Two Things I Thought were lost in my dear Country Lebanon!Our national dance: Dabkeh and Our sense of Poetry.
Lucky I was to discover during this past month that both things are still existing and kicking :)
Dabkeh: I was invited to a wedding in the far end of South Lebanon, me and another 699 guests! A real festival with beautiful and happy "ambiance".
After having all kinds of mezze and barbecues, the music started playing; for me it was a simple Arabic music but it was not just Arabic it's the Dabkeh music ... Everybody and I mean everybody, men, women, young and old, joined hands and made a huge circle all around the dance floor and started the traditional Lebanese Dabkeh! Two men with big large swords in their hands were dancing in the middle, controlling the rhythm and making sure that every movement is synchronized: shoulder to shoulder, all with one tap of foot on the floor, etc... Others are making more "advanced" moves or in a more "gaming" language: combo moves! showing off and feeling proud in mastering more complex steps than the ordinary 1,2,3 and 4!
I was so happy to witness this wave of movements and sad that I don't know how to dance our Dabkeh although some taught me in 5 min the simple steps that made me look more ridiculous in the eyes of the town's "homies" ;)
Poetry: A very "cool" (for those who thinks that poetry is boring!) group of people sent an invitation on facebook about a poetry night in
Gemayzeh, so I was curious enough to go with a group of friends (Lebanese and Swiss).
I can assure it was a hell of a night! people reading in Arabic, French and English... some they wrote the poems themselves:: funny, sad, political, environmental ... and concerning all subjects: love, hate, sex, music, God, life etc...
The thing that struck me most is the passion and the dedication of some participants who are really gifted and wrote beautiful things.
Then we got interested ourselves; so my Swiss friend read a text in French, my Lebanese friend recited also a poem in French and me, I read a poem from Rumi in English inspired from the series "Six Feet Under".
It feels so nice to be part of a "small" Lebanese society but very diversified with many interests and cultures. Everyday we meet so many people and go so many places, the most important thing is the "connection" that we keep from all these encounters.
"I am not from the world, not from beyond,
not from heaven and not from hell.
I am not from Adam, not from Eve, not from paradise and not from Ridwan.
My place is placeless, my trace is traceless,
no body, no soul, I am from the soul of souls." Rumi
Dabkeh: I was invited to a wedding in the far end of South Lebanon, me and another 699 guests! A real festival with beautiful and happy "ambiance".
After having all kinds of mezze and barbecues, the music started playing; for me it was a simple Arabic music but it was not just Arabic it's the Dabkeh music ... Everybody and I mean everybody, men, women, young and old, joined hands and made a huge circle all around the dance floor and started the traditional Lebanese Dabkeh! Two men with big large swords in their hands were dancing in the middle, controlling the rhythm and making sure that every movement is synchronized: shoulder to shoulder, all with one tap of foot on the floor, etc... Others are making more "advanced" moves or in a more "gaming" language: combo moves! showing off and feeling proud in mastering more complex steps than the ordinary 1,2,3 and 4!
I was so happy to witness this wave of movements and sad that I don't know how to dance our Dabkeh although some taught me in 5 min the simple steps that made me look more ridiculous in the eyes of the town's "homies" ;)
Poetry: A very "cool" (for those who thinks that poetry is boring!) group of people sent an invitation on facebook about a poetry night in
I can assure it was a hell of a night! people reading in Arabic, French and English... some they wrote the poems themselves:: funny, sad, political, environmental ... and concerning all subjects: love, hate, sex, music, God, life etc...
The thing that struck me most is the passion and the dedication of some participants who are really gifted and wrote beautiful things.
Then we got interested ourselves; so my Swiss friend read a text in French, my Lebanese friend recited also a poem in French and me, I read a poem from Rumi in English inspired from the series "Six Feet Under".
It feels so nice to be part of a "small" Lebanese society but very diversified with many interests and cultures. Everyday we meet so many people and go so many places, the most important thing is the "connection" that we keep from all these encounters.
"I am not from the world, not from beyond,
not from heaven and not from hell.
I am not from Adam, not from Eve, not from paradise and not from Ridwan.
My place is placeless, my trace is traceless,
no body, no soul, I am from the soul of souls." Rumi
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