I'm stuck in Beirut with a tissue box up my nose. Up my left nostril to be exact. Not a whole tissue box but it might as well be. I'm not supposed to be here. I'm supposed to be back where my "real" life takes place. This, here, is a figment. Of someone else' real life.
Not mine, no. I don't even get the red, white and green idea anymore. I remember in fourth grade we were told, during Art class, that the white represented the snow that falls upon the majestic mountains of Lebanon, the red signifies the blood of the martyrs sprayed upon the white, and the green, oh the green was none other than the magnificent cedar tree of course. Which usually lived high up on the mountains, and FOR WHICH the blood of the "martyrs" was spilled.
I look around me later, yes it's been a while since fourth grade, so many years later I look around me and find that the whole damn thing was pointless. The mountains are quickly becoming barren, there's hardly any snow in winter, there are a couple of cedars left, and the blood continues.
But I'm stuck here with a tissue box up my nostril because I'm ill and I shouldn't fly. You know who else is ill? Every single body.
Yes. Everyone. I don't want to complain about the people who live here, how rude, or obnoxious, or corrupt they are. Minus my friends and loved ones of course. That's getting old. I'll just complain about our parents. Yes, our parents if I may.
May I?
I don't get them. I've been sitting around with a few pairs of parents lately, you see, I didn't have much to do but sit around and listen to adults talk about, well, here it comes: politics. That's what happens when you're sick and stuck at home. You also drink a lot of caffeine and then take panadol night (cold and flu) and sleep the hell out of it all.
So anyway, parents. Those awesome individuals who gave so much of their time, energy, finances and youth to raise us ungrateful personalities. We won't get into that right now. The point is, they've given up so much so that we follow (or lead) a better life path, right? Yet! Yet, they sit around and follow up on so and so's annual memorial for the millionth year, and watch it on television, and talk about it, and stick their heads out the balcony so as not to miss a single tear drop. They pick out the faces they recognize in the crowds gathered to give their "condolences," they check out the tailleur and the hair do, the daughter and the son. And they give excuses for the offspring who is/are unable to take over the leadership. The poor thing is still young. The poor thing lived outside all his life, he doesn't know better. The poor thing is not as involved in politics as was his father.
The poor thing is soooo not a poor thing, first of all, is what I want to say. Second of all, if the "poor" thing can't handle it, get out. and frankly the "poor" thing doesn't need to be around to take over anything to begin with. There are other individuals in the nation.
Nation? Who said anything about a nation?
So when everyone is done crying over spilled milk, and I laugh a little, everyone looks at me very very disapprovingly. So you're with the other party huh? Their expressions are hard and accusing.
umm, no? I'm not with anybody.
A brief moment of relief arrives before they find something else to scratch at. So why aren't you with them? You just want to oppose!
umm, no? I'm just not impressed with the lack of initiative, I say. I say the dead guy might have had a good idea for about five minutes but he's been dead for so long I can't even remember, over 20 years! and since then, what has anyone done for the nation?
That n-word again.
Oh a lot, a lot. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for them. We would be extinct.
Like the species that we are. Extinct. And I think about all the other things that are extinct because of people like them in power.
Many parents don't see that so many are living abroad because of what's extinct, because of people like those still in power. I want to complain about the parents who still don't see it. Who get offended if we crack a joke about Catholics and pedophilia. How dare you say all Catholics are pedophiles?!
umm, I didn't!
And what the eff is up with those Longchamp totes? Seriously what is up! EVERYWHERE. You can't be Lebanese without one it seems. It's hysterical! And very very VERY boring. If you're reading this, and your Longchamp is snuggled by your side, well I guess I should apologize a little.
But really?
And just like the Longchamp totes spreading like a virus, making everyone sick with imitation, and dis-originality, our parents are sick with their own distorted memory of what happened in the last 30 years, hanging on to what's widely (i.e. neighborly and socially) acceptable, and "in."
They can't seem to find a better bag. They just don't want to find another brand.
Not mine, no. I don't even get the red, white and green idea anymore. I remember in fourth grade we were told, during Art class, that the white represented the snow that falls upon the majestic mountains of Lebanon, the red signifies the blood of the martyrs sprayed upon the white, and the green, oh the green was none other than the magnificent cedar tree of course. Which usually lived high up on the mountains, and FOR WHICH the blood of the "martyrs" was spilled.
I look around me later, yes it's been a while since fourth grade, so many years later I look around me and find that the whole damn thing was pointless. The mountains are quickly becoming barren, there's hardly any snow in winter, there are a couple of cedars left, and the blood continues.
But I'm stuck here with a tissue box up my nostril because I'm ill and I shouldn't fly. You know who else is ill? Every single body.
Yes. Everyone. I don't want to complain about the people who live here, how rude, or obnoxious, or corrupt they are. Minus my friends and loved ones of course. That's getting old. I'll just complain about our parents. Yes, our parents if I may.
May I?
I don't get them. I've been sitting around with a few pairs of parents lately, you see, I didn't have much to do but sit around and listen to adults talk about, well, here it comes: politics. That's what happens when you're sick and stuck at home. You also drink a lot of caffeine and then take panadol night (cold and flu) and sleep the hell out of it all.
So anyway, parents. Those awesome individuals who gave so much of their time, energy, finances and youth to raise us ungrateful personalities. We won't get into that right now. The point is, they've given up so much so that we follow (or lead) a better life path, right? Yet! Yet, they sit around and follow up on so and so's annual memorial for the millionth year, and watch it on television, and talk about it, and stick their heads out the balcony so as not to miss a single tear drop. They pick out the faces they recognize in the crowds gathered to give their "condolences," they check out the tailleur and the hair do, the daughter and the son. And they give excuses for the offspring who is/are unable to take over the leadership. The poor thing is still young. The poor thing lived outside all his life, he doesn't know better. The poor thing is not as involved in politics as was his father.
The poor thing is soooo not a poor thing, first of all, is what I want to say. Second of all, if the "poor" thing can't handle it, get out. and frankly the "poor" thing doesn't need to be around to take over anything to begin with. There are other individuals in the nation.
Nation? Who said anything about a nation?
So when everyone is done crying over spilled milk, and I laugh a little, everyone looks at me very very disapprovingly. So you're with the other party huh? Their expressions are hard and accusing.
umm, no? I'm not with anybody.
A brief moment of relief arrives before they find something else to scratch at. So why aren't you with them? You just want to oppose!
umm, no? I'm just not impressed with the lack of initiative, I say. I say the dead guy might have had a good idea for about five minutes but he's been dead for so long I can't even remember, over 20 years! and since then, what has anyone done for the nation?
That n-word again.
Oh a lot, a lot. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for them. We would be extinct.
Like the species that we are. Extinct. And I think about all the other things that are extinct because of people like them in power.
Many parents don't see that so many are living abroad because of what's extinct, because of people like those still in power. I want to complain about the parents who still don't see it. Who get offended if we crack a joke about Catholics and pedophilia. How dare you say all Catholics are pedophiles?!
umm, I didn't!
And what the eff is up with those Longchamp totes? Seriously what is up! EVERYWHERE. You can't be Lebanese without one it seems. It's hysterical! And very very VERY boring. If you're reading this, and your Longchamp is snuggled by your side, well I guess I should apologize a little.
But really?
And just like the Longchamp totes spreading like a virus, making everyone sick with imitation, and dis-originality, our parents are sick with their own distorted memory of what happened in the last 30 years, hanging on to what's widely (i.e. neighborly and socially) acceptable, and "in."
They can't seem to find a better bag. They just don't want to find another brand.
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