Once upon a time in Lebanon

My Grandfather (may he rest in peace) was born in Lebanon, and I cannot express the love he had for the country. A love so strong that was passed on from generation to generation without any effort. I had the honor of visiting Lebanon 4 times, and in the very first time I went, I honestly felt like I was home, like I grew up there, like I belonged.

You probably heard the Lebanese people are caring, generous, supportive, hilarious, and famous for their resilience. But Lebanon has been hit too hard (especially this past year), and I don’t blame the few that gave up and decided to leave the country. I saw a video of a nurse in Lebanon who talked about the pandemic and of the explosion, and how she had to treat patients while at the same time deal with inflation and lack of resources. At the end of the video she said it was difficult for her to be resilient, while getting emotional. I cannot compare to what she is feeling, and being on the other side of the world, I have no right to pretend I know how she feels, but it hurt me, a lot. The Lebanese people know that the government won’t be their knight and shining armor, they won’t come in to save the day, so many are doing things on their own, which is sad. I hurts me to know that a country so great suffers, and it’s not even their fault.

Lebanon is not alone

I want Lebanon to know, that there are people like us, who are currently working on a solution to bring back the country, to empower the people, to develop the industries that make it strong. Believe me when I say, we will disrupt. I won’t let my Grandfather’s love for Lebanon be forgotten. The house he built will be maintained and improved overtime, and Lebanon will be a country people will want to visit, invest, or live in.

‘If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. And if they don’t, they never were.’ — Kahlil Gibran

The Place I Call Home

The village my family is from, you can walk the whole village in about 20 minutes. Houses are old, some not maintained. The people are stubborn (Lebanese pride), but there are always good jokes to throw around. I hated playing Tarnib there (a Lebanese card game) because everyone in the village were pro cheaters, so most of the time I would just watch and smoke Arguile. I always heard stories of how it was growing up in Lebanon, how they hunted their own food, the way Lebanon used to be and in some ways still is, and I always pray I can just establish myself there and never leave. The main attraction was the church patio, where we hung out all the time. In the village almost everyone grows their own fruits and vegetables (figs, olives, etc), and our neighbor makes the best Zaatar I have ever tasted (Zaatar is a herb along with toasted sesame seeds, dried sumac, often salt, as well as other spices). When you put that on top of bread and cook it on a fire-oven, omg! I never missed anything every time I visited, everyone there provided everything I needed.

Lebanon has everything I need — mountains, food, beach, incredible food, great people, and a welcoming environment. I hate seeing it in the news, because it’s always negative. I just want people to talk about Lebanon and talk about tourism, employment, real estate, or just talk about the people and food. Yes, you see it on YouTube, but that’s not enough for Lebanon to be the country it was meant to be. I took trips daily to different areas in Lebanon (my favorite being Byblos known for the historic port). Everywhere I went was magical. In every area, you see hard working and determined individuals, people who will not give up on their country no matter what. I have seen the greatest car mechanics get to work, fixing up very old Mercedes and BMW like no one else. Lebanon is full of skills and resources, they just need a hand because I can’t imagine how exhausting it is for them to constantly rise up again.

So Now What?

This blog is welcomed to everyone, Lebanese and non-Lebanese, but if someone from Lebanon is reading this, I want you to know that my team and I will be there soon, to develop areas, to grow the industries and to bring traffic. Our company will not be just like any other company. We as founders will get involved and do everything we can to revive Lebanon to how it used to be. Our app will empower design thinking to help people become more creative, find purpose and collaborate with others to improve the area we live and work in.

I will make sure my Grandfather’s love will remain intact.

I LOVE YOU LEBANON!