Today, I will present new kind of SoundSlides audio... Hope you enjoy it...
It is about the Egyptian Festivals and how they are similar in rituals in stead of their variety in aims and types...
Waiting to hear from you :)
Egypt is a wondrous country. It has many festivals. Some of them are historic and traditional, some are secular from the ancient Egyptian carnivals, and others are religious.
In spite of the variety of Egyptian celebrations, most of them have similar appearance.
Friends go out having fun together. People go to restaurants and cafes having great times. Others are having a Nile cruise.
Sara Balbaa from El Behera, Egypt will tell us about her Eid days:
There will be also many places for children to go. They take the open-arranged cars which called “Taf-taft” that takes them all around the places to celebrate the feasts.
And finally, “Mallahy” time comes. Yaaaay, it’s the Attraction Parks for all children. They like to go out play with their friends; having their Eid toys. And for sure, parents shouldn’t forget the weakling “El-Tartour” and the drum.
Along the history, Egypt goes through many civilizations with their differences in habits & cultures. However, it still has its unique presence; it’s my grandfather’s smile…
AUC Desert Development Center (DDC) is a non-profit institution that was established in 1979 as an idea by Dr. Adly Beshay, AUC physics professor. The main philosophy of DDC is to make the desert an attractive place for life and to help in solving the desert habitants’ problems. A-U-C Mary Habib.
Music fades in: Flashbacks – Free play music
Thirty one years ago, Dr. Adly Bishay, AUC Physics professor, introduced the idea of establishing the desert development center as a non-profit organization at AUC.
In 1979, the AUC board of trustees & the Egyptian council of ministries issued the case no. 37 to specify an area of 500 acres in south Tahrir directorate to establish the “Desert Development Center.”
According to Mr. Mahmoud Badran, DDC training manager,
BADRAN: Egypt’s problem is the limited resources. Population lives on 4% of Egypt’s area, and 96% is desert. There is a huge overcrowding in population in the Delta & Valley. So, the Egyptian government strategy in the last decades was to reclaim the desert and move the population from the Delta & Valley to inhabit the desert. The American University in Cairo decided to help in this field, and to insure that the university is helping the whole society not only to educate the rich, but also to contribute in service to Egypt.(:29)
From here, this idea got developed to result in a new era of Better Thinkers: Better Futures…
BADRAN: The main philosophy of DDC is to make the desert an attractive place for life and to help in solving the desert habitants’ problems. So, this project is mainly based on three axis; the services, applied research and training. (:12)
Announcer: Can you please tell us, Mr. Badran what are the main important researches that has been done since 1979?
BADRAN: AUC Desert Development Center is a non-profit institution that depends on self-financing under the AUC. We have three research centers; South Tahrir research center “on 575 acres,” Sadat City research center “25 acres,” and the head office in the main campus. The most important research that has been done since the establishment of DDC is in the field of Animal Production. New ways are introduced to improve the product of Egyptian cows from both meat and milk through the Hybridization of European cows with Egyptian ones. This research brought great results and was traded to farmers all over Egypt. (:39)
Another project was the analysis of crop remains like beans chaff and wheat hay to be used as animal’s feed. This research decreases the import of feeds and made use of the farm land remains. (:11)
In 1981, DDC began its citrus research to identify the best combination from grafting range of roots that aren’t commonly used in Egypt.
Citrus development was one of the researches that longs to 15 years in DDC labs. (:5)
By the time, DDC was growing from success to success; it didn’t forget AUC’s students. Until now, AUC’s alumni are admitting their loyalty and acknowledgment they gained from DDC.
Bishoy Hanna, AUC alumni, who graduated years ago from the Biology department, is now having his PHD degree in University of California Merced. He conducted some research with DDC that helped in the development of the New Cairo Campus.
HANNA: The DDC offered a lot of opportunities to the Biology department, because it’s by definition the Desert Development Center. There are ecological studies that could be done for developing the desert. At many points, we as a student, traveled to the DDC and we would sample the plants & animals there to use it for our training.
Announcer: What are the important studies that Biology department conducted with the help of DDC?
HANNA: I am not aware of all the studies that are conducted in DDC. However, I was involved in a project between professor Jeffery Miler & the DDC, which was to develop the GIS system to monitor the new campus plants.
Announcer: Ok, can you tell us about this project?
The aim of this project was that before, the plants were moved to the new campus. They were grown at DDC nursery. We did a GIS map, to map every single tree in the new campus & its water requirement and what kind of fertilizer. What kind of tree it is? And all of these information, we put it in database that was accessible to all those who work in the DDC. So, they can monitor the plants. And also, this map was used when they put the trees in the new campus.
The Desert Development Center not only worked with AUC departments to conduct studies for its benefit, but also, DDC helped in student’s academic progress.
Maha Khalil, AUC alumni, is having now her master degree in King Abdullah University of Science & Technology.
KHALIL: we were studying Ecology. We just walked around in the agricultural fields studying land use & sampling the insect population. Also, they have a very nice wind break forest where we did some nice walks in the sampling. So, DDC helped us to practice the stuff that we were learning about Ecology in class. Doing it by hand and getting first-hand experience. (:29)
Since 1991, the DDC has distributed over 1.3 million citrus trees to farmer in newly reclaimed desert areas.
By the year 2000, DDC achieved over 93% exports quality acceptance of citrus under the adoption of the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture.
DDC citrus, fruit trees research, and technology transfer activities now contribute over $ 16,000,000 (16 million dollars) per year to the Egyptian economy.
BADRAN:The program was very successful, and the proof is its continuous operation since 1979 till now.
Special thanks for Mr. Mahmoud Badran, DDC training manager – Dr. Bishoy Hanna, UC Merced TA – Miss Maha Khalil, AUC alumni – Mr. Gaser El Safty, AUC undergraduate.
Today, I will introduce a new topic from the Egyptian street about the new law of closing shops early in Cairo.
Hope you enjoy it and waiting to hear from you :)
A state of love, confusion, sadness may be madness have spread in the city that never sleeps "Cairo."
Most Egyptians love to hang out with their friends and families at night. However, they may get confused if they find all shops are closed at 9pm!
Shehab, conflict resolution trainer: "People are always out and the shops are always there. People like to go out. I think it will take away the nature of the city and its culture. Frankly, I have to admit, I don't have any shops downtown or any other place, so economically I won't be directly affected by this. But I am definitely hate waking around the city are close at 9 or 10 pm, which is in Cairo defination is pretty early. It will feel too much like just not Cairo."
That decision was reported by Cairo governor Mr. Abdel Azim Wazir to be applied effectively by January 2011, which drove shops' owner mad, because simply people show up at night.
Mike, Mercado Italiano owner in Rehab & Downtown: "I am Mike working at Salad Fiesta. I think it's a horrible idea for the shops to close at 9 o'clock. I mean some people didn't go out of work till 8 - 9 o'clock. And you know this is Egypt that opens 24 hrs, they just stay open. I think it is very bad idea."
Others feel sad when hearing this news, because they think nothing can be done before 9pm.
Fatma, AUC Chemistry major at AUC: "Personally, I am Chemistry major and I finish my labs at 9 sometimes. So, closing shops at 8 means no shopping. No going anywhere, but just staying at home."
Closing shops in Cairo at 9pm was the idea of Cairo Chamber of Commerce (CCC). What do you think Cairo will make to surprise Egyptians?
Music fades out: Helwa Ya balady - Dalida
Credit to: Journalist Ahmed Kotb: for using his article in El Ahram Weekly
Interviews: Mr. Mohamed Shehab, Mr. Mike, Mr. Maged, Fatma Mostafa.
Hello,
Today, I will present for you an audio feature about the American University in Cairo Employment Fair for the semester Fall 2010. This feature will focus on questioning the effectivity of the employment fair to AUCian students, with some describtion for this fall employment fair...
Hope you enjoy it and waiting to hear from you...
LEAD-IN:
Although, the AUC Employment Fair became the region’s leader in university careers and placement services. Many students and alumni question the effectiveness of the employment fair and whether it is the best way to get employed or not.A-U-C’s Mary & Rania report.
Fade in: Free play music, without – pop vol 2
In 1986, the American University in Cairo introduced the idea of the Employment Fair as the first event of its kind in the Middle East. It is a one day event that aims at providing job opportunities for all AUC students according to their choices. Also, it helps integrating the employers’ recruiting needs with the skills and qualifications of AUC graduates.
Famous international companies seek to participate in the employment fair, because it gives them the opportunity to build good image among AUC students and alumni. So, more than 140 multinational and local corporations participate in the Fair.
The American University in Cairo offers each company a booth for USD 1000 as an early registration fee.
Career Advising and Placement services (CAPS) office publishes an employment fair booklet which provides information about the participating companies and the available vacancies. Interested students and alumni apply in person to company representatives at the Fair.
However, many controversies arose among AUC students and alumni on the effectiveness of the employment fair. Some students argue that the employment fair became less effective since moving to the new campus.
AHMAD RADWAN:” I graduated fall 09. And I am employed for four month now. I didn’t get the job from the employment fair. And I think it isn’t worth it even to go there even, because they publicize for themselves. It isn’t the point to get students employed. Their sweet gifts and stress balls are only to publicize themselves not to employ. Even my brother went there, but he didn’t get the job from there; as well as my sister, not onlyme.” (:20)
Others claim that most companies require experience which makes the fair not useful for fresh graduates.
RAMADAN: “The employment fair didn’t help me to get a job. The job requirements or perquisites are needed out of many years like average from 7 to 10 years. And they come for fresh graduates while they need 7 years of experience, what is the point of these jobs.”(:18)
Also, some students claim that they applied for lots of companies during the fair and were never called for an interview.
RAGIA MOSTAFA: “I applied in the employment fair, but they didn’t contact me. Most of the jobs I got were from the CAPS website.” (:6)
The employment fair is an opportunity that must be wisely captured. As the physicist William Pollard said: "It is the responsibility of leadership to provide opportunity, and the responsibility of individuals to contribute."
In 1986, the American University in Cairo introduced the idea of the Employment Fair as the first event of its kind in the Middle East. It is a one day event that aims at providing job opportunities for all AUC students according to their choices. Also, it helps integrating the employers’ recruiting needs with the skills and qualifications of AUC graduates.
Famous international companies seek to participate in the employment fair, because it gives them the opportunity to build good image among AUC students and alumni. So, more than 140 multinational and local corporations participate in the Fair.
The American University in Cairo offers each company a booth for USD 1000 as an early registration fee.
Career Advising and Placement services (CAPS) office publishes an employment fair booklet which provides information about the participating companies and the available vacancies. Interested students and alumni apply in person to company representatives at the Fair.
However, many controversies arose among AUC students and alumni on the effectiveness of the employment fair. Some students argue that the employment fair became less effective since moving to the new campus.
Others claim that most companies require experience which makes the fair not useful for fresh graduates.
Also, some students claim that they applied for lots of companies during the fair and were never called for an interview.
The employment fair is an opportunity that must be wisely captured. As the physicist William Pollard said: “It is the responsibility of leadership to provide opportunity, and the responsibility of individuals to contribute.”
Mary & Rania, A-U-C Feature. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EMPLOYMENT FAIR FALL 2010 CUT and COPY
MARY & RANIA
21 – 11 – 10
·In 1986, the American University in Cairo introduced the idea of the Employment Fair as the first event of its kind in the Middle East.
·It is a one day event that aims at providing job opportunities for all AUC students according to their choices.
·Also, it helps integrating the employers’ recruiting needs with the skills and qualifications of AUC graduates.
·Famous international companies seek to participate in the employment fair, because it gives them the opportunity to build good image among AUC students and alumni.
·So, more than 140 multinational and local corporations participate in the Fair.
·The American University in Cairo offers each company a booth for USD 1000 as an early registration fee.
·Career Advising and Placement services (CAPS) office publishes an employment fair booklet which provides information about the participating companies and the available vacancies.
·Interested students and alumni apply in person to company representatives at the Fair.
·However, many controversies arose among AUC students and alumni on the effectiveness of the employment fair.
·Some students argue that the employment fair became less effective since moving to the new campus.
·Others claim that most companies require experience which makes the fair not useful for fresh graduates.
·Also, some students claim that they applied for lots of companies during the fair and were never called for an interview.
·The employment fair is an opportunity that must be wisely captured.
·As the physicist William Pollard said: “It is the responsibility of leadership to provide opportunity, and the responsibility of individuals to contribute.”
CUTS
Around 70% of participating companies are returning participants that have joined at least one of the previous Fairs
Ramadan Ahmed, AUC Graduate student in fall 2009
“I graduated last fall 09. Yes, I have been employed working as a TA and researcher. I have been employed for almost a year now.” (:10)
“Most of the jobs were not good enough and their payment wasn’t great” (:5)
Thanksgiving is coming soon... Do you know how it began?
Thanksgiving is mainly a day to thank God for everything. And from the Old Testaments, we can see that God ordered his people to have a feast to thank him: "Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days" (Lev. 23:29)
However, US is celebrating the Thanksgiving day, because of the famous story of the Pilgrims who escaped away from England to Holland due to religious persecution. They settled in Plymouth Rock and they began planting and harvesting with the help of some Indians... Instead of losing a big number of them while they are sailing to save their lives, they celebrated the harvest as their first surviving year...
Then, the years round and the US presidents changed Thanksgiving date till it settled down on the forth Thursday in November...
That's how the pilgrims celebrated to thank the Indians who saved their lives... Nowadays, we celebrate thanksgiving as a day to thank God for all the things he gave us and to remember how he loved us...
Here is a part of His holiness Pope Shenouda III, pope of Alexandria and the Patriarch of all Africa on the holy apostolic of Saint Mark the evangelist, book about "The Life of Thanksgiving"
Happy Thanksgiving... Hope you enjoy the book, and waiting for your comments...
One of your biggest problems in the life of thanksgiving is holding to your personal thinking rather than the divine planning. We would like to arrange our affairs with our human thinking, and according to our own methods. God might have another plan which we do not understand, so we become angry and do not give thanks! For example: if our demands are not met we are angry. Sometimes we go up a step, and do not get angry, but at the same time we do not give thanks.
Our endurance means that there is distress which we do not grumble about, but we bear in patience. While our thanksgiving means our confidence that this incident is good, for which we give thanks to God. Here, we are moved from seeing to believing and by faith we see the good in all what God does to us, not relying on human judgments which decide on the outside.
If the Divine inspiration says, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17).
More truly that God does the good because He is able to do so. Of necessity, I must believe that God does the good with me, because by nature He is beneficent and actually He does so.
If my condition was bad, it could have been worse without God’s grace, but thank God He did not abandon me. Probably, my bad state is a result of my faults and I must blame myself.
As for God, I have to thank Him because He is not angry with me for my faults, and by all means He will help me to come out of it.
Then, I must have confidence in God’s wisdom and planning and do not rely on my human thinking and limited understanding. In all what happens to me I should say: There must be a divine wisdom behind this affair which will be revealed in time, and whether God revealed it or not, His wisdom exists and we thank Him for it. “Blessed are those whohave not seen and yet have believed.”(John 20:29).
This belief in the wisdom of God leads us to the life of submission, and the life of submission entirely agrees with the life of thanksgiving.
In this life, I say to the Lord: I thank you Lord because if you have found me a better position than my present one, you could have transferred me to it. Or, if I deserve more, you could have given me. Truly, you are always giving me more than I deserve. Enough for me to believe in your wisdom and love, in disposing my life and this deserves thanksgiving.
There are many normal matters in our life which really need thanksgiving.
Again, you can find here the whole interview with Mr. Mahmoud Badran, the training manager of DDC...
And followed by the transcription for what he said...
Interview Script: Music Fade in: Explosion - Soundtrack action volume 6 - free play music
Announcer: The AUC Desert Development Center was established in 1979 as a center of excellence in applied research and training promoting sustainable desert development. Mr. Badran: Egypt’s problem is the limited resources. Population lives on 4% of Egypt’s area, and 96% is desert. There is a huge overcrowding in population in the Delta & Valley. So, the Egyptian government strategy in the last decades was to reclaim the desert and move the population from the Delta & Valley to inhabit the desert. The American University in Cairo decided to help in this field, and to insure that the university is helping the whole society not only to educate the rich, but also to contribute in service Egypt.
Announcer: Who started the idea?
Mr. Badran: It was the idea of Mr. Adly Beshay, the AUC physics professor. He thought that AUC should have an active role in developing the Egyptian desert. He presented his idea to AUC board of trustees. They accepted and contacted the Egyptian council of ministries to take the action. They issued the case no. 37 for the year 1979, to specify an area of 500 acres in south Tahrir directorate to establish the “Desert Development Center.”
Announcer: What was the first aim behind its establishment?
Mr. Badran: The main philosophy of DDC is to make the desert an attractive place for life and to help in solving the desert habitants’ problems. So, this project is mainly based on three axes; the services, applied research and training.
Announcer: What activities did DDC get engaged in since its establishment?
Mr. Badran: AUC Desert Development Center is a non-profit institution that depends on self-financing under the AUC. We have three research centers; South Tahrir research center “on 575 acres,” Sadat City research center “25 acres,” and the head office in the main campus. The most important research that has been done since the establishment of DDC is in the field of Animal Production. New ways are introduced to improve the product of Egyptian cows from both meat and milk through the Hybridization of European cows with Egyptian ones. This research brought great results and was traded to farmers all over Egypt.
Another project was the analysis of crops remains like beans chaff and wheat hay to be used as animal’s feed. This research decreases the import of feeds and made use of the farm land remains.
Citrus development was one of the researches that longs to 15 years in DDC labs.
Announcer: What did DDC offered to AUC departments?
Mr. Badran: We have been worked with the AUC science department in the renewable resources researches. Also, the AUC physics department searched in the wind energy and solar energy with the help of DDC. All of these researches were supervised by Dr. Salah Hagar.
Announcer: What did DDC offered to Ain Shams University?
Mr. Badran: We have worked with Ain Shams University, microbiology department, on a type of bacteria called Frankia. These bacteria absorb the Nitrogen and fix it in the soil that plant needs for feeding and growth.
Announcer: Do you want add any other comments about DDC?
Mr. Badran: The program was very successful, and the proof is its continuous operating since 1979 till now.
Announcer: Thank you very much about your time and about the great information you had given. Thanks Mr. Mahmoud Badran
Mr. Badran: Thank you. You are welcome. Music Fade out: Explosion - Soundtrack action volume 6 - free play music
Credit for: Gaser El Safty for over transcription voice...
Dear All,
This is a promo for my final project about The history of Desert Development Center (DDC) at AUC. After prepparing some questions about DDC and its history, I have interviewed Mr. Mahmoud Badran, the Training Program Manager at DDC.
Here is the promo of 30 sec. for the interview...
The Script:
Music fade in: Tlom - The law of Miracle - Intro (Golden Valley) song
Announcer: The AUC Desert Development Center was established in 1979 as a center of excellence in applied research and training promoting sustainable desert development.
Mahmoud Badran, Training Manager of DDC: "It was the idea of Mr. Adly Beshy, the AUC physics professor."
Announcer: Attend the Listening Session, at AUC's New Cairo campus on Sunday, December 12 and Wednesday, December 15 at 10 a.m. each day in the BEC building, room 1060.
Music fade out: Tlom - The law of Miracle - Intro (Golden Valley) song
Credit for: Gaser El Safty for over transcription voice...
Dear all,
If you follow our work step by step, I have presented short listening journal which can be any feature story from World Vision Report and NPR... Then, I have analyzed International News also from BBC and NPR of 5 mins...
Today, I am presenting for you long form audion documentary from BBC World Service Documentary, New Media in Kashmir...
Pic. taken from BBC website, designed by Mary Habib
Analysis of the Audio Documentary:
Title of the documentary: New Media in Kashmir
Audio producer: Suvojit Bagchi
Narration: Suvojit Bagchi
Length of the documentary: 22:32 min.
About the Production Quality:
This documentary is mainly talking about the integration of Mobile Phones, Computers and the Internet in Kashmir, India as a new Media. The reporter shows the impact of new media communication in Kashmir's conflict zone. He first, went to one of the boys who use the mobile phone to shot the videos and current events happen in Kashmir. However, the father of 15 years boy was afraid to mention his name in the documentary. The reporter reached to the result that his boy is just shooting these videos just to impress his friends not more or less. Kashmiri people think that using this new media is a kind of expressing their freedom of speech, because it a kind of wide for the whole world to hear them. One of the reporters say that he can't write his actual name when writing articles on the Internet. However, he uses a nickname to hide his identity being afraid of kidnapping.
The documentary was very interesting for me as I thought I will hear something new about media. However, at the end of the documentary, I felt sorry for them, because they are just on the edge of using the media that are introduced a time ago. I think, it's a progress for them and proof that New Technology is very important in our life. The music introduced at the beginning of the documentary was very interesting. Because, he used to mention the place he is reporting from, but in a different way. The way the reporter was describing the place he is going through, completed the missing image of the audio and made it more visualized like "sitting her on the board" "going up to the roof" "sitting in the room". What also interested me is that, the reporter mentioned the website of the video he is talking about in this documentary. That makes it more interesting for audience to go search about the story to watch the video.
The natural sound is very descriptive. It is expressing every story the reporter is recording. When he was in the boat, there was a water sound that brings the fact that he is in a boat. The sound quality of the natural sound was good. No noise appear behind, but sometimes I have to concentrate more to understand his words; especially when he records in the street...
The narrator voice was fine to the extent that he comes from Kashmir. He is Indian so his native language isn't English. He considers Indian people who know English are educated... So, I think he is educated also, but his voice quality isn't perfect due to language barriers. At the end of the documentary, I lose attention because the narrator voice pitch goes very slowly.
The transcription voice quality was fine, but its quality was very law, because she can't deliver the same feeling of the main speaker.
He said "el salam alekom" inside his words and I think it isn't in his script. So, his writing quality isn't applicable to his audience. Because he is supposed to talk to the whole world.
The documentary length was appropriate for a service documentary. It shows different point of views and various stories and places. The reporter recorded in the street, at the home of one of the war victims, border between India & Pakistan. So, the length of the documentary is fine compared to the places he recorded in.
The documentary began very strongly. The music was very interesting. The lead in was very prospectively described, showing the reporter aim of the story. But at the end of the documentary, I lose attention due to the narrator's voice. It went very slowly. He cut the documentary with just a music which was somehow confused for me. I was wondering if the documentary ended or not!!!
Hello,
This is a new post about "Public Service Announcement" for Breast Cancer... and the Breast Cancer Foundation in Egypt is sponsoring it... Enjoy it and comment... Breast CancerUpload Music
Local Officer: Mrs. Ghada Mustafa, Media & External relations Director
Organization: The Breast Cancer Foundation of Egypt(BCFE)
Contact info:33 Kasr El Aini Street, Suite 25, Floor 7, Fom El Khalig- Cairo 1141
Tel: (202) 23682 431/2
Fax: (202) 2368 2431
Mobile: 010 3491104
Email: info@bcfe.org
Website: www.bcfe.org
Headings: “Early Diagnosis” campaign
Air Date: October 2010 – April 2011
(Light Music)--> "Then Again" from: freeplaymusic.com
Woman 1: I lost my mom from it, would I have the same fate?
Woman 2: one of eight women has it nowadays; would I be one of them?
Woman 3: I’m approaching my forties, am I close to it?
Announcer: 96% of EARLY diagnosed breast-cancer cases get completely cured.
Breast Cancer Foundation of Egypt, For a Life without Breast Caner.
Visit Our Website: http://www.bcfe.org/
