This is how it happens that always visiting this or that country, I pay attention, first of all, to the standard of living of people, their education, culture. So speaking about Lebanon ...
The social strata of the population are very clearly delineated. Can live like this
These are all apartment buildings. Different class. Pay attention to the balconies. They are not used at all for storing things))), but for outdoor recreation. Look at the sea, or at the mountains. Or on the wall of a neighboring house. This is how lucky. The balconies usually have tables, chairs, garden swings ... Last photo - Premium class, with a sea view, of course.
Below is a photo of single-family houses. Near these houses, you can see signs that say Takogoto Residence, for example. Sounds so cool, huh?))
O! The photo above and below this caption is my favorite home. It has 3 floors, a fitness room and a bunch of cool stuff.
They can live like this.
By the way, this house is most likely inhabited by Syrian refugees. But we are not about them.
It is interesting that the country pays a lot of attention to who you are and how you live, where and by whom you work. By the way, it is very prestigious to work in a bank. The salary of an ordinary employee is about $ 2,000. Cars, respectively, here vary from the most dead junk to ... I just don't know which brand to stay on ... 200,000 dollars is not the limit of the price for a car.
Here I am next to Ferari. Eh, it's a pity it's not mine. In my opinion, it suits me))))))
Many homes have au pair. Originally from the Philippines, Nigeria and other countries. Many of them live in the houses where they work. I have met families with 3 assistants.
Girls, hold on! Now is the fun part. I am painting the day of such a Lebanese mother living in a big house / apartment and with 2 helpers (mate).
Morning ... Everyone got up. Breakfast was prepared by the mate, the other mate of the children gathered. Daddy to work, and on the way the children dropped out of school. Mom is to the salon. There they washed her head, did a manicure and pedicure. On the way home, she might stop by to chat with her friends, or shop with her mate, of course. To carry the packages.
Lunch ... Mom took mate! Oh, this is a must, without her anywhere)))) I went and took the children. On the way, we stopped somewhere for lunch, or at home, if mate cooked (maybe cook it herself)
Children do their homework until evening. At 19 o'clock the kids go to bed. And parents in the evening can go to a restaurant together. Take a break from a hard day.
It is precisely this status that distinguishes these mothers from ours. And don't think that their life is easy and fun. There is enough of everyone. Sometimes such mates will be caught, God forbid. And they rob and kill. And sometimes, it's trite, to be lazy to work.
One friend of mine was left without a mate for a month. She let her go on vacation, to visit her relatives. So this month was simply unbearable for her. Still would! Every day her mate washed the house like this ... For example, the bathroom. It is necessary to remove everything from the shelves, wipe each jar. Hose the walls and floor. Dry everything and put the jars in place. Wipe off dust, wash mirrors and windows every day. And if this madam, this is how they turn to a woman, found dust in the far corner of the shelf in the closet, she would start hysterical that the house was dirty !!! Poor mate. Not surprisingly, during her vacation, NOBODY agreed to clean up with this madam.
And mate is chatting among themselves, it turns out.
I like the helpers who come. I called - they came, removed, left. And no problem. Many families agree with me here.
Yet the middle class prevails in Lebanon. And many mothers take their children from school themselves. But by car. There is nowhere without a car. I met public transport only in coastal cities and the capital.
I'll tell you about how Lebanese drive cars another time.
To be continued...
06.07.18 57 161 57
In 2011, I married a Lebanese and moved to live in the Zekrit area of the Lebanese province of Matn.
Oksana Yushko
lives in Lebanon
My husband and I have no children, so I still do not have a Lebanese passport. The lack of citizenship does not give me the right to officially work, so I enjoy the sun and beaches and help my husband run his business.
Visa and citizenship
Before getting married, I came to Lebanon many times on a tourist visa. The Russians are given it right at the airport for three months. Once, at the Lebanese embassy in Moscow, I applied for a tourist visa for a period of six months, there were no problems with obtaining it.
In Lebanon, there is no state registration of marriage, only a church wedding, if you are a Christian. The cost of the wedding starts at $ 2,000 (R 124,000) and goes up to $ 5,000 (R 310,000). Each church sets its own price depending on the size and interior decoration. But many Lebanese, even very religious ones, marry in neighboring Cyprus because it is cheaper that way. We also got married in Cyprus.
2000 $
there is a wedding in a church in Lebanon. There is no state registration of marriage
After marriage, I received a permit to stay in Lebanon - "ikama". It must be renewed every 3 years, otherwise you can get a fine of $ 200 (12,400 R). Extending ikame costs $ 16 (1000 R).
Even with a marriage registration certificate, it was not easy to obtain an ikama. I was summoned to the migration service several times and asked the same questions. Service employees even came to my husband's parents' home to check if I really live there. Such a strict check is carried out, because in Lebanon a lot of fictitious marriages are concluded: girls come from the CIS countries, and then they engage in prostitution here.
To get ikame, I signed a document in which I pledged not to work or volunteer. Such restrictions are again associated with a large number of refugees and fictitious marriages. It is believed that the Lebanese wife must prove that she came to Lebanon for the sake of her husband, and not for work.
After the issuance of a residence permit in Lebanon, the migration service continues to periodically screen immigrants. If it turns out that the wife of a stateless Lebanese is working, she could be deported. You can get a work residence permit - you do not need to get married for this, but you need a contract with an employer.
16 $
Iqama should be renewed - permission to stay in Lebanon
I will be able to work when I receive citizenship. To do this, you need to live in the country for at least three years and give birth to a child. My husband and I are not planning children yet, so I just continue to renew the residence permit that I have now.
With ikame and a Russian passport, I can easily get long-term visas to almost all countries of the world, including the United States.
Martial law
Lebanon has been at war with neighboring Israel for many years. The news is constantly talking about provocations on the Israeli-Lebanese border. But I cannot say that this somehow affects the daily life of ordinary Lebanese. They do not go to Israel, because they will not be allowed back to Lebanon with an Israeli stamp in their passports.
There are a lot of soldiers on the streets - this was the case 9 years ago, when I came here for the first time. Outposts with booths and barricades have been set up near the embassies; on the streets I sometimes meet military equipment. You cannot photograph the military and the outposts.
I don’t feel that there is a war in neighboring Syria - it’s calm in Lebanon. Yes, there are many Syrian refugees in the country, but many of them came here before the war, because the standard of living in Lebanon has always been higher. Many wealthy Syrian families have long since moved to Lebanon and have settled well here.
Language and communication
The main language in Lebanon is Arabic, but everyone speaks a wild mixture of Arabic, French and English. You can often hear a typical Lebanese phrase: “Hai, kifak, sava?”, Which means: “Hello, how are you? Good?". "Hi" is "hello" in English, "kifak" - "how are you?" in Arabic, and sava means good in French.
Living without Arabic is easy enough in Lebanon. Everyone here speaks English - even the janitor will understand you. Another common language is French, because Lebanon was a French colony for a long time. Lebanese Christians most often go to French schools, so they speak French well, but may not know English at all. Lebanese Muslims, on the other hand, are much more likely to have good English and poor French skills.
Lebanon, Qatar, Kuwait, Morocco and other Middle Eastern countries share the same official language - Arabic. But there is a nuance: the Arabic language is divided into literary and colloquial. In fact, they are two different languages.
90%
I can easily understand spoken Arabic. I can speak too, but I cannot write and read in Arabic.
Literary, or classical, Arabic is the same language in all these countries. The Koran was written on it in the 7th century, and since then the language has not changed much. Books and newspapers are printed in Classical Arabic, official documents are published, radio and television are spoken, and taught in schools and universities. It's like the literary Russian language from the novels of Pushkin and Tolstoy - educated people know it, but no one speaks like that on the street.
Therefore, in each country they speak their own dialect - this is colloquial Arabic. For foreigners studying Arabic, this is a big problem, because before the trip they learn literary Arabic, and when they arrive in the country, they realize with horror that the locals speak some other language.
When I first moved to Lebanon, I started studying Arabic with a teacher. Now I understand about 90% of colloquial speech, but I still cannot write and read in literary Arabic.
Corruption and elections
There is a very high level of corruption in Lebanon. In the ranking of the corruption of the countries of the world, Lebanon ranks 143rd, while the most corrupt state - Somalia - is in 175th.
Parliamentary elections were recently held in Lebanon. Many voices were bought - talked about in the streets and wrote in the press. Interested parties even paid for the flight for Lebanese who live outside the country to vote for the right candidate. Many emigrated Lebanese are specifically waiting for the elections in order to fly home for free: according to unofficial data, a party can pay $ 500 (31,000 R) for a vote for the desired candidate and pay for air tickets.
Voting takes place by district - you can choose only from those candidates who are on the list for your district. At the same time, the district is determined not by the place of registration, but by the place of birth of the father, therefore the whole family is usually tied to one district, regardless of the place of residence. If none of the candidates in the district likes it, and it is impossible to vote for the other, the family accepts a proposal from some party, votes for the desired candidate, and receives money.
This year, the day before the elections, all shops and cafes were closed, and after the elections they even declared a curfew - they were afraid of riots.
Money, salaries and taxes
There are two official currencies in Lebanon - American dollars and Lebanese lira, in English they are also called pounds. You can pay with both. Change in the store can be mixed.
450 $
official minimum wage in Lebanon
The exchange rate of the lira to the dollar is stable and has not changed for the last 20 years - 1,500 lira per dollar. To avoid confusion, I will write all prices in dollars.
The average income of an employee in Lebanon does not exceed $ 1,000 (62,000 R) per month. The official minimum wage is $ 450 (R 27,900), a novice manager can receive $ 600 (R 37,200). Work in a bank is considered prestigious, where you can earn up to $ 2,500 (155,000 R). Salaries are usually paid in cash - I have never heard that someone receives money on a card. This is due to the fact that many are paid unofficially.
The taxation system in Lebanon is progressive: the higher the salary, the higher the tax rate, the maximum is 20%. There are tax deductions, they depend on the number of children in the family and on whether the spouse is working.
Imagine that the family has two children, the wife does not work, and the husband receives $ 1,300 (R 80,600) per month - that's $ 15,600 (R 967,000) per year. For such a family, a fixed tax deduction is established - $ 7333 (473 790 R). If the wife worked, the deduction would be less - $ 5666 (R 366 084).
With the remaining $ 8267, this family must pay 4% in tax per year. In addition to the tax deduction, a downward adjustment is also assumed for each level of income, in this case - $ 80.
20%
maximum personal income tax rate. The taxation system in Lebanon is progressive: the more you earn, the more tax
As a result, the family will pay $ 8267 × 4% - $ 80 = $ 250 in tax per year.
If the family earned less than $ 1100 per month, the tax would be even less - 2%. The maximum possible tax is 20%, it is paid by those who receive more than $ 80,000 per year.
Pensions
There are no pensions in Lebanon. There is a lump sum that both men and women receive at age 64. You can retire earlier, but then the payout will be less. There are no other monthly or annual benefits for pensioners - people live on savings, rent out real estate or ask for help from their children.
The size of the lump-sum pension payment depends on the salary in the last job and the length of service. To put it very roughly: how many years I have worked, so many months they are paid. For example, a Lebanese who has worked for 40 years will receive 40 monthly salaries equal to the full last salary. This is the maximum payout. If a person has worked for less than 5 years, for example 4 years, he will receive 4 salaries, each of which will be equal to only half of the last salary.
While a person works, the employer pays 21.5% of his salary to a special fund every month. This fund is called daman. The system is designed in such a way that if an employee has been working in the company for more than 21 years, then upon retirement, the company must also pay him an additional one-time benefit, equal to almost all deductions for these 21 years.
Housekeepers are selected by special agencies. Bringing yourself a maid from the Philippines costs $ 2,500 (155,000 R), this amount includes travel expenses and paperwork. The salary of a housekeeper is $ 200-300 (12,400 -18,600 R) per month, in addition to this, the owners must provide her with food and medical care. Housekeepers must be provided with a private room with a private bathroom. They rarely fly home or on vacation - it all depends on the relationship with the owners.
Instead of a housekeeper, a cleaning lady comes to us once a month. An hour of her work costs $ 5 (310 R), but you can find cheaper ones.
Rubbish
There is a garbage problem in Lebanon. There are no waste processing plants in the country. For a long time, all the garbage was stored at one landfill in the center of the country. Two years ago, numerous rallies and protests against landfills were held in Lebanon, then the garbage was removed.
But now landfills again appear in different areas, from where the garbage is carried by the wind around the district. He is everywhere, on every street and along every road. There are rumors that the garbage will be sold to other countries for recycling, but so far nothing has changed.
White is garbage bags in the eastern region of Beirut. Source: share.america.gov Internet and mobile communications
Home internet in Lebanon is very slow. The country has old fiber, and broadband is rare. It's almost impossible to watch videos on Instagram.
At home we have satellite Internet: for a speed of 2 Mbit / s and 28 GB of traffic, we pay $ 30 (1860 R) per month. Most cafes have Wi-Fi, but it's weak.
There are two mobile operators in Lebanon - "Alpha" and "Touch". Both have very high prices. For example, a minute of conversation during the day costs about $ 0.25 (R15.5). My husband and I have a Touch operator. Calls from my husband spend about $ 70 a month (4340 R). Many Lebanese even try to make business conversations through Votsap.
100 $
a month will be spent on calls and mobile Internet in Lebanon, if you call often
I rarely call and spend about $ 20 (1240 R) per month on communication. For 500 MB of 4G traffic, I pay $ 10 (620 R).
In addition to calls, internet and SMS, you need to pay for using a SIM card. This is an analogue of a subscription fee. I buy a month of use for $ 20. When this period comes to an end, an SMS comes with a reminder. If you do not pay within a week, you can lose all the money on your balance. This is how mobile operators make money on forgetful customers.
Transport
It's difficult without a car in Lebanon. There are practically no sidewalks here, there are only buses from public transport and they rarely run. But among the Lebanese it is not customary to travel by bus: it is believed that they are for migrants and tourists. Locals only drive by car.
18.6 R
worth the ride on a Lebanese bus
It is difficult to figure out where the bus is going - signs with the route, as well as stops, are rare in Lebanon. Sometimes the bus may not even have a number, so you need to stop everyone and ask the driver where he is going. The fare is $ 0.3 (R 18.6).
In all 9 years of my life in Lebanon, I have never traveled by bus: my husband's parents scared me that it was unsafe. I travel around the city either with my husband in his car, or with girlfriends, or with relatives.
A taxi in Lebanon will cost $ 6-16 (372 -992 R), depending on the distance. As elsewhere there is “Uber”, but the cheapest way to get from one end of the city to the other is “service”. This is the name for taxis that you share with other passengers when they are with you on the way. The fare on the "service" system costs no more than $ 3 (194 R). You can catch the "service" on the road. To do this, you need to stop the car with red numbers - this is how taxis are marked. The driver will ask: "taxi" or "service". If "taxi", then you go alone, but pay full price. If "service", the taxi driver will pick up other voters along the way, but the price will be divided by the number of passengers.
Almost every Lebanese over 18 has a car. Moreover, most often taken on credit and more expensive than the owner can afford. The desire to appear cooler than in fact is in the blood of the Lebanese. Beirut is striking with the number of used car dealerships: Lebanese like to change them often. The most popular car brands here are BMW and Mercedes.
Olxliban.com has a lot of used Mercedes in good condition State registration of a license plate is expensive and depends on the price of the car. For example, getting license plates for an old Opel costs $ 2,000 (RUB 124,000), and for a Porsche Cayenne of the latest model - $ 10,000 (RUB 620,000).
Russian tourists can travel in Lebanon with their own rights. You can get local without an exam. I don't have a license, and I don't drive a car, but I know that many people drive without them at all. Throughout our life here, my husband and I have never been stopped and asked for documents. I heard that many are not afraid to drink and then get behind the wheel, because the police on the roads are rare.
Gas prices at all gas stations are usually the same:
- AI -98 - $ 0.96 (59.5 R);
- AI -95 - $ 0.94 (58.3 R);
- diesel - $ 0.66 (41 R).
Gasoline prices are indicated immediately for 20 liters: 98th - 28,800 lira (1190 rubles), 95th - 28,200 lira (1166 rubles), diesel - 19,900 lira (826 rubles) Parking
Regular city parking costs $ 0.3 (R18.6) for half an hour. Parking meters only accept coins: you pay for parking and put a check under the glass. There are no mobile apps. There are private parking lots, where the minimum price is $ 2 (124 R) per hour.
At popular clubs and restaurants there is a “vale parking” - this is when you drive up to the right place and give the keys to a special person who parks your car in the nearest parking lot. This name comes from the French word valet, which means "servant" or "lackey". During the day, the "shaft" costs $ 3-6 (194 -388 R), regardless of the parking time, at night the price can go up to $ 10 (646 R). On New Year's Eve, we paid $ 16 (1034 R) for a few hours.
At first it seems that parking lot is convenient. But in reality it is very unreliable: the valet can scratch the car or park it in the wrong place, and then you will receive a fine. Once we paid 100 $ for the fact that the vale-valet parked our car under a prohibitory sign.
It is considered that you are lucky if after such a parking in the car the radio is simply switched. Once they pulled out a box with small change from our car, which we saved up for parking meters. It is difficult to bring a parking lot to justice: there are no cameras in such parking lots, and scratches and fines are usually discovered after some time. Moreover, most valet parking attendants work on their own, and not in some kind of company. Finding them later is almost impossible.
You can park your car in private parking lots yourself. But usually they are a long way to go, and coming to the party on foot is not Lebanese style. You never know what else people will think about you.
Medicine
There is no free medicine in Lebanon. If you do not have insurance, no one will even provide emergency assistance. There are five people in our family: me, my husband, his parents and brother. We pay $ 500 (31,000 R) per month for general insurance for everyone, which only covers cases requiring urgent care: poisoning, fracture or stroke.
500 $
a month costs medical insurance in Lebanon for a family of 5 people
Lebanese for whom the employer makes contributions to the daman fund are entitled to discounts at pharmacies and hospitals.
There is no state ambulance, but there is a Red Cross ambulance - in Muslim countries it is also called the Red Crescent. Once I had a very bad stomach, and I had to call the orderlies. They gave me an injection and offered to take me to a hospital a few tens of kilometers from my home, because the Red Cross only works with him. I refused, and we ourselves went to the nearest hospital. There I was accepted for free on insurance.
If a Lebanese has a cold or a headache, he does not go to the doctor, but to the nearest pharmacy, where his friend, brother or matchmaker probably works. After a short conversation about how the conditional uncle Ziad is doing, the pharmacist will offer the coveted pill and give recommendations for treatment. The pharmacy can also give you an injection. For example, recently I was badly scratched by a street cat and, fearing an infection, I immediately went to the pharmacy. For the injection, I paid $ 14.5 (900 R).
Most medicines can be obtained without a prescription. Pain reliever costs $ 3 (R 194), paracetamol - $ 2 (R 129), antibiotics - from $ 10 (R 646).
An appointment with a doctor costs an average of $ 50 (3100 R). Many doctors working in public hospitals also have their own private offices, so they usually earn good money.
Products
There are practically no 24-hour supermarkets in Lebanon, with the exception of markets at gas stations. Fruit and vegetable shops can work until 2-3 o'clock in the morning. The cheapest products are local, Egyptian and French.
The quality of the products is high, with the exception of some fruits and vegetables, which clearly contain chemicals, I often feel this, for example, in peaches and tomatoes. But there are departments where they sell only natural farm products - they are more expensive, but there are no chemicals there.
In general, in Lebanon you can find all the usual products, with the exception, perhaps, of cottage cheese. Imported products are more expensive than local products, except for French products. Lebanon and France traditionally have very close trade and economic relations.
We usually eat at home. We spend up to $ 700 (43,400 R) on food per month, but we do not save and try to buy healthy products - vegetables, fish, seafood. For example, Norwegian salmon here costs $ 12.6 (R 781) per kg, fresh shrimp - $ 11.6 (R 719) per kg, chicken breast - $ 8.6 (R 533) per kg, rice - 1.8 $ (111 R) per kg, bananas - 1.18 $ (73 R) per kg.
700 $
my husband and I spend a month on groceries
Cafes and restaurants
In Lebanon there are restaurants of almost all cuisines of the world - French, Japanese, Italian, Chinese, American, and of course Lebanese. I can't say that some are more popular than the rest - the Lebanese eat everything and everywhere. Restaurants are usually packed only in the evenings, and it is not customary to dine there during the day. It is a common practice when one person pays for the whole company, and so on in turn. If you have lunch with business partners, then the wealthier side often pays there. A regular dinner in a restaurant for my husband and I costs $ 100 (6200 R) with alcohol and about $ 60 (3720 R) without.
An alternative to Lebanese restaurants is street food. This is shawarma, all kinds of burgers, rolls and falafel. Everywhere is very tasty and clean, so it's not scary to buy something in the street pavilion. A sandwich from a diner will cost $ 4-5 (258 -322.5 R), you can order it at home, then the courier will have to pay about $ 2 (129 R) for delivery and tips.
For choosing a cafe or restaurant in Lebanon there is a convenient application "Zomato" - this is an analogue of "Tripadvisor", only without attractions and hotels. There you can see reviews of establishments, prices for dishes and order food at home. Many delivery services have support in Votsap.
Purchases
Clothes in chain stores, for example in "Zarya" or "Mango", cost about the same as in Russia. Only, in my opinion, things are of better quality in Lebanon, and there is no such disorder on the shelves.
But cosmetics and perfumery in Lebanon are definitely more expensive. For example, the face cream of the American brand Kiehl's, which costs 5000 R in Russia, I bought in Lebanon for 104 $ (6448 R). In Russia, I am used to buying cosmetics with discounts on bonus cards and endless promotions at Rive Gauche and Letual. In Lebanon, such actions are rare.
Household appliances cost about the same as in Russia.
Services
There are many beauty salons in Lebanon, but their main service is botox. All non-invasive procedures, such as peels and masks, I do in Russia. Here they are practically not provided. Plastic surgery is also very popular here - all kinds of facelifts, rhinoplasty, artificial breasts and so on.
Prices are quite affordable by local standards. To do, for example, a breast plastic surgery costs $ 2,500-3,000 (155,000 -186,000 R). Patients from the USA and Europe often come to Lebanon for plastic surgery, because it is much more expensive there.
Lebanese women rarely do their own manicure and styling - everyone goes to the salons. On Fridays and Saturdays, when everyone is going to parties, the lounges are packed. A manicure with a regular coating costs $ 6-10 (372-620 R), styling - from $ 10. The quality of the manicure is very low: the cuticle can be cut into blood, and the varnish itself can be applied inaccurately.
Entertainment
The most favorite entertainment of the Lebanese is the beach. But the beaches we are accustomed to, when you come to the sea to lie down in a sun lounger or right on the sand, are rare in Lebanon. Here the beach is a beautiful area with pools, bars and paid entrance.
16 $
the entrance to the Lebanese beach is worth
No matter what time you come, the price will be the same - on average $ 16 (992 R). For this money, you can only take a sun lounger and swim in the pool - most of the beaches do not even have access to the sea. It is not customary to swim in open water here, because the Lebanese consider the local sea dirty and wrinkle their noses contemptuously.
Once my friend and I went down to the sea from a paid beach, but lifeguards drove us out of there: they said that they were not responsible for swimming in open water, and sent us back to the pool.
Another favorite entertainment of the Lebanese is noisy parties. They like to go to clubs here, so there are many clubs. The pleasure is not cheap - if you take a table in the club, your check must be at least a certain amount, for example, $ 75 (4650 R) per person. There are establishments without a minimum check. You can just walk in and sit at the bar for free.
Attitude towards women
Women in Lebanon are treated with great respect. Skip-the-line service in shops and government offices. In my husband's family, my mother always goes to service the car, because she will not be forced to wait long in line and will definitely be well served.
On the streets, no one will ever rudely call out to a woman or try to get her attention. It is customary here to get to know each other only through mutual acquaintances, and not directly.
Once I went to a nightclub with a friend, but without my husband. In the middle of the evening, a security guard came up to me and said that five different men had asked about me: who I am, what family, whether I am married and how you can get to know me. At the same time, no one approached me personally.
Religion
Despite the fact that Lebanon is an Arab country, only slightly more than half of the inhabitants here are Muslims. The rest of the Lebanese are Christians: Catholics, Orthodox Christians and representatives of 16 other religious communities.
The influence of religion on the life and appearance of the Lebanese is small. Lebanon is considered a very open and democratic country in the Arab world. Even among Muslim women in burqa, few go here. Quite the opposite: Lebanese women like to be naked to the maximum, wear short tops and skirts - and no one will say anything, except that in very Muslim areas they will squint, but nothing more.
Even during the holy month of Ramadan, when all Muslims fast until sunset, life does not stop in Lebanon, as in other Arab countries. Here, activity simply decreases - out of respect for fellow Muslim citizens. For example, in restaurants during the daytime, there are much fewer visitors, because of this, the service sector is sagging.
Tradition and mentality
Lebanese people love their country. Even emigrants yearn and try to come home more often. At the same time, the Lebanese usually do not like each other, scolding neighbors and everyone around them for bad driving and garbage on the streets. Lebanese guys do not like Lebanese girls: they believe that they are arrogant and without checking their bank account they will not start a relationship with young people.
It is very important for Lebanese to make an impression, but their income level often does not match the image they are trying to create. The average manager can earn $ 800, live with his mother and still drive a Porsche, paying a loan for it in the amount of 90% of his salary.
Even in Lebanon, it is customary to celebrate important events on a grand scale. Up to 400 guests can be invited to the christening of a child, as well as a photographer, videographer and famous singer. The most luxurious weddings can host up to 1000 guests.
Some TV channels cut lyrics from songs or footage from movies if there is something about sex, alcohol or even cigarettes. At the same time, there are no special prohibitions in the country. Both cigarettes and alcohol are sold in all grocery stores. It is prohibited only to smoke in public places and advertise cigarettes.
Outcomes
The biggest drawback of living in Lebanon for me is garbage. There is also practically no place to walk here, except for shopping centers. I don’t have a car, so I hardly ever move around the city without my husband or girlfriends.
All issues in the country are resolved by talking and connecting relatives or friends. In Lebanon, it is frankly expensive: doctors, schools and kindergartens - everything is paid. But I enjoy life here, and I'm already used to all the disadvantages of the lack of electricity and heating.
In Lebanon, people work to live, not the other way around. Lebanese know how to rest. The beaches and clubs are always full: people of all ages come there. Despite the love of gossip, the Lebanese are friendly and helpful.
The food here is very tasty, but what I like the most is the weather and the sea. The swimming season starts in mid-March and ends in mid-October, and in winter you can ski in the mountains.
Here you can find beautiful beaches with clear water, wild waterfalls, go to dizzying parties, explore the ruins of ancient Phoenician cities.
I do not plan to leave Lebanon yet.
I spent the second weekend in May in Beirut. As often happens, a spontaneous trip turned out to be much better than the one that you have been planning for a long time. I will tell you about this fantastic city in several posts, and today I want to present to you my top things that surprised me in Beirut in particular and in Lebanon in general.
1. Beirut is clearly divided into districts
The difference is striking, even if you arrived for the first time and did not have time to really look around. Zeytuna Bay, the coastal area, and Beirut Suks, the neighborhoods around Beirut's new market, are an incredible concentration of Porsches, Bentleys and Maserati, women with expensive bags and their elegant companions (oh, what beautiful Lebanese faces!), French-speaking families with kids in white polos, beautiful restaurant terraces and respectable beach clubs. You go a little further and see a completely different life - girls in hijabs play ball, boys jump from rocks, old men fish, Arab families smoke hookah on the stones by the sea and grill kebabs, play cards, hiding from the gaze of Allah and passers-by with cardboard boxes. Along Armenian Street there is a whole hipster cluster of Mar-Mikael with cozy coffee shops and bars, graffiti and art galleries. Saifi Village are cozy neighborhoods with tiny squares lined with café tables, where only the east-pointed windows of houses remind you that you are not in Rome, but in Beirut.
2. Lack of tourists
Despite the fact that Beirut, year after year, and Lonely Planet, and Conde Nast Traveler, and the New York Times are called the most interesting Middle Eastern destination, a city that you need to see yourself, or the busiest point in the Middle East, all the beauty of Beirut, its drive, its contrasts go mostly to local people. There are almost no tourists on the streets, nothing prevents you from watching how life goes on. Fantastic feeling of a tourist-friendly city (great airport, good roads, plenty of walking places, great restaurants, hotels and shops, museums) and the opportunity to be immersed in local life.
3. Shopping
As much as I didn't like Dubai in terms of shopping, Beirut turned out to be my city even though I didn't buy anything! There are no malls here, but the entire center (perfectly restored, by the way) is one continuous shop. Chanel and Hermes, Celine and Christian Loubotin, Armani and Versce, Zilli and Cavalli, Saint Laurent Paris and Prada - all the significant luxury brands are here. Looking for a more budget-friendly shopping experience? Please! Zara, H&M, Zadig & Voltaire, Massimo Dutti, Marella are waiting for you. Do you want items from local designers? No problem. Niche jewelry? Please! Farm products? Yes, there they are!
4. Parking
It is not customary to walk in Beirut, although there are many places for walking, unlike Dubai or Muscat. I walked comfortably around the city, walking 15 km a day, but the locals, of course, prefer cars. They park them at the side of popular streets or embankments, and in two or three rows. I still could not understand how they were leaving. Then I looked closer and saw at every establishment, from Cavalli Cafe to Starbucks, boys with wooden lockers. It turned out that these are valets, a real local mafia. This is not valet parking, carried out by the administration of the restaurant (although there are such parking lots), these are several companies, apparently dividing up zones of influence, and sorting out the situation and the cars. It's not customary to park here - sitting on the terrace of one of the downtown Italian restaurants, I watched a family drive up to him in an Audi Q7 and, despite the fact that there was enough free space nearby to park, the girl who got out of the car gave the keys to the valet and the family went to dinner, and he had already parked the car.
5. Klaxons
If you don’t signal, you are not Lebanese! Yes, I know that in the Arab East it is customary to buzz about and without, but other Middle Eastern cities where I was did not particularly dispose to walking, and therefore I was surprised at this only here. Everyone is buzzing! Drivers leaving the alley and seeing a traffic jam in front of them, taxi drivers who want to give you a lift (every taxi will honk you, every one!), Bus drivers picking up passengers.
6. Construction boom
In Lebanon, everything is in order with the economy - this is evidenced by statistics, this can be seen by a tourist with the naked eye. All of Beirut is under construction! Luxurious skyscrapers with rooftop pools, new hotels and apartment complexes, club houses and private mansions - in a couple of years nothing in the city will remind of war.
7. Multiculturalism
I can't say that it was a discovery for me, but to see with my own eyes what Wikipedia writes about is always interesting. Lebanon is a secular country. Muslims are 40% here, Christians - 60%. Mosques adjoin (literally stand side by side) with Christian churches, hijabs and short skirts are equally popular here, Arabic and French are spoken here at the same time. The Parliament of Lebanon is amazingly arranged! I quote from Wikipedia: " The president of the country must be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister must be a Sunni Muslim, the speaker of parliament must be a Shia Muslim, and the government must be equally represented by Christians and Muslims.. "
8. Nightlife
Oh, those rooftop bars overlooking the marina and the sunset over the Mediterranean! Oh, these cocktails and live music! Oh, those warm summer evenings, when the whole city seems to be sitting on the terraces and sipping wine! Oh, that hookah smell! Oh, those traffic jams from Porsche and Bentley! In general, going to bed earlier than 2 a.m. in Beirut on weekends is criminal.
9. Lebanese friendliness
Oh, what friendly people here! Even border guards, even airport security, even police officers on the streets outside government buildings! The border guards are chatting nicely with you, wondering if you liked Beirut, the police politely ask you not to shoot, what should not be removed, and add you are welcome, on the streets people smile at you and say welcome to beirut! Once my husband and I were even told welcome, Germany, taking us, apparently, for the Germans.
10. Linguistic hodgepodge
Surprisingly, where they bring you a French menu, they may not speak French! I have met more than one or two such places. But, of course, everyone speaks English! The locals speak in an amazing mixture of Arabic, French and English, sometimes changing languages in conversation, sometimes diluting French speech with Arabic words, or vice versa.
In short, Lebanon has become, perhaps, the main discovery of recent months!
Every year the world is expanding its boundaries more and more. Quite a few Russians have decided to adopt the citizenship of Lebanon, a country very unlike Russia but, nevertheless, interesting and worthy of attention. Someone went to a state in the Middle East for a soul mate, someone in search of adventure and new sensations, someone in the hope of getting rich.
The Muhammad Al-Amin Mosque in the city of Beirut.
What country is Lebanon? What is the population of Lebanon? What are the prospects for Russians to settle normally in an Arab state? And also I wonder if you need it?
For those who love the mountains and the sea, the Lebanese Republic is an acceptable and even wonderful place to live. Today it is not the prosperous country that it was before the civil war that began in the 70s, but still, the state has something to be proud of.
This is a mass of sights inherited from ancestors, and modern buildings, not devoid of architectural charisma and creativity. The fantastically beautiful Lebanese nature will not leave you indifferent either. Perhaps one day you, looking down at the capital of the country, Beirut, will understand that you have found what you have been looking for all your life.
The capital of Lebanon is Beirut.
Lebanon on the world map looks like a small state, squeezed by Syria. Half of its territory is washed by the Mediterranean Sea. Most of the territories are mountains. The symbol of the country is the famous Lebanese cedar,
however, from the once richest cedar tracts, today only miserable wooded islets remain. Where Lebanon is located, a pleasant Mediterranean climate reigns.
The population of Lebanon in 2018 is four million, the vast majority (95%) of which are Lebanese. 4% are Armenians. Representatives of other ethnic groups account for only 1%. Only God knows how many Russians are included in this insignificant figure. As a rule, our compatriots live in Beirut, the capital of the eastern state. Therefore, considering the prospects of life in the Lebanese Republic, it is best to focus on this city.
Salaries and food prices in Lebanon in 2018-2019
By Russian standards, life in the Republic is at a perfectly acceptable level. The average wage in Lebanon is just over $ 1,000... At the same time, prices do not particularly bite. For example, an average loaf of bread will cost $ 0.85, and a kilogram of chicken breast no more than $ 8, 12 eggs - $ 2.83. Prices in Lebanon allow workers of not the most prestigious professions to live comfortably.
Professionals can look forward to a more luxurious life. When buying or renting an apartment, the price depends a lot on where you intend to stay.
Real estate in the center of Beirut is much more expensive. So, if you rent one room in a residential area of the capital, the rent will be about $ 500. If you swing to the center, you have to pay about $ 850. A three-room apartment on the outskirts will require a monthly payment of $ 1,000. In the center, you will pay about $ 2,200 for the same living space.
City center in the capital of Lebanon.
If you are aiming at the metropolitan center, there an average apartment for Lebanon will cost at least $ 5,000 per m2. If in West Beirut you can buy an apartment for 900 thousand dollars, then in the center of the equivalent real estate will cost 2.5 million dollars. In Ashrafiya (district of the capital), they ask for $ 1 million for an apartment.
Speculation has made real estate in Lebanon available only to the wealthiest segments of the population. And this is a big minus of the country, both for foreigners and for its local residents.
In the Arab world, Beirut ranks 2nd in the cost of apartments.
Most immigrants from Russia are women who married Lebanese and received Lebanese citizenship. It's hard to get a decent one without it. A work permit costs 2,000 per year. This is not always beneficial.
It is not easy to find a job even as a citizen of the country. The easiest jobs to find are beadworkers, beadworkers, or nurses. Another thing is that these are not the most prestigious types of activity.
The easiest way is to find a job for those who are fluent in Arabic. Russian-speaking people are willingly taken to shops visited by citizens of the former Soviet Union. Practice shows that not every husband is ready to allow his wife to work in such stores. The fact is that quite often our compatriots of not the most dignified behavior visit such shops.
Do not think that Arab women are all without exception sitting at home, raising children and preparing food for their husbands. Quite the opposite, many women in the Arab country work and even hold leadership positions. Ambitious Russian women, if desired, also have the opportunity to move up the career ladder. This is not prohibited by law. The main thing is that the husband does not mind.
“When we first moved here, there was a war. There were barricades on the streets of Beirut, snipers sometimes fired at passers-by. In general, it was quiet, but sometimes quite unexpectedly exchanges of fire broke out here and there. The last year of the war was especially cruel, there were many terrorist attacks. There was not a single garbage container left on the streets - they were constantly mined and eventually liquidated as a class. If a parked car stood without a driver for more than 2-3 minutes, it automatically aroused suspicion and could be evacuated. "
Olga Dager arrived in Lebanon in 1986, following her husband, who was studying with her in the same year at the Leningrad Medical Institute. Four of his brothers also studied in Leningrad, all became candidates of science, all returned home - and not alone. Olga's large Lebanese family also has two daughters-in-law from Russia. Today she heads the Russian women's club and the coordinating council of compatriots in Lebanon.
“After my arrival, I confirmed my diploma and got a job as an anesthesiologist in a hospital, sometimes I did not see my husband for several days. the floor was slippery with blood. "
Nobody really counted, but several thousand Russian-Lebanese families live in a tiny country with a population of 3 million. In the overwhelming majority of cases, we are talking about Russian wives of Lebanese husbands. It is almost impossible for a foreigner who has married a Lebanese woman to legalize. On the other hand, it is easy for foreign women who married Lebanese to obtain citizenship, get a job, and receive benefits.
In comparison with local women, Russians stand out not only for their fair skin, but also for their modesty, thriftiness, unpretentiousness and the universal presence of higher education, which is very important in Lebanon.
Remembering the first six months spent in the Lebanese village with her husband's parents and brothers, Olga says that nowhere and has never been so cold. It was winter, and only a few rooms in the big house were heated by stoves. We slept at a temperature of +8 degrees.
The lack of external warmth was compensated for by the internal one: according to Olga, Lebanese husbands are generally gallant, pay a lot of attention to the family, practically do not drink alcohol and are often brought up in secular traditions.
Olga's husband is a Shiite Muslim; in his family, many do not eat pork or drink alcohol, someone did the Hajj. But the women in this family do not cover their heads with a headscarf and wear European clothes. Religion is perceived rather as a tribute to tradition. At the same time, in Lebanon, there are frequent cases when Russian women convert to Islam, observe all norms and prohibitions, study the Koran - as it is said, absolutely voluntarily.
There are 18 officially recognized religious denominations in Lebanon. Olga says that a marriage contracted according to a religious ceremony carries more weight than a civil marriage - that is, confirmed by the state. All Islamic denominations freely allow divorce, and local Catholicism is considered one of the most conservative. So sometimes Catholics convert to Islam to get divorced. At the same time, many "unchurched" Lebanese prefer to register their marriages in neighboring Cyprus, with its completely secular and familiar family code.
© Photo courtesy of the organizers of the festival "Five years in five days" / Anna TemerinaParticipants of the festival "Five years in five days" in Lebanon
© Photo courtesy of the organizers of the festival "Five years in five days" / Anna Temerina
Children in Russian-Lebanese families often speak 4 languages - Arabic, English, French and Russian, which they communicate at home and which can always be studied at the Russian Cultural Center in Beirut.
Today, according to Olga, no fewer Russian wives go to Lebanon than before, and maybe even more. Now they meet mainly on the Internet. In such families, they speak to each other mainly in English, the children already know the language of their ancestors worse. But satellite channels and the Internet allow you to feel not too far from Russia: young people here also watch TNT and adore Danila Kozlovsky.
On March 8, husbands bring flowers home, although it is not customary to celebrate this holiday in Lebanon; Mother's Day, March 21, is much more popular here. On May holidays, Russian-Lebanese families go to barbecues, on May 9 they remember the veterans: the Lebanese action "Immortal Regiment" was the first in the Middle East. Amateur performances are organized on the Old New Year. The Immortal Regiment marches through the Lebanese capitalIn Lebanon, since April 23, the action "St. George's Ribbon" has been taking place. Members of the youth organization CARIL distributed ribbons at the Islamic University and State University of Lebanon. On May 9, it is planned to hold lectures in a number of educational institutions.
Stories with a less happy ending also happen, then, in addition to the Russian women's club, the situation can be resolved with the help of the police or human rights non-profit organizations: one call - and a woman, regardless of her nationality and religion, will be taken to a safe place that neither her husband will know about. no relatives - only one confidant. The Russian diplomatic mission also helps through its channels. But these are the most extreme cases, of which there are few.
Every year Olga Dager meets at conferences with her colleagues from the countries of the former Soviet Union living in the Middle East and Africa. She says that there are Russian women even in Botswana, and in Lebanon, in every village there is at least one. There are many of them in Tunisia and Egypt, until recently there were many in neighboring Syria. “There are no Russian wives except in Antarctica - she smiles. - But this is the territory of husbands!”
