The pleasure of traveling abroad : shopping street in Cairo

海外旅行の楽しみの一つはスーパーで買い物することです。
食品を買えば安く、庶民の味が味わえます。
また現地の人々の暮らし向きも一目瞭然です。
大概、夜の町歩きは一人なら本屋、妻と一緒ならスーパーと言うことになります。

One of the pleasure of traveling abroad is doing some shopping in a supermarket.
If you buy food, it is cheap and can eat the popular taste.
Moreover, there is a local people’s lives.
At just about anytime, if I go walking around in a night town alone, I will go to a bookstore,
and if together with my wife, we will go to a supermaket.

今回はカイロのギザ近くのエアイ・アラーム通りにある商店街とスーパーに行った話しをします。

２００９年の６月のことです。

辺りはとっぷりと暮れて、背の高い黒人がたむろする中を、妻と二人で街灯がとぎれとぎれの大通りを歩きました。

着いた所はみすぼらしい人通りの少ない小さな商店街でした。

このような時, 私は恐がりなのですが、妻は毅然としています。

We went to a shopping street and a supermarket in AI Ahram street near Giza in Cairo.
It was in June, 2009.
The neighborhood in this street was dark and there were many tall black persons. I walked along this Street where the streetlight was few with the wife.
The place at which we arrived was a shabby small shopping street.
On such occasions, I am a little afraid, but my wife isn’t so.

歩いていると、数人の店員が倉庫の中から、パンを道端のガラスケースに運ぶ姿が目に入りました。
妻はやおら、その店員にパンを数種類1個づつ売ってくれないかと話しかけました。
ところが英語が通じないのか、どうやら駄目だと言っているようでした。
どうやら、1個ずつでは売れない、レジ袋一杯が1ドルだと言っていることがわかりました。
結局、袋に数種類のパンを一杯に詰めて買うことが出来ました。
これほど物価が安いとは思いもしませんでした。

When we were walking, we caught a sight in which several salesclerks carry many breads to a wayside glasscase out of a warehouse.
The wife said the salesclerk, "Please sell several kinds of bread, one by one."
Is wife's English useless? He seemed to say that he did not sell it.
He said that he can not sell it respectively one by one. The price of a shopping bagful of bread is 1 dollar. How cheap !
After all, we bought a shopping bagful of bread.
I did not think the price is so cheap.

次の日、ツアー仲間に配りました。
その後は、近くのス-パーに入り、香辛料とスープの素を買いました。
私達は海外旅行中何処に行っても大概スープの素を買います。
帰国後、読めない字を、勘を頼りに解読し料理しますが、多くは口に合いません。
イスタンブールのグランドバザールで3分の一に値切った金額のさらに3分の一で香辛料は売られていました。

The next day my wife distributed it to the tour friend.
Then, we went into nearby a supermaket and bought some spices and powder soup.
Wherever we may go on a trip abroad, we buy some powder soup.
My wife cooks them by her hunch after a homecoming. But they are almost unpalatable.
Several days before, my wife bought the spices that she beat down the price to about 1/5 in Istanbul. however the kind of spice was sold at less than 1/3 its cost.

次の日もまた私達はそこに行きました。
そこを出てホテルに帰ろうとすると、一人で寂しく立っている幼い少女が目に入りました。
妻は持っていたチョコレートを彼女にあげました。
するとその少女は、私達の後を着かず離れずついてきました。
私達は彼女を振り切るために足早に歩きました。
その少女は物乞いをしたわけではありません。
生気のない表情でひたすら追い続ける姿を見るに忍びなかったのです。
夜も遅いのに大通りの消灯したビルの玄関前に、何組かの母子を見ました。
何をするわけでもない、ただ無口に時間を費やしているようでした。

We went there also the next day.
When we tried to go out of there and return to the hotel、we found the girl who is standing lonesomely alone.
My wife gave the girl a chocolate that she had.
Then the girl followed us maintaining a reasonable distance.
We walked at a quick pace to shake her off.
The girl did not beg.
We were looking at that the girl intently followed us was unbearable.
Several sets of mother and child were sitting down before the darkened building facing a street.
It seemed that they were spending time taciturnly.

エジプトに入国した時から、私には無気力な国民が多いように思えました。
イスラム教がその理由では無いはずなのに。私はその時、わからなかった。
その理由が数年後にわかりました。
それがアラブの春を招いたのです。

Since I entered Egypt, it would seem that there are many spiritless people.
I think that Islam cannot be the reason. But I didn’t understand at that time.
The reason was found several years afterward.
The reason caused Arab Spring.

Birth of primitive art ９: primitive arts other than Europe ２

＜　a rock art in Bhimbetka, two fighters have a shield and a sword ＞

This time, we look at primitive fine arts in India and Australian.

＜　a map of primitive fine arts、fine arts of glacial epoch were born in a red part, other primitive fine arts were born in No. 1～７.　＞

＜　map No.3, Bhimbetka hills in India Central Highlands　＞

In Bhimbetka hills,ｔhere are about three hundred of Rock Shelters that have mural paintings.

Its oldest fine arts were drawn in about 10,000 years ago. After that, it had been continuously drawn by indigenous people.

Some people say that there were the fine arts from about 30,000 years ago.

There were traces of early human activity in these ruins also.

Footprints of modern human in 75000 years ago were in southern India.

ビーマベトカ山には、壁画がある岩陰や洞窟遺跡が３百ヵ所ほど見つかっている。

概ね１万年前から描かれ、後に先住民によって描き加えらえた。

一部には3万年前の絵もあると言われている。

この遺跡には原人の生活跡もある。インド南部には75000年前の現世人類の足跡がある。

 

＜　two rock arts are thought of as a kind of the oldest thing in Bhimbetka.　＞

Upper image shows that a cow 1.6 m in length, the cow that is ousting a man, other man who put a hand on his waist, and thinly a crab on the left.

Lower image shows humped cattle.

The pictures of these oldest stages drew many big animals, for example a water buffalo, a cow, an elephant, etc., but almost never drew figure paintings.

The images were drawn with only outline or were buried by geometric pattern inside the outline.

The figure paintings were stylized simply, although the animal images were quite realistic.

Over the time, people drew person ride horse or elephant, battling by bow and spear, tinseled horse or elephant, dancing while beating drum, honeybee collection, and fishing.

上図には、長さ１．６ｍの牛、牛に追われ走る人、腰に手をあてる人、左に蟹が薄く見える。下図にはこぶ牛が見える。

これら初期の絵は、水牛、牛、象などを輪郭やその内側を幾何学模様で埋めた大きな動物像が多く、人物像はほとんどなかった。

動物はかなり写実的であるが、人物は様式化されている。

時代が下ると、馬や象の騎乗、弓矢や槍などでの戦い、盛飾を付けた馬や象、太鼓を打って舞踊、蜜蜂採集、漁労が描かれる。

＜　map No.4, Bradshaw in northwest Australia, mural paintings are in such rock shadow　＞

There are the oldest rock paintings of Australia in Kimberley of northwest Australia. It is supposed that there are 100,000 places or more.

Its oldest fine arts were drawn over 17,000 years ago. After that, it had been continuously drawn.

Some people say that there were the fine arts from about 43,000 years ago.

First modern human of Australia crossed the Timor strait that became to narrow at the glacial epoch in about 70,000 years ago.

オーストリア西北部のキンバリーにオーストラリア最古の岩壁画があり、１０万以上あると推測されている。

最古のその美術は１７０００年前から描かれ、その後も描き続けられた。

一部には４３０００年前の絵もあると言われている。

オーストラリアの最初の現世人類は、７万年前頃の氷河期、狭くなっていたティモール海峡を渡った。

 

 

＜　two rock arts were thought of as a kind of the oldest thing in Bradshaw. ＞

Upper image shows a four man canoe with upswept prow and stern. It possibly was the world’s oldest boat painting.

Lower image shows a herd of deer with splendid antler that lined in a row.

Deer of this kind have never lived in Australia, but had lived in Southeast Asia at the glacial epoch.

The people who finished the voyage possibly wrote it depending on own memory.

上図、これはおそらく世界最古のボートである可能性がある、４人が乗ったカヌーの船首と船尾は上向きに反っている。

下図、これは立派な枝角を持つ鹿の1列に並んだ群れで、この種の鹿はオーストラリアにはおらず、氷河期の東南アジアに生息していた。

航海を成し遂げた人が記憶に頼って書いたのかもしれない。

 

＜　a rock art of dancing persons in Bradshaw　＞

They wear various decorations to waist, ankle, and head, are dancing while wriggling body and arm.

It seems that the smiling face of dancing person is seen.

In India and Australia, drawing mural painting is beginning from 10000 to 20000 years ago, too.

It is not improbable that is beginning from 30000 to 40000 years ago depending on the case.

Next time, we will look at primitive fine arts in Japan and American.

  

腰、足首、頭に飾りを着け、体や腕をくねらせ踊っている。

踊り手の笑顔が伝わってくるようである。

インド、オーストラリアでも１～２万年前に壁画が描かれ始めていた。場合によっては３～４万年前もありうる。

次回は、日本とアメリカ大陸の原初美術を見ます。

Birth of primitive art 8: primitive arts other than Europe 1

＜　rock arts in Tassili-n-Ajjer 　＞

The first fine arts of the human beings were born in Europe of the glacial epoch, and eventually were lost.

However, primitive fine arts were born in different parts of the world after that.

We look at the arts in different parts simply.

人類最初の美術が氷河期のヨーロッパで誕生し、やがて廃れた。

しかしその後、世界各地で美術が誕生することになる。

各地の原初美術を簡単に見ます。

＜　a map of primitive fine arts、fine arts of glacial epoch were born in a red part, other primitive fine arts were born in No. 1～７.　＞

The primitive fine arts in Africa 1 and 2, India 3, Australia 4, and America 6 and 7 were rock arts.

They are reflecting a life of hunting and gathering life. The indigenous people are continuing drawing them in some locations until recently. For this reason, establishing inaugural year of drawing pictures is difficult.

Japan made many Venus image out of clay, but didn't make rock arts.  japan is only special.

アフリカ1,2、インド3、オーストラリア4、アメリカ6,7の原初美術は岩絵であった。

それらは狩猟採集生活を反映しており、場所によっては先住民が最近まで描き続けていた。このために年代確定が困難になっている。

日本だけは岩絵を作らず、多くのビーナス像（土偶）を作った、これは特殊である。

＜　map No.1,  Tassili n'Ajjer,  Algeria 　＞

Although there is in the middle in Sahara Desert here now, was in rich green those days.

The rock arts on cliffs began to be drawn from 8000 years ago, and stopped by advance of desertification before long.

Although at first they have lived a life of hunting and gathering, the paintings show that their lives changed from cow breeding to the trade on a horse.

The painting place is near once the water place, and will be in which religious service and ceremony were performed.

ここは現在、サハラ砂漠の真ん中であるが、当時は緑豊かであった。

８０００年前頃から壁画が描かれ始め、やがて砂漠化の進行で、それは途絶えた。

始めは狩猟採集生活であったが、牛飼養から馬による交易へと変化していったことが絵からわかる。

壁画が描かれた場所はかつての水場近くであり、祭祀や儀礼が行われていたことだろう。

 

＜　Tassili n'Ajjer,  a rock art in times of hunting and gathering 　＞

Upper two persons wear some decorations to head, neck, and arm, and the scares in sequence of white points are on the body.

   

This scar is a custom that has continued in Central Africa still.

On the lower side, there are a goat, several playing children, a visionary animal, and tent like jellyfish.

Each is no relation, the observing point is freedom, and they painted it by priority of how important.

There isn’t sacredness on it, but I feel pleasure and familiarity to it.

　

上部の二人は頭や首、腕に飾りを着け、体に白い点列の瘢痕がある。

この傷痕は現在も中央アフリカに続く風習である。

下部には山羊、遊ぶ子供達、空想上の動物、クラゲに似たテントが描かれている。

それぞれがバラバラで、描く視点が自由で、重要度によって描き分けられている。

そこに神聖さはなく楽しさと親しみを感じる。

＜　Tassili n'Ajjer,  a rock art in times of cattle breeding　＞　

Hunter that have an uplifting feeling, curved ships, and a herd of cattle that was made distinction of sex, these are painted in it.

Dancing, war, home life, carriage, religious rite, etc. were painted on rock arts of this time.

Brown is a basic tone of the painting, green and white also are added.

躍動感のある狩人、湾曲した船、雌雄の牛の群れが描かれている。

この時代の絵には、踊り、戦争、家庭生活、馬車、宗教儀式なども描かれていた。

絵は茶色を基調に、緑と白が加えられ描かれている。

＜　map No.2，Tsodilo Hills, Botswana, phot by Jaap Sikkema ＞

Bushman (Sun) is continuing a traditional life of hunting and gathering in the Kalahari Desert in Botswana.

In the north direction, there are mountains that they called Tsodilo Hills and regard as sacred.

Several thousands of the rock arts that have been painted by them from 2500 years ago remain here.

One theory is it began at 20000 years ago.

ブッシュマン（サン人）はボツワナのカラハリ砂漠で昔ながらの狩猟採集生活を続けている。

その北方にツォディロ・ヒルと呼ばれる彼らが神聖視する山があり、そこに２５００年前から描かれ続けた数千の岩壁画が残っている。一説には２００００年前からとも言われている。

 

 

＜　Tsodilo Hills,  rock arts by Bushman ＞

The image above is seen painting of ox and rhinoceros, and a Bushman. The image below is seen eland and giraffe.

The theme of the paintings is mainly wild animal, hunting, and fishing.

Additionally, there are Dancing, war, rain-making rituals, musical instrument performance, and religion ceremony with wearing mask and with dancing.

When it becomes hundreds of years ago, impressive paintings appear.

There are vast amounts of rock arts in Southern Africa. Bushman paints these from about 6000 years ago to until the 19th century.

People in Africa also had painted rock arts from 8000 years ago.

Next time, we look at primitive fine arts in other continents.

上の写真には牛と犀とブッシュマン、下にはエランド（ウシ科）とキリン、その横に手形が添えられている。

絵の主題は、野生動物と狩猟や漁労が主で、舞踊、戦争、雨乞い、楽器演奏、仮面を被って踊る宗教儀礼などの場面もある。

数百年前になると、見応えのある絵も出現する。

南部アフリカには膨大な岩壁画遺跡があるが、これらはブッシュマンによって約６０００年前から１９世紀まで描かれたものです。

アフリカの人々も、８０００年前から岩絵を描いていた。

次回は、他の大陸の原初美術を見ます。

feature in Awaji Iisland ： heartbeat of winter

 

＜　When the morning sun went up, the fishing boats which had sailed to fish began to return to port all at once.　＞

The sea of Awaji Island still offers us many blessings.

Soon, sand lance fishing starts, and then spring comes.

Although the cold of winter is the severest now, season also began approach of spring.

 

＜　The Temminck's cormorant that basked in sun is relaxing on the breakwater. ＞

Although mountain dies down in winter, many birds visit my yard and seashore.

I introduce the birds that are flying to the seashore.

Three black cormorants were profiled by the shining Osaka Bay.

 

＜　a kite and a sea gull play and fly.　＞

Kites quietly are flying high up in the air all day.

Sea gulls often are flying on the sea quickly.

For just a moment, the two birds were flying high up in the air, like an air battle.

 

＜　A sea gull is on the sea.　＞

Several sea gulls were floating on inner side sea of the breakwater.

 

＜　a plover was on the sandy beach.　＞

A plover were moving on the sandy beach busily.

  

 

＜　white narcissus　＞

The flower of the New Year beginning is a white narcissus in Awaji Island.

Tolerating the harsh winter's cold, the narcissist that grows gregariously on the cliff gives us freshness and loveliness.

  

 

＜　yellow narcissus　＞

This is a narcissus that blooms in my yard, and is one of a few flowers that bloom at winter.

 

＜　Crimson sasanqua　＞

Many sasanqua are seen and red, white, and pink flowers bloom for a long period of time.

＜　plum trees are in full bloom.　＞

If plum trees become in full bloom,

we are waiting eagerly for full bloom of cherry tree.

The lakeside village surrounded by the Alps：Hallstatt

  

＜　a full view of Hallstatt　＞

We visited Hallstatt in the Austria Alps in late October 2009.

We took the bus from Salzburg and went up the ravine deep.

Once, I was impressed by looking at the lake in Zurich and Luzern in Switzerland.

Although my heart beat fast, it became the weather of light rain unluckily.

 

＜　A scenery on the way　＞

The grass and the house on the way are Austrian style.

And the long waterfall and the lake could be seen from the bus window in some places.

 

＜　a full view of Hallstatt lake　　＞

The steep mountains surrounding Ｈallstatt lake were covered with the arising clouds.

As I looked back, the village of Ｈallstatt stood in obscurity between the mountain and the lake.

The scenery of the village carried me back to the middle ages of Europe.

It had atmosphere different from Luzern or Zurich that is a city.

 

＜　a full view of the village, a spire is a church.　＞

 

＜　lakeside houses　＞

The village had been extended long and slender along a lakeside way.

The house made of wood has a rustic atmosphere.

A long waterfall was falling in back of the village immediately.

 

＜　a waterfall　＞

 

＜　folk handicrafts of a stand　＞

I felt nostalgia for those folkcrafts of woodworks.

A small charch stood modestly on a central square in the village.

The scenery is truly a mountain village, and I was impressed by oneself.

 

＜　a central square in the village　＞

In this way, my emotional time finished in a flash.

However, in several days, I remembered that I forgot an important thing on here.

The ruins of Celtic culture that heralded the start of the Europe Bronze Age were located here.        

People who went into along the Danube in Europe from the east made culture first here.

I was standing on the same ground as people of 3000 years ago.

The heart-stopping beauty of the scene has made me forget about that

Finally, I am regrettable that photos are bad because of the light rain.

Next time, I will report about sequel of " birth of primitive art ".