L’Étrangère…

L’Étrangère…


Quelques années avant ma naissance, mon père connut une étrangère récemment arrivée dans notre village.


Depuis le début, mon père fut subjugué par cette personne, si bien que nous en arrivâmes à l'inviter à demeurer chez nous.


L'étrangère accepta et depuis lors elle fit partie de la famille.
 Moi je grandissais, je n'ai jamais demandé d'où elle venait, tout me paraissait évident.
 Mes parents étaient enseignants : ma maman m'apprit ce qu'était le bien et ce qu'était le mal et mon père m'apprit l'obéissance.
 Mais l'étrangère c'était une conteuse, une enjôleuse.
 Elle nous maintenait, pendant des heures, fascinés par ses histoires mystérieuses ou rigolotes.


Elle avait la réponse à tout ce qui concernait la politique, l'histoire ou les sciences.
 Elle connaissait tout du passé, du présent, elle aurait presque pu parler du futur !
 Elle fit même assister ma famille à une partie de football pour la première fois.
 Elle me faisait rire et elle me faisait pleurer.
 L'étrangère n'arrêtait jamais de parler, ça ne dérangeait pas ma Maman.
 Parfois maman se levait, sans prévenir, pendant que nous continuions à boire ses paroles. Je pense qu'en réalité, elle était partie à la cuisine pour avoir un peu de tranquillité (Maintenant je me demande si elle n'espérait pas avec impatience qu'elle s'en aille.)
 

Mon père avait ses convictions morales, mais l'étrangère ne semblait pas en être concernée.
 Les blasphèmes, les mauvaises paroles, par exemple, personne chez nous, ni voisins, ni amis, ne s'en seraient permis.
 Ce n'était pas le cas de l'étrangère qui se permettait tout, offusquant mon père et faisant rougir ma maman.


Mon père nous avait totalement interdit l'alcool. Elle, l'étrangère, nous incitait à en boire souvent.
 Elle nous affirmait que les cigarettes étaient fraîches et inoffensives, et que pipes et cigares faisaient distingué.
 Elle parlait librement (peut-être trop) du sexe.
 Ses commentaires étaient évidents, suggestifs, et souvent dévergondés.
 Maintenant je sais que mes relations ont été grandement influencées par cette étrangère pendant mon adolescence.


Nous la critiquions, elle ne faisait aucun cas de la valeur de mes parents, et malgré cela, elle était toujours là !
 Cinquante ans sont passés depuis notre départ du foyer paternel.
 Et depuis lors beaucoup de choses ont changé : nous n'avons plus cette fascination.
 Il n'empêche que, si vous pouviez pénétrer chez mes parents, vous la retrouveriez quand même dans un coin, attendant que quelqu'un vienne écouter ses parlotes ou lui consacrer son temps libre…


Voulez-vous connaître son nom ? Nous, 
nous l'appelons… 

Télévision !


Il faudrait que cette belle histoire soit lue par tout le monde.
 Attention :
 Maintenant, elle a un époux qui s'appelle Ordinateur……un fils qui s'appelle Portable……et un neveu pire que tous : Lui c'est Smartphone !


Auteur Inconnu 

Le petit vendeur de semites.

Semites / Koulouria.

Texte de Regine ZAYAN - Octobre 2005.

Vous qui avez passe les jeunes années de votre existence en Egypte, vous vous souvenez sans doute de ces salles de cinéma que nous appelions cinémas en plein air : Strand, Normandy, Roxy et bien d'autres encore dont les noms font ressurgir dans notre mémoire tout un pan de notre enfance ou de notre jeunesse.

A Visiter powerpoint:   Koulouria / Semites

En fait des espèces de hangars à ciel ouvert, tout decor absent, garnis de sieges en bois ou en osier sans grand confort, et ou régnait une joyeuse liberté : tant que la seance n'avait pas commence les enfants couraient a droite, a gauche, les adultes interpellaient d'une rangée de sieges a l'autre, grignotant des pépins , en recrachant ostensiblement la coquille, mâchonnant des bubble gum. C’était alors a qui soufflerait la plus grosse bulle, bulle qui ne manquait d'ailleurs pas de s’écraser sur le nez de l'expert en la matière, déclenchant des crises de fou rire!

Puis venait l'instant ou la seance commençait. Les enfants regagnaient en hate leur places; le silence s'installait progressivement et l’écran nous livrait les images des Actualités, moment important pour les parents qui appréciaient ces informations car la télévision n 'avait pas encore fait son entrée dans nos demeures.
Ensuite, comme pour consoler les enfants des images rébarbatives qui venaient de defiler, la projection du dessin animé était lancée, déclenchant une explosion de joie, de rires et d'excitation enfantine.
Ainsi, grands et petits étaient satisfaits. Il fallait alors faire une pause: l'entracte!

Le brouhaha reprenait de plus belle. Et pourtant.. et pourtant, du cour de cette cacophonie, émergeait une voix attendue de tous :  Sémites wou "do-a", semite, "guebna" we "beidd" lançait le jeune vendeur qui portait, accrochée à son cou par une solide courroie, une corbeille ou s'empilaient les couronnes de ce pain particulier parsemé degraines de sésame bien dorées. Accompagnant les semites, le jeune homme offrait des sachets remplis de ce qu'il qualifiait de "do-a " mais qui n'en était pas vraiment : l'authentique "do-a"  est composée de graines de coriandre et de sesame grillées, réduites en poudre et relevées par du sel et du cumin. Celle des cinémas en plein air était tout simplement un melange d 'hysope (za'atar) et de sel. Personne ne s'en plaignait, tout le monde semblait se regaler faisant des miettes partout.

Mais qu'importait ! La joie et I'insouciance régnaient.
Notre vendeur de sémites courait dans tous les sens, répondant aux appels des spectateurs, dont certains lui demandaient meme un tarif dégressif s'ils achetaient trois ou quatre semites! Le jeune homme, souhaitant seulement liquider son stock avant la fin de I'entracte, cédait quelquefois, mais toujours avec le sourire.


Enfin arrivait l'heure du film. Notre plaisir atteignait des sommets lorsque la projection nous offrait un film français. Cependant, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Frank Sinatra, Olivia de Havilland éclipsaient eux aussi notre gentil petit vendeur de semites et nous emportaient dans un imaginaire qui nous comblait de bonheur.
Etait-ce une légère brise qui nous faisait frissonner parfois ou plutôt un certain assassin qui habitait au 21 ?...Enfin, à I'apparition sur l'écran de I'immuable The End, la foule, riant encore des gags de Laurel et Hardy ou séchant discrètement une larme traitresse, se levait bruyamment.Mais le calme s'imposait à nouveau et le public, debout, écoutait en silence I'Hymne Royal sous le règne du Roi Farouk avant que, des années plus tard, ne soient imposesdes airs révolutionnaires aux rythmes martiaux.

Les spectateurs quittaient alors les lieux, la marche militaire de Stars and Stripes Forever scandant leurs pas vers la sortie...

Click ci-bas pour voir le texte avec musique et photos en powerpoint  
***   Kouloura / Semites  ***

Ras El Bar

Ras El Bar (Egyptian Arabic: راس البر Rās el-Barr 

Which means "head of land", is a resort city in the Governorate of Damietta, in northeast Egypt. It is located at Mediterranean Sea, at the mouth of the Damietta River, a distributary of the Nile, opposite Izbat al-Burj. There are approximately 25,000 permanent residents in the city. However, during the summer peak holiday season, from July to September, the population quickly expands to over 250,000.

Location

Ras El Bar lies in a peninsula on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and it is bordered on the western by the Damietta Nile branch. The area of "Lessan" is located in the extreme northern part of this peninsula, and it is at this point where the Damietta Nile arm flows in the Mediterranean sea, which gives Ras El Bar the shape of a triangle.

Ras El Bar Hotel 1960 - Painting by C.Charobim

Climate

The climate of Ras El Bar is very similar to that of Damietta, owing to its proximity, and contains a high percentage of iodine. Its climate is classified as hot desert (BWh) by Köppen-Geiger system.

Shores

The uniqueness of Ras El Bar as one of the world's rare points where a river meets the sea has offered it a great advantage which is having shores that overlook both the Nile and sea. It's even said that Ras El Bar existence is a result of that unique meeting as both the sea and the Nile left sand and alluvium.

Nature type of sand

For Ras El Bar to be a sandy beach instead of an alluvial farming land like the rest of the delta takes us back to ancient prehistoric ages. Initially, the Mediterranean Sea covered the whole delta, and then it began to fall back and the river deluged over the delta and covered the lower areas with alluvium. When it comes to Ras El Bar the sands of the sea played a main role in turning the spot into a sandy beach instead of normal muddy farming land. These sands are believed to have great medical benefits especially in noon times.

Animals and Plants

Many dolphins visit Ras El Bar shores

Many kinds of wild birds actually live in the Manzala lake

Also in the fall season many of the immigrating flocks of European birds pass by Ras El Bar in her course to South Africa

Infrastructure

The Famous Gerba 1958 painting by C.Charobim

Houses

The land renting system started back since 1898, then started building houses and villas that were named "e'sha" (hut). In 1902, the first civic time for that town was implemented, and it was considered that the streets are straight and parallels to maintain the town’s beauty. At the very beginning those huts were built of wood and other simple materials, had only one floor and hosted only one family. Actually they were built at the start of the summer and removed at its end. Nowadays, Damiettans preserved the design of the town and the spaces between every villa and the other. They built new villas using cement and bricks. Now single blocks have twelve units most of them with a garage. They are still named "e'sha" (hut) among locals, but in reality they follow the structure of a villa.

Roads

Inner:

Port Said Street: is the main access in Ras El-Bar and it connects its entrance to the beginning of "Lesan".

Nile Street: more like a shopping centre full of shops and hotels, and it exactly parallel to the Nile.

External:

Older roads that links Ras El-Bar with other governorates are available all year long.

Economical activities

Since early ages, Ras El Bar has been a main port for all kinds of goods that pass through the Nile and/or come from the sea.

Fishing

Ras El Bar is a huge centre for fishing boats that leave into the Mediterranean sea and returns loaded with different kinds of fish that helped in enriching this industry all over the country. It is also a spot for manufacturing ships of all kinds and sizes especially fishing ones.

Maritime transport and trade

Ras El Bar is closed the main port of Damietta, which handles international trade.

History

Pharaohs eras

The Huts in the 1950's Painting by C.Charobim

Actually Ras El Bar has been called many names since the Pharaos. Pharos called it the Mediterranean Sea (the great green sea), then came the Romans and called it "The Romans Sea" on 30 AD, and the spot where sea could meet a river was called (Be Tamosh) and it meant the place between two waves or two seas. The name itself Ras El Bar came from some sailors who felt that this place can be the shelter from the sea’s dangers. "Ras" is the start and "El Bar" is the land so it is the start of land and the shelter of any sailor. This place was mentioned in the Quran for three times only to stress out the mighty power of god that made both river and sea meet with a separator that can never be seen and stops them from blending.

Greek and Roman eras

Damietta was known as "Tamiats" during the Greek and Roman eras, and it was known as "Tamiat" during the time of Veterans Copts.

Islamic era

According to the Historical Documents, "Tamiats" was an important Coptic Bishopric during the Fifth Century. The name "Demt", which means "the ability" in the Syriac Language, was also mentioned in a verse sent to the Prophet "Idris" or "Herms". The sense behind the name is the ability that combined the fresh water and the brine water together in that place.

After the revealing of the Quran and before the Islamic conquest of Egypt, it was mentioned that Omar Ibn Al-Khattab recalled Prophet Muhammad's words as follows "Omar, you will open two ports in Egypt, Alexandria and Damietta. About Alexandria, it was destroyed by barbarians. About Damietta, its people are martyrs. This who does this for a night will be with me along with the other Prophets at Al Kuds".

According to Anas ibn Malik, who was one of the Prophet Muhammad's companions, the Prophet Muhammad said "Muslims will open a port that is considered the "ability" place, in which the olds of my 'Ummah' will live; a one night in this place is better than a thousand months worship; it is the "ability" place for those who sacrifice their souls for God." Then, Anas said "and what is that "ability" place, Prophet?" The Prophet Muhammad said "It is the place that is spelled with D, M, and T."

It is thought that the area of Damietta is called Caphtor by several ancient manuscripts including the Bible, Koran, Josephues, and Egyptian texts. The Torah may use the spelling "Kaftor". Being mentioned and described in the three Holy Heavenly religions is a great pride that Damietta has out of many beautiful places 

Crusades

Damietta' position on the West bank of the Nile river is a strategic location that urged many enemies' fleets to conquer the city, and that also urged its people to build a number of fortifying castles and towers to protect the city.

In 1218, The Crusaders started to approach Damietta, and they made a dike surrounded by a bailey to protect them, and they settled there where they initiated their assaults against the strong resistance from the Dumyaty people. The resistance stilled strong for four months, but the Crusaders condensed their attacks and they surrounded the whole city abandoning it and its people from any coming support. However, the Dumyaty people stand strong and kept resisting till the summer season came, and the flood filled the Nile river with water till the baileys were destroyed, and the dike became like an island surrounded with water. After that, the Crusaders were seeking a conciliating treaty to get out of the city and the whole country. After thirty years, the Crusaders came back to conquer Egypt as a starting point for invading Palestine and the other Arab countries.

In 1248, the king of France at that time, Louis IX, sailed from southern France with a great fleet until he reached Damietta's beaches. At that time, the Prince Fakhr El Din left the city with no army and ran away. However, the Dumyaty people resisted that fleet. They burnt their shops and everything that the enemy could make use of, and they retreated to the jungles and the inner places in the city to inveigle the enemy. Then, they started their enchorial stood out and they beaten the French in a number of battles. The last battle was at Faraskour, which is a city on the Nile River, where Dumyaty people killed a number of ten thousand men from the French, and they captivated the others along with the king Louis IX, and they imprisoned him. Later on, King Louis IX paid four thousand Egyptian Pounds to be released along with his men, and he left the Damietta on May 8, 1250, and that date became the National Day of Damietta later on.

The battle was known as Mansoura battle it took place at the recent mansoura city on the Nile River and the king of France at that time was imprisoned at Dar Ibn Lokman.

Modern era

The modern Ras El Bar

Damietta started to create a new path towards peace and safe life after struggling against invaders. The new path is representing its natural rule that it was created for, which is tourism.

Recently, an alleyway by the side of the Nile River was made at the city of Ras El Bar. The other side of the alleyway contains a number of shops and restaurants till it reaches the area of "El Lesan". "El Lesan" is the place where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Nile River, and it was also developed to compete with worldwide tourist places.

Courtesy partly From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia