How do you live outside Lebanon?

[3i3o]

Guys I need your advice; I hope this is thread where I can post…
I’m so confused and I feel I’m on a crossroad…

The following semester I’ll graduate holding a BS in business management, I’ve presented my dossier to France & Belgium, but still didn’t have their answer yet, but you can it this is the first option.
I had a job offer to Kuwait; you can name this the second option.

Now, I’ve never heard of someone who went to France or Belgium and came back to Lebanon for good. Of course, at the beginning I’ll have a student visa but with time I’ll have a job, working permit, a wife, a nationality… and maximum a vacation at summer in Lebanon (this is how my relatives do).

The second option, spend few years in Kuweit, make some money, come back to Lebanon, marry, build a house, find a job (modest for sure) and that’s it …

What do you think?

[Abou Samra]

Mon seul conseil est que si tu hésites à aller en France ou en Belgique pour poursuivre ta passion ou à aller au Koweit poure gagner beaucoup d'argent;: choisis la première option.

Rien ne t'empêchera jamais de retourner au Liban, d'autant plus qu'il y a beaucoup de libanaises en France et en Belgique... :-)

[3i3o]

Tu as basé ta réponse sur 2 critères:
1) La possibilité de retourner au pays natal ; mais ce critère peut être appliquer en Kuweit aussi ; en faite les pourcentages de retourner de Kuweit vers le Liban sont beaucoup plus importantes que celles de la France (ou la Belgique) vers le Liban.
2) Le nombre de Libanaises…No comment.

Ce ne sont pas des facteurs assez valides pour changer toute ma vie !!!

[sayo9394]

How do you live outside Lebanon?

I have to say with dignity...
not being pushed around coz u don't have "wasta", treated equally with all, including the highest authority figures. working at a position which i deserve according to the effort i put in, didn't get there because of my religion, or which area i'm from... and getting good money...

Thank God for the aussie way of life...

I was born in sydney, but lived in lebanon for 16 years when dad wanted us to go to lebanon for education... then came back for uni and now i live and work here... only go to lebanon for holidays...

[Dalzi]

Originally Posted by Sydney

Ok guys.. well the thread said... Do you believe in the Eastern Traditions or Western traditions! and do you integrate with your western culture! So in a way Wisecookie you are agreeing with me.. that you need to integrate!? right?

I did not say at any point to forget about your culture.. the beauty about living in a western country, is you get to keep some of your culture's historical background... but if you refuse to integrate and i'm sure people who live in Canada and Australia will understand what I mean about not integrating.. because there are alot of Lebanese who live in Sydney that refuse to live the australian way.... then there will be a conflict.. and lost of identity... alot of lebanese-Austrlaians youth in sydney are lost, do not know what they want to be, they dotn want to be Australians, because their parenst are telling them they're lebanese, but when they go to visit Lebanon.. they're told they're Australians and not lebanese... and thats' when the conflict of identity occur.

I believe the way you lead your life is your private business as long as you don't interfere with that of others. Being Australian as you said means you're Australian – something; so how you choose to consider that "something" is your business too, as long as you equally recognize the "Australian" part.

[DL]

Originally Posted by skewed

Hi DL,
I'll be moving to AMS within a couple of months for a 1 year stay. What income taxes are applicable? Thx

PM me and I will be very glad to answer any questions you might have!

[aboulzouz]

Originally Posted by 3i3o

Tu as basé ta réponse sur 2 critères:
1) La possibilité de retourner au pays natal ; mais ce critère peut être appliquer en Kuweit aussi ; en faite les pourcentages de retourner de Kuweit vers le Liban sont beaucoup plus importantes que celles de la France (ou la Belgique) vers le Liban.
2) Le nombre de Libanaises…No comment.

Ce ne sont pas des facteurs assez valides pour changer toute ma vie !!!

3i3o If you work in France or Belgium it will be much harder to go
back to Lebanon. The taxes here are very high and it is a kind of
investment that will be returned to you as "securité sociale" "allocation
de chomage" retraite and other. So once in the system it will be hard to break out, since you are gaining enough money to live well but
you are doing a fortune and this will not enable you to go back
to Lebanon and have your own enterprise. On the other hand
you will feel under estimated if you go back to work in a small
enterprise with a salary that does not match the experience
you gained in Europe.

Concearning "les libanaises", this should not be the problem.
I personnally have a different opinion, for sure it will be harder
to find a lebanese girl in France or Belgium than finding one
in Lebanon. Why not try locals? ;-)

[Nayla]

Originally Posted by lebanese_a

Is question is for all the people that live outside Lebanon:
How do you live outside Lebanon? Do you follow the Lebanese way of life or the way of life of the country where you are in? For example do you move in with your girlfriend before marriage?... (every aspect of the way of life - not the food and the music)

NB: For the people that live in an arabic country with an imposed way of life the question will be: Did you adapt to that new way of life?

J'ai vécu en France pour pas mal de temps et je me suis intégré au mode de vie là-bas sans aucune assimilation. Comment? L'intégration est le fait de continuer à vivre selon nos coutumes libanaises sans pour autant refuser les autres, en acceptant les différences culturelles et en continuant à etre soi-meme. Tandis que l'assimilation est le fait de se fondre dans la société différente de la notre ( quell qu'elle soit) et d'essayer de ressembler aux autres. Donc, j'ai gardé mon identité culturelle tout en faisant connaissance d'une nouvelle culture, ce qui est complètement enrichissant. J'avais beaucoup d'amis français qui respectaient mon mode de vie et qui finissaient par avoir la curiosité de connaitre tout de nos plats, de notre culture, de notre patrimoine en fait. Ainsi, on peut vivre là ou on veut en s'adaptant parfaitement à la nouvelle société sans rejeter ce que nous sommes vraiment

[CedarJet]

In the society that you live in, it's nice to mingle and adapt, however, you can keep your values. At home, I try as much as I can to have a Lebanese twist to it.

[jiugiusti]

I've been living in france since 5 years. I had the (wrong) opinion about westerners till I came and experienced life with them.

I've mingled with a lot, a looooooooot of people; regular as well as elite. I learned about france things even most french know nothing about.

Laws are very good. People behind the laws and the society itself are onetrack mind, superficial, fake, incompetent, hypocrite and racist.

Since I am a positive learning person, i say it was a great enriching experience and time to go back to my home country lebanon.