last Tuesday during our weekly meeting we had a new lovely extraordinary experience;
An Origami Session, conducted by our sweet guest Nirvan Talha the founder of Waraqat
Each one of us learned how to do a colourful shirt with a tie and a framed boat :)
Video Showing to do a shirt with a tie
Video Showing how to do a framed boat
but actually; what is Origami ? What's its origin ?
In 1845 another book,Window on Midwinter, was published which included a collection of approximately 150 origami models. This book introduced the model of the frog which is a very well known model even today. With the publication of both these books, the folding of origami became recreation in Japan.
Not only were the Japanese folding paper, but the Moors, who were from Africa, brought paperfolding with them to Spain when they invaded that country in the eighth century. The Moors used paperfolding to create geometric figures because their religion prohibited them from creating animal forms. From Spain it spread to South America. As trade routes were developed, the art of origami was introduced to Europe and later the United States.
Today, master paperfolders can be found in many places around the world.Akira Yoshizawaof Japan is one of these. He is considered the "father of modern origami" because of his creative paperfolding. He also developed a set of symbols and terms that are used worldwide in the written instructions of origami.
The interest in origami continues to increase today. Just as the ancient Japanese found useful purposes for their origami models, so do we today. Origami will also be a part of our future as we look toward the millennium. The origami crane has become a global peace symbol.
We always
have this misconcept about blind people, that they have a disability that holds them
from acting as normal members in our society; that they can’t manage visual or written
missions an ordinary man can do except with Braille method …..
Inorder to help erase this misconcept and shed the light on these people we decided that our serive project for this year should cover this area. During our
1st visit to "Fagr El-Tanweer" organization all we had in mind is just trying
to help them doing small stuff ; but we were really astonished with their minds, abilities,
visions & attitude ……
Smiles never
leave their faces; they are open minded with so many goals for a better future.
However in
the 2nd visit we knew exactly what were their real problems and how can we help. Starting
with the small computer lab that can serve 12 prsns /session. PCs were
delivered to them by the Ministry of Communication but can’t work properly as the
devices are not updated or maintained…..
We started to setup windows for the computers; upgrade the working
computers and separte them from the old and malfunctioning ones.
After finishing the Computer Lab we started to check the rest of the devices
in the place to see if they are ok and we found out they were tool old to be prepared.
We left also
copies from CDS (Windows, and other programs) so they can use them any time …..
At the end they asked us if we can help them with the Braille printers as the
ones they already have are very old & the new ones are very expensive; they cost
about 40,000 L.E /unit
Guys , we encourage you to help them keep going , stay always updated & in touch with the
society. Kindly find their website below :)
We were lucky enough that our weekly meeting fell on the 1st of January, 2013. It was supposed to be an Origami Session but on New Year's Eve the instructor called and apologized asking to postpone it to the next week.
As the Club's President i was in big trouble; i had not prepared any agenda and i had to send them an agenda as soon as possible. After some thinking i had this thought in mind; The meeting will be on the very first day of the year and since probably most of us are going to write our resolutions then why dont we share them together and help each other keep them ?!
So here we were: The agenda of the first meeting of the year was this (This is exactly what i sent them):
Dokkiweya;>> Its a new year, a new beginning. Im glad we'll start this year > together.> So what about a new and fresh start ???>> Our agenda for tomorrow's meeting is very simple. You only have to > think> of an answer to one question>> "What are your resolutions for the new year on the personal and > Rotaract> level?">> We are one family now, we can help each other keep these resolutions > and> promises.>> So tomorrow we will be sharing each others' resolutions and putting a > plan> on how to help each other.>> Sit with yourselves and think and write down your list. Its a > chance> to open a new page and determine what do you want to change or what > do you> want do.>>> Love you guys and Happy New year :)>> Rotaract Love <3>> Shaymaa Hamouda> Charter President> Rotaract Club of Dokki Garden-City> Egypt, D2450> "Be the missing piece"
On Tuesday we met on time and before starting we discovered that our lovely Club Service Director Shaimaa Hatem has prepared us a format and gave each one of us a copy. We had to write 10 goals we want to accomplish, 8 words we want to live by, Places we want to visit and faces we want to meet during the year.
After all members were done we started reading our resolutions out loud, with each member's turn we figured out we have a lot in common more than we thought. We were so happy to discover this common ground and goals that we can accomplish together.
Yesterday, Shaimaa sent all the members the format so that they can fill a copy and send it back to her. She'll be working on them with the help other directors in order to come up with a plan to fulfill these resolutions during the year.
Also during the meeting i gladly announced the names of those who are willing to run for next year's High Board Elections. I preferred they take the decision of running early so that they can have enough time to be prepared and get ready for the big posts next year isA :)
Thats all fellows in service; this meeting was one of the best so far. I was proud of the Dokkiweya sharing their resolutions and hopes for the new year and i was more proud they finally decided to step up and take the lead and continue the journey of this wonderful club during the next year <3
Before i leave: "Hope, Faith & Love" are the three words that were common between the words most of the members chose to live by during this year. Thus i hope you a splendid year full of happiness and joy and community service. I had faith this year will be better than the last and that the Rotaract family generally and the Egyptian specifically will give even more care and will help the community in better ways. And finally lots and lots of Rotaract love <3
We are still celebrating Egypt as part of the "10 Countries in 10 Months" project in which we celebrate countries of our District 2450. We have already posted posts showing different myths and folkores of Egypt ( Check old posts ).
In this post we'll do a different thing; we will show photos of Egypt during the early years of the last millinium and give you some info about the places, people and land marks. So lets start a journey that will show you a glimpse of our history :)
Cairo The Capital
A photo of the Capital City Cairo in the 40s
A Post Office :)
Tha Basilica Church in Heliopolis
Kasr El-Nil Bridge (Translated Nile Palace Bridge)
It was built during the rein of Chedive Ismail and was widened by King Fouad I and named "Chedive Ismail Bridge" to gain its original name back after the 1952 Revolution. This bridge is well known for its 4 lions' statues two bordering each side of the bridge.
Cornish El-Nile Street and AbulElla Bridge in 1965
Port Said
Port Said
The Port Said Port lies to the nothern entrance of the Suez Canal. It is considered one of the most important Egyptian ports due to its distinctive location on the entrance of the most significant waterway in the waorld (The Suez Canal) and in the middle of the biggest merchant shipping line between Europe and the East.
Tuesday
December the 25th was our weekly meeting and we celebrated the Christmas
together. It all started with playing Secret Santa game , in which we
exchanged small gifts for christmas * me myself i got a huge bar of chocolate
yum yum yummy * then we started taking pictures as our dress code was the usual
christmas colors Green,Red and White.
This meeting was so special for me, not only due to the Christmas Celebration but because i myself got pinned on this day. I got pinned along with the Community Service Director Ghada El-Ashry and Professional Development Director Mona Mostafa.
last
but not least we had home made cupcakes with Cream and Strawberries . The
christmas spirit was all the way. We all went home joyful, a present in the hand, a cupcake in the stomach and we all went pins ;)
but
before anything . who is Santa Claus ?
as
Christmas approaches, children around the world have Santa on the brain.
They're wondering if they've been naughty or nice, and daydreaming about their
gifts But exactly how did the jolly, bearded North Pole resident appear
noawadays?
Folklore
may have turned Santa Claus into a toy distributor who mans a sleigh led by
eight flying reindeer , and to be more punctual they said that Santa Claus lives
at the north pole ,
with a large number of magical elves and nine flying reindeer ,white-bearded wearing a red coat with white collar and cuffs, white-cuffed red trousers, and black leather belt and boots
on a real person ,Born around the year 270, St. Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra, a town in
Turkey. He earned a reputation as an anonymous gift giver, Nicholas was famous
for his generous gifts to the poor, in particular presenting the three
impoverished daughters of a pious Christian with doweries so that they would
not have to become prostitues
He was very religious from an early age and devoted his life entirely to
Christianityboften leaving them in their shoes, set out at night for that very
purpose. Since his death, Nicholas has been canonized as the patron saint of
children.
Santa
Claus has been believed to make a list of children throughout the world,
categorizing them according to their behavior ("naughty" or
"nice") and to deliver presents, including toys and candy to all of the
well-behaved children in the world, and sometimes coal to the naughty
children, on the single night of Christmas Eve. He accomplishes this feat with
the aid of the elves who make the toys in the workshop and the reindeer who pull his sleigh
Rotaract Club of Dokki Garden-City is wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Happy New Year
May Allah grant you all the happiness and your dreams come true
and as we all remember in school the christmas party and the christmas carols . so close your eyes listen and remember
1- rudolph the red nose reindeer
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Had a very shiny nose,
And if you ever saw it,
You would even say it glows.
All of the other reindeer
Used to laugh and call him names;
They never let poor Rudolph
Join in any reindeer games.
Then one foggy Christmas Eve,
Santa came to say,
Rudolph with your nose so bright,
Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?
Then how the reindeer loved him
As they shouted out with glee,
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,
You'll go down in history.
2-we wish you a merry christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year.
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year.
Good tidings we bring
To you and your king
Good tidings for Christmas
And a happy new year.
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year.
Good tidings we bring.
To you and your king
Good tidings for Christmas
And a happy new year.
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year.
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year.
We wish you a merry Christmas
And a happy new year.
3- frosty the snowman
Frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul
With a corncob pipe and a button nose
And two eyes made out of coal
Frosty the snowman is a fairy tale they say
He was made of snow but the children
Know how he came to life one day
There must have been some magic in that
Old silk hat they found
For when they placed it on his head
He began to dance around
O
Frosty the snowman
Was alive as he could be
And the children say he could laugh
And play just the same as you and me
Thumpetty thump thump
Thumpety thump thump
Look at Frosty go
Thumpetty thump thump
Thumpety thump thump
Over the hills of snow
Frosty the snowman knew
The sun was hot that day
So he said
"Let's run and
We'll have some fun
Now before I melt away
" Down to the village
With a broomstick in his hand
Running here and there all
Around the square saying
Catch me if you can
He led them down the streets of town
Right to the traffic cop
And he only paused a moment when
He heard him holler "Stop!"
For Frosty the snow man
Had to hurry on his way
But he waved goodbye saying
"Don't you cry
I'll be back again some day
" Thumpetty thump thump
Thumpety thump thump
Look at Frosty go
Thumpetty thump thump
Thumpety thump thump
Over the hills of snow
" this one is a real old memory ...for me "
4- jingle bells
Dashing through the snow
In a one horse open sleigh
O'er the hills we go
Laughing all the way.
Bells on bobtail ring
Making spirits bright.
What fun it is to ride and sing
A sleighing song tonight.
Jingle bells jingle bells
Jingle all the way!
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
Here we go again with one of our folktales and one of the most remarkable egyptian musical instruments " el simsimya ". Before talking about it you shall listen to this piece of art by the great egyptian singer "Mohamed Mounir " don't focus on the words , focus on the music, on the magical tune coming out of this stringed equipment .
Anyways here is the translation for the song
sing, o simsimiyya to the bullet of the rifle and the strong hand on the trigger sing to the cannons and to people behind them and tell to the leader: shoot not just once shoot a thousand shots
The
origins of the Simsimiyyia are lost in the mist of time and legend. It's modern
history comes to life in the 1930s, when Cafe owners in Port Said often employed a player to
entertain their customers in the old-time smoking dens. Adopting influences from
other styles of local folk music and local Sufi beliefs, the instrument quickly
gained in popularity, eventually drawing large audiences and a new repertoire
known simply as Simsimiyya was created. This popular success was followed by a
downturn after the war: economic difficulties and widespread commercialization
led to a decline of the tradition in the late 1970s, and many of the old
masters simply withdrew from performing, disillusioned and tired.
Simisimya is an instrument that belongs closely to the folk music of
the Suez canal towns
Port Said, Ismailiyya and Suez
The instrument itself is a kind of lyre, a stringed instrument that
was carried to the Canal district towns from Sudan along the coast.
The tanboura,the old version of simsimya is said to have its roots in Ancient Egypt and
is played until our days in Upper Egypt. It
has five strings , smaller than the simsimiyya, and its strings are made of
organic material.
The tanboura was a zar instrument. In course of time and with the
developing of the tradition the instrument changed. The actual simsimiyya,
which is used to accompany singing, usually has from 12 to 14 metallic strings,
sometimes even 25.
The Suez Canal district has been
of crucial importance between Africa and Asia, and from the beginnings of Islam,
pilgrims have travelled through Suez on their
way from and to Mecca.
The completion of the Suez Canal in 1869 was an important event for Egypt,
strategically, politically and affecting the developing of the folk music of the
district.
.
In gatherings, the musicians and singers sat in a circle, The
instruments used were just the drum, spoons, and sometimes a tambourine. The
simsimiyya didn’t come along probably until late thirties. The words of the
songs were usually about love or religious feelings.
Accprding to doctor Mohamed shabana ,who studied the music of the Canal district their songs
are influenced by at least five musical genres: The Religious Hadra , The
Workers’ Songs, The Songs of Awalims , The Old Muwashahat Songs and the
traditions of the surrounding areas.
Soon the simsimya became the
most essential instrument of this urban tradition of Port
Said, Ismailiyya and Suez.
The Political Meaning
Simsimiyya received a new importance in the 1950'ies when it got
connected to the ideology of the resistance movement against the British
occupation, and it became the instrument of the nationalistic music.
The renewed music tradition is filled with stories about the fierce
nationalism and fighting spirit of Suez.
1967 Egypt fought the
Six-Day War against Israel,
during which most of the homes in Suez
were destroyed.
One of the most known personalities who had an effect on the reforming
of the simsimiyya tradition is Mohamed Mahmoud Ghazali, known as Captain
Ghazali, born in 1928, who was a leader figure of the resistance movement and
formed a simsimiyya band called Awlad al-Ard in 1967. The troupe was known by
the name firqat al-battaniyya ('the blanket orchestra') due to their way to
perform sitting in a circle on a blanket.
Beside the simsimiyya, the
instruments were a washbasin, tin cans, spoons and empty bottles, to produce
different rhythms.
Ghazali wrote the lyrics to convey to all Egyptians the comforting
message of hope and security and to raise the fighting spirit of the troops ;
several groups were founded in different parts of the country, and many poets
began to write song lyrics.
After the victorious war of 1973 the simsimiyya tradition got its
part of influence; old songs were brought back to life, the proportion of the
nationalistic songs decreased, and the simsimiyya instrument started to be used
for performing different kinds of music.
The Al-Tanboura band from Port Said is probably the most famous
simsimiyya band lyrics of the band's songs often consist of old formulas,
elements of religious rituals, popular wisdom and different metaphors.
The dance
Dancing simsimiyya expresses most of all feelings of joy. The dance
movements are brisk and cheerful, and include different charleston-styled
steps.
Men's dancing include impressive jumps, women do hip movements as
well. The dancers also play with spoons, and in Suez,
the performance includes also syncopated clapping, kaff, used only in Suez simsimiyya .
The dresses consist of stylised clothing of different groups of
workers: fishermen, coastguard, bambutiyya .
Suez
folklore troupe, the repertoire consisted mostly of love songs and different
tableaux, among others the "Henna Night of Suez", which is one of the
most famous and most often performed simsimiyya tableaux.
At first, there was very little paper available so only the rich could afford to do paperfolding. The Japanese found useful purposes for their origami. For example, the Samurai (sa-MURE-ay) would exchange gifts with a form known as a noshi
The crane was considered a sacred bird in Japan. It was a Japanese custom that if a person folded 1000 cranes, they would be granted one wish. Origami became a very popular form of art as shown by the well-known Japanese woodblock print that was made in 1819 entitled "A Magician Turns Sheets of Birds". This print shows birds being created from pieces of paper.
.jpg)
