taghred chandab

We call the obsession with collecting household items for married life the glory garage syndrome. We're talking serious shopping here and it affects many Lebanese girls long before an engagement ring is on their finger.

A generation ago, our parents migrated to Australia as young men and women, leaving their families behind in Lebanon. They worked hard in factories and shops and taxis in their new country. We were born here and consider ourselves Australian, but we don't want to deny our Lebanese heritage. At times we feel like we live in two worlds. We are torn between two cultures, when we want to be both.

In these fascinating and candid real-life stories, journalists Nadia Jamal and Taghred Chandab reveal the dilemmas of young people trying to be true to the values of their parents and also be true to themselves.