9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I have always been super fascinated[br]at humans ability to adapt.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
We are so good at holding onto[br]the things that make us,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
you know, who we are.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
But if there's anything [br]that can throw a wrench at that idea

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
is probably 2020.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
But you do have to admit,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
it is pretty awesome [br]seeing people globally,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
just sort of figuring out[br]new ways to survive.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Let's just take a second, as an example,[br]and we'll get Lebanon.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
But I'm going to warn you,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
If you're a vegetarian, [br]this is probably going to be rough.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
CRISIS DIET

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Matthew) <i>Since October 2019,</i>

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
<i>Lebanon has been on the verge [br]of economic collapse.</i>

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
The revolution will happen!

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Matthew) <i>For months, protesters filled[br]Beirut streets,</i>

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
<i>demanding an end to the government[br]corruption they blame for inflation,</i>

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
<i>soaring unemployment[br]and unaffordable food prices.</i>

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
<i>The pandemic only made[br]the situation worse.</i>

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
<i>Now, this crisis upon a crisis[br]is even changing</i>

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
<i>the way Lebanese people eat.</i>

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Marher) We need to start[br]slaughtering in a bit.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Matthew) How long have you[br]been doing this job?

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Marher) I've been a butcher[br]since I was twelve years old.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Matthew) For the Lebanese people,[br]meat is very important in their diet.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
- (Maher) Of course.[br]- (Matthew) You eat a lot of meat.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Maher) We're very used to meat.[br]Let's say we have meat almos every day.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
The economy collapsed.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
So the people can't afford[br]to eat meat anymore.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I'm one of the people [br]in the butchery business

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
who hasn't had sheep in a month.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Matthew) Really?

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Maher) It used to be [br]Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I sell three to four lambs every week.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Then we started bringing two, then one.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Then I stopped bringing it altogether.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
It's too expensive[br]and doesn't sell enough.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Matthew) <i>Anxiety about money [br]has never been higher,</i>

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
<i>meaning for many Lebanese,[br]meat is now only for special occasions.</i>

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
<i>Like today,</i>

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
<i>when Muslims are preparing[br]to celebrate Eid al-Adha,</i>

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
<i>the feast of the sacrifice.</i>

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Maher) Praised be to Allah, [br]who allowed butchering.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Allah is the greatest.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Matthew) <i>Traditionally, [br]that sacrifice is a sheep,</i>

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
<i>butchered based on Islamic law[br]to be halal.</i>

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
For outside the butcher shop,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
these guys try to make a run for it,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
but, unluckily for them, they were caught.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Matthew) You slaughter it like that[br]to make it [permissible,] right?

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Maher) It's all [permissible.]

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
You say, "In the name of Allah,"[br]to express the good intentions

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
of the person making the sacrifice.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Matthew) Is it still alive?

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Maher) Five minutes. OK.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Matthew) I'm going to become vegetarian.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Maher) Yes, the sight of blood...

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
But it's normal.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Matthew) But it's a good thing[br]that one eats meat

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
knowing where it comes from.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
This is it.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
This is the filet.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Matthew) <i>Families like the Rida, [br]who can still afford a lamb for the holiday,</i>

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
<i>are paying double[br]what they did for sheep last year.</i>

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
- Hello.[br]- Hi, how are you?

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
- Now it's all here.[br]- All of it is in the bags.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
We will distribute all of these now.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
The family that butchered the sheep[br]takes a ration.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Some for their relatives[br]and the rest for the poor.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Matthew) So you've changed [br]the way you cook

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
because of the economic situation?

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Tharwat) Sure.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
We started eating more vegetables,[br]which is healthier.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
- We saw this lamb this morning.[br]- Yeah.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
It was moving.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Yeah, it was alive.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Yummy. It's delicious.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
How's your Eid this year?

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
There's no Eid this year.[br]We haven't felt it.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
- Why?[br]- I mean,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
- because of the situation.[br]- There's no happiness or joy.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Matthew) <i>A 100% increase [br]in the poverty rate</i>

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
<i>means life is changed for most in Beirut.</i>

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Chef Antoine) Hello.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Matthew) <i>Even for Antoine El Hajj,</i>

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
<i>a celebrity chef who's hosted his own [br]daily cooking show</i>

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
<i>for the last 30 years.</i>

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Yeah, and actually just go to[br]my worry analogies will carry

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
me to do, people carry in

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
our body,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
but they can additionally it will match[br]back to live. Nearly had to look around

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and let me yeah. Headquarter[br]on Olivia. I'm sorry.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
It going bye-bye.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Lebanon's, dire situation[br]got even worse in August.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
When a massive explosion in[br]Beirut killed more than 190 people

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
caused billions of[br]dollars in property damage

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and destroyed the country's largest port.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Lebanon, had depended on that[br]port to bring an 80% of its food

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
that Reliance on imported food had already[br]driven some people to find Solutions

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Beyond just switching[br]their diets. I'm going like

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I think more than 100 types of[br]foods such as trees, avocados.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Mongo's,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Carrie Manhattan was a cafe on her Beirut

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
before closing up his shop[br]and returning to his hometown.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
My decision to come back was.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Merely for just security.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I found that really futile to try to seek

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
a flow of income

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
so I can use that and[br]come and spend it on food

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
while I can actually just grow my own.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
So here's my lab, that's a sample[br]of the things we process in stock.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I Clans cucumbers and[br]matter because some herbes.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I don't believe a lot[br]of people are content.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
They're not satisfied. And they want[br]to continue affording meat and chicken

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
almost on a daily basis, which is[br]so unhealthy and it's abnormal.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
The system is setting us up for[br]failure and they're stretching it out

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
as much as possible. They're[br]milking us to the last penny.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I really fear for the future. I don't[br]think we have a bright future coming.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
You don't have a choice either. You[br]sit and you fight or just migrate live.