Egyptian Revolution Part 1

I was on a school trip when the Egyptian Revolution began. I remember talking to some friends while in the Hauge, where my trip was, and everything seeming normal. The day we were set to return, however, riots escalated and the police were forced off the street. We were forced to stay in an airport hotel, as the flight to Cairo was cancelled. The next day we returned  to an eerie sight. We were greeted at the airport by our vice-principal, who filled us in on what had been happening. The mobile phone service had been cut off, along with the internet. The streets were deserted, devoid of both police (which had been a permanent fixture on most street corners) and citizens. Riots had happened before, so nobody knew exactly what to expect, but most people assumed we would be back in school the next day. I was dropped off at school and walked the short two-block journey back to my apartment. I was literally the only person on those streets. When I got into my apartment my parents had fixed dinner, which I ate quickly and fell asleep. When I woke up it was night and I had a terrible headache brought on by a head cold. I remember not even being able to get off my bed because the pain was so overwhelming, and constantly having a bloody nose. School was indeed cancelled the next day, as the rioters downtown were still en masse, and accumulating more as the hours went by. The whole day consisted of phone calls to peoples houses, as everyone was either checking to see how their friends were, or simply bored from lack of cell phone service and internet. I spent the whole day sick, stuck on my couch watching movies and slipping in and out of sleep. That was the night when I started hearing gunfire.

The Keys to Travelling

Here are 8 tips I've picked up in my experiences travelling. 

1) Anger gets you nowhere

Whether you're at the airport or a hotel check-in desk, there's always something bound to go wrong. While it might seem like the perfect opportunity to let out all the stress of travelling on the receptionist, it won't get you anywhere. My brother used to work reception, and they always had ways of punishing unruly customers, and trust me, you're better off just working with them in a quiet and kind manner. Also everyone in the airport who walks by you and sees you yelling will automatically hate you.

2) Don't forget to sync up

Although it might seem obvious, unsynchronized timing while passing through time zones can spell disaster. I met up with a friend once in Germany for a few days and we crashed at an airport hotel the last night. The whole time his phone was still set to Egypt's time zone and missed his flight entirely. Also when travelling with family/friends syncing watches/phones is very important. If you're going to meet up at 1:15 by gate 36, you'd all better be on the same time.

3) Have a designated spot for everything

I have to admit I'm pretty terrible at this, and it comes back to bite me 9 times out of 10. This is especially important for your passport/ID and wallet. Just have a specific pocket to put them in and you should have no worries.

4) Relax

This is really important on long trips. If you have a long layover, take a stroll or grab a bite to eat with a book, anything to take your mind off the stress. It's probably important to have #3 locked down before so you don't accidentally lose anything while you're napping on the terminal seats. My personal favorite way to relax is to grab some McDonald's and chill by a window or somewhere with a nice view.

5) Bring Entertainment

Seriously. Don't think you'll nap through everything because you stayed up late the night before. Over-prepare if you have to but the worst thing in the world is being stuck wide awake in a cramped seat on an airplane while the guys next to you are asleep and you have no source of entertainment. 

6) Be Over-Cautious

Show up to the airport 2 hours in advance for International flights, and an hour and a half for domestic, on long layovers check every the boards every once in a while to see if the gate changed, etc. Better safe than sorry.

7) Have communication

It can be pretty daunting in a foreign country with no way to contact home in case of a missed flight or an emergency. Roaming plans can be pretty expensive but if you have a 3G iPad or Kindle it can be a nifty way of sending a quick e-mail. Don't panic if you don't have one of these, just go to a help desk and remember rule #1. It's also good to remember that although you might be stuck in an airport at the moment, you won't be trapped there your whole life, it'll all be sorted out. 

8) Have fun

I guess.

Introduction

   Hi, my name is Jake Marten, and I'm currently a Freshman at Penn State studying Geosciences. I was born in Houston Texas and lived there for 3 years before moving to Norway, where I lived for another three years. When I was six I moved back to Houston for a year, after which I moved to Cairo Egypt where I lived for 11 years. My life has taken me all around the world, and it's been pretty crazy. I have one brother and one sister, both of whom have graduated college. In High School I was pretty active in clubs and sports. I played four years of Varsity Baseball with one year as Captain, I joined the Model United Nations club and served as President of the Security Council, and also did one year of Wrestling and one year of Basketball. Living in Egypt gave me the opportunity to travel to tons of places and see incredible things. I've gotten the chance to build homes in the poorest regions of Ghana, and I've been able to witness a revolution from my balcony. I only hope that I can continue my experiences into my adult life. I think one of the most important things that a person can do is to explore the world and expose themselves to new cultures and strange places.

   I thought I would write a blog about my experiences overseas both good and bad, and how living in Cairo has compared to life in America. I thought it might also be cool to give advice that I've picked in my traveling, for those of you who might be going on a trip sometime in the near future. I'll try to include any pictures I can find and hopefully it'll be as enjoyable to read as it is to write.