LebGeeks

A community for technology geeks in Lebanon.

You are not logged in.

#1 December 18 2021

DG
Member

My humble message to everyone

Greetings from a land afar everyone... greetings from Canada. I am already a Canadian citizen as I was here a long time ago as a student.

Anyway, I hope you guys are doing ok (especially the people who are still in Lebanon. My thoughts are with you guys).

Long story short... welcome to the land where an unlimited Internet connection of 1,500 Mbps down / 940 Mbps up merely costs 70 USD / month.
At this speed you can expect to download 1 GB in around 5.3 seconds and/or upload it in about 8.5 seconds.

To be clear, I am NOT writing to belittle Lebanon in any way. If there's anyone who truly loves Lebanon and its people... it is definitely me.
Proof ? I just left 2 months ago.... meaning I stayed there and endured everything including losing all my hard-earned money, being subjected to the daily humiliation routine of having no power, no gas, no meds, etc... when I could have simply left at the first sign of trouble.

This is NOT a political thread (I never was a political person and I will never become one) and this exactly why I am writing this thread. So I kindly ask you to keep politics and/or religion out of your replies (if any).

I am here to ask each and everyone of you guys (and I know the majority of users on Lebgeeks are well educated and smart) NOT to fall into the trap of mutual hatred, of throwing the blame onto others (we are all responsible, in a way or another, for what is happening to Lebanon), not to give up on your dreams and most of all never to lose your humanitarian side.

I know, a lot of people are wondering / going to ask if it's hard to start in another country.
The answer is simple: It's never a walk in the park even when you are trilingual, have a masters degree from a reputable university and already have the country's citizenship.
But, it's not any tougher than living in Lebanon given the current circumstances. Granted, the western style of life is not for everyone but, if you can change your mentality and adapt, you will get the stability, respect and ease of mind you can unfortunately never hope to obtain there.

My fellow Leb geeks, I will end this message by saying you are all in my prayers, so is Lebanon.
I have a picture of mount Sannine on my room wall and I am looking at it as I write this message. Just like Sannine has remained majestic throughout all of Lebanon's trials and tribulations... so should you.
Remember what Winston Churchill said: "If you're going through hell, keep going". If you stop then you are doomed as it means you will never reach the other end/exit of the tunnel. So keep going and you are bound to reach the light.
God bless.

Last edited by DG (December 18 2021)

Offline

#2 December 19 2021

LifeEngineer
Member

Re: My humble message to everyone

Nice little message man!
I have lost faith in this country, or to be precise, in the people of this country. Those corrupt politicians are the result of the corrupt population, not the opposite way around. Look at what's happening today; you can see that we the Lebanese want to take advantage of each other, we use every possibility to benefit at the expense of others... we are just very bad people that's the hard truth. We deserve what we're going through and deserve even worse.
All pessimistic and negative I know, but it's the way I see things without any sugar coating.

Offline

#3 December 19 2021

nuclearcat
Member

Re: My humble message to everyone

Since the new year, I start working for a non-Lebanese company, while from the territory of Lebanon.
I will continue to help the Lebanese ISP whenever possible, but deep structural flaws in their work make serious work with them impossible.
And interesting fact about internet.
Recently, the Internet in Lebanon has been very congested, and no one in "supply chain" has money for upgrades. So internet becoming scarce resource here, and get ready for worse.
But worst of all, many operators make decisions to prioritize gaming traffic at the expense of other traffic, incl. VPN, conferencing, etc. Literally - bandwidth that me and others need to work.
As a result, those few people who can bring currency to the country may lose such an opportunity, because gamers are very loud whiners. And due to flaws in the decision-making system, those who make decisions, making them even for reasons of profit (the majority of gamers dont pay anything extra, they just whine), they make decisions... out of unwillingness to listen to complaints.
Even with my privileges (i'm sitting directly on backbone) - the Internet has turned into a bunch of cow shit. And i'm losing my patience.

Last edited by nuclearcat (December 19 2021)

Offline

#4 December 19 2021

jsaade
Member

Re: My humble message to everyone

I think the best decision any Lebanese company can do is to move to another country (and move their employees too) create an economy crisis for the government (yes a more solid one) versus trying to make it work. They do not want to work together to find a solution, their hands should be forced, Lebanon clearly shows that ruling based on religion is a big failure.

Offline

#5 December 19 2021

beezer
Member

Re: My humble message to everyone

Lebanese/Lebanon is like any government building. 10% are good hearted honest people. 90% are jackasses with a wasta and are scum of the earth, corrupt, lying, and should be executed.

What I do hate right now, since you are in Canada (and so am I, only lived in Lebanon 9 years out of 40). I see a lot of new Lebanese people who carry this stupid mentality with them overseas. If you are proud to be Lebanese, that's great, these are your roots. But do not trash talk Canadians, Canada, or the city where you escaped to. I've run into a lot of people and people have asked me to show people the city and when I hear them whining and complaining (Canadians are dumb, this city is boring, what's so special about Canada) I just say to myself "If it's so great, just move back there, you're not tied down here"

It's really disgusting. I really hope everyone on this forum leaves Lebanon and assimilates to whatever culture and country they move to. You can keep your roots, no one is saying to change them. Just don't belittle where you moved to and act like Lebanon is the prize at the end of the rainbow. It's not, it never will be. We need to accept it.

Offline

#6 December 20 2021

DG
Member

Re: My humble message to everyone

@LifeEngineer, while I do agree that most people living in Lebanon are corrupt I have to insist that there are still a lot of individuals who embrace integrity and honesty as core values.
It is specifically to those that I wrote my message as they do not deserve to reap what others sowed.

@nuclearcat, I hear you. The unfortunate reality is that ruling politicians will not execute / carry out any project that will not / cannot be used to fill their own pockets. We should have public transportation. I am not talking about the ridiculous bus system actually in place but about a proper train / subway track or even maritime system (since Lebanon is a coastal country). What about a proper waste management plan, efficient medical care, old age pension, better faster Internet, 24/7 electricity, etc...
The truth is, things are the way they are because they benefit the ruling elite (ex: we have generators because the mafia can make more money from that compared to fixing the electrical network in the country).

@jsaade, at this stage I sadly encourage everyone and anyone who can leave to do so. One can always come back when/if things are finally fixed but there's no point in staying there if you can get out, even if it means having to restart from scratch. At any rate, starting over in a new country will hardly be more challenging than surviving in Lebanon.

@beezer, I agree... absolutely. The way I see it is Lebanon being my blood (it runs through my veins from head to toe) and Canada being my heart (the force that moves this blood in order to allow me to live). I said it in my previous message: Lebanon will always have a piece of my soul but I also cannot / will not deny what Canada is offering (a new start, stability, respect for human beings, better job opportunities, etc...)
I should have come back to Canada much earlier but my faith in Lebanon and the credulous hope that things would ultimately improve caused me to delay my decision for many years.

Last edited by DG (December 20 2021)

Offline

#7 December 22 2021

Salloum
Member

Re: My humble message to everyone

Good for you, DG. I got out a few years ago and haven't looked back. Up until September 2019 I think all of us still had a glimmer of hope for Lebanon and still somewhat trusted the institutions there, but all of that is gone now. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes and move forward towards something better for you and your loved ones.

Offline

#8 December 22 2021

xerxes
Member

Re: My humble message to everyone

we have been in this vicious circle for decades, something has to be done.

sectarian system and sectarian leaders have caused a lot of pain and harm. this should be over.

we can't just keep running away, we are sick of running away

Offline

#9 December 22 2021

beezer
Member

Re: My humble message to everyone

Change happens slowly, instant change brings chaos. There is hope since most of the work unions in Lebanon are now not linked to anyone. But even those unions are corrupt.

Hope for the best this election.

Offline

#10 March 14 2022

RandomMemory
Member

Re: My humble message to everyone

It's too late to save Lebanon. Think about saving yourselves and immigrate.

Offline

#11 April 22 2022

Guitaret
Member

Re: My humble message to everyone

@DG thank you for sharing, I can feel your pain (& homesickness) reading your words, but more so, I can feel the hopelessness and submission of ambitious young people that are still here, oh boy we are burned real good.

Here's the thing about leaving here if you don't have citizenship: I managed to get 2 job offers in Europe and if you take taxes and the high rent from the salary, I will be left with less than I get paid here, perhaps 50%.
Sometimes I bite the bullet and convince myself to stay, other days, I curse my life on this land.
Not so many good options for my generation (Generation Screwed that is): Live with anxiety and no civil rights, or leave and be poor in a new land.

Offline

#12 May 4 2022

rolf
Member

Re: My humble message to everyone

Guitaret wrote:

Here's the thing about leaving here if you don't have citizenship: I managed to get 2 job offers in Europe and if you take taxes and the high rent from the salary, I will be left with less than I get paid here, perhaps 50%.
Sometimes I bite the bullet and convince myself to stay, other days, I curse my life on this land.
Not so many good options for my generation (Generation Screwed that is): Live with anxiety and no civil rights, or leave and be poor in a new land.

Good for you that you have a well paying job.

Life is hard in Lebanon. In Germany there are other advantages to factor in. You do what's best for you.

Offline

#13 May 5 2022

infiniteloop
Member

Re: My humble message to everyone

In a couple of weeks, the few of us who ate still here will leave because $ will reach very high summits. The revolution was our only hope but instead of pursuing till the end they abandoned it for elections that will definitely bring some new good deputies but it won't be enough to end the nightmare we live in

Offline

#14 May 5 2022

Tech Guru
Member

Re: My humble message to everyone

Lebanon has been always like that since thirty years. War lords took seats in the wagon after the "Taif" constitutional agreement , and since then,  they have total control on main country pillars like EDL , Central Bank , banking system etc.. Change is very hard to happen anytime soon and is not imminent  due to many brained washed followers who are totally submissive for an everlasting favor for a job and/or a nepotism out there. 

On the flip, Lebanon is a fertile land of opportunities , if you are an entrepreneur  mindset , you can find opportunities in all  circumstances and be adaptable. I am able to survive , at least for now,  and not thinking to leave this country anytime soon. Many may disagree or agree, but I rather be contempt of what I have achieved with a stable stream of revenue and probing new opportunities here rather taking risk to moving to the "unknown" since every country has its downs and ups.

Last edited by Tech Guru (May 7 2022)

Offline

#15 May 9 2022

Guitaret
Member

Re: My humble message to everyone

Tech Guru wrote:

On the flip, Lebanon is a fertile land of opportunities , if you are an entrepreneur  mindset , you can find opportunities in all  circumstances and be adaptable. I am able to survive , at least for now,  and not thinking to leave this country anytime soon. Many may disagree or agree, but I rather be contempt of what I have achieved with a stable stream of revenue and probing new opportunities here rather taking risk to moving to the "unknown" since every country has its downs and ups.

I have had the same conversation with many young people here in the last year, it is true that we can still make it in Lebanon, we can even find ways to invest and perhaps live a middle-class life (financially speaking) but here are the things you need to take into account:
- My mental health (and most probably all people living here) has been declining in the last 2 years (more stress, anxiety, and as a result less IQ) and this is all due to the instability and the daily struggle we are going through just to survive.
This had an enormous impact on my career, I cannot even summon the motivation and peace to read as I used to do. I am proud of myself that I am aware of this, but this environment is toxic for people who have ambition. I mean you can still have a great life here if you remove your ambition and live for the day, but this is not for me, I am still young and full of hopes and dreams.
- My future: can you imagine this crisis happening to you if you are 70 years old, how can you bounce back? Will you be able to wait in line or survive without medicine? Be humiliated in the bank? What if you have no kids, can you survive Lebanon in your 70s?
- As someone who works in software, I am denied many opportunities just because my passport is bad, 2 weeks ago I lost an amazing job opportunity in a big tech company in Ireland just because of Visa crap. Having a good passport is the way to a great career.
Believe it or not, tech companies pay you based on the country. Example: The same software engineer gets paid 4 times in the USA than in Spain (for instance).

My goal is to get citizenship in a decent country, and after that, I can go wherever I want.

Offline

Board footer