148

Hi all.

Breaking the silence.

This is Egypt tonight from my perspective only, after the announced clinical death of former President Hosni Mubarek.

Mubarek's clinical death is unfortunate, and untimely, and ... well ... distracting.

Quick thoughts:

I hear from some Muslims (I've become much more aware over the years that "all" statements are dangerous, diversity rules...) that they are not supposed to speak of the dead for a period immediately after death.  I don't know how this age old rule applies to clinical death.  This might come in to play in the near future.

Soon, in about 36 hours, the new president of Egypt is to be named.

The democratic elections have been compromised on different levels, not to mention the SCAF (once perceiving possibly the new president might be "problematic" removing even more power from the position of president and assuring the military would maintain control).  These elections were fought for by the people, and many died in the name of a "free and democratic state".

Other candidates lost favor for various reasons along the way to this election.  One candidate in particular, Muhammed El Baradi, who understood democratic processes very thoroughly, insisted "constitution before elections" and was sidelined very early and not allowed to run.  At the time, many Egyptians understood he was somehow evil, or not a good choice for a leader.  I think he was a threat.  My imagined idea:  "Wait, that guy really understands democracy?  Get him out...we have an election to win..."

I believe today, many Egyptians wish he could have had more influence.  Were his name on the ballot against either of the two current candidates, he'd probably win by Mubarekesque numbers.

In a political chess match, the power who has been the power for 60+ years continues to win.  Dynasties, regimes, kingdoms, or other continuously sustaining political power systems aren't successful by accident.  They are proof that effective systems provide intended results.  To change one leader is easy, to shift the institutionalization of a county's political system is not so easy.

Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.  Some here are cruel beyond imagination, and while I am prone to conspiracy theory ideas, I actually take a different stance on the clinical death of Former President Hosni Mubarek.

Mubarek's "death" should not even be a footnote at this moment.  No one should lose sight of a much larger issue.

Officially, 900 people died in Tahrir Square during and around the revolution in January 2011.  Not one person has yet been accused.  Unofficially the numbers are much larger.

Today in Egypt:

Millions continue to live below poverty levels.

Thousands starve daily.

Millions are uneducated.

Children work abusive hours.

Women have limited rights.

Men have limited rights.

Children have limited rights.

Many Egyptians are continually calling for fairness, a right to speak, and a chance.  Their voices are squelched via arrests, deprivations, physical and psychological tortures, internet and media and censorships...and on, and on, and on.

Hosni Mubarek was only one man.  He was the point man in a corrupt political system which thrived upon keeping it's citizens down via a military state.

Those pulling his strings have continued to avoid losing power despite the "revolution" in Egypt that has been ongoing for one and one half years. Because he was never really the power, and only one who gained (however tremendously) from his position, we can treat his death as sad, but should not be distracted from the greater problem that exists in Egypt.

Pay attention to the news, but read between the lines.

Hope to provide another update soon,

Be well.

131

In this blog, I am recounting the opinions of many Egyptian citizens I have talked with over the past couple of years.  While these opinions don't accurately represent any one individual, this blog is more an amalgamation of those thoughts, utterances, and conversations.

Here in Cairo, today is "Civil Disobedience" day.

Around Egypt, people are calling for silent, peaceful, disobedient actions to send a message.  They are calling for strikes from work, peaceful protests, and generally are trying to get the message out that they are not happy with one fact:

One year after Mubarek stepped down, little has really changed.

Mubarek was the top dog in the military forces.  Removing him allowed for the possibility of change: it gave hope to many Egyptians who before had none.  One year later, who is in charge?  The other top dogs in the military regime.

Many Egyptian people, especially those who were active in the revolution to begin with, are not happy with this.

So, the call for a peaceful protest.

There are many who are very afraid that it will become something more.  I'm holding out for peace.

Further thoughts on the arrests of the NGO workers arrest last week here in Cairo.

Here is a brief summation of "facts" that I've gathered over the past 131 weeks in Cairo from speaking with Egyptians from diverse backgrounds.  If there are errors in this post they are present only because we as people are fallible and subject to misinterpretations, misunderstandings, and the like.  But, I have done my best to give one perception of Egypt from many locals points of view.


This is in need of, and may receive a few edits soon.  But in the interest of publishing without further delay, here it is:

Mubarek accepted money from the U.S. for 30 years.  In 2009, Hillary Clinton went so far as to say she considered "President and Mrs. Mubarak to be friends of my family", and even until the near end (February 2011) when she was suggesting Egypt was "stable" again referred to him and the regime as family.

This enraged the revolutionaries and many other citizens in Egypt.  Why?

Mubarek for 30 years, beat, tortured, and killed Egyptian citizens.  Along the way, he promoted everyone in his family or close circles of friends to positions where they could also abuse and through graft and corruption rape the population of Egypt for whatever they wanted.  Look no further than his and his families bank accounts, the current trial for murder and more, and the unavoidable reality here that somewhere around 1/2 of the 80+ million people live in poverty.

At the same time, members of the military own anywhere from 25-45% of the private industries in the country, depending on your source.

It seems to many Egyptian people that the United States was willing to give money to a brutal man whom many Egyptians disagreed with.  These same Egyptians were unable to voice their opinions publicly for 30 years out of fear.

Now, because of the arrest of 29 NGO workers, the U.S. is publicly renouncing Egypt in the media and threatening cessation of aid.  This seems puzzling (given the previous arrangement) unless you look only a scratch more beneath the surface.

It would seem Egypt has become reliant upon money from the United States.  Years and years and years of handouts will do that to a country.  Now, these funds have become a significant reality for Egypt, and any individuals or political parties in power stand to gain from the money.

If they are no better than Mubarek, it would seem the U.S. will turn a blind eye to dictatorship, graft, and murder.

So what did he do that made him "family"?

Mubarek protected the interests of the U.S. government.  His reward: unimaginable power and freedom to cross any human rights line imaginable, and not be held accountable.

The current government official who is responsible for the arrest of the NGO workers worked for Mubarek.  She has for a long time.  When he went, though, she (and many others that were pit and parcel a part of his regime) did not.  However, her want to arrest and shut down NGO's (based upon a personal vendetta against one in particular that caused her individual hardship) was squelched by Mubarek.  Shutting down NGO's is not acceptable, and he would not allow it.  Why?  This could lead to problems.

Most Egyptian people like NGO's.  Even the salafists - a party many claim to be afraid of - learned how to organize and run a democratic party in these same NGO's.

But, you see, spreading ideas like human rights, access to education, and democracy is often frowned upon by authoritarian states or dictatorships - they don't like these ideals as they do "undermine" the established government.

Murdering thousands via the creation of a corrupt police state?  Well, it seems that was in the name of democracy and keeping peace in a country under "Emergency Police Law" - on their books as legal military crack downs in emergency situations.  They have been that way for over 30 years, despite any wars, uprisings, or other logical triggers for the law.

This meant Egyptians were not legally allowed to criticize the government, not allowed to meet in large groups in public, they were treated as oppositions to the authorities - almost as enemies of their own state.

Public educational systems were ruined.  Rife with corruption and designed to fail, the intellectual life and opportunities of many Egyptians were stolen from them.

So all this banter, that many are taking when they read news reports of the current U.S. relations with Egypt, is being taken for a bit more than it's worth.

And more, when the ruling power is still the same ruling power that has existed for 30 years, the same one the Egyptian people do not want, and the same one that has been "okay" for those 30 years, this threat begins to seem it is directed at a different audience all together.  It seems if the Egyptian people want the money to continue to stream from the U.S., they better get more aggressive in removing the military state that was allowed (or encouraged as seen by some) to be created by the same U.S.

Talk about mixed messaged to millions of starving people.  It's no surprise any group who wants to spin politics here can.

This is the U.S. simply training the new Egypt, and any who wish to move to power in it, how to play ball.  It doesn't matter who gets in power.  There are a few things that you cannot do if you run a country called Egypt.  Check out this recent article for an interesting angle.

Don't mess with the Suez canal, don't disrupt peace with Israel, and don't arrest 29 U.S. citizens in Egypt.

After that, it's up to you to run your country.

This ends the summary of the state of the state as translated for this blog by me.

130.1

This is me undermining my own blog by doing a "Hey, look over there" tactically placed on top of the heap.  

A move like some people have mastered when playing with two year olds; designing trick plays in sports; when mystifying crowds at illusionist or magic shows; or when running governments.

Sometimes, the focus is on the wrong things.

So, here in my vegetable picture, guess the cost to the nearest .1 of a dollar.  Winner gets nothing.

Hint - the price is between $0.10 and $10.00

130 - Detachment

Hello again,

Unprecedentedly boring post coming - be on alert.  My apologies in advance, but it's kind of the point.

It is strange living in a country where 19 of your fellow countrymen are being tried for contributing to unrest in the country.

I won't say much about that, but before I do I should tell you this much.

I woke up this morning after only about four hours of sleep.  I had taken things very easy on the weekend, so found myself very rested going in to the final night of the weekend.  We normally work Sundays, but had yesterday off in honor of the Prophet Muhammed's birthday.  We are the only school I know of that honored the day in this particular way, but a day off is a day off, so it was welcome.  Being as I was caught up on sleep, I found as the night wore on I was both tied up in the midst of a good reading of a novel last night, and also caught up in the local and world news - including the Super Bowl - and was not much interested in sleeping.

I still woke up at 5:30 and caught the latest online news, had a bit of breakfast, and got ready for the day.  It was an uneventful start to my day.

I hopped on the same bus I ride every day, and had many of the same morning conversations.  Sports, school, traffic, weather; strangely enough the topics don't seem to change with the scenery - I could have been in Lincoln chatting over coffee at Village Inn.

I arrived at school, and found the same sights, sounds and smells of everyday. The halls were full of noisy students carrying backpacks full of books, usually the same backpacks that go home each night and return the next day unopened.  (It's the same backbreaking exercise I remember in Nebraska.  Middle Schoolers especially are buried under the weight of knowledge, and their spines are the biggest victims of this educational process.)  Lunches were being scarfed down by young teenagers at 8:00 a.m., droopy eyed older teenagers were sluggishly making their way to class, prematurely clinging to coffee cups full of cocoa, latte's, or some other diluted version of the adult drink rightfully contained within.

Once in my room and at work, I found I was unusually unbothered.  One student came in to ask a 30 second question and left about 15 minutes later.  Other than that, I was able to work quietly for most of the morning, and it was a very productive one.  I was happy to get more planning done in one day than I had completed all of last week.  (Grades were due last week.)

I took a break for lunch and met with a few friends, then went back to work teaching a section of ninth grade English before I had a collaborative planning meeting with colleagues to finish off the day.

That was my day, much like every day.  Nothing strange, nothing unusual.

Life here usually goes like that; and then you read the news.

Having taught journalism for a few years, I remember all the lessons about perception; truth.  How it's not easy to get to the reality of things, and how many working on deadline just do their best to say it how it is.  Today, when I returned to my apartment, I read about ten articles on how two governments have different versions of a story; how this has created a conflict, how both are pointing fingers and making threats to each other, and how people are taking sides.

Since last Wednesday's soccer tragedy when scores lost their lives, each day is a bit like this.  I begin and end the day with the news, but everyday am disappointed that what is said is only such a small part of the picture.

So this brings me around to the main point.  With everything that is occurring here, you should know that I am absolutely fine.  I want for nothing, and have all the amenities of home.  I work for a conscientious employer who takes precautions as necessary to ensure I am as safe as can be.  I do live in a country that seems to be becoming more unstable by the day, but to date the overriding power of the average Egyptian to be a good and supportive person in the midst of government instability is the true power here.  There might be 100 million people in Egypt: 99 million + are just like me.  We eat, we sleep, and we enjoy peace and stability.

So for now I've returned to my home where I plan on finishing out a quiet evening.  I can hear the children playing outside on the street, their laughter and energy exudes a calmness about the neighborhood.  Other than that and the dull sound of car engines and horns running further off in the distance, it is very calm and quiet.

For my part, I'll likely order food in (or eat those leftovers that have been waiting for me) and fall asleep in the middle of a chapter again.  Oh, and the news will probably be on in the background.

128

Hi all,

Life is funny sometimes, and often has a sense of sarcasm; of irony.  Or maybe just this English teacher sees it that way. 

Today, in school, I give a session on bloggers and blogging for what could be potentially an entire student body presentation - all high school students are invited.  In reality, it will likely be me, a few students, maybe a few teachers, and the crickets.  And, at least the crickets will be listening.

But in preparing for the presentation I have remembered quite a few things, some of which had to do with my original intent in creating this blog, and other things that are and always have been out of my control. 

When I arrived in Egypt, I decided I wanted to have a clear voice explaining to my family, friends, former students and others what the day to day realities were like of living in a foreign country in general, and living in Egypt specifically.  I hoped that sharing my experiences would give provide some with entertainment, others with knowledge and cultural awareness, and still others with courage to understand that the world isn't such a terrible place. 

That was 128 weeks ago, in 2009.  I started out pretty well, and wrote 28 entries over the next year. 

Then, something happened.

Part of my presentation today will reference the blogging and reporting of Khaled Saeed.  It is on this point I must take a moment to reflect, for his story has affected the course of this blog more than any other single event.  And his story today reminds me I should be a little more brave.

You see, I've been so afraid to write about anything bad for fear there could be ramifications (like bad people would come find me and hurt me) that to my discredit I have also stopped writing about the good. 

Since his death, I've written only six new blogs. 

I think of my childhood and adult lessons.  I think of what it means to speak or to maintain silence. 

Egypt can be scary.  If I believed every rumor, everything I read in the news, heard on the T.V., or even heard on the street, I'd have left long ago.  There are lots of speculators and lots of speculations, and many are nerve-wracking.

I live in a country that is changing, and change can be hard.  It can be especially hard if the people wrestling for power are corrupt, have selfish intentions, or are willing to take extreme measures to ensure they either gain or maintain that power.  This is happening here now.

And, it would be very easy for me to reprint many of those speculations here.  This is what Khaled Said did.  Published information he felt it was important for others to know.  In a world where we all now have a "veritable Guttenberg Press in our bedrooms" (thanks NETA speaker whose name I can't remember 2005ish) he decided to print in a blog what could not and would not be printed in government controlled media publications. 

Of course, worse things than what Khaled Said reported on happen here regularly, and they are generally not spoken about...at least not in open forums.  Of course, people discuss them privately and in confidence with those they trust.  Of course, most Egyptians are really kind, well intentioned people who want better for their families, their neighborhoods, their government and their country.  Or course, most are optimistic about that future.  But of course some are clinging to power and to the old ways of corruption, greed, and violence that have kept them in power for so long.

And of course, you don't read about most of it.

There are laws on the books.  One cannot say anything bad about the President.  One cannot say anything bad about Egypt.  And there are laws which cast a bigger net, so most people are cautious in choosing what not to say.

What we all see on TV, frequent camera shots of Tahrir Square in downtown Egypt is only the tiniest tip of the iceberg.  In the majority of Egypt people approach their problems with a very respectable quiet demeanor yet a steady push.  The majority of people I know are kind and warm hearted - they would never raise a hand against another.  Yet the power in the country rests solidly in the hands of a minority who put their own private interests over those of the majority of the Egyptian people.

This week marks the anniversary of the events of last year's uprising.  January 25th, formerly "Police Day" is still honored as a public holiday.  Most people are off work that day.  We can expect to see Tahrir Square again on the news.  Many people are staying home, yet a few still will again go to Tahrir to protest those things that are not talked about in print.  And, if those protesters push, the army will likely not sit idly by and watch.  It would not surprise if Friday the 27th becomes an important day.  As last year showed, if things go badly during the week, many people may choose to use Friday as a gathering day to show unity and stand up for their rights.

So, whether this week is peaceful (as the Egyptians say, "In sha Allah" or "God Willing") or if it takes a sad turn we will see.  In either case, the events of the next seven days will be a clear sign of the state of the state moving forward. 

With all intentions of blogging more frequently: the good, the bad, and the life,

Scott



     

120 (part 2)

For those who prefer more simplistic ideas based upon pop culture, here's a truncated update:

What we have here is a Star Wars conflict.

The Egyptian people, exercising newly gained political influence, voice, and power, are acting as Queen Amidala.

Having recently (January Revolution) given a vote of "No Confidence" in the previous leader, they inadvertently helped pave the way for the Empire to take over.  (And we all know how that went.)

But, to their credit, the people were wise to the actions of the Empire, and seem to have acted before they were able to exert such a stronghold over the country.

(Good for Queen Amidala, but no Empire means no Jedi's, so I'm a little disappointed on that front.)

So, we wait and watch to see who wrestles control - the Empire (SCAF and military) or rebels (Egyptian people via popular vote.)

120 (weeks in Cairo)

Hi all,

It's time to bring back my blog updates.

First off, if you read no further, please know that I am safe and well.

Times once again are becoming tense in Egypt. The military refuses to understand or meet the wishes of the people. They have been the school yard bully for so long, they don't know any other way to act. It's unfortunate, because their main method of communication is through violence, and some of that violence comes in the forms of tear gas cannisters (which are now reportedly stronger than during the Revolution, and are causing suffocation and death) which have "Made in the U.S." printed on the sides.

Thus, while the conflict is internal, I occassionally hear some anti-U.S. sentiment.

But, the official U.S. policy seems to be fairly positive. It appears we have backed off of our partnership with the military here and are waiting for a fair election process to occur; those elections should enable communication with the freely elected leaders of Egypt. Those elections are supposed to occur Monday. We'll see.

The military here is doing (I believe) what it can to delay elections. The longer there are no elected leaders, the longer the military stays as the "only power in town" and they can continue to manipulate, steal, intimidate, and be in control.

While all of this is happening, my employer is very contientious and supportive. Many schools are going full on. We are dismissing early to increase the chances we are home safe before any potential outbreaks occur. They have been implementing as needs arise more and more systems for communication and safety. They are trying to respond as best they can to situations that cannot be predicted, and I appreciate the efforts being made.

We are also continuing to operate with a focus on our students. Systems are in place for online communication and delivery of course content. As long as the internet continues to work, we at least have a secondary means to deliver the content of our courses, and students can still have some guided learning. (I say as long as because even though the United Nations has now deemed internet a "basic human right" and therefore not something to be cut off at a nations whim, as Egypt did last January, I anticipate the military here will not hesitate to do so again if they feel it's in their best interest.)

For the time being, the conflict is internal, and the violence isolated to a very focused area around Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo. While there are thieves who are taking advantage of a lack of police presence in the greater Cairo area, the general day to day living situation is still quite calm and good for me.

Say a prayer for the Egyptian people that they can continue in their efforts to gain what everybody wants: a better life with a governmental system that adheres to principles of and does what it can to ensure basic human rights are provided to all.

Scott

76

Feb 4, 2011

I have been living in Cairo for a year and a half teaching high school, and over that time I’ve come to know, love, and appreciate the people of Egypt, the city of Cairo, and the students and families I work with on a daily basis.

Life is generally very calm and easy. With regularity, we will take walks around the city, visit the markets like the ancient suq Al Khan al Khalili, catch a falucca (sailboat) ride on the Nile River, and enjoy the people and the city without fear. The Egyptian people are generally friendly and helpful; life is good.

Then on Wednesday, Feb.2, I found myself in a living room with 15 expat (foreigners living in Egypt) teachers from the school I where I work. After watching what had become daily conflicts in Tahrir Square, we were discussing what to do.

Some wanted to go to the beach, to Ain Sokhna, where they could wait out the storm in safety and comfort - away from the sound of gunfire and from the fear of danger. Others felt like staying in Maadi, the quiet little suburb south of the center of Cairo where we live; still others even wanted to go to Tahrir Square to join in the protests.

We had been seeing the same reports on the news, watching CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, and many people’s televisions ran day and night. I was sleeping in front of mine, waiting for every new bit of news about the struggles ongoing in this once peaceful country. With no telephones, no internet, no connections to outside world, we were isolated and alone. Nightly, we heard gunfire. Tanks appeared on the streets. The prisons were reportedly emptied, police had disappeared, images of other war torn third world countries started to enter my mind.

I was thinking of leaving.

Our school – all schools for that matter – had been closed temporarily, with no definite opening date set. There were curfews in place daily, ending around 8 or 9 a.m. and starting anywhere from 2-5 p.m. Grocery prices were rising, businesses were closed, there was no work. Things were not normal.

The protests had continued to escalate, and I had many reports from my Egyptian friends who were protesting. They were expressing their voice and gaining momentum. At each turn, the protesters were emboldened. They were finding comfort and excitement in exercising a right to speak that for almost 30 years had been silenced. I was hearing on the news and reading in the newspapers that the protesters in Tahrir Square were beginning to feel that the momentum was theirs, that they were going to get what they wanted, and that victory was nearly in their grasp. They would not settle for anything less than victory.

The police force was reportedly mounting their own pro-Mubarek campaign. This same police force that for almost 30 years had acted under “emergency laws” which allowed them to arrest, detain, and injure anybody for any reason was promising to take to the streets to quell the protests. These forces, along with other Egyptians who favored Mubarek – those who cited him as the leader who brought progress to Egypt; the man who had raised Egypt to a leading country in the region, one who was at peace with the world; one who had nearly abolished crime in the country; who had brought change and progress to their nation. For these and other reasons they were now promising to counter protest.

Mubarek, to his supporters, seemed to be answering the protester’s requests; he agreed to step down, to change some laws according to their requests, to move on. To the protesters, he seemed to be using the same manipulative tactics they accused him of using for years, and appeared to be buying time to keep Egypt under his thumb.

I know people on both sides of the struggle, and they are all fairly resolute in their beliefs.

All around us, the tension was rising.

Later on Feb. 2, things started to get worse.

Phones started to ring, the images started to appear on TV, tickers started reporting violence, conflict, even death. Pro-Mubarek supporters were pinned in the square, not allowed to leave. All through the night, they were bombarded from all sides by rocks, screams, attacks.

Through it all, the United States was walking a fine line, seeking to keep peace in this “pivotal country” in the Middle East. Policies and statements make financial sense; they make political sense; rationally one can find a lot of reasons for why our leaders were saying what they were saying: it’s in our interest to keep a friend in Egypt. But the protesters were starting to recoil at any foreign support of a government that they hated. “Any friend of my enemy is also my enemy.”

Despite the best of intentions, a line was being drawn in the sand, and I began to understand many Egyptian people I worked with, many protesters I understood and respected, people who were asking for a true democracy, were seeing me on the other side.

People were asking me the impossible question: “What do you think of your country’s involvement?” To answer it in any way would lead to a negative conversation. If I support my country, in many Egyptians eyes I was supporting Mubarek, and keeping them silent. If I didn’t support my country, I would be speaking ill of a nation I love, and this is not good form for any good citizen abroad. Life got hard.

My bags were packed. The U.S. ordered all Diplomatic Passport holders to evacuate, and recommended all U.S. citizens leave. There were flights waiting for us at the airport. Morning news reports showed Mubarek had not agreed to leave office. The death counts were being reported and the violence recapped from the night before.

So in the early morning hours of Feb. 3 I made my way to the airport, and left the country for Europe.

73

Sorry all, I know it's been too long. Thanks to the many like Mike Nebel, who have politely reminded me of my blog silence.

As time wears on, I become more buried in the day to day life, and as things seem fairly routine, it feels like there is less "important" material to post on the blog. I suppose it's a bit of a natural occurance, but I will try to step back more often and remind myself of the really important events I am living, seeing and learning from.

I am continuing my education at AUC, studying International and Comparative Education. My hopes are to complete the degree in 5 semesters.

This would either leave me in Egypt, or in another country where the degree of study could transfer, for another 2 years from this point. I have already decided and signed a contract to stay in Egypt next year.

More recently, I just spent the last two weeks trekking all over Egypt. I was blessed to have visitors from the U.S. for Christmas, and we really got around the country and I saw tons of things I have never before seen. (I've been saving the time for when I had guests, so it would be unique and interesting for all at the same time.) It was great to spend some time with friends and family over here, although it was hard to be away from home for Christmas for the first time ever in my life.

It was a very interesting two weeks, but also a little scary. I was in Abu Simbel the day of the tour bus crash that resulted in American deaths.

Later, that same week, I was in Alexandria on the same day of the Coptic Church bombing. Needless to say, my guests were a little nervous about their safety here, as was I.

All-in-all, I have been from the extreme south of Egypt to the northern coast, and have spent some time on the Sinai peninsula, in Dahab. Along the way, I was able to see and learn a lot more about the history of Egypt, as well as observe the modern culture of the people living in different areas currently.

There is a lot to be seen.

But now things are getting back to normal. While Egypt is a very safe country, and feels extra safe for me as an expat, there is a little strife and struggle that is under the surface of what I "see" on a daily basis. Poverty is a huge problem, as is securing good employment and earning a livable wage for most of the people. Religious conflicts occur, despite the fact that the government is on the surface supporting other faiths than Islam. I will choose not to comment on the political situation here at this time, as you can read plenty about in any local or world newspapers.

Tomorrow, we return to work after a 2 1/2 week winter break. At least my school appears to be showing respect and tolerance of other religious holidays, combining the Roman Catholic Christmas and the Coptic Christmas into an extended winter break. There are some examples of good people who express religious understanding and tolerance around, and my school seems to employ many of them.

If work was uncomfortable in any way, I might be looking to leave Egypt in a hurry. But my experience at Hayah and in other places reminds me that as there are a few people around that make life uncomfortable, the majority of the people you meet in this world are really good and well meaning individuals. I feel I work with and know many more religious, devout, and good people than I do the other type, and because of that feel welcome and respected here.

I hope continually that Egypt can grow into a country that everyone can be proud of again.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

52

It's one year to the day since I arrived in Egypt. Oddly enough, I arrived back here again on the exact same day as last year.

But, my stay will be short. Tonight, I leave for Tanzania, where I will be supervising a group of CAS students from Hayah in Moshi. I can't wait.

I have spent the last 10 days in Ireland with family, and it was a great time. Funny how quickly family slips right back into being family, despite long periods in between visits. Laughs, fights, dinners, walks, travels, more fights, and so on.

I loved every minute of it.

- - - - - - - - -

I was in the Dublin airport and as usual was the first one there waiting for my flight, a Lufthansa jump to Frankfurt. I figured out where the check in was, and in spite of the fact that the cue was currently being used for Air France, waited at the back. I knew that at any minute the Lufthansa people would show up for check in.

You see, I don't mind waiting, I just don't like waiting in line.

So, I was in a nice place to observe a strange - should I attribute it to individual, cultural, or business - change.

The cue for the Air France flight check in looked a lot more like a labyrinth of mental exercise than an organized line for a flight. In fact, the origin of the line was at the closest point to the check in counters that you would be in. Passengers started right up front, wove their way through curving and makeshift lines away from, then slowly back towards, until they actually got back to the area near where they started. Then, once near, they all broke free from line and tried to navigate their bodies and luggage into an advantageous position to catch the next available attendant. It went this way and that, using the makeshift movie theater (or airport) line makers. The people figured it out, and in a system that was as effective as it needed to be, got on their plane.

As the attendants left the counter, and the Lufthansa employees began to set up shop, one attendant from Lufthansa came out and re-designed the cue line. Methodically, yet with incredible precision and with very little movement wasted, he lined up the barriers into perfect lines. I didn't hear him whistling a tune, but he seemed to be perfectly calm and content in his goings about, and seemed smugly satisfied with his efforts when he was finished. He didn't seem to need a square or a measure, but I swear the thing was on spot perfect in every way. The length of each row equaled the next, and passengers would systematically make their way to the counter.

I smiled to myself, and then found out that somehow, not surprisingly and not pleasantly, I was now 10th in line behind a group of people who had aggressively positioned themselves and their luggage nearer the counter than I had...

We touched down in Frankfurt, and the airport was the picture of organization. In the middle of the darkness of night, planes, cargo lifters, people movers, and many other vehicles were moving with incredible synchronization across the concrete field of lights.

- - - - - - - - -

From Frankfurt, I sat on the plane next to a young girl from Cairo who was returning from studies in Germany. She's one year away from a degree in Computer Engineering. I asked her how many languages she spoke. She ran off a list of languages as I mentally counted to myself. Five. Then, I asked her how many computer languages she was fluent in. Again, she started down a list of names as I counted. I lost track at ten.

- - - - - - - - -

I got back to Cairo at 4 a.m., and played the usual game of I don't need your expensive taxi with an eager bunch of men. It was instantly hot, and it appears the desert has been attempting to reclaim the city while I've been away. Sand was blowing this way and that, and was all over the roads.

I got my guy, who spoke no English, and who instantly began trying to get me to give him American dollars. I told him I didn't have any, but he kept asking. (We had already negotiated the price in EGP.) Seeing he wasn't getting far, he decided to show me his collection of currencies from around the world. (As if I would be so impressed and then understand how important it would be for him to have my dollars...) He showed me what he called Saudi money, various other denominations from other countries, and so on.

Eventually, I got him to move on, but he returned quickly asking that I be his banker and change his 50 Euro note for him. I was not happy, as I am not a bank, and he had a note that might have been Turkish, but I've never seen it before. He was trying to pass it as Euro and take me for a ride. I told him to go to the bank. He kept telling me why he couldn't.

I wanted to get out, but it was the middle of the night, we were screaming down the sand blown road (visibility was bad) at almost 180 kmph in a beat up old Russian Cab. I didn't have much choice but to sit back and take the pain.

About then, I saw ahead a problem, and alerted him to it. He didn't acknowledge he understood (I expected him to slow down) until it was almost too late. 3 giant trucks were sitting motionless in the middle of the road. This road is Egypt's version of an interstate, and what was happening was incredibly dangerous by anybody's standards. We swerved quickly to one side (the wrong side, as it turns out) and narrowly avoided crashing into the back of one semi trailer. Behind us, I heard the screeching of other tires.

As it turned out, three gigantic stone blocks were sitting on the road. One truck had lost it's load, broken it's trailer, and the other two were somehow there in recovery. These blocks were about 4 meters in length, and were probably 2m x 2m wide and tall. Needless to say, had we hit them at any speed we would have died. We then couldn't continue down the side of the road we had originally chosen, so we were backing up in total darkness, during a sandstorm, down an interstate.

I thought I might die. I wondered if the engineer was on the same road.

But, luckily, we got around the problem. Then, not 10 feet past, my money changing taxi cab driver began accelerating back to light speed. As I calmly asked him to slow down a little bit, and mind the other massive stone that was sitting on the left of the road. (I don't think he had seen it yet, either.)

Seeing that we were out of danger, and finally realizing that I was not interested in giving him my money for his fake money, he began down the next usual "I've got a rich American in my cab" angle. "Are you married..."

Ugh. (This doesn't happen a lot, maybe 5-10% of the time, but when it does they always follow with offers for prostitutes. It really pisses me off.)

Finally, after all of that, I arrived home safely, got my bags, my keys, and watched the guy drive away. I know now I watched him drive away with my favorite sweat jacket in his front seat. I sincerely hope it finds it's way back to me as my lost goods (camera in particular) sometimes do.

- - - - - - - - -

I wanted to do laundry and get ready for my next trip, but my water was not working. It's the second time in a year this has happened. For some reason, the pump loses it's gaskets (I think) and needs repairing. So, I slept on it for a bit, and enlisted the help of my bowab when the sun had a chance to greet the morning sky.

Only one hour and 75 EGP later (about $15) I had water not fit for laundry. For some reason (I think the reason is called sand, dirt, and rust) the water is pretty brown. I don't know if lots of flushing will clean out the (tanks? lines? problem?) but I'm trying to make sure I get a clean line before I can wash the clothes. So, outside of that happening, I will be light-packing my bag for Tanzania.

I've updated the photos with some shots of Ireland. I hope I get some really good chances to shoot in Tanzania, so I will be taking the Nikon along.

Until later,

One year down

I understand my blog posts seem to be adhering more to a Fibonacci number series than to a system of someone who cares, but it was a crazy end to the year. Sorry if I have left you hanging.

After returning to NE and hearing people reference this blog as someplace they are indeed seeking out for updates, I am going to try to check in at least monthly. We'll see how it goes.

One of the perks of working overseas is the possibility of catching a tax break from the U.S. government. If you meet a few requirements, there can be an advantage for me.

So, at the advice of my accountant, I am leaving. Next stops - Ireland (10 days) and after 24 hours in Cairo, Tanzania.

Home is home, and it was great to be back in NE for a short stay. I wish I could have seen more of my friends/family, but it is what it is. Those who I was lucky enough to have met for breakfast, lunch, second lunch, etc. it was really great to catch up.

It's funny, almost everything here seems to be about the same as I remember from year ago, except that everyone's children are getting bigger. Other than that, Amigos is still strangely deliciously greasy, many people in Nebraska still wear red despite there not being a football game for a couple of months, and spiky haired punk rock girls still take out their angst on cheap guitars on main street in Breckenridge. (Yeah, hammer strumming through simple chord progressions while singing "When the sky falls on uh-uh-uss...)

So I'm off. This is short b/c I am slow in packing, will likely forget something, and have to leave in about 15 minutes. It's been fun being home, but it's time to go.

Hopefully will report back soon,

Scott

35

I've just returned from Cyprus.

It's a wonderful place to visit. North Cyprus is currently Turkish occupied, and more difficult to travel to, but well worth the visit.

The south is still under Greek rule and has different feel. It is also a bit more expensive (part of the EU now) and has just developed differently over the past 30+ years than the other half of the island.

If you can stand to see the heartbreak and tension a split land can have on the people of a small island, there are plenty of resort laden beautiful coastlines to visit all over the island. And, if mountains are your thing, the coastline rapidly gives way to mountainous regions. Despite being so small you can cross the island in any direction in less than 3 hours, the tallest peaks reach in the neighborhood of 1600 meters above sea level. Bountiful hiking, beautiful wineries and vineyards, and incredible towns etched into steep and rugged hillsides (with narrow lanes and beautiful architectural buildings) abound.

And with both the Turkish and Greek influences, as well as any neighboring regions, there is plenty of food of every type and for every palate.

I spent a week, and given that it's one hours flight from Cairo, I believe I may return if the opportunity arises. I was not able to SCUBA dive on this trip, and if I get my open water (advanced) I think I'm going for the shipwreck on the east coast.

There's not much more to say. Just finished one week off for Spring Break, and now work 11 straight weeks with one "three day weekend" only. (There's actually a one day weekend in there, so it's going to be a grind - especially after a year full of breaks.)

And, I've updated my picassa web albums, for those of you thiat enjoy the visual nature of the posts. There are mini photo stories available as always via the Picassa slideshow features.

Until next time,

Scott

32

March 17

I have had many different brushes with cultural differences, but last week I had a very interesting thing happen to me.

Many of us were going out for a celebration. A teacher from my school was fortunate enough to have visitors coming and wanted to give them a fun experience in Egypt.

So, we loaded up supplies - lots of food and beverages for a Nile boat cruise - and hopped in a cab, planning to make one stop along the way for additional items.

Providing the food yourself is the only way to go on this type of adventure, both for the economy of the voyage and the safety in knowing the food will be appropriate, tasty, and safe.

Then, as can only happen in Egypt, our original cab broke down while we were loading up more groceries for the night. So, without a moments hesitation, and despite our driver's assurances he would get the car started, we grabbed a new cab, transferred our things, and hopped in.

10 minutes later, we arrived and unloaded everything we had brought along. Everything, that is, except a bag I had along with me for the day. Inside was an iPod, my camera, and some other various odds and ends.

Needless to say, I was devastated. I went on with the night, hoping that one of two things would happen.

The one I was not hoping for - the cabby was immoral (actually very rare here), very poor and in need (common here) or of a certain belief that found goods were gifts from God, and money isn't really owned by any of us.

What I was hoping for, and what happened, miracoulously, became a reality less than 24 hours later. My phone rang.

Deep inside my bag I had an electric company receipt from my flat. The cabby found it, and drove all the way back in to my apartment from his house. He lived in Helwan - a area of town where many cab drivers live, and one that certainly is not very wealthy. In his run down 30 year old cab, he traced his way to my neighborhood, to my building, and found someone who knew my number.

I was away from my apartment, and I could make out only 1 of every 10 words I was hearing in Arabic on my cell phone, but I instantly knew what was happening. I quickly grabbed a cab and got home to find my bowab, the cabby from the night before, and one other man I recognized but could not place. In their hands was my bag from the night before.

I did a very terse check, actually just glancing in as a reflex action. I was certain that either everything was there, or everything there was all I could expect to get back.

Without skipping a beat, I handed each of the two men that I felt must have been responsible for returning the bag a reward. They seemed happy, and I hopped back in my cab to return to might original plan for the night.

In the end, I was left feeling happy and amazed with the kindness and generosity of the men, especially when the value of the goods in the bag sold, even if sold second hand, could easily have garnered them more than a months expected pay on a cabbie's salary in Cairo.

29.2

Hey all,

After slowly posting for months, I will hit #2 in 2 days.

Last night, I agreed to meet with a few friends after work for supper.

I did so. Then, it started hailing, despite the fact that I had other plans for my evening.

Yes, hail in Cairo. Last night, there didn't seem to be too many words to describe it here...snow never happens, rain rarely does, and - from what I hear in the last 24 hours from friends - yesterday was pretty strange. Cairo got 3-5 inches of rain and "ice falling from the sky."

So, I left my after school group at 6. The plan was to meet some friends to go downtown for a good time - dinner, culture, drinks, and evening out.

b/c of the hail, I met my friends at 6:10 at the metro station.

We bought our tickets, and walked in to the metro. Instantly, I was nervous about some of the actions of the employees there. There was a massive amount of water standing around, and instantly I recognized this as unusual.

Keep in mind, this is a desert.

But, there were a lot of guys with bladed push-brooms pushing the water out of the way. So, the poor guys were just pushing all the excess rain water to the lowest point around...the metro tracks.

Again, this is a desert, and there are no drainage ditches. I found myself thinking: "This can't be good."

As we were about to get off the metro and go grab a cab, it started to move.

At the next stop, we again sat motionless, waiting for the doors to close and the Metro to move. Neither ever happened. The most incredible explosion sent people running everywhere. I think a transformer blew, not surprisingly as there are always exposed wires sticking out of everything here. With a little rain, you get what you get. But it was still crazy, and people were racing out of the metro - overrunning the turnstiles along the way.

We went out to grab a taxi to get the rest of the way downtown, and were lucky to get one quickly.

1 1/2 hours after leaving, we arrived downtown and found it to be a difficult place.

Many restaurants were closed due to leaking.

Wild night.

29

So much to tell.

Thanks all who have continued to be in touch. It always makes my day to get emails, Skype calls, letters, anything from home. Cairo is great, but...you know.

I've been up to a lot, but mostly have been working. We just finished our first semester. I have to say, after a delayed start, surprise schedule changes, swine flu breaks, and a brief stint with live online classrooms, it was the most interesting semester I've taught in my life.

But work is work, and life is life. To overgeneralize, not a day goes by where nothing unexpected happens. (In case you missed that b/c of my late night affection for tinkering with grammar, that was supposed to mean something really strange happens on a daily basis.)

Highlights:

There's a roundabout called "Midan Victoria" near my house. Last month, Egypt won the Africa Cup for the fourth year in a row, a huge deal over here. I'd never thought about the name of the roundabout, just figured it was associated with the Victoria College or something. But, when the game ended, I decided to walk around town and see the excitement firsthand.

As I followed my instincts, I felt the crowds being drawn to that area. I didn't figure too many locals would associate the name with Victory, but either they did or it was an interesting coincidence for me to ponder while I ambled along amidst the throng making it's pilgrimage to the area.

At one point, I was standing dead center of the midan area - loving it - until a huge firework exploded too close for comfort. (You know those star burst shells that are supposed to look cool in the sky? They don't look as cool at eye level.) I figured I'd seen enough of the crowd, and guessed they had also seen about enough of me, so I split. It was cool.

Also, it was interesting to share the story with my Arabic class the next day. Turns out, as I was meandering and enjoying the evening - without much of a care in the world - my Arabic teacher was angrily trying to navigate a car through the masses. As she shared the story, I was smiling. She was not.

I attended a Cairo Chili Cookoff. It was really cool, and kinda nostalgic. I didn't make a chili, however. I still have not cooked in Cairo. (Unless you count toast on the green tray.)

I'm continuing to try to explore and trying to expand my roaming grounds. It can be difficult to stray away from the familiar, especially when the routine is becoming so comfortable. But in the last month I've made a more conscious effort to stray a little further from my well trodden paths. One such excursion took me to see the Nilometer - a cool column that was once used to establish tax rates. More water = more crop yields = higher taxes. Low water...you get the picture. It was a neat trip and a cool thing to see, I was able to visit an area of town that was new to me, and I got Koshary in a new restaurant. Thanks Kevin and Kai for being tour-guides! (Photos in Picasa web albums.)

I'm planning a trip to Cyprus.

The weather got cold - for about 3 weeks. Now, it's warming up again, and the students are prone to inventing temperature wars in school. One want the air conditioner on, the other just a fan, still others open windows, and of course, some still are wearing winter coats. I guess people are people wherever you go. It's about 60 degrees during the day now, and on warm days gets into the high 70's. Even at that, someone is always wanting something better.

Most of my days are filled with school and either Arabic class, coffee shops and restaurants, basketball in a league with friends from school, softball league (also with school friends) or catching up on reading.

For school, I'm currently re-reading "The Crucible" and just finished "An Inspector Calls." I'll shift to Sherlock Holmes detective stories and "The Hound of the Baskervilles" soon. For fun, I'm rolling through a few different works, including "The Count of Monte Christo" at the moment. I didn't realize how much I missed having the time to read like this.

I just met a man who MIGHT be printing the yearbook. I'm glad we finally met, but am hoping to schedule a meeting in one month to begin plans for 2011's book.

I'm also considering picking up an instrument again. (Have been hoping to do this since I got here, but am finally getting a bit more serious about it. Any recommendations?)

I still have a small number of friends, but many whom I consider very close. Almost all are teachers or employees from school.

I've updated the photos on Picasa, and the photo slideshow with captions is likely more entertaining and informative than this blog. Hope you enjoy the shots!

Until next time, say hi to anyone who cares...and point them to this blog!

Foster

25

3:30 a.m.

I'm curious. I've been watching CNN via satellite for the last 30 minutes covering the quake in Haiti.

It's not what I'm used to from my media.

They have been using Facebook and Twitter as primary image sources for showing the damage. Some guy is running around in the studio, dragging the camera man behind him, and asking the camera to focus in on different computers. As he is doing this, you can hear other computer operators beckon him to their station, where they have the next good photo, or the next good bit of news.

It's disorganized, unprofessional, and beautiful.

Never was a source cited, and there's no guarantee for the validity of the claims, but it's there - and I'm watching.

A little background info

Yesterday, I came home from school and crashed. Hard. A bad mixture of jet lag, exhaustion from travels, exhaustion from work, and stress from both my desire to be a good teacher as well as a good employee (unfortunately, two very different pressures) left me sapped.

I woke up (for the third time this week) at 3 a.m. and now, in what otherwise would have been a restless night,

I'm stuck to the tv.

5:00 a.m.

In the wake of this disaster, the first tools used to describe what was happening were interesting.

At first, all the photos shown by CNN were acquired via Facebook and Twitter.

Later, they began reporting the tweets from one man in Haiti. They showed up as text on the screen in the broadcast.

Eventually, they got a reporter in the room who knew the area. She gave a report about Haiti using Google satellite images. As she discussed slums and different areas within the country, they were surfing around on Google Earth and sharing it with the viewers.

Finally, a reporter finally showed up. How? Skype.

He mentioned that shortwave radio would have been used in the past, and halteringly admitted that ..."I guess, now we have this." While the news is bleak, and I worry for the citizens of Haiti, his claim made me smile.

Apparently, the telephones were down, and it was all being reported via the tools we know so well. No fancy cameras (They've just stared coming online as I write) and no large budget productions.

It was firsthand reporting, quickly accessible, and really pretty cool.

I don't quiet know how the Facebook photos and Tweets were acquired. Maybe they were actually photos taken by journalists and written by journalists (otherwise, I don't know how CNN was gaining such quick access...they must have already been "friends"...?) but it was still interesting.

I'm guessing maybe they were using laptop technology with satellite internet connections. If power went down, if phones went down...

Anyway, it's been an interesting viewing experience, in what otherwise would have been an otherwise sleepless night...

Now, I've got to go figure out that debate topic for my Animal Farm students.

24

Yemen

I was lucky enough to go to Yemen early last week.

Yes; Yemen.

According to recent news reports, nothing more than the country of Taliban and Al Qaeda.

The current whipping post of media, commanding a lot of media air time on CNN, BBC, and I'm sure in newspapers across the world.

I have 2 thoughts on Yemen.

1.) I'm wondering why. I know the attempted bombing of the Delta flight had links to Yemen. But I wonder why a plan so intricately contrived would result with the man failing in colossal proportions. Questions such as "Why not attempt to light the "bomb" in a bathroom?" for instance.

Yemen is a country on the brink of civil war. Their people are reluctantly ruled by any type of government. The mountainous terrain combined with the tendency to seldomly travel away from home has a culture not unlike the U.S. 200 years ago, or (from what I've seen) like the Appalachias of the U.S. today. People really don't seem to care much about events outside of their town. Not that they are ignorant of world events, but everyone I met seemed happy and content and prefer to be left alone to live their lives.

I just heard a claim on Wolf Blitzer that U.S. officials in Yemen were hoping for a U.S. military excursion into Yemen.

Ouch.

I think it's possible Al Qaeda is waging a media war, and I think the U.S. is already losing. Media exposure is like free advertising for Al Qaeda, and a war into an otherwise peaceful people in their homeland will not do the U.S. any favors.

Media creates panic, and if the U.S. responds to panic and reacts with forces in Yemen, Al Qaeda will get everything it wants. It's a serious mistake, and one I hope we avoid.

I know this is just another manifestation of the U.S. attempting to police the world, and I know Al Qaeda is an inherently evil enemy, who's anger against "The West" is only outpaced by it's cagey intelligence.

But Yemen. Really? This is a country who will very possibly be thrown into an internal civil war soon, and this alone will preoccupy the citizens in the country. Picking on Yemen is a strange (and in my opinion) ignorant reach for American military officials.

Why? There are bigger problems here, and I think Al Qaeda hides in Yemen b/c it can. Where Al Qaeda get their money, instead, and who really is supporting them are the questions that the U.S. should worry about. The countries that are responsible for financing and fundamentalist thought driving Al Qaeda from what I've learned are not Yemeni.

It's like trying to beat the Chicago Cubs by paying all your attention to their Spring Training camp in HoHoKam Park in Arizona, and by running down there and bothering all the people in Phoenix who probably don't care much for the Cubs. The Cubs only go there to train.

All you will do is piss off a bunch of Arizonians who didn't care before.

I know it's hard to fight an organization without a country. But why, if they don't have a country, do we continue to try to place them in one?

It's messed up, and Al Queda sucks and need to be dealt with. But until the U.S. understands the organization or their thinking, I wish they would think a bit more.

I don't have answers, but mostly have a lot more questions. I wish those questions would be answered before we went and started another war on another front with people who (mostly) don't deserve it.

2) Yemen is beautiful. I flew into Sanaa in the middle of the night, and was welcomed very kindly by everyone I met. Airport security, customs, employees, taxis, restauranteurs, civilians, and on and on the list goes. Everyone I met or encountered, to the number, was super nice and friendly. I've had far worse experiences in other places about anti U.S. opinion.

Now, yes, I was there for a few days only, but still it was great.

Sanaa is a busy capital city in the center of the country. It sits at about 9000 feet above sea level, and is slightly cold at night now. It's not snowy, and gets little rain, but winter is definitely there. I was glad to have brought more than just my sandals.

There were plenty of modern places, and most seemed to be influenced greatly by Middle Eastern or African cultures. There is a close tie between Yemen and it's African neighbors. Ethiopa and Somalia, especially, seemed to have strong influences and a fair amount of people there.

Gat chews are pretty common as well, especially in Sanaa and in the north. It's more common in the afternoon to see a man with a huge chuck of gat leaves in his cheek than not. It kind of chills the people out, and I compare their attitudes and lifestyles with gat to the beach bums of California. I have a difficult time imagining many of them joining forces for anything. They are really relaxed and fun.

In the South of Yemen, I went to Mukalla. It has to be an untapped resort town. If a tourist minded company went there to develop now, they'd be the first. They'd also be rich.

Mukalla is located on the south coast of Yemen on the Arabian Sea, in what used to be Soviet occupied territory. The people there seemed to have a hard work ethic, and the town of Mukalla reflected that. It was very nice, easy to get transportation around, and shops were bountiful and nice. Things were very organized, and it felt like I was being tracked the entire time. :) (The police called the family I was staying with to tell them my place was delayed and I should show up one hour later than I'd planned. Yes, THE POLICE, not the airline. They then called again while I was sitting in the airport telling me it was time to go to the plane and leave. I felt loved.)

Seriously, I don't quite understand all that, but I think they know exactly what everyone is doing, but not out of fear, just out of routines established historically by the Soviets that have carried through until today. I really didn't feel uncomfortable or afraid, but for a guy who loves independence it seemed weird.

While there, we ate mostly at the house, but went out one time and had 2 ice creams, 2 sodas, and one water for 60 cents (U.S.). I know they aren't familiar with tourism, otherwise inflation would have hit.

I heard there were two places there who would take SCUBA divers out. I'm planning on going back and giving it a try, b/c based on it's location it looks like the kind of place huge tuna, sharks, or other ocean fish may occasionally visit. And I'm guessing it won't cost much.

So, as I go back to work today from a long vacation, I'm very curious about the media, the news reports, and the ensuing actions that the countries will take in the next few months.

Unfortunately, I was stupid and didn't bring a camera, so no photos. Sorry, they would have been incredible.

Until next time,

Foster

22

This one is kind of a cheater, as I'm actually in Nebraska - NOT in Egypt - and am going against the main idea of the blog.

But, since it's tangentially related, I decided to enter a quick post.

I don't know if I'm trying to document some cultural comparison or just head off further queries about my weight (the most common comment I receive here) or something else, but I figured I'd give this update.

In 5 months in Cairo, I lost 5 pounds. I walk more, exercise when I can, eat 3-4 meals a day, and feel pretty healthy. I don't eat as much meat (trust me, it's only b/c of availability and quality...not choice) and eat more fruits and vegetables with my rice instead of potato sides.

In 7 days in Nebraska, I've gained 8.

So, people say I look skinny. I guess my face isn't filling in as fast as my waist.

Happy New Year to all,

Foster

20.6

I like to eat.

Here's how I do it. I go to www.otlob.com and choose my area of town, Maadi.

From there, I can browse many restaurants and order. Then, usually within 30-45 minutes, but sometimes within 3 hours, the food comes to my door.

Today's blog is interactive.

So, feel free to check it out. Keep in mind that 1 USD = 5.5 EGP. So, when you look at the menu for Arzak, and see how much Koshary and Falafel sandwiches cost, you'll be jealous of my affordable good food.

And for those of you who don't like to read much or do math, some of the restaurants have pictures of their food. (And, yeah, some don't look too good, and then when you try them anyway they taste just like they look.)

Food is good.

Merry Christmas!

20.5

So, the biggest thing that bothers me is pollution.

I woke up today, and the sky at first looked very clear and blue. (I was looking up.)

I went to meet some friends for breakfast before their trip to Aswan and Luxor. Breakfast was about a mile away, but I decided to walk instead of paying the 60 cents - one dollar for the ride. I knew I could use the exercise.

So it was early, and it was a really great start to the day. I love meeting and eating pre-8 a.m.

During breakfast we happened to discuss pollution, and the notion that you didn't have to be a smoker to earn smoker's lungs here came up.

On my way back from breakfast, I decided to walk again. It was then, about 9 a.m., that I noticed when I looked up the sky was pure clear and blue. But if I looked across in a distance, visibility was at best 1 kilometer. I mean I could barely see the apartment buildings that I know are much nearer than a mile away. Anything that far was obscured to me.

The wind was blowing well, and the sun was shining clear. We don't have mist here (no precipitation) and I have no other choice than to know it is pollution.

Going to play some poker with friends,

Have a Merry Christmas all,

Foster