Are Things Settling at All?

you can say now everything is going to normal, everything is available, just banks are very crowded, but remember that no one can expect what will happen after 10 minutes, still the fire under ashes

Asalamu Alaykom,

We are totally being pushed into normalcy---which isn't normal.  The government wants everyone to fake it 'til we make it but that isn't very American.  I don't feel a sense of duty to my workplace.  I feel a sense of duty to my family to stay safe.  Many of our (mostly female) staff have not left the saftey of their home in over a week.  Maybe if the army stopped shooting throughout the night...

I hate to disagree with you but I live in Giza as well and I work in Nasr City but I do not see or hear the army shooting of course life is not 100% normal but it is settling gradually

Asalamu Alaykom,

Can we allll agree that we're going to have vastly different perspectives on whether or not things are settled?  Remaya Square, to be exact, has the army shooting all through the night.  Okay?  So, maybe in your area you don't have shooting---great!  In my area we do.  I'm not talking about what you see or hear.  I'm not disagreeing with what you write.  Kindly do not try to refute what I see or hear.

Okay, let's not start bickering please. Like 'campingguy', I too would like to know what the situation is like on the ground, and it is to be expected that people from different areas (or even the same locality) will have varying experiences.

Please continue to update us so that we have a well-rounded picture, and above all, stay safe.

I'm not trying to do anything but telling, as you just did, what I know for a fact.
for Egyptians, things are never getting back that is a fact.
for daily life we are trying to work in order to reduce the damages and help ourselves.
I don't think,however, that the army is shooting to frighten the residents I think maybe they are keeping away intruders.
I know and lived the past 14 days as we all did. I have three sons 16, 17, 18 years old and I had to let them all night in the street guarding our home with whatever equipments they can have and that is not easy since this is not war. WE SURVIVED the hard part is over though we do not really know who starts the fires and attacks since the revolutionists were in Tahrir square and every one I know relatives, neighbors and co-workers were defending their homes just like we did.
Egypt has always been and will ever be the safest place on earth may be overpopulated or not clean enough but we are trying.

were going into Cairo today its really quite where we live with a little bit of daily gunfire after dark, only a couple of shots. and this is related to punks thugs and opportunists.

many other country's are much more dangerous then Egypt take a look at Mexico just South of the American border over two thousand killed during the last year alone all related to the drug trades.

Asalamu Alaykom,

Each day is really so different that I'm replying again.  Yesterday, my husband did go to Cairo and felt safe on the streets--but sad since it meant a return to the burned out Arcadia Mall.  Last night there wasn't any gunfire from Remaya that I could hear.  I slept soundly.  That was a first.  Today was the first day my son and I went out on the streets in Al-Haram.  The street market ladies have returned with their food.  The shops which deal with locals are open (whereas the many tourist shops don't need to be).  Very few cars on the road.  My school's adminstrators are meeting to determine when to reopen but there is no directive yet on that from the government.

hope all the best to you and your family, I'm in your neighborhood if you ever need anything or any help do not hesitate to contact me 0105454204

hello dears..

I hope everyone is safe & souond here ..
I'm as well back to work & situation in Heliopolis is a bit calm last couple of days .. some of the army tanks were actually removed from street today, while others still there.

The only thing that worrys me now is my son's situation .. he's in the AIS & i don't know when his teachers & admin staff will return to school!! what will happen to all these international schools in Egypt that is running by foreigners!!??

hope every thing back to normal and for your son still some foreigner teachers wouldn't leave you can get him a private one or you can home school him although it is not easy but I try it last year for a whole semester when the swine flu was spreading.

hope the best for all of you

Crash Boom Bang wrote:

hello dears..

I hope everyone is safe & souond here ..
I'm as well back to work & situation in Heliopolis is a bit calm last couple of days .. some of the army tanks were actually removed from street today, while others still there.

The only thing that worrys me now is my son's situation .. he's in the AIS & i don't know when his teachers & admin staff will return to school!! what will happen to all these international schools in Egypt that is running by foreigners!!??

I spoke to an Egyptian friend today who is also awaiting information about international schools reopening, and she was told that 20th Feb is a tentative date so that foreign teachers who are returning can get back. How far this is true for all schools, I'm not sure... but I think the situation is similar for most international schools.

The uncertainty is a killer tho.

Hello Gang,

Here's my 2 cents worth.

Zamalek and Heliopolis (where I live) have been the least affected areas by thugs and when you are out during the day you wouldn't even think that there was civil unrest in the country.

Safety wise that is a different story. The traffic police are back on the streets. Traffic is a problem, many roads are still closed off. The curfew is from 8pm -6pm. However, 'Police' safety and presence is still absent. The public do not trust them, apparently some of the thugs/opportunists have been said to have been members of the police force. I can not confirm or deny the allegations, I haven't seen it for myself.
I do know a young lad who is a fresh grad from The Mubarak Police Academy and he has said that they (his colleagues) are afraid of wearing their uniform because it makes them a target and the public don't like them. 

Going out at night is not recommended, there are still many thugs, prison escapees, looters and opportunists at large. Neighborhood patrol by residence is still operational but not as 'active' as it was in the first week. Any errands that you need to do, do during day light hours.

Westerners have to be careful, they may be targeted as 'Israeli Spies' or 'Al Jazeera Reporters/journalists'.

I am now in Alexandria and I am just in shock at the view from my parents balcony. The scene is horrific, the Governors office building was looted and set ablaze, after 3 days of burning the building collapsed.
I hear from my friends who are still on neighborhood watch that things are still not stable in Alexandria.

Businesses and banks are slowly re-opening for certain hours of the day.
Some schools have re-opened more will open on Sunday 13th of February.

On a different note;

If the people who depend on daily income taxi drivers, small kiosk owners, veg and fruit vendors etc...if their business doesn't pick up and if they start going hungry the situation is going to turn in another direction and for the worse.

I was discussing this with a former US Military guy on line and he said that if the Gov. doesn't do something to improve the situation, things will get worse very quickly. Egypt will head either in to an Islamic Revolution (WAIT BEFORE YOU START THROWING ROCKS AT ME), when people have nothing and are hungry they turn to religion. OR Egypt will go in to a recession followed by a depression.

If I have more updates I'll either blog about them or

The Londoner wrote:

I spoke to an Egyptian friend today who is also awaiting information about international schools reopening, and she was told that 20th Feb is a tentative date so that foreign teachers who are returning can get back. How far this is true for all schools, I'm not sure... but I think the situation is similar for most international schools.

The uncertainty is a killer tho.

I just called my son school & they said most of teachers are already inside Egypt ... some are in Sharm & some has returned to Cairo .. others taking it as a holiday & returned to their home town but will be back b4 the 20th. I feel more better now (Thank God) they have also posted some homeworks to the students through the teachers website.... (now i can let him do something useful)

anyway thanks Londoner for your reply & you may suggest to your friend to follow up with her children school as i knew most of Egyptian admins are back already to these int. schools.

Regards,

just got an e-mail from my employers announcing that school is postponed again. Staff will return to work next Wednesday, students will return on the 20th.

I'm really hoping that the security situation gets better quickly.  I've been surprised that they haven't put the army fully in charge with the police managed by them until this could be settled.  I want to get back there but I don't think they'll allow us to return until security improves.  You all are in my thoughts and prayers and I hope we'll be able to do another "get-together" soon!  Thanks so much for the updates and please keep them coming.

Just out of brainstorming, I'd like to know how would you guys feel nowadays after almost 2 months from Egypt's Revolution, you've been sharing fears and thinking out loud regarding the political uprising and it's consequences...how about now??