Addicted to LEBANON...

It is said: “far from the eye, far from the heart”… but it didn’t work with me… why? Because I’m very addicted to my beloved country LEBANON…
Everyday I’m more convinced that LEBANON is the best country ever… you may say that I’m a dreamer and not realistic at all.
But still… LEBANON is the best country ever…
I don’t want to repeat the same cliché we used to hear or read concerning LEBANON beauty, culture or even traditions and events…
But I would like to expose simple things that made the difference and distinguished LEBANON from all over the world.
Yes, yes… despite everything, LEBANON is still by far the best country ever and hereon the proofs.

1) THE CHAOS
Don’t laugh… take this example about breaking the rules… in LEBANON breaking the rules is the rule è in all countries, road signs and traffic lights are the “red line” that should not be crossed ever… except in LEBANON where traffic lights are perceived as an “event” that sometimes we like to be part of it and in other times don’t know that it even exists…

2) THE APPEARANCE
Have you ever realized how much LEBANON is manipulated by appearance??? Modern… Up-to-date… Stylish…
No way to see a typical Lebanese in a neglecting look… it’s very rare… believe me… it’s great to see and have good appearance… You will know what I’m talking about once you step out of Lebanon…

3) THE LANGUAGE
Well, it's very unique as it is a combination of Arabic, French and English… amazing how in one sentence 3 languages are involved such as: “hi, kifik? ça va bien?” or “Bonjour, chou fi ma fi? Kil chi OK?”… I bet that in the future a new language is to be dwelled in the world: Lebanese language… I believe the UN will consider it as their formal language…

4) GOSSIPING / CURIOSITY
In LEBANON, no secret is preserved… isn’t that interesting? There is always suspense… YAP… Lebanese knows everything… Why? Because they are too curious to miss anything such as the dress the neighbor was wearing in the wedding: where from? At what price? Etc…

5) POLITICS
Better not to call it something else… yet believe me it is a phenomena in LEBANON… and very unique… We have ghosts… Halloween is on all over the year… let’s party…

6) CANDLES
Don’t you agree that spending the evening over candles lights is the most romantic thing ever?
All Lebanese must be thankful to their government as they are doing their best to provide this benefit…

7) CURRENCY
To be honest, I don’t know anymore what’s the Lebanese currency is anymore… almost all Lebanese wallets are like wall street. They contain US Dollars, Euro, Lebanese lira… and among others the Australian Dollar or any other Arabic currency of the Gulf area…
Lebanese must be genius to know how to handle with all these currencies at the same time… don’t you think so;-)


Although all the above are flaws to the majority but believe me, you don’t know what you have until you miss it…
Yes, I miss all these drawbacks…
I miss crossing the red lights as it made me feel like accomplishing something…
I miss electricity shortage as it made me look outside and up to the sky and see the divine beauty…
I miss the “sobhieh” - drinking coffee with the neighbors and hearing the last update of the neighborhood…
I miss…
I miss…
I miss…

You may say I’m crazy but I adore my LEBANON in all its imperfections, problems and complexity…
…And I still believe that when God created the world he signed his name in LEBANON…