These are some of the essential keys that qualify one for the exclusive bourgeoisie circle of Beirut. Materialism, especially in Lebanon, has been one of the main reasons why fresh graduates to leave the country. Increasingly we hear, "she left to Dubai hoping to make a fortune, the wages there are unbelievable."
Ambition is indispensable, yet how far one is willing to go to satisfy her or his ambition raises concerns over the wellbeing and future of our dear Lebanon.
In some places, Lebanese have worked up a notorious reputation where women in particular have been known to do the impossible to hold a job. Some have heard comments to the effect of, "Oh you're Lebanese, so did you sleep with the chairman to get promoted within a month?" or "With such allure and short skirt I can clearly spot your credentials for this job (with a wink of course)".
While much of this applies to both men and women, an increasing number of Lebanese girls are foregoing their values just to stay employed. It's not the religion, or the culture that one is born into that leads to desperation. It's the hunger for money and power that effortlessly convinces certain women to sell their reputation and poise to obtain what they want.
At the risk of generalization, our society is constructed around materialism and appearances. Such shallow life perspective is embodied in each one of us, in our daily lives and music industry of course. Some women want a ticket to anywhere else, a great escape to Dubai or Europe, or even the US. They hear from family and friends about their rosy experiences abroad, and a feeling of enthusiasm and determination ignites in them to seek greener pastures.
"How come she's over there making a fortune when I am stuck here in such a wretched economic situation?"
Sadly today's college graduates who decide to stay in Lebanon are prejudged to be failures, lacking ambition and adventure.
If holding a job isn't the ultimate path to making a fortune, marriage has to be. And when we talk about marriage, we mean a truly worthy one. Lebanese girls are raised with the idea of having the best of everything - a perfect husband, with a perfect salary and a perfect social life. As is the case elsewhere, some women take seek marriage for the wrong reasons, and as a result chase rich men. Money, in their perspective, is the recipe to long everlasting happiness. We often hear about how she won his heart and his money too, or how she left him the moment she found out that his pockets weren't worth as much as she thought. Unfortunately, these shallow perspectives will always end up with two losses: a loss of heart and of reputation.
Many Lebanese dismiss this increasing epidemic as a non issue, because "whatever happens in Dubai, stays in Dubai." As long as the parents and relatives never hear about it, there's nothing to be ashamed of. However, given that we are well into the age of the internet, where a photo makes its rounds on Facebook faster than a Falafel sandwich gets wrapped in Beirut, the world is getting smaller and bad reputations are not easy to run away from. Lebanese women need to act a little less Haifa, and a little more Fairuz.
Tags: Brain Drain, Dubai, Education, Emmigration, Facebook, Lebanese, Sex, US, women
