The events of the past few days in Egypt are a striking contrastto the Cairo I visited only a few short months ago.

Streets that were busy with traffic and commerce when I traveledthem in early October are now filled with protestors. The militarymoved in Friday night as fires broke out in key governmentbuildings.

It is a stunning change of events, but not completelysurprising.

I was in Egypt as part of a delegation of four communitynewspaper publishers invited by the American Egyptian CooperationFoundation (AECF) representing the National Newspaper Association.Our purpose was a study mission to learn more about the people ofEgypt.

During that week-long trip, we visited with Egyptiangovernmental officials, listened to conversations about theirculture, their interests, their hopes and dreams.

We toured a plant where a lost art of hand-crafted rug making isbeing reborn. We saw the wonders of ancient Egypt. We ate in theirrestaurants and interacted with some of the locals.

One might say in our short stay we had an opportunity to notonly see, but to touch and feel the Egyptian culture while gettingan understanding of its history and its future.

What we saw and felt was a completely different atmosphere fromthe unrest of this past week. We found a very proud and extremelyfriendly people. Yes, poverty is abundant, but so too is a vibrantyoung populace all carrying cell phones and computers.

Obviously things have changed dramatically.

From my hotel room looking out over the river Nile, thedichotomy of the culture stood before me and with this week’sevents, it gives me a better understanding.

Directly across is Zamalek Island where the colonial Britishrule once stood guard. It is now more of a recreational andcultural area.

On the Corniche, running to my right and left along the banks ofthe Nile, were a number high-rise luxury tourist hotels mixed amongthe foreign embassies and related housing for the many expatriateswho live and work in Cairo.

A few blocks behind me was the Tahrir (Liberty) Square, whereTuesday’s protest began. And surrounding it all, as far as onecould see from my vantage point, was where the working Egyptianslive and go about their daily business.

The economic problems of the country were evident in both thelow and upper income areas.

Of interest, however, was the concern over the influx offoreign-made products into the Egyptian marketplace. Many of thetourist items that one would think would be manufactured with locallabor are made in China!

For the past week I have had great interest as the news began totrickle out of Egypt.

With the U.S. news media attention directed to more domesticissues earlier in the week, Twitter and Facebook were the onlyearly sources of information. On Friday, those connections were cutas tension increased.

Concerned about the safety of the two guides who were ourlifelines during our visit, I sent e-mails of inquiry to both ofthem.

I’ve had no direct response from either as of yet, butindirectly I have learned that one is safe. No word on theother.

So, too, am I concerned for several hotel waiters andhousekeeping staff we befriended. Hard-working folks, who aredependent on tourism, their world is upside down right now.

Egypt is far removed from our daily lives here in SouthwestMississippi. But the events unfolding over the past few days bearwatching – for Egypt is a key ally to the United States and a vitallink to the stability of the Middle East region.

Write to Bill Jacobs at P.O. Box 551, Brookhaven MS 39602, orsend e-mail to bjacobs@dailyleader.com.