My Visit to a Somali Mall Visit … Suuqa Karmel,

Posted on by
Reply

Somali Mall 2

same day payday loans

Negotiation at the Somali Mall…
I took my Jacket to the Somali Mall for some repair, I didnt know excatly where it was, but you can’t miss it, it is where lots of Somalies gathering chatting laughing, cars lining up to get into through the gate, every car in front refused to get into the underground parking, a passenger in the car gets out and remove the orange cones to go through the aboveground parking .

at the Somali Mall nothing is defined and nothing is written, the goods displayed outside the stores, bleeding on each other,

Seen (I) where is the place
Cant miss it… surrounded by lots of Somalis a stone through from Lake St.
Seen( II) where to park
Underground, always vacant, most somali shoppers like to park at the crowded Chaotic aboveground, Somali love outdoors.

Somali Mall 3

Seen III where is the shop?
Just look around all shops look the same, seemed to have the same goods,
Seen (IV) where is the owner?
You look for him/her, Somali owners dont stay in their shops… they are usually y socializing with some other owners somewhere. It is hard to know who the owner and wo is the customers,the relationship between seller and buyers unlike here the seller look at all customers as potential friends..

Seen (V) Negotiation, an oral culture, a social activity
_ this is a good jacket, and to do a good job, I need good money
_ how much is a good money
_ $20 (last quote from a Korean Tailor was $60)
_ $20 is fine, when can I get it back
_ tomorrow InShaaAllah …
_ what time tomorrow?
_ just like this time… Maghrab time!
_ , … van I have any receipt
_ a longe stare !!!
_ … thanks..see you tomorrow

Somali Mall

Seen (VI) Picking up the Jacket a few days later
_ may I help you
_ Im here for the Jacket I dropped last week
_ Yes I remember you, I told you to come tomorrow..
_ Sorry I was busy, is it ready
_ yes…looking into a pile of cloths, here it is, try it.. make sure it is fixed
_ looks good thank you, how much did you say it was.. (no receipt)
_ I think I said $25
_ No, I think you siad $15
_ Now, I remember, I said $20… a smile of resignation on his face
_ thank you here it is..
……
End of the story…

Suuqa Karmel, 2944 Pillsbury Ave S , Minneapolis, Minnesota

It Takes a Child to Raise a Village :

Posted on by
1

2013-05-18 15.18.45

Abu Zaid, was only 8 year old, he was a different kind of kid, gender neutral, people didn’t look at him as a boy or a girl, he was just Abu Zaid, didn’t have a family, but he was adopted by everyone, he didn’t have a house, but never homeless, he got into everyone’s house, at day he was in the street playing, at night he disappears, vanish in the dark village field , he never took side, but was called upon when everything else failed, getting grocery to elderly, gets laundry and, Newspaper from the station to school teachers, chasing stray dogs, he didn’t try to be a leader but kids followed him, he was dark with a wide white smile, he loved to follow me wherever I go, when I was hunting for birds, he comes and picks up the small rocks that I use for my slingshot, he was my golden retriever, chasing birds and bring to me. never gasp, talks about anybody, never seen him getting into a fight, he helped everyone and never asked for help… , Abu Zaid was a beautiful kid, with a great spirit, lived his life free as bird, see him anywhere, he lives without an addressee, so he never got lost!!

Ahmed
5/20/13

BelAhdan at the Festival of Nations , 2013… the Battle of Baklava and Clash of cultures!! finger weaving Vs. Hunting!

Posted on by
Reply

Started in 1932, the Festival of Nations, a program of the International Institute of Minnesota, provides an interactive educational experience about the different cultures that make up our community. Over 90 ethnic groups participate to share traditions and customs through food, music, arts and dance in a non-commercialized event. The vendors who participate are, or represent a non-profit organization for the purpose of educating the community about their culture. Many also represent local ethnic organizations such as the Taiwanese Association of Minnesota (TAM) or the Karen Organization of Minnesota (KOM).

The Festival of Nations is a family friendly event open to all ages. There are five areas of the event: cafes, demonstrations, exhibitions, dance and bazaars. In addition, three stages of music run continuously throughout the four days.

The Festival of Nations is held at the St. Paul RiverCentre (next to the Xcel Center), downtown St. Paul. Two parking lots are connected to the RiverCentre and multiple lots are available within easy walking distance.

A Hot Conversation… at a Coffe Shop

Posted on by
Reply

Caribou tea

I stopped at Caribou Coffe Shop and ordered a hot cup of tea, servers can get panicky when you just order tea at coffe shop, theoretically you can have more than 100,000 different kind of coffe drinks at coffee shops,and you just ordered tea, you must be joking, but this time in less than 3 mintes, the server handed me my tea and asked…
…….
_ Do you want some ice with that..
_ I asked for hot Tea
_ It is hot tea
_ What the ice for …
_ To cool off your tea ..
_ Is it too hot..
_ It is how we make it..
_ Can you heat it less..
_ I go by the manual…
…..
end of the conversation..
Welcome to America, … the tyranny of choice … sugarless drinks that sugar added, Natural water that is purified, when it comes to our food and drinks, nothing is added as a selling point,we pay premium for adding things, not adding thing, and for taking away things, 2% milk, 80% lean beaf, … American are terrified of two things, terrorists and pits in the olives .. there are books and instructions on how you eat Olives with pits politely .. we have seedless grape and watermelon, boneless chicken.. the idea of eating for American is just that… eating, no time for anything else, to take the pits our or chow on bones…the food is processed, specially eating in cars, we only have one hand! No hand for cleaning all this crabs. If McDonalds took the reverence out of dining, KFC took the bones out of the chicken.

BelAhdan, Egyptian Americans Reaction to Film “The Virgin, The Copts and Me

Posted on by
Reply

Namir is a French filmmaker of Egyptian origin. One day he watches a videotape of the Virgin Mary’s apparition in Egypt with his mother who, like millions of other Copts, (Egypt’s Christians) sees the Virgin on the screen while he sees nothing. Skeptical about the videotape, Namir travels back to Egypt, to make a film about the bizarre occurrence of these apparitions.
The largest film event in the Upper Midwest, and one of the largest and longest running film festivals in the country, the MSP International Film Festival annually presents some 200 feature length and short form narrative and documentary films from 60+ countries around the world to growing numbers of attendees every year. For more than three decades, this spring event has provided an opportunity for audiences to experience new cultures and ideas through the medium and art of film, and has welcomed numerous prominent filmmakers and personalities to tell their stories.

‘Ladies and Gentlemen — We Got Him!’

Posted on by
Reply

Boston 11

“Ladies and Gentlemen … we got him” the headline of the New York Time, On December 4, of 2003, mimicking what America’s chief administrator in Iraq at the time Paul Bremer with his cow-boyish style press conference when he gloating the words: “Ladies and Gentlemen, We Got Him!” according to the New York Times; There were cheers from the assembled press corps. Bremer described it as “A great day for Iraq, more than 10 years later, and after the disastrous consequences of the Iraqi invasion and the mission accomplished culture of American militaristic foreign policy, nothing has changed in how media covers the news in time of crisis. American Media becomes patriotic Americans, a mouthpiece for the people in power and not reporting the news but making it, and influencing the callable public.

According to 101 basic course in mass communication newspaper headline is defined as the first few words that tell readers what the article is about., A headline has four main functions: first to inform, serve, entertain and interpret. However, newspaper headings are also aimed at catching reader’s attention. In order to survive in the 24/7 news competitive era, headlines try to get as much attention as possible. In an International Research Journal of Social Sciences study__ stated “Although in most cases headlines do bear such functions in news reports, some newspapers headlines present their readers with fairly complex riddles which neither summarize nor present the detail of the news reports” the keyword here “some” but when you find “most” of newspaper are doing it, it raises an interesting question. How can that many Newspapers agree on one three litter headline “we got him” . In the case of the Boston Marathon bombing, The Huffington Post, posted images of front-page headline of 67 newspaper from around the country. The headline “We Got Him” was highlighted by either big size or color, and most have picture of the suspect young man face just positioned next to the big headline! The legal tradition of Presumption of innocence alleged or suspect if mentioned is in the subtitle that is very small you can’t hardly see it…, As was reported at The Huffington Post, later, “The New York Post …. Soon after the blasts struck on Monday afternoon, the paper, citing law enforcement sources, said that 12 people had died… The paper was also the first to say that a “Saudi National” had been taken “into custody” by police at a local Boston hospital. Its initial stories said that the man was “identified as a suspect.” This was denied by the Boston police, who repeatedly said there was no suspect and nobody in custody.

I looked through the 67 headlines I found out that the majority of headline was the hyperbole, short and to the point saying simply “We Got Him” 71%, “Hunt (Terror) is over” , 16%, “Captured 11%… with a few far in between.

Here are a few examples of the headlines that I scanned and looked at:

The Enterprise “Got Him” …) Picture of the suspect. He is guilty here.

The Sun Chronicle “Captured” (Cheers On Watertown street; picture of happy/smiled Triumphed police.

Cap Cod Time…. “He is captured”… (Boston Marathon Bomber cornered…Picture of police office giving high five to a person inside a car

Boston Harold, tried to be more creative with the headline “Sunk” a Picture of the suspect face.

New England, The Standard Time… “We Got Him”… police are congratulating each other rejoicing.

The Patriot Ledger.. “Caught”… picture of the suspect, he is guilty.

The Wall Street Journal… “Manhunt End, with Capture” Picture of a relived policeman …walking surrounded by cheering crowd.

The New York Times; one of the very few papers which took the trouble of assuming the innocence till proven guilty thing with a headline “2nd bombing Suspect is Captured” Picture: of Ghost town surrounded by heavily armed police, next to it, a picture of cheering crowd, showing the feeling of the town during the ordeal.

News Day… “we Got Him”… Boston bombing seized”..
Picture of the suspect, with more than 9000 police officers chasing the two young suspects brothers, characterizing it as Seized; is a little overkilled.

New York Post, tries to keep to its tabloid tradition with headline; “2nd Bomber Bagged… Blood Brothers” Picture: of the two brothers…

Daily News “Got’em .. 2ND Boston bomber napped alive” Picture of police attending the injured suspect.

The Oklahoma… “we Got Him”… picture of police shaking hands with a car driver, we are all one family now.

The Times-reporter… “Endgame” … picture of police in full geared.. military style; indicating law and order is restored.

The Columbus Dispatch… “Boston Rejoice at Arrest” ..picture of police rejoicing celebrating, now you can as Ex-president George Bush advised us to go back to our shopping.

Waterloo Report, Record…”The Search is Done, The Terror is Over” , picture of the two suspects, relax now and think about what we are going to do with our spare time.

Calgary Suns. .. “got Them”… picture of the two suspects with arrow showing one is “Dead” and the other “In custody” considering the killing of the older suspect a one way to get a suspect.

Journal Sentinel … “Got Him” Picture of cheering crowd, one taking a video of office in the police car. Only in American, Police becoming a celebrity, a bit different in the black community and in the Arab Spring street.

The Virginian Pilot… “Got’Em” picture of policeman high five with a car driver, this picture was repeated in many front pages that day as if we won the World Series.

The Citizens Voices… “Boston Strong”…, picture of police elation, which we saw it more than once showing triumphed policemen.

Pittsburgh Tribune… “Caught”… Picture of crowd celebration…, our problems are over now, we are safe.

Chicago Sun… “we Got Him” …picture of crowd clapping as if it is an end of a show, and it was a show indeed, The media has condemned the Boston Marathon bomber suspects before our eyes, they are guilty as charged, no due process, what for, and hard to do; one suspect is dead and the other cant talk.

Ahmed Tharwat, Host/Producer of Arab American TV Show
BelAhdan with Ahmed
Airs on MN Public TV, Mondays at 10:30p
Public Speaker, Freelancer Writer