Egypt – 10 months later

In August 2013, a crazy family decided to overcome their fear of the second revolution and worries concerning the state of emergency and curfew and focus on their excitement and commitment as they landed in Cairo, discovering the landscape, questioning the decision to leave the old Constantinople.

Some things are sadly just the same:

The town centre hasn’t changed. As we crossed the city for the first time, I recall the sheer disappointment, seeing all those skeletons of red brick building and litter sprawling all over the roads and roof tops; I remember seeing the chaos, poverty and the traffic and regretting leaving Istanbul but a glimpse of Khufu had given me hope. Living in the suburbs, you forget that sight, until the next confrontation. A few nights ago, as we wished farewell to colleagues moving on, I drove through the city: Town hasn’t changed a bit and it is still awfully filthy and punctuated by those same empty red buildings. This time, I saw the three pyramids in the evening sky, the moon showing right above them and in the opposite direction, the sun, bright orange, was setting behind some of the date palm trees on the distance. Peace again.

The situation for women hasn’t changed unfortunately and the harassment “(un)culture” is so engrained in some men that it will take much more than 10 months for mentalities to change... In August, the eve of our arrival, I recall seeing a video (because the media is all about making it as disgustingly real as possible) of a woman being assaulted on Tahrir as the second revolution was striking. Regrettably and coincidentally, a few days ago, a lady was assaulted on Tahrir at the inauguration of Sisi; the worst thing is that some men and fellow women find it normal, as men were happy! There are some groups and organisations working on awareness and raising respect towards women and they are the true hope for my Egyptian but also foreign fellow sisters.

Yet, a lot has changed – in how many countries do you witness the fall of a president and the appointment of a new one within the space of 10 months? For the better or the worse, time will tell and once again, we must wish the best to Egypt, instead of stepping back and patronise this country, from our expat’s safe haven.

We, as a family have changed. There is a true feeling of community here and we have met wonderful people from all horizons, who have made this year even more enjoyable! In addition, besides having developed a sheer hate against flies and insects, I personally have found an unexpected amount of peace in two paradoxical places: The desert and its eerie emptiness, where Eol rules and sculpts at will and the Red Sea, full of colours and life all around. I can never find a fair prose to explain how walking in the desert and diving can offer you a moment when the daily cacophony ends and allows you to channel your thoughts.

Madame Lucie has changed.  Given the monstrous reputation of Egyptian students, the one I was given before even meeting them, I opted for Machiavelli’s method, to be feared rather than loved. Perspective is the key word, as my start of the book is their end of a book, as my idea of acceptable is different from their idea of acceptable, as my idea of religion and need for guidance is different from theirs. It turns out the Egyptian students are just the same as anywhere else, plus a wonderful “répartie” and sense of humour.

More importantly, my international family has changed. Given our different background, Egypt has shaken some of our established traits and grown onto us. It has revealed some of the most incredible landscapes and mind opening moments and the best example is this true story:

Whilst going to town, an Estonian man takes up the mission to buy an Egyptian flag for his old man. In times of elections, the patriotic feel is strong and flags are sold at every street corner, even near our microcosm. As he reaches home to his family, he shows the flag to his son, who, without hesitations, seizes it and starts chanting: “baladi, baladi, balaaaadi....” -The Egyptian national anthem! 

For a second, the entire family stares at him in disbelief and pride, realising that we have all changed in Egypt, and thank the universe for leading us here and reveal to us what is hidden under the layer of dust of Egypt. A layer wrongly thickened by the media, a layer built on the looks of the city, its people and the recent history – but what lies underneath it, if you look past it, is humanly and aesthetically simply beautiful!

 

Un pays à double face!

Il y a quelques siècles, regarder les étoiles en s'endormant était un fait quotidien pour nos ancetres. De nos jours, nous regardons les étoiles, étant supposément plus avancés, ne sachant rien des constellations qui nous guettent.

Mon voyage récent à Ras Mohamed, près de Sharm El Sheikh, au sud de la Péninsule du Sinai, était formidable mais aussi mélé à un retour brutal à la réalité!

                        Le premier aspect à présenter est le décor. Des tentes, des dunes de sables et l'eau sont les seules choses à l'horizon, gardés par les montagnes au loin (et un point militaire). A l'aube, le chuchotement des vagues, à quelques mètres de la, ainsi que la lumière du soleil se marient avec l'horloge biologique et vous permettent d'accueillir une nouvelle journée. Si vous vous réveillez à temps (5h11 le matin avec assez de café), vous pourrez assister au lever du soleil et au changement de couleurs qui s'opèrent grace à ses rayons; il y aura aussi les petits crabes qui dansent sur la plage, avant de rejoindre leur nid.

Pendant la journée, la température augmente graduellement et atteint son maximum vers 2heures; il y fait extrement beau et ensoleillé, tandis que les nuits desertiques sont assez fraiches, dependant de votre interprétation de frais.

Au crépuscule, le dinner et les discussions tournent autour de la journée, à la lumière de bougies et d'un feu de bois, qui brule à quelques mètres de l'eau.  C'est en levant la tete que l'on rejoint la fete: d'inombrables étoiles brillent de toutes directions et vous font réaliser à quel point nous ne les regardons pas assez quotidiennement.

De nos jours, nous payons pour passer une nuit dans le desert et faire l'expérience de la nature! Nous avons régréssé tellement, dans notre illusion de progrès, que notre connection à elle est partiellement, voire complètement coupée, nous laissant la tete en l'air, sans aucune idée de la carte céleste qui nous abrite!

                       La deuxième expérience est bien sur la plongée. Aprés avoir apprécié le lever du soleil, il est temps de s'armer de la combinaison de plongée. L'eau est absolument claire et la vie aquatique est en plein essor. Une des qualifications pour etre un plongeur avancé est de plonger à 30 mètres de profondeur mais aussi de plonger la nuit. Cette dernière idée m'angoissait un peu. Il s'avère que 30 mètres de profondeur n'était pas un problème du tout, bien au contraire. Pour la plongée de nuit, vous descendez avec une seule lampe, et ce sera votre seul faisceau de lumière! Si vous vous arretez et cachez votre lampe, tout est noir autour de vous jusqu'à ce que vous vous mettiez à bouger les mains et c'est à cet instant que le plancton s'illumine et danse autour de vous!

 Tout cela, c'est ce qui fait rever en Egypte, ce sont ces activités impossibles ailleurs.

Malgré tout, cet état de beauté et calme s'est arreté avec une grosse claque en pleine figure, lorsqu'un verre a été levé au dinner, pour faire une annonce.

                         L'idée était de rentrer au Caire en bus, un trajet de 6 à 10 heures, inshallah!. Cependant, ce soir la, nous apprenons que deux endroits ont été bombardés et ils se trouvent sur le chemin du retour. A cet instant, malgré ce décor irréel et magique qui nous entoure, c'est une vision tunnel qui prend le dessus, menant vers la peur et l'insécurité.

Subitement, l'impression de vivre la vie pleinement en Egypte n'est plus aussi attirante et les responsabilités que l'on a vous revienne en plein tete.  Prendre l'avion était une des possibilités et avec le recul, réunie avec ma famille, cet arret à Dahab et avoir pris l'avion était la meilleure décision à prendre.

Cette nuit la, j'ai détesté  certains aspects de l'Egypte. Je l'ai détesté à cause de tous les efforts que je fais pour l'aimer et lui faire de la publicité; je l'ai détesté pour son manque de stabilité et ses problèmes politiques. Est-ce que je suis contente de savoir que les élections arrivent et que les problèmes vont se multiplier? A votre avis? Cependant, en tant qu'expatriés, nous avons de la chance - alors je suppose qu'il faut seulement se focaliser la dessus et espérer le mieux pour l'Egypte!

Two sides of a coin

Pour la traduction en Francais, cliquez ICI.

A few centuries ago, gazing at the stars as you fell asleep was common to our ancestors. Nowadays, we look up, having supposedly “evolved”, knowing very little about the constellations above our heads.

My recent trip in Ras Mohamed, near Sharm El Sheikh, south of the Sinai Peninsula, was exhilarating but also sadly combined with a reality check.

 

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                      The first aspect to mention is the scenery. Tents, sand dunes and water are the only things in focus, guarded by mountains in the distance (and a military point nearby!). At dawn, the whisper of the waves a few meters away and the light of the sun tune in with your biological clock and help you welcome another day. If you wake up early enough (5.11 with enough coffee), you can see the sunrise and the changing of colours all around you, as well as the crabs dancing on the shore and returning to their sand holes.

 

During the day, the temperature gradually increases and reaches its climax around 2pm; it is beautifully warm and sunny, and the nights are quite cool, depending on your heat/cold tolerance level!

 

At dusk, dinner and company discussions revolve around the diving of the day, lit by candle light and the roaring fire sitting on the sand, a few meters away from the water. Upwards is where the real party is: countless stars, spots of light shine from all directions and light up the sky and make you realise how rarely we ever look up and enjoy their presence.

In our time, we pay for desert camping or nature adventures! We have regressed so far in our illusion of progress, that our natural connection is partially or fully severed, leaving us stare upwards occasionally, dumbfounded by the celestial map.

·                        The second experience is diving. After enjoying a sunrise, you can gear up and enjoy another element. The water is crystal clear and the aquatic life is buzzing, as always. Part of the advanced diving qualification includes the deep dive and a night dive – I was personally worried by the latter. The deep dive was amazing, with the spectrum of lights changing. As for the night dive, it was a frightening/magical moment, where you descend with a lamp as  your only source of light around. If you stop it for a while and move your hand around, the plankton will light up, like sparkles or stars dancing around you, following your movements. 

All the above is marveling at Egypt. I coincidentally have started reading for the third time the Alchemist, that young boy who discovers Egypt with the crystal seller and gradually learns to love its wonder, despite his poor start, having been robbed from his money.

Similarly, when we came, I felt we had been robbed of our initial feel of Egypt, with the state of emergency and curfew and I have, since then, insisted on trying to see its best assets, and they are plentiful!

Yet, marveling is state that passed with a strong slap, right across your face, as during dinner, a glass was raised to an announcement.

         The plan was to drive back yet, as dinner happens, an announcement is delivered. There had been 2 bombings at a checkpoints near our camp. At this stage, despite the décor, the very same magic scenery turns into a tunnel vision that only leads towards fear and uncertainty. Suddenly, it doesn't feel like you are living the dream in the land of sand, it feels unsafe and responsibilities come back assailing your head with questions. Flying was the option and thanks to good friends, it is a first class ticket that took me home. Retrospectively, having arrived and reunited with my responsibilities, the detour in Dahab was really wonderful. 

              That night, I hated some parts of Egypt, I hated it for its insecurity and its whirlpool of violence. Am I comfortable knowing that the upcoming elections will spark more troubles? We remain, the expats, a very lucky population in Cairo and across the country; I guess we just need to focus on that luck and hope for the best.