Egypt ... first session in parliament!

" Four for a tenner!", loudly chants the street peasant as he pulls his large horse driven cart ladden with just off the tree tangerines and other fruit and vegetables. Hearing his distinct chants, I take some money and run to my balcony where baskets tied to long lines drop out of many balconies at the same time. "Too expensive, make it 5 for ten [kiloes], and how much are those potatoes?" ... then you pull your basket up and le voila, your vegetables and fruit shopping is done! ... and your daily news papers too, for at the same time, news paper man arrives on his tricycle with it's large wire basket piled to the top. How he doesn't drop them, I have no idea ... or maybe he does, and picks them up again, who knows? Only, I've never seen that happening ... and he gets shouting too, but you don't need to drop the basket for him. You know, I am always mesmerised and 'full of awe' watching this skinny man as he rolls up those papers, then wraps an elastic band around then, and hoooooppp ... he catapults those papers with his bare hand to any balcony, up to the fourth floor! Puuuure Genius! ... and he never misses!

We know them all, local young and old, for those street sellers have been roaming this area for years and years, sometimes handing over the business to their off spring as they retire too. And so, we know the children too, "Boy, come up, I've got a pair of trousers and a shirt for you", "Doesn't your son have a pair of shoes to spare as well?" ... Ah, here is the molasses and tahini man .... it's getting too noisy in here ... and I love it! "Stop buying all this junk! ... the cupboards are full! ... and you've made a mess stacking things anywhere you can find, and out everywhere too, what are you going to do with all this!" screams my mother, what's the matter with her now? She must be losing it, you know! "I'll eat it all of course, what is it to you!" @@

That's Egypt. A close net peaceful, albeit noisy, society that wants to get on with life, without hassle ... and with that sunny climate all year round, they may not be as rich as their counterparts in the west, but they are accepting and contented with their lives, they are happy people ... you don't get to meet real Egyptians on the tourists trail, but such is tourism, isn't it? ... and most of the time, you never get to meet the real locals in any other country either ... such is the shame!

What am doing writing all that now anyway?! This post is meant to be about that 'historical', though I am tempted to call it 'hysterical' event that took place yesterday. Of course, I mean that first all new 'democratic' parliament meeting following the 'revolution' of exactly one year ago tomorrow. Well, I didn't watch it all, no! Just the first half an hour or so, and that was enough for me! I must say that I am not that happy how this 'revolution' evolved, nor do I see any achievements at all, yet. On the contrary, I am now somewhat sceptic about Egypt's future under this new all Islamist set up where I wasn't before, so it remains to be seen how things will evolve soon enough. I am not alone in this for those who were excluded from the 'democracy' business are very sceptical too, they have decided not to participate in any further elections as they envisage the same pattern happening again, and again.

Following three sets of fairy elections, the new parliament is now 70% Islamist, with only six elected women members plus two more appointed by the head of the Army; FM Tantawi, so 8 out of 500+ in all! Those sat in that room like roses amongst all the men, very placid women too! Four together on one group right in the middle so that the TV cameras can get them, then two ... by two ... hurragh, hurragh ....

There was an air of happiness around this parliament too as members shook each other's hands to congratulate each other on their fantastic win of a piece of the cake, and fantastic it was too! Then they elected their speaker ... and he's the same Brother, who was nominated by the Muslim Brotherhood a few days before hand, so, well done brothers ...

... then everybody broke into a kissing spree as MPs raced to congratulate their new top man. Poor speaker, his cheeks must be hurting so much now ... the women 'MPs' stayed put of course, very placid! ... and I couldn't help shouting at the TV screen ... "No, no, no, no kissing! You're in a democratic parliament now, no kissing allowed! ... you're supposed to kick each other's backside for Egypt, you know! And, you need to forget about this 'togetherness' for whenever you are in that big room! ... and you must never hand kiss your top ones when the cameras are rolling either!

... and now that everything is done and dusted, I think tomorrow will pass

peacefully ... since a year of hassle is enough for the Egyptians, and it will be time to remember those who died or got injured instead. As for the Advisory Council and the presidential elections, already there is a bit of name calling that has driven two more candidates out of the presidential race ... another one is also being called a 'feloul' or 'remnant' of the old regime. Who will make it to either that council or to the top office? I do not know, most probably we haven't seen that face yet ... However, the majority of the people I meet with have already decided not to participate in more elections, no point, they say ... but like myself, many think that with a parliament that is predominantly Islamist, a negligent Liberal minority, and with 50% assigned by law to peasants, farmers and labourers, and that stark exclusion of women or a whole half of Egyptian society, who else does this parliament represent but Islamists, so people are wary of what laws will come out of that men's room?!

This is why many believe it is best if the army keeps an eye of what comes out of that big room because five years is a looooong time, and you never know ... religion is meant to aid life, not become a noose around one's neck, so please take note everybody ... Personally, I don't care what anyone does so long as it is legal, or if they want to cover their women in carpet either, providing that's what those women want to do ... but, in return, we want other women to have their freedoms too, and not have curtailing impositions forced upon them or on their families, fair.

Some say it was the army who intended for events to unfold this way, I do not know if this is true, but even if it is, it doesn't matter now. What matters is that they have 85,000,000 mouths to feed and defend, and that's now their number one priority ... it's the best option there is, until the old girl is sorted out, proper! ... plus, it goes to show ... those boys are good at what they do, soo good, by far! ... Ma always knew that ;-)

Have I ever told you? There are no women in the Egyptian army, but I was an army soldier for two weeks when I was sixteen, yep! To entice me to go, my high school mistress told me 'the trip' to that army camp was a reward for something or another, I can't remember what ... and I fell for it! And so I went, for two weeks, two veeery looong weeks! ... of no visitors, of waking up way before dawn, of tidy your bed, of iron your issue uniform and polish your army shoes, of spot clean those filthy army toilets ... then, of line up to salute the flag before being head to toe, and finger nails too, inspected by really angry looking officers with a chip on their shoulders, and with a "We have it in for you mate so, beware" grudge! And they don't budge! ... then you got split into groups, one to cook for the whole camp in pots that were huuuge, so big if you fell inside them, you became history! ... or, do some paving, tiling, carpentry ... etc, etc ... then run around the camp loaaadsa times! 'Hard labour', for 'girls'?! ... the knieving 'bees'! Of course, Ma here did each chore once, but she couldn't and wouldn't allow her spoilt self any further participation in that disguised and well organised, and legalised, slavery! So she got thinking, and she got clever ... and she was able to convince those all male officers she was too good for that type of endeavour, and that she was excellent at competing for the honour of the army instead! ... and that came in the form of hours and hours ... and more hours of practice at shooting, what else, it's an army! ... and that's when she knew absolutely naught about it to start with, but survival is the best inspiration, always ... and Ma survived! ... and got an army medal at the end o f it too, after winning a few competitions of course!

Not Ma, but, I think, more girls on that 'trip', if it still exists ... I hope one of them made it to that Men's room ... just one!

... and I could've shot that headmistresses when I went back to school, if only to wipe that vindictive, ugly and slimy smile off her face! Why young and placid me? I have nooo idea! ;-) ... but they made a man out of Ma, and Ma is still an army soldier inside to this day!@@

In the evening, the officers became really nice, they gave us an 'I love you Egypt' singing and games party every day. We enjoyed that a lot ... and I still love doing some shooting, so it wasn't that bad youuu old headmistress b*! ... I remember 'the trip' with lots of affection to this day ...

So, Mr Parliament speaker, would you next time address the ladies too? You never know but maybe there is a female soldier in there, and she won't like being so invisble! So, to address those members, it is not just about 'Sada', or 'gentlemen', but 'Sayedat and sada' [ladies and gentlemen] instead, even those there is too few females so please take note as people are watching ... and 'Trust'? That you have to earn ...

Welcome to politics Brothers, and few placid sisters ... and to 'democracy'!

... and now, a song we used to sing in that camp ... and it's all Egyptians now need to do, Sing Loud ... to put Egypt first!

Hope for Egypt with me :-)

مصر مصر مصر امنا .....وفخرنا وعزنا ومجدنا
Mesr Mesr Mesr omona, wfakhrona wezona wamagdona
Egypt, Egypt, Egypt, our mother - our pride, our prosperity and our grace

نيلها الحياه منة الاله ...... شعبها الابى وجيشها فداه
Neeloha elhaya menato elelah, shaboha alabion wa gaishoha fedah
A god's gift, her Nile is life - her people proud, and an army ready to sacrifice [to protect]

يا بنى الوطن يا بنى الهرم .... ان جيشكم اقسم القسم
Ya bani elwatan ya bani elharam, en gaishakom aqssam alqassam
People of our nation, you builders of the Pyramids, your army has sworn,

يطرد الطغاه يهزم البغاه......يسترد مالكم من سؤدد وجاه
Yatrodo el toghah yahzemo aelboghah, yasstareda malakom men so'ododon wagah
To fend off aggressors, to protect your wealth and defeat injustice

مصر مصر مصر امنا .....وفخرنا وعزنا ومجدنا
Mesr Mesr Mesr omona, wfakhrona wezona wamagdona
Egypt, Egypt, Egypt, our mother - our pride, our prosperity and our grace

نيلها الحياه منة الاله ...... شعبها الابى وجيشها فداه
Neeloha elhaya menato elelah, shaboha alabion wa gaishoha fedah
A god's gift, her Nile is life - her people proud, and an army ready to sacrifice [themselves, for the people]

عيشى يا بلادى فى امن وسلام .....جيشك الامين للحق لن ينام
Eishy yabeladi fi amnen wasalam, gaysheki elaminon lelhaq layanam
My country, live secure, in peace - and standing by what's right, they will never sleep

قد عقدنا العزم نملك الزمام ......فإنهضى وسيرى دوما للأمام
Qad aaqadna alazm namleko elzemam, fanhadi wseeri daowman lelamam
They have vowed to keep your reins - so stand and proceed forward, for always

مصر مصر مصر امنا .....وفخرنا وعزنا ومجدنا
Mesr Mesr Mesr omona, wfakhrona wezona wamagdona
Egypt, Egypt, Egypt, our mother - our pride, our prosperity and our grace

نيلها الحياه منة الاله ...... شعبها الابى وجيشها فداه
Neeloha elhaya menato elelah, shaboha alabion wa gaishoha fedah
A god's gift, her Nile is life - her people proud, and an army ready to sacrifice [to protect]

يا شباب مصر يا رجالها .....إهتفوا لمصر واعملوا لها
Yashabab Mesr yaregalaha, ehtefo lmesr wa'malo laha
Men of Egypt, her youth, chant her name and work for her

أعلنوا الجهاد وإرفعوا العماد ......حصن مصر يحيا حرا بالجهاد
E'leno elgehad warfa'o el'emad, hessn masr yahia horan belgehad
Declare your will to work, defend and protect her, for Egypt's fortress will stay free with such continuous endeavour

[Sung by Army personnel]

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