Good morning - stranger
Lebanon, Short Essay, 10/3/1997

Imagine yourself walking in New York and greeting everyone you see. You would end up, I guarantee it, with a laryngitis and a sore throat. In Lebanon, you can do it safely. No risks. In fact, in Lebanese villages, it has become a custom: When you walk in the street, you greet every one you see, stranger or not.

In the morning , when you go shopping at the mini-market, you start collecting and distributing "Sabah-El-Kheir's" ("good morning" in Arabic). In the more civilized villages, you even have the chance to be granted a "Bonjour," French style. If you don't do it, you'll be considered a snob, and everyone will look at you with contempt. I'm sure, however, that you won't abstain anyway because this habit is so friendly: It delights your day and, if you're interested in that good-looking brunette in the corner, it gives you a great opportunity to talk to her without seeming too forward.

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