(Re)Enter Sandman ..err.. -monkey

Enter Sandman ..err.. -monkey
Sandmonkey says that as all the familiar old faces emerge to start their activism at square one again, he’s back too.
I have to agree, at least partially, with the sentiment. We’re back to 2004 with all the political “actors” and activists beginning to reemerge and feel each other and the scene out. [...]

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AUC Suspends Classes for H1N1 SwineFlu

Here is the notice that AUC sent out:
AUC to Suspend Classes until October 3rd
AUC will be suspending classes beginning Thursday, September 17 until Saturday, October 3. The decision follows a request by the Egyptian government that the university suspend its classes in line with government universities, which have suspended classes due to concerns relating to [...]

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New H1N1 cases confirmed at AUC dorms

The Minstry of Health has apparently confirmed at least 5 new cases of the H1N1 “SwineFlu” virus in the AUC’s currently quarantined dorms. Press release should be at 3 pm.
Source: DailyNewsEgypt on twitter.
AUC has suspended campus activities until Sunday the 14th.

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AUC Suspends classes for H1N1 SwineFlu

Classes suspended until next Sunday (14th).. AUC email below:
UPDATE: apparently food court has been shut down, ACs turned off, masks handed out. And only one person per row is being allowed on the shuttle buses.
Date: Mon, Jun 8, 2009 at 1:11 PM
Subject: AUC Suspends Classes and Events Until June 14
To: allauc@mlist.aucegypt.edu

AUC Suspends Classes and [...]

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H1N1 Swine Flu Confirmed at AUC

UPDATES below. New updates at this post and new confirmed cases here.
It seems that SwineFlu has hit Egypt. Just when we were feeling left out. One question that i have to wonder about is: Why AUC? Did study abroads bring it in? Or is it just that these are the people with the means to [...]

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The Earthquake of 2012

An earthquake rocks Cairo in 2012: Maria Gloria writes a three-part fiction piece, which will be posted in installments at the Arabist. Good read. Awaiting the rest.
Arabist’s intro:
Friend of the blog Maria Golia, a longtime Cairo resident and author of the fantastic Cairo: City of Sand, recently sent me a wonderful short story imagining an [...]

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Downtown bar scene

This is a critique of an article on the demise of the downtown Cairo bar scene The article in question seems to have more or less lifted the essence of an earlier article. They’re all tagged on my delicious under Cairo and probably beer or bar. too busy to look them up at the moment.
Anyway, [...]

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“Cairo, Divided City”

I figured this warranted its own post since it’s about the shift to the desert suburbs leaving the slums behind in old Cairo:

I like the sound and images, but i find the commentary to be mediocre. I think there’s much more to be said about this issue.

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Gaza Activist Arrests in Cairo

I just heard that Salma Said, Khaled AbdelHamid, Malek, Sabri El Sammak and at least 3 journalists have been arrested outside of the Arab League building in  Tahrir.  The activists were protesting in support of Gaza
UPDATE 1:05pm The number i am getting is 13-15 arrests. Apparently they have been shoved into micobuses. The few that [...]

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AUC food poisoned workers, protest

It’s good to know that even AUC is not immune to the spread of labor strikes. When some 500 workers at the new campus work site got food poisoning, they were apparently supported by hundreds who protested at the campus (Arabic). This led to AUC promising to take action. Naturally, State Security was there to [...]

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Of Veils and Segregation

I posted this ages ago when a monaqqaba won a case against AUC because they were barring entry with a face veil. To the comments there i would like to add that the reason i am sorry AUC lost the battle is because AUC is a private institution. It’s not a public park, street or [...]

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VisorVeil

This weekend i looked over into the cab next to me and sighted a veil form i had yet to see. This was one of the youngish, fashionable types wrapped up into a ball at the back of the head. The layers were greens and white. The innovation: a small, inch-wide, translucent visor at the front. And, no, it wasnt a hat. It was a veil with a visor.

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Cairo Desert Sprawl

Here’s more (see previous posts) in FT on Cairo’s mushrooming into the desert. It looks at how both rich and poor have had to accommodate themselves in recent times.
I, however, disagree with this:
The development of exclusive estates represents a new phenomenon for the ancient city, as the rich and powerful seek seclusion in communities laid [...]

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4.5: the sum is greater than the parts

This article was published in September in the LA Times. It’s about Arba3a wi Noss (literally, 4.5), which is one of Cairo’s many squatter slums. It also happens to be one of the areas where a lot of (especially Sudanese) refugees have wound up. I know a lot of work has been directed there over [...]

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Why I Hate Ramadan – Ramadan Rant

I found this unposted piece of writing from last year. I’ve done the editing but havent bothered to change much. Though it’s a little dated to my mind, i think all of the meaning is still there. It’s quite different from the general direction of this blog and i hope it will not offend too [...]

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