School Friends

As I mentioned in the previous post, I am a member of a Yahoo group for the graduates of my old school's class of 1996.

Since some of you might know my true identity, I am forced to tell the truth and to admit that it was actually the class of 1986. You still don't believe me? I was just kidding, it's actually the class of 1981. OK forget about the year, we just graduated some time in the past, the exact date is not important.

We all had two things in common. First, our parents belonged to the lost/diluted Egyptian middle class. I am sure there were some exceptions, i.e. students who belonged to the higher class of the society, but the socialist policies of the sixties (did I actually say sixties??) made those differences less flagrant than they are nowadays. Second, we were all a bit crazy in the head.

After years of not seeing any of my classmates, with the exception of two or three close friends, I was once again reunited with them. Well I should say with the 25 to 35 of them who are either active in the Yahoo group I was invited to join, or who regularly attend reunions. Among the group are representatives of all the diverse believes and characters, composing the tapestry of the current Egyptian society.

Allow me to introduce the ones I've been in close contact with for the past two years.

First we have the Moderator. Since he is also a relative of mine and a frequent reader of this blog, I am obliged to be nice to him, so take anything I say with a grain of salt. We all owe Mr. Moderator for starting the Yahoo group, and for being one of the most active members in reunions. He is also the official photographer of the group. When needed, he also acts as the peace maker between the two most notorious members of the group (they know exactly who they are). He is also a fellow blogger, and I hate to admit, a good one too. So by now you must be thinking, What a guy!! Well, think again. He is not that perfect. When I joined the group I discovered that he has hijacked my family name and is using it as if he is the most important member of the family!!

Second we have Ms. aPolotica. This member of the group, who is also very active as an organizer of reunions and events, and is the backup photographer, claims that she is allergic to political discussions. I've caught her more than once expressing political views, but she always denies it. She is the first blogger in the group, and (I hate to admit) is an eloquent writer. Again before getting the wrong impression, let me tell you that she is also known as Shereera. She has a scary laugh, and always beats my husband in online Scrabble, and I am later left with the unpleasant job of trying to cheer him up and promising that he will be able to beat her in the next game. This hasn't happened yet!!

Next we have Ms. Serene. Contrary to her name, she is an extremely active, vibrant, and outspoken member of the group. She has been to every reunion I attended, and is usually the one who takes care of the venue reservation. Her presence adds a positive and happy feeling to the meetings since she is always laughing at the group's jokes, even the lame ones. That's a great attitude that I truly appreciate cause I am usually the one telling those lame jokes.

Not to forget Madam ShuShu. Another active member of the group who has also been to all reunions I went to. If you're wondering, Shushu stands for Shitan. And not any Shitan, it's the sweet tooth Shitan who always urges the group to have dessert after dinner. Like Serene, Shushu has a great distinguished contagious laugh that spreads around the group like wildfire.

The rest of the group owes a lot to those four members for keeping the group active and alive.

Other active participants are: Sweet Toshka, Scary but Funny Raya & Sekina, the Yin and Yang brothers Hakim & Zadood, el okht Ebti, Butch, the never seen together Stranger twins, Darling Dolly, Omda the Gentleman, dear Zamalkaweya brothers Fanan, Saher, Maged & Maged, the Veil Sisters, Regardful Ragroug, The GiGis, the What's up Docs Hani & Nabil, Sahroor & Abu el Fadl, the Farag cousins, Nifa, ........................

What is my role in the group? Well, I start fights, thus keeping the discussions interesting.