Quelle chance!!! I'm leaving for Ramallah via Amman tonight. I'm going on a holiday for Eid which will not technically be a holiday since I am going with a colleague and I will meet some of our local partners in Palestine but I will enjoy Eid as well. The funniest thing is that I am going to stay with my friends family who are Christian but from the last time I lived in Palestine I have several friends left who are Muslim and who have invited me to celebrate with them.
I cannot really believe that I am going back but it feels like a real gift. I will also try to study hard and good while there. I really need to increase the pace in which my Arabic is coming along, even though I am travelling a lot to other parts of the world before Christmas.
So, if I am not a good writer for the past 12 days you know where I am. I hope that when I'll be back here Internet will be set up at home (although I would not expect my room mate to get her thumb out to fix it...). Insh'a Allah I'll be reporting from my travels upon my return.
Happy Eid!
Thursday, October 4
Monday, October 1
Bruises on forehead
I am all for people being religious if they choose that path in life. I myself have not got a particular faith. I am aware of the hope/meaning religion gives to people everywhere and I respect that.
At work we have so called "runners", they are young men who take documents from one place to another and fix administrative things to the left and to the right. They are indispensable and very, very nice. I also suspect they have good degrees from University.
One of these runners is very religious and as usual this is actually "written" on his forehead: he has bruises from praying. I do not know why one chooses to bend down violently while praying, I hope it is not an end in itself because it seems to be quite painful to repeat that action 5 times a day, ever increasing the marks on the forehead. Still it is one of those small things that makes me realise I am in a different culture and that there are small subtle things which distinguishes people from each other. I like to discover these subtleties, even though they have a religious pretext and I wish that religion here would not be as important as it is, mostly because it is an expression of other things such as poverty, anti Western sentiment and a symbol of compassion with the group and the intolerance of "the other", etc.
At work we have so called "runners", they are young men who take documents from one place to another and fix administrative things to the left and to the right. They are indispensable and very, very nice. I also suspect they have good degrees from University.
One of these runners is very religious and as usual this is actually "written" on his forehead: he has bruises from praying. I do not know why one chooses to bend down violently while praying, I hope it is not an end in itself because it seems to be quite painful to repeat that action 5 times a day, ever increasing the marks on the forehead. Still it is one of those small things that makes me realise I am in a different culture and that there are small subtle things which distinguishes people from each other. I like to discover these subtleties, even though they have a religious pretext and I wish that religion here would not be as important as it is, mostly because it is an expression of other things such as poverty, anti Western sentiment and a symbol of compassion with the group and the intolerance of "the other", etc.
Sunday, September 30
Time of absence explained
So, I have moved into my new place - I love it!!!! I am so fortunate and I can almost see the Mediterranean from my balcony. Well, everything about it is really nice. But I do not yet have an internet connection and I am now writing from work to explain my situation. I will therefore be brief. Hopefully I can be up and surfing by next weekend, but with Ramadan and other cultural factors, it may be a little later.
I'll be back.
I'll be back.
Sunday, September 23
Iftar continued
Wow, Ramadan has started to really hit me: I have a constant sensation of eating too much. The very rich food served at Iftar is taking its revenge on my poor belly which is not used to eating so much oil of all kinds. So I'm drinking anise seed tea in my office - yes, because I am not not drinking during Ramadan, it would kill me not to and I am not a Muslim so I can drink.
Friday night I had a succulent dinner at my friends: rice with cinnamon and fried chicken liver, nuts and sultanas on top, roast chicken, vegetables and a spinach/okra bake with cheese which was delicious. I ate more than the other 4 family members put together because my hosts would not accept when I said I was full. It was really nice, but a bit too much food.
Tomorrow I will go to Iftar at the Swedish Institute - they have one each year and invite people who work with them or who are otherwise related to it (for example all the Swedish people in Alex - we are 13 all together!). The day after that me and my colleagues are making Iftar for our other colleagues, this will be nice I think. I will make lassies* for afters - to help the digestion along and to have something sweet after the meal.
So it will be the week of the organised Iftars and also of concerts - there is some kind of festival going on in Alex with Mid eastern and Spanish vibes linked together. I am not sure what it is exactly but I will go see.
Hmm it's still raining. I am feeling a bit under the weather actually. I am missing home a bit but I know that it is an illusion (what is home anyway? It's not like I would like to go back to living with my parents, that would really be frustrating). It's because of the fact that I am feeling that my work and my studies are not progressing as I would like. I am doing well though, there is no question, it's just that all my life languages have been easily acquired to me but Arabic is proving to be difficult. Also I think I do not have a brilliant teacher, but with my travelling schedule for this autumn it will not be possible to take a normal course. Anyway, I am sure I will get better.
I'm looking forward to some Spanish tunes tonight, I think it's just what the doctor prescribed.
*Lassie is an Indian drink based on mango and yoghurt which is seasoned with cardamom and possibly some honey.
Friday night I had a succulent dinner at my friends: rice with cinnamon and fried chicken liver, nuts and sultanas on top, roast chicken, vegetables and a spinach/okra bake with cheese which was delicious. I ate more than the other 4 family members put together because my hosts would not accept when I said I was full. It was really nice, but a bit too much food.
Tomorrow I will go to Iftar at the Swedish Institute - they have one each year and invite people who work with them or who are otherwise related to it (for example all the Swedish people in Alex - we are 13 all together!). The day after that me and my colleagues are making Iftar for our other colleagues, this will be nice I think. I will make lassies* for afters - to help the digestion along and to have something sweet after the meal.
So it will be the week of the organised Iftars and also of concerts - there is some kind of festival going on in Alex with Mid eastern and Spanish vibes linked together. I am not sure what it is exactly but I will go see.
Hmm it's still raining. I am feeling a bit under the weather actually. I am missing home a bit but I know that it is an illusion (what is home anyway? It's not like I would like to go back to living with my parents, that would really be frustrating). It's because of the fact that I am feeling that my work and my studies are not progressing as I would like. I am doing well though, there is no question, it's just that all my life languages have been easily acquired to me but Arabic is proving to be difficult. Also I think I do not have a brilliant teacher, but with my travelling schedule for this autumn it will not be possible to take a normal course. Anyway, I am sure I will get better.
I'm looking forward to some Spanish tunes tonight, I think it's just what the doctor prescribed.
*Lassie is an Indian drink based on mango and yoghurt which is seasoned with cardamom and possibly some honey.
Il pleut
Il s'est mis a pleuvoir. J'aime la pluie autour de la Méditerranée - doux et chaud. C'est dimanche - une journée que d'habitude signifie la pause et un film le soir au cinéma. C'était aussi - auparavant- la journée après une soirée réussite avec mes amis de Bruxelles - les amis qui sont comme la groupe d'amis dans "Friends", chaque un avec sa propre caractère et son charme. Ils me manquent!!! Beaucoup.
Le Champagne, les repas ensemble et les verres en terrasse. Ça me manque. J'ai une journée de nostalgie aujourd'hui, mais je vais bien. C'est seulement que je veux leur dire que ils sont très importantes pour moi et même si je suis loin maintenant, ils sont toujours avec moi - dans mes rêves et mes souvenirs et surtout dans mon cœur. Je reviendrais je serai très contente si on pourra fêter le nouvelle ans avec vous, je vais essayer de l'organiser comme ça! Champagne galore mes amis, Champagne galore!
Le Champagne, les repas ensemble et les verres en terrasse. Ça me manque. J'ai une journée de nostalgie aujourd'hui, mais je vais bien. C'est seulement que je veux leur dire que ils sont très importantes pour moi et même si je suis loin maintenant, ils sont toujours avec moi - dans mes rêves et mes souvenirs et surtout dans mon cœur. Je reviendrais je serai très contente si on pourra fêter le nouvelle ans avec vous, je vais essayer de l'organiser comme ça! Champagne galore mes amis, Champagne galore!
Friday, September 21
Iftar
I don't have much time today - I am invited to my friend's for Iftar - the traditional breakfast, the breaking of the fast for the day. I cannot fast myself, that is - I cannot live without drinking water! I believe that not drinking water in the heat is a crime for your organism, but I respect and am surprised at people who can do it.
I need to now go and get some cakes from the bakery to bring as a gift to my host - I am really excited and I will write more about it tomorrow.
Yesterday I was in a coma it seems. The new apartment has a life of its own, i.e. all the preparations for moving in etc. just pumped all energy out of me yesterday. But tomorrow the final touches will be made for us to move in. I cannot wait - even if I am really ok where I am now too, but it's going to be nice to get my own place where I can put my own things and decorate the alls as I wish. After all I think I will stay here for 2 year.
I need to now go and get some cakes from the bakery to bring as a gift to my host - I am really excited and I will write more about it tomorrow.
Yesterday I was in a coma it seems. The new apartment has a life of its own, i.e. all the preparations for moving in etc. just pumped all energy out of me yesterday. But tomorrow the final touches will be made for us to move in. I cannot wait - even if I am really ok where I am now too, but it's going to be nice to get my own place where I can put my own things and decorate the alls as I wish. After all I think I will stay here for 2 year.
Wednesday, September 19
Green Oranges
Ahlane!
After my quite heavy political statement of yesterday I wanted to lighten up the mood a bit. I had a wonderful afternoon today. Ramadan comes with its perks: finishing work early.
After work I walked into town with my two wonderful colleagues, aimlessly at first, then in quest to seek a rheumatism bracelet for Laila and then, when passing a fool seller on the street my colleagues succumbed to the temptation: we shall have fool for dinner! Fool is actually something that Egyptians (at least from what I have heard) have for breakfast. It is a special type of brown bean boiled into perfection which you then eat either as is or, which is more frequent, served with different "sauces" or seasoning. We bought boiled beans plain from the man on the street and set out to find some other ingredients for the accessories my colleagues were cooking up in their minds as we walked along Saad Zaghloul.
Not far from home we found some open fruit mongers and bought tomatoes, parsley, coriander and some green oranges. Actually I didn't know what they were until food was ready on the table: two delicious types of fool (tomato/garlic/parsley/coriander and olive oil/fresh lemon juice) brown pita bread, onion and olives. I had initially thought that these green round citrus fruit were lemons (or huge limes) but I asked and got the answer: green oranges.
Wicked - new tasting experience! I thought it would be really sour, since not ripe fruit tends to be just that but when sticking my teeth into it I felt an enormous sense of happiness of having discovered a really basic and silly little thing: one can eat and enjoy (really enjoy!) immature oranges. Of course I had to know if they were not just another kind of fruit, that one actually is meant to eat raw but no - apparently not! So here is the thing, oranges grow in Europe too, how come I did not know this before? Do we not eat green oranges because they are called oranges and everyone expect them to be orange? Do we not eat them green because by the time they get to our shops they have ripened in that unnatural exported fruit type of way? Probably a combination of the two. I believe that had I seen a green orange in a supermarket in Sweden, would not have chosen it, I had gone for the orange one. (Some day I will post a separate post on the wonderful fruit one get here).
See what little pleasures one misses when one stays in one place all ones life and sticks to old habits and patterns of thinking. Ok, I will not make this into politics...I will just say that I have a mission: candied green orange peels - mmm. Cannot wait to move into my new flat next week - then I will start cooking and exploring this country for real.
God natt.
After my quite heavy political statement of yesterday I wanted to lighten up the mood a bit. I had a wonderful afternoon today. Ramadan comes with its perks: finishing work early.
After work I walked into town with my two wonderful colleagues, aimlessly at first, then in quest to seek a rheumatism bracelet for Laila and then, when passing a fool seller on the street my colleagues succumbed to the temptation: we shall have fool for dinner! Fool is actually something that Egyptians (at least from what I have heard) have for breakfast. It is a special type of brown bean boiled into perfection which you then eat either as is or, which is more frequent, served with different "sauces" or seasoning. We bought boiled beans plain from the man on the street and set out to find some other ingredients for the accessories my colleagues were cooking up in their minds as we walked along Saad Zaghloul.
Not far from home we found some open fruit mongers and bought tomatoes, parsley, coriander and some green oranges. Actually I didn't know what they were until food was ready on the table: two delicious types of fool (tomato/garlic/parsley/coriander and olive oil/fresh lemon juice) brown pita bread, onion and olives. I had initially thought that these green round citrus fruit were lemons (or huge limes) but I asked and got the answer: green oranges.
Wicked - new tasting experience! I thought it would be really sour, since not ripe fruit tends to be just that but when sticking my teeth into it I felt an enormous sense of happiness of having discovered a really basic and silly little thing: one can eat and enjoy (really enjoy!) immature oranges. Of course I had to know if they were not just another kind of fruit, that one actually is meant to eat raw but no - apparently not! So here is the thing, oranges grow in Europe too, how come I did not know this before? Do we not eat green oranges because they are called oranges and everyone expect them to be orange? Do we not eat them green because by the time they get to our shops they have ripened in that unnatural exported fruit type of way? Probably a combination of the two. I believe that had I seen a green orange in a supermarket in Sweden, would not have chosen it, I had gone for the orange one. (Some day I will post a separate post on the wonderful fruit one get here).
See what little pleasures one misses when one stays in one place all ones life and sticks to old habits and patterns of thinking. Ok, I will not make this into politics...I will just say that I have a mission: candied green orange peels - mmm. Cannot wait to move into my new flat next week - then I will start cooking and exploring this country for real.
God natt.
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