LebGeeks

rolf

Member

Re: Should I move to Canada?

I agree in someways to what you mentioned but my main concern here isn't money. Well sure money is an issue nowadays in Lebanon but it's not the solution to everything. The issue here is living in an "arabic" backward thinking society as a whole (excluding some classy areas in Beirut), the non existence of laws, corruption, the traffic you have to deal with everyday, the trash crisis, pollution, unclean food etc etc etc. You never know when you lose this privilege of having a stable financial situation and god forbid it happens there is so social security or anything the government does to help you out get back on your feet but instead they screw you even more. It's the general atmosphere and the way the majority of people think and behave that really gets on my nerves. I think I might get gag reflexes the next time I hear something طائفي on the news, like the latest thing happening in القرنة السوداء. Look at what people are fighting about while the trash is all over the place and the economy going down the drain. No job, no girl friend and no possible amount of money you could make in Lebanon (at least in legal ways) can fix this.

For any regular - middle class person, the way I see it, you can make a nice living, for example buy yourself a nice second house somewhere in the mountains.

The problem is I do not feel safe from "the garbage" or some random change, bad policies from the state or even war. It is a common problem in Lebanon which I think. People generally do not like to invest somewhere when the future is not clear and your investment is not well protected. I think this is a major thing which holds back the country.

Personally I believe that the solution has multiple aspects, one of them is that yes the condition across the country generally have to improve. Another major aspect I believe is that people should generally change their attitude and not act like Lebanon is a natural calamity that we are forever cursed with. It is not. If something bothers you, either try to change it or try to get away from it.

Yes it is hard, many of us are kind of stuck. However it is my belief that taking things "personal", holding grudge and hate in our heart, adopting a victim identity (not saying that you are), all these things, even though understandable and justifiable, can perpetuate problem.

What happened in Kornet-es-sawda, by the way?

Last edited by rolf (September 27 2019)

vengeance666

Member

Re: Should I move to Canada?

I agree in someways to what you mentioned but my main concern here isn't money. Well sure money is an issue nowadays in Lebanon but it's not the solution to everything. The issue here is living in an "arabic" backward thinking society as a whole (excluding some classy areas in Beirut), the non existence of laws, corruption, the traffic you have to deal with everyday, the trash crisis, pollution, unclean food etc etc etc. You never know when you lose this privilege of having a stable financial situation and god forbid it happens there is so social security or anything the government does to help you out get back on your feet but instead they screw you even more. It's the general atmosphere and the way the majority of people think and behave that really gets on my nerves. I think I might get gag reflexes the next time I hear something طائفي on the news, like the latest thing happening in القرنة السوداء. Look at what people are fighting about while the trash is all over the place and the economy going down the drain. No job, no girl friend and no possible amount of money you could make in Lebanon (at least in legal ways) can fix this.

For any regular - middle class person, the way I see it, you can make a nice living, for example buy yourself a nice second house somewhere in the mountains.

The problem is I do not feel safe from "the garbage" or some random change, bad policies from the state or even war. It is a common problem in Lebanon which I think. People generally do not like to invest somewhere when the future is not clear and your investment is not well protected. I think this is a major thing which holds back the country.

Personally I believe that the solution has multiple aspects, one of them is that yes the condition across the country generally have to improve. Another major aspect I believe is that people should generally change their attitude and not act like Lebanon is a natural calamity that we are forever cursed with. It is not. If something bothers you, either try to change it or try to get away from it.

Yes it is hard, many of us are kind of stuck. However it is my belief that taking things "personal", holding grudge and hate in our heart, adopting a victim identity (not saying that you are), all these things, even though understandable and justifiable, can perpetuate problem.

What happened in Kornet-es-sawda, by the way?

What middle class person? Does a middle class still exist in the first place? General majority of people can't afford a first house or barely able to pay third of their salaries for the next 30 years to be able to afford a roof over their heads. People who actually own a second house actually either inherited the house or are way above the level of a"middle class".

I'm rebellious, very rebellious by nature. I would participate in any form of serious dedication by the people to change this situation. But alas that won't happen, it's been 30 years since the civil war ended, 30 years people haven't learned a single lesson that this way of behaving and running things gets you nowhere. Even the few tries to do something are a complete mess, things won't change by going a couple of hours to the streets on a sunday afternoon after "سكرة', take some selfies and post them to facebook then go to work the rest of the week like nothing happened. That's not how what so called "revolution" works, and all of your corrupted officials won't even give a damn about it.

So what happened in قرنة السوداء ؟ I don't want to be understood in a wrong way because I'm not siding with anyone, I'm telling the story objectively .. Well long story short, someone put a Cross there (because apparently putting crosses on high mountains has to mean something). Some muslim guy from a neighbor town was irritated and started a small campaign to remove the cross because in his little tiny head he thinks that the mountain belongs to muslims. I have no idea if they removed the cross or not, but citizens from that town went all the way to the top later on and did صلاة الجمعة there. Christians didn't like the idea so they decided to go up there too and do قداس الاحد. The lebanese army took over the area and declared it a military zone for now to avoid conflict but tensions are high between muslims and christians now because of a mountain :) That's the amount of energy they invest into ridiculous backward thinking, but let's ask everyone to boycott telecom companies for a day to make a statement on the high mobile telecom pricing in Lebanon and nobody would listen to you, even some will laugh at you because who cares right ? There's a cross on the mountain top and muslims are praying there .. that's way more important :)

rolf

Member

Re: Should I move to Canada?

I had not heard the story about Kornet Es-Sawda before.
Well if it keeps them busy and they are trying to take care of it in non-violent ways, then it's not all bad!
It is what it is.
Ideally there should be initiatives to develop open-mindedness and progressive thinking in this country.

Looking at the history of the region, Lebanon was under Turkish control for centuries, and it did not really exist back then as a country with the borders that we know. Even the Lebanese identity is a question mark if you look more than a century back.

So I wonder if Lebanese were ever ready, or even interested in "having their country", let alone a small country built on "religious coexistence" with complicated rules, in a challenging area of the world.

A secular country would probably have a better chance of functioning, but all the religious "dignitaries" would not allow being put aside in the country which they engineered.

In general rapid urbanization and development were other challenges which Lebanese were possibly not ready for.

Now, financial crisis, still not ready, I guess!

Last edited by rolf (September 28 2019)

user

Member

Re: Should I move to Canada?

It's a no brainer man. I came to Canada August 2018 (last year) alone, no friends no family etc and it was not hard(I am single, your mileage may vary) finding work was not hard, I don't have to worry about my bank collapsing and the sky is the limit to where your career may go. I quickly found a job (I am a software developer) but I lost it 8 months later(startups are not stable) employment insurance kicks in immediately and the government pays you 50% of your salary for up to a year until you find another one. (I since found work again)

If for no other reason, just come here for 3 years, apply for the citizenship, then go wherever you want, you can then come back to lebanon knowing your life has a backup plan...

Last edited by user (October 3 2019)

rolf

Member

Re: Should I move to Canada?

It's a no brainer man. I came to Canada August 2018 (last year) alone, no friends no family etc and it was not hard(I am single, your mileage may vary) finding work was not hard

How easy is it to find a job, for people who need sponsoring (on a tourism visa)?
I presume you had the right to work in Canada when you applied.

Hybrid

Member

Re: Should I move to Canada?

It's a no brainer man. I came to Canada August 2018 (last year) alone, no friends no family etc and it was not hard(I am single, your mileage may vary) finding work was not hard

How easy is it to find a job, for people who need sponsoring (on a tourism visa)?
I presume you had the right to work in Canada when you applied.

I think it's kinda similar to Europe, they will have to prove that you can do something that Canadians or Permanent residents can't do

user

Member

Re: Should I move to Canada?

It's a no brainer man. I came to Canada August 2018 (last year) alone, no friends no family etc and it was not hard(I am single, your mileage may vary) finding work was not hard

How easy is it to find a job, for people who need sponsoring (on a tourism visa)?
I presume you had the right to work in Canada when you applied.

It would be really tough. Every single interview I had spent 10 min before we started asking me about my status and whether I can legally work there and making sure I had a tax number... Nothing happens if you cannot display all these information...

rolf

Member

Re: Should I move to Canada?

Just wondering... In these times, many persons seem to be leaving the country.
It is a time of hope but also a time of worsening living conditions and uncertain future.
I would guess this tipped you over into taking the decision to leave (+pressure of family, etc.)
I would be curious to know what you do, if you are willing to share.
It is tough either way (leaving or staying). A choice can feel like a curse sometimes but I guess it's good to have options, I would prefer it this way.

Tech Guru

Member

Re: Should I move to Canada?

Applied to the process ,  hefty & rigorous,  got the ETA and went through the additional process. Went there several times ,  I couldn't tolearte the cold weather there ,  and staying awaying my parents (as they are getting old and needs a shoulder to lean at)  as a moral reason. I didnot regret not migrating to there , and my life is very stable here. Nevertheless , it depends on case by case bases , situation,  and tolerance level.

rolf

Member

Re: Should I move to Canada?

It is OK to stay in Lebanon.
All these developed countries, I am pretty sure, have a budget to promote themselves as an immigration destination.
Also, Lebanon needs smart people.
To be fair these are generally nice places, for those who decide to migrate and rebuild their lives there.

Hybrid

Member

Re: Should I move to Canada?

After all this chaos in the last month or so, I have finally made my decision and I'm leaving to Canada.

@rolf, I work as a lead developer/Software engineer. Most of work experience is in ecommerce, Web Development (Java & Php (wordpress, laravel, yii...)) and Linux System Administration (Virtualization, system security, web hosting, bash, cpanel apis...)

rolf

Member

Re: Should I move to Canada?

Hybrid, me too, however I lack experience in a few technologies that are in demand such as containers, testing and frameworks.

rolf

Member

Re: Should I move to Canada?

So, keep us updated please, about life there.

Hybrid

Member

Re: Should I move to Canada?

Flying next week, I willl keep you updated for sure

user

Member

Re: Should I move to Canada?

Flying next week, I willl keep you updated for sure

Goodluck, We have a whatsapp landing group for people coming to Canada, I can send you the link in a private message it is called Lebanese landing. We help one another with advice mostly. Eat like a pig in the meantime, seriously!!

It is OK to stay in Lebanon.
All these developed countries, I am pretty sure, have a budget to promote themselves as an immigration destination.
Also, Lebanon needs smart people.
To be fair these are generally nice places, for those who decide to migrate and rebuild their lives there.

Immigrating is not emotionally easy, you definitely miss the food, the food in Canada is garbage, even the burgers and french fries suck... What I wouldn't do for a malak el tawou2 or a classic burger about now, and the djej bel sayniyeh and koussa w laban.

Oh yeah and you also miss some people.

But it is not a door that opens easily and is not available after it had opened, if you get the chance and you skip on it it is gone forever.

To me I wanted to have a solid footing in my life, I wanted to have a citizenship and a passport I can count on that has value, I wanted to have a bank account in a solid financial institution with transparency and solid reputation that I can lean on, I wanted to have investments all over the world (and I do now) that bring me money(200$ a month, I didn't say I'm rich!  ) In another 2 years I can leave all this in Canada and come to Lebanon as a Canadian citizen, and I can choose to stay there and work, or choose to move to a nearby country, (my company has an office in Cyprus, that is an option) It's only a 3 to 5 years wait, and Canada is not that bad. Lebanon is very small and not respected, aside from the tiny opportunities and the insecurity financially, health wise, security wise. You have nowhere to go in a crisis, you have no options. Also by doing this you are setting up your children and their children to have an easier life...

Last edited by user (December 1 2019)

Toufic

Member

Re: Should I move to Canada?

Flying next week, I willl keep you updated for sure

Goodluck, We have a whatsapp landing group for people coming to Canada, I can send you the link in a private message it is called Lebanese landing. We help one another with advice mostly. Eat like a pig in the meantime, seriously!!

It is OK to stay in Lebanon.
All these developed countries, I am pretty sure, have a budget to promote themselves as an immigration destination.
Also, Lebanon needs smart people.
To be fair these are generally nice places, for those who decide to migrate and rebuild their lives there.

Immigrating is not emotionally easy, you definitely miss the food, the food in Canada is garbage, even the burgers and french fries suck... What I wouldn't do for a malak el tawou2 or a classic burger about now, and the djej bel sayniyeh and koussa w laban.

Oh yeah and you also miss some people.

But it is not a door that opens easily and is not available after it had opened, if you get the chance and you skip on it it is gone forever.

To me I wanted to have a solid footing in my life, I wanted to have a citizenship and a passport I can count on that has value, I wanted to have a bank account in a solid financial institution with transparency and solid reputation that I can lean on, I wanted to have investments all over the world (and I do now) that bring me money(200$ a month, I didn't say I'm rich!  ) In another 2 years I can leave all this in Canada and come to Lebanon as a Canadian citizen, and I can choose to stay there and work, or choose to move to a nearby country, (my company has an office in Cyprus, that is an option) It's only a 3 to 5 years wait, and Canada is not that bad. Lebanon is very small and not respected, aside from the tiny opportunities and the insecurity financially, health wise, security wise. You have nowhere to go in a crisis, you have no options. Also by doing this you are setting up your children and their children to have an easier life...

Might ask you for that group in the next 8 month (i submit my application today)

thegodfatherdany

Member

Re: Should I move to Canada?

Flying next week, I willl keep you updated for sure

Hope you have safe travels. Which part of Canada are you landing in?

Hybrid

Member

Re: Should I move to Canada?

I'm going back to Ottawa. I already did my landing 3 years ago.

user

Member

Re: Should I move to Canada?

I'm going back to Ottawa. I already did my landing 3 years ago.

aha you already soft landed. Good call, Ottawa is 2 hours away from me, I've always wanted to visit, maybe we'll meet one day.

Hybrid

Member

Re: Should I move to Canada?

Hello Canada.

I landed couple of days ago. It rains but they have no floods and no protests. The Canadian dollar is the only used currency. Everyone around me is nice. What kind of weird country is this?

TigerFox

Member

Re: Should I move to Canada?

Hahahha
It's sad that all those basic rights will feel weird , nonetheless I hope you can settle as soon as possible and get your life figured out again. May I ask what's your age ?

Hybrid

Member

Re: Should I move to Canada?

Hahahha
It's sad that all those basic rights will feel weird , nonetheless I hope you can settle as soon as possible and get your life figured out again. May I ask what's your age ?

Thank you, I'm 35 years old

anayman_k7

Member

Re: Should I move to Canada?

Hahahha
It's sad that all those basic rights will feel weird , nonetheless I hope you can settle as soon as possible and get your life figured out again. May I ask what's your age ?

and the most important thing that you will feel weird each time the watch is at 10am, 2pm, 6pm and 12pm

rolf

Member

Re: Should I move to Canada?

Everyone around me is nice. What kind of weird country is this?

The weird thing is how Lebanese keep interrupting each other and barely say thank you or give away smiles.

Thank you, please keep us updated, it helps the rest of us decide. I might end up there as well.

VincentKeyboard

Member

Re: Should I move to Canada?

Hello Canada.

I landed couple of days ago. It rains but they have no floods and no protests. The Canadian dollar is the only used currency. Everyone around me is nice. What kind of weird country is this?

Those perverts which their civilized behavior!