The Tahtib – An Embarrassing FYI

I purchase light-weight bamboo canes for my daughter every now and then as she loves to play with them. Some of them are quite decorative, others are plain Jane, like this one here.

 

 Sometimes we’ll tie shoestrings to the ends and pretend that we’re on a fishing trip, blow up balloons and play a game of “Don’t Let the Balloon Touch the Ground,” or we’ll play a game of “Whoop the Softball” (our version of hockey). If my daughter gets too excited, she’ll swing the cane in every direction and our game of “Whoop the Softball” accidentally turns into a game of “Whoop the Mommy.” – Lookout, duck, ouch! If I have enough energy left, we’ll duel it out in an imaginary sword fight. The canes don’t always survive our horseplay hence my multiple purchases.

 

I did not have an inkling regarding these canes -until now - and despite the fact that I wanted to ask a shopkeeper about them a long time ago, I never inquired. I do remember seeing an African woman at a local masjid keeping the children in check while their mothers prayed by waving a similar cane at them.

 

Oh the ignorance….

 

One night while running errands, I purchased yet another cane to keep my daughter occupied and out of trouble. She handed me the cane and after some time I noticed that people were staring at me…hmmmm?

 

Oh the ignorance….

 

I entered my favorite herb store. The shopkeeper looked at me and gasped (eyes and mouth wide open). Ok, I’m nervous now. I’ve been shopping at this particular store for the past 3 years and by Allaah’s Mercy have generated business for them and myself, so we’re more like associates.. so why is he looking at me like that? Here’s our conversation:

 

Shopkeeper: Umm Su’aad! Why do you have that stick?!

 

Silly Me: Oh, (gulp)…what’s it used for?

 

Shopkeeper: It’s used for beating and some women (professional “dancers”) use it while entertaining men.

 

Silly Me to Myself: OOOOOH MYYYYY GOD! I can’t believe that I walked around for an hour holding this stick. I’m soooo embarrassed! The men that were staring at me must think that I’m A DANCER. Ooooohhh God I can’t breathe! They must think that I was “advertising my services.” Ok Haneefah, pull yourself together…take a deep breath.

 

Silly Me to the Shopkeeper: Oh? Well…(gulp)…I buy these things for Su’aad. She loves to play with them – that’s all. I did not know that they were used for beating and dancing.

 

Shopkeeper: Oh.

 

Silly Me to Myself: I will never, ever purchase these canes again!

 

I Googled the keywords “Bedouin stick” and came across this…

“Egyptian men have always carried a long staff for herding, walking and protection. Their dance, called ‘tahtib’ is a mock battle set to music. The men strut and posture showing off their strength, then attack and parry in time with the music. The women’s version of the dance is all about femininity. They make the movements cute and flirty and omit the fighting. The women flaunt effortless control of their much smaller stick or crooked cane. They use it unabashedly as a frame for the body movements. Some of the women’s movements echo the ‘tahtib’ and sometimes the men imitate the woman’s style.”

 

Other web sites state that belly dancers perform the feminine, flirtatious version of the “war dance” that’s usually performed by men using much bigger, heavier sticks or swords. Bedouin men from several different countries all have their own version of the “war dance.”

  

I hope my ordeal saves someone else from sheer and utter embarrassment.

  

Haneefah :)

Photo of the Day: Masjid “Hudood”

Masjid "Hudood" - The Balad, Jeddah KSA

The Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony

Catching a cool breeze at the park is one of my favorite ways to de-stress. Watching my daughter laugh and play with other children brings me solace as she’s an only child and sometimes the loneliness gets her down. Once in a while a neighbor will invite me to sit with her and her companions for coffee, tea, light desserts and small talk. Every now and again the women will get together for a smorgageborg comprising of Ethiopian, Somali and Sudanese delicacies. Recently there were about 30 women and numerous children sitting in a huge circle sharing a meal well into the late-night hours.  It was a beautiful sight to see, Tabaarakallaah.

Last Thursday, while sipping on some of the strongest coffee I’ve ever tasted in my life, a girl fell and cut her hand. Her mother and “aunties” doctored her up with none other than Ethiopian Coffee grounds. To my surprise the coffee did not cause the girl any discomfort, in fact, the girl howled when her mother cleaned her wound with water, yet was as quite as a mouse when she applied the coffee grounds. I was intrigued and could not help but to ask about its medicinal benefits. Apparently coffee grounds can be used as a styptic preparation.

Interesting Web Site: Coffee Science – Medicinal Facts, Recipes, etc…

I stumbled upon some info regarding the “Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony” while researching the benefits of coffee in general. I now understand the strange reaction I got after politely refusing the third cup. Ethiopians see the third round as “barakah.” I felt a migraine coming on and just couldn’t bear another cup. I said to the ladies, “I won’t be able to sleep tonight.” Their reply was, “Don’t worry about it. You don’t need to sleep, tomorrow is Yawmul Jumu’ah!” I said to myself, “Yes, tomorrow is Yawmul Jumu’ah, but I’d like a little rest before then.” Lol. I was then offered a soothing cup of Mint Tea and practically inhaled it.

*I did not fall asleep until after 8:00 AM the next morning!*

Qahwah Habashiyyah roasting in a "Jebena."

The host allowed me to snap a photo of her “Jebena.” This was not an official ceremony but it was indeed fun. Here’s some more info…  

 Epicurean com states: “Ethiopia’s coffee ceremony is an integral part of their social and cultural life. An invitation to attend a coffee ceremony is considered a mark of friendship or respect and is an excellent example of Ethiopian hospitality. Performing the ceremony is almost obligatory in the presence of a visitor, whatever the time of day. Don’t be in a hurry though – this special ceremony can take a few hours. So sit back and enjoy because it is most definitely not instant.”

“Ethiopian homage to coffee is sometimes ornate, and always beautifully ceremonial. The ceremony is usually conducted by one young woman, dressed in the traditional Ethiopian costume of a white dress with coloured woven borders. The long involved process starts with the ceremonial apparatus being arranged upon a bed of long scented grasses. The roasting of the coffee beans is done in a flat pan over a tiny charcoal stove, the pungent smell mingling with the heady scent of incense that is always burned during the ceremony. “

“The lady who is conducting the ceremony gently washes a handful of coffee beans on the heated pan, then stirs and shakes the husks away. When the coffee beans have turned black and shining and the aromatic oil is coaxed out of them, they are ground by a pestle and a long handled mortar. The ground coffee is slowly stirred into the black clay coffee pot locally known as ‘jebena’, which is round at the bottom with a straw lid. Due to the archaic method used by Ethiopians, the ground result can be called anything but even, so the coffee is strained through a fine sieve several times. “

Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony Photo by Epicurean.com

 ”The youngest child is then sent out to announce when it is to be served and stands ready to bring a cup of coffee first to the eldest in the room and then to the others, connecting all the generations. The lady finally serves the coffee in tiny china cups to her family, friends and neighbours who have waited and watched the procedure for the past half-hour. Gracefully pouring a thin golden stream of coffee into each little cup from a height of one foot without an interruption requires years of practice.” 

“Coffee is taken with plenty of sugar (or in the countryside, salt) but no milk and is generally accompanied by lavish praise for its flavour and skilful preparation. Often it is complemented by a traditional snack food, such as popcorn, peanuts or cooked barley. In most parts of Ethiopia, the coffee ceremony takes place three times a day – in the morning, at noon and in the evening. It is the main social event within the village and a time to discuss the community, politics, life and about who did what with whom.”

“If invited into a home to take part, remember – it is impolite to retire until you have consumed at least three cups. Abol’ (the first round), ‘Tona’ (second round) and ‘Baraka’ (third round).”  

“The coffee Arabica strain is Ethiopia’s original bean and the only one still grown and drunk there today. The composition of its delicate and strong flavour can be lost if it is high roasted. According to national folklore, the origin of coffee is firmly rooted in Ethiopia’s history. Their most popular legend concerns the goat herder from Kaffa, where the plants still grow wild in the forest hills. The best Ethiopian coffee may be compared with the finest coffee in the world, and premium washed Arabica beans fetch some of the highest prices on the world market. In a world where time has long become a commodity, the Ethiopian coffee ceremony takes us back to a time when value was given to conversation and human relations. Perhaps an ancient proverb best describes the place of coffee in Ethiopian life, “Buna dabo naw”, which when translated means “Coffee is our bread!”