On The Hill Of The New Year

I watched the Giza Pyramids silhouette sink below the horizon slowly while carving my way through the city traffics, heading south towards my Faiyum oasis. 

I cruised down the pleasurable lush green surrounding, passing by herds of goats gaily trotting across the road 

breathing in an enchanting palette of colors made of variegated hues of green, yellow and brown 

while Lake Qarun, stretching across prolongs the illusion. 

Until I reached the far end of Qarun Lake at the limits of the desert gate and upon seeing the light colored domes, the olive groves atop a familier hill facing the lake, that's when I felt my heart skipping with joy and I was overwhlmed by a great since of belonging, I was back to a place I call home, I was back to Tunis Village. 

Twenty five years ago, Tunis Village was a remote farming settlement like many others in the Faiyum oasis. Now it is home to a growing colony of potters, writers, artists and intellectuals from Cairo and elsewhere. And it all started when The Swiss artist Evelyne Poret fell in love with this land and was among the first to 

settle in this hill top village and founded the Tunis Pottery School. 

Since then the reputation of Tunis village as the “pottery village” has spread. 

the pottery of Tunis village is mostly decorated with something that looks like naive art, depicting the things the artists see in their daily life. 

Standing on the hill top gazing at the vast lake, observing the rolling of the last day of an eventful year, while dipping my toes into the warm sands, in my mind's eyes I'm expanding my roots into the soil of this land affirming my place among  families of palm trees. I smell the damp earth aroma carried by the high wind and I'm reminded of the first time I sat  foot in this land and how it had changed my life and taught me and still teaching me so much, I'm forever grateful and thankful to this land. 

I stand with the amber pup looking forward with joy to the start of a new year and new adventures in our lives. And before we hide behind the wild reeds, We both hope you had a joyous Christmas and we wish you a happy healthy new year filled with magic, adventures and many good deeds.

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