Summers in Lebanon consist of drinking beer on the beach, getting stuck in traffic for hours, and attending zillions of weddings.
#1 You channel your inner Serena Williams
In summer, your room turns into a tennis court where you try to kill all the annoying mosquitoes with your precious bug zapper racket.
#2 You attend trillions of weddings
Please make it stop.
#3 You enter shops to cool down
Bless the stores that have a good air conditioning system. What’s awkward is entering a store to cool down and leaving without buying anything.
#4 You have trouble styling your hair because of the humid weather
#5 You binge-watch all Ramadan series
Watching Ramadan series is a ritual that all Lebanese people religiously follow in summer. It’s also the best way to bond with your relatives, friends, and neighbors.
#6 Your cousins from abroad pay you a visit
You act their tour guide and revisit Lebanon’s coplest landmarks! They bring with them cool gifts from Duty-Free like giant KitKats or mini Nutella jars!
#7 Machewe wel chabeb
Machewe in the mountains, on the beach… basically everywhere because you finally have time to have fun with your friends without worrying about deadlines.
#8 You do not sleep
Because you’re having fun! (and because it’s super hot)
#9 Your diet mainly consists of bzourat and beer
Whether you’re lying on the beach or relaxing on your balcony, you are eating bzourat and sipping beer. What’s more relaxing than that?
#10 Traffic
It’s hot, and traffic is insane. That’s exactly why we need better public transportation.
#11 You go on trips in the mountains to breath fresh air
Since the weather can get unbearable in Beirut, people head to the mountains to relax! The weather is always perfect there. There’s nothing like laying on the grass or swimming in a lake when it’s super hot.
#12 Some parents will ask you to tutor their children
They will ask you to help their kids with summer homework. It’s a nice way to make extra money if you have time. There’s also this one parent who says: “Ebne zake bass ma bi rakkiz.” No, he’s just lazy.
#13 People will white-shame you if you’re not tanned
Not being tanned in Lebanon during summer is social suicide. People will constantly ask you why you’re not tanned yet.
#14 You don’t have excuses to avoid meeting with relatives
If you go to school or university and have nothing to do during summer, that’s a bummer, because you do not have a relevant excuse to avoid meeting relatives. Just pretend that you’re sleeping when they are at your place. You’ll get stuck in your room for hours. It’s not like you have never done it.