said, I really do love this resort. I really I want to stay here one day one day Maybe I'll bring Gracie and we'll do like a vlog Staying here, but for today I think we're just gonna show you the grounds the different places to get something to eat and It's just a little bit of my favorite about the resort The River Roost here inside Port Orleans is one of the all-time greatest Disney lounges I would rank it up there with Trader Sam's and Older's Canteen because there's so much to do here They have Yeehaw Bob on the stage back here doing nightly performances with the piano and he's amazing And they used to actually do like adult Disney trivia in here and it was so cool I don't think they're doing the Disney trivia yet, but Yeehaw Bob is back and one night I definitely got to come and get your show Right now the River Roost is closed down and opens up probably around 4 o'clock ish I would think but you can always just come in here sit down right next to the fireplace or Even just kind of hang out over here This is like the main bar area and this is where we used to always do like our fun like festivities Like seeing Yeehaw Bob and playing trivia and look at the bar itself. It says River Roost right in the middle there It's such a nice little spot Right now boat rides, which is the main sit-down restaurant that's at the resort isn't open But you can still get food options probably from the quick service or you can actually get things here at the River Roost they do have like wings and small appetizer plates and The place that I'm excited to go be this French quarter Which is on the other side of the resort and that's where they have like the jambalaya the gumbo the Mickey Benye's that that's the stuff. That's what calls me Right here is a restaurant That's not open at the moment and they called it boat rides because it has this gigantic boat Inside and it was so cool. I actually eat here Not like long before it shut down and it actually gives you a whole bunch of history about the boat itself Because it was really a boat like you know what I mean so so fun and fascinating There are two different sections over here at Porter Lane's Riverside There's alligator bayou and then there's Magnolia Bend and both of them are absolutely amazing and so different And they're all special in their own way So I'm going to give you a walk around and show you both of the areas and some of the recreation if it's open And then we're going to stroll on over to French quarter and I'll show you all the resort amenities over there Plus the Mickey Benye's I think that's like the biggest thing for me and just kind of enjoy a leisurely day here at the resort Right outside the riverside mill they have the boat Transportation and you can actually take this to some other resorts or down to disney springs And it launches right here in the middle section. I can actually take a boat over to french quarter I believe so we might actually look at that option only because it's a nice boat riding They've got their own uh boat like fleet here and you can go past old Key West Saratoga Springs It's it's actually very pretty I think we'll start over in alligator bayou and then make our way around If you guys have ever stayed here before let me know in the comments what your favorite section is Do you know what you mean is an alligator bayou magnolia bend? What did you like staying over at french quarter? I know they have princess themed rooms like princess tiana rooms and those are like really really special And uh, I just kind of like overall like the resorts like a two for one because the resorts are so close to Like together at riverside and french quarter This way to alligator bayou and old man's island and magnolia bend Got across a nice fancy little bridge and just look at the whole area here. Isn't it just beautiful? Like everything is like really really well detailed I remember actually doing the surrey bike rides here and even going fishing they have like a fishing hall I wonder if that stuff is open yet because that that's the stuff that I love about the resort Right here is the main pool area and here is a look at some of the recreation activities that they have Uh, it says movies under the stars and they also have mickey tie dye Oh, they do tripper trivia night at the muddy rivers pool bar But it doesn't look like they brought back the main trivia though. Oh, that makes me sad Oh, this one actually at old man's island that might actually be a fun trivia to do as well And of course, you don't want to forget about the campfire on the bayou 530 to 630 where you get some s'mores and a little campfire on the bayou I also believe this resort has the most like lounges and different places to actually eat too as well Because they have so many different like uh lounges around the park if you include french quarter as well Right here is muddy rivers. This is another lounge area right next to the pool And this spot was always fun to actually hang out at as well And then I think along this pathway here. This is where the fishing hole used to be So I want to go check that out and see if it's there But I remember riding my surrey bike through here. It was so much fun And I actually got the surrey bike Like they gave it to the winners of trivia night. So like it was like a prize that we actually won Sadly looks like the fishing hole isn't open. It's open 7 a.m. To 145 and it's 2 o'clock now And uh, it's $15 and 98 cents per half an hour, which isn't too bad I mean $15 per half an hour and it's a good fishing spot You actually get a lot of good catch and release over there And they got a little chart that shows you all the fishes that you can actually catch I can't get a good look at it, but it's right there This was always so fun and definitely something you want to do to keep yourself entertained I'm not too sure if it's like officially open or if it's just closed because of the hours Because we're here so late in the day. I'll have to find out. Maybe I'll ask somebody if I see them walking around Another thing that I love about this resort is how like excluded the rooms are like it's actually out in the woods And it's very beautiful over here. Now. This is on alligator bayou side There's nothing really close to the main lobby I would say that maybe one of these buildings right here is the closest one to the main lobby But uh, yeah, I mean they have a little distance So we're going to actually just walk this path right right here And we're going to show you some of the buildings for alligator bayou and then uh Actually leads right into magnolia bend Whenever I say alligator bayou, I just immediately think of bobby boucher I don't know why it just goes hand in hand and it kind of just makes me laugh. You know what I mean? Right here are the alligator bayou lodges and it looks like it's uh 24 to 28 Like don't you love them? It looks so beautiful. Wait till I show you the other ones over here Now these ones are kind of cool because I like the color it kind of matches in with the woods and everything like that But the magnolia bay uh like bend over here is so glamorous. It's like a perfect spot to take like photos I'll show you you if you've seen it, you know I always like to try to keep a theme whenever I go out and do a video with like my t-shirts And I couldn't really think of anything. I don't have any princess in the frog Shirts, which I actually should get and since we're going to the french quarter I know that there's a lot of jokers over there. So I ended up wearing my jokers My joker rosa belt. You know what I mean? I know bat man And it's funny though because uh, I was trying to think like when I got this shirt Like where I can actually you know put it to like a theming in one of the videos It's not like I go into six flags every day. So I think it kind of fits in, you know joker jokers, you know This resort is one of the few resorts that allow pets here at Walt Disney World So that's why I like it even more and more of a reason for me to come stay And here is magnolia bend and I think if I like did stay here I'm not too sure where the pet friendly rooms are. I would want to stay here Like it is so beautiful. Isn't it? This is what I was talking about when I said like you can come here and take photos Like, you know what I mean? Like special like graduation photos or even engagement photos And it'll just look stunning. I love the staircases and every building over here is a little bit different So I'm going to show you a couple of them and let you like, you know Get a good look see of them because I really think it is just quite beautiful Another thing I forgot to talk about Other than the surrey bites and the fishing hole for recreation. They also have Horse trolleys here and I hear that the horse trolleys are actually going to be Running again come December and they're going to like I have like a holiday one And you can pay to actually go around on a horse buggy It'll take you from riverside to french quarter and it's just so it's it's really really awesome It's definitely something you want to experience. I have done that before as well Like I said, I think I've done every single activity here at porter lean And it's so crazy because I've never stayed here. I just came and visited as a local and just had fun Now if you can't park here, you can always take the boats from disney springs And they'll actually bring you right over here But normally if you just come here and say hey, uh, I just want to grab something to eat or rent a surrey But they'll just let you in they're not really strict like uh, uh the magic kingdom Loop resort like the magic kingdom resorts on the loop. They're very hard to park at you need a reservation But here it's not so bad. You know what I mean? The reason I brought up the horses because I saw these actually outside one of the buildings And I was like, oh, yeah, I don't want to forget about the horsies Oh, there goes one of the boat launches right there Another thing I want to point out is I think that this resort actually has the most pools as well Between like this is adding in the french quarter and riverside together And here we are another section of magnolia bend and isn't that just like honestly, I just can't get over it These are resort rooms. You're actually stay in these rooms and look at this grassy knoll with the fountain And the trees it is so beautiful here. I really love it. I just love being here This must be where some of the princess rooms are at because you can actually see, uh Little princess symbols right there. I would assume. I don't know though because I've never been inside them I think we covered a lot of area over here at riverside So maybe we should be making our way over to french quarter so we can get the bennets and the jambalaya and the gumbo And all the works and I'm thinking maybe take a boat. I think it would be fun. The walk is not too far It's like really close like I would say maybe five maybe 10 minutes And uh, I don't know. I just think uh going on a nice little boat ride the sasa gula boat It would be fun. You know what I mean? So we're gonna actually cross another bridge. We basically just did a big circle You know what I mean? Like so if you actually look we started off right over there by boat rides And we just made a big circle around the resort now They're still much more like to cover But uh, like I'm trying to squeeze everything in there all at once That's the bridge we first crossed if you can see all the way down there And this is the bridge where you are crossing to get back over to the main lobby area So I just actually made my way over to the recreation area and they are doing the surrey bikes and the fishing hole is open It's just we got there and it's closed. They also do Private fishing excursions for bass out of these boats right here. And that's really cool That's something I would love to do. Oh, it says take me fishing right on there So I'll take you out and you can just do some fishing from there. Oh, and I think our uh, I think our boats coming so we're gonna head on down there so we can make our way over to french quarter Here is a good look at the whole entire sasa gula river We are right here and it takes you down to french quarter to old key west to saratoga springs To disney springs west side the landing and the marketplace Such a little fun adventure, right? First stop is french quarter. So we're actually gonna hop off And not actually take the full route, but I just love being on the boat There's french quarter Here comes another boat The french quarter and I love it that little boat ride probably took like three minutes and walking here probably is like five minutes But it's nice to get like a good View of the resort as you're actually going on the boat Like I was able to show you a lot more of the buildings at mandolia bend and I kind of like it It's like nice and relaxing Right here are the room buildings for port Orleans french quarter and these are just as beautiful Like I said, they're all like special and unique in their own way And I don't know it's it's a toss-up. I do love these but I do love mandolia bend as well So i'm not too sure which one I would like a lot more I do have to say I feel like french quarter is more of an adult oriented resort Like I think it's probably the most adult oriented resort at Walt Disney world I mean, it's based off mardi gras and uh the french quarter and everything like that. It's very quiet And I don't know I just kind of really like the atmosphere you can hear some really cool music They have the scat cat uh scat cat lounge Which is basically like a really cool place to go check out some jazz music I don't know if that's open yet. I'll have to keep an eye out. But uh, yeah, we're going to show you around a little bit First I want to actually head this way and show you a little bit of the serpent pool area And I'd like to actually see all the alligators as you're walking by look at this guy Just the way he's looking at you. It's so fun. It's so really I love it over here. It is such an amazing resort Right here is another lounge area or a poolside bar. It's the mardi gras And this is the serpent pool here I don't want to show you too much because there's people actually in there swimming But there's a gigantic serpent slide in there and it's so awesome I was actually looking for this earlier Here is a directory or a map of the whole entire port Orleans resort Even what french quarter included and you can see it is massive like this resort is huge Here is all the alligator by you and then they actually had the magnolia bend here And then all the way down here. This is where we are and this is french quarter So you can see I mean this is a massive resort I ran into a friend who was staying here and they actually made me something And I kind of want to show you guys because it's so cute and it's tis the season But take a look at these. Isn't that so awesome? I love it It's little mickey ornaments But with fedoras on and they got me one and they got Gracie one So thank you to the old brian family. It was so nice of you to actually give me these I love them. I can't wait to hang them on my tree Once I actually get it all up Now I kind of want to show you a little bit of the different building areas because they're all pretty And then we'll go in and check the lobby out and then get something to eat Man oh man the theming is just so amazing. I love how the walkways are like little tiny streets And this is jazz alley And they have these font winds and gazebos and nice areas to just come and relax I'd love waking up and actually just having a cup of coffee here and just like enjoying vacation You know every time I come to resorts like this I just kind of try to relive my times vacationing to Walt Disney world You know when I came down for like a week or two and waking up early getting a Disney coffee at like pop century It was one of the greatest feelings ever and then getting all excited about your day Going to ride rides and enjoying all the magic of Walt Disney world Fun fact and this is a really really awesome fact I actually never watched like Disney youtube Before I came on vacation I never watched any videos or anything like that or any other vloggers And the first video that I've ever like watched like a disney like video was here at french corder because I wanted to stay here I wanted to stay at french corder and it was somebody just going around doing exactly what i'm doing right now and pointing out things and I wanted to stay here, but I couldn't afford it and I kept on looking at it and watching that video and like thinking like All right, I love it here And I'm gonna have to try to find a way to make this work And it got me so excited and I was using it like as a comparison to be if it's worth it or not I wish I knew Who that like video was like they weren't actually talking It was just kind of like pov and then they would have like things just like written over And I don't know who it was like I'll never be able to find it again But uh, yeah, that was my first like disney video was here at french corder. That's the first thing I ever watched Now we're making our way back on over to the lobby so I can show you And then uh sassu gula float works to get our mickey benye's and gumbo I always love eating here. I used to actually just come and uh just have dinner here Like I remember like two years ago. I used to just be like, you know what? I'm in the mood for jumbo lie and gumbo and I used to just swing on over Here is the main lobby area and it looks like they got their christmas trees up as well I remember this because they have like four christmas trees in all the corners They don't have a tall christmas tree because they have a fountain in the middle But they have four little tiny bitty ones and I like them I think we'll actually go in through jackson square gifts and desires And then make kind of like a u-shape into the lobby and then over to float works Right here jackson square and this is where they sell most of the merchandise for the resort Like the little souvenir shop, you know, they used to have a cool like uh pumpkin or jack-o-lantern Scavenger hunt in here. I don't think they do that anymore And uh lots of princess tiana stuff. Look at this is a port Orleans shirt right here And princess tiana on it and then they've got some mugs I like these. These are really cute actually. I might want to get one And take a look at this shirt right here. Okay first mickey benye That is that is literally port Orleans summed up right there I really really like it And now we're making our way into the lobby area And one thing I have to say about the lights actually for christmas. They're always so bright here Look at that. It's daytime out right now And I love it in here. The smell is amazing This is so so cool The beignets and the gumbo and jambalaya are actually in separate locations So I think we're gonna have the gumbo and jambalaya first because we want to save the beignets for dessert Right over here is the scat cat's club cafe. This is where they actually sell the beignets And over there is where the jazz like club was the scats cat's club And I actually like going in there, but we're gonna actually go over to the sasabula float works and food factory and this is where we're gonna get our Gumbo or jambalaya or maybe both to make some uh Jumbo jumbo. Oh, they also have a prime rib dip here. Oh, there are so many offerings It looks like they actually added a couple of new items to the menu since the last time I was here They've got some pizza. They got some pasta. They've got walk disney's chili in a bread bowl Lots of amazing items, but it's all about the gumbo in the jambalaya for me Now we've got ourselves the gumbo in the jambalaya and time to eat I've been waiting like a good two years for this And here it is This is the gumbo right here And then the jambalaya right over here the portion sizes aren't really like that big It's like a scoop of jambalaya A scoop of rice in here and then a ladle of gumbo, but it's also not that very expensive I think they're nine dollars a piece and I'm excited. I usually like to mix this with that like together and make it like a A gumbo lia jambalaya gumbo like you play on boards and it it actually tastes really good Yeah, this is definitely different from the last time I had it They have a lot more sausage in there, but it looks so good. Doesn't it? I've been waiting two years for this It's also why I waited to come here until the end because I was like, okay I'm gonna eat a lot of food here and plus the mickey beignets. I think they get sold into like threes So we're only gonna eat probably one of them and to take the rest home with us I don't think you can get like a single mickey beignets. I think you have to get three of them But we're gonna try the gumbo first with a little bit a big piece of sausage in there Now it's time for the jambalaya and the gumbo the gumbo has like a medium spice level It's not that spicy and the same thing with the jambalaya. It's not spicy at all I'm not too sure which one I'd like more like I said I'd like to mix them together and that's what I like more But we're gonna just take little bites of each one to taste it individually first I'm pretty sure the jambalaya has chicken and sausage in it This is good good stuff Now it's time to make some gumbo That's the way That is the way right there I also love just hearing the jazz music in here as you're eating it really adds to the vibes This for the longest time was my number one favorite quick service location Other than the polite pig which I think the polite pig should be actually a sit-down service because it's so good But like as a food like Lobby or a cafeteria like none of the other resorts can compete with this like You know what I mean? It is so so good and so different But now it's time for the beignets business Here are the Menu or the pricing for the beignets you can see it is three beignets for 6.99 Six beignets for 10.99 then you can get some dipping sauces They also have the baton rouge beignets, which these are kind of like boozy beignets They have bellies inside of it or ramchata. I've had those before they have a mickey shaped beignets sundae Like just so many good stuff. Oh, especially beignets. I wonder what those are The jazz club, which is the entrance right behind me used to actually give out free beignets Like it's not as you were buying drinks I remember that like as one of the biggest draws that come over here And I would sit there and I'd order a drink and then they bring over free beignets But I think they only did that for past holders if I'm like correct Here are the specialty beignets They have a chocolate one a cinnamon sugar one and then a raspberry one right there But I just went with the classics stick to the classics I decided to bring my beignets outside next to Jackson Square because they have nice little tables there And it's beautiful. You can hear the music and you're outside. Do you know what I mean? And just take a look at these delicious little things Oh Like I said, you can only get three is the lowest amount you can get One of the specialty beignets, but I wanted to get the classics And I actually got a little beignet bubble on this one kind of looks like it's a third mickey year, doesn't it a beignet bubble That sounds really fancy and lots of powdered sugar Beignets can be quite the mess when you're eating them, especially with powdered sugar Like it runs all over the place and I was trying to take some fancy photos with them I actually got a whole bunch of different dipping sauces I think they give you chocolate caramel and strawberry and I tried to set them up inside like little area with the mickey beignets are And I lifted them up and I spilled the sauce all over I was really trying to make them look look photogenic and look I ended up spilling the sauces all over the place That's the strawberry. That's the caramel and this is the chocolate down here. I'm gonna try to yep There we go. It's like little hot sauces too. And uh, I don't know which way should we start I was gonna actually just like individually like do each one and try each sauce I'm not gonna eat all three of the beignets, but this is all you can order them as and uh They're really hot and fresh like they actually make them right there. So I don't know. I'm excited Now there is a proper technique to actually eat in the beignets You just gotta kind of hold them outwards and then kind of eat them like this And then that way all the sugar falls down on the ground It doesn't fall on your shirt and I'm gonna try to do that first I think we're gonna actually crack one open though because I'm gonna show you what they look like on the inside I'm always excited about that. I took this one This is gonna be our tester the one that's got the the beignet bubble on it. So we're actually gonna Zoom in a little bit There we go Now we're gonna break it. We're gonna break the beignet Oh, wow It shouldn't be that easy, but it is look at that I'm excited to try these That video clip just ended but I didn't want to shut it off So I'm gonna have to trim it out because I've got powdered sugar and I don't want to touch the buttons You don't want sticky buttons. So we're just gonna we're gonna eat the beignet now. Are you ready? Here's how we do it like this They are so airy and fresh and hot and I love it Now we're gonna try the strawberry sauce first. I'm gonna pick that up right there use what we already spilled That seems the best way The strawberry sauce is cold, but I'm sure you can actually heat it up Okay, now we're gonna take the other ear and we're gonna try the caramel sauce The caramel sauce over here a little duck ability. These are so messy. Oh, don't spill that The strawberry sauce was good now. Like I said, we're gonna try the caramel Okay, I like the caramel one better than the strawberry one Now we have to try to get the chocolate one. I feel like this poor mickey beignet has been compromised. It has been compromised See, I wanted to take these home But I don't know if I'm gonna be able to since I got sauce all over them And I don't want to bite into another mickey beignet right now. So we're gonna scoot it out of the way And I'm gonna come over here Mickey beignet down I lost it. It touched the table Oh, well That poor unfortunate soul looks like I'm only taking one beignet home I'm gonna put it over here to be extra cautious. There we go And that's the way I can't believe I lost a beignet never lost a beignet on duty before but Today was the day. Oh, this one has a little strawberry on it too. So it's like a chocolate covered strawberry beignet I think I did a pretty good job here. No powdered sugar. I got a little bit on my knee though Just a little bit right there not too shabby Overall my favorite dipping sauce was probably the caramel caramel then the chocolate then the strawberry the caramel though was Very very good I'm not even kidding you guys, but there is a b After my beignets, it was just on the table And I'm afraid to move because for some reason the bees kind of like to hang around me But there was a bee chasing my beignet If you go back inside, they'll give you a beignet bag a lot of bees today We got bees on the beignets and we got the beignet bags and the bubble beignets It breaks my heart to do it, but I have to say goodbye beignet Bye-bye beignet The bee almost had you all that powdered sugar and spilled sauces Now it's time to start making our way back over to riverside. That's where I actually parked my car So I think I'm gonna walk over this time since we took the boat over the first time Nice little scenic walk, you know nice well Nice little walk on over to Port Orleans a good way to work off those beignets This little courtyard right here must be where they do movies under the stars I mean it'd be a perfect setting for it. Also. I kind of like that fountain I want to take a look see here. They got some really nice fountains over at Port Orleans. I have to say Oh, this one is very fancy Look you can see some coins in there too Oh, and then look at the Surrey Byte says follow me to Port Orleans Riverside Wow, look at this. I keep on finding all these amazing places And they're just kind of just little like courtyard hangout spots But this is so beautiful right now with the sun peeking in I gotta come explore I love it little frogs This is really awesome Made our way back down to the river bend. Look at this boat flying through here Oh boy Have a good day Oh look at that wake And now we are back at Riverside. It was only like a two minute walk actually. It wasn't that far at all And uh, yeah, I guess that's gonna do it for us. I had so much fun today Kind of just hanging out here. I've been here for a couple hours just kind of roaming around and enjoying the resort I love it so much and being able to ride the boats one day I want to come back and just ride the boat and visit all the resorts You know, I mean kind of like stop here at Port Orleans Riverside Then go to french quarter old Key West Saratoga and then Disney Springs and then take it all the way back It'd be a fun little adventure, but I hope you enjoyed the video. I enjoyed making it. We'll see you next time Bye


Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim, in the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful, respected viewers. As-salamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh, brothers and sisters in Islam. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon you. Welcome to the twelfth episode of the Treaties of Right series. Today we will talk about the right of the wife. Regarding this, the Imam Sajad Zain al-Abideen al-Alayhi salam has said, and the right of your subject through matrimonial contract is that you should know that God has made her a repose, a comfort, and a companion and a protector for you. It is incumbent upon each of you to thank God for the other and realize that the other one is God's blessing for you. It is mandatory to be a good companion for God's blessing and to honor her and treat her gently. Yet, your right over her is more incumbent and she must obey you in every matter that you like or detest, except in acts of disobedience to God. She should enjoy the rights of mercy and intimacy as she is an object of tranquility. You should care for her through consummation of the lust that must be consummated, and that is surely great, and there is no power but in God. When an individual decides to get married, they must take into consideration a number of factors. Deciding to get married is of great magnitude, therefore one must be extremely vigilant and attentive to even the smallest detail and actions taken by him. Marriage is a blessed foundation of a family. The husband and wife make a promise to each other that this relationship would last to the end of their life. This structure is not built using bricks, steel rods, and cement. It is a home built upon love, comfort, and delight in which the couple shall live together their whole life and raise boys and girls to continue the human society. We shall remind you that this structure is only firm if the husband and wife know about what Islam has set forth as rightful decrees. Otherwise, this structure will be shaken up by the erupting quakes of disharmony and bad temper. God has considered the creation of man and woman, and they are dwelling together as signs in the Holy Quran. And among his signs is this, that he created you from mates, from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them. And he has put love and mercy between your hearts. Verily in that are signs for those who reflect. The Holy Quran, Al-Rum, verse 21. Deciding to start a family and get married is greatly encouraged in Islam and perceived as a concept very holy. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, says no house has been built in Islam more beloved in the sight of Allah than through marriage.   Imam Ali, peace and blessings be upon him, exhorts Mary because marriage is the tradition of the Prophet. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him in his holy progeny, also said whosoever likes to follow my tradition, then he should know that marriage is from my tradition. Various studies prove that married people remain healthier physically and mentally. Islam has always maintained that marriage is beneficial for us in many ways. Islam also regards marriage as a way to acquire spiritual perfection. The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him in his pure family, said one who marries has already guarded half of his religion, therefore he should fear Allah for the other half. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also said two rak'ats, cycles prayed by a married person, are better than 90 vigil and the fast of a single person. The first characteristics mentioned by Mama Sajjad are tranquility and dwelling in love. God's Panawata'ala has considered the creation of men and women and they're dwelling together as signs in the Holy Quran. And among his signs is this, that he created you from mates, from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them. And he has put love and mercy between your hearts, verily in that are signs for those who reflect. The Holy Quran, Ar-Rum verse 21. The issue of dwelling together in love is also stated in the following verse. It is he who created you from a single person and made his mate an order that he might dwell with her in love. The Holy Quran Al-A'raf chapter 7 verse 189. The two concepts of tranquility and dwelling together, which are major God-given blessings are presented in these verses. This includes physical and spiritual, as well as individual and social aspects of tranquility and mutual life. No one can deny the physical ailments due to not marrying. Everyone is familiar with the spiritual problems and psychological disturbances that unmarried people have to deal with. Unmarried people feel less social responsibility. This is why more cases of suicidal attempts are seen among unmarried couple. They also commit more crimes. A person who gets married is no longer single. He discovers a new character within himself and feels a lot more responsible. When a couple's life is filled with tranquility, love, and mercy, it is then firmly established. On the contrary, if these elements were to be taken away without a doubt, this couple will lead a very shaky and fragile relationship. Marriage is like the first level of social life. Through marriage, one can study and learn about the rights. Time for a quick short break. Stay tuned. There are two kinds of rights established between a couple. Legal rights and moral rights. The legal rights include the right that the husband must feed and clothe his wife and provide for her shelter. They also include the right that the women should obey her husband. These rights are the fundamentals of mutual life and are needed in order to provide for life just like the foundation and the structure of a building. However, moral rights are those which both the husband and the wife are morally bound to adhere to. Should they not adhere to these rights, there is no legal obligation for them to do so. However, the beauty and pleasure of life is dependent upon performing these duties. Acts like compliance, friendship, and love fall in this category. One can consider these rights as the decorations of life, such as painting and fine plastic work. The law of creation has made men and women in need of each other in order to better unite men and women together and strengthen the family, which is the main basis of human prosperity. If men have been established as the ones for the women to financially rely on, women have been created for men to spiritually rely on. These different needs attract them to each other and finally unite them. As with everyone else, a wife and a husband have their own unique rights that Allah has given them. The rights of wives and husbands are completely described in the glorious Holy Quran. When studying them, one can recognize these mutual rights as being one of the miracles of the pure culture of Islam. No other school of thought has so thoroughly attended to the rights of the wives and their husbands until now. And none can do so from now until the end of time. These rights include obligatory and recommended rights. Disrespecting the mandatory rights without the other person's consent is the cause of divine punishment. And not honoring the recommended rights will lessen the sweetness of life.  The Imam, peace and blessings be upon him, replied that he should feed her properly and provide her with clothing. And when she does something out of ignorance, he should forgive her. Then the Imam, peace and blessings be upon him, said, my father had a bothersome wife, but he would always forgive her. The sixth Imam quoted the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam as saying, Gabriel recommended on behalf of wives so much, so that I'd thought divorcing her is not permissible unless she commits adultery. He also said, good mercy be upon the man who performs all the affairs for himself and his wife well. Since the God Almighty has granted to men the control of women and established the husband as her guardian. The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam has said, one who ignores his wife's rights is deprived of God's mercy. He also said, the best of you is one who is the best for his family. And I am a model for you in this regard. As for the wife, Islam has given her many rights. These include for the man to provide a living for her. The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said, one must provide the foodstuffs and clothing of his wife in the best manner. Imam al-Sajjad, peace and blessings be upon him, said, Going to the market and buying one dirham of meat, which my wife desires, is better than freeing a slave. The sixth Imam said, the most fortunate man is the one who manages the affairs of his wife and children. A wife deserves to be respected and honored. She deserves someone to speak to her in a calm and respectful manner. Swearing or using any vulgar language will force the person we are facing to react no matter who they are.  The commander of the Faith, Rami al-Mu'minin, peace and blessings be upon him, has ordered men, be patient with your wife under all circumstances and treat her with kindness. A major factor in strengthening the ties of mutual life is dependent upon the woman respecting her husband's rights. The wife should only consider God's Panawata'ala and hereafter and not let anyone else interfere in regards to her husband's rights. Others may be mistaken or have bad intentions, and it may even be that the case of such interference in the life of the newly wed couple is pure jealousy. Women should remember that they are easily influenced by others. They should consider this element of their nature and pay close attention to the possibility of others being wrong. They should remember God's Panawata'ala and their situation in the hereafter and respect that man's humane, divine, and religious rights. The Seventh Imam, peace and blessings be upon him, said a woman's jihad is to take good care of her husband. A woman jihad is being grateful to her husband, being kind with him, bearing with him when he is poor, seeing him off when he leaves and welcoming him when he comes home, totally submitting to her husband at allowed times, putting on good clothes and makeup for him, properly running the affairs of the house, avoiding wastefulness and not asking him for more than he can buy. Such acts, which are defined by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and his holy progeny, and the Imams as a wife's duty towards her husband are her jihad or the holy war. We have reached the end of this episode. Stay tuned for the next episode of the Treaties of Rights series. May Allah hasten the reappearance of our beloved Imam Mehdi, peace and blessings be upon him, and his holy progeny, peace and blessings be upon him, and his holy progeny, peace and blessings be upon him.