Reem Natsheh - A Memory Of A Smell

The main aim of this project is to show the connection between me and the smell that have always been linking me to my dear beloved Jerusalem. It’s more like the issue of a memory and how can a smell connect us to things and even revive a memory. Walking down by Jerusalem streets, there’s this smell, a smell that gives me this strange feeling inside. I don’t know how to describe it, a feeling that is a mixture between happiness and sadness, satisfaction and disappointment, freedom and slavery, history and present. As I start my day preparing myself to go out, standing in front of my house, a couple of Israeli military soldiers are walking down our street, giving me the feeling of shouting in the louder voice that I have “leave us alone, those are our streets, our country and our Jerusalem that you are polluting by your hatefulness, and your stupid wars”. A fresh breeze hit my face reminding me to smile, “ keep calm I say to myself” as I look down the street facing Jerusalem I think to myself it’s only five minutes until I meet the crowded streets, until I meet the historical walls, the smells and the memories as well. And yet five minutes are separating me from my indescribable strange feeling.

As the bus drops me off, I start to walk, observing every single move, hearing every single sound and before even noticing it, the smell starts to occupy me. It’s the smell of ka’k, Jerusalem ka’ek, and once again the feeling comes to me, in those first moments of this feeling I feel happy, satisfied I can smell freedom, history and I can tell, yes I am in Jerusalem. As I keep walking and come closer to the ka’ek this feeling inside of me keeps me satisfied, the irresistible smell of ka’ek makes me want to buy them all, the smell takes me to another world and another time, it makes me wonder what time does the bakery workers wake up every day in order to make all of this ka’ek. Which takes me back to my grandfather, he used to be a baker, and no wonder ka’ek brings me all this satisfaction, as a child my grandfather used to award me a piece of ka’ek made by him for well behaving .

I continue walking, the smell is still occupying me, as my eyes still observing everything I see this little booth containing every kind of delicious food, I pause for a while and think to myself “is it really the smell of ka’ek that brings this feeling inside of me, or those memories that comes within the smell brings me this feeling? “ as I continue walking passing by the booth and leaving it behind me, I become more convinced that this booth, the smell of ka’ek and the steps I take while walking, without them I would not feel the same towards Jerusalem, I would not feel my identity and somehow a part of my memories would be missing, I realize those little simple things are what keeping me remembering many little important things. And as this moment comes to mee, my happy satisfying feeling starts to turn into sadness and disappointments, what if this time comes and I would be no longer able to walk in Jerusalem streets? What if these booths are being removed by Israeli’s? And what if I am not allowed to enter Jerusalem ever again? What if those memories suddenly faded? A part of me and my life will surely be missed and lost forever.

I prepare myself to walk down in the old city. I stop for a while in front of Bab Al Amoud gate, staring at the historical wall wondering how many battles where fought here at this gate and how many people lost their lives trying to enter the city. Our ancestors fought their battle for us, in order to live a decent life.. But then the smell comes again but this time it’s mixed with blood smell, the thoughts of the battles and al intifada brings me automatically the smell of blood, the feeling of freedom and as they say it you can smell freedom in the air.

In the old city, it’s where all my memories meet together, the smells are mixed between ka’ek, coffee, pickles, olives, zatar and many other spices. Together they must form a great image, a great memory but unfortunately at this time I cannot smell anything but occupation, I cannot deny that the smell is amazingly irresistible but the smell of occupation over comes every single smell. Seeing the old city crowded with Israeli militaries, Israeli Jews civilians is ruining this feeling inside of me. “Hold on I say to myself, you can still smell the ka’ek cant you? You must smell it, feel it and fight for your memories, because at the end there’s nothing left but our memories and smells. And after all I can still look at the sky, close my eyes and imagine my Jerusalem without those occupiers; after all I can still look at the sky …”

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