Camped out on the floor last night. We had a big slumber party with popcorn and hotdogs! We had no TV so not really sure what is going on. Of course when your here you realize how much the media likes to blow things out of proportion. Things are definitely going on. The first night we heard some gunshots but we also some fireworks from the roof . So again, hard to figure out what exactly is happening. Reports were that the streets were very quiet yesterday with most businesses being closed. The airport was said to be full of people trying to leave the country.
Living here does provide some perspective but on the otherhand rumors are rampant. Someone tells about a building that has been burnt. Someone else tells about roving groups of thugs burning cars. What is actually true and what is really going on is hard to say. We took very little from the house when we left, so we are concerned about our belongings and what we might need later. We are not going anywhere as of yet. When we do we are nervous about being on the road. Where we are is very quiet. When we left our homes, it was early morning and little traffic as one would expect at that hour. At one intersection there were soldiers but they were directing traffic. They obviously were trying to keep order and as usual were very polite as usual. Another group of friends was detained for about 15 minutes by armed soldiers but were released shortly and quickly arrived.
What is true is that most Libyans are very polite and law abiding. Considering what is happening here and the fact that we are leaving our homes with most of our stuff would probably be much more of a problem in other countries. On the other hand there is a huge population of immigrants from other African countries. If some sort of order is not established soon and food gets short, I could foresee some serious problems.
Libya has been very safe. We were able to go shopping when ever we wished. And even though I don't speak Arabic, people were always very helpful. We have so many friends and people that we have met. This is a strong Muslim country and that takes some getting used. Woman and men practically lead separate lives. I have never been invited to a Libyan house and I understand that if I did, I probably would not meet or even see the wife. On the other hand, Katyann's dentist is Libyan and she is very cordial. Her husband is my dentist. They are both friendly and interesting to talk with.
Our cleaning staff is from Ghana and they are very concerned with government or local negative repercushions against immigrants as the story unfolds here. There are probably as many foreign workers here from other Southern countries as there are Libyans. Most are poor and do menial jobs. Many are unemployed looking for work. There are many locations in Tripoli where you can see hundreds of people just waiting for some one to come with a truck looking for workers. These people sometimes have their own tools. Mostly, they just have their hands. There are rumors that these immigrants are somehow responsible for the present problems.
It has been raining all night and is raining today. It is also cold and would be a horrible day to protest. I am hoping that things are quiet. I hope that people have a chance to consider the situation and that peaceful solutions are discovered. As we prepare to leave the country we are hoping for a swift return to our school. And that the many friends we are leaving here remain safe and that changes are good and occur with minimum turmoil.
Living here does provide some perspective but on the otherhand rumors are rampant. Someone tells about a building that has been burnt. Someone else tells about roving groups of thugs burning cars. What is actually true and what is really going on is hard to say. We took very little from the house when we left, so we are concerned about our belongings and what we might need later. We are not going anywhere as of yet. When we do we are nervous about being on the road. Where we are is very quiet. When we left our homes, it was early morning and little traffic as one would expect at that hour. At one intersection there were soldiers but they were directing traffic. They obviously were trying to keep order and as usual were very polite as usual. Another group of friends was detained for about 15 minutes by armed soldiers but were released shortly and quickly arrived.
What is true is that most Libyans are very polite and law abiding. Considering what is happening here and the fact that we are leaving our homes with most of our stuff would probably be much more of a problem in other countries. On the other hand there is a huge population of immigrants from other African countries. If some sort of order is not established soon and food gets short, I could foresee some serious problems.
Libya has been very safe. We were able to go shopping when ever we wished. And even though I don't speak Arabic, people were always very helpful. We have so many friends and people that we have met. This is a strong Muslim country and that takes some getting used. Woman and men practically lead separate lives. I have never been invited to a Libyan house and I understand that if I did, I probably would not meet or even see the wife. On the other hand, Katyann's dentist is Libyan and she is very cordial. Her husband is my dentist. They are both friendly and interesting to talk with.
Our cleaning staff is from Ghana and they are very concerned with government or local negative repercushions against immigrants as the story unfolds here. There are probably as many foreign workers here from other Southern countries as there are Libyans. Most are poor and do menial jobs. Many are unemployed looking for work. There are many locations in Tripoli where you can see hundreds of people just waiting for some one to come with a truck looking for workers. These people sometimes have their own tools. Mostly, they just have their hands. There are rumors that these immigrants are somehow responsible for the present problems.
It has been raining all night and is raining today. It is also cold and would be a horrible day to protest. I am hoping that things are quiet. I hope that people have a chance to consider the situation and that peaceful solutions are discovered. As we prepare to leave the country we are hoping for a swift return to our school. And that the many friends we are leaving here remain safe and that changes are good and occur with minimum turmoil.
Everyone in the TQ group send their regards.
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