Well it is obvious that everything in this country is getting more and more expensive by the day. Restaurants, Pubs, Night Clubs, Beach Resorts, nothing is spared from exorbitant prices rising at exorbitant rates. But what's been pissing me off lately is that as this happens there seems to be a concomitant slow but steady decline in the quality of all services provided! Here are a few things off the top of my head:
- The beiteddine festival: Have you ever bought a soggy, hyper-salted, minuscule Saj man'oushe for 7,000 LBP [~5 USD]? if you haven't, please take a long drive to Beiteddine and do so at the entrance, where the monopoly of saj has blown the prices right off the chart. And whether you like it or not, and no matter what you order, you are getting the "Amira" specialty man'oushe because the lady who makes them will MAKE you. just go there and you'll know what I'm talking about.
- Beach resorts: Jiyyeh and Jbeil alike, the amount that a nice enjoyable day at the beach will set you back is sizable! 20-30 $ entrance fee, 15-20 $ for a quick bite at their restaurants managed by some of the most incompetent people on the planet, you're talking at least 40 $ for some sun! More if you feel dehydrated and feel like getting a cold drink. Sun beds line the pools in almost all resorts and renting one will set you back another 20-30 $. Oh and did I mention the "bouncers" at the entrances? apparently they're concerned about the male:female ratio and won't let single or groups of men in... PLEASE! It's a !@#$ing beach resort!
- Restaurants: How much profit do you want to make? selling a 500 LBP bottle of w ater for 5,000 LBP is just ridiculous. Selling teabags for 7,000 LBP is even worse! We had dinner last night at Beib el Mina at Byblos. Some of the nice usual Lebanese mezze like Tabboule, Hummus and Baba Ghannouj, followed by fries and 3 fish dishes, with a few cokes and glasses of wine. Good food, good times, crappy service as usual. The bill? 850,000 LBP [566 USD] for 16 people. I didn't even feel like I'd just had a meal. Ridiculous. And it's like that everywhere.
- Pubs, Night Clubs: Always with the 30 - 40 $ minimum charge. Always with the dinner requirement to get a decent table. And most of them do not inform you until you receive the bill and can't believe your eyes because you've just had a 35 $ glass of Red Label, a 750-cL bottle of which costs no more than 13 bucks at your local minimarket! Did I say a glass of Red? I meant a glass of ice, with a scent of whiskey for you to fantasize over. That's not a night out, that's a JACK!
It seems to me that going out in Lebanon, especially this summer, has become more of a hassle than a pleasure. Factoring in the indescribable Lebanese traffic and all of its associated road rage, or the heat if you're unlucky enough not to have A/C in your car, followed by the ridiculous return you get on your hard earned money, I'm becoming more and more of a fan of house parties and dinners, and I cannot stand the sound of the word Jemmayze when my friends call me up to go for a drink...
Going to the beach is no better.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
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nana · 764 weeks ago
this is why i no longer live in lebanon and to give you a peak of how different life is now: we went out for a drink and a dance with some friends, we enjoyed ourselves til 3 am; 2 drinks 10$, entrance TIP (and not fee) to dance $5 for the couple (you can put as much as 1$ if u want) total 15$....a day at the beach 8$ for an adult and free entrance for kids under 12, you get all your food with you, nobody has the right to ask what's in your bag.... and a day at the pool is totally free.... festivals are in public parks and therefore free, you can give a tip at the entrance (2$ or less) it's enough to enjoy music and parades til 2 am....
hello canada, byebye lebanon!!! no regrets!!!
Delirious · 764 weeks ago
LeColleague 23p · 764 weeks ago
didie · 764 weeks ago
but let's look at other countries, like france masalan. i can tell you that lebanon is a real heaven compared to france! restaurants are expensive and we don't even have a good meal. waiters are true assholes, always finding a way to avoid serving you but yet expecting high tips. clubs' entrance fees are around $25-30 for the old-fashionned one, hitting up to $40 for the hype ones (and i'm speaking about clubs in relatively average city, nothing compared to beirut).
the only credit i could give to france is the beaches... there's a lot of public beaches i.e free but i.e kamen crowded and dirty. private beaches doesn't ask an entrance fee but they charge you with anything they find going from the glass of water for 3 euros to the meal never under 20 euros (15 euros for a kid). and most of the time, the staff isn't even nice since they have loads of people so they don't care if you leave cause your empty place will quickly be filled by an other bunch of people willing to be stolen...
so yeah lebanon must be incredibly expensive this summer, and it's a shame 3anjad, but there's always worse elsewhere ;) just a thought though: the gov should really stop this "private beachs" phenomenon cause it's really putting aside a part of the lebanese population who just can't make up with the ridicously high prices but are yet willing to spend a good time in family...
LeColleague 23p · 764 weeks ago
Like you said. These businesses are driven by customers more than willing to be robbed. That's who they're targeting anyway.
Posh · 763 weeks ago
Well now I know. I think this is a main reason why people stick around there. I wouldn't. Not even if I were starving and penniless. But that's a topic for some other time. It's a long and complex discussion.
But this is something I noticed concerning America. However, parsimony is not much a trait you find in people in the UK although prices are the highest in London. When you talk about prices in London, then rarely anything else compares. Yet people are still more generous in the UK than what I have noticed in the States.
Why do I feel that I derailed from the topic you raised? lol
Posh · 763 weeks ago
Nana my comment may seem targeted at you. But no it is not. It is just my own opinion on a bad habit of mine, which is generalizing. And also, I really don't like North America that much. I can't help it :|
But my comment has nothing to do with you.
Love xoxo
didie · 763 weeks ago
yet i have to admit that you have a point considering the fact that french wages are higher. but trust me life in france is becoming more and more difficult these late years. still, you're right, prices are just crazy in lebanon :)
LeColleague 23p · 763 weeks ago
Didie: sorry i misunderstood. I know life in France must be hard. I lived there for 2 years (2001-2003) when they were making the Franc-Euro transition and people started losing their minds back then, so I imagine what it's like now.