Everyone preaches a long-forgotten memory, a place where they relate and feel loved.
It is one thing to seek affection and another thing to have lived one and take yourself back to it.
Each country in the world has its lifestyle and weirdness. This concept, however, is specifically special in Lebanon as those who grew up here have lived a one-of-a-kind childhood.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane as we remind ourselves of these precious moments and relive them.
Mankooshi Zaatar w Bonjous
This is like the typical Lebanese kid’s everyday meal at school, famously known as “Mankooshi Zaatar w Bonjous.” If you haven’t tried this at your school, you’ve missed out on the fun.
You just can’t explain it, but the combo of these two goes as well as a cold breeze amid a flaming hot summer.
The forbidden luxury spot at home
That’s right, every Lebanese house has had an “exclusion zone,” one that is full of comfy and precious furniture and accessories that no minor is allowed to go into, touch, or sit on except visitors.
If you grew up in Lebanon, you probably still remember the times you were caught trying to sneak in and got yourself grounded…
The “No, Don’t Take the Money”
If you grew up in a Lebanese household, you will certainly remember your uncle, aunt, or grandparents offering you a nice stack of cash on occasion. You will also recall your parents screaming: “Lah ma tekhdiha!” (No, don’t take the money) or “if you take this, I’ll beat your ass”.
Well, you always end up taking the money anyway.
The Fight Over the Bill
It is ordinary in Lebanon to fight over who’s gonna pay at any gathering. If you were out with your family and relatives to a restaurant, for instance, you must have been raised to do just that and go into a flaming rage over paying the bill.
Your family’s gonna want to pay and your relatives too. Once that happens, the situation is guaranteed to go out of the line. (We bet you’re doing just that now that you are an adult…!).
Home of the Goodies
You’ve never fully experienced the Lebanese childhood unless this happened. It doesn’t matter whether you would be on an empty stomach or a full one, whenever you would go to your grandma’s, you had to eat more.
The thing about that, for a fact, is that at your grandma’s you’ll have access to the collection of “forbidden” food and snacks in your household…
“Inshallah”
If you hear your parent saying that, you know that whatever you’re asking isn’t going to happen.
This pretty much translates to “no” in the Lebanese dictionary.
The “We’ll See You Later”
As a Lebanese kid, you’ve probably gone visiting your relatives and, after a long talk, your parents would say: “Yalla, shefnekon bkher” (it was good seeing you). They would then go up to the door and that’s where the never-ending discussion would take off again.
After all, there are always 2 phases to a Lebanese visit: The one comfortably sitting around a cup of coffee in the living room and the one standing at the door, with the latter not necessarily being shorter.
Seven-Up: The Cure to all Diseases
You should never get sick in a Lebanese household as long as there is “Seven-Up” at home, the Lebanese myth of all cures. “Shrab Seven-Up, byemshi halak” (Drink Seven-Up and you will get well).
A Trip to McDonald’s’
Nothing felt better than your parent turning the car around and taking you to McDonald’s’ after you’d been asking for over a week. This is close to the joy of winning the lottery.
Lebanese Moms’ Bargaining Power
Whatever the price of a shirt, pants, or shoes is, your Lebanese mother will negotiate it down a few times at least.
Despite the rough times, growing up in a Lebanese household remains undoubtedly a unique experience, even more, a lovely one.
