Lebanon
never ceases to amaze me, nor do the Lebanese for that matter.
Not
to sound all high and mighty - God forbid – judgmental, but some things just
need to be said, lest they fester into something so ugly, so obscene, as to be
deemed fit for the cover of a "socialite" magazine.
Maybe
you got a hint, maybe you didn’t, but what I'm referring to are Lebanon’s “crème de la crème”,
the top honchos…the upper class.
Amid
the attempted (and failed) escape trip I had taken throughout the weekend to
what I thought was the Lebanese “jerd” or countryside, with an offbeat art exhibition
on the agenda (I was told), lay the surprise of my life.
Surrounded
by everything “not fancy” or “fit”, from sheep, to shepherds, to poverty laden
locals slaving over a hot "sajj" to feed the rich, were the tents of “Les Jardins
des ‘Snobs’” 1800 meters above sea level.
Dressed
to impress, parading in an overly pompous effort to communicate in French -albeit
nasally- cigar at hand, while pocketing the other, walked the “beneficiaries of
war”.
Ferrari’s,
Merc’s and Porsches, all parked religiously outside the venue, as locals rushed
to be at the owners’ beck and call.
The
voice running through my mind as I watched the day play out was “spare a
dime for your humble servant, Sir…Madame?”
Add
a pinch of drama, and you’ll have “arms for the poor” running through your head!
Call
me crazy, but that segment of Lebanon’s society in my terms is not the most
impressive, to say the least. These people are long overdue for a wake-up
call.
Just
to give you a taste of the sorts of sights and sounds I encountered while
buying an overpriced shawarma sandwich from the food court (the more expensive
the better ay?) there stood a woman who appeared to be dazzled by the sight of the “everyday
oriental dish”. She called her friends over to look at what seemed to be their “statue
of liberty!”
She
then decided to pour her heart out to the “Monsieur Le Shawaghma” detailing that
she had not had “le sandwich” since her marriage. “One must maintain their
figure” she explained, to the overworked, sweat dripping, nameless man with a
cutting knife.
As
if that weren’t enough, she went on to ask the man: “Do you know how many calories
are in that?” to which the man simply replied with a “yes” or “eh” –in common
Lebanese.
The
thing is I don’t think he even understood her question, since no caloric unit
followed his response.
“C’est un petit truc” was all I could hear
playing out in my now well adapted voice-over head.
Yes
Lebanon, such are the people who constitute the “ruling elite”; that fraction
of the Lebanese society that knows not why people demonstrate and burn tires in
a desperate attempt for attention.
That
knows not where the Southern Suburbs of Beirut lie, but only that those are the
“terrorists”, the “underdogs”. That knows not of the concept of social welfare,
or that it does not exist outside the parameters of “Le Mzaar” et al. That knows
not of Tripoli’s poverty stricken, gun touting folks –who found no other means
but to battle out in a proxy war for money, and recognition.
Yes
Lebanon, here they are, feast your eyes and idolize the "soap opera stars", which
are the “heirs of war”. Those who squander millions upon millions, whilst
complaining of the high cost of petrol of a Ferrari.
Now
nod your head in agreement, and once you’re done with that, go out and vote for
them in the upcoming parliamentary elections –vote for their survival – the survival
of the “living, breathing, breed of the bourgeoisie a-la-shawaghma style”.
Nadine Mazloum is currently the editor for LBCI Online English News. She
received her Honors in Communication Arts (Media Production) from The University of Western Sydney in 2008.