No, Morsi, no

Yesterday, Morsi pulled a Mubarak-esque move, and granted himself more powers in the name of "protecting the revolution" and "national security."  That isn't how democracy works, Morsi.  Protests are amping up.  Nothing huge yet, but I would say this action is deserving of some Egyptian outrage.  I am safe in 6 October staying with some family friends, but everyone is concerned as to what this means for the future of the revolution and Egypt.  Many of the powers Morsi granted himself put him above the traditionally strong judiciary, which is currently the only check to his power.  Additionally, all women, liberals, and secularists have walked out of the constitutional committee (in charge of writing the new constitution), because Islamist refuse to debate or compromise, and since they make up the majority, always pass their motions.  Despite this Morsi decreed that the constitution will be finished on time, with the current members (in other words, a stubborn Islamist majority).  Though Morsi and other members of the Muslim Brotherhood, have been talking up democracy through this whole process, this latest decree suggests that it was all a front in order to obtain power and hold onto it.  Is this how dictatorships begin?  I don't think the Egyptian people will stand for this.  It is an insult after all they sacrificed in the revolution the first time around.

6 October

I made it to 6 October!  It's great to get out of the house, even if it's just to another bed.  I'm going to go read now.

Photo of the Week

Taxi ride at dusk in 6 October

Eid!

And so Ramadan ends with feasts (feast is the translation of eid), three days of feasts to be exact.  Though I have been trying to embrace what is going on around me, I must say I am quite relieved for Ramadan to be over.  I am excited to have something to do during the day.  I am excited for my friends to be available to hang out, and not dead exhausted all the time.  I'm excited to go out to restaurants, get lentil soup (not a Ramadan food), and be able to eat outside.  Ramadan was a cool experience, but doing it during high summer and without a family... well let's just say I'm not in a rush to do it again.

I am spending my Eid in 6 October with my good friend Hagar (who took me to Beni Suef).  For our last iftar we had traditional eid foods which I would describe as dried fish eggs, slimy smoked fish, and slimy rotten fish.  It was a very pungent meal, but it wasn't bad.  I personally couldn't do more than small amounts of each, but the little I had was enjoyable and an experience at very least.

At 5 am this morning I went with Hagar, her mother, and her uncle to morning prayers at Must mosque in Mutamiaz, 6 October (photo to be posted soon).  I believe it is the second largest mosque in 6 Oh.  It drew quite a crowd.  The sprawling lawn in back was set up to accommodate the Holiday rush of worshipers including mats on the grass and a decider between the men and women.  Prayers always start with a call to prayer played from every minaret, but today a special addition was added to the call.  "God is great," was chanted on repeat for perhaps a solid 30 minutes (maybe more) before the actual prayer started.  Then we prayed (I went through the motions in line with them all swaddled up in cloth to hide my seductive female form), and sat and listened to the sermon before Hagar headed off to work.  I went back to her house to sleep.  Now I'm hoping that some friend in 6 Oh will be free to hang out so I can kill sometime until this evening when I take Hagar out to a long awaited birthday dinner.

If  I can swing it, I hope to spend the second day of Eid with Nana before my host aunt and uncle head back to Saudi Arabia.  But after that I am just so excited to (hopefully) see my friends more often!
  

The last stay

3omr, 3mar, and 3mIar

These are the names of my three new Pothos plants from the fam in 6 Oh.  I still need a name for the arrowhead plant.  I stayed with my host family for that last time in 6 October last night.  They move out of the house tomorrow.  My apartment is now well-stocked with items they don't want, a clothes hamper, dishes, soaps, and medicine.  While this is helpful for practical existence, I am sad.  It's like seeing the parents move out of your childhood home.  They have another couple weeks in Egypt, so I will see them again.  We are going to an engagement party next weekend.  But then they are off.  It will be strange to be in Egypt without my Egypt family, and they truly are family.  I think our relationship is a testament to the success and depth of the high school exchange experience.  It has been so wonderful spending time with them again!

Also! A shout-out to the Starr family.  It was great to hear from you, even if it was 2 am my time.

New Friend with a GREAT BLOG

Hello all!  Check out my friend Katie's blog: Sunburned Not Tan.  She is currently interning at the US Embassy here in Cairo.  She's posted a great breakdown of the politics going on right now.  While I have been living the cushy life with my family in 6 October, she has been going out observing the polls!  I'll let you know if she posts the juicy details soon!    

Home Coming

It is amazing how different 6 October feels from Mohandessin.  When I lived in 6 Oh two years ago my friends told me they liked it in the suburb because it wasn’t as busy and the air was cleaner.  I didn’t notice too much of a difference back then, but now that I live in the city, the difference is clear.  Walking from Hagar’s home to where I caught my taxi was lovely.  The air tasted clean and everything seemed brighter.  The streets are more open and cleaner.  It can be scary living Mohandessin.  No, scary is too strong of a word.  It can be intimidating, because there are always people everywhere.  6 Oh is more peaceful.  I should have anticipate this, but I was surprised to recognize landmarks and streets I had traversed before.  

Last time I was here I didn’t notice how many awesome plants there are everywhere!  It’s a shame I forgot my camera.  Darn.  I have never been here in early summer, so that may explain it.  I expect to be visiting 6 Oh quite a bit before my family moved to Seattle.  

My host family lives in a fancy gated compound.  THAT MEANS THEY HAVE A POOL. The feeling inside the compound versus that of Mohandessin is crazy.  In Mohandessin I got cat-calls for wearing shirt with a slightly lower neck-line.  In the compound a bunch of teenagers in mixed company were wearing bikinis!  I was just happy to swim and get some exercise.

Safaa’s dance recital was great!  The little girls did hip-hop, bollywood dance, and stylized ballet (one pharonic themed).  Safaa has a great presence and fluidity on stage.  I hope she finds a good dance school in Seattle so she can built up her technique.  It was a great family outing.  I love having so many Egyptian friends and family.  Culture shock doesn’t stand a chance.

I am currently helping my host mom prepare for a play she is putting on at her school.  It is a really fantastic compilation of poems, Spirituals, and even dace.  It draws connections between oppression all over the world mostly through poetry from all over.  I am especially interested to see how Egyptian 5th graders portray American slavery.