My Evening in Tahrir Square 10/02/2011

   Tonight Thur. Feb.10th 2011) all the signs pointed to Mubarak stepping down. 'Experts' on all networks were predicting that he was about to step down, some even citing inside stories. Whether or not they were just optimistic or whether they had deliberately been fed false information we'll probably never know.

   My brother, best friend and her brother decided to go to Tahrir to listen to the announcement live with the thousands there instead of at home. We went by metro (underground/subway) to the closest station to Tahrir and walked the rest of the way. On the Metro strangers were discussing and debating what the speech would reveal. Strangers on a train talking to each other; the world really is changing!

    We walked along Ramses St. (went pass the Lawyers Syndicate which still had posters supporting the protests from their massive march on Wed.) and entered Tahrir via a small side street. As you enter, people at the checkpoints remind you to have your National ID card ready for inspection. For those of you who are not Egyptian, the ID states your name, address and occupation. There were several checkpoints to go through, they were all manned (and womanned!) by civilians, no military presence at all.

• frisked and IDs checked when going in by civilians not military. Once by woman in niqab. 
• people ensuring we, as women, were able to pass.
• All socio-economic levels. however much or little you have, this is breaking down social/class barriers. No fear of pickpocketing or harassment.
• One man started arguing with another, crowds around them started chanting 'selmia' peaceful, a reminder to stay true to the spirit of these protests.
• One stage had a man with a microphone announcing lost items that had been handed in.
• One group of people who had just arrived were shaking hands with people and saying they had come from Suez. There was also a group from Sinai.
• Constant movement in the square, only small groups staying in one place. Usually these groups have a megaphone or similar to lead chants. One group was reciting poetry.
• Various patriotic songs were playing, with the crowds singing along and sometimes breaking into dance.
• The field hospital appeared to be well stocked and manned. 
• A large piece of white fabric was stretched out as a screen to show the speech. Crowds were jostling for best view.
• Speech was scheduled for 8 pm GMT (10 local time) but by 10:20 the crowds were surging, there was no sign of a speech and our lift home was restless so we left. In the end we listened  to the speech on the radio crowded around a parked car on the Kasr el Eini bridge. The reactions there were vocal enough, I can only imagine what it was like back in the square.
• Until I was there, I hadn't really realised how big Tahrir is. Even though I've been there many times before I've usually been driving and so concentrating more on traffic lights and other cars than the area I'm driving through. Whatever the outcome of all this, I'll never be able to just drive through again without feeling very emotional.

The sign reads: The People Want the Fall of the Regime

The flag flying proudly

Revolutionary artwork

Listening to the speech

Note: This was written before Mubarak stepped down. That one's for tomorrow! 

Egyptian Weddings

    The first thing you should know about Egyptian weddings is that they are loud. LOUD! The loudest part is the 'zaffa', this is the procession the bride and groom take-usually into the hall where the wedding is taking place. They are preceded by a band of traditional musicians with 'tablas' , the traditional Arab drum, trumpets and occasionally dancers with candelabras on their heads. There are traditional wedding songs, usually singing the praises of the bride and the joys of marriage. The zaffa can be as long or as short as the couple want but I've never attended a wedding where the zaffa has been shorter than 10 minutes. Sometimes the couple spend some of this time dancing with each other and friends and family, other times they simply watch on as others dance, it just depends on the couple's preference. As with anything else, the quality of the zaffa, in terms of musicians depends on the amount of money spent on the band, the songs are the same across the board but the difference is seen in the costumes worn by the band members.

    Once the happy couple reach the doors of the hall they do not simply walk through. Oh no. As if the last 10-20 minutes hasn't been enough of a hint that they're ready to party, they are whisked away into a ante-chamber before a big announcement to mark their entrance. Once in the hall, they usually head to the 'kosha' a seating area reserved for the couple, usually on a slight stage. Depending on the couple they may either spend most of the wedding there, talking to guests and having pictures taken or they barely sit down, spending the whole time dancing. Different strokes, different strokes.

     Some weddings will include the 'katb ketab' the actual marriage vows part, if they don't then the couple have already tied the knot officially and have decided to split the celebrations.

    As usual the highlight of any wedding is the buffet. Don't expect a piece of wedding cake, as my friend colleague and fellow blogger IrishAlexandrain recently discovered, there's a high probability that the cake is actually a foam model and the bride and groom cut a piece of cake hidden to one side.

    The most important thing to remember about Egyptian weddings is that they never start on time. If your invitation says 8:30, don't go before 9:30 and don't expect anything to happen till 10 at the earliest. Most are held in hotels at night although it's starting to become popular to have alternate venues. Some people rent villas out for the occasion, allowing for an outdoor party.

Ramadan Lanterns

   Well it's that time of the year again; Ramadan! The ninth month of the Islamic Hijri calender. (The word Hijri comes from the Arabic word Hijra or migration, as the Islamic calender counts years from the Hijra-when the Prophet Mohamed left persecution in Mecca for Medina.) In Egypt one of the most obvious signs that the Holy month of fasting and piety is about to begin, apart from worse-than-normal traffic, is the appearance of the 'fanoos' or the Ramadan lantern.

    The origins of the fanoos isn't exactly clear some think it is an evolution of the use of candles in certain Ancient Egyptian religious ceremonies which was adopted by Coptic Christians and then by Muslims. The story I've heard most often is that the use of the fanoos during Ramadan was popularized during the Fatamid period when the Chaliphe ordered the streets of Cairo be lit at night by lanterns.

   Traditionally fawanees are made of tin and coloured glass (see pic above) by artisans all over the country, often using recycled scrap metal. Unfortunately recent years have seen an influx of cheap, mass-produced plastic lanterns from China. These often bear very little resemblance to the traditional fanoos, can play music (either traditional Egyptian Ramadan folk songs or the latest hits) and are completely lacking the soul and calender of the traditional models.

  The aforementioned Ramadan folk songs are another sign of the month, this first one is traditionally associated with the fanoos. Entitled "Wahawey ya Wahawey" it celebrates both Ramadan and the fanoos.


This second is a called "Ahlan Ramadan" or "Welcome Ramadan"


So, Ramadan Kareem to you all!!

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