cultureclash
BANADOURA MEN 3AND SAMIRA, HOMMOS MIN 3AND RANIA, 2ANNINIT PEPSI MIN 3AMMO KARIM WILL CONTRIBUTE TO REDUCING YOUR FOOD AND BEVERAGE EXPENSES SIGNIFICANTLY
5. Reduce Car Costs
7. Save on Maintenance + Repairs
We’re not exactly telling you to spend your Saturday nights at home, even to replace your 4X4 with a small economical car or to take a bus to work. Fachar. We are just implying that there are a lot of excuses that can be easily used to make your friends pick you up. Some particularly useful ones include: “Ma bsou2 3a Beirut”, “Ma bsou2 bel leil”, “Ma bsou2 bel chames” ,“Fi sot bil siyara”, “3ayne 3am tuja3ne”, “Rasse 3am byouja3ne”. In addition, iza se2abit that you have to drive over 1 minute to make a U-turn on a daily basis, 2awwe 2albak w take the zaroub 3aks el ser. There’s a 50 percent probability that you’ll end up in an accident, but there’s a 100 percent probability that you will be saving anywhere up to 150,000L.L by the end of the month!
To save on maintenance and repairs in the long run, you must become friends with all of the following: El sangare, el kahrabje and el torrach. Making them your closest friends will give you the privilege of saying money-saving statements like, “Msa7a bi hal da2en”, “Kermele bi 2adde?”, “Machineh” and those listed in number 1.
6. Lower Food + Beverage Expenses
Banadoura men 3and Samira, hommos min 3and Rania, 2anninit Pepsi min 3ammo Karim will contribute to reducing your food and beverage expenses significantly. Pay attention as this will work only if you diversify the neighbors you borrow from (don’t borrow from the same person two times in a row unless you make note of it). You must succeed in convincing them (each and every time), that you really did forget to buy the item when you were at the supermarket. Acting classes can help with this.
70 RAGMAG | JANUARY 2012
Don’t worry. You won’t be called stingy or penny-pinching in Lebanon. Iza chi you’ll be labeled “chatir” (as opposed to “hmar” if you don’t follow the previously listed recommendations). Of course, we could have listed tips such as don’t valet your car or khafifile botox, but true Lebanese would never do that. La hal sene wala aya sene, ma hayda Lebnen ya 3ayneh!
MAKING THEM (EL KAHRABJE, EL SANGARE AND EL TORRACH) YOUR CLOSEST FRIENDS WILL GIVE YOU THE PRIVILEGE OF SAYING MONEYSAVING STATEMENTS LIKE, “MSA7A BI HAL DA2EN”, “KERMELE BI 2ADDE?”, “MACHINEH”