Lebanon makes it onto the list of least doveloped internet nations in the world shocker!

Although the country in 1996 was among the first Arab countries to introduce the internet, a decade later it ranked among the least developed internet nations in the world. In fact, according to a 2006 EU-funded research report, in terms of international bandwidth per capita Lebanon ranked just above countries such as Ivory Coast, Syria and Iraq, while it had lost the race with countries such as Egypt and Jordan.

Due to the country’s limited and outdated infrastructure, as well as the high cost of telecom supplies and the lack of a proper regulatory environment, Lebanon was not an attractive destination for potential investors, concluded the EU consultancy team. Apart from the introduction of a handful of ADSL lines mainly in Beirut, and much later than initially announced not much has changed since.

calling all part time Arabs

Not quite English enough to be British, yet definitely not Lebanese enough to be a Phoenician or a full time Arab...Like a huge number of the world’s population - I am part timing on both sides, sliding in and out of each culture with the blinking of an eye. I take the best bits from both and use them at my leisure, raising my eyebrows at the bits that don’t make sense, or do not work for me in my map of the world. I can ask questions and think for myself yet I exist within a culture that thrills me. I am clued up on politics and yet it is not the ruler of my life, dictating who I befriend or don't. I speak fluent English and pigeon Arabic and think in both languages. I love Zaatar as much as I Love Piccadilly chutney.I am new to planet blog and am thrilled to come across so Manny amazing blogs created by full and Part time Arabs and all those in between! I would love to hear from you, as I feel I am not alone in my part timeliness. Thanks for popping in and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Forget brainstorming sexy ideas to change the world, have you noticed how much these days it’s a all about Blame Storming

Forget brainstorming sexy ideas to change the world, have you noticed how much these days it’s a all about Blame Storming and boy are we Arabs, & Part Time Arabs great at it when we want to be!

Picture the scene…. A conversation starts over diner – a friend starts off loading the troubles of his/her day and how crap his/her boss/aunty/man on the bus/parent/child/ is. Notice who they hold accountable for there miseries. Are they themselves anywhere in the conversation? Or do you hear the fateful words “ X made me SO Angry, upset, hysterical’ as though X had some kind of super hold on them and poured the anger, upset , hysterical feeling all over them using a bucket with a paintbrush to get into all the nooks and crannys.

Now I am as guilty of it as the next man, so please don’t think I am absolving myself from adding my verbal 2 ps worth in blame culture as it is far easier to say that the reason Im far from healthy, stay up soo late and have bags under my eyes, smoke too much etc… is not because I am a lazy bird who hates to break a sweat, who loves night time trash TV and chain smoking its all because I missed a key stage of development because of The War, because my teachers misunderstood me, because I was the only Arab kid in my class, because …. Because… need I go on. My part time Arab status can be a great sheild to hide away from things and yet I know I cant pin this behaviour down exclusively to Arabs, Part Time Arabs or anyone in between however I do notice that the is an added blame factor coming out of our neck of the woods…

I think it is becuase unlike a vast majority of our non Arab counterparts, we can blame really big things like War or being so misunderstood by our parents/society/family members etc… all those people and situations that seem so out of our control…. Its just so comfortable isn’t it, so reassuring that the reason were in a ditch is actually not our fault. Blame it on my cultrure, blame it on the housekeeper, blame it on the education system, the lack of time, too much time... I notice the ease in which we can abdicate any responsibilty for our lives and it freaks me out when i am with my Arab friends who have made moaning and complaining there artform so from now on I have decided to take a stand and try an experiment.

From now on, if anyone goes into a tirad about how unhappy/bored/fed/up/used/abused etc they are... I will ask them the one question I know will allways defrenciate those who want to move to someplace better, more soultions focused and proactive and those who dont. I will ask them the magic words... What do want instead. Intrestingly, I know that this question usaly results in a response about what they DONT want so i repete the question. What do you what instead. By nature, I find the arab side of our culture so keen on a good story, all that wailing, all the tradjady, so not sure what will show up when i ask that question, but going to give it my best shot and will keep you posted on my findings. so my wonderful Part time Me.... what do you want instead?