Flying over the snowy Alps. I have never managed to make it to them on the ground but every time I fly over them I long to go. Soon I will be in Naples. Hopefully it will be my final destination for at least a week. I have TDY orders for 30 days. The message for the mandatory evacuation did not hit the fleet until yesterday, but I have been assured it will be reviewed before 30 days is up.
My pen has now exploded twice on my airplane adventures the last few days. My hands are starting to look worse than when I go on my oil painting binges. My dog is seething underneath the seat in front of me- he is not impressed with being stuffed into a doggy duffel bag and being subjected to another move. This will be the fourth country he has traveled to in his 12.5 weeks of life- he is truly becoming and international dog of mystery. I’ll have to come up with his theme song. My friend from the university is still accompanying me. Who would have ever thought going to a university friend’s flat last Friday (to look out on Tahrir) would result in now 8 solid days of revolution experience and travel together? She’s waiting, like me, to hear news that AUC really will start up the semester. We decided she might as well tag along with me until she decides to go her own way or return to Cairo. She didn’t want to stay when most of the Americans we know had left- and I did not plan on going to far from Egypt. So here we are, still on a spontaneous adventure. I have to admit, the last week tops even the drama of my divorce a few years back.
Yesterday the protesters did not march on the Presidential Palace. Mubarak did not leave. But as ADM Stavridis pointed out to me yesterday (and others have also noted), it does not matter too much whether he leaves now or a few transitional months from now- Mubarak is finished. However, I would argue that now is the most critical time frame. Stamina must be maintained in the opposition- coherence of thought communicated in a clear voice must be heard. People with government and bureaucratic experience must be in the game. As my professor noted in his recent article, the dangers of authoritarian rule resuming in some form or fashion are not out of the question. Il Ikhwan or the Army might end up as another authoritarian power. It all seems to stand on a knife-edge. I hear the opposition is meeting with Suleiman. I hope they also have some plan for a crippled economy- this might actually worry me more than anything.
In the meantime, I think my dog has become fully housebroken throughout the revolution and following travels. I know he must wonder where we actually live. During our last week in Cairo we were rarely at my flat. All of we friends, including the other scholar and his family, combined households. I transitioned to his house Saturday after the reports of looters were making the news and intermittent machine gun fire was echoing throughout the neighborhood. This was before the impressive neighborhood watches had been formed. It was stressful even making it to his house and thankfully he met us half way- I felt much more comfortable being escorted by an army combat engineer.
One of the days when gunfire went off outside his house he immediately ordered his wife, me, and our friend to the back safe room while he calmly grabbed the embassy radio following us- mostly upset from having almost spilt his bowl of cottage cheese he had been trying to snack on- neither of us had been able to eat with the constant phone calls all and other drama. I was glad for his constant display of calm. As we drove back from the airport after having sent his family off we drove through endless military checkpoints complete with tanks. He noted how odd it was to be on the other side of what the occupation in Iraq must have been like. He considered what the Iraqi people felt at the American checkpoints. It is very different to be on this side of it. I knew he was heart-broken to see his family go, he didn’t know at this point he would be following them a day later. He discussed the differences between all the components of an AK-47 and M-16 to change the subject. I took photos of everything like a ridiculous tourist as I listened. When we made it back to Maadi and went through around 10 different neighborhood checkpoints we finally reached the satellite station where a legitimate shoot out was taking place. One of the AUC American professors (of course from Texas) was manning the watch with the Egyptians. “Don’t go over there man…there is some really messed up shit happening right now.” The professor said. We thanked him and took a different route…I was still taking pictures of people arming themselves with meat cleavers. The sticks with knives taped on the end were my favorites. It was straight medieval. I told him we should boil up some hot tar to pour from windows in case we fell under siege...levity is always better in serious situations. But, on a serious note, I felt utterly safe thanks to our Egyptian protectors. Any looter coming our way would be utterly dismembered.
My pen has now exploded twice on my airplane adventures the last few days. My hands are starting to look worse than when I go on my oil painting binges. My dog is seething underneath the seat in front of me- he is not impressed with being stuffed into a doggy duffel bag and being subjected to another move. This will be the fourth country he has traveled to in his 12.5 weeks of life- he is truly becoming and international dog of mystery. I’ll have to come up with his theme song. My friend from the university is still accompanying me. Who would have ever thought going to a university friend’s flat last Friday (to look out on Tahrir) would result in now 8 solid days of revolution experience and travel together? She’s waiting, like me, to hear news that AUC really will start up the semester. We decided she might as well tag along with me until she decides to go her own way or return to Cairo. She didn’t want to stay when most of the Americans we know had left- and I did not plan on going to far from Egypt. So here we are, still on a spontaneous adventure. I have to admit, the last week tops even the drama of my divorce a few years back.
Yesterday the protesters did not march on the Presidential Palace. Mubarak did not leave. But as ADM Stavridis pointed out to me yesterday (and others have also noted), it does not matter too much whether he leaves now or a few transitional months from now- Mubarak is finished. However, I would argue that now is the most critical time frame. Stamina must be maintained in the opposition- coherence of thought communicated in a clear voice must be heard. People with government and bureaucratic experience must be in the game. As my professor noted in his recent article, the dangers of authoritarian rule resuming in some form or fashion are not out of the question. Il Ikhwan or the Army might end up as another authoritarian power. It all seems to stand on a knife-edge. I hear the opposition is meeting with Suleiman. I hope they also have some plan for a crippled economy- this might actually worry me more than anything.
In the meantime, I think my dog has become fully housebroken throughout the revolution and following travels. I know he must wonder where we actually live. During our last week in Cairo we were rarely at my flat. All of we friends, including the other scholar and his family, combined households. I transitioned to his house Saturday after the reports of looters were making the news and intermittent machine gun fire was echoing throughout the neighborhood. This was before the impressive neighborhood watches had been formed. It was stressful even making it to his house and thankfully he met us half way- I felt much more comfortable being escorted by an army combat engineer.
One of the days when gunfire went off outside his house he immediately ordered his wife, me, and our friend to the back safe room while he calmly grabbed the embassy radio following us- mostly upset from having almost spilt his bowl of cottage cheese he had been trying to snack on- neither of us had been able to eat with the constant phone calls all and other drama. I was glad for his constant display of calm. As we drove back from the airport after having sent his family off we drove through endless military checkpoints complete with tanks. He noted how odd it was to be on the other side of what the occupation in Iraq must have been like. He considered what the Iraqi people felt at the American checkpoints. It is very different to be on this side of it. I knew he was heart-broken to see his family go, he didn’t know at this point he would be following them a day later. He discussed the differences between all the components of an AK-47 and M-16 to change the subject. I took photos of everything like a ridiculous tourist as I listened. When we made it back to Maadi and went through around 10 different neighborhood checkpoints we finally reached the satellite station where a legitimate shoot out was taking place. One of the AUC American professors (of course from Texas) was manning the watch with the Egyptians. “Don’t go over there man…there is some really messed up shit happening right now.” The professor said. We thanked him and took a different route…I was still taking pictures of people arming themselves with meat cleavers. The sticks with knives taped on the end were my favorites. It was straight medieval. I told him we should boil up some hot tar to pour from windows in case we fell under siege...levity is always better in serious situations. But, on a serious note, I felt utterly safe thanks to our Egyptian protectors. Any looter coming our way would be utterly dismembered.
thanks for sharing your experience
ReplyDeleteI had been wondering where you were when you fell silent. Good to hear you are safe. Quite the experience you are having. ~Tracy
ReplyDelete