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In reply to the discussion: CNN: Mohammed Morsi (Muslim Brotherhood) declared Egyptian Presidential winner [View all]MADem
(135,425 posts)All those trinkets and gee-gaws that were bought in happier times, stuff that has meaning and memory.
I'd live out of a suitcase and a backpack, and be ready to move at a moment's notice. I'd make sure I knew exactly where the embassy is, and have an address memorized near enough to the embassy (maybe near a side door) so if you have to haul ass in a real sketchy scenario, you can give an address to a taxi driver OTHER than "American Embassy." I'd also have an open ticket purchased on a good airline that is unlikely to stop going in and out of the airport. It is important to not be fussy when you have to leave--you just find the first flight out and get on it...you can connect for home in Paris, Rome, Madrid, Dubai, where ever. It's also good to have an understanding of the countries that don't demand a visa for transiting. Makes it easier to just get the hell out.
If people don't know what she is (specifically American) and she wears some form of hijab, even the "casual" sort of "Modern Muslim Woman" type of hijab, AND her clothing is locally purchased, she might be OK. If she stands out as The American and can't fade back, she might want to re-evaluate her learning experience.
I always used to be able to tell who's who by their shoes, even when they were trying to "blend." The North Americans wore sneakers aka "running shoes" way before anyone else did. Now the locals are more likely to wear them (though not all by any stretch--remember the reporter who tossed his shoe at Dubya?), but if you look closely you will see they are often loosely laced so as to be easy to slip off without having to untie them. Also, the brand names are often "off," or counterfeit and the logos look squirrelly. North Americans and Europeans will tightly lace their non-counterfeit shoes especially if they're new in-country. They also won't wear jeans/dungarees with brand names we've never heard of and those are very commonly counterfeited as well even when they do have the brand name on them.