Palais de Rais, Modern Art, Cervantes and Sacre Coeur

Ummm, last week was a rollercoaster of emotions. Of course, much sadness over the bombings. But I'm amazed at how strong the Algerians are. They lived through much worse in the 90s and while very disappointed, they resiliently continue on with life.

After that, I got out to see more of Algiers. I walked by the downtown university campus and saw the students having a big protest/strike against Tuesday’s bombings and for improved conditions and services at the university. I started off at the Museum of Modern Art which is oddly enough in a Franco-Moorish style building that was perhaps a shopping center in the past. The exterior architecture doesn’t, in my opinion, reflect a modernity, but the large windows and wide open interior of this centrally located museum, make up for that.

There are 4 floors, but only the basement and mezzanine are open currently, showcasing some interesting modern art. I enjoyed my visit, and as often is the case, the modern art and a chance encounter with the artist on site left me with more questions. It's great that such a place exists and is free and open to the public.

With an umbrella that is slowly falling apart, I continued marching through the rain westward to the Palais de Rais, Bastion 23. The Palais de Rais is a restored and preserved ensemble of Turkish-style palaces that is open to the public as a museum. The exterior is plain and massive concrete, but the interior has decorative charm with tiles, ornate ceilings, arched patios and some showcase Arabic calligraphy. After admiring the architecture, I went to the extreme wall that faces the sea. There are gaps for a couple of cannons that once policed the sea. I saw the clouds and a whole semicircular rainbow. It seemed to go from the airport of Algiers on the right all the way to an unknown destination in the west...perhaps acrosss the Mediterranean to Spain, I fantasized...la Barca? :)

In the afternoon, I met up with my friend Nabil and we went to a pretty cool café in the Casbah where musicians used to play.

On Thursday, I went by the Fac. Centrale to visit colleagues and discuss upcoming schedules etc. Everybody seemed to be allright, wheich is good news. After that, I headed towards Belcourt for Mhadjeb, an oily crepe with spicy tomato sauce inside. Asking along the way, I finally found Cervantes’ cave - yes the author of Don Quixote. El Manco, Miguel de Cervantes, was held captive here in Algiers by pirates for 5 years. He escaped 4 times, but was caught each time until his family finally paid the ransom to the pirates. It's a cave and there's a monument, but nobody there really. A local guy helped orient me. He says neighborhood fellows get together and play dominos there. As I peered at the cave and wondered about Cervantes torments there, I heard the sound of a deafening roar of soccer fans off in the nearby stadium. Sheep had invaded the streets too...preparations for the big religious feast where they will be sacrificed for Eid-al Adha.

After that, I went home and took it easy.

On Friday, I went to mass at Sacre Coeur, but strangely enough, I was late and disturbed the mass due to some misinformation from a random man that was standing at the door. He told me to wait and wait, though, my brochure had said mass began at 9am. I had arrived at 8:55am and this man told me to wait. I didn’t see anybody else. An old lady came and she walked by, but the man told me to still wait. Finally at about 9:30, he told me the old lady had gone in and that I should ring the doorbell. A nun came and said I could not enter because the prayer had started already and then an angry priest came and stated the same and slammed the door on me. The door was locked due to increased security concerns, I understand. I wouldn’t have interrupted, but it was that random man that said go ahead and ring the doorbell. I felt bad, and I stuck around to explain my error. The priest was upset at me initially, but after we discussed why the confusion and interruption happened, he was more welcoming and let me enter to pray and see the interior. It’s a big church and the modern geometric style is reminiscent of la Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe in Mexico City. There were only 3 there, the priest and 2 nuns. One of those nuns was British, Janet. She has lived here for 30 years and runs a small community library. She invited me to tea at her place and we talked about Algeria and how to get some more English books here for the public. There’s an organization that donates lots of books, “Books for Africa”. I’m going to investigate it.

Well, tomorrow is Eid al-Adha. Last year for the holidays, I went to Mukalla and the Wadi Hadramawt in Yemen. This year, I’m going deep into the Algerian Sahara…not sure where yet, but it promises to be exciting.

I am OKAY

2 bombs went off this morning.

I AM OKAY.

I was doing work on my computer at home. Santa Maria, madre de Dios, ruega por nosotros pecadores ahora y en la hora de nuestra muerte...

Dec. 11….2007…a day I wont ever forget…

This morning in my apartment, I heard 2 explosions. My first thought was bomb attack. Algiers has been the site of intermittent explosions throughout the past years. I went out to my balcony and looked, but saw no smoke or nothing. I didn’t hear sirens or screams or anything, so I assumed that it was probably the demolition of some old building or something.

Then I started to receive SMS text messages from the embassy. The first was cryptic enough…”Please stay at bouzareah university away from the windows”. I couldn’t call/text back because I had used up all of my prepaid credit the night before talking to my sister Patty. 15 minutes later, another SMS from the embassy arrived, “Please send an sms to say you’re well.”

I got dressed to head out and buy a card at the place where I bought my mobile phone. The guys there are about my age and they are friendly and nice to me. The other day while I was walking in Bab El Oued, they happened to be driving around and saw me and picked me up to head back to my neighborhood.

I walked in and they immediately made jokes about Al-Qaeda and terrorism. I guess when you live in a place where this kind of stuff happens now and then, you need a sense of humor to get over it. They said that a bomb went off in Bouzareah and Ben Aknoun…they had heard that from Radio Trattoir (Radio Sidewalk aka work on the street). There was considerably less traffic on the streets and virtually no mobile phone reception.

I bought a 200 DZD credit card that had a picture of the famous Roman ruins in Timgad near Batna. The network was saturated and I couldn’t respond to the embassy messages. Then, I went to a pizzeria I like. On the way there, a new SMS came..this time from my friend Karima in Oran. This one hit me hard…it said “Hi Miguel, 2 bombs exploded in Algiers. One in a student bus. Are you ok?” I felt extreme sadness at hearing that. I thought of the smiles and faces of my Bouzareah students. I hope none are affected. I also take that school bus when I go to Bouzareah. That could have been me in there.

At the pizzeria, I chatted with the owner in Spanish. He used to work with latinos in Amsterdam. The people I saw there and on the streets had a look of disappointment..dejection. The pizzeria TV that was normally on, was off…I think he just didn’t want to let the day’s tragedies overtake his pizzeria territory. But the tragic news remained on the mouth of all who came there.

A young girl stood at the corner pondering/waiting to get her order in and from behind he covered her eyes playfully. Gotta keep a light heart and playful attitude to get through the day.

I headed back home and stopped again at the mobile phone dealership. The guys there were still making jokes and laughed about students’ body parts being all over the place. Or some students arriving to school now without an arm or leg. I didn’t like it, but I think they needed to make laughter to stomach the sadness. Suddenly, it began to hail?!?

I went home and headed to my neighbor’s place. She was shaken and reiterated her stance on this terrible state of affairs here. It’s happening on “11’s” There was a bomb on April 11 and now Dec. 11. and don’t forget 9/11. I also heard some bad news from her…a colleague of hers has a sister that works at the UN in Algiers. The UN was one of the targets and unfortunately she was among those injured/wounded. I actually just met her a few weeks ago. Sadness.

The TV is reporting now 60 dead. I saw images on Television Algeria and it was heartbreaking. I felt my heart sink deeply when one of the orange school buses that thousands of students and myself ride regularly to go to the university appeared on the screen totally obliterated. I’m speechless with sadness over this horror. I think of the students, (and regular everyday citizens) that ride the “course” as it’s called. How it’s crowded, packed and at times uncomfortable. How everyone laughs at the mad rush and goes headlong into it. Or how students strike up conversations with each other and meet up with old friends. I’ve enjoyed riding it, though at first it took some getting used to. Now, I may not be able to continue riding it.

I’m home now and more hail came, but the sun is now out and there is less traffic noise and pollution today…but less life and more sadness than yesterday. I’m going to wash clothes and study Arabic.

ORAN-gelica

The first time I heard of Oran...was in a techno remix song by the now defunct French group, Les Negresses Vertes.

I had no idea what Oran was then, but since coming to Algeria I heard good things about it, so I went there this weekend. I left early Wednesday on the 7:45am train. 5 hours later it pulled into Oran and I went straight to the Institute de Langues Etrangeres where my fellow English Language Fellow, Martha Schouten had an English Club Meeting going on. I arrived to a warm welcome from some enthusiastic English learners that Martha has been working with over the course of last year and this year.

After that, I explored the town some and as the sun went down I accidentally went into no man's land, the Casbah of Oran...I was escorted out of there by the police and they said that it is quite dangerous at night and that a foreigner like myself should not be around there. So I explored the area around the major downtown hotels. I found Oran to be fairly easy to manage for getting around and what not.

The next day I began heading towards the great mountain that overlooks Oran, Djebel Murdjadjo. It is quite majestic with the Spanish-built Fort of Santa Cruz and the nearby church of Santa Cruz near the summit. I asked a local man which way to go and after briefly explaining the directions, he invited me home for some coffee. It felt like Mauritania or Senegal all of a sudden. Invitations home like this were quite common over there.

Amar was a real nice man, he put on the Koran on CD and then some rap music and showed me pictures of him at the beach with his wife and their 8 kids. After finishing up the pain au chocolat and coffee, I thanked him and said goodbye. At a nearby square I found some “clandestine” taxis, or “clando” as they are called. One agreed to take me to the Santa Cruz Shrine for 200 Dinars.

The drive was nice, but the road was closed- at least according to him. I still got some nice pictures off. Before 10am, I headed to Place de Victoire, where I was to meet Martha. On the way, I took pics in the market, which I rather liked. Martha, showed off her cool retro place with high ceilings and pretty tilework. Then, we caught up talking about our program and upcoming activities.

She invited me along to visit the ACCESS students and her Thursday English club. Last year I worked with ACCESS students so it was nice to meet and chat with those that are participating here in Algeria. Her English club, is inspiring. These students meet at a place called Lebanon Café and speak in English.

On Friday, I met up with Karima, a local Algerian that I just met online days before going to Oran. She sent me an email via Couchsurfing.com, which I must recommend for those of you interested in meeting worldly traveler types. Anyways, she gave a brief but interesting tour and took me up the mountain that the clando taximan had refused to go up. The views of the city and surrounding area from up there were breathtaking. The Spanish Fort is closed due to an ongoing renovation, but the church area is open to visits.

After that we drove along the coast, which is absolutely wonderful with cliffs and an occasional fort jutting out to sea. Soon, we arrived at her hometown, Ain el-Turck. This small coastal town is the home of the Oran Nightlife and Rai music, was more or less born here. Maybe, I’ll get to see some of that next time. It’s really laid back though.

Karima took me to her home, where her brother had a big pan of paella waiting. Paella, the famous Spanish dish, is a popular meal in Oran as well. This is because, the Spanish were there for a long time and because much of the population were part of the Muslims and Jews that were expelled from Spain during the Reconquista of Isabella la Catolica. Karima means "generous" in Arabic, and Karima truly lived up to her name by offering to spend her one day off showing me around and treating me to a home-cooked meal at her family's home. This does not happen often, but in Oran it happened with Amar and with Karima, and I treasure those hospitable moments. So for those of you that are looking for such unique connections, either being a host or guest wherever you are, try out couchsurfing.com and see what it's all about.

Oran has many interesting sights to see, like the Mosque de Pasha, the St. Louis Church which was a synagogue. There is also a huge mosque in the city that was once a synagogue. The main Place du Premier Novembre has that regal French style reflected in the gardens, the monuments, the lion statues guarding the Town Hall and the magnificent Theatre.

I'll post pics later. :)

A week of diverse surprises..

I signed up for Arabic classes at Glycines, Centre des Recherches Diocesaine….and there I met for the first time an Algerian Christian. Daniel is Kabylie and Christian and works there, and I think he also said he is a member of an order of priests. Fascinating and truly unexpected this was.

For the remainder of this month I signed up for a Classical Arabic course. This beginner course actually began in October, but I just jumped in. On my best day I would rate myself at lower intermediate in Arabic, but more often I perform at a high beginner level. For this course which is going over letters still, I am at a higher level, but I don’t really have any other options when it comes to a classroom setting such as this. I signed up to refresh my reading skills- I’m kind of lazy when it comes to pronouncing all of the “harikat” or short vowels and grammatical things like taa marbutas, fathatains etc. Much of the class, unfortunately, is conducted/explained in French. I guess it’s good for me to review my French, but I’d rather everything be stated in Arabic honestly. Well, I’ll take what I can get and anyways, it’s kind of nice to socialize with fellow students. I was a little tired of the one-on-one lessons.

Later on last week, I had the chance to speak at the University with an Algerian teacher. Friendly and willing to share her frank viewpoint with me, I found some of her comments very interesting. I mentioned that I was surprised to meet an Algerian Christian and she said that there are actually a lot, especially in the Kabylie region. She happens to be Kabylie and Muslim. She explained that ½ of her family is Christian and the other ½ Muslim. The one thing that is common and agreed upon by all of the family, she pointed out was the exclusive use of the Berber language at home and family get-togethers.

She added that some Algerian Christians hide their faith, because of potential political and discriminatory fears. This hidden population was very unexpected, and it blows my mind. Shocked and surprised, but also intrigued and fascinated by another strand of diversity in Algeria.

Speaking of diversity, the few foreign students I have come from some interesting places. I have an Iranian woman, several Turks (guys), and a brand new Russian guy. All of these particular foreigners do not speak Arabic or French. They are learning English, so it’s a unique challenge they face. I also have an Egyptian who already knows French and English rather well, so she is not in the same boat as them. The other interesting thing about her, is she is an Evangelical Christian. Now, what are the chances of meeting and Evangelica Egyptian . I would have predicted Coptic before that. This Evangelical Christian attends an Evangelical Church and said that quite a few that participate are Kabylie Algerians. Anyways, I welcome the diversity they all represent which no doubt enhances our sociocultural panorama at Bouzareah.

Another place I enjoy the diversity is when I get to attend church services here. There are several options run be the Diocese of Algiers and one mass occasionally has a Congolese choir that sounds wonderful. Those that attend are from all over, for example Lebanese, French, etc. There are also several orders of nuns and priests here. Some from the order of Mother Theresa and others that wear special garb particular to their group. Then there are other religious laypeople, like my Lebanese Arabic teacher that dress in everyday wear. The services I've attended have been conducted in French, but I hear there is an Arabic one done once a month. I'm looking forward to attending that sometime and practicing al-arabiyya fil kanisa. (kanisa=church)

Thanksgiving in Oued M'zab

To see my photo album of Oued M'zab CLICK HERE.

After my last class on Tuesday, I went home and rewarded myself by cooking up some lamb chops and enjoying them with some Coteaux de Tlemcen. I jammed out on the guitar and then when the water finally came on, I washed a bunch of clothes, took a bath and then the idea occurred to me…HIT THE ROAD!

Hitting the road last year in Yemen always reinvigorated my spirit and so that was just what the doctor ordered…I leafed through the guidebook and decided on Ghardaia.

The journey is the destination…

Left Algiers, felt my soul needed something different…so after glancing at the guidebook, I picked one of the highlights which seemed doable…the M’zab Valley.

I went to the gare routiere, bus station, Wednesday am and got a 1-way ticket to Ghardaia leaving at 11am. The Mzab Valley consists of a oued or valley in the Sahara Desert with several small Mozabite towns. The Mozabites are Ibadis- a unique sect of Islam that follows its own traditions.

To get there I went along the first leg of the Trans-Saharan highway and took in the fascinating metamorphosis of geographical landscapes that one sees along the way.

From Algiers, the road ascends into pine covered mountains, with majestic vistas that bear resemblance to what one might find in Austria, Switzerland, Colorado, etc. Just past Blida and into Charea, the road meanders over bridges and through tunnels following a path that parallels and criss-crosses train tracks.

This continues for some time up to and just after Medea. There, the mountains give way to rolling hills interspersed with meticulously cultivated vineyards and fruit orchards.

I remember dozing a while and then waking up to an abrupt change in ecosystem…not quite flatter than a pancake but approaching that topographical description. There was still some brush which later gave way to dry land. This is the green fence or barrier that is maintained to fight l’ensablement…or desertification from progressing much farther north. These tree groves are quite impressive, in that they seem to have been cared for some time and can be quite big. They really do stand out against the greater landscape of dry barren land.

Much of the Sahara, contrary to the romantic windswept sand dune clichés one sees in movies, is actually rock believe it or not. I lived in a rocky part of it in Atar, Mauritania when serving in the Peace Corps. I tried taking pictures, but my window had some scratchings and stains that made it blurry…as if my contact lenses were scratched. The bus itself was rather comfortable and a real deal at 640 Algerian Dinars = $10 USD for this 8 hour trip.

We stopped at different points along the way to exchange riders…and paused to eat a couple of times. After the ½ way mark the TV went on and they showed a bunch of Algerian TV comedy shows and then those wacky trick hidden camera clips. You know the ones where they play jokes on people i.e. a man walking on the street pretends to sneeze on pedestrians in front of him while an assistant sprays water on the back of their neck and then the sneezer tries to wipe it clean. Lol

Btw, no restrooms on board.

Once, I got to Ghardaia, I checked into my hotel, grabbed some rotisserie chicken and then checked my email to find out, that it was Thanksgiving Eve and I'd forgotten or mistakenly thought that next week was the holiday. Oh well, another Thanksgiving in the Sahara!

The next day I got up super early, beating the sunrise to snap photos from Malika, the town with superb views of the Oued M'zab and Ghardaia. Before entering the city, I met a teenage Mozabite boy who was more than delighted to practice his English and to show me his hometown. SidiAissa, took me throught the old part of the city and then showed me the highlight of the town, the tomb of a holy man which is his namesake. We took pics there and then he had to go off to school. I remained there waiting for the dramatic sunrise.

After that, I went on to the oldest of the Mozabite towns in the Oued, El Atteuf. There, I needed to hire a guide at 200 Dinars ($3.25) and he showed and explained to me much of the Mozabite traditions and architecture. They are very adamant about tourist respecting their culture, so no photos are allowed of the local people. Also, in the old parts of the cities, no smoking is allowed whatsoever. Of course, one must be properly attired, that is legs and arms should be covered, etc.

The towns were built in a certain way with ramparts and towers to protect against attack. It's amazing, how these people fled from the north to avoid the rule of other muslims that did not adhere to their beliefs. One of their major convictions is that the caliph or leader of the Islamic faith, need not be a blood descendant of the Prophet Mohammed, but rather a strong leader capable of doing so. For this, there was tension and conflict in the past with other powers that came and ruled in Algeria. And therefore, as a result, the Mozabites came to this difficult land, and by ingenuity and hard work, built the cities and palmeries that exist up until today. Impressive and ancient, they have garnered the classification of UNESCO World Heritage Site.



My guide also showed me the unique Mosque Sidi Ibrahim, which was the inspiration for Le Corbusier's Eglise de Ronchamp. It's a simple white mosque that has no straight edges and does have a similar raw white beauty that one sees in Corbusier's famous church.

Speaking of the church, I also visited some of the Church's representatives who are famous for their work in the Sahara, Les Peres Blancs. Peres Blancs, or White Fathers, have been doing good work in the Sahara for years, and I was interested in visiting them to hear about their mission in of all places Oued M'zab, this enclave of Ibadi Islam. While working in Mauritania, I got to know some priests and nuns that worked on social and health programs in that Islamic country, so I wanted to see what these White Fathers were up to here.

They have two libraries. One is a general library and the 2nd is one devoted to the Sahara. They also offer language classes in French and German. I met Kryztof a Polish White Father who is teaching German there. I also met a White Sister from the Congo, Anastazie. I did not know there were White Sisters, but they are there too to do work with the women. This is important, since men and women's domains are largely segregated by Mozabite custom and faith. They were very nice and introduced me to some of the young students there that are learning English.

For my Thanksgiving Dinner, I had a nice hunk of roasted lamb. The next day I headed back to Algiers at 6am. :)

Le Weekend a Alger...

(I added some pics to my Djazair: Miscellaneous album, so click here...)

I have been getting around and becoming more familiar…maybe too familiar with the city…lol. I am starting to run into friends/students/workmates here and there. But I am really enjoying Algiers.

I did a lot this Wednesday…I went to a presentation on attending college in the US at the Bouzareah campus. I encouraged the Algerian students to apply by mentioning the example of Nuha, my former Yemeni student, who is now attending a SUNY (State University of New York) school in Cobleskill with the help of a scholarship.

In the pm I headed to the Hamma, or National Library, to visit the new friends at the American Corner, Radia, Karima and Souad. I went and had coffee with Radia and Souad and showed them the Sombrilla Magazine of UTSA. They were delighted to practice their English and hear about university life in the US.

On Thursday, I went back through Belcourt past the Hamma to check out the Musee des Beaux Arts and found a great collection of art…much of it French, and some very interesting modern Algerian works. There are impressionist paintings, for example, Monet, Pisarro, Renoir, Degas, etc. and a couple of wings housing the work of Orientalists like Delacroix. The Orientalist work is a fascinating romantic vision of the area.

The outstanding collection of paintings are well complemented by sculptures, several done by Rodin. The building itself dates from the 1930s and has several stages/terraces that face directly on to a main promenade of the Jardin d’Essai. At one time, to enter the Musee des Beaux-Arts, one walked through that grand walkway up to the monumental edifice.

The terraces have several bronze sculptures and provide a nice place to have a cup of java and take in the wonderful vistas of Algiers. I thoroughly enjoyed the visit. Although, one cannot take pictures inside, there are several reasonably priced books and postcards available inside.

After my visit, I walked into a shishkabob restaurant and had some mini-skewers of merguez, kidney, and meat. It was delicious and I must say the traditional bread that accompanied it was excellent. Pas mal, hein? (Not bad, eh?)

On Friday, I headed out into the city, looking for more good foo and found Matam Samarkand and had some kofte (meat balls) with garbanzo beans, sauce and white lubia (beans). Mmmmmmm.

After that, I wandered about taking pictures and talking to whoever while the faithful worshipped at the mosque. After prayer, I hung out at Port Said watching guys in a cafe play dominoes and Tarot. Later, I stumbled upon the National Theatre and found out there would later be a traditional dance ballet..so I waited around for that. In general, it was refreshing to see modern dance melanged with some traditional movements. Near the end, they did a number with rhythmic pounding that was related to the big “mortar and pestle” “pile” that one sees in Africa. It brought back memories of the RIM and of my times with the people there…not only for that kitchen utensil, but also for the rhythms. It moved me to tears I have to say and I couldn’t really pinpoint why.

Is it the work that women do?…the rhythms of them, of Africa, the trance, the catharsis one experiences in pounding out those beats….something..

Blida...in search of classic Algeria

To see my Blida photo album, click here.

I decided to make a day trip and at first didn’t know where exactly to go. Then I remembered Dr. Amara recommended that I get to know the real Algeria or how did she put it…the Algeria that remains true or closer to what Algiers used to be like. She recommended two places that are close, easy to get to and perfect for transporting one to the Algeria of nostalgiac longings: Chrea & Blida. I opted for Blida without any preconceived notions. Dr. Amara is a senior staff member at Bouzareah and from what I can tell, she has a well developed sense of taste for most matters.

I had no problem catching a bus for 50 dinars (=80 cents), to Blida. The sun was out and the skies were clear so I was excited to snap some photos. The bus window was scratched, faded and fixed, so I would have to wait until getting off to really put the Canon SD850 to work.

Along the way, I saw orange orchards, other fruit trees (I think they were Chinese plums- at least they looked like nyanches) and well several nurseries. . Like on my Tipaza trip, I saw a group of gear heads getting ready to do some Tour de France training. The landscape is very green, fertile, and alive with all sorts of vegetation like pine trees, and eucalyptus trees for example, sprinkled throughout the hills that would indeed make for a pleasant bicycling workout.

Once in Blida, the gare routiere/shared taxi garage made me smile. For some reason, I expected a small town, but Blida, is in fact a decent sized city and the garage has enough hubbub to entertain one for hours. This is true also because there is a big market next to it. I went through the market and well it was enjoyable navigating in what seemed like river rapids of humans going to and fro. Occasionally a car drove through and pedestrians had to duck into different stalls. One sees everything…slippers with leopard prints, cauliflowers, traditional male/female robes, Korans, tangerines, potatoes with fresh dirt still on ‘em, crates of grapes, perfumes, leather shoes, carpets, lingerie, table cloths, sheets, sundries, cow heads, tea sets et cetera et cetera.

Souks, bazaars, tianguis…whatever you call them, open air markets where there are no aisle numbers or clean up crews or customer service departments are kind of fun believe it or not.

The circus was in town too. I had a cup of café au lait with pain au chocolat and my homeland came up. Its easier to just say I’m from Mexico, so that’s my standard response and it usually garners enthusiasm, delight, references to the World Cups that were held there, the telenovelas which are so popular here, and Pancho Villa/Zapata etc. They never seem to mention quesadillas de chapulines, but I’m still hopeful for that day. The barista, (I’m using that term which might be in fact copyrighted by that big coffee shop chain), immediately asked if I was part of the circus. Well, I guess I do have a clownish look to me, and admittedly, I think it might be kind of fun to do that for awhile. (Note to self: See the Occupational Outlook Handbook 2007 re: circus professional.)

The Circus Florelicto or Floreligio or Figliomio…is from Italy and it’s touring Algeria, but unfortunately, the first show was scheduled for 3pm and that was a little too late for me. I did manage to get a nice picture of the tent though.

I walked on towards “Centre Ville” & found the city to be kind of laid back compared to hustle-and-bustle Algiers. It has a French colonial feel to it and the mountains on one side give it a nice background. Charea is up there somewhere, so that’s for next week. I stumbled into a labyrinthine neighborhood that was fun to walk around. I then felt the urge to take a bath! My apartment doesn’t always have running water. Usually, from the a.m. to around 6pm, H2O is available. Well, yesterday, I got home after 6pm and didn’t have a chance to shower and then this morning I bolted before really considering how good it would do me. Because this is an issue for many folks, or and also because of the historical use of bathhouses and the influence of Romans, Turks, and Arabs here, one can find hammams and/or douches (showers) pretty easily. So I found a hammam close to a mosque in this ‘old’ medina neighborhood of Blida, but was abruptly yelled at for trying to go in. See, some hammams have certain hours or days for women only and others for men only. I didn’t see a sign, so I proceeded to move the curtain to walk into the reception area, but some men seated along the nearby sidewalk, immediately, said HEY!

No big deal, I understood immediately my faux pas, and apologized profusely and asked them to indicate where I could find one open to men at that hour. So just another 100m on down the street I hit the showers. They gave me all the necessary items: plastic sandals, soap, shampoo and a towel. The hot water felt good and I felt very refreshed once I walked out. It cost 50 dinars. (80-85 cents).

Now that I was feeling all crisp and clean, I snapped some more images and then found a street market area busy with all kinds of traffic. At the very end, I could see some sort of elegant structure that seemed to be at the center of a square. I arrived there to find a very nice white Arab-style gazebo set in a pool. Kids were frolicking about, and around the square were shaded café seating and restaurants. Diagonally off one of the streets, a large mosque dominated and I headed over there to get some pictures.

I thought to myself, my god, how many mosques have I seen and churches for that matter. And now, I am at a loss because I can describe how they look, but I’m not so sharp when it comes to saying who built them, and when and how. Anyways, just deficiencies and gaps in my learning that I’ll have to review and work on. Am I the only one that thinks these things? Is it a bit neurotic or needless to fret over knowing such minutiae?

OK, enough of the introspection.

I found lunch at a restaurant there, not really noteworthy, just steak and potatoes. Satisfying though. After that, I had tea with mint on the square and just relaxed.
The prayer call went out and several men got up to go, but not everybody. I saw some boys playing in the square and some scarved young ladies taking pictures of each other in front of the gazebo. I started thinking about how the kids were all playing and what a good time that is and that Orphee movie quote Cocteau said something about Youth. I cant recall if it was he saw his own Youth dead or something along that line. Whatever it was, it was morbid, sad, surreal and weird.

Anyways, I just thought normal adult thoughts on the innocent days of being a kid. The silly games one plays, the infinite ways kids are easily entertained and easily entertain themselves, esp. w/regard to group dynamics. So while I’m thinking this, I hear a kid making noises like a gorilla or monkey or something. I chuckled to myself, “There’s a kid having some fun.” The noises continued and were getting louder and closer. Then across the plaza on the other side of the elegant and charming gazebo, I saw the kid. Except this was no kid. This was the mejnun.

Mejnun is Arabic for “crazy”, and I recall in Mauritania, how they kind of let the insane or mentally challenged just run loose in towns and everybody just humors them and likes them and treats them nice. They are like everybody’s crazy cousin, literally crazy. So this guy had that air about him…must have been in his late teens or early 20s and I saw 2 small boys following him, chatting with him or taunting him, I’m not really sure. Perhaps they were toying or playing along with him, who knows.

He went on to play like the kids I had seen around there before, climbing on the rails of the gazebo, going back and forth and around w/o a clear plan and invariably spicing his routine up with the occasional monkey sounds again. It was funny to recall the old crazy bald guy who frequented the taxi garage in Atar, Mauritania. Everybody loved him there and sometimes he showed up with parts of chain and cuff hooked to his ankle. They would give him money and food and also let him charge customers as a kind of “chief” or “enforcer”. It was street comedy in its purest form. Of course, when you are in the Sahara and you have to wait for other passengers to show up before the car can go to its destination, it’s a nice entertainment to help you while away the time.

However, at the Blida gazebo square, not many paid attention, other than the two kids. Things turned especially bizarre right after I got up to leave and walk through the square. As I got near the gazebo, I noticed that the Mejnun was now in the water and completely naked. Mind you this is 1pm on Thursday, the weekend. I looked aghast and around to see if anybody did anything. Some did notice, but did nothing. One old man told the kids to get away from the guy. Maybe somebody did say something, because after a couple more minutes, he went up into the gazebo, naked, and found his clothes and started to put them on. Vraiment bizarre. Life is just full of surprises!

I came across a cyber café and stopped to check out my email. That’s when I heard how my Uncle Julio had just passed away. I felt a deep sadness. He was actually my mother's uncle and he was always kind and funny with me and everybody. I will miss him dearly..

I’m sleepy now, hasta manyana.

Good morning! I woke up and saw an amazing dawn light along the horizon and took some photos and maybe I’ll try painting it later.

I got up and started washing my sheets etc. and then made some fresh hot salsa…the tomatoes were going bad so I wanted to use them up. The peppers I used are these long green things…kind of remind me of “Hatch” New Mexico peppers. They are pretty common around here. Made papas con huevos.

I’m going to church today…Madame Afrique. Two reasons…one of course to check it out and another…for mi tio Julio.

So, it was odd to feel remorse, melancholy and then go back on to the streets of a city of strangers. I needed something sweet and found a chocolate bar with hazelnut cream. I lost myself taking more pictures and then caught the bus back to the garage which now was filled with people waiting for buses. Transport, the quintessential dilemma of man. How do we get there? How do we efficiently move people and products. In Algeria, transport is a challenge. Luckily I got a seat on a bus bound for the Tafoura garage in Algiers. The aisle gets taken up by fold out chairs and I got one of these in the row just before the very back. The man on my right started talking on the phone in English…but a different English. Some kind of African English, but I couldn’t place it. It seemed Ghanaian but I wasn’t sure. On my left was an Algerian woman and next to her seated near the window was another black African who must have noticed that my listening to the English phone conversation, because he asked me if I spoke English.

Tee was a refugee from Liberia and he immediately asked for my phone number which I found funny, odd and too personal. In the end, I said, why not? What would Jesus do? Anyways, he was nice, curious, persuasive and persistent about making small talk and becoming instant friends. Very different from the average Algerian I meet in public, so this is why I felt awkward. I’m also not used to speaking English aloud in public. Funny, I’m an English teacher and want to promote its use, but often while abroad I minimize my use of English in public, mainly to avoid what Obi Wan Kenobi called, “imperial entanglements.” That’s euphemism.

The ride home was nice enough, though traffic came to a standstill twice. There was also a near-miss on the highway. The driver abruptly applied the brakes and then swerved to the left, and then several cars just to the right and just in back of us collided. Yikes! The collisions didn’t sound violent enough to kill, but we didn’t slow down or stop to see. Santa Maria Madre de Dios ruega por nosotros. I read recently in the news that according to statistics, while abroad, more Americans get injured/die from auto-related accidents than from any other danger. This is why I generally don’t drive abroad. I’ll leave it to the local experts.


Later that night….pit bulls

I invited los amigos Argelinos to a “Algerian Idol” taping that I had an invite for. Nobody took me up on it, so I guess that was a foreboding sign of things to come. Ahlan wa Chabab was the name of the show to be videotaped live from La Coupole near Bouzareah. After crowded bus rides and repeatedly asking whoever I came across, I found the venue. Along the road and at the door, young boys aged anywhere from 14-25 seemed to be the only ones going. Hmm. Is this my crowd? Lol.

At the door there were a lot more and right as I walked up, I heard vicious dog growls and barks and then saw everybody panic and run towards me. Now, I normally enjoy all the thrills and chills of crowd neuroses and I really did enjoy running with the bulls in Tlacotalpan, Veracruz in 2006, but being the object of a pit bull's frustration is not my cup of tea at all. I had the official invitation, which a colleague at the Fac. Centrale had given to me and showed it to the security guards, but they were too busy yelling at all the youths crowding the gates. At times they went after the youths trying to kick or hit whoever was near them and I was afraid they would hit me, so I ran away. I never made it in, and on several more occasions, the crowd of boys ran a la Pamplona. On one such occasion I slid down a hill and had to break my fall by grabbing a laurel branch. Whew. Enough of that I said.

It took me a good hour to get home and I opted for a pizza and some Algerian vino, Chateau Tellagh Medea (1998), and working on these blog entries. Who comes up with this shtuff?

Belcourt & Makam Echahid

To see recent photos of everyday Algiers, Belcourt and the Makam Echahid, click here.

After completing my first watercolor, I went to the Translation Department to look into perhaps starting my class earlier. The students want to finish class before 5pm so they can get home. They say it’s harder to get a bus later in the day. I wonder why the buses don’t run later much. Anyways, there’s no classroom available at 1pm so, we’ll have to just make do.

I visited Ali in the Copy room and we chatted for awhile. I mentioned to him that I was headed to the Belcourt neighborhood and that I wanted to see the Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of the Moujahid (Revolution). He offered to show me the Anatomy Collection on campus. So I took him up on it. It was amazing to see the displays of real skeletons and various body parts in formaldehyde. There are a lot of cross sections of skulls and views of brains and mouths and organs, twins and fetuses. It is fascinating yet at the same time not for the faint of heart. Another amazing thing there is a stretched out human skin. Belonging to a pirate, the skin has a lot of tattoos of women and dragons and various images. Ali had mentioned there was a peau to see there, but I had not expected such illustrations on the skin. They also showed me rooms where cadavers are dissected for study by the medical students.

One student was there, a young lady clad in a dark brown abaya robe. Those robes kind of look "nun"-ish to me. She was studying a huge model of the heart and generously gave me an explanation in French of the different parts and functions of the heart.

I had also mentioned to Ali that I wanted to visit the Jardin d’Essai which is a big amazing botanical garden in Algiers. He said that they had a unique tree of which only 70 remain worldwide. Not sure of the name at all, but they also have one of these at the Fac. Centrale and Ali showed it to me. As you can see it is quite a different tree.

Another cool thing about touring campus with Ali, is that he knows all of the special back routes and hidden stairways etc. After that, I stopped by La Grande Poste to mail more postcards. I feel “Grande” whenever I slip postcards in the slot there.

I bumped into some Bouzareah students in the area near La Grande Poste. It’s nice to see familiar faces and feel more comfortable. They were glad to see me too.

I then hopped a shared taxi to the neighborhood where Albert Camus grew up, Belcourt. Today, I’m told it’s “Shaabi”..which is Arabic for “popular”. This is popular in the sense of everyday people, not as in something popular to do. I liked it a lot and indiscreetly snapped some candid shots which produced some interesting images.

After walking through a crowded street market, I snacked on a M’hadjeb. A M’hadjeb is a lightly fried bread turnover that is filled with a spicy tomato sauce. The dough is oily enough and laid out in a squared off form, then tomato sauce is spooned into the center and the corners are covered and squared off again then put on the pan grill. I also stopped at another place for some mini-skewers of liver and meat. Tasty eats here and there.

I was looking for the Teleferique, a kind of bonde or cablecar skyride that goes up from Belcourt to the Makam Echahid, or Monument to the Martyrs. I found one, but it was under repair. They said another one was further up ahead so I kept walking.

I came to a huge modern building with a gated entrance lined with many country flags. I asked somebody, and they said it was the Homma., or National Library. This I wanted to see. The American Corners, I had been told, was located there. So, I went in and left my ID at the door. The interior is modern, clean and befitting of a national library. On the ground level I also found a nice exhibit of paintings called “Crossed Glances”. It’s a collection of works that were inspired by photos, so they have mounted the photos right next to the resultant pieces.

Upstairs on the 2nd floor, I found the entrance and asked for the American Corners. The attendant happily escorted me there. And sure enough it was in one corner of the building, a big one though. There were posters up with information on different places and faiths in America, some computers, a wall of magazines and a special large desk with the US and the Algerian flags up.

She presented me to Radia, who works the American Corners there. At the American Corners they provide information about America and about studying in America to the public. Radia and I talked about our programs. I intend to do some outreach there through, discussions, presentations etc. This is part of my work too.

I was pleasantly surprised to find one of my Fac. Centrale Students there. Asia, that’s her name, pronounced, “AHS-ya”.

Radia was very nice and hospitable and offered to give me the grand tour of the library. They have several special collections, computer labs, media, journals, and even a separate part for young children and adolescents. Radia studies English there too. Language classes are offered there, including English, Berber and Chinese! The Jardin d’Essai is right behind the National Library and is quite impressive. Currently it is not open, but from one of the 2nd floor windows you can see part of it. I really enjoyed my visit to the National Library and look forward to going there again and again.

After that, I went on to find this other funicular. From the street level the Canadian-built Monument to the Martyrs is straight up. And directly below it is the Musee des Beaux-Arts. It was already 3:30pm and I decided to save that one for another day. I found the funicular and rode it up. It’s a nice ride for 20 dinars and at the top there are some good views of the Jardin d’Essai, a nearby stadium, and the beaches along the western side of Algiers.

Atop one of the highest points, the enormous Makam Echahid can be seen from all over Algiers. Up close, this city landmark dominates. Just under it, is the Museum of the Moudjahid, which chronicles Algeria’s struggle against colonialism, beginning when the French arrived in 1830. Again no picture taking allowed, but there is plenty to see inside.

Guns, grenades, paintings, old maps and Napoleon-era war plans, right on up to the realia from the 1950s and 60s. The French ruled the colony for more than a century and exploited labor and resources. At one time they had an annual wine production of several hundred thousand barrels which were sent to “l’Hexagone”.

There are plenty of firearms, explosive shells, and photos that are testaments to this violent era. One gruesome area exhibits how torture was carried out and shows how napalm was used extensively. Interestingly, the role of women in the struggle also gets some attention too. One surprise there, was seeing a pair of pistols that Pres. Abe Lincoln gave to Algeria for Emir AbdelKader’s thwarting of Damascus. ??? Gotta go back and reread that history lesson.

After getting some more pictures, I headed homewards. I passed by the Fac. Centrale and saw Ali from the copy shop of all people working the gate. I guess he has 2 jobs there. He invited me to have a drink at a café and then we went back to the gate where he was working and just talked about Algeria and Algiers.

I went home hoping to figure out my TV for some Champions League action, but I cant figure it out still. Too bad, so sad. I still have my guitar. Alhumdillilah! (Gracias a Dios!)

Acuarela d'Al-Jazair

Got up and was inspired to paint. Yes, the views, the colors, the scenes here have given me the inspiration to paint. I’ve studied drawing before, but hardly ever practice. The scenes here though like I say, have inspired me to give it a try. And I’ve decided to try water colors.

I got up and got some water. My first drawing/ water color acuarelle, was inspired by the scene from my balcony overlooking the bay/port. I know, I know. It looks nothing like this, but it felt nice to just play with the gouache colors. Its not expensive to start…something about my view and the images makes me want to do it, but I’m just starting out.

Impressions after 3 weeks

The Algerians I have met have some strong opinions about their country. Granted my time has been pretty much restricted to the capital and more or less related to the academic community, so this may explain the ideas I have heard Algerians express to me.

Since arriving, various locals have said “Be careful!” in one way or another. Algiers is a big city and muggings happen with some regularity. One lady actually told me not to use my cell phone on the street. I think that is being a bit overprecautious, but she means well. When I mention my visit to the Casbah, many say that is a no-no and many who have lived here all of their life, have said they have not ventured-nor intend to- into that notoriously dangerous neighborhood.

Several have stated that they do not like the political or cultural climate here. Specificall,y they refer to the fundamentalist Muslim movement which in its worst manifestations has recently produced violent acts of terrorism here in Algeria and Algiers.

People also mention a pressure too that exists in what people say to each other. It’s a pressure to conform or to be a certain way. One lady told me that her own cleaning lady asks her why she doesn’t wear the scarf. Another said that in her workplace she received an anonymous letter chastising her for her friendliness towards foreigners as shameful for an Algerian woman, and she actually was born in America- though they don’t know that.

One academic described her country as a land of paradoxes. I find her description very apt after 3 weeks here. During the day, the place has a dynamic movement to it. Women are out and about doing things and working anywhere. Daytime traffic is so busy it can be asphyxiating. At night, that changes. There are less or no public buses running after 8pm or so and many women are not comfortable being out after dark or too late. Though, paradoxically, some have cars and actually go out on weekends to nightclubs like the one at the Sheraton Hotel about 20K from downtown Algiers.

The academic colleague went on to say that Algeria is very green…at least the northern part and mentioned that recently that it had been named the greenest country in Africa, though I forget where she said she read that. Paradoxically she admitted, Algeria is only second to Sudan in the amount of the Sahara desert that lies within its borders.

Others have told me of their desire to leave soon. They are waiting until retirement or after another year or two and then they will go to the US or to Europe. One lady in describing the Bouzareah campus to me when I arrived, said, “Welcome to Afghanistan.” Things must have been very different before. While I hardly believe that Algeria in terms of political or cultural situation really resembles Afghanistan, they have said that 20 years ago, women here did not wear the scarves that many don today. Me, coming from Yemen, I find their scarf/robe fashion refreshing in its color and variety. In Yemen, the black abaya and niqab are quite often the rule, though the black abaya there gets variety in the sequin and beaded designs one finds. Those exist here too, but are not the majority by any means. Speaking of the abaya, I did see a young lady wearing one here with a sequin/beaded design that bore a very big prominent Coco Chanel logo on the front.

Anyways back to impressions and thoughts on Algeria the country. Perhaps mismanagement plays a part in keeping things from running smooth here. Some suspect corruption. Its obvious that there are some things that don’t add up for a country that has a GDP of 250 Billion dollars. Yemen has an annual GDP of 20 Billion dollar. It is surprising that here on the Mediterranean coast the price of seafood is relatively high, because supposedly the fishing rights are all leased or sold to other countries. I know that Mauritania also sells rights to fish off its coast to other countries too, but nonetheless there was some good fish to be bought at reasonably cheap prices in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou. So why not in Algiers?

Newspapers and statistics say that unemployment is high and you can see it everyday in Algiers. You see young men standing about and around, just hanging out with friends with nothing to do at all hours of the day. Some make spare change all day long, voluntarily watching cars parked on sidewalks in an area that has become their territory so to speak.

One thing I have noticed at the university is the lack of equipment and resources. University education I’m told is free. But free in this case doesn’t guarantee you get your money’s worth. There are virtually no textbooks. Somewhere a copy machine salesman is smiling. It seems all around there is a need for improvement and investment. The buildings and equipment could stand an upgrade and as I mentioned before, the faculty feels it is not getting appropriate compensation.

So why does this situation and lack of investment in higher institutions exist? Who knows the real answer of how or why these institutions are not properly supported. In the end, what is happening?

I would also like to add a comment here. Through couchsurfing.com, Mars Williamson of Sweden wrote me inquiring about the situation here. He is thinking of visiting and wonders whether the stereotypical bad news one hears about Algeria and the Middle East is at all true. I can say that since being here, nothing has happened to me nor have I ever felt threatened. However, there’s a feeling in the air at times. A feeling of fear or preoccupation. I notice it in my building, when some people are not friendly to me or in fact question my being here. This is a big city, yes, and they are essentially trying to secure the premises. I don’t take it personally. No, when one puts this into perspective and remembers the violence they suffered in the 90s and the more recent experiences with terrorism, then that really explains the emotions and feelings these people are going through. I would think its gonna take some time to get over that. Nonetheless, there’s a certain feeling in the air and I don’t think it’s joie de vivre. Maybe it’s that old depressing saying, Fatiguee de vivre, peur de mourir. (Tired to live, scared to die).

So there you have some comments heard from locals who one could say are not afraid to be critical of their homeland. How about the flip side of that coin?

Yes, the weather can be nice and the architectural variety fascinating. The languages can be a befuddling maze of linguistic hodgepodge. The people seem resilient in a vital and positive way. The same academic who found paradox so befitting of her country, claimed austere as a vital quality of the Algerian. This is in contrast with Egyptians and Syrians, for example she said, who “really enjoy life.”

I find Algerians to be amazingly adept at managing their identities, languages and cultural contexts. As varied as the terrain goes from Sahara to Kabylie mountains to superb coastal cities with Roman ruins so goes the colonial and imperial histories linked to the Ottomans, the Arabs, the Phoenicians, the Andalucians, the Fatimids, the Almoravids, the French, the British, the Pirates, the Vandals…Algeria seems austere and resilient. As many other relatively new countries, however, it is facing the challenges of defining its overall identity and vision for the future.

le premier novembre...

Anniversary of the Revolution

Today Algeria celebrated the anniversary of the Revolution, which began in 1954. Not much was going on today and it's been cold and rainy for several days anyways. However, an international book fair was going on and I decided to check that out with Nazim and Dr. Elizabeth Bishop.
The book fair was pretty big and there were lots of books in Arabic and French primarily. There were a lot of books on Islam, educational materials and some very good books on Algeria. One of the publishers present was Gallimard from France and they had a very good selection of books as did Editeurs Sans Frontieres. I bought a glossary of Arabic words that appear in French, a small photo and information book on the Kabylie people of Algeria and, for work, I bought a book on Phrasal Verbs by Macmillan and some puppets. One of the puppets is a funny looking evil Zippy the Pinhead looking person and is exactly the same as one I bought at the book fair in Aden last year. These puppet dealers are making a killing at the book fairs off of me!

The rain went on all day and having forgotten my umbrella, I got a little wet. Once home, I just relaxed and then went out for dinner later. In the evening I tried Le Saigon, a Vietnamese restaurant near my place. I was expecting to eat some Pho, but I had squid curry and My Sao- a noodle dish with chicken and veggies. After that, I went out to a live music venue the Lonely Planet recommends, Le Racym’s. It’s actually a kind of fancy looking dinner-dance club. Having already eaten, I didn’t try the food, but the place was packed and it looked allright. When I arrived, the DJ was playing Rai music and the small dance floor was packed already. It didn’t take long to make friends with some regulars and they got me to cut a rug. It was fun, and I heard some songs, I hadn’t heard since partying at the “Casa” in Nouakchott, Mauritania.
After a good hour or so of that, the DJ threw on some current international dance club hits. Things like “World Hold ON…” (I think by Bob Sinclair). After that I walked home.

another day at the office...

what office? well no office, but here's a typical day more or less

I woke up early to catch a ride to El Biar with my neighbor, Mr. Sabri. We rode the elevator to the underground parking lot and he warmly greeted some other neighbors.

We headed towards the cars and a grey Mini caught my eye. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this was his car and that we were going in it! This was really a shock because Mr. Sabri is quite tall and it was not the sort of car I expected to be riding in. It was wonderful and he loves it. His is a 2003 model and he said that he is ready to buy a new one.

This BMW-manufactured car gets great gas mileage and even though it is a compact car, is rather roomy enough for even folks taller than myself like Mr. Sabri.

He dropped me off and I immediately jumped into a rickety old bus headed for Bouzareah. The abrupt change felt a bit like instant time travel. This is my new routine for making it out there on time. I either get a ride or bus or taxi to El Biar and then hop a bus to Bouzareah. For some reason, this works very well, so I no longer look for a ride at the student bus stops. The student bus stops are just too crowded and then once you’re on the bus, it spends a lot of time at a standstill in traffic.

Again on the bus, I didn’t have enough change, but the fare collector let me slide. Though he did ask me for my mobile phone number. Once I got off the bus, I headed for the University and stopped at a patisserie for a big nice chocolate pastry and a glass of asiir mishmash (apricot juice). After that I headed for the English department. Professor Amran and another were the only ones there besides me. Amran smiles a lot and enjoys sharing complementary commentary about her country and other places she’s been. I have always admired meeting people who are proud of their country and explain why it is special. The good thing is she always shares this with me. She does have some good tips too. Today she said I should make it a habit to explore the “real” Algeria that still exists in the small coastal towns just outside of the city. In her opinion, the urban sprawl of Algiers has altered the way of life as it was in yesteryear.

The classes went rather well. I met the rest of the students and they seemed to enjoy the subject matter as best they could. I need to work more on the lessons and have more copies for them next time. Of course, I am the star “native” speaker of English, which is kind of fun. They seem to not have a high opinion of their proficiency, but I must say I think that for the most part they are very capable. The students are not all at the same levels. I suspect their experience of a multilingual reality coupled with their extensive knowledge of French plays a hand in their overall grasp of English as a foreign language.

I stopped in to the English Department and scored me a brand spanking new eraser. I also verified some logistical housekeeping info with the staff. At 12:30, I was to meet up with Nazim, an Algerian guy who was friends with last year’s English Language Fellow. He already has a Bachelors in Business Administration and now is in his 4th year of studying English. Nazim simply has a hospitable nature and offered to show me around some. His English is very good and he is embarking on a course in basic Turkish.

Nazim and I took off and went to have lunch at Pizzeria L’Artista. It was good and the conversation was interesting. Nazim is quite helpful and a nice host. He had his father’s car and offrered to show me around a bit. We went to see Madame Afrique. Madame Afrique is the nickname for Notre Dame d’Afrique a monumental church that sits atop one of the hills overlooking the bay of Algiers. Too bad the weather was rainy and there was nowhere to park. Nonetheless, it was nice to see exactly how the road is to get there.

At about 4pm we parked the car at Chemin Neuf (or is it Champs Manoevre)and hiked it towards La Grande Poste. On the way, Nazim gave me little cultural and historical tidbits. We stopped by the Instituto Cervantes and met some nice folks there. El Instituto Cervantes is a Spanish cultural and language learning center. They apparently have a network of them like Germany’s Goethe Institut and France’s Alliance Francaise. Ahora si se donde ir para charlar en castellano. As we are close to Iberia, there’s alot of lisping there. ;)

Univ. of Algiers…part Deux

(Photo: Bouzareah Campus of the University of Algiers)

Transportation to the Bouzareah campus has been challenging. Today, I missed the buses in the morning and waitied nearly an hour to go to Bouzareah, which made me tardy for my 8:30 class. Not a big deal considering that the teachers were on strike and many classes were as a result cancelled this first week.

The teachers were making what they called a “Protestation”, en francais, in favor of higher wages. I’m told the salary for a university teacher with a master’s or doctoral degree that has a full time schedule is approximately $400 per month. Even though Algeria is a developing country, prices are in general high, so that is the main reason for their request that salaries be raised.

As far as the conditions of the institution, they seem to be in line with what one finds at public universities in developing countries. Many are burdened with an enormous amount of students and demand for programs, but not equipped with sufficient infrastructure and wo/manpower to meet those needs. However, that cannot halt the learning and Algeria is making an effort to do the most with what it has at its disposal. The Bouzareah campus is aimed at those studying the Arts and Sciences. I understand there are somewhere between 12-15,000 students attending classes there, several thousand of which are in the English department.

This year I am teaching 4 courses for the University of Algiers : 1 general English course aimed at Translation and Interpretation Students at the Fac. Centrale’s Translation Department and 3 specialized courses to 1st year students at the English Department of the Bouzareah Campus. These 3 are Phonetics, Oral (Speaking and Listening), and Writing. The English Department offers a Licence, the equivalent of a B.A., a Maitrise, the M.A. and a Ph.D., so there is a lot going on. As last year, there will be a large number (50+) of students in the classes. These big numbers should provide me with an ample representative sample of Algeria’s university students.

The faculty members have been quite hospitable and helpful in providing me with assistance and orienting me for the courses I will teach. Most are multilingual- French, Arabic, English, and perhaps Tamazight, - and have done very impressive work in Algiers and/or abroad, i.e. England, France or the USA. I look forward to getting to know them and collaborating on projects.

I did make it to my second class for Mondays and 5 students showed up. Two were actually in the section for that particular class, but the others happened to be from different groups of different classes that I will teach. It was nice to finally meet some of the students and they were pleasantly surprised to have an American teacher there.
(Left: Main Building at the Fac. Centrale)
My other classes at the Fac. Centrale or Central Campus in downtown Algiers, will begin next week. There I will teach 3 hours a week to a group of 2nd year students in the Department of Translation. Khadija, a doctoral student there that works and teaches for the department as well, has helped orient me there. She helped me arrange my schedule and get set up for Arabic classes at the intensive language center at that campus. She also gave me a brief tour of the school. Interestingly enough, the Central Campus dates from 1909 and was the first university in Africa. Several prominent French philosophers studied there and one senses a distinguished aura of academic legacy as one walks among the stately buildings making up the campus. At a 9 or 10-story building behind the grand university library and beyond a botanical garden plaza, I will be teaching the students in a classroom that is on the top floor. Khadija likes that room because it is conveniently adjacent to a smaller linguistics library and for the majestic views over the campus below and the port beyond the rest of downtown. She also suggested it because the large number of stairs guarantees that only the very motivated students will make the effort to attend class.

(Right: Lecture hall in Main Bldg. of Fac. Centrale- not my classroom, btw)

Exploring Cherchell and Tipaza

(The Roman ruins of Tipaza)

On Friday, October 19, I made my first solo foray into the Algerian countryside.

Lonely Planet just published its first ever edition guidebook to Algeria in August of this year and I’m putting it to good use. The LP editors suggested some easy day trips to Tipaza and Cherchell, to visit some Roman ruins and take in the mountainous countryside along the Mediterranean Sea. Along the way one sees garden plots of butternut squash, grapes, cabbage, etc., and some are covered. I also saw cyclists, some female too, with all of the slick professional gear on.

(To see my photos click: Photos of Tipaza and Cherchell)

Reminiscent of the seaside terrain in Tunisia and Morocco, beautiful fertile green mountains and hills plane out to the coastal road and towns. Though the lay of the land is similar to its neighbors of the Maghreb, the French flavor of the Algerian towns is la difference. For example, the central mosque in Cherchell , Mosque Ar-Rahman, has a front that resembles the Pantheon with classic columns and roofing.

In addition to such interesting traces of the colonial past, there lies the added attraction of ancient treasures from the time of the Roman Empire when Cherchell was known as Caesarea. The Museum of Cherchell has some incredible marble sculptures, i.e. Cleopatras and Juba etc., and mosaics dating from well before J.C. Wandering around Cherchell, I came upon the remains of the ancient thermal baths, a Forum and a Roman theatre. While looking around, I spontaneously stopped to buy some pirate perfume oil (City by Armani) for 3 bucks. For lunch, I had a plate of 5 little rougets (red snappers), French fries, salad and a bottle of Orangina. ($3.50).

After Friday’s prayer, I caught a bus headed to Tipaza. According to Lonely Planet, Algerian writer Albert Camus wrote that Tipaza was inhabited by the gods in spring of the sun and silvered sea blue sky and flower-covered ruins. Obviously he really liked Tipaza and I can certainly see why, the setting is wonderful. Today, the ruins are still nestled in a hilly pine-tree area just before the deep azure waters of the Mediterranean. Among the ancient remains, one finds an ampitheatre that in the 4th-5th centuries was the scene of gladiator battles and other entertainment. The woods and hills of Tipaza also possess temples to ancient gods, a theatre, more baths, and the Great Christian Basilica which reputedly was the largest Christian structure in North Africa in the 4th Century. Due to strong winds I suppose, some of the trees along the seaside cliffs there have grown sideways so much that they have developed a huge conical form resembling the flared-out hairdo of the bride of Frankenstein. The trees are so big, you can actually walk under the hair!

Only one little snafu on this day trip: Because I was unawares and I had stopped to quench my thirst with a couple of Stella Artois’, I missed the last bus going back to Algiers at 6pm. I ended up having to pay $22 for a taxi ride home. Not a mortal wound, but next time I need to make sure I have time to get home. Basketball fans will be interested to know that in Tipaza there was an NBA Finals MVP sighting. Not in person, of course, but a Tony Parker rap video for a song called “Premier Love” came on the muted bar TV. I couldn’t hear it, because the volume was muted and a stereo played some hip Algerian music that the bartendress was singing along to.

Night fell and I slept on the taxi ride home.

The Bardo Museum and The Museum of Antiquities

So today I explored a couple of museums…The Bardo Museum has a collection of ancient artifacts found throughout Algeria. Tinhinan’s bones are there! The real ones according to my my friend Tinhinan (She was named after the queen of the Touaregs). Tinhinan has a great sense of humor. After I told her I went to the museum, she said, “Oh so you saw my bones!” Well, in addition to the Toureg queen's remains there are many ancient arrowheads, rock paintings, pottery, and sculptures, as well as an impressive display of jewelry.

I am boggled by the amount of variety of jewelry on display there. Some impressive pieces were produced by the Moors that came and settled in Algeria when they were expelled from Spain. The Bardo Museum’s grounds are quite impressive in their own right. According to the Lonely Planet guidebook, it was once a Tunisian prince’s palace. The architecture and the patio and plants remind me some of the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio.

Just before noon, the museums close for lunch, isn’t that a hoot? I went down to Rue Didouche Mourad to laminate my Boozareah Campus ID. Then I grabbed some stuffed chicken for lunch at the Roi du Poulet. After that I finally dared to enter a patisserie. There are so many of them all over town and I look in the windows and feel overwhelmed by the choices, but I wanted to continue the birthday celebration with some sweet creation. I had a chocolate cake that was pretty much ½ mousse. I devoured it by a lamppost oblivious to my surroundings. Delicieux!
After that, I continued wandering down the street. I stumbled upon Ferries d’Algerie. They have a boat that goes to Alicante in 10 hours once a week (Tuesdays). It costs $200 round trip. Hmmm...

Did some internet and then I went on to museum number 2 for today…the Museum of Antiquities and Islamic Art. The Antiquities in this case are a treasure of Greek, Punic and Roman artifacts found in the area over the years. There is also a considerable collection of impressive work from Turkey that was brought over during the reigns of the Deys here. The Islamic Art along with a Numismatic collection is housed in a separate building but on the same grounds. The Islamic Art consists of swords, decorative Turkish pistols, Moroccan pottery, traditional textiles and clothes. Something that stands out is the very long tiara or crown that the women wore/wear when getting married.

There really is too much at these places and I felt pleasantly overwhelmed by the amount of information and the craftsmanship I witnessed. I wish I could post some pictures of them, but they seem to have a policy of no photography whatsoever at all museums. I am lucky though that the museums are are so reasonably priced at 20 Algerian Dinars which is the equivalent of 30 cents. I shall have to revisit soon.

Birthday in Algiers

I decided to celebrate my birthday by taking a walk and rocking the Casbah! I walked down the steep stairs and caught a bus headed to Place des Martyrs from where I would walk into the Casbah. The Casbah is actually the oldest part of Algiers and is said to be on top of the ruins of Icosia…the original city that was established here by Hercules and his 20 men eons ago. Famous for intense combat scenes during the revolution that were brought to life in the cult classic film, The Battle of Algiers, it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. UNESCO= United Nations Education and Scientific and Cultural Organization. Although it has received this prestigious honor for its ancient architecture and historical legacy, it has a reputation for being dangerous and off limits to foreigners due to muggings. Tourists are advised to go during the day and even then only to certain parts. I decided to get lost in the Casbah. To avoid any problems, I left with little money, but I did take my new Canon digicam. I took some pictures, and did enjoy the walk through the cobblestone pedestrian alleys there, though it’s not as raucous or boisterous as walking through say, Old Sanaa in Yemen or the souks of Aleppo or Damascus in Syria. Nonetheless, there are parts that remind me of The Battle of Algiers there and there are some women with the white lacy handkerchief covering their face. I do intend to return there again to see more of it, and next time with a local in the know, because there is supposed to be some fascinating ancient houses and palaces.

I made my way up and around eventually to la Grande Poste…that magnificent Arabesque architectural delight. From there I decided it was time to try out some bars and have a drink or 3 in honor of my birthday! I went to a place called L’Andalous and had an Algerian beer…Albrau. It was not bad at all, though it’s served in an 8.5 fl. Oz bottle which makes one feel big! Then I tried some Algerian wine. When they serve a glass here, they do their best to fill it to the rim, btw! The crowd was all male and one guy sitting next to me was drinking Stella Artois, the Belgian beer, and reading up on the ponies. So there’s something else I gotta do here eventually, head to the track and place some bets. Algiers, as you can tell, is not what one expects from a reputedly “conservative” Muslim society.

Just to add a bit on that point…hardly any women here cover their face in Algiers. Quite a few wear scarves, but there is quite a variety in the way they are worn. Some wear them conservatively, in outfits that resemble Catholic nuns, while others wear bright colors or leopard skin prints with jeans and tennies or high heels. It’s refreshing to see such forms of personal expression. I often find myself pleasantly surprised or amused while taking notice of these styles on the streets. Then, there are just quite a few Algerian women that do not don any scarf and go about their business as any woman in America or Europe would which is nice too.

Most men dress as men in any big city. Very few wear traditional attire of any sort, though I hear that this changes in the interior of the country.

So after L’Andalousie, I decided to mosey on to another establishment that serves alcohol. The next place I went to, didn’t have a sign up, but it’s on the major street of Didouche Mourad, just a block away from la FAC Centrale. Inside, again, nothing but men. Some played dice, while others just sipped on Stella Artois. Che Guevara décor is quite popular here. In fact, there is a Rue Ernesto Guevara in downtown Algiers. When Algeria was starting out as a new independent nation, Cuba was one of, if not the first to recognize it and provide it with assistance. Cuban doctors came here and helped out for years. Fidel also gave sugar to the newly established independent nation of Algeria.

I tried to go out later, but was not so lucky…apparently to get into the nightclubs here, one must go with company and be dressed to the 9s and be ready to drop some do-re-mi. I went back home but not too dejected, since I was eager to strum my guitar before my doors open to the port of Algiers and a cold beer at my side.

1st visit to the University of Algiers

Oct. 17th…First day meeting the folks of The University of Algiers at the Bouzareah campus. The Director of the English Department, Dr. Bensamene is quite nice and she gave me an Algerian date for my birthday! She and her staff have considerable years of experience teaching English at the University and many of them have done research and studies in England and/or the USA.

I also met the Fulbright Scholar too, Dr. Elizabeth Bishop. She is an amazing person. She is a historian and has worked for over 10 years in Egypt, I think mostly at the American Univ. of Cairo. She’s also taught at UT Austin and is fluent in Arabic and Russian. On top of this, she is funny and supercool. We will get to collaborate perhaps on some kind of American cultural projects that we may help out with at the American Corner here in Algiers or at possibly some kind of panel discussion in Oran. (American Corners are partnerships between the Public Affairs sections of U.S. Embassies and host institutions. They provide access to current and reliable information about the U.S. via book collections, the Internet, and through local programming to the general public.)

The Bouzareah campus is pretty big, and the English department is quite big. How big is big? I heard there are anywhere from 12-15,000 students there. There are about 30 faculty members teaching English. Other foreign languages are studied there, French, Arabic, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. Years ago, when I visited Tangiers and Morocco, I remember thinking how wonderful it would be to work there somehow and be exposed to and utilize French and Arabic on a daily basis. Today, that is the situation I live in and it’s wonderful since I love languages. I am continuosly stimulated linguistically. Having studied French and having spent considerable time in Francophone lands, I do fine en francais. I’m a bit rusty for producing super high quality speech and a lethargic attitude at times creates a pronounced accent, but I expect in a short while to get that muscle in shape again. As for Arabic, well, the spoken variety here is very different. The basic classic tenets are the same, but at times different words are used. Also the Berber language and the French have influenced the Algerian Arabic that one hears. I will be taking a classical Arabic course at the FAC Centrale of the Univ. of Algiers. I’m excited about that as well.

At the Boozareah campus, we discussed the timetables for the upcoming semesters. I will be teaching 3 courses to 3 different groups for a total of 8 hours there per week. Writing for 4 hours, Oral Speaking for 2 hours, and Phonetics for 2 hours. The groups will either be 1st or 2nd year students and will number about 50-70 each, yielding approximately 200 total. I will teach Basic English to 2nd year students on other days at the Fac Central’s Translation Department for a total of 3 hours there. So I will have 11 contact hours for 4 different courses per semester. Obviously, I’ll be busy, but it should be interesting to cover such a variety of topics and situations.

H2O heater

The plumber came to fix the water heater and to replace a flush system for the toilet. The water heater system here is quite interesting. In America, I am used to a big water heater that goes in a closet somewhere and heats up water and keeps it heated in a reserve tank. Here, the device works differently. The pilot light remains on, unless turned off. When a hot water faucet is turned on, then the pilot sparks a big burner on and the water passes through small metal tubing where it will heat up. The temperature can be relatively warm or super hot, but that is knob-adjustable on the device. According to others who have used them, they are very efficient and last for years. They supposedly last longer than the reserve tank heaters I am used to seeing in America. Hmmm, I wonder if this is available in the US???

Home & Phone

Today, I took care of le bizness. That is real estate….it actually went rather smooth…with all things considered. The "Queen of the Touregs", Tinhinan, has gracefully aided me in my efforts to arrive, secure housing and tomorrow will introduce me to the University officials before I start teaching English. (Tinhinan is not actually royalty, but that is the origin of her name.)

This year I live on the 8th floor of a 12-story building, technically the 9th if you count the ground floor (rez de chausee). And I have a great view of the Mediterranean as it lies before the port of Algiers. While giving me a tour of my new place, the landlord’s representative (his brother), stated simply that I could leave the bay doors open before my bed and just be inspired as I look over the city below and beyond before la mer mediterranee. It’s true, and it feels quite nice to do so with the guitar. This furnished apartment comes at a price of 50,000 Algerian Dinars per month. That is approximately 730 dollars according to http://www.xe.com/ucc/full.php. Rentals here are paid in cash up front and include a 3 month deposit, so I literally handed over a bundle of dinars. There were also fees paid to a notary, insurance company and one months rent to the rental agency. :) As you can see it is a nice place and there is plenty of room, so couchsurfers are welcome.

I also bought a cheap Nokia model cell phone. My cousin Greg had given me his old Sony Ericsson, but the battery was a little batty and I opted for the no frills of just buying a local model. The actual chip only cost about $7 and the phone $40. So I’m all set, it’s prepaid and pay as you go, so no worries, no hassles, no debate and no interest. Lol

Anyways, email me if you’d like to give me a call and I’ll relate some random situation. ;) cheers Algiers!

It is Eid and my first day in Algiers

I got up lethargically as I am still suffering from jet lag …shades of last year in Sanaa…except this time I had nowhere to be and noone to see either! And because of Eid there’s another day of that tomorrow! Eid is a big 2 day feast celebrated with family after Ramadan ends.

I finished off some grapes and yogurt that were part of my supper from the previous evening. After showering, I played my new guitar some. I bought it just before coming and I’m glad I did because it sounds alot better than the cheap one I had planned on bringing. Originally priced @ $299, I paid for the new one cash and got a $90 discount on the Yamaha CX101020, thanks Alamo Music Center! As I say, I’m very happy with the purchase and look forward to having some good jam sessions here. One of the first songs I played last night was “Aicha” by the Algerian Raï artist: Cheb Khaled. I had to since I’m in his homeland. Felt good. The lyrics are in French and Algerian Arabic. If you don’t know this classic of Raï music, then find it and listen. Raï music, which often centers on love, hails from Oran, a western port city of Algeria that is supposed to have an ambiance influenced by a mixture of Spanish, French and Arab history there.

So back to today, yes..jammed out then headed out into Algiers. I stepped off to the right and found a little plaza with a charming fountain that was in a little state of disrepair, but like I say, charming. All the more charming, because folks were out…lots of children with toy guns, and young men hanging out. A man honey roasting peanuts and others selling small skewers of merguez (sausage) and liver with fat. Mmm yummy. Kids and others crowded around the grills waiting to get some. Yes, Ramadan is over and the feeling in the air is freedom..freedom to eat again on the street. Algiers struck me with it’s beauty…the architecture much of it with a French elegance a la Mediterannee. They described it as “la Blanche”, but I am pleased to see that a lot of the wrought iron that graces the balconies is a happy bleu! And people occasionally peep out of these balconies and say hi to friends on the street. It’s refreshing to see people living so in an urban environment.
Nearby, I saw a wonderful mosque here on Boulevard des Martyrs, wonderful because it has some colorful decorative tilework…very special. After that, I had to return to the hotel for lunch.

Last night, I was served a supper after the official “hours” which was just fruit, yogurt. The dates were delicious and that’s de rigueur since this is the land of the Deglet Nour dates. They are reputedly among the finest. Well, I didn’t want to miss lunch hours so I hurried back and made it there at 1:15 with time to spare. I was rewarded with a copious serving of couscous a l’algerienne! The couscous itself reminded me of good Moroccan couscous. The sauce was similar, tomato based, but not overly so like spaghetti sauce. They served me a nice chunk of goat meat on the side. The sauce came with garbanzos, squash, and carrots. It was hearty and delicious. I spiced it up with some “harissa” hot sauce too. Comme boisson there was PepsiMax. Gotta love it.

After that I chilled out in my room, with my guitar, took a nap and then went out again for a long walk to get to know la ville d’Alger. The layout and the architecture, the urban design, the French style, the parks, the people impressed me as a good city. I kept heading toward the water hoping to find a seaside promenade or other waterfront, but the front is pretty much a port. Nonetheless, it is impressive and there are several big ferries going to different parts of the Mediterranean,like Tunisia, Greece, Turkey, France and Spain. I made it all the way to Djemaa al Djedid, or the new mosque. Next to it was a little amusement park…part of the Eid festivities. I found a wind-up monkey that plays the drums and bought it for 100 Algerian Dinars. $1=70 Algerian Dinars.

Then I made my way back to the hotel. Along the way I walked through a tunnel that had an installation of projected art on the walls. All day long, I saw the Algerians. Some in religious garb, djelllabas, male gowns, some women scarved. Quite few covering the face too. Those that do, interestingly, have a little “handkerchief” looking thing that does so. Saw some interesting cinemas and a couple of places where I can continue my studies of Arabic. I’m excited to do so.

The city is hilly, so if I ever get a bicycle it is gonna be a serious workout. People all over have satellites. Pizza places abound. Espresso costs only 15 Dinars! Some very pretty ladies driving cars. Too. There are even female cops etc. The cultural attitudes of the Islamic world vary along longitudes.

How can I describe it? Well geographically Algeria is juxtapositioned betwixt Morocco and Tunisia, and it seems to be a mélange of the two, yet there is this air of or history of strife that is not common to its neighbors. Also, the French were here for 150 years before leaving in 1964. So their mark is well esconced here. At times one even finds imperial décor and not grotesquely done, but rather tastefully. And with the moderate climate, it mélanges well. So, those are merely first impressions, but I sense a bewildering complexity, as in my feeble attempts to decipher the mélange of francais, al arabiyya and Tamazight, the berber tongue. How fascinating to be where languages have and continue to intermingle! I liken it as follows…it’s to the ears what fusion cuisine is to the palate, yet perhaps alot more challenging to digest.