Today, I met another German at the hostel. I don't remember why I started to talk with him. He had been working in Egypt to set up radio antennas - I wasn't entirely sure what that meant. But I imagined German engineering at work... We got into a conversation that took us downstairs to Biladi Café, back up to the lobby and later to Kazan, where we had a late lunch together. Since he had been in Egypt for each year for fifteen years, our main topic was what had changed. He underlined that less women are wearing scarfs now than three years ago. While I pointed out that I heard the rate of rape and sexual harrasment has gone up recently. Last night, he spent in a liberal bar with some Egyptians. They were making fun and so on. He asked him how much longer they'd think, a liberal place like that would be tolerated. They responded: 'five more years'. We talked while watching the never ending stream of cars that twists around the green circle of Tahrir Square. Some things never seem to change... And our understanding of the revolution and Egypt in general certainly did not suffice to come up with a clear answer. The situation is far too confusing and the bandwidth of political opinion far too wide to make sense of it all that easily.
Then we talked about his past. How he grew up in East Germany and tried to leave the country via Hungary and Yugoslavia in the late seventies. He got arrested in Budapest and sent back to the GDR. His hand was shaking while he was eating his chicken and talking with me - as it has been doing since his 2.5 years in prison. After that, he made it to West Germany and worked for a government agency after the wall came down to persecute his former opressors. With little success.
Tonight, I met a charming group of people. Like-minded people from various countries including many Egyptians. It was a very stimulating meeting of great personalities and I am glad I could join. In a creative way, this group was discussing how collaboration can be increased among organizations in Cairo that work with civil society.
All perfectly speaking English, this meeting could have taken place anywhere on the globe. The difference, of course, were the references to the recent revolution. The need for a meaningful dialogue between all the different stakeholders, different worldviews and different members of society was repeatedly mentioned. But people don't talk. There is fear of disagreement, which may be due to a cutural disposition that favors harmony. However, another important reason is that people don't trust each other and are very suspicious. Probably the heritage of oppressive government and the secret police.
The German went to a doctor to ask whether he could do anything to stop the hand from shaking. But the doc responded that the problem is in the head and that he couldn't do anything about that. Let us hope that the situation of the Egyptian people is less futile and that they will find a way to overcome their past humiliation and reach out to another.
Then we talked about his past. How he grew up in East Germany and tried to leave the country via Hungary and Yugoslavia in the late seventies. He got arrested in Budapest and sent back to the GDR. His hand was shaking while he was eating his chicken and talking with me - as it has been doing since his 2.5 years in prison. After that, he made it to West Germany and worked for a government agency after the wall came down to persecute his former opressors. With little success.
Tonight, I met a charming group of people. Like-minded people from various countries including many Egyptians. It was a very stimulating meeting of great personalities and I am glad I could join. In a creative way, this group was discussing how collaboration can be increased among organizations in Cairo that work with civil society.
All perfectly speaking English, this meeting could have taken place anywhere on the globe. The difference, of course, were the references to the recent revolution. The need for a meaningful dialogue between all the different stakeholders, different worldviews and different members of society was repeatedly mentioned. But people don't talk. There is fear of disagreement, which may be due to a cutural disposition that favors harmony. However, another important reason is that people don't trust each other and are very suspicious. Probably the heritage of oppressive government and the secret police.
The German went to a doctor to ask whether he could do anything to stop the hand from shaking. But the doc responded that the problem is in the head and that he couldn't do anything about that. Let us hope that the situation of the Egyptian people is less futile and that they will find a way to overcome their past humiliation and reach out to another.
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