Finally ventured out to try to gather things from my apartment 3 blocks away. The neighborhood watch is back and you can feel the heightened stress since the influx of Mubarak thugs who had controlled our street from last night through most of today. They are extremely suspicious of anyone they don't know and as the situation has developed the watchmen have rotated. After much deliberation, returnign to the apartment to prove we live here he asked us about our work and not understanding the concept of refugee ("political immigrant" is the direct Arabic translation) he got freaked out and we ended up being taken to the military stationed down the road. The calm with which the soldiers approached the situation is unbelievable considering the recent developments and the fact that they are mostly around the age of 20. They asked the various neighborhood men who were all clamoring to talk over one another and explain themselves and our situation to leave us. They asked us questions and after they understood who we are they gave us an escort through the street back to our flat, smoothing our process through the checkpoints, several though we are talking about only a distance of two blocks. The whole experience has reassured me that they are still operating with same standard of excellence I have witnessed through out despite their recent inaction to control the attacks by government supported pro-Mubarak protesters.
