There is no such thing as "barely knowing" someone in Lebanon. If you know their name, then you've navigated the grapevine of this tiny country with such skill, such finesse, that you know more about them than Facebook does. 

Here is how the Lebanese have perfected the art of stalking. 

1. Asking for your family name to know your religion

This has probably happened to you almost everytime you meet someone new. They start with small talk, asking for your first name. If your first name doesn't quite tell enough, they follow it up by asking for your family name.

What they're really thinking about is your religion. 

Person A: Shu ismik?

Person B: Leyal

Person A: Leyal shu? 

Person B: Khalife 

Person A: Dazed and confused *still doesn't have an answer* 

2. Men ayya day3a?

If the person can't get enough 411 from your first name or family name, then they'll have to resort to asking about your day3a. They think this interrogation technique is subtle, but it's really not. 


3. Asking 100 people about you before even saying hi

Thanks to >"Bade yeha w tfou 'aleya syndrome" few of us can muster the courage to say hi to someone we like.  So the Lebanese do an exhaustive background check...they are over-prepared. 

First they look for you on Facebook to check out your mutual friends (there will be at least ten). 

Then, they go on to ask a mutual friend a hundred questions about you when you barely know this person exists. 

Best part is ... they act like they know nothing, when in fact they probably know you better than you know yourself. 

4. Liking a Facebook photo of you from 2008

I'm not sure if they realize notifications are an actual thing on Facebook. But, how many times has an extended family relative gone through and liked your old photos ... sometimes even a series of photos which is really just evidence of their heightened stalking levels. 

5. "Adesh omrek?" to know if you're single

Everything boils down to marriage when you are dealing with the traditional types. Every piece of info serves as a clue about your marital suitability. 

6. "Rayha lahalik?" to know who you're going out with

They pretend they've assumed you're going somewhere alone, but really they're doing that to hear you fess up about who you're going out with. Tactics.