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.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
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!
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!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
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,
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,
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