{"id":32289,"date":"2014-04-18T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-04-18T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/32289\/five-reasons-lebanon-doesnt-suck-as-much-as-you-might-think"},"modified":"2023-08-14T10:54:26","modified_gmt":"2023-08-14T10:54:26","slug":"five-reasons-lebanon-doesnt-suck-as-much-as-you-might-think","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/en\/32289\/five-reasons-lebanon-doesnt-suck-as-much-as-you-might-think\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Reasons Lebanon Doesn’t Suck As Much As You Might Think"},"content":{"rendered":"

From the weathered \u201cservice\u201d driver who mutters about how \u201cbanzeen\u201d prices are always rising, to the adorable Teta cursing how all the good guys have left and now she can\u2019t find a man for her granddaughter, complaining has become something of a favorite Lebanese pastime. That together with the legendary Lebanese arrogance (we are za best at complaining, walaw) make for a relatively miserable group of people. But let\u2019s take a Beiruti minute and recognize why Lebanon doesn’t actually suck as much as we make it seem.<\/p>\n

1. Dollar Beer<\/big><\/big><\/b>
(Photo via Almost Fearless<\/a>)<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a rarity to find a country where the beer is both cheap and good. Well, welcome to Lebanon. In a place where Almaza is more of a national treasure than Cedar wood, I\u2019d advise you not to insult one of our largest sources of Lebanese pride. Go for the \u201cMexican\u201d option with some lemon juice and a salted rim, add a sunny beach and you\u2019ve got yourself a perfect day.<\/p>\n

2. Candle-lit Everything<\/big><\/big><\/b>
(Photo via Rita Kml<\/a>)<\/p>\n

The hopeless romantics among us may dream of dinner and wine lit by the soft glow of a few candles, but Lebanon is the land where your dreams will become reality. With an average estimate of twelve hours of electricity a day across the Land of Cedars, you\u2019ll be able to enjoy just about all your meals by the magic of candlelight. Don’t hate. Appreciate.<\/p>\n

3. Beirut Never Sleeps<\/big><\/big><\/b>
(Photo via: Wheeler Folk<\/a>)<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve ever had your stomach groan at 2 AM and realized there’s no food in the house, not to worry my friends. Beirut knows no closing time, and you\u2019ll find a bevy of places to fill your belly<\/a> well past normal waking hours. With everything from your Barbar\u2019s to ZwZ\u2019s you\u2019ll definitely be spoiled for choice. And if you don\u2019t feel like braving the crowds of post-party drunks, why not just pick up the phone and text your local minimarket for some groceries?<\/p>\n

4. You\u2019ll Always Be Understood<\/big><\/big><\/b>
(Photo via: Blog Spot<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Having trouble expressing yourself in Arabic? Worry not, pretty much everyone here is tri-lingual and then some, or at least they like to pretend they are. Your service driver will pick up on your poorly accented Arabic and take it as a green light to unleash his English \u201cskills\u201d, leaving you more confused than you were at the start. Maybe French is more your style, Beirut will be sure to accommodate seeing as us Lebanese are tr\u00e8s educated. Even the street signs can be found in the three main languages, so you have no one to blame but yourself if you get lost… just kidding, navigating Beirut streets is a nightmare if you don’t know where you’re going.<\/p>\n

5. Party Like You\u2019re a Beiruti<\/big><\/big><\/b>
(Photo via: Beirut Nightlife<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Everyone knows Drake was thinking of Beirut when he dropped \u201cThe Motto (YOLO)\u201d and one night in the party capital of the Middle East will show you why. Fifteen years of civil war, a security vacuum, and a lack of a \u201cdawleh\u201d has done the opposite of dampening spirits around here; it\u2019s created a generation that takes every opportunity as an excuse to party hard. In any other country, passing your high school exams is the bare minimum. In Beirut, it\u2019s a legitimate reason to empty a full clip and paint the town red. We don\u2019t own the title of best nightlife by mere accident, so take a bow and party like there’s no tomorrow. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From the weathered \u201cservice\u201d driver who mutters about how \u201cbanzeen\u201d prices are always rising, to the adorable Teta cursing how all the good guys have left and now she can\u2019t find a man for her granddaughter, complaining has become something of a favorite Lebanese pastime.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":444629,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_preview_accessed":0,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"media-embed-type":[],"class_list":["post-32289","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-listomania"],"authorship":[22],"yoast_head":"\nFive Reasons Lebanon Doesn't Suck As Much As You Might Think<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"From the weathered \u201cservice\u201d driver who mutters about how \u201cbanzeen\u201d prices are always rising, to the adorable Teta cursing how all the good guys have left and now she 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