The meme originates from a comical Lebanese podcast show called “No Garlic, No Orgy” by Choumaken, aired on YouTube, which has now been unlisted.

In Episode 3, known as “Sorry Atashitne”, Jawad talks about certain experiences he has dealt with recently, and as the discussion goes on Jawad recalls a moment in a bookshop in Sweden when it was the first time someone had said how are you to him, and he wanted to spill all of his life troubles but couldn’t find the words to.

The host was curious so asked him to act out how he would have said it, starting by asking “Kifak Jawad”, which translates to “How are you Jawad?”

The meme then subsequently spread to social media and reshared to Reddit, Twitter (X) and TikTok and other social media platforms where it gained a lot of popularity in Lebanon and other Levantine countries.