Ain Shams

Its a world I have been recently introduced to due to new relationships that I have in my predominantly discreet life...

All I knew about Ain Shams was that it was were the old city of Heliopolis really lied and that it is where many middle class Egyptians live...

When I got there, the Heliopolis fact was totally irrelevant and unimportant since the place itself expressed no indication of the historical value of the area...

Middle class Egyptians... well the second realization was that I really had no idea how did middle class Egyptians live...I realized how much I was locked up in the ideal world (by Cairo standards off course).

I doubt I will ever get to call my family an upper middle class family again since that would be a blatant lie and an embarrassing manifestation of my utter ignorance and my comfortable stay at the top of an exquisitely carved ivory tower.

Meeting and chatting with the people sitting all over the sidewalk smoking their shishas and sipping on their excessively sweetened tea helped me make yet another realization. I felt much more at ease and comfortable in the company of these people, who would most probably be the same people who would serve my shisha in Nasr City, sell me the stamps to stick on government related applications or wrap my shawerma in Mohandesseen.

The people I met in Ain Shams did not care that I went to the most expensive private higher education institution in Cairo, that I grew my hair long or that I threw in a few English words here and there (even if I try really hard not to). I was just by far the most obvious odd one out, that a 3 year old would be able to point me out as so. However, I was not made to feel as such. I was welcomed warmly, not asked too many questions, invited for a shisha and a tea, for which I had to ask that the sugar be not put in the glass...off course to everyone's shock and awe.

When I was about to leave, I received cheek kisses from people I have barely talked to for 30 minutes...they made me promise I would come back and hang out with them...

and I did promise to come back since I plan to maintain my ties with Ain Shams even if I do feel a general relief once the cab I am riding back drives by a familiar building with shops I recognize...when I start noticing the absence of the heaps of garbage bags piled next to the side walk... when I notice that a face veil was back to being an anomaly rather than an accepted standard...when it is much more pleasant to breathe again without so many disturbing odours attacking my nostrils...

I have been to Ain Shams 2 times since my first time...all in one single week...It reminded me of why Egypt is special since the Egypt I have been living since I came back is nothing but a wannabe of something else that is not Egypt...

Ain Shams again on Monday

The Suffering of the Pigs of Egypt

This a disturbing video of how the Egyptian government is culling Egypt's pigs

View from Dubai Hotel Room

30 years of Peace

Some might call is a cold peace but then most importantly it is PEACE, Egypt has not been involved in a military conflict since...Egypt has managed to focus internally and although there is still a great way to go in terms of achieving the needed reforms in Egypt but then we have taken some strides economically and politically... It has been shown to the Arab World how what Sadat did in 1979 was the way to go and how that they are all looking towards a similar settlement...

Israel celebrates today the 3oth anniversary of the signed agreement and there has been about Egypt boycotting such celebrations, however, it has not. Egypt had decided not to celebrate the anniversary on its own soil though. I see this as understandable based on the latest Gaza offensive or the potential pick of the right wing Lieberman to head the foreign ministry in Israel. However, most importantly, for the stability of the Egyptian regime, this anniversary needs to go unmarked since most Egyptians, although satisfied with the lack of war are not enthusiastic about warmth in relationships between the two countries...

Whether Egypt celebrates or not...This is a day to be remembered as the day that has made the lives of 80 million people in contemporary Egypt lead a better life than the one they could have lead if not for the Camp David Peace Accords...

Happy 30th anniversary of peace in the land of the Nile!

Sandstorms in Saudi and Kuwait

Although I lived in Kuwait for 16 years, I never got the chance to see a sandstorm moving in this way...it is truly an amazing site...I remember waking up to find the sand hanging in the air or being indoors and noticing that there is less light coming in...However, the windiest sand sandstorms I have seen in Egypt during springtime...

Nothing Comapres to Egypt...

Hmm....

Was totally shocked to read this about the suffering of Mona Said Thabet and her family and then read this about how the Egyptian government rejected The US report on its human rights violations record...

Hmm...I wonder who is right on this one, the Egyptians or the Americans? or maybe we should blame the Israelis like most Egyptians would for nearly everything?

Hmm...

18 Years Later...

It was exactly 18 years back when Kuwait was liberated from the Saddam's Iraqi invasion. It was exactly 18 years back when I was watching the news in my family's beach house in Egypt as we lived as "refugees" in our own country of citizenship.

Things have turned around so much since then...

Kuwait has more than 2 million residents now compared to a little more than half that figure before the invasion

Kuwait has rebuilt itself quite fast, however, to lag behind Dubai that used to be a second or third to Kuwait City in the Arabian Gulf before the 2nd of August 1990

Kuwait has a new leader...Both Sheikh Jaber and Sheikh Saad who lead Kuwait through its hard times have passed away

Kuwait has introduced segregation of males and females to universities, however at the same time the youth dress and act more Western than any other Gulf youth

Kuwait has de-pegged the Kuwaiti Dinar from the US Dollar, however, it still is the most valuable currency in the world

Kuwait starting making budget surpluses in teh alst few years with decreasing outflows towards the US and the allies who supported in its liberation but also the increase in oil prices

Kuwaiti banks were the hardest hit in the Gulf by the current economic crisis

Kuwait for the first time becomes a place where corruption and bribes in government offices is not uncommon

Kuwait grants women the right to vote and run for office

The first Kuwaiti female Minister was appointed

Those are just some of many things...

However, today was also marked by Kuwait's first celebration of its liberation in its embassy in Baghdad and the high profile visit since August 1990 ... more here

A lot happens in 18 years...

Nothing Comapres to Egypt...

Yes, every part of the world has its own unique flavour to it but then again NOTHING compares to Egypt...

Do not let the acts of a meaningless minority keep you away from the outstanding experience Egypt can be....

For more about what a trip to Egypt can be like go here

Baby Step Reforms in Saudi Arabia

I had already posted about the assignment of a woman to the highest level position yet in Saudi Arabia, although she would still need to be driven to her office everyday since she according to Saudi Sharia based law, women are not allowed to drive.

However, the reforms steps taken with the last Minister Council shake up extended beyond bringing some female representation. It also included the bringing of a younger and more liberal blood, replacing old school conservatives. The whole spectrum of advances with the latest shake-up in Saudi Arabia is covered in the Economist's article "Tiptoeing towards reform".

Yahoo! up for a fight?

Yahoo introduces image and video capabilities to its search advertising offering. This is unmatched by Google or Microsoft as of now. I posted about it in more detail on my other blog, A Converging World

Read more here

A Leap for Saudi Women

Although limited in scope but then huge in significance, the Saudi King appointed the first female as a Saudi Minister. He has appointed her to be the Minister of Women's Education. Although still building on the Kingdom's strong segregation between males and females, it is still a huge step for women in Saudi Arabia...

Read more here

Where is Philip Rizk?

A reminder to many Egyptians who had lived during the Nasser times, Philip Rizk, a German-Egyptian free lance journalist and a graduate student of the American University of Cairo was taken away in a car with no license plates to an unknown location, according to Reuters. The arrest happened after Philip and a few other activists were part of a Gaza related demonstration in Qalyoubiya.

Some might say that this kind of thing is increasingly happening in modern day Egypt. However, what makes it different is that Philip holds a European passport. So this new incident is a great indicator to the state the Egyptian regime has reached.

I as an Egyptian demand the immediate release of Philip Rizk. I believe we should have moved a long way beyond the times of the "Dawn Visitors" and I demand that we do not slip back to the "black" years of Nasser again. Kefaya!

Araz joins the Blogosphere

Another one of my AIESEC International teammates joins the blogosphere...

Araz is blogging at http://araznajarian.vox.com/

Erdogan Storms Off at Davos!

I am not sure whether to be pleased or displeased with the change in Turkey's stand in the region and the tone of its reaction to the latest Israeli attack on besieged Gaza...

Latest manifestation of the new role Turkey (after the AK party came to power) is playing in the Middle East was that of Erdogan storming off stage at Davos after a heated argument with Peres, President of Israel.

Why would I be pleased or displeased?

Simply put, I am pleased that Turkey is playing a bigger role in the region, however, I am not sure if such radical change in tone from the AK party lead government will be good for the sustainability of its power. Finally, although I have not watched the debate myself, I do not think storming off stage is the best way to end a heated argument even if it was about such an ethically and emotionally loaded topic!

Britannica loosening up...

Encyclopedia Britannica has decided to launch a new model through which it has selected users contribute to its content online...so not totally the Wikipedia model but then definitely a big step for Britannica...wrote more about that on my newest blog - Please do also vote in the poll set up there with regards to your preference for Britannica online vs. Wikipedia

"creation and documentation of knowledge is a collaborative process but not a democratic one." - Jorge Cauz, president of Encyclopaedia Britannica in a blog entry about the changes.

Arabs,1948-2009

22nd of January - BBC's Jeremy Bowen's account of his day in Gaza:

"Another is a picture of a tombstone. On it someone has written, in English and Hebrew, Arabs, 1948-2009." - bbc.com

Read the full account here

A Converging World

A new blog with a focus on the world of convergence, started off as a course requirement but then looking at taking it further...I believe it would be a good chance for me to also have a new blog in addition to this one where I address a more specific topic...

Please do visit me there...and leave your comments and thoughts...

It currently only has an introductory posting but in the next two days more posting will come up...

"Conficker" (a worm) hits more than 3.5 machines http://ping.fm/YrnUP

"Bendy gadget future for graphene" http://ping.fm/15OnP