JoomlaDay Algérie (#JD11DZ #sdw ) par Walid Laribi

 

 
L'événement tant attendu à savoir 'JoomlaDay' s'est achevé hier avec beauté à l’incubateur de ‘Sidi Abdellah’, tout le monde était surpris par le poids des conférenciers et la très bonne organisation pour une première fois en Algérie. Le groupe ‘Algérie Telecom’ était présent sur place, le sponsor officiel de l'événement nous à emmener vers un autre monde vu les conférences de qualité, des ateliers mais aussi des concours qui ont été présentés. Plusieurs intervenants étrangers ont resté bouche-bée devant cette organisation extraordinaire de la part des deux startUps 'PurePlayer' et 'Connext'.
 

La journée a commencé avec plusieurs conférences sur l'outil de création et de gestion de sites web ‘Joomla’, notamment celle de Mr. Jean D'alessendro sur la gestion de projet qui était très intéressante. Il a aussi parlé de l'importance de l'aspect 'beauté' dans un site web en disant qu'on a 4 secondes pour plaire à l'utilisateur, la 1ere seconde c'est par la beauté du site et les trois autres par la disponibilité de l'information recherchée. Les conférences ne se sont pas limitées à l'outil ‘Joomla’, car de l'autre côté on avait ‘Microsoft’ qui proposait ses produits, notamment ‘IE9’ (Internet Explorer 9), ‘WebMatrix’ et Windows Azure. les présentations était données par Mr. Raouf Chebri, Responsable du service développement chez Microsoft Algérie et Mr Bouabdellah Abdelmoumen, Etudiant en 5eme année à l'école supérieure d'informatique (ESI Ex.INI), MSP lead en Algérie (Microsoft Student Partner) et membre du club d'étudiant ‘CSE’ (Club Scientifique de l'ESI), La salle était pleine, et on suivait avec attention les trucs que nous montrait le jeune développeur! À la salle Al-Sufi, les membres de la jeune Start-Up ZeonSoft animaient une conférence sur le Data Mining et l’IA.
En parallèle, Il y avait d'autres conférences telles que 'Joomla et la sécurité' à la salle 'Khawarizmi' qui n'a pas pu recevoir tout ce monde qui courrait pour y assister, 'Création de composant Joomla' mais aussi 'comment créer une template' à la salle 'Al Kindi'. La journée s'est ensuite terminée avec beauté à la salle 'Abu moussa' où Mr Wissem Habboub de chez 'It Sollutions' nous a expliqué quelques aspects sur le ‘BI’ (Business Intelligence) et les systèmes d'informations d'aide à la décision.
La présence des membres organisateurs de l’école nationale supérieure d’Informatiques représentés par ces deux clubs le club scientifique de l'ESI (CSE) et ETIC ne peut pas passer inaperçue !
À l'accueil l’équipe logistique, l’équipe web dans les salles en train de tweeter et l’équipe presse dans la salle presse avec les journalistes. Ces jeunes étudiants actifs représentent fièrement la jeunesse Algérienne et les compétences cachées qui n’attendent rien que le signal pour se faire découvrir, Chapeau bas pour ces formidables ESIstes ;)

Je vous laisse avec les photos:

Mr. Jean D'alessendro qui donnait une conférence sur la gestion de projet

Mr. Raouf Chebri, Responsable du service développement chez Microsoft Algérie

Mr Bouabdellah Abdelmoumen, Etudiant en 5eme année à l'école supérieure d'informatique (ESI Ex.INI), MSP lead en Algérie (Microsoft Student Partner) et membre du club d'étudiant ‘CSE’ (Club Scientifique de l'ESI)

Les fondateurs de la prometteuse Start-Up ZeonSoft avec Zoubir (@schneller)

Farid ARAB prend des photos à la salle Al-Sufi lors de la conférence "Business Intelligence collaborative" par Wissem Habboub.

l'Equipe de CSE (Le Club Scientifique de l'ESI) Walid Laribi qui a écrit cet article avec Nassima qui tweetent en live.

Mr. Wissem Habboub anime la conférence "Business Intelligence collaborative".

Les Ateliers Joomla! à la salle Al-Kindi, Cyber-Park Sidi abdallah

Deux ingénieurs et ex étudiants de L’école Nationale Supérieure d'Informatique (E.S.I.) qui sont venus de loin pour assister à la semaine du web #sdw et surtout pour les ateliers Joomla!

Des comptes Microsoft DreamSpark VIP access offertes gratuitement aux Etudiants au niveau du stand MICROSOFT.

« Web Week » Algeria (La semaine du web) #sdw

The famous and long awaited « Web Week » Algeria starts today.
The Web Week, “La semaine du web” as it’s baptized , takes place in the Cyber-Park , Sidi Ablalah, Algiers from April 18th to 23rd is organized by Pureplyer.Inc and Connexte.Inc and mainly sponsored by “Algérie Telécome” and Alcatel Lucent. During six days, from 9am until 5pm a series of 4 conferences & free workshops take place in parallel, each day a theme. The program is as follows:
April 18^th: e-Business / Mobile Monday Algérie
April 19^th: Joomla! Day
April 20^th: SEO Camp day
April 21^st: e-Mobile/Networking
April 22^nd: Design/Start-Up weekend
April 23^rd: Start-Up weekend
For more information:
http://semaineduweb.com

#TEDxAlger - An Insider’s notepad scratches–(MR. Abdelhakim BENSAOULA)

Continuing the #TEDxAlger articles’ series concerning the TEDx held in the Higher School of Computer Science E.S.I. (ex: I.N.I.), Algiers.

11H11:
Zaki the host introduced to us someone; he called him “The Violin’s little man”. This young musician was no one but a student from the very same College where the event took place.

11H12: The student started playing some music.
11H15: Music stopped
As aforesaid in the first #TEDxAlger blog entry, the TEDx Day was divided into 4 themes, 3 speakers per each theme. As Mr. Mustapha FERFARA (The stock exchange’ guy) couldn’t come due to his work, there were only 2 speakers for the “Entreprendre en Algerie” part. After the music break, they passed to the next topic “Entreprise et Tech” (Business and Tech).

II. Entreprise et Tech (Business and Tech)

                 1. Abdelhakim BENSAOULA

Holder of many patents, some of them within projects with: NASA, NSF, US-AF and US-NAVY, Mr. Abdelhakim BENSAOULA is a Houston university graduate and he’s, actually, a professor at Aboubakr Belkaid university, Telemcen.


11H16:
- He studied Science and materials.
- During his studies, he started working with special people (he didn’t mention who are these SPECIAL People!), who design toys (I guess weapons or something like that, ‘cause he didn’t mention what’s these toys are, either!). One day he had to visit a partner company that has a good reputation in its field. These people’ job is designing TOYS and work on a prototype; afterwards they sell it to large companies for the mass production. He said:

“When I followed the address, I was expecting the headquarters to be a big structure or a skyscraper. But, I was shocked! It was just a 200m² flat. There weren’t many people there on the staff, Just 3 researchers and an assistant. This company has a turnover of tens of million dollars, simply because they have the knowhow! They have no stock, their job is: idea --> conception --> prototype; this is the real Entrepreneurship”

- He said, aloso:

“Afterwards, I got my diploma; But, I have never stopped studies”

11H21: Entreprise (Business)
- To be a successful entrepreneur:

· Never fear risks; have the initiative spirit, but say patient; see opportunities where people see impossibilities; hate routine; break the rules and swim against the stream.
· You can either satisfy a need in the market or just create a new one.
· Know 50% and learn the remaining 50%.

-Many successful businessmen have been asked: “what was the problem for you?”, they answered: “if I had just more time, I could do a lot more”. Hence, it’s not money the big issue in the success equation, but it’s TIME.
- The main scheme for a student to concretize his business is as follows:
Idea --> Team-->Share ambitions --> work on the idea -->Business plan--> fix any problem found--> launch your business with less money!
- Most of the largest Technology companies started with a budget of less than $2000!
- Take risks, there lies disguised opportunities. (I add something on this. I don’t know if you ever read Napoleon Hill’s books, ‘cause if you really want to think like successful business Gurus, I, strongly, recommend to you: “Positive Mental attitude” and “think and grow rich”. Besides taking risks and having faith, the thing all successful men through history’s pages had, is: “Something more”. I recall the story of an engineer –circa early 20^th century-who created an instrument to detect Oil in earth’ depths. He tried to sell it to Oil companies but they all refused it. During his journey back from Texas to his home town –Philadelphia if I’m not mistaken- he had to switch the train in Oklahoma. There something strange happened, his instrument started acting weird, and since he was frustrated and angry he took it and smashed it into pieces. A couple of months later, the Top news were: Large Oil fields discovered in Oklahoma!!! He just didn’t give it the last push. )
- He said:

“Take care of your dreams and they’ll take care of your later.”

11H30: Mr. Abdelhakim BENSAOULA left the stage

I’m done with the third speaker (Mr. Abdelhakim BENSAOULA). I’ll go for the next one (Mm. fadhila BRAHIMI) to-morrow in shaa Allah.
Peace out,

#TEDxAlger - An Insider’s notepad scratches–( Mm. Hind BENMILOUD )

 
I. Entreprendre en Algérie:

             2. Mm. Hind BENMILOUD

She is the first Algerian lawyer specialized in IT and cyber-criminality. She is also the president of the Algerian association of franchise.
 


10H01 :
- She studies computer science in the past, she even had a 9 months internship programming in COBOL. But, she converted to Law.
- She raised the question: Why is it hard to start business in Algeria?
- She started in 1991/1992, the very same period when terrorism started in Algeria. But Algerians defied it; they continued living their lives as normally as possible.
- She also said that in the Algerian (The comment of Majda showed me that I had misintrepreted what Mme.Hind BENMILOUD said,hence I apologize for this, but I keep the answer, not as a response for her, but for others') Foreign media they show only the Joumoua’a prayer (The Friday’s Prayer) rather than business and every day’s life’ issues. (Here I completely disagree! We are Muslims; they must show Friday’s prayer on TV, like they must also broadcast the Athan –the prayer call-. But, we also must not care less about science, politics, business, economy and daily life challenges. Most of people see it in Black& white. They’re either thickheaded fanatics or shallow-minded laics! Why can’t we just adopt the Malaysian model, where both Technology and religious principles are in harmony?!! Why just France, France and France?! If we have defects in Algeria, if we suffered from terrorism, if we’re still locked inside a black box of inferiority it’s because the Ignorance of those ruling over us and the isolation of the rich business people from their surroundings. We should stick to our OWN culture, religion, customs, language and characters. We have never been French and we will never be. There’s no pride in following everything people from the other side of the Mediterranean do, and there’s no respect for someone ashamed of his own gigantic cultural legacy. There’s a huge difference between openness and Mutation. I find it shameful for people living in Algeria not speaking a word in Arabic or Berber!! I cannot imagine a German who speaks only English, or an Indian speaking only Urdu while living in his homeland! Someone who doesn’t respect his own roots, culture and principles isn’t worth of respect. Social engagement is not only Charity! It’s promoting your native language, social values, philanthropy and welfare. It’s beyond material benefits or short-term consequences. Islam’s N°1 rule is the Nia = Intention. If the deed is only for boasting of showing off, it’s not accepted. What company accepts to do the good just for the sake of good; not just to LOOK GOOD?! )
10H05:
- She created her own Law firm.
- She has been a victim of an assassination attempt.
- She left Algeria and settled down in Tunisia. There she discovered the field of Business Law.
- She gained experience in Tunisia and decided to come back to Algeria.
- She said: “although I’m a jurist, I passed through the warrior’s path, it took me 2-to-3 months just to start my own firm; so, how would it be for a fresh graduate?!!”
- We’re living in a very difficult business context.
- The government vouchsafed many advantages for Foreign investors. But, investors didn’t play it right. They didn’t bring the knowhow to Algeria. Instead, they flew away with colossal amounts of money to their homelands, and as a result the Algerian government took steps backwards.
10H08:
- A couple of months ago, no one could foresee the Tunisian revolution. But, it did happen! In Algeria, We did it in October 1988. 20 years later, I’ve never been so uncomfortable, but yesterday when I met up with Youth in ETIC, I said: “There’s still Hope.”
10H10:

Mm. Hind BENMILOUD jumped off the stage.
My impressions:
- She was a bit more pessimistic about the Algeria economic status quo. I, myself, am skeptical, but what I wanted from this #TEDxAlger is to sweep away my fears, and build a positive state of mind, concerning the Algerian business opportunities by listening to older generations. But, if they have no faith in the future, what are we, the youth of today, expected to do?!! A Big question mark popping up from my head…
- Always, the same remark: The identity crisis! No word has been spoken in Arabic or Berber, the two official languages of the SOVEREIGNTY of Algeria. As long as we are considering Arabic as the cause of our decadence, we’ll always stay in the tail of the nations’ caravan. No plausible argument could be given upon this matter. e.g. Finnish, which is a young Asi-oralic language, could evolve, dramatically , in 60 years and be a language of technology. Nokia is just one example; China could launch its satellite’s when it used Chinese in Technical universities; Iran could acquire the nuclear High technology thanks to its language, and the list long…
I’m done with the second speaker. I’ll go for the next one to-morrow in shaa Allah.
Peace out,

#TEDxAlger - An Insider’s notepad scratches

Notice: The #TEDxAlger was a 100% French event. Hence, you’re going to come across atypical translated phrases from French to English. Notify me if there’s any anomaly.

The first Algerian TEDxAlger organized by mere students (Our fellow colleagues & friends in ETIC club) took part in the Higher School of Computer Science E.S.I. (ex: I.N.I.). There were different- if not contradictory-opinions about this event. I’ll write a blog entry about each speaker and what did he/she said according to my timeline. I’d also include some subjective critics between parentheses (and they are not just for the sake of criticism: p )
First off, the name: “TEDxAlger”! The TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) we all know and the “x” for independently organized, followed by the name of the city hosting the event, which is here “Alger”. Alger for the non-French speaker is Algiers the capital of Algeria. It was my very first remark since I heard of the event. Why “Alger”? Why not الجزائر (Al Jazair- the Arabic name of “Algiers”-), or “Algiers” the English name to stick to the universality of the event. But, sincerely, I didn’t expect the event to be 100% in French. Come on, I don’t think TEDxBeijing would be in Japanese or TEDxBogota would be in Zulu! I’ll come to this point when I finish u the series.
10:30 -->10:40
Ismail Chaib (iChaib on twitter) the Founder of ETIC club, an E.S.I. alumnus and a student in France, had the opening word, where he introduced Entrepreneurship and Change, and asked the question: “Why not?”. He said that it’s time for us to jump into the caravan to Baghdad of technology now, and It’s a must not a choice.

10:40-->10:44
A video about TED story and how it all started.
The day has been divided into a series of 12 presentations. Each 3 speakers talked about a theme, as follows:
 

Entreprendre en Algérie
Speaker	Mr. Abdelkader Aissaoui
Speaker	Mr. Mustapha Ferfera
Speaker	M. Hind Benmiloud
Entreprise et Tech
Speaker	Mr. Hakim Bensaoula
Speaker	M. Fadhila Brahimi
Speaker	M. Nesma Houhou
Success Story
Speaker	Mr. Hassan Khelifati
Speaker	Mr. Merzac Bagtache
Speaker	Mr. Akim El Sikameya
Entreprendre pour changer le monde
Speaker	Mr. Rabah Ghezali
Speaker	Mr. Hadj Khelil
Speaker	Mr. Abdelkader

 
I. Entreprendre en Algérie:
      1. Mr. Abdelkader Aissaoui:
A veterinarian by training, Mr. Aissaoui is the founder and CEO of Renault Trucks Algeria in 2002, the only subsidiary of trucks of a European manufacturer operating in Algeria. An entrepreneur at heart, Mr Aissaoui also has several business’ assets.
 
10H46 :
- He told us about his son’s birthday and that we should say every 3 minutes “You’re great, papa”, and we did it with enthusiasm :)
- He Introduced the CEA (Création d'Entreprises à l'Algérienne = Creating business the Algerian way ).
He said that there are 3 Actors in this equation:
This trinity is: The Individual, the Environment and the Company.
- A Company is like a train. People see it running, but few of ‘em have the change to get in.
- Studies and money aren’t enough to be a successful entrepreneur. You should have the HUNCH
- It’s hard to start your own business in Algeria due to the bureaucratic issues.
He went through the most important phases of the openness of the Algerian market:
In 1994:
He got his diploma, the very same year when Algeria became opened to importation (I don’t see importation and reselling as something beneficial for a country lacking,dramatically, the knowhow). At that time the market was almost virgin, and everyone has a place.
In 2000:
The government launched the programs : housing & work for everyone. So, no need for great ideas. All what you need is just be “inserted” (I don’t know how to be inserted in such market where the barons and high-profile entrepreneurs are monopolizing the game!!)
In 2005:
Cars’ market boom! No need for philosophy, creativity and bright ideas. Just sell –or resell- cars, there would, for sure, someone who buys. (Always no knowhow involved).
In 2011: Crisis!
 
-The market in Algeria is still virgin as a mermaid:
· 96% of the Algerian population is living in 10% of the country’s surface.
· One Sole Highway
· One single train!!
There are huge opportunities especially in the domains on civil engineering.
(I keep asking: Sahara got everything to be a second Eldorado or Huston! Gas, Oil, Gold, Water, Uranium, Silicon, etc.!!! why isn’t it so?!)
He finished with both of the Individual and the environment. He passed then to the COMPANY.
- The company undergoes three phases during its lifecycle:
Creation -----> Life -----> Death
· Creation: The Company is like a baby. It falls ill, it cries, it p*sses (The public laughed out loud), etc. the entrepreneur should do whatever it takes to gain experience. He must work 8 days per week (off the record: he said you should create a day between Fridays and Saturday). If you have the chance, the company evolves to phase two. It’s the growth or the company’s Life where it stands on its feet, gain its pace in the economical map, etc.
· Life: once the business is running, it’s no longer 1+1=2. But, it turns into 1+1=3 [You+ the Company+ The dynamic that keeps the development jamming gears spinning ]
· Death: It’s crying, tears , mucus and everything bad :p
 
- In Algeria: 100% of companies are familial (these statistics don’t seem to me accurate), there is no solid model or pattern to be steered by.
- How to guarantee your company’s life? He left the question unanswered or I simply didn’t hear the answer (I doubt if I couldn’t answer! I was writing down everything from timing to the audience’s applauses).
- He finished with a quote that I wrote only its first phrase :-(

“An ordinary chap who walks ,…”

 
 
My impressions:
- The speech was too vague, no detailed information on how REALLY succeed in a blurry (the opposite of transparent) market as the Algerian one, where Barons are taking over the greasy market shares, the rest fight over the crumbles.
- He didn’t introduce himself well (a typical Algerian defect. We tend to talk with others for hours without even telling our names –or basic information- or ask for the others’ name).
- I don’t think ReSelling is something Miraculous in a very rich country like ours. For me if there’s no added value or a knowhow acquired, it’s not real Entrepreneurship. ReSelling is just trabando on large scale (trabando is the parallel market where kids and poor people open up tables of small commerce, like selling cigarettes, shoes, underwear, socks, etc. ).
11H00: The speaker jumped off the stage, we applauded :)
Zaki Hamouli, the Animator, said: “Well Said, Papa!” and we laughed on it
I’m done with the first speaker. I’ll go for the next one to-morrow in shaa Allah.
Peace out,

The First Algerian #BloggingDay

 
We are already in INSIM (The Higher International Management Institute), Hydra, Algiers, waiting for the first Algerian blog day to start. There are plenty of Algerian bloggers (They write in Arabic, French and English) & a couple of journalists. The guys here seem to have something up their sleeves. Can’t wait for the starting gunshot…
The event’s twitter hash tag is #bloggingday (for those who want to follow the event’s stream)

#DZBlogDay, One day, One Nation.

The beginning egg was a mere idea; the egg hatched giving birth to a mature idea, and then turned into what’s baptized: “DZ Blog Day” or “the day of Algerian blogging” that would bring myriads of Algerian bloggers together,-in spite of their different opinions, backgrounds, styles and languages-, to discuss about a sole topic, everyone treating the matter from his own viewpoint like any other blog post. The only particularity is: This blog entry would be posted in the same day as many other ones, and this day is the very 01/15th/2011, the first DZ Blog Day ever.


To participate, one should write a blog entry about “Education and instruction” in its different reincarnations: within the familial circle, in the streets’ labyrinths, in the corridors of schools, to the universities’ amphitheatres, etc.
Education problems, they don’t lack us! All what one needs to do is, digging for a problem, talks about it, exposes it, maybe it falls like an autumn leaf between the palms of the one who has the key to solve it.
Why?
One might wonder, why? What’s all this for? The main purpose is the attraction of the public opinion (particularly Mass media) to a topic being spoken about by numerous fellow bloggers in the same time. The secondary aim is: introducing the term:”Blogging” to the Algerian laymen - that may have no clue about it-, vulgarize the concept and clear the ambiguities about it.
Even if the “DZBlogDay” didn’t make the media buzz till now, locally, it would leave a footprint on the universal blogosphere’s track, and enrich the actual web content. Still not everything, yet! The most important thing is gathering Algerian bloggers under the same umbrella (peculiarly, ‘cause they are dispersed here and there, everyone in his ivory tower talking a different language) to show unity, and be the good example of the youth today (the majority of Algerian bloggers are young folks).
Where and how?
The Algerian Website “Bloginy” (A blogs’ aggregator) powered by Benguella Riad adopted the idea and gave it a special corner in the website, hence even if you don’t have your personal Blog you can post here: http://www.bloginy.com/feeds/dzblogday. You’d find there Blog posts related to the event and all articles published in the different blogs.
If you are a facebooker, you can join the DzBlogDay group to confirm your participation and know who are taking part that event here.
You can also follow updates through twitter here: @dzblogday.
Official website: www.dzblogday.org



If you are an Algerian Blogger or want to interact with society’s issues - whether you’re a blogger or not-, we want to hear your voice rising in January 15^th, 2010…
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An atypical translation of the article (DZ BLOG DAY يوم واحد، مجتمع واحد) posted by Seifo

Algiers, the Mediterranean bride in the grey wedding dress (I)

A normal day in Algiers

Yesterday, I was in a cab (clandestine!) heading from El Harrach to Bach Jarrah, that are ones of Algiers’ red spots (Poor and dangerous places, but modest. I was in the front seat buckled up by a tight safety belt in a grey Maruti –when we run over a dos d’âne, I feel the shock going all over my spinal column to my neck-, breaking through the traffic jam like a swordfish drawing its way through a school of fish. I had my earphones on a level that I can hear no one of the other passengers. I enjoy listening to the sounds inside my head that rise, when my spirit is secluded and my thoughts flow through my neurons like an overwhelming river.


El Harrach’ City Hall
I stared at people’s faces ( one can notice more men with beards and women in Niqab. poor areas are more engaged in religion than people living in richer zones), the walls height (in a real country, walls surrounding houses shouldn’t exceed 2m10! But, in Algeria you find 3m walls crowned by “barbed tapes” or “razor wires”, and I imagine a ditch of water with crocodiles and stuff, hehehe) , the unaccomplished metro stations, the scars on the roads caused by the heavy vehicles , the mediocre asphalt and the digging, and the shinny sun of autumn washing the sky like a radiant waterfall . Algiers is a beautiful mosaic wrapped in an unembellished cover, a breathtaking canvas underwent the drawing of a mediocre drawer (I avoid to say artist). In this first part of the trip, I came across Harrach’s city hall with its beautiful bright white walls and its colonial style with its straight well-trimmed palm trees, the bridge passing over the stinky Oued, the charming old small houses that French settlers dwelled in one day, the long forgotten slum shacks, the recent commercial center in Bach Jarrah with the Quran verses in its entry which reveals that it’s a decent place to go to with your family (nowadays, one can barely can go with his family to public places, avoiding the embarrassment and the unexpected bad sights).


The stinky Oued of El harrach
I, while rolling, cry secretly for the sake of this capital, torn apart by the black decade, exploited by hollow-skulled responsible idiots who’re watching her plains losing their virginity by the tractors’ rippers (Metidja is one of the most fertile series of plains on the planet. It’s all along the cost, and it’s well known for the quality of its Citrus family trees that bear: Orange, lemon, etc. and the excellent olives).
Yore, Algiers was mightier than any French city (a simple resident in al Kasbah had a toilet in his house when Europeans didn’t, even, dream of WC’s in their own places), and under French occupation –although all the terrible acts and horrible crimes against humans- she was always wearing her white wedding dress, that’s why it’s called “Alger la blanche” (Algiers the white) or in Arabic “El bahdja” (The delight). I, in my daily way to college, pass through the streets of the so called “Beau lieu” (Beautiful place), with its old pleasant small houses, that was inhabited by French officers, but now they have greasy walls and nothing separate them from the “La décharge de Oued Smar”(the biggest garbage dumping site in Algeria) except the agronomical experimental field (less than 500 m).
In my second part, I went from Bach Jarrah to Ben Aknoun then to Cheraga. It’s like we aren’t in the same country! Neither people nor the places are similar. One can, clearly, see how one is climbing the social stairs. One can behold the big villas all along the highway’s sides, the classy cars. I hate seeing such big buildings, tons of cement on an innocent generous ground, high walls declaring microscopic republics inside the mother land, separating its residents from the sad reality and the ugly truth. The highway in Algiers is a hell, one sometimes find oneself stuck for a whole hour in a bumper-to-bumper situation. The traffic jam is one of the biggest problems in Algiers (I sometimes spend 3 hours on the road daily); I hope the Metro – if I live enough to see it operational- and the Tramway help the smothering highway to breathe again.
After I reached Ben Aknoun, I got on, immediately, a bus to Cheraga’s terminus. One goes through hell of “Dos-d’ânes” or “ralentisseurs” (the humpback speed reducers scattered all over the Algeria territory’s byways). I’ve never understood this concept! In a linguistic point of view it’s a “speed reducer”. So, if I’m rolling at 40km/h, there’s no need for it. But, these accursed bulks of solid asphalt don’t distinguish between who’s speeding from who isn’t. They, both, undergo the screwing of their suspension. This reflects one of the sides of our authorities that apply the “collective punishment”. I saw in a documentary about this issue a moving “speed reducer” in Germany. There are speed sensors meters ahead of each “Dos d’âne” to measure the velocity of the coming vehicle and if it’s less than the maximum it goes down by itself and the road is clear. But, when one is exceeding the speed limit, the “dos d’âne” stays still. The lesson: “They want to reduce speed and not damage cars!”

The Commercial center of Cheraga ElQuds, and that ugly load of red-bricks mangling the view
Whilst crossing Dely Ibrahim and Cheraga, one’s heart sings a sad requiem for the wasted plains. Agricultural Fields attributed to people during President Boumediene under the slogan: “الأرض لمن يخدمها ” (The terrain for he who looks after it) turned into buildings, backs , villas, fashion shops, etc. not knowing that future generations will curse them until the end of history, when they cause irreversible damages to the giving lands. Afterward, I took another bus from Cheraga to my final destination. I passed through narrow roads with bottoms white-painted trees on their sides (typically Mediterranean) not letting the evening sunlight pass through their wide leaves, small nurseries (pépinières) with plants and flowers I ignore their names, but I know very well how they look, smell and taste (I tried some of them :p hehe) and some fields embedding old Spanish styled haciendas surrounded by vines. Sceneries one gets used to and loses interest in them in the midst of the problems and the heavy atmosphere of “je m’enfoism”. I, many times, overlooked the beautiful buildings of “Alger centre” just because I’m lowering my sight, and this remembers me of
Oscar wilde’s saying:

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”

I’d rather say:

“We are all in the gutter. We should look at the stars not forgetting where our feet are”

Higher studies in Algeria, Stop the Brains’ massacre!!

I’ve talked about this, endless times, and will always do, as long as it’s letting my heart bleed pain. It’ll cost me too much virtual ink to write about this issue, but I’ll just spill what comes to my mind first. “Be spontaneous!”, One of life’s best mottos ;-)
During my years of higher studies, and since the day I got the baccalaureate* I’ve got a new ‘hobby’, that I can practice once per year: Watching the results of baccalaureate each year, and identify some of the top ranked laureates, then examine them how would they turn out in the university –More accurately, the place I study in, that requires high score, and it’s not something to be proud of, as you’ll read later!-. Each time I see them walking in front of me I feel sorry for this country, and for these youngsters, who, a couple of months ago, were in the television sitting beside the president and had interviews on the newspapers, talking about their dreams, about being Astronauts, prestigious nuclear scholars, etc –I wanted to be a Bus Driver in my childhood, what I failure am I!! hehe-. Afterwards reality’s punches them from the 7 sides ( the cube has 7 sides in my universe-city): 
-The hell like students’ dorms, the food quality that even cats complain about (You ask, why do I mention food at first?! Hell yea! “A hungry man is an angry man!” as the common saying goes)
- The quality of lectures and the professors- few of ‘em are excluded- is too mediocre,
- The exams: in one word “sabotage”!
Anyway, university in Algeria is like a kindergarten for adults. They all study, but a few succeed, literally! Because, they all get the diploma to be able to have a NO-JOB.
Back to the primary idea, I’ll highlight one of the aspects of the crime committed against Algerian fresh raw grey matter.
You are an excellent student in high school, a bit over the average IQ. You got a good mark in the BAC. Now, the first thing that will baffle you is: what will you pick as a studies’ field? Asking this question reveals the uncertainty led by the lack of orientation. How come, an ‘A’ straight student doesn’t know what will choose in university as a branch?!! The bitter answer:”All the roads take to nowhere!”
You picked a major, something like: Pharmacy, medicine, computer science, engineering higher schools, etc. here starts the disappointment, and you’ll start seeing life as it is and not as it’s shown on TV. The rest of the story couldn’t be narrated, but lived.

The most important thing I noticed on the Algerian educational system, is what I call the “Salmon’s Journey”* that students undergo during their years of study, from the beginning till graduation. They make their way through all the difficulties, like swimming against the stream,  many of them break down, give up and the minority makes it!
In the college where I do study for example, more than 300 pupils (amongst the top ranked pupils in the country) enter the first year but only less than 150 graduate ?! What a crime against innocence, society and the humanity. Without exaggerating, It really is! Students come full of energy, strength and mentally healthy (sometimes not :p), and end up having bellyaches, a self-hate or a will to leave this country (I can tell that 90% apply for post graduation in France and more than 60% really go there. Scary, but who gives a damn!). It’s a dramatic leak of valuable human resources that this country is strongly in need for.

Figure -1-*

And then, a jerk pops up on TV, boasting, and tells us: “we are the only country providing free education in the world!” I’ll answer him: “look rascal! You’re not paying it off from your mother’s purse!”.
Let’s take Denmark for instance:
“Government-funded education is usually free of charge and open to all.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Denmark
I won’t mention Norway, Finland, France, germany, etc. or maybe they are,all , from another world, because we are in the third! Ironically, I’m sorta starting believing in this.
Last and not least I’ll say like  Friedrich Nietzsche :

in large states, public education will always be mediocre, for the same reason that in large kitchens the cooking is usually bad.

 
You may get bored or think I’m pessimist, I'm not! I'm full of hope and concern, but not now.

****************************************************************
Figure -1-*: The process of transforming bright minded youth into donkeys in the ,so called, higher education institutions in Algeria.
*For no Algerians, baccalaureate is the high school graduation exam. You must pass it to enter university, and the better your mark is, the more choices you get to enter your favorite institution.
* In late winter or early spring, the ocean-dwelling salmon migrate to return to the streams and rivers in which they were born. Oftentimes these fish return to their natal rivers in groups called runs. The journey is a dangerous trek, but they can be seen jumping upstream in some places, just to return to the exact place where they first hatched. Predators---most notably bears---oftentimes await the returning salmon and prey on them as the fish navigate jumps and shallow places.

Photos from Germany III

One of the most important virtues in a community  is RESPECT, this good quality  strengthens the links betweens fellow citizens and helps making life in that society better. One should have respect for humans, animals and plants.

This time, I’ve picked four milestone photos from my urn up, and as you’ll see,  we have  two situations that show respect.
The photo below shows a “Rauchen ist verboten” ( It means “No smoking” ) sign pasted on the building’s chimney. Until now, nothing is uncommon. But, Behold! It’s an open space – The roof of one of Frankfurt’s skyscrapers-, notwithstanding, they banned smoking. It’s a high level of respect, respect for both of nature and humanity. Europeans are pioneers in this field- USA & Canada too-, and the laws prohibiting smoking in Public areas are a good example, but it shouldn’t be the end, they ought to carry on banning this poison everywhere. Personally, those who call for letting some smoking zones are calling for something too absurd that one’s intellect cannot approve. I couldn’t find a better metaphor for this context than this quote.
Someone – Hachakoum -said:

A smoking section in a restaurant is like a peeing section in a pool.

 

Now, let’s imagine this in Algeria :p I bet that you’ll find someone smoking and sitting right under the sign. It’s like he interpreted it as the order: “Smoke here!”. someone who went to Paris told me that he smoked in Eiffel Tower, while bragging about it!


A friend of mine is allergic to smoke,he gets a red eyes when exposed to it. He told me that one day he' was sitting and another guy came and sat right besides him  holding a cigarette. He asked him to keep it away. The guys answered: “If you don’t like, go and don’t sit here!”. The guys is acting like my friend is the offender. He remembered me of what Wendy Liebman’s quote:

“People always come up to me and say that my
smoking is bothering them... Well, it's killing me!”

hehehe,  hilarious, but true. Many smokers think this way.
That was the first manifestation of respect.

Let’s turn the first page of the article and pass to the next one. In the Photo below, we see a bulldozer in the middle of the road. Obviously, there’s work out there. But, the question is : where is the debris ? The loads of sand and stuff? I can see nothing, and it makes me believe that it’s a road’ sweeper!
We see also the smoothness of the traffic. The car is rolling as a fish in its aquarium. In the other hand (or foot :p ), in Algeria you’ll see a mess in the middle of a byway, and sometimes, for months, just because they are repairing the water leakage. Let us not talk about the Metro and Tramway…it’s  a long story!



We see how they do respect the people , the city and the ground itself. 
As illustrated below, the lever in the middle of the street while life goes on without a trouble. It’s totally clean and well organized. I’m picturing how will it look like when they clean the site after the task is done! I can’t see it cleaner.
 



In the end, I really want to see such circumstance in out country. Pay and give more attention to the human being as the ultimate source of strength and development, and not make materialistic sources so sacred as they are.
Ayya weew ;-) -- hathi fi khater Zakirovsky sec --

Photos from Germany II

Al Salam Alaykom,
Well, today I picked a couple of photos up from my virtual urn –The file which contains the milestones photos- and I’ll comment some aspects.
Primo, I’m going to show you something in Germany that you may come across in Algeria, especially in the "Dog Days"*, but in a very different decor.
Below, you can see, clearly, a man and his wife undressing their children to take a swim in a fountain. Thanks god! We are not the only folks on earth who swim in the fountains :p



The contrast between our way and theirs are:

• -Our fountains are Magical, in Arabic (an atypical translation of the Idiom: بالعربية, which means: In clear words), you jump into the water a human being and get out of it a human being an amphibian with a prickly heat*. You can never imagine how many frog, dragonfly or any other insect did spawn in the blurry water, as you cannot count the number of the naughty brats who p*ssed there. While theirs, I guess you can drink from or get lucky and grab a couple of money coins :p (Exaggerating ? Maybe!)

For reasons of morality I had to cover up the quasi-naked kid, I don’t want his friends to blackmail him later or post his photos naked on facebook after 10 years:p hehe

• The same as my previous post, we see no one staring at them- except the little girl on the left who’s saying “Darn, why did I forget my swimsuit?!!”-. They are too chilled out and natural.
• Another thing to point in this photo is, the parents themselves are watching over the children. And for their safety, they brought even “water wings”* !In the other hand, ‘chez nous’ the kids who go to such places are brave enough to go without their parents’ consent. Seriously, we ought to look after the kids nowadays more than any time ago. Things are getting worse: More cars on the roads –considering also the driving licenses brought illegally-, more harassments and psychopaths who may do anything to them. What we read in the newspapers is horrible: kidnappings, rapes, torture and go on.

Secundo, and in the same context, we see above two women waiting for something-or someone :p- to come, while a kid is on the sewer’ metallic cover, which is supposed to be the dirtiest spot in the street (the foul water or liquids, bad odors and maybe toxic gases -NH3 especially! Hehehe, hope you know why-, plus all the cars and the pedestrians who step on all the day). But, I ignore completely what do the Germans diffuse in their drain pipes to let their children recline on it! I need an answer here…



En tercer lugar, I liked this photo which reflects the concern of the Germans about environment and their tendency to play it green. While seeing it I laughed out loud (I don’t ‘LOL’, I laugh out loud , I’ hehehe’ or I ‘hahaha’. This ‘lol’ and ‘mdr’ screwed the beauty of the languages and …and…em…I guess It inspires me for another post. Hehehe *Evil laugh*), don’t they, Germans, have something called “Der Schwarzwald”*?! Didn’t they have plenty of green spaces and fields all around the country?! Back to Algeria, where the Sahara is crawling to the north in a dreadful silent pace, we hear, scarcely, of plating initiatives or sensitization campaigns. I don’t even dare to mention planting the roofs as in this scenery. I see a huge cultural gap between the two countries. Why don’t we give a heck about nature and environment? I think, it’s a matter of education, It’s something we grow with, learn in the schools and in the dwellings. Imagine our schools organizing outdoor excursions, where each kid plants and labels the tree by his name. After years, the same kid will come across his plant and beholds it. He’ll see his positive impact and footprint on life’s track. Our prophet Mohammad (BPUH) told us that if someone is living the end of the world and have a plant in his hand, he should plant it.

عن أنسٍ رضيَ الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال:[ إِنْ قَامَتْ السَّاعَةُ وَفي ِيَدِ أَحَدِكُمْ فَسِيلَةٌ ،فَإِنْ اسْتَطَاعَ أَنْ لَا يَقُومَ حَتَّى يَغْرِسَهَا؛ فَلْيَغْرِسْها ].

Even if you know that life ended already, don’t give up doing this! Now, you can picture how important and vital this act is.  I Hope these words reach a hearing ears.

Finally, I don’t type these scrambled lines, to glorify them and belittle ourselves. I do write to know how much work we need to make this country -jinxed by its own strength and fortune- rise from anew. We are the hope and the tomorrow, and we can do nothing without unity, that’s why I call for a massive engagement in making the development wheel spin in the right direction and faster.
I have faith, hope and conviction that we still have time to make a change, and this change starts by oneself. Gandhi said: ”Be the change you wish to see in the world”, and the imam ibn taymiyah said:”My paradise is in my chest; my imprisoning is my seclusion; my exile is my tourism….”.


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* "Dog Days": n. heat wave, period of hot days between July and September ("Dog Days" of July and August).(Ar): قيظ ، حر الصيف ; (Fr): La canicule
* “prickly heat”: skin disease which causes itching and inflammation; (Ar): طفح جلدي ;(Fr): éruption cutanée.
*“water wings” : Buoy ; (Fr) : Bouée
* “Der Schwarzwald”: the German name of the Black Forest, region in the south-western Germany which is mountainous and forested. It’s called black because of the darkness inside, due to the condensed trees

Photos from Germany (I)

These photos were taken by a friend of mine while wandering through Germany, summer 2007. I browsed his photos album, and stopped by many milestones –I call the meaningful things people call ‘futile’ milestones -. In this context, I call these photos that reflect a side of a society ‘milestones’ because they do deserve stopping by and extract some benefits.



In this photo we see three or two mothers with their seven children on the bare floor, next to a shop’s glass-paneled display case, enjoying their Ice creams. Too normal in Germany, but let’s imagine the scene in our very country Algeria! Hehe (Anti-LOL), here are some scenarios that may, very likely, occur:

1. Everyone who passes next will stare at them surprised, laughing or disapproving (My friend who took the photo is one of the surprised ones) or maybe a crowd will surround them –if it’s in Djelfa, I guarantee this :p-.
2. The shopkeeper or one of his employees will kick the whole family away from the façade, because the naughty kids will, surely, tarnish his ‘Vitrine’ by their Ice-creams.
3. ……….… I will let you, dear reader, fill the blank out. I promise to consider the innovative ideas;-)
4. ………….

Another thing that really impressed me is the cleanness of the floor!
Which sane –in the sense of caring- mother in Algeria would let her kids, and herself, sit on a pavement that only Allah knows what was on the shoes of the pedestrians that walked it down, all the day along? I guess, no one would!



 P.S. off the record, didn’t you notice that the kids are all blonds-except one- while the mothers have all dark hair?