Sometimes I wonder why Cyprus, a country that is still divided despite its recent membership in the EU, can be so successful compared to Lebanon, which has, to my mind, better food, friendlier people and equally nice weather. Then the electricity gets cut for a few hours and the water goes out, leaving me unable to shave or bathe before going into work.
I asked an Ethiopian acquaintance of mine yesterday if they had similar problems in Addis Ababa. She told me that while the electricity situation was worse than in Beirut, they always had more than enough water.
Shaving from a bottle of mineral water and having to hold it until I get to work because I can't flush the toilet remind me that Lebanon has a long way to go despite my occasional bouts of optimism.
In any other country, candidates on both local and national scales would be winning elections based on campaign promises to fix, or at least improve, these problems. It seems that this is not a major part of anyone's political platform in Lebanon.
4 comments:
I believe it has to do with a long history of apathy and depression.
the Lebanese have been trained and for so long (30 years or so)not to think of the existence of a state. Lebanese politics is in a vicious cycle. It seems candidates are elected by fueling sectarian tension and live on igniting fear from the other.
When Lebanese start voting for the party which fixes their problems and boosts their economy, Lebanon can regain something of its past.
As for now, there's nothing to be done but pray the water will still come twice a week!!!
...and we laugh at the gulf people and the syrians!!?
have not had water in the house for 3 days now, and the answer to any complaint? 'Well what do you expect, you're in Lebanon...' Funnily enough i had water 24/7 in my previous house, literally 3 blocks down. Strange. I mean, that was Lebanon too...
in the moroccan village i lived in this summer there was a water quota per household as well and in portugal in the camp i stayed at they also had limited daily supply..
i dont think its so bad that people control their usage as long as they canplan around it..
the wasteful ways of the west and certainly here in israel often anger me..
Lovely blog you havee here
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