Back in Alexandria

We are now back in Alexandria, and life seems pretty much back to normal - apart from a number of burnt out police stations and a lot of tanks still deployed on the streets. Here's one outside a bank behind the Alexandria Library:

As you can see, they have become a bit of a tourist attraction, with families taking pictures of their kids sat on a tank, or with the soldiers.

There are other, more subtle changes though. The first is in freedom of expression - people are openly debating politics in a way that just didn't happen before. A few days ago I listened to a couple of friends discuss the state of the country. One had participated in the demonstrations throughout and could not be prouder of what had happened. The other was still vehemently pro-Mubarak and saw what had happened to him as sacrilege. This conversation wouldn't (couldn't) have taken place just a month ago. It was impressive to witness. (And nice that all the political/media Arabic vocab we've been studying has come to good use!)

The second change is a little more subtle. People seem much prouder of their country and of themselves. It is not just about freedom of expression, but a belief that their actions can have a positive impact on society.

During the unrest, the police deserted the streets. Neighbourhoods set up "People's Committees" to guard the streets at night. At the start of the unrest, these were described in the media as 'vigilante' groups, but that is a rather negative way of describing what has actually been remarkable community action. Night after night, people worked together with their neighbours, who they might not have ever met before, to collectively ensure the streets stayed safe. (Alexandria is a densely populated city, so even the leafy suburbs consist of high-rise apartment blocks - so it's not easy to meet people in the same way as it is on a street of houses.) Others also gathered up rubbish, because regular collections had stopped. Everyone we've spoken to who participated in these Committees has said what a great thing they were - people met for the first time, discovered the power of working together, and were able to play a real role in society, perhaps for the first time. We've seen the difference in various young guys we know - they seem a little more confident, stand a little taller, believe that they can make a positive difference.

Right now, outside our flat, a group of teenagers is cleaning the street:

 People all over Egypt are helping to clear up after the protests. This woman posting on the CNN site puts it very well:

"Every Egyptian wanted to help clean up the square  after the Revolution.

Me and my friends volunteered in cleaning the streets.
I wanted to see a new Egypt without the dirt of the past.
This revolution didn't only change the people in power, it awakened something in every single Egyptian that made him eager to build a new country for a brighter future ."

For the kids in our neighbourhood, it's not just cleaning up from what happened over the last few weeks - it's 'ordinary' rubbish on the streets, sorting recycling, repainting tram stations, and generally making the streets cleaner than they were before.

Otherwise, life goes on as normal - but it's a cleaner, more optimistic normal. Which is nice!