Sunday, December 10, 2006

A tribute to ....... Nablus

Usually, when someone starts talking about where they have descended from, and which village, town or city they originated from, people around them, whether colleagues, friends, or in-laws may mistake it for either disloyalty for where they have been living for the past decades of their lives. , or simply, for a show off display.

However, the thing is, that we as humans tend to belong to a place, a home, something that we feel solidly hugged and immersed within, the question is, could it be more than one place? I believe, yes, it could be.

It’s a known fact that the population of this beautiful country, come from both sides of the river, we have both shared the resources and elevated up with everything that this generous land offered. And there is no doubt and no question to any of that. However, our hearts are divided in between. I have lived almost my whole life here , I've grown up here , had my full education here , have friends allover , know the streets of Amman like the back of my hand . Yet, I have this warm affection for my home town "Nablus".




Why am I bringing this up? Who cares about my home town? Who cares what do I feel for it, or in which way do I long for walking in its streets? For having some khdoud elset "whish is a yummy type of sweets prepared in Nablus, I prefer it even better than Kunafeh!" There is a good chance, no one will care. But that's okay, I simply felt this desire to type down few lines about it, and send it a tribute through them.

What has triggered it then? It could be those family chats about the old times, the way brothers gathered their families, having all cousins growing up under the same roof, knowing each others like siblings do. Those naughty funny stories of uncles and aunties deeds as kids, those richly colored memories with the taste and smell of the places they speak of , those pure little love stories , or even traditional marriage stories " they still had so many funny details within", it could be anything.

The truth is , as I'm typing these lines , I can picture myself , sitting on the garden's stairs on my grandparent house , overlooking the E'bal mountain ""عيبال , then walking down the street , all the way to the old town , smelling that roaster store on the way , entering those rocky aisles of the old city , celebrating my visuals with the ancient look of those stores going back to hundreds of years , hearing the old strong unique accent of my people blabbering . Passing by the spices merchants, and the soap factories, smelling that unique aroma for the Nabulsi soap. Heading towards Khan , buying some halaweh and Zalabiyeh " another Nabulsi sweet" and then going through the old neighborhoods , and all the way to the famous centre with the clock.

I can keep on talking about my childhood and teenage years memories there , and take you into a journey. But I think , this will probably need another post .


And to those whom are away from their hometowns, regardless which hometown they came from, I hope you'll be able to visit it again and celebrate your memories within.

I love you ya Nablus .. ya Jabal Elnar ..

14 comments:

Me said...

Danah, what a nice tribute to your home town!! you took me on the walk and i could sens everything you typed.
i have to konw one thing, what is "khdoud elset" sweets?

Anonymous said...

I had Habiba Kunafeh ... I guess part of the Nabulsi traditions :)

rare said...

Have u tried Ftoot with nablusi cheese! Its so delicious.
Have u tried Ez7a! the black sweet thing! Its not that delicious but it is so nutritious!
I love Nablus too, I know what u r talking about, I have so many Nablus pictures, I should show them to you :)

Unknown said...

it's always the question i here " are you falla7 or madany", my relatives are like nazi's when it comes to this...they tell me stories that "falla7een" are not allowed to marry "madanyeen". i know my grandparents' house is in "7ay el yasmeen", and the thing with eating knafeh with bread.

the funny thing is that my mother is lebanese and in beirut, they eat kunafeh with "5ubez 7amam" in the morning...it's actually delicious.

I get intimidated by nabulsi women...because they are really " gawayah" and tend to control their husbands.

Anonymous said...

azaz, as this subject "fala7 wemadani" is an old dead one there is no point discuss it. We are all from the same father and mother and all come form dust and to dust we will return so that is a closed subject and will always be aclosed subject because its a sign of ignorance and its against the instruction of our beloved prophet SAAW. eat kinnafah any way you want as long as you like it who cares.

Bint Jabal Annar Danah,
La nafta2 natakalumu 3al Nablus wa ta2khuthana althikrayat waheya muqayadatun bequyood al27tilal wa2hlaha yasoomahum alyahood alanjas soo2 al3athab... Ayna na7nu min Nablus al7abeeba waqad 7aza alqydu fi mi3samayha wa nathara sha3raha aljameel thalika assajan al7aqeer wahya ma zalat tantathir ma akhwataha, alquds walkhaleel, wa ghaza, waghayrahun Sala7an jadeed yurji3 lahuna karamatahun almahdurrah...
Hal 3ajazat ar7amakun ya banat Jabal Annar 3an an tukhrija Sala7an min jadeed?????

Anonymous said...

Allah La yi3sirha wala yijeebha 3aqa.

Any how, you brough back memories. I did not live in Nablus, but I am from a village close by. I spent many of my teenage days there.

(Tealover) said...

Summer :) Thank you for the nice words .. and I am glad I was able to convey my feelings ! :) I tried to look up something about khdoud elset on google , but find none , maybe I should look harder , I've already gave you a description for it but for anyone wonders about it , its a sweet that is made of special light dough sheets (something between buff pastry and kollaj dough) and filled with 2eshta ! the only place I know of that sell something close to original here in Amman is Arafat sweets , Madina Monawara St.s !

Qwaider .. lol .. yeah close enough .. they have yummy kunafeh there .. and m6abba2 as well !

Rare :)Welcome to my blog , since this is your first visit. YES .. ftout el3iedi .. wit Jubneh and 6a6li moshmosh or 6a6li 2arasieyh .. yummmmmy ! hehehe I am not into Ez7a , though other family members are .. and I would love to see the collection of pictures you have :) ..

LOOOL Azaz oh yeah .. this is the word said about Nabulsi women .. but again .. all women are gawayaah :) .. so don't make one origin intimidate you ;)
.. and yes , I know what you're talking about , this was a long time ago ! though in a book I am reading now , things sounds different between falla7een and madaniyeen about 3 decades ago .. and you know something .. I should try this kunafeh with bread one day !!!!and welcome to my blogspot :)

Abdullah .. I believe Azaz meant to bring up this matter as one of the old facts/memories of a period of time, that almost everybody knows about :) , I do not think he meant any degradation with his addition .

Nablus and the other wtons around have been fighting back th occupation for so long now , it amazes me how people there are capable of managing their lives , they are not living , but they are surviving. We all wish to see lands of Palestine free again , we all wish and want to color our eyes with those beautiful lands ..

Kerry LOL .. I should say I don't remember hearing this sentence before .. though it does sound Nabulsi ko7 !!:) villages around Nablus are awsum , all green and bushy .. I can remember my visit to Sabastia clearly .. one of the loveliest I've been to !

: )welcome to my blog spot

Unknown said...

thanks..tealover, i just said it as a joke, and abdallah..don't be so stiff....loosen up man

and what is this book about nablus?

(Tealover) said...

LOL abu shakosh ...thats okay , everone has cravings ;).

Azaz
Anytime :) .. check my post
http://danahtealover.blogspot.com/2006/12/answering-book-tag.html

it has full info. about it .

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Kimberly said...

Hi I liked your information about this some time ago .... I did a work called wine production who spoke of the same ... thank you for your post and I hope to continue putting more on the subject

willy said...

And there is no doubt and no question to any of that.

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willy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
willy said...

But that's okay, I simply felt this desire to type down few lines about it, and send it a tribute through them.

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