Teetotaling at the Hyatt

...and tipsy fish in the Nile?

This article offers a glimpse into some of the Islamic-Western tensions at play in many of Egypt's political decisions and social fabric. To really understand the significance of this decision, you need to know that most Cairenes who can afford to do so socialize--at least some of the time--in hotel bars and restaurants. So it isn't just Western tourists who are affected--it's also the (mostly upper-class and Westernized) Cairenes who have a culture of going out and socializing in ways similar to those in the United States.

Particularly important is the way conservative (some might say "Fundamentalist" Islam is spread by wealthy Saudi Arabians whose money gives them undue influence in other countries--it works the same way in Southeast Asia (where fundamentalist Islam is growing the fastest) because Saudis fund schools there where there might otherwise be none, and use them as ways to convert/expose the public to their radical (though rapidly becoming mainstream) version of Islam.

The (succinct) article is here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7415495.stm

Otherwise, I'm taking spring final exams and preparing to move out of the dorm and into my new apartment!