I have lived here for 10 years. When I’m covering Baghdad, I expect to hear gunfire at night. I never expected to hear it in Cairo. There was never much news in Cairo and I liked it that way. My favorite thing about Cairo, coming back from Iraq or Afghanistan, was how warm and funny the Egyptian people are.  —Scott Nelson, NYT.

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As you know, I spent 10 days in Egypt this summer.  It’s really overwhelming to watch everything that’s developing there, and the middle east in general. People are revolting. The mentality of enough is enough has finally swept through and the world watches, waiting. After returning home from the trip, I spent the summer doing personal research/reading on middle east relations, specifically with Israel. I have both personal and academic interest in the events that have occurred, and had just met with a Fullbright Scholarship advisor last week to discuss potentially returning to Cairo for a nine-month program — which is basically off the list at this point. As Westerners, we’re sheltered to the happenings of the world. The Gaza flotilla raid happened the day we landed in Egypt and thenceforth, every news station — both local and international — covered the events extensively. When we drove into Dahab, we saw Israel from afar. The developments in Gaza and the protests that have spread over the Arab world are incredibly significant, and it seems as though we are just learning to take notice.

It’s distressing and scary: Egypt shut down its Al Jazeera bureau. I haven’t been able to get in touch with a friend in Cairo all week despite numerous attempts.

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n just started interning at the William Busta Gallery in Cleveland.  I took a look at some of the artists showcasing there — love this painting by Timothy Callaghan.

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The newspaper carried a small obituary with a photo. I spent hours wondering how things might have been different. What if I would have had the courage to give her the letter? Never again I thought. Never again would I lack courage; never again would I coast, relax, put off, think about, or delay something that I believed in pursuing. I learned to live passionately and in the moment; I learned that life can change in an instant.

Leif Steiner, What I Learned This Year #28

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tonight, i saw iron & wine at the wiltern.

in high school, i wrote a review of sam beam’s first record the creek drank the cradle for the school newspaper. the article was side-by-side with a review of an old bob dylan record, written by a boy i had a crush on.  when faded from the winter came on, i remembered all of this. he wore glasses.

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