Nubia, the forgotten land

18th of April marks the departure of the last Nubian from the ancestors land. Today is the day to remember Nubia and shed a light on a heritage we should cherish and promote. I have heard a lot about how Nubians are generous and kind, but I never imagined that they are actually that generous and kind. I went of last year to Aswan, to attend a cultural festival "Characters of Egypt". I returned with more exciting and everlasting memories of couple of days spent in a small Nubian village in Aswan. I discovered a lot during this short trip, friendship, kindness, hope, patriotism, loyalty...
Nubians had to leave their lands for the sake of Egypt. They were fighting since that time for the right to return back near their homelands. The places where they were relocated are not comparable to the place where they used to live. They owned lands overlooking the Nile, their houses built on their own style. The new place were they are supposed to live is in the desert and houses so crowded. I was lucky to stay in a village which was more or less Nubian but not many Nubians were as much lucky as those who live in Gharb Seheil.
Did you know that the Nile is their entire life? They live in islands, they go from one island to another, they are like fishes in water. The Nile flows in their heart. It's the Nile that expelled them from their land, yet it's the Nile that they adore.

Nubian Numbers

It's a pity that the Nubian language is about to extinct. No one talks it except the elderly as the new generations don't really learn it. We never learnt at school about Nubian tradition or culture although it's very rich, as if they never existed. I met a teacher in a small school, in his 40's, he could only write me few numbers in Nubian and couldn't remember all, and those numbers were only what he knows to write. I was discussing with him why there are no classes to teach Nubian to people.  


If you just get to know one Nubian, he will treat you as if you are old time friends, I befriended a couple met at the lodge where I was staying, the following day they introduced me and other friends to a Nubian guy, on the 3rd guy this guy invited all of us to lunch, may i say to a feast, in his in-laws. And what i mean by a feast not just  one or 2 things to eat, it was a table full of delicious courses. I was so impressed as it was hard to believe that there are people who treat like that. This is a generosity I never encountered before in my life.


Hammu, another Nubian, who was working in the lodge, was of great help. He was treating us as friends not guests, opening his heart to us, make us discover the beauty and serenity of the place. He took us on an early boat trip to watch the sunrise on the Nile, he invited us to his grandparents house where he was raised. One of the traditions I discovered there is that the the newly wed couple live with the bride's parents for a couple of years till their first born kid. During that time they prepare their own house. When they go to their new house, the elderly kid lives with his grandparents. That's why the family ties are very important to them, it goes across the generations.
Although those working in Abou Simbel, suffered from the lack of tourists post-revolution, they were so happy that the revolution happened and really believed in it. I am not sure if they do still have the same opinion up till now, but really, Nubians suffered a lot in the last decades, and they deserve more than what they have.

The beauty of nature

Nubia, is certainly a piece of heart, where you have a peace of mind. I wished I knew about it earlier. I wish I can know more. 
Certainly I would return back, to discover more and more about the beauty of Nubia which lies in the hearts of Nubians.

Life is priceless

I never imagined how my feelings would be, knowing that my own safety was on the stake. I had an accident 2 days ago, on my way to work. I still don't know why or how, but I was hit while driving at 90km/h and I momentarily lost control on the car, going left and right. These few seconds were like eternity. I didn't panic, I didn't have the flashback thoughts like in the movies, when someone is about to die. All my thoughts were focusing on regaining control of the car and keeping it steady in a straight line. I wasn't sure if it was due to impact or something in the ground or a tire that exploded and I was just preparing myself for the final stop or crash.

Thank God, I didn't hit anything else on the left side, only the back and the right.  I can't tell whose fault it is, I don't remember all the details of how this happened in the first place. All i know is that i was lucky that i'm unharmed.

I'm just starting to realise that I owe to God and to the car for my safety. The car could have flipped with such a hit by a lorry. I could have hit the fence on the side road (although i was in middle lane) or hit other cars all along. I am thinking what would have happened if... I don't want to be negative but I can't help myself to question, was it only cos it wasn't yet my time, or cos I did at least have good reflexes and didn't panic.

Life is priceless, God granted us life and health. We should be thankful and try to make the best use of it for the greater good. We should appreciate every moment and fight for it. Life is not taken for granted. It can be stolen in few seconds any time, anywhere so it should not be wasted for nothing.

Challenge

Don't listen to people when they tell you it is so difficult to achieve, rather tell yourself you can do it and you are up to the challenge. Believe in yourself and just think that if you want to do it, you can do it but you need to work a little bit harder. That's the key to achieve anything in life. A little faith and hard work, will surely pay off. Look at the challenge with a challenging eye, and do all you can to overcome it. Don't waste time thinking how am I able to go through it or feel discouraged. Dig in yourself for positive energy and take it one step a time, you will be surprised of the results.