In the aftermath of Egypt’s crackdown on protesters since the revolution began on January 25, 2011, Washington has announced it is reviewing its aid package to the country. Egypt receives close to $2bn in financial assistance every year, making it the second largest recipient of US foreign assistance after Israel.
From the heaviness of an uneventful cold day in the city of Toronto I sit, shifting from my bed to my desk, watching/reading about the revolutions in both Egypt and Tunisia. I n those moments, I cannot but feel the heat of people’s enthusiasm for an honorable life, sometimes through the threat of death and others through death itself.
لما ناس سألونى هنتقابل يوم الثلاثاء و لا بلاش علشان المظاهرات قلتهم و افرض يعنى مظاهرات ما هى اكيد مش هنحس بيها و هتخلص قبل الظهر… قد ايه كنت مش فاهمة قد ايه فاقدة الامل و جاهلة! بس دخلت ع الفيسبوك بليل و شفت اللى بيحصل و ما كنتش مصدقة…معقولة دول مصريين؟ بس قلت أكيد يوم و هيعدى و كنت غلطانة تانى… و عدى يوم الثلاثاء و الأربعاء و الدنيا بتولع: حماس، تضامن غريب بين الناس مشوفتوش فى بلدى غير فى ماتشات الكورة و فجاءة بدأت أسمع ان صحابى رجالة و ستات بيتشدوا… ايه ده هو الموضوع المرة ديه جد و لا ايه؟
So it was this really picture-perfect day at AUB a few weeks ago. You know, the sky was blue and there was a breeze and the students were all bustling about and even the cats weren’t that obnoxious.
As I walked past the Medical Gate, I overheard a conversation that went, roughly, like this:
How to land yourself a slap on the face… or, hopefully, in a jail cell.
Follow the “tutorial” of “Saxquiz” on YouTube. He’s an American who is proud of being a student of the Arabic language and here’s what he’s using it for: