Lebanese in general, in particular the old generation in Lebanon, don’t like to throw things away even when they become totally useless and have been collecting dust in the attic for ages. We are genetically opportunistic -not to say fierce enamored protectors of our belongings- and come with a built-in recycling feature.
Forget about these “assets” in the attic. Let’s talk about things around the house. How many times have you thrown in your bin that old photo calendar to see it again back on your wall?
And how many times have you tried to get rid of a t-shirt or an old pair of shoes without your parents or grand-parents knowing? Let’s not forget that vase ten-times glued back that grandma forbids you to touch, and that one lonely cup of scratched glass remaining from the all-broken collection, and that mom turned into a candle holder.
See! You can totally relate. However, there are 6 particular overused things you can literally find in every Lebanese house, and here they are:
#1. The Cookie Box
We mean the sewing box. Yes, it was even originally designed to be a sewing kit, and it may shock us if we open it and find cookies in there. Cookies should alternatively be in a Tupperware instead. But, hey! The sewing-kit-turned-cookie-box stays! Move on!
#2. A LOT of Paper and Plastic Bags
Like, why? Why do we keep all these bags? Why don’t we ever use again the ones with an important brand name on them? The other existential question is why is it so culturally common to place them under our bed mattresses?
#3. TOO MANY Tupperwares
Yes. Your mom won’t throw away any of them whatsoever, even if she doesn’t use them anymore and even if their lids have been lost (of which she will most probably accuse her daughter or son), and even no one can remember what color they used to be.
#4. COUNTLESS Amount of Cloth’s Buttons
Don’t say it isn’t the case in your house. If you don’t see them in the sewing drawer, go check the “Cookie Box” because, when we say “Countless”, we do mean it big time.
We may probably use some in a defined emergency situation, our clothing having lost a button here and here, but the question is: Why are they too many and their amount never lessens?
Quite puzzling, indeed… especially that not so few of them belonged originally to clothes we have donated a long time ago.
#5. Electrical Installation Materials
If you live in an authentic Lebanese house -or at least had the chance to visit one and see all the hidden electrical installation items-, you get the impression of being in one of those hardware stores. Whether it is wiring, cabling or extension cords materials, or all of them combined, we rarely – and I mean it – we rarely throw any of these away; we are instinctively our own electrical engineers.
#6. A Wall Clock That Doesn’t Work
It is most probably placed in the kitchen, and yes, it doesn’t work. We may and often keep it for decoration purposes, or because it is physically unreachable. Question: Who did even install it there in the first place? Answer: No one can even remember.