{"id":5007,"date":"2017-09-05T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-09-05T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2020-09-12T15:20:46","modified_gmt":"2020-09-12T19:20:46","slug":"so-your-character-is-from-lebanon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/victoriagracehowell.com\/staging\/6258\/so-your-character-is-from-lebanon\/","title":{"rendered":"So Your Character is From Lebanon … Featuring Nadwa @ Painfully Fictional & Nicole @ A Dance Between the Pages"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nIt’s time for this week’s So Your Character is … Post! This is a weekly segment where I interview lovely volunteers from around the world to give you a firsthand account of being a citizen of their respective country or having a disability. I’m hoping to encourage international diversity, break stereotypes, and give writers a crash course on how to write a character from these different places on our planet. If you haven’t checked out last week’s  So Your Character is from Greece … be sure to hop on over there and give it a read!<\/span>
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<\/span>Disclaimer: The content below may be culturally shocking to some. Each of these posts are as uncensored as possible to preserve the authenticity of the cultures of each of the interviewees.<\/span>
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<\/span>(None of the Images are Mine)<\/span>
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\nMy name is Nadwa, I’m a seventeen year old girl living in Tyre (also called Sour, pronounced soor) which is a city in the South Governorate of Lebanon, a small country on the east coast of the Mediterranean. I’m a senior at high school. I started obsessing over collecting books a couple of years ago, but I’ve been reading since as long as I can remember. When I’m not reading, I’m usually learning to play my favorite songs on the piano or hanging out with my family and friends.<\/span>
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Hello! My name is Nicole. I\u2019m a Lebanese citizen, who lives in the countryside. I\u2019m 19 and a law student. In my spare time, I\u2019ll be probably reading, drawing, painting, or watching TV shows. I like to review books and so I do, mainly on Goodreads, but also on my blog. I live near the borders with Syria, but no, our lives were never jeopardized. Hopefully, with this post, you\u2019ll be able to see that Lebanon is more than just another oppressed country in the Middle East.<\/span>
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<\/b><\/span> What do you feel is unique to your country? Landmarks? Celebrations?<\/b><\/span>
\nNadwa:<\/b> Well, we do have a lot of landmarks.  <\/span>We’ve got a lot of ancient ruins in different parts of the country:<\/span>
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\nRaouche <\/o:p><\/i><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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Tyre Fishing Harbor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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<\/span> The only local celebration I could possibly think of is Independence Day (November 22nd).<\/span>
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<\/span> Nicole:<\/b> What makes my country special is not the big festivals it hosts, but the religious celebrations.<\/span>
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<\/span> Every weekend, especially during summer, a Saint\u2019s holiday is celebrated in many areas of Lebanon. A feast is prepared. Music is set. You\u2019ll find the whole village and people living near or far, gathered in the village\u2019s square. Everyone would attend, Christians and Muslim alike. <\/span>
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<\/span> Not to mention, during Ramadan, families gather for Iftar almost every evening during the whole month. Even though it\u2019s only for Muslims, Christians are always invited to share the festivities that accompanies this occasion.<\/span>
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\nTell me about your country’s environment. What are some of your favorite places?<\/b><\/span>
\nNadwa:<\/b> Although there are a lot of beautiful places in Lebanon, I still believe that my hometown is still the most gorgeous city in the whole country. My favorite place is definitely the beach. The weather is always perfect, never too hot or too cold. <\/span>
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<\/span> Nicole: <\/b>One of my favorite places in Lebanon is Baatara Gorge. The place is magical. The waterfall drops 255 meters into the Baatara Pothole, a cave located on the Lebanese Mountain Trail. In spring, the gorge turns into a waterfall due to the snowmelt. Then, during summer, the region becomes very popular for caving and daredevils who want to scale the inside of the gorge.<\/span>
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\nAnother stunning, more popular tourist site \u2013 that you may have even heard of \u2013 is Jeita Grotto. Extraordinary caverns sculpted by time and water, few caves around the word can match the breathtaking views of those in Jeita. The cave is composed of two galleries, an upper one and a lower one. A ride in the boat in the lower level will leave you bewildered; this underworld was architected by nature over millions of years. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\nThe upper level is approached by a tunnel and can be visited on foot. It features a large concentration of crystalized forms, like mushrooms, columns, ponds, and so much more. It\u2019s one of the sources of our pride in Lebanon, especially since it made it to the finalists of the New 7 Wonders of Nature competition. It\u2019s a must-visit if you ever come to Lebanon.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Tell me about your country’s food. What are some of your favorite dishes?<\/b><\/span>
\nNadwa: <\/b>Our trademark dish is Tabbouleh (minced\/chopped parsley salad with burghul (cracked wheat), tomatoes, onions, and mint) <\/span>others are Koussa w Wara’ Enab (basically stuffed zucchini and grape vines) <\/span>Manaeesh, Falafel, Hummus.<\/span>
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<\/span> My favorite is probably Manaeesh, (mini pizzas usually folded that are made in bakeries, traditionally garnished with cheese or Za’atar thyme). This is usually had for breakfast or dinner.<\/span>
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<\/span> Nicole:<\/b> Most of you probably know the Lebanese Meza; it can be simple with hummus or \u201cbaba ghanouj\u201d \u2013 similar to hummus but from eggplants \u2013 or might be an entire feast, with fattoush, tabouleh, grape leave rolls, and so much more. So I\u2019ll spare you the Meza talk, and skip right to the originals: my favorite foods, not as famous, but just as delicious. <\/span>
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<\/span> Manaeesh, even though mostly eaten at breakfast, are widely popular here. It\u2019s a rolled out dough, similar to a pizza, but without the sauce and toppings; instead, it\u2019s most commonly topped with thyme, and also various cheeses, ground meat, \u201clabneh\u201d (salty version of Greek yogurt), keshek (a dried and powder mix of wheat and fermented yogurt \u2013 you\u2019ll have to try it to know how amazing it is)\u2026 basically, whatever your grandmother feels like throwing in on it \u2013 you\u2019ll eat and love it.<\/span>
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 Not into savory breakfasts, and more of a sweet-tooth person? Get ready for a sugar overdose with \u201cKnefe\u201d \u2013 the heaviest, most delicious breakfast\u2026 or lunch, or dinner, cause it\u2019s that good. To describe it in a nutshell, it\u2019s a thick mix of semolina, cheese, and lots and lots of simple syrup, all wrapped in a delicious \u201ckaake\u201d or hard bun.<\/span>
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\nTell me about any different speech patterns in your country. Slang? Idioms? Words for things such as \u201cbiscuits\u201d instead of \u201ccookies\u201d?<\/b><\/span>
\nNadwa: <\/b>We speak Arabic. “He is like a deaf man at a wedding procession.” This is the literal translation of a proverb everyone uses on a daily basis. It basically means that the person isn’t aware of what’s happening around them and is totally clueless. <\/span>
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<\/span> Nicole: <\/b>Over 20 countries in the world speak Arabic in the world, so naturally we have different accents. But it\u2019s not just that. Standard Arabic is only used in the news, in written books, and in movie subtitles. It stops there. Since every country has its own dialect, it\u2019s sometimes difficult for Arabs to understand each other. So if you only know standard, or formal Arabic, you\u2019ll have a hard time understanding local dialects. <\/span>
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<\/span> However, the Lebanese dialect is said to be the easiest to listen to, according to foreigners. It\u2019s mild, in comparison to others that sound rougher. Syrian and Jordanian dialects are possibly similar to ours, yet still different. Another special thing about our dialect is that you\u2019d probably understand many words since most people here speak both English and French, and this has affected our daily dialect. We have borrowed endless French and English words and cooperated them into the Lebanese dialect \u201cHi. Kifak? (hru?) Ca va?\u201d Needless to say, this dialect is my favorite.<\/span>
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<\/span> Describe briefly a regular day in your country.<\/span><\/b><\/span>
\nNadwa:<\/b> Well, on a school day, my dad usually gives me a ride to school (with my little sister and brother) and then picks us up at 2:20. The rest of the day is usually filled with a lot of homework-tackling and whatnot. On weekends, I usually go out with my family for dinner or hang out with my friends in Tyre. I know it’s not much, but it’s become a very comfortable routine over the years, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.<\/span>
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<\/span> Nicole:<\/b> A regular day in Lebanon depends on where you live; a village or a city. Let\u2019s take an average coastal example:<\/span>
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<\/span> You wake up to the jara\u2019s (female neighbor) voice in the living room, probably having coffee and a sobhiyy\u00e9 (morning visit) with your mama. It\u2019s only 7 a.m. You\u2019ve got a few hours before class. You know you won\u2019t be able to get back to sleep \u2013 with the ladies\u2019 loud gossip and all \u2013 so you\u2019ll just check Instagram, get dressed, read a bit, and then it\u2019s time to go. Your mama will try to force a breakfast \u2013 or 2 \u2013 on you, but you\u2019ll probably skip all that and get on the road ASAP because of traffic. Classes are as boring as ever. You\u2019ll head out to some coffee shop afterward and hang out with friends. <\/span>
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<\/span> Then, you\u2019ll maybe hit the gym or go for any plan your friends come up with for the night. It\u2019s 11 p.m. in no time. You took a couple hours too long to get ready, but who cares \u2013 party really kicks off at 12 a.m. doesn\u2019t it? Now, party time was awesome; after all, Beirut\u2019s reputation precedes it. You don\u2019t drink too much \u2013 just a couple of cocktails and a few rounds of shots. You stay awake till 4 a.m – at which point, your mom, naturally, wakes up eyeing you for staying up so late. Exhausted, you\u2019ll put on your pajamas and sink into a deep sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n

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How does your country compare to others, especially the States since my audience is primarily American? Environmentally? Politically? Culturally?<\/b>
\nNadwa: <\/b>Oh, my God. I’ve been to California, Nevada, and New York so I’ve seen how life in the States is. The thing is, I was born in Dearborn, Michigan, a place very populated with Lebanese people. I never got to live in the States, though. But after spending a month vacationing in said States, I totally fell in love. Especially California. But the thing is, one thing I missed was the homey feeling I get when I’m in Tyre, where everyone basically knows everyone. <\/span>
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<\/span> One minute you’d be walking on the street, the next, you’ll find someone pulling you into a bear-hug claiming they’re your fourth cousin or something. There isn’t a single person you wouldn\u2019t know there, literally. This isn’t something you’d find in other cities in Lebanon, let alone the States or any another country for that matter. <\/span>
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<\/span> Politically, the country is basically filled with ludicrous tycoons stealing people’s money (also referred to as politicians). <\/span>Culturally, Lebanon was home to the Phoenicians and was subsequently conquered and occupied by the Assyrians, the Greeks, the Romans, The Persians, the Arabs, the Crusaders, the Ottoman Turks, and the French.<\/span>
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<\/span> Nicole:<\/b> <\/span>They say the US is the land of freedom, and so is Lebanon; sometimes excessively so. Lebanon is, and we probably have too much of it. Crimes aside, people basically do whatever they want: they pass speed limit, they say whatever they want, they act however they want, and nobody says anything. Now, yes, there are some limits, but way more stretched than any normal country. Sadly, nature isn\u2019t really respected here. Hopefully, the new generation will make a change, though. <\/span>
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<\/span> Politically, Lebanon is a parliamentary democratic republic. The president doesn\u2019t have vast powers – the Prime Minister does. Also, our country is highly religious \u2013 religion even dictates political offices (President, Prime Minister, etc.) Still, while we differ from the West, Lebanon\u2019s the most liberal and open-minded among the Middle Eastern countries. Foreigners easily blend in, have lots of fun, and, more often than you\u2019d imagine, relocate here because everything surpasses their expectations, from the hospitality to the nightlife to the simple pleasures they can have.<\/span>
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<\/span> Briefly describe three of your country\u2019s historical events that you feel are important.<\/span><\/b><\/span>
\nNadwa: <\/b>I hate history so much. <\/span><\/p>\n