Christian here again. I had no clue what to put as a title for today's blog, so please excuse the stupidity up top. You'll find it's semi-accurate, after all.
After yesterday's Reflections on Beirut post (which you can find here), I got a lot of cool comments from people who had read the blog. Some people said it was funny, others said they agreed with what I had written about the issues Beirut is facing, and still others said my analysis and reflections didn't match up with reality.
It was cool to get feedback from others, and I'd love to continue getting that, whether good or bad. I realize that I am an American writing these blogs, yet my audience is at least half Lebanese. My viewpoint and perspective might be totally different than someone who is experiencing these issues on a daily basis.
With that being said, I figured maybe the Lebanese people who read my blog aren't happy their views and opinions aren't being expressed.
Well, complain no longer! I've brought in some diverse viewpoints to give my blog some spice ;)
One of the people who got in touch with me after reading my blog post was my good friend Angie, whom I met while In Beirut. We had a good little conversation about some of the stuff I had written, and then I asked her if she would consider writing a response to my post, a "guest blog" of sorts.
To give you some background, Angie is 21 years old, from Beirut (obviously). She attends the famous Haigazian University, and she is majoring in business with an emphasis in finance. So far, not quite the biography of a writer, right?
Normally, you'd be right, but it turns out Angie has a huge passion for writing, and not only that, but she does it very well. She even has her own blog, which you can view RIGHT HERE. She has also been writing reflections from HER Kchag experience, I think you'd all do well to go read it and gain some wisdom from it.
Angie, being the awesome girl that she is, duly agreed to write a small post, discussing some of the issues I brought up in yesterday's post and responding from the perspective of someone who actually LIVES those issues every single day.
So, without further delay, here's Angie.
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You've written about every single thing that most of us feel/talk about in Lebanon.
The electricity cuts, pollution, water problems, discrimination, wasta issues, it's all there, the list goes on and on.
But you know what? Despite these issues, this country is really special to most of us (it is our home after all)! It's not only because we have gotten used to it but because it turns every day into an adventure!
• Electricity cuts? Well, we usually have an idea when the electricity is gonna go, so we don't really need watches to check the time; it just happens and we are ready for it! Plus, free work-out sessions! We need to go and check on the generator several times a day, running up and down several flights of stairs from our house to street level (usually the switch would be somewhere on the street).
• Sweat? Terrible Weather? Well, many people just head to the mountains for the entire summer season or they just go to the beach to cool off. Problem solved.
• Sketchy Food? The trick is to buy from the same supplier each time and try to get to know him or her. The better we get to know them, the more we can trust the food we buy.
• Water problems? It’s pretty simple, we just pay twice (same goes for the electricity) to get clean water.
• Wasta Issues? The more people you know the better. Having connections is a necessity in Lebanon.
*Side Note: if you don't know what wasta is, I think this little article can help you get a basic grasp of the word and concept. Wasta is a Middle Eastern thing, although it exists all over the world. There is something about wasta that makes it distinctly Middle-Eastern. Just read and you'll begin to see the picture.
• Discrimination? Women Rights? It's a good thing we have NGO’s such as KAFA and Kun Hadi that are working towards helping us and working out controversial issues, otherwise we might be in some trouble.
• Public Transportation/Traffic problems? No problem! We just wake up 1-1.5 hours earlier than usual to get to our appointments on time; plus, we know ALL the shortcuts (don't ask whether they’re legal or not)
Yes, we are deprived of many of our rights that others consider essential, but the intimate gatherings with family and friends, the loud people speaking 3 or 4 languages at the same time, the crazy crowded streets, and the anticipation of what the new day will bring is really what makes Lebanon feel like home!
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