The usual please

There is something ridiculously reductionist about summing up a region in a picture. But when I attempt imaginative recreations of my personal experiences in the Arab world, the starting point is normally some image like this one.

This is my current “local” in Dokki, in south west Cairo. It really is just a series of narrow tables and small metal chairs thrown out on the street- but it’s nice.

The guy who I think is the owner smiles at my attempts at Arabic and answers me in English. Just like the owner of my “local” on the West Bank used to as well.

I will never improve my Arabic at this rate.

The coffee is nice though.

Everyone loves a good rebel song

Protesting in Tahrir Square was undoubtedly the ‘must do’ activity of spring 2011 and it still carries some serious symbolic and practical weight as we approach winter.

The protest last Friday was varied and interesting. Supporters of the religious Coalition of Political Salafi Youth gathered around one stage (see pic above), while secular democrats, socialists, April 6 Youth Movement members and others mingled under the blazing sun at another. (http://thedailynewsegypt.com/egypt/tahrir-protesters-call-for-transfer-of-power-by-april.html ) I will be writing about this in detail in a more “traditional” medium soon.

Calls were made for the "transitional" military rule to end. Something that is not to be said lightly on a public platform in Cairo, considering that it’s less than a month since this (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15235212) happened just a few streets north from Tahrir Square.

Protesting locals seemed pleased to see mingling foreigners about the place. Indeed, when two cheerful supporters of the April 6 movement approached- they were far more interested in finding out how I (as a westerner) perceived their revolution, than they were in talking about how they felt about it themselves!

There was little obvious military presence and the atmosphere was serious, but calm and good humoured.  The protestors apparently united in calls for the quick transfer of power to civilian rule and the prevention of former members of Mubarak’s National Democratic (sic) Party from running in future elections.

Like all protests I’ve attended from Dublin to Ramallah- there were probably far too many speakers! But to judge by Friday afternoon, Cairo, like Dublin, is a place where everyone likes to sing out loud to a good rebel song...

("Hurriya" is Arabic for freedom...so you can get the idea behind the song ;))

A Cairo version of Damien Dempsey perhaps...