Can I Call Myself Lebanese Yet?

I've been living in Lebanon for close to two years now. In that time I've tried really hard to shove myself into Arab culture. Can I call myself Lebanese yet?, I think I can finally make a case for my cause. 

• First I can say, ana libneiniyyeh, (I am Lebanese for those of you who are not as libneiniyyeh as I am).
• I have finally figured out the combination of appliances I can use at one time without blowing the electricity.  2 ACs -OR- 1 AC and the Hot Water Heater (and we should probably turn off some lights), the hairdryer and NOTHING else. 
• I can finally tell the difference between gunshots and fireworks.
• I ate kibbeh nayyeh (raw minced beef) the other day and liked it. 
• I have mastered the missed call and rarely use any cell phone credit.  
• I've been hit by a moped. 
• I usually eat lunch around 2...which maybe isn't quite late enough to be considered Lebanese but pretty late for Americans. 
• Yalla, habibi, shou, and anjad are part of my everyday vocabulary. 
• Also I've started to say things like, "That movie was really nice", "I will pass by your home later.", and "as you like" This may not sound weird to the Lebanese reading this blog but as my roommates often remind me we don't say these things in America. 
• I am always at least a few minutes late. 
• I kiss people when leaving them. (This is anjad one of my favorite things about Lebanon!)
• I don't let people cut in front of me in line anymore. 
• Oh and I just dyed my "blonde" hair brown. 

So there you have it. What do you think Lebnannis, can I call myself Lebanese yet?

10 Things I've Learned About America Since Moving to Beirut

10. American hummus is really gross.

9. You cannot trust American media.
8. Traffic lights and speed limits really are a good thing.
7. Even though America is a bully sometimes, I always feel the need to defend her. #landthatilove (can you hashtag in a blog post, ma barif)
6. Cereal is so cheap in America. I remember when I was little, it was a treat to splurge and pay $4 for the good cereal. Last week I paid $11 for a box of Lucky Charms (I was desperate!).
5. I still can't figure out why the fried mozzarella burger hasn't made it to the States yet.
4. Apparently American girls are very low maintenance. A friend explained to me a few days ago that he wanted to marry an American because Lebanese girls are too needy. He said, "Lebanese girls are too high maintenance. They expect you to have your own house and they want you to buy them a scarf every now and then." Haha. Oh boys.
3. Also American girls don't dress very well. A girl here told me once, "I wish I could be more like you Americans and not care what I wear or how I look." Umm, thank you.
2. We are really blessed in America to have a government that for the most part works to protect the rights of its people.
1. America is REALLY big. I guess I've always known this but it really stands out when you live in a country that's smaller than half of South Carolina. It also makes it hard to answer questions like "What's the weather like in America?" or "What? You've never been to New York?"

15 Things I've Learned About Lebanon Since Moving to Beirut

I logged onto my blog earlier today and realized that the last blog I posted was at Thanksgiving :/ . Sorry for my slacking in blogging. I started this post with 12 things I've learned but I decided to come back and make it an even 15.

So Lebanon....

15. There are NO deserts in Lebanon. And from what I hear only two camels. I have yet to see one :(
14. Lebanon is a land of great cultural diversity with many different religious sects and political views.
13. Nail care is extremely important.
12. Wasta goes a long way.
11. Hairdressers in Lebanon are always men, most of them are really talented, and if you get your hair "brushed" that means styled.
10. You can get anything delivered to your house: groceries, a cheeseburger, even hooka.
9. The arabic word for the number 9 is tes3a. That 3 stands for a crazy sound that we don't have in English. How to Pronounce Arabic Sounds for Dummies says it is similar to a "choking sound."
8. Nothing in Lebanon starts on time... except for movies which always start about about five minutes earlier than they're supposed to.
7. Arabic is really really hard!
6. Lebanese people are the most hospitable people in the world!
5. And the most fashionable!
4. If you visit someone's house you should bring a gift.
3. You should always carry an umbrella because when it rains in Lebanon it POURS and you never really know when to expect it!
2. The Lebanese boast that you can go skiing and visit the beach all in the same day.
1. A common misconception is that Muslims dislike Americans and Christians. Being both, I've learned this is definitely not true, and frankly kind of stupid. I am so thankful for my incredibly kind, loving and accepting Muslim friends!

Thanksgiving Part 2

To read about the first part of my Thanksgiving you can click here --> read me first. Because some Lebanese friends invited us to dinner on Thursday we had our more traditional American meal on Friday.

We planned our dinner for 3 which meant I got to sleep in :)! Me and all three of my roommates needed to use the world's smallest oven which meant I actually had to get up a little earlier than I wanted to start cooking. Luckily we made it work and got all of our food ready on time.

Our meal was so delicious! Everyone made their favorites from home. Here are some pictures of the food.

We ate the dessert to quickly to get pictures! We had apple pie, pumpkin pie, turtle cheesecake, apple cider, pecan pie, and a lively conversation about how to pronounce pecan. 

Ready to eat!

The kids table 

After dinner we played a game my friend Jackie created for us called "Thanksgiving Olympics," a series of games based on some of each of our family traditions. It was so much fun! The game based on my tradition was called cousins. Each team had to write a skit about cousins getting to together for Thanksgiving.

We all watched "Madea Goes to Jail" and then spilt up the leftovers and headed home. After cleaning up and talking to my dad and Liz I finally got to bed. It was another great day!

Thanksgiving Take One

Hi Friends! It's been a long time since my last blog. The past few weeks have been crazy. Because of that, I have tons of things to write about but no time to write about them. I am so thankful for a low key Saturday where I can drink vanilla tea, wear my South Carolina t-shirt (Go Gamecocks!), and tell you about my Thanksgiving in Lebanon.

*Thanks to Christi Farley for all of the great pictures!*

Thursday November 22nd

10:00am Woke up, got dressed and met some friends at Krispy Kreme!

Elam quickly decided on the doughnut he wanted...a plain glazed. I think Hudson ate two chocolate ones with sprinkles! 

11:30am American Football! Well, 4 on 4 two hand touch football. 

1:00pm A very American lunch at McDonalds.

Some Lebanese friends invited us over for Thanksgiving dinner (Thanksgiving is an American holiday so our friends put this dinner together just for us) so over the next few hours, my roommates and I cooked and got ready to go. Thanksgiving turned out to be an emotional day for me. I think I cried a little during this time.  

6:00pm We arrived at our friend's for Thanksgiving. A lot of the dinner ended up being more Lebanese than American but it was a fun blend of the two cultures. 

This is one of our Lebanese friends carving the turkey that is sitting on a bed of Lebanese rice. My favorite quote from the night. "I like dipping my turkey in the hummus."

10:30pm Stuffed and finally home. Using skype I got to call my family that was at grandma's house. I was able to say hello to everyone there!

It was such a great day but my Thanksgiving is not over! On Friday my American friends and I had a more traditional Thanksgiving meal. 

Eid Mubarak!

It's Eid al-Adha! Eid is a fun and important holiday here in Lebanon. School is canceled, stores are closed, families get together, and sheep are slaughtered. I actually saw a sheep being slaughtered on my way to breakfast this morning!

Eid al-Adha (festival of sacrifice) is a Muslim holiday that honors Abraham who was obediently willing to sacrifice his son. This story is found both in the Koran and the Bible. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son but before he lowered the knife, God provided a ram to die in the place of the son. After understanding the basis of Adha you can see that the slaughtering is really an important part of the celebration.

The Lebanese also celebrate this holiday with new clothes and giving gifts. Families gather and have a big meal. Some families pray and read from the Koran together. They also celebrate with fireworks and gunshots into the air. I can hear music from my room right now! Another important part of Adha is giving to the poor. Families often give meat to poorer families. Happy Adha!

My New Nephew!!!

So, this post has almost nothing to do with Lebanon...but everything to do with my life. Yesterday the most amazing baby was born! My sweet nephew was born October 4th at 2:42pm. 6 lbs and 3 ounces.

Meet Boone Allen Massey!

It has been really hard to be away from my family and I wish I could be there to hold him! Thankfully Skype helps out a little. While everyone was waiting at the hospital and talking to the doctors I was able to sit and wait and listen "with" them. After Boone was born, I even got to hang out with my sisters, mom, and Boone in the hospital room. Amber set me up in the corner so I could listen and talk to them from Lebanon.

My roommates and I decided to celebrate Boone here in Lebanon with a birthday party for him. We got cupcakes and balloons and all wore blue. We played some games and listened to baby themed music like Justin Bieber's Baby as we waited for Boone to arrive. After he was born my roommates all took turns praying for him. I am so blessed to have such incredible friends!

Here is a picture of me and Tabba a few months ago, a picture of Tabitha, Brady, and Boone, and some more pictures of sweet baby Boone!

What a beautiful family! Hamduallah (Praise be to God!)