Don’t you just love how fast you can forge intrusive close relationships with random people in Lebanon? They truly are unlike any other you will form anywhere else in the world. Undoubtedly it’s the hyper-curiosity factor, that initiates such conversations; everyone wants to know who you are, where you’re from( that’s a big one) and what you’re up to.
The Dekanjy-You walk into a grocery store and you get that acknowledging smile from the nice old man. He wants to know where you live. Once he gets a clear picture, he probes further. He wants to know whether you “rent” or if you’re a “mishtereh” and of course if you do in fact own property, he wants to know “adeh bil miter.” He may even be brave enough to cut to the chase and ask you how much you paid for it.
The parking guy- undoubtedly one of the most powerful men in Beirut. You arrive late and he wants to know, why. You leave early and he goes “ shou?bakeer ilyom!” Then of course he wants do know what model/year your car is and the amount of your monthly installments. He also probes about your co-worker who is also late today.
The cleaning lady– she wants to know why you’re not yet married. She yearns to put you on the “right” path. She also wants you to reassure her, that even though you’re not yet married, a) you plan on marrying the guy that came over to your apartment yesterday or b) you WANT to get married but you’re still waiting for your naseeb.
The mother of three at the gym– she wants to know where you work. She wants to know what you studied to get such a job. She will ask you bluntly and to your face how much you make. And for the finale, she will ask you to find a job for her son. She will also suckker you into giving her your phone number so she can harass you about it.
Ahhh- don’t you just love this place and how you can go from first-base to total exposure in mere minutes. I’m telling you. it’s unlike any other country in the world, our Lebanon.
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The lack of any privacy is and always be one of those negative aspects about living in Leb. the parking one is sooo true, he even asks me why i am living early if i happen to.
lool sooo true !!
haha! love it, so true. I noticed in the Arab world in general, they don’t believe in such a thing as “private life” or “ma khassak”. Everything is in the open, asking intimate or private questions is just another part of day to day social interaction. 🙂
hahahahhah! I love the no privacy thinking in Lebanon. I grew up where no doors had locks on your room, and your room was your room to sleep in, doesn’t mean others cannot go in and use your desk etc.
Because I grew up with it, I guess I don’t mind it. But what I like about it is no one is really a stranger in Lebanon, they all know a little about you (well depending how much you tell them) and they are a forever acquaintance. You can leave Lebanon for years and come back and that same dekanji will greet you with a “waynek? ma 3am min shoufak ya zalami, inchallah kil shi 5eir”.
Some consider it nosy, I think its endearing. At least someone cares enough to communicate with you when they are not required to by any means. Maybe some of the question’s are a little odd, but thats what makes it so fun! Its great for stories haha
i second that
u are spot on mish ma3oul how we all have such characters in our lives!
Ohhh et ce trait distinctif voyage! Il ne faut surtout pas s’inquieter pour ca!
Ca ne se perd pas, malgre des kilometres de voyage!
Ici aussi a montreal, on a le “dekanje” Libanais (proprio d’un depanneur et qui connait TOUTES les histoires libanaises du quartier), les voisins Libanais (qui sont capables de dire a ta mere “oh ta fille a reprit un nouveau travail? Elle sort tot les matins”) et les sportives libanaises des gym (qui viennent entrainer leur langue et machoire plus qu’autre chose)…
C’est un trait caracteristique cute et chiant en meme temps 😉