Re: Process of writing poetry | The Journey Not the Destination | (Bismillah*) When I don’t understand a magical inquisition is ignited (courageux*) soul search search engine sweet wonder yonder ponder test but not judge see yet practice empathy pick up book put it down naturally curious enlightened yet delirious tabs virtual bookmark physical bookmark stop writing cross it out start again trace it in (Ya Allah*) when I don’t Understand a magical inquisition is ignited (suffisent*) either way (AlRead more
Posts filed in: arab
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Sti Fatma Series | The Very Real Side of Tourist Entertainment | My mother and I find ourselves serenaded bank side of a waterfall footpath as we tuck into lunch in the middle of a hiking excursion of the Sti Fatma mountains. The sound is upbeat and airy, with the thud of the bendir (frame drum) played by the gentlemen on the right. In full traditional attire (or Djelleba as they call it locally in most Moroccan regions) he nodsRead more
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Algiers Series | Unexpected Love Story | Didou swore by his love for his wife. So much so that he decorated every corner of his inner city apartment block in ceramic celebrations of her life. After all it was her dying wish. In the entrance hallway of a European build, he has plastered pictures of his beloved, family members and memories from his boxing days. Didou talks through every picture like a tribute, each attached to a story he insistsRead more
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Doha Series | Maghrib |The call to prayer echos throughout the older parts of the city and across the centralised Souq. Men rush to perform oblution before the call is over. It’s a magnetic force of good to remind them all that whatever happens from day to day, a collective prayer keeps them hopefully united, humble and giving.Read more
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Madinat Shamal Series: Wooden Boats l Two wood carvers sit under a tent in the Al Zubarah desert land located on the north western coast of Qatar. They are making miniature model dhow boats – traditional and specific in style to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. These wooden vessels were often used for carrying goods around the Persian Gulf, South Asia and East Africa. Smaller dhows were used for pearling around the peninsula.Read more
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Sti Fatma Series: Flour Grinder l A local inhabitant of the Sti Fatma area in the Atlas Mountains shows me a traditional stone grinder used to make flour. Grains are tossed into the funnel shaped basket which ensures the right amount of grain falls onto the stone grinder. A handle is turned in a circular motion and grains are crushed to produce fresh flour.Read more
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Zahle Series: The Baklava Vendor l A baklava street vendor showcases his freshly baked Lebanese pastries, nougat bars and nuts on a promenade along the banks of the Berdawni River. We are surrounded by mountains, limestone cliffs and a pleasant breeze that flows through the valley. He invites us over for a tasting session and we wonder why we ever had lunch.Read more
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Recommended fiction with more on Downtown Cairo and The Yacoubian Building: In 1934, Hagop Yacoubian, the millionaire and then doyen of the Armenian community in Egypt, decided to construct an apartment block that would bear his name. He chose for it the best site on Suleiman Basha and engaged a well-known Italian engineering firm to build it, and the firm came up with a beautiful design—ten lofty stories in the high classical European style, the balconies decorated with Greek facesRead more
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Cairo Series: Downtown buildings l January 2015 Images that interlink form a triptych Photograph recollection connected by time in a car journey through Downtown Cairo where 19th and 20th century buildings speak volumes. 20th century European architecture merges with oriental finishings, palm trees and Arabic typography. The loud, hectic, dysfunctional-yet-charming streets of Cairo are witness to the constant movements and shifts the city endures on a regular basis. Old multipurpose apartment blocks, not unlike Alaa Al Aswany’s The Yacoubian Building,Read more
Yasmine Bendjoudi 