Taking the world by storm

Taking the world by storm

By Dr Laila Abdel Aal Alghalban

Professor of linguistics & Chairperson of the Department of English

Faculty of Arts

Kafrelsheikh University

Do you still remember the nursery rhymes or children's songs you used to sing with peers when you were a kid?  Do you still remember the songs or rhymes your parents and grandparents used to sing to you? The answer is definitely 'Yes'. You may ask: "Why?".  The answer proposed by many studies on memory and language learning is that our brains process rhymed input more deeply and more easily than unrhymed input.  When music, repetition and storytelling are combined, this helps memorization and the acquisition of new vocabulary. It makes us joyfully relate to peers, family and teachers.

Music, the body and language learning

How music affects the body is a very interesting and yet not fully-discovered issue. By its very definition, music has to do with sounds which are harmoniously combined to change the chemical interactions in our bodies and evoke emotions in us. Music is also part of our body.  Think about your voice, that miraculous musical instrument that plays, through speaking and singing, varied tunes that stir up emotions beyond comprehension. Think about  how your body organs work rhythmically: your heart, feet, hands, respiratory system, etc. Music is inside us and it is part of who we are. Language also has music, and when language and music get together, they rock us massively. Think about the emotions you experience when language and music are combined in movies, songs, opera, theatre, etc. In other words, language, music and culture are inseparable. There have been incredible examples of the role music plays in saving endangered languages. A case in point is the Welsh-speaking part of Argentina, Patagonian. Music at schools keeps the language alive there. The Angolan language Kimbundu is another example. Rappers are racing to revive it. Thanks to technology and social media, the masses speaking such endangered language take the lead.  

Without official or academic ado

 Pop culture and music have incredibly impacted languages at all levels: vocabulary, grammar, meaning and pronunciation.  More importantly, they help disseminate languages, dialects and accents outside their native territories without official or academic ado. Let us have a look at the most three successful stories. What are they? And in what way can they inspire others?

A tale of three 'softquakes'

" Imagine a world without The Beetles; how would it look like?" Would the pop storm that hits music and world entertainment industry be there? Would the hits "Get Back", "She Loves You", "I Feel Fine", among others exist and have such a huge impact on  the global fans? Would the world fashion industry be defined the way it was by the Beetles?  Would  the mop-top hair cut, casual wear, Chelsea boots  appear and males all over the world copy them blindly? More importantly, would the world know about Liverpool or 'Scouse' accent and love it that much? Definitely, the world would have missed the stunning artistic, cultural, and linguistic impact of the Beetles.

Latin music

 The huge popularity in Latin music in the US and the world has also contributed to the promotion of the Spanish language, which currently has an increasing share of the global population learning a foreign language. Spanish is also the second language in the US and spoken in 44 countries. It is no wonder then to find Spanish hits frequently sweeping the world. "Dispacito" is a tale to remember. Shortly after, Little Mix, Cardi B and DJ Snake find their way to top spots on the US Billboard chart in Spanish. Thus, the impact of Latin music is understandable given the large Latin-speaking diaspora around the world.

The Korean softquake

Another softquake that is currently hitting the world hard is the Korean pop industry or K-pop, South Korean super groups and bands such as  Blackpink, the Black Eyed Peas and BTS have broken the boundaries and become famous worldwide. The boy band BTS, in particular, is taking the world by storm. Its members manage to have the most impact on spreading the Korean language and culture around the world. With a popularity compared to the Beatles in their prime, they performed on the most respected and famous stages like the billboard and American Music Awards (AMA), and won high profile awards that seemed to be restricted to American pop singers. The Korean stars have also the most interactive fan base, which is called "army". According to Twitter, they have been a social media sensation in the last few years. 

Just the vibe

BTS has been a living proof that music and art in general is an undeniable power in spreading a culture and a language. With millions of loyal fans aspiring to learn the language of their beloved idols, Korean language has flourished like never before. BTS artists are stuck to their language although they insert some English in the lyrics, their songs and interactions remain in Korean. Their YouTube channel posts videos about their life and really shows who they are without all the buzz of celebrity life. It shows them in all their moods.  That makes the fans connect with them on a deeper and  more profound level and that may be the main reason why Korean language is spreading like never before. Fans are aspiring to connect to their idols despite the level of difficulty of the language. They want to understand their beloved artists without subtitles and connect with them without language boundaries. Fans talk about how regularly listening to BTS  makes them unconsciously learn Korean. Moreover, there are fan sites, spaces for translations which render BTS hits into other languages around the world.

People, worldwide, have become more open to music in languages other than their own. The British are the last people to embrace music in foreign languages without compromises. Thanks to technology and migration, music industry is no longer controlled by a punch of Anglo-centric gatekeepers. Spotify and YouTube  are now leading the way making  it easy to stream songs . Finally, let us hope that these successful stories of how culture and music help disseminate languages and dialects inspire the Arab cultural and entertainment industry and teach lessons in spreading  the Arabic language all over the world.

  

Beyond Paradise, Beyond the Surface

This post was published in The Egyptian Gazette 11th of July, 2019

You open your eyes yawning and the first thing you do is reach out for your cellphone on the bedside table.  You surf social media to see what is going on in the world you are about to face in a few moments.  You start with Facebook, or maybe you prefer Instgram and you scroll. What a lovely world!    

First post:

You see your favorite actress playing yoga in an enchantingly garden,   her body lean and ideal in a brand outfit that costs a fortune, her hair tied in a long lease ponytail the color of chocolate, smiling to show off her Hollywood teeth.  Unconsciously, you start to pity yourself:   you are still in your bed, tired as hell; the headache you slept with is still persistent; your disheveled hair sticks to your face and the back of your neck due to sweat, worrying about the hundred things you have to do today.

 Second post:

Your friend from high who migrated twenty years is on her vacation in the Caribbean. She is in a sheer vibrantly colored dress and the latest brand sunglasses and shiny lip color, soaking her bare feet in the water while her hair flies away in the air, surrounded by lovely children building huge castles in the sand. Your feeling of lack intensifies.

Third post:

You scroll down and a few posts later, you see your neighbor showing off a wonderful cake she has just baked and commenting “ Made with Love” and you wonder why you cannot bake anything without burning it!  The cake lady has a hundred likes and tens of “wows” and comments begging her to write the recipe.  The disappointment and indignation that started two posts above build up and you wonder, self- disapprovingly why cannot you cook meals that amaze others and make you proud on social media.

Fourth post:

An old colleague looks surprised:  the manager of the company she works for has left a bouquet of daisies and a chocolate box on her desk to thank her for her efforts.  “That’s it!”  You cannot take any more of Facebook and you jump out of bed.   The famous comment of comedian Hala Sidky in one of her movies rings in your ears:   What about the gangs of good for nothing people I work with? Why cannot anyone appreciate my hard work?!   You feel depressed and underappreciated in work.

You decide to switch to Instagram for a quick view only to find your cousin in Canada in a classy restaurant  with a group of good-looking friends savoring a dish of lasagna; she looks thin and the mounts of cheeses that ooze out of the dish seem not to bother her in the least.  You feel an urge to go devour all the cheeses you can get hold of and wish you can have such gorgeous friends to take you out to fancy restaurants in foreign lands.

The “fake” paradise you see on social media makes you feel miserable; the message your subconscious gets out of all the above posts is a message of lack:   in order for you to be happy, you must have all that this actress has:  a large house with a garden, a great body, expensive brand clothes, a private trainer, a daily hairdo and new teeth!  You also need to travel abroad for your next vacation and get overpriced sunglasses; you must find new outgoing friends to take you places and treat you like a queen. You must find another job where are given more credit for your work.  You might also want to change your children and get new ones who look as good as the ones surrounding your friend on the beach.  You lack all these things! In other words, you need to be someone other than yourself to be happy.

Under the colorful surface

What if you look beyond this blissful paradise on social media before you allow your mind to drift away to compare your real life with that of others? Before you are carried away  in a cycle of never ending dissatisfaction and disappointment about your own circumstances try doing this one thing:  imagine the back stage.  I have tried it and it shifted my thinking one hundred eighty degrees and I strongly recommend it to family and friends all the time.  

Backstage peek

In all the sights of happy and joyful people in the above posts, you see only the end result; you do not see the moments of pain and hard work that preceded the final look presented on social media.  Your favorite actress surely did not become in great shape in her seventies without having to sweat for hours every day in the gym her whole life; she did not have photos showing her body under the knife of a surgeon or at least having Botox and filler shots all over her face and neck to maintain her younger looks. Nor did she photograph herself while the dentist worked his puzzling painful tools in her mouth.  After all, you should be grateful you are not like her; you are not to be judged by millions only by your looks.

You did not see the backbreaking work that your old colleague did before getting the flowers and chocolate. Maybe she had been working for months, sleep- deprived, drinking tons of coffee to meet deadlines that other colleagues failed to do.   You did not see the backstage of all the stories and you cannot compare yourself to them unless you do. Are you willing to go through hell for a few moments of eye-catching bless on social media?  Are you ready to pay the price of a post that gets likes and wows? 

Let’s not be deceived by social media which presents only a segment of a story; let’s see the whole story.  Let’s look beyond Paradise and be thankful and grateful for what we have.

Inscription bid of the Nile on UNESCO's World Heritage

Inscription bid of  the Nile on UNESCO's World Heritage

By Dr Laila Abdel Aal Alghalban

Professor of linguistics & Chairperson of the Department of English

Faculty of Arts

Kafrelsheikh University

Inscription season

Being a huge fan of human heritage conservation, this week has been exceptional. I have been busy meticulously and enthusiastically following the 43rd session of the UNESCO's World Heritage Committee, underway at Baku (Azerbaijan) from June 30 to July 10, and chasing the news of sites inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage list. The lucky sites are granted world fame and protection against ongoing and likely dangers. What is special about the ongoing  session is the abundance of the natural sites listed in comparison to the cultural and mixed ones: Iceland's volcanic Vatnajokull national park,  the French Austral lands and seas, a house for different species of birds and marine life, the mountainous landscape of the Erzgebrige region shared by Germany and the Czech Republic, China's archaeological site Liangzhu, Iranian Hyrcanian forests, and the list is likely to go on and on.

Meanwhile, other cultural and mixed nominations have also been added to the internationally-esteemed list: the German city of Augsburg for its over 800-year-old water management system,  Alberta’s Writing-on-Stone monument in Canada, the Indian Walled City of Jaipur, known for its iconic architectural legacy, Myanmar’s ancient capital of Bagan, a hotspot of Buddhist temples, Iraq's ancient city of Babylon, Paraty and Ilha Grande in Brazil, among others. The landmarks added to the UNESCO's World Heritage list are considered to have exceptional significance to humanity.

Why not?

 Many natural sites all over the world such as lakes, mountain ranges, hills, forests, islands, oases, bird nesting and watching sites, coral springs and reefs have found their way to the World Heritage list for their value to humanity every year.  "It is great that these natural landmarks are given due recognition, respect and protection against the unprecedented threats posed by over- urbanization and climate change," I thought to myself every time I get updates on the meeting." But what about the iconic rivers that sustain communities and feed all their cultural and natural heritage? Aren't they worthy of being regarded as world heritage sites?"  I wondered.

The nation with the richest history

Since the dawn of time, the River Nile has been deeply seated in hearts, history, myths, tales and legends. The eternal river, which originates in the heart of Africa and Ethiopia, and flows northward  through Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt, carves its way into the desert and brings life to one of the driest areas on the planet.  Being an Egyptian, I will write about what it means to be an Egyptian and how that is defined by the Nile. In a survey on the country with the richest history, the 21 000  participants selected from around the globe have picked Egypt. This means that the world cannot imagine Egypt without the Nile, and that the Egyptian civilization could have never survived  nor thrived without it. However, the Egyptians must be proud of themselves as the Nile runs through other places without inspiring their peoples that deep.  

The gift of the Nile

" l didn't pollute the waters of the Nile," was one of the things a deceased person would say before gods. Ancient Egyptians went to great lengths to respect and even worship the Nile. An ancient legend says that a beautiful girl called "the bride of the Nile" was thrown every year in the sacred Nile as a sacrifice.

Cruising through the River Nile is absolutely one of the most memorable and romantic experiences one can ever have. It is time travel. The quiet, deep and rich waters that have long blended with the alluring stories, secrets and wisdom of the past are matchless. You pass by an endless stream of communities. Like its waters, people are flowing through the valley and Delta. It is a lifeline thrown into the dead land, pouring food, peace and creativity, and turning it into a cultural hotspot and the cradle of the most vibrant and inspirational civilization ever.

Blowing the sirens

Due to the unscrupulous urbanization, inefficient drainage systems and dam-construction mania, the imminent threats to the Nile and other rivers worldwide  sometimes have irreversible  impacts. Every time I travel across the Nile Delta and  watch the predatory urban sprawl provocatively and viciously killing the most fertile land in the world, turning it into ugly and suffocating blocs of concrete, my head spins and my soul goes down. " How could we foolishly and aggressively be that sinful to our only means of survival?" I used to ask myself.  And when you head northward, to the lakes overlooking the Mediterranean Sea ( Burullus, Manzala, Maryut, Idko, etc.), you find another treasure urgently in need of protection. The lakes, wetlands, are homes of many plant, animal and bird species.

A very modest share

The number of treasures on the World Heritage list across Egypt now is just seven, a very modest share of a nation with the richest history and culture. Six of them are cultural (e.g. Historic Cairo, the Pyramid fields from Giza to Dahshur,  Ancient Thebes and St. Catherine)  and only one natural ( Wadi Al Hitan or the Valley of Whales in Fayoum).

Take care of the Nile and everything will take care of itself

To me when a temple, a city, a lake,  a valley,  plains or delta gets world protection, this would be a bit patchy. Safeguarding rivers against the negative effects of land use changes, dam construction and other human activities should come first. Our most cherished Nile, if considered for nomination and inscription would be the first river to get such a fully-deserved  spot on World Heritage list. So let us go the extra mile to start nomination procedures. The River Nile has a special reverence in the hearts of Egypt's lovers everywhere. The first step is to take serious policies and  measures  to safeguard it and launch a successful PR campaign prior and during  the nomination bid. Dams definitely affect locals' lives and in many parts of the world, giant dam construction companies were forced to halt construction work due to the mounting ecological awareness of the local communities and universal pressures. 

Finally, the inscription on World Heritage list sometimes comes after decades of advocacy by locals, civil societies and governments. Let us summon our  utmost efforts on conservation, environmental education and management of the River Nile so that this treasured heritage remains forever.

 

Living in a too smart world

Living in a too smart world

By Dr Laila Abdel Aal Alghalban

Professor of linguistics & Chairperson of the Department of English

Faculty of Arts

Kafrelsheikh University

A traumatizing experience

It was about fifteen years ago when I watched Steven Spielberg's masterpiece Artificial Intelligence (AI). It was a traumatizing experience. The humanoid robot boy who was manufactured to be the adopted son of a couple whose real son was in cryo-statsis is no longer welcome in the family after the recovery of their human son.  I cannot forget the scene when the boy was abandoned by "his mom" in the forest.  I cannot forget his bitter tears and heartbreaking begging not to leave him there. The dividing lines between real humans and realistic robots are sometimes blurred. I remember the tense, bewildering feelings and thoughts the movie sparked in me about our future and the terrifying storm of questions that has hit me ever since. "Could we really develop machines that can feel, think, do incredible tasks and even kill us?" I thought. "What is left for humanity? And is it any more acceptable for humans to be replaced by machines at this alarming rate ?"

Freaky headlines

The iconic  movie and the questions it triggers pop in my mind every time I come across a news story on AI: "The world's first robot designed to carry out unbiased job interviews",  " Robot news presenter causes a stir on  Russian TV", "Meet Ai-Da, the world’s first robot artist to stage an exhibition", " A never-ending stream of AI art goes up for auction",  " Is artificial intelligence set to become art's next medium?" , "World's first robot artist can sketch people from sight."These have been a sample of the freakiest  headlines I spotted in the last few months.

A few questions

In citing the above headlines, I would like to ask you a few questions. How would  you feel if you were interviewed by a robot or saw a self-driving car passing next to you? Would you become relaxed? How would you feel if you were a climber or a hiker and you lost connection to the world because of an avalanche or wild fire, then you started losing hope, yet all of a sudden, a drone spotted you and luckily  you were rescued?  Do you know that a sketch painted by an AI humanoid robot artist is auctioned in the famous and prestigious  Christi Hall in London and sold at an incredible price, close to the price of a masterpiece by Van Gogh or Goya? And do you know that AI-based policing work is increasingly involved in prosecution, sentencing and upgrading legal system procedures and services?

 Artificial Intelligence is almost in everything around us. What does AI mean, then? It simply means developing machines or computer programmes  that are capable of doing tasks requiring intelligence, through simulating human cognitive abilities . Your smart phone  is the handiest example: the phone camera, processors, security code,  facial and voice recognition,  social media apps, navigation, etc.  Self-driving cars, delivery robots, medical robots, surveillance and monitoring,  smart factories, smart universities, smart home devices such as robots tidying up rooms, etc. are currently gathering mounting momentum. Algorithms -computer mathematical formulae - are increasingly used to make everyday decisions about our lives. Robots do repetitive tasks so efficiently. But are they equally good at sophisticated and more creative ones?

Hyper-creative tasks

Ai-Da is the world’s first robot artist to stage an exhibition. The mind blowing (AI) machine can sketch a portrait by sight, walk, talk, self-learn and hold a pencil or brush.  Her sophisticated, highly abstract creativity is not predictable and is instituting a new genre of shattered light abstraction art. Automated copywriting programmes are also now writing cheap, inventive adverts  as well as basic news reports. Programmers feed the algorithms with a plenty of adverts to come up with creative, human-like copies. AI is also used to analyze customer service and customer satisfaction survey results.  Surprisingly, Russian state news channel Rossiya 24 has introduced Alex, the robot presenter for some of its bulletins. Alex has humanoid facial expressions and neck movements, and has generated conflicting reactions from the audience. 

Humans and technology

In their quest to control the world , maximize the use of resources, fight the surrounding dangers, humans have uniquely made use of tools. The industrial revolution enhanced our limited capabilities beyond comprehension at the time. However, it is the digital revolution that has and would continue to have the paramount, unprecedented impact on humanity.  The gap between virtual and real realities is getting narrower than ever. Virtual reality is used in learning, visiting museums, camping and touring the human body organs. Augmented reality technology allows us to see real reality more clearly and comprehensively in 3D views through apps and tools like glasses. They work magnificently  in many industries , professions, games, shopping, GPS and other human activities. More interestingly, AI devices are gingerly being implanted into the human body or on the skin, using simple, DIY "surgeries" or techniques to help open doors without the need to carry keys, go shopping without money or credit cards, show identity without the need for passports, store personal medical information,  and help people with disabilities to walk, hear, see and touch.  Digital technology grant humans unparalleled powers  and redesign human bodies to adept to the post human or transhuman age, where humans and technology intertwined. This brings in serious bioethical considerations societies must address to stop humanity  from heading to the point of no return.   

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Legitimate fears

The latest AI machines do self-learning and self-training. Sometimes they outperform programmers. This is called  Machine learning. The excessive reliance on AI algorithms can lead to fatal risk of bias and error. We would turn into slaves to the machines, letting them to decide almost everything for us. In the criminal system and policing work, for instance, especially in interrogation techniques, prosecutions and sentencing  might come up with some legitimate fears that the data used to feed algorithms might be biased towards or against some people. Loss of jobs is a nightmare to so many people in the future. However,  AI is a tool and in order to aspire for a more humane future, humans should come first: empowering vulnerable groups and individuals,  respecting human heritage and addressing ethical concerns. Finally, let us trust our innate instinct for survival in combating future threats.