On Egypt and Freedom

After almost a month of nonstop protests, Hosny Mubarak finally relinquished his title as the president of the Arab Republic of Egypt yesterday, the 11th of February, 2011. Here are some images from the famed Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo courtesy of my photography buddy, Amir Hakim. Thank you! I owe you BIG TIME!

Every Egyptian brought a friend, a family member, or a co-worker to the square in order to celebrate the end of the 30-year regime. They were singing the national anthem ("Bilady, Bilady, Bilady" or "My Country, my country, my country") full of pride and joy that freedom has finally arrived at the land of the pharaohs.

Every vehicle that I saw honked to their hearts content rejoicing for this wonderful day. Its as if the country has been freed from serious oppression and tyranny. Children of all ages also took part in this pivotal moment in Egyptian history, waving flags and accompanying their parents to the square.

To all of my Egyptian friends, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Hard work is necessary in order to bring true and effective change. Thank you for showing the world that nothing is indeed impossible.

Happy birthday to my dear friend, Mohammed Shazly. Your day will forever be remembered. LOL. :-D

Coffee, anyone?

Of #Tahrir and #Egypt

Thank God!

Those were the first two words that came out of my mouth last Tuesday, the 2nd of February, when a co-worker told me that the internet connection was back. As we usually say it here "El Hamdullah."

After almost 2 weeks of social unrest and political instability, things are finally starting to move here in Egypt after the Jan. 25 Tahrir Square protests to oust the 30-year regime of Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak. As seen on BBC and CNN, thousands of Egyptians went to the streets of downtown Cairo calling for drastic reforms in government policy, even his immediate resignation from office. Instead, Mr. Mubarak showed a calm and decisive demeanor not only to his supporters and detractors but also to the rest of the world and vowed to remain in control of the country until the September, 2011 elections only.

As expected, news of this fiasco reverberated to Manila and, as always, everyone overreacted. After watching an interview with a local TV network in the Philippines, my mother immediately called asking about my current whereabouts and if the reports were true. Yes, to some extent they were factual. But the bombing statement, the lack of food, water and other basic commodities, not to mention the utterly nonsensical thing about bystanders getting shot head-on was clearly pointless and ignorant. Come on!

From where I'm typing this blog post, the 6th of October City in Giza, I can perfectly say that I feel safe. Yes, I did hear a couple of gun shots here and there during the first few days of the protests but they were, in my opinion, expected from any form of public demonstrations in order to "control" the crowd. Besides, I haven't heard of any rumors of a Filipino ganged by Egyptian protesters anywhere in Egypt.

We are entitled to our own opinion, of course. Freedom of speech as we all call it, but I certainly think that with this liberty to say whatever, whenever and wherever we want comes with great maturity. In other words, think before we speak. People are easily swayed with words that are largely untrue, especially on national or international television. And with the help of the internet, these things tend to be replayed over and over again. Seriously!

Anyways, I do hope that things would get better in the coming days. I'm getting quite bored and my bed's tired of my ass. Plus, my photography skills are getting really rusty. Hahaha. :-D

*****

Please, do everyone a favor and keep your mouth shut. Its irritating. If you want attention, go buy yourself some in the slums.

*****

Coffee, anyone?

Boom. Boom. Boom.

 

[caption id="attachment_1392" align="aligncenter" width="458" caption="What a way to end 2010 and start 2011, eh?"][/caption]

Happy New Year!

Bonne Annee a tous!

Yes, I know. I know. I haven't written anything for a VERY long time. I get that. I AM SO SORRY. I have been, as always, busy with my work and personal life that I almost forgot about my blog. Everything just flew past me so fast and I got caught in a whirlwind of experiences that I seriously never thought possible. Until now, I definitely cannot believe that everything actually happened.

[caption id="attachment_1394" align="aligncenter" width="458" caption="We are NURSES, right?"][/caption]

2010 was phenomenal for me. I was able to finish my contract with DAFH and, luckily, I'm staying here until further notice. I got to rekindle my loving relationships back in Manila for 13 days and spent 13 hours at the Kuwait Airport Hotel on my way back to Cairo for FREE. I met a new batch of nurses for DAFH and I am still trying to bond and mingle with their unique personalities. And, last but not the least, I'm happy with my current status. *wink*wink*wink*

[caption id="attachment_1395" align="aligncenter" width="458" caption="Am I PERFECTLY LONELY?!"][/caption]

2010 brought tears in my eyes, at some point. I had to say "See you later!" to some of my "siblings" by profession because they opted not to renew their contracts. I Fought with my mother with regard to my financial status. Also, I realized that some things are better left unsaid and that we all need to move on with our jaded lives no matter what. Finally, I even thought I was a goner.

Things happen for a reason. Good or bad, they will surely happen. Its either we cry about it or deal with it one day at a time. It will all pass in God's time. Stay strong and move on! GO.

Any thoughts for 2011? None so far. Probably, my number 1 resolution for 2011 would be summarized in this image:

[caption id="attachment_1393" align="aligncenter" width="458" caption="2011: KEEP SMILING!!"][/caption]

Apologies for the heavy eye bags and unfashionable hairstyle. For some strange reason, they look good together all the time. Hahaha.

By the way, I will be participating in Wordpress' Post A Week 2011. I will try to post more than once a week since my hectic schedule will restrain my naughty fingers most of the time. *fingers-crossed*

Au revoir, 2010! You have been a dear friend to all us. Thank you for everything!

Bonjour, 2011! I'm counting on you for more f*cking good times and loads of fun! :-D

Coffee, anyone?

The End-orsement @DAFH

Instructions: Play the youtube video. Then, scroll down to proceed to the slideshow. Thank you. :-D

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[slideshow]

I can't seem to find the perfect words to describe my 2-year experience in Egypt. It has been a roller coaster, actually; good days were so high that I almost puked and bad times were so low I nearly fainted. We all thought we'd never make it out alive that damned thing. But, luckily, we managed to hold each others hands and state "I survived DAFH!" out in the open. Yipeee!

The carnival is a vast jungle where new rides are awaiting the adventurous. We need to move on to the next ride, right?

Thank you very much to all the strangers I've known and treated as my friends. It has been a blast knowing you guys! Kudos for making it this far!

Coffee, anyone?

A Nurse's Note discovers the City of Alexandria

[caption id="attachment_1003" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="The City of Alexandria"][/caption]

Founded by Alexander the Great around c. 331 BC, Alexandria is the 2nd largest City in Egypt and houses about 4 Million Maṣreyyīn. Located in the north-central part of Egypt, this 32 km Mediterranean coastline is the country's biggest seaport and serve's as a must-see tourist destination.

[caption id="attachment_1006" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="Ms. Nenita Bernadas and Ms. Mariana Matei"][/caption]

Oh! By the way, I would like to thank my Area Supervisor, Mariana Matei, and my Head Nurse, Nenita Bernadas, for this wonderful affair. I will always be grateful for this one! Thanks a bunch! :-D

[caption id="attachment_1007" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="Mr. Harly Gonzales and the Montaza Palace"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1008" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="Mr. Crispin Lopez along the Mediterranean Coast"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1009" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="Ms. Nemfa Sarte imprinting her name on the sands of Alexandria"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1010" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="Mr. Ritchie Bago and the Citadel of Qaitbay"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1013" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="Mr. Victor Bayani and Ms. Ileana Cracium on a tour of Alexandria"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1014" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="Ms. Hazel Ignacio and the Lamp Post"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1015" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="Ms. Lovelyne Vergara at her best"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1016" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="Ms. Melissa Aguimbag and the scenery of Alexandria"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1022" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="The Catacombs"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1017" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="The whole gang at the Roman Theatre"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1018" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="Alexander the Great and I at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina"][/caption]

I never knew that this day would actually come. Fortunately, it did and I am so happy about it! Yipeeeee! :-D

Being able to see and feel the City of Alexandria first hand was a very wonderful experience. The locals were accommodating, transportation was a breeze, the sights were phenomenal, and the seafood extravaganza was extremely astounding! Talk about prawns, for crying out loud! Haha.

[caption id="attachment_1020" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="My beloved Unit 12 Family"][/caption]

Thank you to my Unit 12 family for this unforgettable experience. I had tons and tons of fun! Seriously! :-D

Oh! By the way, check my Flickr account for more photos. Toodeloo!

Coffee, anyone?

On Slideshow

Here's an array of images that mean so much to me. I decided to insert everything in a slideshow just to try the new Slideshow feature from the wordpress.com team. Hope y'all enjoy this one as much as I did!

[slideshow]

Coffee, anyone?

A Nurse's Note Discovers The Bahariya Oasis

[caption id="attachment_902" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="The Bahariya Oasis"][/caption]

As promised, I will be posting some, if not all, of my jolly trips here in Egypt. Here's my 1st entry: Beautiful Bahariya.

[caption id="attachment_903" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="The Wonderful Mr. Nasser"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_907" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="My Unit 12 Family"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_923" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="Nenita Bernadas and the Mushroom"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_919" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="Ritchie Bago and the Unending Horizon"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_925" align="aligncenter" width="531" caption="Nemfa Sarte in a makeshift desert fox cave"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_917" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="Donato Politico Jr. and the Egyptian Desert"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_921" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="Melissa Ganaden at the top of the Crystal Mountain"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_924" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="Harly Davidson Gonzales against the setting sun"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_918" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="Lovelyne Vergara and the Black Mountain"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_934" align="aligncenter" width="584" caption="The Unit 12 Album Cover"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_935" align="aligncenter" width="584" caption="Jump shot, anyone?"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_926" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="Next stop: Alexandria and The Marina"][/caption]

I seriously can't wait for our next adventure! Alexandria and The Marina, here we come! Yipeee!

Coffee, anyone?

A Nurse's Note discovers...

[caption id="attachment_735" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Image courtesy of Wikipedia.org"][/caption]

Yes, this will be one of those travel series that I PLAN to accomplish some time soon. *fingers-crossed*

I've always wanted to travel; seeing new places, meeting all sorts of people, and discovering hidden treasures entice the inner kid in me. Haha. Unfortunately, I never had the necessary resources to accomplish this so-called "want." *sigh*

Now, with my current residence here in Egypt and not-that-big of a paycheck, I can finally help my dying world map! Yipeee! I want to make the most out of the time I have left here in Egypt. And what better way to do that than explore all the nifty sights and sounds as fast and as soon as possible. The clock is ticking, Paulo! Tick. Tick. Tick.

Of course, I've been to a couple of places here in Egypt and I, again, PLAN to share my escapades to the world wide web some time soon. Again. Please, patiently wait of my posts, okay?

Coffee, anyone?