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I interviewed a friend of mine named Sarah Abou-Hamdan; She is a Lebanese student here at the University. She was born in Detroit, then moved to Lebanon and lived there pretty much straight through until about 4 years ago, when she moved back stateside. She had some very interesting things to say about Lebanon; boiling down to paint a picture of a place caught between two warring cultures. One being the American, Western culture and the other being the Islamic, Middle Eastern culture. They have become very americanized. Sarah told me that her friends always want Abercrombie or Victoria's Secret clothes as gifts when she goes back home. The women there do not dress with the full length covering burka's but rather like americans (and when it is very hot, they dress with even less clothes). Her friends are also more up to date with American TV than Sarah was. The place is very modern, and very up to date with technology. There is still a strong foce of Islamic culture with Lebanon, however. There is not much class mobility; you have to know somebody to get a job or to make it in the world. It is even worse than the Ivy League. The police will only act when pressured by a powerful friend. Companies only hire when pressured by a powerful friend. Teenagers do not work, because it makes the family look poor. There are not PDA's among non married couples; in fact young women often do not tell their parents of their teenage relationships because relationships are taked very very seriously. The american-ish midset offers a bit of a cultural gettaway for middle eastern people. Lebanon has the most temperate climate compared to the rest of the middle east, and so a lot of people travel there. they travel not only for the weather, but also as a cultural retreat; they can wear less islamic clothing and enjoy a little more freedom. This, however, keeps Lebanon from being completely americanized, as the constant fundamentalist tourism influence is strong. This lack of identity stems from a lack of national pride. Sarah's Lebanese friends on facebook all list their homes as American cities. Nobody has a Lebanese passport, because in the case of a war they will not be allowed to leave the country. The citizens do not like the ineffective police and government, corrupt with VIP influence. So they are all "fair weather fans," living in Lebanon with one foot out of the door.