Lebanon is a tiny country with a long history of conflicts. Lebanon, green from the outside but flaming on the inside. In Lebanon, you can become anything you want and you have the freedom to express yourself. In Lebanon, you do it yourself. Lebanon, a place where you live in a tiny apartment with no 24-hour electricity, but it doesn’t bother you anyway because the city is full of light. Lebanon, where you walk down the streets and everyone just smiles at you. Lebanon, a place recovering from the past, a place full of love, beauty and dreams.
The definition of Lebanon would be crazy or insane. The best way to find out is to come and see and meet its extraordinary people. You’ll know them once you talk to them. Let me give you some pointers about what makes you Lebanese.
1. 3aranees
You’re Lebanese when you are home and you hear the word “3aranees” echoing through the streets, then you drop everything and then you rush to the window to tell the man to stop so you can have a taste of yummy Lebanese corn.
2. Meeting new people
When you meet someone new in Lebanon, asking you which part of Lebanon you are from is a must. Just to know if you’re a relative of theirs or not. Yes, Lebanon is that tiny.
3. Outsiders inside
When someone visits Lebanon, it’s a must to take them to Harissa and Jeita and it’s a pain in the ass because the times you’ve seen them probably outnumber Kanye’s thoughts about himself.
4. To drink or not to drink
You’re Lebanese when you were probably 14 years old when you had your first drink with an older relative and their hippie friends at Mar Mkhayel or Gemayze.
5. Uncle Deek
The first coffee shop to ever open in Beirut. As a Lebanese, your day doesn’t start unless you take your coffee from Uncle Deek, then you go chill by the Rawche and drink your coffee and smoke your cigarette while watching the beautiful waves collide.
6. Skilled and creative. Taking it to the next level
You’re Lebanese when you get so poetic when cursing. You say things like:
The classic: “k.ss ekhtak b ejre”
Which means: “my foot in your sister’s ‘private part'”
Parents who don’t want to curse in front of their little devils often say “kiss me again” instead of “k.ss emak”
And others like: “yel3an bus mallyian anbyah wel chauffer howe allah”
Which means: “I curse a bus full of prophets and the driver is god”
Or: “badde ezra3 shajra b k.ss emak”
Which means: “I’m going to plant a tree in your mother’s ‘private part'”
Let’s just stop here. I shouldn’t continue.
7. Eno shou? Eno hek?
You know you’re Lebanese when you say the word “eno” between every single word you say.
8. Fairuz
You’re Lebanese if your parents used to sing “yalla tnem rima” for you until you fall asleep. You grew up listening to Fairuz. Fairuz was basically there at anytime.
9. Night out aftermath
After the longest night out with your friends, feeling sick and drunk, the only cure is a sandwich from Barbar.
10. Let it snow
Every winter, the Lebanese pack their bags and leave their homes with a group of family and friends and drive up to Faraya just to spend their vacation roasting marshmallows in the cold snow.
11. Just my luck
Every day before going to work, you stop by a kiosk to get a “ya nasseeb” card to see if you’re going to win the lottery and become filthy rich or not, and usually you don’t.
Always remember, what happens in Lebanon stays in Lebanon.
WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss Why Winter Is Magical in Lebanon.