Carl in Cairo

I forgot to mention that yesterday, when I was typing away at my computer, I heard water being dumped outside my window. Curious to know who was doing such a thing, I opened my window and shutters for the first time since I've been back. Lo and behold, it was actually raining; raining audibly and copiously, at least for a brief time. Happily, upon opening my room to the outside world, I found a brilliant blue sky, a rare sight since the black cloud has been blanketing the city in a grey haze. Today, the weather was even better. Late October in Cairo!
Though it's Halloween today, I got all of my Halloweening over with last night. The party was fun and some of us there, like the giant nerds we are, ended up talking about migration. I know, I know. Anyway, my life of leisure has not boded well for my thesis, so I can't do much more than include some interesting news tidbits. Oh, and this: El Koshary Today, Egypt's answer to The Onion.

News & Issues
Egypt

• Fourth H1N1 death reported
• Restoration of 14th century mosque hoped to boost tourism, reduce poverty in one of Cairo's poorest neighborhoods
• Zahi Hawass appointed Deputy Minister of Culture
• Feminist author "says no" to Muslim Brotherhood
• An inevitably ill-fated attempt at introducing cell phone "ethics"

Migration & Refugees

• US case sets precedent for gender-based asylum claims
• Activists commemorate migrant deaths with 5100 crosses on US-Mexico border
• US overturns HIV+ travel ban
• 400 Burundians repatriated after decades in Tanzania