My Blog

Home-ward bound?

alohatessa — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 07:21:24 GMT

Hiya lovelies, So... the time has come for me to put out there that I might, be in need of a little transportation assitance. This could include me, or some of my items, or the whole package of my playaness on the way back to portland. I have a ride down to the Playa, but alas... that wonderful ride will not be returning in a timely manner. And so, If you are in need of some companionship or know you will have some extra room for my tent, bike, and a couple of bins, I would love to hear from you. Much aloha to you all. -Tessa

Flying Home

alohatessa — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 23:33:24 GMT

Two years ago, I left my first serious relationship with a pair of white feathered wings. Though he was inspired by Victoria's Secret, with the gift I felt like a dove being released. The symbol has followed me, in dreams, in visions, and as I fly about the world. Growing freer with each breath and with each flap. Blessed be these wings. It is flying time again for me. I have a three day journey ahead. But these wings are strong , And I am oh so ready, To fly my way home. I'm coming in on Saturday. See you all soon.

Indigo Light

alohatessa — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 21:28:56 GMT

Three days in the same clothes. High healed shoes on my feet. Resonating from the kings chamber. I am alined. Sitting on a magic carpet. Upon a roof top in Giza. Surrounded by talent and creativity. I soak in musical bliss. Foaming waves of fushia in the sky. Pyramids in the near distance. My body vibrates as I shift Indigo light behind my eyes. I know why I am here. Alhamdu lillah

Don't they look like a box of crayons

alohatessa — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 19:08:01 GMT

Hello, hello. Whats your name? Hello. How old are you? Whats your name? Hello. Where are you from? Hello. Hello. Very beautiful. Hello. Whats your name? Hello. Hello. Surrounded by a sea of colorfully scarved nine and ten year old school girls I am graced with many smiles and sparkeling eyes, that all want to be close to me. Simple introductions, and simple questions backed by the sounds of many hellos. Small soft hands would reach out to get my attention so that they could tell me their names. Excited by my camera they all wanted to be in the picture, but unfortunately I could not fit them all in the frame. After letting go of the innital overwhelmed feeling, I felt completly warmed by the glow on their faces as they reached to me to touch another world. Looking back at the picture I am reminded of a theme of my inquiry here: the Hijab. To veil or not to veil. I have been amazed by this phenomenon since my arrival. Yet Most women in Cairo and almost all in the smaller towns cover their head with the hijab. I have been told that ten years ago there was far fewer women and girls in Cairo covering their heads. But with the growing schism between the Islamic world and the west, the trend for women to cover their heads is becoming more and more popular in order to strengthen Islamic values. The Koran does not say that women must cover there heads. It is a middle eastern tradition of hiding their women not based on the religion. It is the Islamic fundementalists who insist on the Hijab for all muslims. Social pressure has driven women who used to show their hair to cover it. It is now only the upper educated class and the Coptic Christians who don't wear the Hijab. I am amazed at how young some of the girls that are covered are, I have seen them as young as four or five. But often it is not until they are prepubesent. I am facinated by the school girls who are in the transitional stage, walking side by side some covered some not. I would love to know more about what their thoughts are on the Hijab. It must be an exciting right of passage when they are two young to understand the cultural and political implications. Less colorful and much more disturbing is another cultural phenomenon. Female Circumscion is also a right of passage in this islamic country. The statistics are staggaring, according to a 1995 survey of Egypt 97% of ever married females in egypt are circumsized, the percentage lowers to 90% for those with higher education. I wonder if there is a correlation between the two. Have all these beautiful children been mutilated? Denied to share their beauty in public, and denied to experince orgasmic beauty in private. The Fundamentalists want to keep the islamic countries from being westernized, which means keeping women in their place as second class citizens. But westernization is a hard thing to combat. With MTV in all homes with sattelites, these children are exposed to the idealized world we come from. When interacting with these children I know they are drawn to me because of our differences, yet also because I am a young female. They are eager just to touch me and my name. We look into eachothers eyes, like magic mirrors reflecting the possibilities of the world. The reflection soars through my heart and reminds me to be thankful for my freedom.

Moulid

alohatessa — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 19:10:03 GMT

Last night I finally achieved a genuine raw egyptian experience. Don't get me wrong, the month and a half I have been her has been wonderful. My stay has been fit for a princess, with personal drivers, palcial suites, five star meals, and personal tour guides to individually whisk me through mobs of tourists and entrance fees. But it was not untill last night as I experinced a moulid that I really felt the richness of this egyptian culture. Being a child of festivals, I am not surprised that it has taken one to inspire me to write my first travel blog. A moulid is a huge festival that is said to be a tradition from pharonic times. The celebration is not apart of the islamic tradition, due to the fact that there is singing, dancing, whirling dervishes and estatic trancelike states that take place during the dancing. When I was a child I was refered to as a whirling dervish by my parents because I loved to spin in circles. The possibility of seeing them was a large part of my drive to go to the Moulid. Moulid actually means birthday, and the one that I attended last night, which is the largest moulid in egypt, was in honor of the birth of a 13th century Sufi Mystic. The moulid took place in Tanta, about two hours north of Cairo. I went with my friend Dan, an older gentleman involved on sound therepy and theater. Before we arrived I asked him if he thought many westerners would be there. He stated that we probably would be the only two. To my surprise he was right. Upon arrival I was immediately aware that we were to be a spectical. After a confusing an unsuccesfull attempt to enter the mosque led by the hands of an outgoing teenage girl, we made our way to the side of the Mosque to where the tents were set up with stages for music. Noise came from all directions as many horrible sound systems competed all within the same block. The sidewalks were lined with people camped out for the night watching the activities arround them as if it were a parade. An older Sufi man invited us to tea on the sidewalk with him and his friends. Many had blankets that they laid beneath them but our group was situated on small delapidated peices of cardbord. All the same I followed Dan's lead to take off my shoes before stepping into their space. With tea in our hands, we went through introductions as people filled in the gaps on the ground to be near to us. None of them spoke english, and our arabic combined was next to nothing. Still we were able to enjoy each others company. Dan, who has learned some traditional songs in arabic, wowed them with his baratone renditions of songs they knew. I took out my digital camera, and entertained the children and adults with the immediate satisfaction of viewing the pictures. I was asked to cover my head with my scarf by an elder sufi man who had a large morracan style turban. When I did a young boy motioned to my head covering and gave me a thumbs up. The man in the large turban refused to let me take pictures of him or his family, but still was friendly and interested. They offered us tea, food, cigarettes and little prayer books, and the little boy insisted that I take his pen. Feeling warmed by the hospitality, we continued our exploration of the moulid. A small crowd of young men and boys began to follow us. We went off on a smaller side street stoping at a vender, but they crowd of boys hung about. This attracted us more attention, and as we moved on the crowd grew. Eventually we escaped them by entering a space filled with people dancing essentially through the back door. There protected from the young men, I watched and swayed to the music in amazment as I witnessed the estatic dancers. Unllike any dancing I have seen before the men and women moved in a repeditive rocking and twisting of their upper body. Suddenly an angry man burst in and the music stopped. From what Dan and I could tell was that the man was shouting about the dancing being unislamic. We moved on to find that we drew a crowd of young men again. In order to evade them we would stop at different venders in hopes that they would leave. Some did, but our followers were pretty constant. We found refuge in a restaurant where we had a meal of chicken, hummous, and babaganough and a wonderful view of the mosque lit up in lights. The night continued with us wandering and evading the following crowd of young men. I drew a picture of whirling dervishes and asked people where they where. But everyone said that they where not there. From my research on moulids, I was sure that I would see dervishes, but apparently not at this moulid. Arround one a.m. we decided to drive home. Although the event would continue all night, the intensity of the experience wore us out early. I am still determined to find some dervishes, and might have to settle for the group that performs at the citadel, who are trained dancers and not actually sufis. But dervishes or not, the colorful and noisey night streets of Tanta during moulid made my mind whirl and heart race as I accepted graciousness, observed estaticness and dodged youthfull boldness.

I'm leaving on a jetplane, don't know when I'll be back again.

alohatessa — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 22:03:28 GMT

Hello Lovelies, Tomorrow night, which is Wednesday the 27th. I am having an evening get together to send me off on my adventure. I am hoping for a warm and cozy little house party were I can be sent of into the world wrapped in a blanket of hugs and kisses. I have to be at the airport by 11:15 pm, so I am asking you all to arrive earler rather than later, so that you don't miss me. Seven or Eight o'clockish sounds about right to me. We will have some cocktails and wine to offer, along with some yummy appetizers. But feel free to bring a bottle of wine to contribute to the evening. The location is my soon to be former home, on 24th and Lincoln in Southeast, four blocks south of Hawthorne. The address is 2335 SE Lincoln. Please spread the word to anyone else who might like to come, as I have not yet fully networked myself on this tribe world. Much aloha, Tessa