I have been practicing Muay Thai for almost four years now. I read a variety of information sources about Muay Thai, and sort of live that life – I guess you could say.
Over the years of commenting on different blogs and boards I have become friends with more than one professional Muay Thai fighter actually in Thailand, along with many people who go there to train in Muay Thai for pleasure, and some people who go to Thailand to report on the Muay Thai scene.
When the protests in Thailand erupted a few months ago, I was of course scared for the many acquaintances that I knew were over there, on the way there, or on the way back. The shots of the violence in the streets were a bit scary. I admit they weren’t anything like the tanks in the streets of Egypt, but the riot police was called in to Bangkok and the army was “on call”.
Over and over my friends in Thailand reported that not only were they not concerned about the rioting, but that outside of a small, few square mile area of Bangkok that you were really in no danger at all. Outside of Bangkok life was proceeding as usual, and many people didn’t even know what was going on outside of their small towns.
I wonder if it is this way in Egypt. I haven’t heard reports of any city blowing up besides Cairo, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening, of course. I guess time will tell.
Cross posted at LITGM.
Dan,
I know that they have been having trouble in the city of Suez. Here is a news link today.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d6763ee0-2c9e-11e0-83bd-00144feab49a.html#axzz1CZ2D522j
And when this started this was where the first rumors of a shut down of the Canal [Suez Canal, not the Panama Canal as Chris Matthews on MSNBC was ranting last night] were coming out of. It is also where I first heard of police stations being burned. So I suspect that it is not like Thailand. With the bulk of the nation’s population in a fairly narrow strip along the Nile, I would expect that rumor-telegraph would have everybody hearing about some version of events or another.
Subotai Bahadur
He actually said Panama Canal? Whoa.
I should add that even in Bangkok things were relatively OK a few months ago outside of a few square miles from what I heard. Doesn’t looke like this is the case in Egypt if they are rioting in Suez also now.
Panama canal vs. Suez
…Matthews obviously studied in the same school as that girl [from Carl’s post] who didn’t know where Brazil was..
There are definitely protests in other big cities: Suez, Alexandria, Port Said, Tanta… Even Bedouins from the Sinai and the Western Desert Oases are joining in the fun, so it isn’t confined to urban areas.
The unrest does not appear to be isolated to Cairo. I’ve read reports of deaths in Alexandria, Suez and Sharm-el Sheikh. Seventeen people were reported killed in Beni Suef, south of Cairo, when they attacked the police station.
The protests are nationwide. Mubarak will fall.