Thursday, April 7, 2011

Welcome to the "New Egypt!"

Graffiti on a wall across from our apartment

“We had elections a few weeks ago.” I was catching up with an Egyptian friend of mine. She filled me in on the past few weeks here while she helped me clean our apartment. “And for the first time in my life, I voted!” She said this with a huge smile.

I do not know the exact age of my friend, but I suspect her to be in her 60's or 70's. She expressed with such joy, the newness of going vote confidently. This is what I see all around me in Egypt. The streets have less trash. Everything has a fresh coat of paint. And people are expressing something I had not heard much of in our short time here before: hope.


A huge sign with pictures from the protests. We have seen this in almost every metro (subway) stop. I love the little girl on the right!
 
 


Here's a close up of her.
This sign is posted by the elevators in our apartment building. I'm told it reminds people to be thankful to God for all things, to thank the young people for cleaning up trash from the streets, and to keep the streets clean by not throwing trash and not spitting.
 
Paul with what we call "Egypt Trees".  They have always painted the trees here but they are usually white, now they are the colors of the flag,. Symbols of national pride are everywhere.


The crescent and the cross, a symbol of tolerance, painted together on a wall. And even the electrical box on the right is painted like the flag!