Samia Saab

Our research on the Lebanese hair cover "Mandeel" that my grand grand mother had, in the photo led us to Samia Saab, the DIVA of the Lebanese traditional textiles and what an interesting meeting !!!

Althought she was not in a good shape, Samia Saab received us with a big smile, offered us a Lebanese coffee and some traditional sweets "maakroon" and with a big heart, she showed us some of her textiles collection... Hours passed like seconds... we could stay longer, learn more but we had to leave.

We all agreed that this will not be the last time we see each other. A long way of collaboration will start between us, at least we hope...

The most important is that we know that the hair cover of my grand grand mother is called "Oya" originated in Turkey, and came to Lebanon with the long years of Ottoman occupation, and that the last woman that was working the Oya (on a shittle or Makkook) was from Baalbeck and that this Oya tradition died by her death.

A starting point that means a lot for us...

Wheel of Fortune

Since we decided to start Dignity project, we have been very active, actually a little bit too active, I have to admit... But for Maghdouche and its wonderful people, we are willing to do anything, almost anything... We took every opportunity we got, researching and learning, planning and training ...

På norsk
Siden vi bestemte oss for å starte Dignity prosjektet, har vi vært aktive, kanskje litt for aktive, Men for Maghdouche og de flotte menneskene som bor der, er vi villige til å gjøre så mye vi kan. Vi har benyttet enhvær mulighet vi har fått, undersøkelser, lært, planlagt og holdt kurs.......

During a "strikkekafe" (translated as knitting cafe) in our gallery, here in Norway, where we invite friends and yarn lovers to join for a coffee and a chat while doing handcraft, we tried the spinning wheel and that was ... what can I say?.... challanging but exciting... Yes!!! this is something for Dignity project !!! but can we afford to buy and transport wheels to Maghdouche ?

Under en strikkekafe i vårt galleri ( neste er 19 mars) hvor det kom venner og bekjente som liker garn, kaffe og en god prat........og mens de andre strikket prøvde vi å lære å spinne, og det var......ja hva kan vi si........utfordrende men spennende. Og dette hadde vært noe for Dignity prosjektet men hvordan kan vi få råd til å kjøpe en rokk og transportere den til Maghdouche?

Few days after, we got an old woman that we know, knocking on our gallery door. With her, she brought a gift to the project : a spinning wheel, made in Holland and almost unused !

Noen dager etter kom en eldre kvinne vi kjenner , hun hadde med seg en gave til prosjektet: En rokk, laget i Holland og nesten ubrukt.....................

For the record, the spinning wheel is a little more sofisticated instrument than the spindle, used to spin whool, cotton or silk. In Norway, to spin, using the wheel is a very old tradition and the original antique wheels cost a fortune.

Researching Maghdouche Costumes - På leting etter klær fra Maghdouche

One of the first things I do when I visit Lebanon, is to get back to the family photos that survived the 17 years of lebanese war and the fire that burned the family house in 1986 due to a heavy war that took place in Maghdouche and lasted for one month.

På norsk:

Noe av det første jeg gjør når jeg kommer til Libanon er å finne de få bildene som fantes etter 17 år med krig og nedbrent familiehus i 1986.

As a part of our Dignity project is to research the lebanese traditional costume that was used in Maghdouche, I rushed to see the photos and was eager to find a particular photo of my grand grand parents that I know it is still there...

Som en del av vårt Dignity prosjekt forsøker vi å finne tilbake til tradisjonelle klesdrakter som var brukt i Maghdouche. Jeg fant et bilde fra mine tippoldeforeldre............

I showed the photo to Trond Einar and he was fascinated by 2 things: the brocade shirt of my grand grand father and by the hair cover (mandeel) of my grand grand mother and all the small flowers surrounding it, and he said: "here is something that we need to research deeper !".

Jeg viste Trond Einar fotoet og han var fasinert over to ting: Min tippoldefars skjorte og tippoldemors hodetørkle (mandil) med de små blomstene.

Mabroomeh - Mabroumeh

It has been 15 years, I haven't had "Mabroomeh". People of Maghdouche prepare it once a year at the week preceding the catholic fast (last week), and it never happens that I am there... and for somebody born and raised in Maghdouche, this is a big deprivation.

These "modern days", the filling varies from sweetened cheese to pistachio, almond, cashew nuts, pine seeds... etc. etc... but originally, "Mabroumeh" is filled with minced walnuts, sugar, orange blossom water and rose water. The mixture is laid on a vermicelli dough and then rolled in a kind of giant cigars, baked in trays and watered with cold sugar sirop "atr" immediately after being out of the oven. Yummm !

Inside the House

Beit el Founoun from inside... This is the final result and we are very satisfied.

I love Maghdouche... Who doesn't ?!!!

Among all the things that I like in Maghdouche, what I like most is its people.

Hard workers, good hearted, straight forward, very generous... but most of all, they become one as soon as they face any difficulty... One hand, one voice, one will and one heart...

People of Maghdouche, may you stay safe wherever you are in the world and may you come back.

Maghdouche is waiting for you !!!

The Beit el Founoun Extreme Makeover

The result is satisfying and the hard work has finally paid. Beit el Founoun stands beautifully among the houses of Maghdouche, a welcoming house where everybody is treated equally... Just leave your religious and political beliefs at the gate and step in...

Beit el Founoun - Before


Beit el Founoun - After

Cultural Salon and Dignity

Yesterday, the dream of a cultural salon in Elverum area was transformed from just an idea to a concrete reality. Of course we were there, and with us was our Dignity project !

The program was intensive and we had few minutes to talk about Dignity. Trond Einar was very clever in using the time, explaining about the project and its importance for the people of Maghdouche as well as for scandinavians.

After that, we exhibited the first few Dignity products and people could admire the high quality of the work and the design.

We thank the guests of the salon for their economical support for the project, we thank Snefrid and Ragnar for giving us this opportunity and for all what they did for Dignity and we wish them all the best with the next cultural salon in the 4th of April.

A Different Christmas 2008 - En annerledes jul

All over the world, Christmas is Christmas, but sometimes the little detail makes the difference. Here are some shots of a different Christmas in Maghdouche.
På norsk
Over hele verden er jul- jul, men noen ganger er det "den lille forskjellen" som gjør det annerledes.
Her kommer noen fotoer fra Maghdouche jul


A dry branch can be a perfect christmas tree
En tørr grein kan bli et perfekt juletre.....


and every plant in the house !
og alle planter i huset !


Chickpeas, lentils and wheat planted in small trays to be used as christmas ornaments for the nativity scenes.
kikerter, linser og hvetekorn lagt på papirservietter og vannet i små skåler blir brukt som juledekorasjon i julekrybben. En spire til nytt liv......


Marwan and Georgette preparing the nativity scene in the local church.
Marwan og Georgette forbereder julekrybben i kirken i Maghdouche.


Uuuuh, anything is missing ? No, Jesus will be added at midnight.
ÅÅÅÅÅÅ, mangler det noe, neida, Jesus settes i julekrybben ved midnatt i midnattsmessen.


Which nativity scene is the best in the village? yours for sure !
Hvilken julekrybbe var den beste i landsbyen, din selvfølgelig!!!!


Christmas rolls "buches de Noel" before decoration.
Julekaker er også tradisjon og i Libanon er det RULLEKAKE også kjent som "Swiss roll". Og her er den før dekoreringen.


Christmas rolls after decoration.
Og slik ble den etter dekoreringen


Santas getting ready.
Julenissen gjør seg klar

Ryan's first Christmas !
Ryans første jul


A little prayer and a little hymn in front of the nativity scene before the Christmas dinner.
En liten bønn og en liten salme foran julekrybben før julemiddagen.

Norwegian Cultural Salon involving Maghdouche

It was short after our arrival to Norway that we heard about the Cultural Salon "kultursalongen" taken place in Hernes, Elverum , the 7th. of February 2009, at 18:30.

Among various cultural activities, Trond Einar is invited to inform about our art project "Dignity" and the status of the project after our last visit to Maghdouche, Lebanon.

For more information about the Salon and the program , check the link:
http://www.kultursalongen.com/21847822

We hope to see you there...