What it sounds like to be a Dubliner

[Genesis]

Well lads, that's how Dubliners speak and, having been here 5 years, I speak closely enough to this.

Don't watch the whole 10 mins, but feel free to check out the first 3 just to get the jest.





And this is Irish Gaelic - the country's official language



that's messed up right there... lol

[DIONYSOS]

I've spoken to you and you sound even worse!

[Raneem]

foooooooooook that

[Qulture]

LOOOOOOOOOOOOL !!!

That Gaelic language is Hilarious !! sorry if i ofended any irish members on this forum !! I know Arabic sounds even funnier to non arabic speaking people !!


Gen , you should try and find a way to incorporate your lebanese accent arabic into this irish accent ... !!!

[TranceFusion]

^ Haha irish with arabic accent must sound even funnier

[lebanese_raver]

ok im lost.

[DIONYSOS]

[Genesis]

^ When did I even speak to you in English long enough for you come to this conclusion? lol

I couldn't even speak to you fast enough in Lebanese as my fluency in it has taken a serious hit over the years.
I can't really write arabic easily or quickly anymore. I can speak it ok, but I struggle to find some words every now then. And I can't speak as fast as I did a few years ago until I spend a few minutes in the conversation. So I'd normally start sluggish, but then I'd pick up and get more comfortable.


Qussay, only 5% of the country speak (or even knows how to speak) Gaelic. When the English ruled Ireland up until the early 20's century, they did their best to eliminate the Irish identity, including removing the language. I think that speaking Gaelic was punishable and they had to speak English so they could get on with the English. The English occupied everything and took the land. Everybody was a farmer back then and if you wanted to work on the farm, your landlord was English, and you had to speak to him in English. Eventually, after 400 years of English existence and plantation, Gaelic got extinct... well... almost.

Now, you can't really find anybody who speaks it. And that weather report is from the one TV channel that broadcasts in Gaelic. All other channels on telly are english-speaking.

Anyway, when I first came to the country I hated the slang. But then you get used it and it's really nice once you speak it. It's splits you away from ''mainstream english'' like American and English. It really isn't too bad once you get to understand it and speak it.

[rob]

This is very Molly Malon-ish

[Qulture]

Lol ...

Gen , dont forget your Arabic man !!! its part of who you are .. should i start an Arabic speaking thread for you here at TH ??

[Genesis]

Oh please no... it'll take me ages to read through the 3s, 2s, 7s and all the alphanumerical gibberish.
I love typing and reading the odd-looking 237-lebanese words here and there for comic effect, but I get really frustrated with long sentences.. lol

I still read arabic though (thanks to aljazeera.net), it's easy enough to read it and its keep my reading fresh. And if I can read it, then I can write it (I meant actual arabic letters) but I'm reeeeeaaally slow writing it and you can't even read it... it'd be like a drunk monkey trying to explain relativity.

It's ridiculous; I haven't written arabic for over 6 years, I run into the one arabic friend (Kuwait) that I have here in Ireland once every 5-7 weeks. I know one Lebanese man that I met for a coffee yesterday but haven't, up to yesterday, seen him since March... lol
A huge part of this current situation I think is because I haven't been to Beirut since I left... so, you miss it for the first few years, and then you're fine with it.
I was 18 when I flew out so most of my ''post-teenage development'' happened here.. heh.. Plus, I live far from arab-populated areas (small and few as they may be to begin with). I've a different lifestyle than they do so it's a little more difficult to blend with them. Having said that, there's always common ground to meet onto but it happens that we're always busy and I lose connection with everybody eventually.

I know more arabs in TH (most of whom I don't even know their real names) than I know in actual life ... I don't know if this funny or sad, but a part of me doesn't really want to know.

But thanks for your offering an arabic topic, it was a nice the gesture!!

[Qulture]

^

Hahahah ... you sound like those European immigrants who set foot in NYC in the 1800's !!

i am sure you are blending perfectly with the Qulture there , and its going to be very difficult to be incoporated with Arabs again now , since you distend yourself from our stupid , retarded , and hypocritical way of living !!

Bas , the funny ( and sad ) thing is , that so far in my life , i dont see myself living outside an Arabic country , i dont know why !! Its not we are living in Ibiza or Geneva here in Amman , but i think it grows on you and you just become toooo comfortable for change ! Although i can think of a 1000 things that are wrong with this place !!

[Genesis]

I just read what I typed... I sounded like a old fart.

I don't know Q... It's just... It's a very long and complex topic but in a nutshell: when you leave Lebanon, you don't want to go back (obviously depends on who you are and what background you came from in Lebanon - we're a very diverse society in Lebanon). If I ever return to Lebanon (yes I'd visit, but I'd probably never live there again) then I would deem that as a failure because I left it setting out to do something and my return will signal my inability to do that. I didn't leave to study. I didn't leave to work. I didn't leave to get married or build a family of my own. I left for all of that. Because you have to be extremely lucky in Lebanon in able to accomplish all of that. You just don't get that many chances to be able to do all this. Everybody wants to leave... the young, the old.

There's a minority that leave and have a backlash; some are so affected by how they grew up and how messed up Lebanon is that they want to clean out their hands out of it. They want nothing to do with it, no arabs, no lebanese, they start to believe that they're not from there anymore. Others have a clever balance; they're involved, but not too involved.

There's nothing for us in Lebanon. Every government is worse than the one before it and I'll bet you it's successor will be even worse. No one knows how to run a country that is one of the smallest in the world. Unemployment and poverty keeps hitting new heights. Every time you feel the country is starting to get somewhere; Israel disagrees, pays us a visit, and brings the country back to its knees. So, you just can't stay there... there's no future. There's no point planning ahead.

But we love Lebanon and when we leave we forget all this shite so... I suppose you and every Lebanese immigrant are on the same boat

PS: We had a ministry in Lebanon (don't know if we still have it) called Wizaret Elmoghtaribeen Wal Mohajjareen .... I guess I can report to them now.. lol

[Qulture]

^

Trust me , i know exactly what you are talking about ! The difference is in the situation we are put in . For example , i cant leave the country right now because we have a family business here , and i am the only son to my father , i only have sisters , so i kind of have no option , but to stay in Amman , to work with my father , and take care of my parents are they get older ! After all , they took care of me when i was pooping on myself !!

but , i think if i was in a different situation , where i have nothing holding me back here , i would seriously consider moving out , trying different places and options ! Alot of my friends , who studied in Europe and the US , would come here for a couple of years , and then see how bad the salaries are , and automatically head out ! Dubai was the most popular destination in the past 6 years or so .... many of them moved back or changed locations , other just stayed there .

But many people , want to start outside , and eventually move back to start their own business or work at a very comfortable salary ! i guess it changes with everyone's situation and needs . And the extra cherry on top for Lebanon , is the constant Israeli gift ! Man , Arabs are such cowards ....

My father spent 14 months in Beirut between End of 2007 and 2009 , and when he came back , he kept on saying on how we only used to say the glamerous side of Beirut ! The nightlife , the shopping , the restaurants , etc ... and there are soooo many problems , that are not evident to the tourists superficial eye !

anyways , good luck with everything you are doing ... i am sure we will meet soon in Beirut over the summer , for vacation only .... !

[Genesis]

haha.. If you're ever in the british isles then we should meet somewhere.

Just don't be like Johnny; he went to Manchester a few years ago with some dude called Harper or something like that. He took the train, came to London, attended a Digweed gig then fucked off back to Manchester in the morning. I landed that same afternoon when he was just coming back to Manchester. I called him:

- ah hey man.. how are you?
- I'm good.. I just landed, I can't believe you're in England!
- I know... it's amazing!
- So, I'm in Kensington right now (somewhere in London between Fulham & Earl's Court) where do you want to meet?
- Oh I can't, I'm in Manchester.
- What are you doing in Manchester?
- Oh we're staying here...Harper is from Manchester.
- Ok.. could you get on the train tomorrow and get yourself to London.
- Oh no,,, I just came from London I saw Digweed, I'm really tired.
- What?
- Yea... I'm tired... no.. yea... uhu...
- Well... but we were supposed to meet...
- Yea, but I can't leave Harper here..
- Why?
- *mumbling*
- Ok.. well... i'll meet ya when I meet ya then.
- Sounds great.
- bllleeee


Obviously, I never met Johnny.


So Q, if you're going to be like that and bring your boyfriend ''harper'' with you who needs 24/7 attention so he won't drown in his own saliva, then don't come..

Things sound complicated for you there Q... I hope it all works out for ya soon enough..