Posts under "Uncategorized"

      The Egyptian people are very famous for their great sense of humor حس الفكاهة . That feature of the Egyptians was very clear during the protest days last January and until Mubarak stepped down. Today, we will have some flashbacks to the days of the Egyptian 25th January Revolution and smile at some funny comments and notes of the Egyptian protesters in Tahrir Square. Try reading the signs yourself and you will find the translations and explanations underneath.

"Paper has run out, what else should I do ?"

 The young man in the above photo has the Egyptian flag painted on his face and he has taken off his top clothes and written on his skin, “Paper has run out, what else should I do ?

"Leave, my hand aches"

In the above photo we can see a protester holding a note that says. “Leave, my hand aches

"Leave, my hand aches."

That is another protester who seems tired of standing so he sits on the ground holding a sign that says the same message, “Leave, my hand aches.”

"Leave, my shoulder aches"

 This man is holding his young son on his shoulders and carrying a piece of paper that says, “Leave, my shoulder aches“. 

"Leave, my voice is gone."

 The man here in this picture is holding a piece of paper in his hand that says, “Leave, my hand aches.” He has also stuck another piece of paper on his chest that reads, “Leave, my voice is gone.”

"Bye Mubarak. Call me."

This girl raises a sign that says, “Bye Mubarak. Call me.”

"Even children don't want you."

 In this photo, some children appear holding a paper that reads, “Even children don’t want you.”

"It is time to step down. My hand aches."

The sign here says, “It is time to step down. My hand aches.”

"You will leave for sure, so hurry up because I want to have a haircut."

That funny guy has a sign that says, “You will leave for sure, so hurry up because I want to have a haircut.”

"Leave, I want to get married."

That guy is in love but he doesn’t want to get married until Mubarak steps down so he holds that sign that reads, “Leave, I want to get married.”

,"Leave, I miss my wife. Married 20 days ago."

The guy here is newly married and though he misses his wife, he doesn’t want to go home until Mubarak steps down. His sign says, “Leave, I miss my wife. Married 20 days ago.”

"Leave before the Oxygen runs out."

These two divers are holding a sign under water that says, “Leave before the Oxygen runs out.”

" Leave (in hieroglyphic), you may understand, Pharaoh."

 The man here is a holding a sign with some hieroglyphic symbols and he has written the translation in Arabic, “Leave (in hieroglyphic), you may understand, Pharaoh.”

"Failed with no other chance."

This man is a holding a paper that looks like a school certificate with the student name as Mubarak’s name. Instead of subject names, the guy has put all fields of life in a country like Health, Culture, Interior, Exterior, Education, Commerce, Economy, Industry, Agriculture, Unemployment. He gives Mubarak a ZERO under each of these fields and in the remarks square, there is a note that says, “Failed with no other chance.” The certificate is sealed with the “Failed” seal.

"Hurry up, we have General Secondary Examinations"

This student has exams and he wants Mubarak to step down quickly, so his sign reads, “Hurry up, we have General Secondary Examinations“ 

"Expiry date is 25th January 2011."

The man here is holding the photo of Mubarak with the words, “Expiry date is 25th January 2011.” 

"Oh, God, protect us from evil, high prices and Abo-Alaa (Mubarak)"

 The girl here holds a sign that says, “Oh, God, protect us from evil, high prices and Abo-Alaa (Mubarak)

*******

Check us back soon

Peace  سلام /Salam/

     Nouhad Haddad نـُهاد حداد  is the real name of the famously known Arab singer Fayrouz or Fairouz فيروز . She is a Lebanese singer and is widely considered to be the most famous living singer in the Arab World. Her songs are constantly heard throughout the region. Fayrouz is a legend أسطورة in her musical career. She is a superstar who was given so many names like; Ambassador to the Stars سفيرة النجوم  and Neighbor to the Moon جارة القمر . She has a magical, brilliant and angelic voice.

       Fayrouz was born on November 21, 1935 inJabal Al-Arz جبل الأرز (Cedar Mountain) in Lebanon to a Syrian Christian family. Fayrouz began her musical career as a  teenager and a chorus كورال girl at the Lebanese Radio Station in the late 1940s. Since then she got a critical and popular acclaim up till today. Fayrouz is acknowledged not only for her musical talent موهبة and contribution إسهام , but as a cultural and political icon, a symbol رمز of a people, a heritage, a quest for peace and of humanity البشرية .

YouTube Preview Image 

         During most of her career, Fayrouz reflected two great brother artists; Assi and Mansour Rahbani. They wrote the lyrics and composed her tunes. Today, many of her songs reflect the composing talent of her son; Ziad Rahbani. Her songs testify to the Rahbani musical genius عبقرية as well as to Fayrouz’s broad musical background. In the 1970s, Fayrouz was referred to as “the Soul of Lebanon روح لبنان ” and became a pre-eminent figure, a superstar of current music in the Arab World. The Rahbani family is both a school of music and a cultural phenomenon ظاهرة 

YouTube Preview Image 

    For the girl who loved to sing to her friends and neighbours جيران in the little village قرية , it was an overwhelming experience when, in 1957, Lebanon’s President Chamoun presented Fayrouz with the “Cavalier”; the highest medal ever conferred on a Lebanese artist فنان . In 1969, a memorial Lebanese stamp طابع بريد was issued in her name. Meeting royalty, once an experience she had expected to encounter only in the fairy tales of her childhood طفولة , has become a reality for her. She is routinely welcomed, greeted, received and honored by today’s world leaders. In 1963, King Hussein of Jordan presented her with the Medal of Honor, followed by his Majesty’s Gold Medal in 1975. In Brazil, the crowds الحشود attempted to carry her with her limousine. In 1981, while touring theU.S. Senators, Governors and Mayors of various cities honored her. Her concerts at the Royal festival Hall inLondon broke every record and made headlines worldwide. Although Fayrouz did not sing during her one visit to the holy city,Jerusalem is honored in many of her songs.

YouTube Preview Image  

        Musical plays المسرحيات or operettas الأوبريتات were the cornerstone works of the Rahbani Trio,  Fayrouz, Assi and Mansour. The Rahbani Brothers produced 25 popular musical plays (20 with Fayrouz) over a period of more than 30 years. They were possibly the first to produce world-class Arabic musical theatre. The musicals combined storyline, lyrics and dialogue, musical composition varying widely from Lebanese folkloric and rhythmic modes to classical, westernized, and oriental songs, orchestration, and the voice and acting of Fayrouz. She played the lead roles أدوار along with so many other singers and actors.

          Fayrouz possesses a large repertoire of around 1500 songs out of which nearly just 800 have been released. She has also been offered prestigious awards جوائز and titles ألقاب over the years.

*********

* Resources: http://fairuzonline.com/

                        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairuz

**********

Check us back soon

Peace  سلام  /Salam/

Here is the answer of  the word search game presented yesterday!

 

Do you still remember the words related to common cold?

Try to list as many of them as you can orally or in writing! Check how many you have learnt!

        Ahmed Ahmed was born in Helwan, Egypt on June 27th 1970. His parents immigrated to  the US when he was one month old and he grew up in Riverside, CA. He moved to Hollywood when he was 19 years old to pursue a career as an actor and stand-up comedian. He attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

       Mr. Ahmed can be seen in such films and television shows as: Iron Man, You Don’t Mess With The Zohan, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour, Swingers, Tracey Takes on. Ahmed has also appeared on CNN, The View and NPR. He was featured on the Wall Street Journal in December of 2001. Recently, he can be seen in the film city of Life, the first feature film to be shot entirely in Dubai, U.A.E. which premiered at the Dubai International Festival in 2009. Ahmed was the recipient of the first annual Richard Pryor Award for Ethnic comedy at the Edinburgh comedy Festival in Scotland.

    YouTube Preview Image    

        A paid regular performer at the world famous Comedy Store in Hollywood and the Comedy Cellar in New York City, Mr. Ahmed tours all across America and the globe, with his stand-up comedy. Just Like Us is his directorial debut. Through a celebration of culture and comedy, this film uproots the widely held misconception that Arabs have no sense of humor – when in fact they laugh, and are, just like us. Presented by Cross Cultural Entertainment and Cross Cultural Productions, Just Like Us exemplifies their goal of reintroducing socially relevant issues to the world in an effort to build cultural bridges in this age of greater tolerance, understanding and acceptance. The film documents four countries in the Middle East, showcasing the cultures of Dubai, Lebanon, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.

 YouTube Preview Image

         Stand-up is an art form that is openly devoted to getting immediate laughs from an audience above all else. Contemporary stand-up comedy has the powerful ability to provide relief, encourage a younger generation, break down barriers and serves as a platform for cross cultural dialogue. through the current Internet age stand-up comedy has flourished in the Arab region over the past few years, and continues to show us that laughter is the common language of the world.

YouTube Preview Image

 **********

* Sources;

       – http://ahmed-ahmed.com/about/

       – http://justlikeusthemovie.com/

       - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuAgHsAP8dE&feature=related

       - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kMFAvhu8qY&feature=related         

Check us back soon

Peace  سلام  / Salam/

       Cairo is the capital of Egypt and is also the largest city in Egypt and in all Africa. Its Arabic name القاهرة /Al-Qahira/ literally means ” The Conqueror” as it has conquered all invaders along history. It has the nickname of “The City of the Thousand Minarets مدينة الألف مئذنة “. Cairo is also one of the most densely populated cities in the world. It has a population of about 8 million people spread over 453 square kilometers. The population number jumps to nearly 20 million  people if we added the superb areas in what is known as The Greater Cairo القاهرة الكبرى . Cairo has long been a centre of the region’s political and cultural life.

        Cairo was founded in the Fatimid Dynasty الدولة الفاطمية in the 10th century but the land composing the present-day city was the site of national capitals with remnants remain visible in parts of Old Cairo. Cairo is also associated with Ancient Egypt due to its proximity to the ancient cities of Memphis ممفيس , Giza الجيزة and Fustat الفسطاط which are very near to the sphinx and the Giza Pyramids.

       Cairo and its superb areas had long been a focal point of Ancient Egypt due to its strategic location just upstream from the Nile Delta. Around the 4th century, the Romans established a Babylon Fortress حصن بابليون town along the west bank of the Nile. This fortress remains the oldest structure in the city. The fortress is also situated at the centre of Egypt’s Christian community that separated from the Roman and Byzantine Church كنيسة in the late 4th century. Many of Cairo’s oldest Christian churches, including the Hanging Church الكنيسة المعلقة , are located along the fortress walls in a section of the city known as Coptic Cairo.

       After the Muslim conquest of Egypt in 641, Commander Amr Ibn Al-Aas عمرو بن العاص established Fustat just north or Cairo and Babylon and the Egyptian capital was moved from Alexandria to the new city. Fustat became a regional centre of Islam and home to Amr Ibn Al-Aas Mosque مسجد ; the first mosque in Egypt. In 969, Gawhar Al-Siqilli جوهر الصقلى ; the Fatimid Caliphate, established a new fortified city northeast of Fustat. The city was named Al-Mansuriyyah المنصورية but later took its modern name; Al-Qahira (Cairo) and was capital of the Caliphate. During that time, Al-Azhar Mosque was constructed and developed to be the third-oldest university in the world.

         Mohammad Ali and his sons started a huge modernization movement all over Egypt but those reforms had minimal effect on Cairo’s landscape. Wide squares and avenues and modern buildings with European styles were built. Gas and lighting were brought. A theatre مسرح and an opera أوبرا house were opened.

         Cairo and the areas around it are considered the heart قلب of Egypt. You can find all aspects of Egypt represented in the area including some of the most famous Pharaonic, Ancient Christian and Islamic monuments آثار . Cairo offers an incredible selection of shopping, leisure, culture and nightlife. It has so many attractions like the Cairo Tower, the Egyptian Museum, the Cairo Citadel and Mohammad Ali Mosque, The khan Al-Khalili خان الخليلى market or bazzar. Cairo comprises an extensive road network, railway system, subway system and maritime services. Cairo traffic is known to be overwhelming and overcrowded especially at rush hours.

**********

Check us back soon

Peace سلام   / Salam/

Back to the Top