As many of you who follow our experience in Egypt are probably aware, there is political turmoil in Egypt again. Again, we had an early dismissal to ensure that all students arrived home in a timely manner (this is usually more to avoid traffic congestion than for safety reasons). Again, people are out in the squares of Cairo and Port Said protesting various decisions made the judges in the Port Said trials after many people lost their lives at a soccer match just over a year ago.
My students are always very aware of what is happening in Cairo and exclaimed that all the trophies were taken...they tried to set Cairo Tower on fire...or, simply, people are not happy Ms. While they may not always have the facts correct, you have to wonder why people head out in mass numbers.
One student today made a very interesting statement. I was very pleased because he used a simile to compares Egypt to a foreign film. We just finished our study of literary devices and figurative language, and, whether he knew it or not, gave an excellent example of a simile. He said, `Ms., the culture of Egypt is like a foreign film. There are no subtitles and it is a language that no one understands, not even Egyptians sometimes`. This is often how I feel about the culture, particularly when it comes to protests. I will never understand the motivation to head out because I am not Egyptian, but, it is reassuring to know that even Egyptians do not understand it.
I must state that even though there are angry protestors out right now, and even though there are people creating havoc in parts of Cairo, our quiet little suburb remains quiet. Right now, I am typing this out by candlelight because the power is out (a fairly regular occurrence), but other than the plane flying overhead and the kids running on the balcony, it remains quiet.
Keep Egypt in your thoughts as they continue to move towards a functional democracy. Hmm, democracy, that is the next unit to teach in Social Studies, it is probably more relevant than other right now.
My students are always very aware of what is happening in Cairo and exclaimed that all the trophies were taken...they tried to set Cairo Tower on fire...or, simply, people are not happy Ms. While they may not always have the facts correct, you have to wonder why people head out in mass numbers.
One student today made a very interesting statement. I was very pleased because he used a simile to compares Egypt to a foreign film. We just finished our study of literary devices and figurative language, and, whether he knew it or not, gave an excellent example of a simile. He said, `Ms., the culture of Egypt is like a foreign film. There are no subtitles and it is a language that no one understands, not even Egyptians sometimes`. This is often how I feel about the culture, particularly when it comes to protests. I will never understand the motivation to head out because I am not Egyptian, but, it is reassuring to know that even Egyptians do not understand it.
I must state that even though there are angry protestors out right now, and even though there are people creating havoc in parts of Cairo, our quiet little suburb remains quiet. Right now, I am typing this out by candlelight because the power is out (a fairly regular occurrence), but other than the plane flying overhead and the kids running on the balcony, it remains quiet.
Keep Egypt in your thoughts as they continue to move towards a functional democracy. Hmm, democracy, that is the next unit to teach in Social Studies, it is probably more relevant than other right now.
