I was already late to dinner, so I decided to take a taxi from the street.
Not surprisingly, I got caught in a traffic jam. Oh well. Beirut at night. The driver starts telling me about Lebanese women. I said they are beautiful. He disagreed. Actually, he said that maybe 20% have beautiful features, but for the rest is the attitude that makes the difference. When driving a BMW or Mercedes [these are top brands here], nicely dressed, with the make up etc everyone looks beautiful.
The guy, let's call him Joe, wants to get married. The problem is that his fiancee, is reluctant to marry him. Why? Apparently she is ashamed to say that she is marrying a cab driver. She has great expectations of him. To be a businessman of some sort, or at least to have a job with more prestige. Ahhhh the prestige, the pretense and the superficiality of the Lebanese…. I smiled thinking poor guy…
Joe worked for many years at Casino du Liban. He put money aside and opened a business. It did not work and he lost all the money. Now, he is a cab driver, but he goes out only at night. He fears someone will recognize him. He too is as superficial as the girlfriend. Joe says that his clothes, his glasses and even the color of his skin is proof enough that he deserves a higher social status. No comment!
I went to a restaurant on the Corniche. Joe looks at me and says, “you are dressed so average.” Hmmm… I guess the guy meant that I am modest. I was in jeans, t-shirt, and no high heels. “You go to this posh place [is Le Pecheur a posh place? food is great, but it does not look posh], and you are not in black dress & high heels, yet you look so nice.” Finally a compliment!
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