Go Monkey, It's your Birthday...
The Sandmonkey Blog has turned 1 year old today. It was exactly 1 year ago that I wrote my first post here. Wow. How fast the time goes by. What started as the by-product of self-fancy, frustration and Boredom- to me anyway- has grown to become something that I never anticipated it to be. I started this blog to just vent off my frustration with my own people and what I thought to be their refusal to think or reconsider the points of view that they were programmed to have. I wanted to make them address the problems that we have in our country, to stop blaming the jews and the americans for everything that goes wrong, to demand more rights and freedom, to show love for our beleagured country that seems to be descending more and more with each passing day into oblivion. I thought no one would read me. I thought I would get arrested within a month of writing what I write. I thought that I would keep my distance from what's going on in Egypt in order not to get arrested. I thought I would get bored within 2 months and just quit. I thought wrong! This blog, it took on a life of its own, thanks to its readers from Egypt, the US and everywhere else. It was sustained by its readers interaction, their encouragment, their denouncment, their fair and unfair criticsims, their love and their hate. In many ways this blog has continued this long because of its readers. They fed my ego with their attention, they stimulated me menatlly with their comments and they now had expectations of me that I needed to live up to and I loved it. Quitting was no longer an option because of you. Thank You! If it wasn't for your continued support I wouldn't have left my chair and role as an observor and actually tried to do something. I wouldn't have started or joined protests, I wouldn't have participated in vigils, I wouldn't have coverd political rallies or, hell, even botherd to vote. You guys gave me the courage I needed to get over my own fears and go out there and try to do something. What I did may not have been much compared to what other egyptian bloggers/activists have done, but it got me off my apathethic ass. It forced me to stop being a talker and actually try to do something. That would've never happend if it wasn't for this blog, its readers and the rest of the egyptian blogsphere that is filled with smart and courageous people who have nothing but love for this country, and therefore I have nothing but love for them, despite whatever ideological differences we may have. But man, oh man. What a year it was, huh? We had 2 iraqi elections, 2 palestinain elections, Harriri's assassination, Syria withdrawel from Lebanon and the Cedar reveloution, Mubarak caling for a multi-party presidential election, the Ayman Nour circus, The referendum, Black Wendsday, numerous terrorist attacks in Egypt, London, Bangaldish and Jordan, Ahmeddinjad taking over Iran, the Mehlis report, our own presidential "election", the parliamentary elections, the MB winning, and finally Gebran Tueni's assassination. So much happend in the past 12 months that it's hard to take it all into perspective. One thing is certain though: this region is far more democratic then it was a year ago, and whether you want to admit it or not, the US had a big role in making that happen. We are not there yet, but damn, look how far we have come in a year.
Anyway...
On the account that its my blog's birthday, I am taking the rest of the day off. It's been a busy and taxing year, and the sandmonkey is pretty damn tired, so he is taking the rest of the day off. Rest assured though, he shall resume ranting once again tommorow. Today he just wants to take a break is all.
Love you all,
The Sandmonkey
posted by The Sandmonkey @ 12/19/2005 12:58:00 AM
24 Comments:
Happy Blogday! Actually it feels like I have known you for years. You are right, a lot has happened in 12 months.
You're great Sam. I love your site.
The Sandmonkey rocks! Well done on become a year old. Look forward to the next year of controversy and fun:)
Congratulations and stuff.
ROCK ON SANDMONKEY!!!
In this country of ours, i consider u one of a kind.. out of this freakin binding social-political-religious box everyone here is placed in....i expect you to keep on shaking it up
cheers
3ash and mabrook buddy
Before I found your blog, I lurked mostly at bp's blog. A friend of mine from another message board, whom I deeply respect, kept linking to blogs like bp's for news analysis from the ME, and I thought the articles were rather noteworthy, not like the crap-o-la we get from the tv news stations. Reading the comments section, I kept seeing "Sandmonkey," and wandered over here. If it were not for the consistent self-pimping, I never would've found this site. Upon seeing the caption overview, I was sold. You know how hard it is to find a Middle Easterner who is Pro-US with the wit and sarcastic sense of humour all rolled into one? Maybe it's not that hard, but you're the second person to fit the description, next to bp, and there's no one like you. Most of the people I talked to online who were from the ME up to that point possessed the last two qualities, but in any given political discussion, the "blame-the-US-and-Jews first mentally" would rear it's ugly head, and all initial objectivity went out the window. Thanks to blogs like yours, I no longer rely on the networks for my main source of news. Anywho, what was I trying to say? Oh, yeah,....HAPPY BIRTHDAY. You don't have to keep up the good work as I don't see any point in adding to the pressure load, but thanks for the articles. :)
jonas
Congratulations, Sandmonkey. Mabruk, Mazel Tov.
Happy first Anniversary.
I am sure your blogs will get better in the coming year & remain interesting.
It is refreshing to see a brain in egypt thinking outside the traditional rubbed in the ground rhetorical box & i thought i would not live to see the day where someone can say what you say from sheer belief, so good for you.... but at the end of the day, sa3d zaghloul was absolutely correct in his famous quote.
You're still a big gay!
Happy Anniversary!
Big deal. Does the word egocentric ring any bell??
Dear Sandmonkey,
Congrats on your birthday! It's great to see how far you've come in only a year, albeit an explosive one.
But I would hardly call you even a mild sociopath, as you obviously care a lot about other people. Instead I'd label you a mild-moderate demgogue with antidisestablishmentariasm tendencies, though with a middle eastern/secular flavor, if you will.
Keep it up man.
Congratulations!
Even if you are egocentric, you still write a great blog. ;-)
Congratulations!
well well well... having quite the week arent we? The blog turns one and well...u know what's happening later this week!!!!!!!!! Satan clause is coming!!
thank you for your blog I always read it as much as I can.
It is news I would not find anywere else.
Gratz (eh, Mabrouk = Gratz? not sure) anyway, good going man! You're the one who got me hooked on Egyptian blogs :)
What's up with Jokerman and the Egyptian hottie though?
Yea, Young'un you have done well. You have grown in more ways than you realize. Life is like that, its what you make of it.
If your standing on the sidelines, the game is played by others. If you get in the game, the rewards and the risks make life worth living.
Congrats and continue the mission.
Papa Ray
West Texas
USA
Well, I am, as usual, late to the party. However, let me wish you a big Happy Blogday!
I do treasure your wit and humor, but I really appreciate the on the ground first person analysis of the situation. Plus, those little vignettes into discussions with people like your mom the NDP lady, the Islamist taxi driver and your friends.
Of course, I have also met some very interesting people here who have helped me grow, even when I disagree with them.
I love the blog world for the fact that it is the most democratic institution in the world. Everyone gets their say. If people don't like it, they vote with their fingers and go someplace else. If people are out of line, its likely that others, even those who disagree with the person being attacked, will jump in and defend.
Further, as many blow ups as I've seen in the blogworld, what I've seen more of is better diplomacy and dialogue then even the UN can muster.
Although, I'll admit that it is probably a good thing that no one on here has the big red nuke button in their control. LOL
Of course, I appreciate the views from the Arab Parallel Universe. When I first heard that term, I though it was just a funny way of describing the insanity of the middle ease, but, what I learned was that it is a different world with different orientation, moving in parallel with the west and sometimes crossing, with people who have the same dreams as I do.
I learned that it wasn't alien or frightening. which, I can honestly say, before 9/11 I thought of it as simply an exotic location with occasional hot spots that I knew little about, then, shortly after 9/11 I thought of it as a dark hostile place and the people there were all either "the enemy" or "supporters of the enemy".
And then, finding people like Sandmonkey and the visitors here, just like visiting the Iraq blogs, I learned that we aren't too different, we have the same aspirations, we just think we can achieve them differently. Most of all, I learned that there are great people there who are not the enemy. I even learned that Islam is not the source of all evil. ;)
So, on this day, I not only say "Congratulations", but "thank you" for opening my eyes, my mind and providing that little bit of humor at the end of the day.
I really didn't want to say this out loud. But if the risks start getting grave you need to have yourself an excape plan already worked and laid out (and tested if possible). The MB plan on taking over and making Egypt an example of a "true believers" Islamic state.
Don't get caught up in it.
It will last a long time.
Papa Ray
West Texas
USA
Alf Mabrouk, keep on blogging for I like to read your blog
Egyptian in Germany
Happy happy joy joy!! Congrats!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY I WOULD NOT MISS THIS FOR THE WORLD. EVEN THOUGH I DON'T ALWAYS AGREE WITH YOU 100% YA BASHA ...KEEP BLOGGIN
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