The time in Egypt this past summer felt extremely like it was my first time there. Part of the reason was because I hadn't visited it for three years and the other part was because it was just a different atmosphere all around due to the revolution. I honestly have to admit that I felt good to be there during that particular time because I didn't know what to expect. I realized that the people are very happy with what happened (hence the numerous paintings and posters of January 25th) yet they still felt uneasy because they were worried about what was going to happen next. The revolution wasn't necessarily over nor was the violence for that matter so it was considered to early to early to be glad. I asked my cousin numerous times what it felt like being in the middle of the action and he would reply that he never felt more brave and proud of his country than the times when he would charge at the police guards head on and knock them down. He would say that on his right side there was an old man charging along with him and on his left side a little boy no older than five years of age. After hearing this from him I really wanted to witness the feeling of the revolution and told him to take me to Tahrir Square because I knew people were still there.
So later that night my brother, my cousin, and I got ready and went to mid-town Cairo to witness Tahrir Square and I can't even begin to explain the feeling I got when I saw the tents and the thousands of people gathering around an influential speaker standing on a podium (keep in mind that we went there at night). The people seemed extremely eager and happy and each person's eyes were "gleaming" with determination. I honestly have to say that it was probably the most exciting feeling to actually be there in real life. And I felt safe inside the square due to the volunteer college students gathering around the circumference searching everybody as they entered making sure they weren't apart of some unnecessary organization looking for trouble, or even the being among the thousands of criminals released on January 28th.
My time in Tahrir Square was one of the best experiences of my life, even though my cousin classified the square that night as an "extremely dead and uncrowded state". When I heard this from him, I kept thinking of the days when two million people would gather inside this very small area, all with the same message; "Down with the form (of government).
So later that night my brother, my cousin, and I got ready and went to mid-town Cairo to witness Tahrir Square and I can't even begin to explain the feeling I got when I saw the tents and the thousands of people gathering around an influential speaker standing on a podium (keep in mind that we went there at night). The people seemed extremely eager and happy and each person's eyes were "gleaming" with determination. I honestly have to say that it was probably the most exciting feeling to actually be there in real life. And I felt safe inside the square due to the volunteer college students gathering around the circumference searching everybody as they entered making sure they weren't apart of some unnecessary organization looking for trouble, or even the being among the thousands of criminals released on January 28th.
My time in Tahrir Square was one of the best experiences of my life, even though my cousin classified the square that night as an "extremely dead and uncrowded state". When I heard this from him, I kept thinking of the days when two million people would gather inside this very small area, all with the same message; "Down with the form (of government).
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