February 8th

I needed a few days to unwind, and unwind I did. From the mayhem of mid-Revolution Cairo, I caught the emergency flight to Istanbul where I stayed in a dirt-cheap (but not at all unpleasant) hostel for a few nights before my friend doing a Fulbright in Egypt arrived. Prior to his arrival, I did very little but to catch my breathe. I slept as much as I could, missing breakfast for three consecutive days, before leisurely showering and sidestepping crowds of tourists on my way to a cafe in Sultanahmet. There I read articles, analysis, and watched interviews concerning the goings-on in Egypt. The first night, I treated myself to a nice dinner as a way to unwind. A good meal always has a way of steadying the mind.

By the time my refugee Fulbright friend arrived, I was glad to entertain. We moved my bags down the street to another hostel, where we made plans to see the major sights of Istanbul in a short two days. We would then head down to sleepy Bilecik to explore the surrounding area. It was nice having my first official visitor, despite the unexpected circumstances. We toured the city quickly, then hoped a bus south. We visited Bursa, then Iznik, before he had to head back to Istanbul for a Wednesday flight to the states. Given the situation in Egypt, the Fulbright program there said they would contact him in no less than 30 days with a definitive answer as to whether the program would continue.

I'm still following the events in Egypt with great interest. I'm dismayed by the US approach as they try to walk a tight-rope between appeasing long-time ally Mubarak and asserting their supposed principles. Any support of recently-appointed Vice President Suleiman seems suspect, especially given his suggestion that Egypt is not yet ready for democracy. The likelihood of a religiously-motivated political movement exploiting the power vacuum seems unlikely. We're talking about the Muslim Brotherhood here, not the Iranian clerics. The MB's embrace of democratic principles and more progressive positions of controversial social issues have maintained their popularity and their viability, and in such a political situation, I can't see them turning back on those values. Their tactful pragmatism has allowed them to survive the most pressing and uncertain circumstances, and they're not about to throw that all away. As has been mentioned, these demonstrations were ignited by the young, the educated, and the secular. But what's kept the fire ablaze have been the contributions and support of all fragments of society, from the Islamists to the communists. So while Suleiman spouts fire, the millions protesting have other thoughts. From what I've been reading, protestors in Tahrir are not moving. They are overcome with the feverishness of hope in the wake of long-suppressed freedom and opportunity. Regardless of what sort of political reality takes shape, Egypt has changed. Mubarak will be gone, hopefully sooner than later.

Most recently, I ran into a bout of sickness. After 48 hours of hibernation, my heads a little steadier and the legs a little less wobbly. I polished off an orange and some tomatoes, and am back on my way to feeling great. Classes have resumes, although the students have taken it upon themselves to prolong vacation for another week. It is what it is. I'll see them soon enough.

A day at a time, my friends. Stay in touch.