Update on Saad in Cairo

[user123]

HI all

Update on Saad and family - Howard and I both spoke to the boys yesterday, Saad is outside together with all the other neighbourhood men guarding their properties basically with sticks and iron bars in their hands as there were some attempted and other robberies.

It all does sound very scary, but knowing teh streets very well there I am smewaht reassured, if the neighbours continue to stick together it will be very difficult for anyone to cause too much trouble, the streets where Saad lives are short and narrow and not easy to enter against determined resistance - and Saad's address is somewhere in the middle rather than at either end of it, so forgetting for a moment the volatile situation and local temperament and that they happen to be the only Christians in the street, things do look hopeful.
Supply of food will be a problem before long, so let's hope that some resolution will happen before that scenario could quicly change the mood of things ... Saad's son Shady and I had a giggle that now might not be the right time to organise a mosaic course in Alexandria!
I really hate the thought of Saad having to stand out there with an iron bar in his hand, but he is a sensible man not into heroics, so all we can do is just hope and pray for them all and send good vibes - I will keep you posted with news as I get them.

 

[Stewart]

Thanks for the update.......will keep fingers crossed.

 

[Diamond Pool Finishers]

thanks for letting us know G i have been thinking about him a lot ,with all the uprising going on, and i have never met the man , but he is such a talent i feel i know him a bit through you!!!!thanks G

 

[user123]

just now: Saad still out there with the trusty iron bar Bertha, but the good news is that the market was open today, with prices doubled of course, :lol: so they managed to buy enough food to see them through for a week or maybe two, so that's good news..

 

[White Room]

What is Saads opinion to whats happening out there

 

[chrisroe]

we will have riots before the end of the year here as well thats my prediction !

 

[White Room]

Why would we have riots here ????

 

[user123]

What is Saads opinion to whats happening out there

Mark , I only managed to talk to him three days ago, the last two days I spoke with the boys only as Saad is outside in the street, but when I did talk to him none of them believed that Mubarak would really go - they have had thirty years of such an unbelievably corrupt regime, it seemed too much to hope for. But according to the German news tonight this seems more likely now, and Egypt TV was announcing that there would be a statement from Mubarak within the next half hour, so they were wondering if this could really be it. Fingers crossed eh, El Baradein is the one everyone hopes for, an intelligent highly sensible and moderate man, I have followed interviews with him a little, so he really would be good news. Also to have the military on the side of the people is amazing. Saad's main concern is for the safety of his family, like everyone else's would be in this situation, and just hopes that it will all be ok soon and that he can earn some money before long!

 

[hillhead]

Thanks G for the updates, people power and I hope the army stay true to their words.
Mr Mu would need to do the decent thing and clear off, such an intriguing country and city too.
My wife always said she would love to visit, I'm the one who is wary of it.
Fair play to the people and the best of Irish luck to them.

 

[SandyFloor]

Interesting to hear the account of a native in the thick of it ......to be honest I was oblivious to the regime there until a few days ago and I've been a few times. I'm having one of those moments when I realise how conveniently ignorant I can be.

 

[user123]

Thanks G for the updates, people power and I hope the army stay true to their words.
Mr Mu would need to do the decent thing and clear off, such an intriguing country and city too.
My wife always said she would love to visit, I'm the one who is wary of it.
Fair play to the people and the best of Irish luck to them.

It is an amazing place to visit, I understand your wife very well, as I do your justified weariness. Tourists are made so welcome, as they help people survive there who have had it so tough for decades that they have developped incredible selling and people and making money and survival skills, so they are masters in ripping people off or trying to earn a living from handing you the loopaper as you enter some public toilet somewhere, anything to survive, no social services but plenty of entrepreneurial spirit, hard working in every little area of life, offering the most amazing ironing or cosmetic service, or 'help' park your car, almost funny really, canny people. There is something very attractive about this almost childlike optimism about this approach, but the temperaments are pretty unrestrained and the mood can change quickly. Alcohol is not allowed in the main, so you don't get the drunken hooligans scenario we have here, big bonus, so there is good and bad. I fell in love with the place, I'd hate to live there, but you can't help but be charmed by a very genuine spirit of survival, the place has a type of carnival athmosphere, buzzing somehow.