Tuesday, July 29, 2008

The New Gold Rush

This is not a comment about the new gold rush in Eritrea by mining companies…it is a comment about the gold rush by Eritrean mothers of late 40’s and 50’s.
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Last Saturday I was in philly for a wedding party of one of my friends. The wedding ceremony was fantastic…. I only wish you the same (of course, if u can afford it only). There was a very huge Eritreans and we had a festival like party, which I enjoyed very much, as such events are rare opportunity for me at this time. But, I have also seen some trends that I couldn’t make sense….so, I am commenting about it here, in a hope some one will explain to me the rational of it or how it makes sense.
One of the mothers sitting in front me in our table would be a good example to explain the point. This beautiful mother in her 50’s had put an elegant Zuria, a nice albaso kuno and a have stunning beauty that didn’t faded yet. But, as she sits in front of you, what first takes your attention is not her stunning beauty and elegance, but the tons of Gold she was carrying. A gold mido inserted over her hair, dozens of big gold benajir covering both of her arms, a big discs of kutusha hanging from her ear, and a gold collar covering her entire neck ( this is not a brace let…it is like a collar you put on Gofar kelbkum), and her albaso was covered with a cap of gold…..in short every part of her body that was not covered with cloth was covered with Gold. Those expensive metals have completely dominated her beauty, her elegant zuria and her artistic kuno…so when you see her, you don’t see the beauty…you see the gold,…you will not say “what a beautiful mother!”….but rather you will say “nay endamen e’nda eya bejaka!”. …
in short, those tasteless and artless expensive metals have dominated the fine lines of her beauty and style….and make her look like a decorated X-mass tree.
As I look across the entire hall, the case of the mother sitting in front of me was the rule of the day rather than an exception. It is seems an implicit dress code for those women in their late 40’s and 50’s these days. …it is like the Jontra days…when every kid was cutting his hair Jontra. This trend is not actually restricted to the Diaspora community. I have been seeing those in Asmara, though, for obvious reason, was limited in degree and extent to those with the means to afford them. But, for certain, this new gold rush, seems a new fashion in the circles of Eritran mothers….
So, the question is, how is this fashion making sense for our mothers? Even though I don’t claim to have a good test of style, I found it tasteless. It actually is destroying their beauty rather than adding value. A typical Eritean mother with her modest traditional gold collection has more style than those buried with tons of gold….well, at least with my tests.
But, if you find it the other way, please help me explain how it makes sense.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

WelCome Baby Ab-Ynabi!!!

Thanks be to God, the Hidrue family are blessed with a new member…..my cousin Yonas and his wife Rahwa are blessed with a new baby last week. Congratulations Yoni and Rahwa!!! They have named their son Ab-Ynabi! Ab-Ynabi is such an adorable baby and I am so happy!
Welcome Ab-Ynabi to the world…..and Welcome to the Hidrue Family!! We wish you all the best in life…..and may this be the beginning of many more blessing to come to the Hidrue family!!

























Baby Ab-Ynabi Yonas

Monday, July 14, 2008

Shrek in Tigrigna!!

While browsing the Internet in between my studies, I came through this youtube clip of Shrek in Tigrigna. Shrek is an animated feature film which won the Academy of award in 2001. And some one has translated to Tigrigna and make it available in youtube. So, here is the link to my readers. Enjoy it…….


Saturday, July 5, 2008

Reflection From July 4

It was a perfect summer day…but the streets of my town were empty …so quite. People were gathering inside their house with family members and friends and having barbeque…. part of the tradition in celebrating July 4, the nation’s birthday. Later in the day, people started to come out and were heading to the stadium, where the city I live celebrates July 4.
I closed my books and decide to join the crowd…. after all it is Independence day…and I will share the joy of the day with the people. By the time I reached the stadium, it was already crowded. Families were making groups everywhere with their kids, balloons and flags in their hand. On four corners of the crowd, there was small stages with musicians playing Independence Day songs. Some people were dancing, others were taking pictures and others were walking around.
I walked between the crowd and took a sit on one corner, where I can get a good view. The atmosphere was so colorful and people were happy…. celebrating their nation’s 232 birthday!!! And I enjoyed it…I almost felt part of them. I said almost, because I was a little bit uneasy…....it seemed like I am missing something. ….I don’t know what it is….
…Oh! I remembered. I know what it is now. It is the Independence poem. I usually write one for independence day….and read to the crowd in my small town on May 24. Oh yea…. the joy, the pride and the glory of Independence Day. And how I enjoyed reading my poem to the crowd. Now I don’t have Independence Day poem and I will not read to the crowd ….I wondered if I will read once again…
Most of the time, I blame my self for having such intense nationalistic view. But, today I assured my self I shouldn't. People here are celebrating 232th independence day ….232 years later and yet their pride is so intense as if it was only a few years. To me, the meaning of independence day is a first hand experience…it is not something from the history books. I have seen the ugly and cruel face of colonialism with my own eyes…..I have prayed for Independence at an age I shouldn’t pray. I have seen first hand the sacrifices made to it…I have lost my own classmates for it….and I have seen the joy my people felt when we get our independence….And yes, I should have a special feeling for it. The connection is right there…. not 232 years back.
As I thought about the pride that comes with Independence day, I thought about being immigrant. The immigrant communities and their children and grand children. What do they celebrate on July 4? How do they get the sense of pride I feel on may 24 or the sense of pride the people here are having? Take, for example, the “Eritrean Americans”. Do they celebrate July 4, like the other Americans? And if they do, what feelings do they have on July 4? how do they connect them selves with the real owners of the story?…..I mean…I asked my self. Perhaps, now as long as their parents are around, they will celebrate May 24. But two generations later, their grand children will nor more be ERN American…rather they will be African American…..and then, they will celebrate July 4…not May 24. I thought may be it is all the same …it is Independence day. But, then how will they be able relate to July 4? Will it generate the same sense of pride as Independence day does for me? Or will they feel the same sense of pride as the rest of nation? Will they say “this is the day our founding fathers declared….”? I got confused with my own question….
And it was a huge applaud from the crowd that took my attention away from the questions and back to the stage. A young girl, may be 9 to 11 years old, with a flag on her cap, was taking the stage. She sang “independence song” and the crowd applaud her…..and another young girl of similar age, took the mic and read a poem…..it was Independence day poem!
She praised her grand…grand … grand fathers for their courage and vision that created the present day America and the freedom and opportunity it provide to her…. and she promised to keep the sprit of their goal.
The crowd, once again, roared with a huge applaud and the girl beamed in smile. Her father was taking a picture …..trying to capture the precious moment of her independence day….
I smiled with my self…. imagining, one day, my little girl will also read independence poem to the crowd and I will be taking the picture…
But then, I asked my self, if that will happen…... if she will read independence day poem….and if she does, what will the lines of her poem read……

.........../// and here is ur mek'shish...........///