To Be Lebanese

Ever browsing my facebook with half-hearted interest, I came across a gem in the midst of mirror pictures, teeny kittens, and food craves.

The photo, taken by @nadinerazzouk, depicts a decidedly Lebanese man standing in the most decidedly Lebanese of places—Hamra street. Sporting a typical Arab-style mustache and modernized Arab garb, the man is old, yet dignified. He has with him a basket of goods—bottles and jars—and gives the camera a slightly disgruntled stare, as if to say “Shu?”

He is Lebanon. After living here for four years—this man is exactly what I imagine this country to be. The embodiment of relaxed culture combined with the pinch of daily routine, topped off with a loose fitting hat and an apathetic shrug of the hands.

Shu fee? Ma fee.