The Hud-Hud

Egypt is much like walking through a history book.  Time and time again I was amazed at how history is preserved there and how it intercepts daily life constantly.  To Egyptians this seems to be completely normal, many of them it seems never having visited the pyramids for example or having traveled to the Siwa Oasis.  To foreigners though it's something amazing. 

One of these times in which I was struck, yet again, happened mid-day as I was trying to find a teacher of ours on the scond floor of the language building.  The window of her office opened out onto a large tree spreading its branches in all directions.  One branch was this windows height and sitting on it were two doves, side by side.   Flying in and alighting on the same branch close to the two doves came a another bird of much color and flash which I hadn't seen before.  I asked our teacher which bird that might be and she replied matter of factly, "al-Hud-hud, " or as we might call it, the Hoopoe.

Tall crown, orange breast, black and white plummage.  It didn't stand tall, but it did stand striking. 

The Hud-hud, as a bird, is mentioned in the Qur'an.  That's over 1400 hundred years ago.  This story of the Qur'an itself is talking about the Prophet-King Solomon, so right there we can probably add on another 1,000 to 2,000 years...and here is this bird still inhabiting these parts...

The Qur'an - Chapter 27, verses 20-27:

"And he [Solomon] took a muster of the Birds; and he said: "Why is it I see not the Hoopoe? Or is he among the absentees? (20)

"I will certainly punish him with a severe Penalty, or execute him, unless he bring me a clear reason (for absence)." (21)

But the Hoopoe tarried not far: he (came up and) said: I have compassed (territory) which thou hast not compassed, and I have come to thee from Saba with tidings true. (22)

"I found (there) a woman ruling over them and provided with every requisite; and she has a magnificent throne. (23)

"I found her and her people worshipping the sun besides Allah: Satan has made their deeds seem pleasing in their eyes, and has kept them away from the Path― so they receive no guidance― (24)

 "(Kept them away from the Path), that they should not worship Allah Who brings to light what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knows what ye hide and what ye reveal. (25)

 "Allah!― there is no god but He!― Lord of the Throne Supreme!" (26)

(Solomon) said: "Soon shall we see whether thou hast told the truth or lied! (27)

"Go thou, with this letter of mine, and deliver it to them: then draw back from them, and (wait to) see what answer they return"…"

 

In loving memory of Maxwell

Something short and sweet here and not really related to much of anything Egyptian...

I was hoping to expand this entry much more over the course of the remaining few months I had in Egypt, but alas, it was not to be.  The roommate I was living with moved to another apartment in town where the speakers for the morning call-to-prayer, which comes in anywhere from about 3:15-4am, weren't quite so situated right outside his window...

I suppose the idea for this blog came from him posting a pretty entertaining Facebook update showing what it was like speaking Arabic with me - a delicious mixture between formal and colloquial registers.  I'd like to add that I've gotten a little better at picking one and sticking with it, so I hope at least.  In any case, I decided I should return the favor and hence it was that I began eavesdropping on his Skype calls he held in the living room (which really wasn't much of eaves dropping at all) trying to catch any jewels I could from what he said.  And jewels there were! 

The operation though was cut short by his moving and so all of what I caught is recorded here.  Of assurity, gems of past speech of his are left un-recorded by yours truly and of assurity there are still new treasures being said by him every day...So here I present three sentences (if only I had more!), taken out of context, for your reading pleasure.

"Pocket integrity.  You don't really preserve pocket integrity."

"How bad can a horse mask smell?!"

"Yea, I love Ataturk.  He's the best thing that's happened to Turkey.  Turkey has him to thank for everything it has."