First time and 'Give it a go'

Ages ago I decided to do a political action for Libya. Here are the draft posts from the day before and the day afterwards. What I didn't realise until a few weeks later was that fasting means no drinking either! I had been spending the day feeling terrified of not eating for hours and hours, but at the same time sipping all sorts of herbal teas while resting on the sofa!!! Not a full fast at all. Never mind, I meant well.

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First time

I feel a bit of a twit, but I'll try to fast for as much of tomorrow as I can. I have never been asked to take part in a fast before. It's in support of Libya, so I have a tray of goodies to eat at crack of dawn! Then I'll go back to sleep with indigestion. All in a very good cause, so we'll see. Apparently staying in bed and taking it very easy is best.

Luckily I have some dates in the house and even humous for the evening.


'Give it a go'

That's what one tweeter said about doing a one day, dawn to dusk fast. The writer had no idea of the sheer level of fear even attempting such a thing gave me.

Even though it was on Thursday I still haven't completely digested (!) the process and am still mentally out of synch with my normal life. I couldn't sleep last night until after 6am, now that is a level of insomnia I haven't experienced for ages and can normally be blamed on a strong coffee. My heart started beating intensely and my thoughts were racing.

Remember the locks being broken in the Abu Salim prison in Tripoli?

James Foley interviewed Matthew Van Dyke about that day

The clips of the locks being broken open - thank you YouTube

Sentimental

This is taking me back to last year, Tribute fm is now online. It used to be broadcast from Benghazi. I remember those early discussion shows about what people wanted to happen. All those outages! The number on the screen showing how many were listening, 48 or so! Now it is based in Tripoli.

Hug that ballot box! Show that blue inked finger!

A lovely piece on voting in Benghazi. I am smiling.

This morning on tv there was a programme about the lengths women suffragettes went to for women to get the vote here. I always vote, but didn't know much about how women's suffrage was achieved.po

Candles, light and hope

Last year I decided to light a candle for 15 minutes every day during Lent and sit quietly. I called it Lent for Libya in my mind as that was the big story at the time. I have no family connection with Libya, but I did sign the Avaaz petition for military help, so I felt responsible.

Sometimes I had a cup of coffee at the same time. Sometimes I was gloomy, anxious and fidgetty. Other times I was more peaceful. But I did it every day as far as I can remember for the 6 weeks. Then after that I simply followed the news, listened to Tribute fm and waited.

Remember the flags being unrolled from the flyovers?

And the YouTube videos of the flag being sewn, the anthem being played from inside shopping bags and the statement being read out in a side street at 90 mph by people bundled up in sunglasses and scarves?

Here is an article about one of the people who did these actions. Guess what, he is from Wales!

Update, 31st August, there is a video too.

Oh My God!

I just heard that expression, with an American accent, from something T is watching on his laptop on the other side of the kitchen table. I instantly thought of that YouTube video of the man with Gaddafi's hat. Am I the only one with this reaction?

Here is the genius-like music video. And here is the wonderful original, watch it to the end.

Shouting at children

In all the coverage of Tripoli I haven't seen a single instance of a parent shouting at their child. What does that say about our culture of violence, stress and disconnection here in the UK?

T and H have fled the room

They have finally had enough of the coverage. I am glued and explain that it is so important to watch. While I try to listen to the words they chat loudly about armalite and are looking at airsoft sites. I say, but this is the real thing, this is why people actually fight, see how they react and what they say. See their faces, read the joy and relief. Imagine if we'd been under occupation for 42 years and had only just been freed.

Just waiting for the car horns

It looks like this is it for Tripoli, gun shots, shouts, car horns....twitter going mad.

More shouting, I wish the interview on Skynews would stop so I can hear properly.

Yes, it is clear now.

Pink, black and green

I'm wearing pink (red), black and green as a gesture of support for the events in Libya. Feeling tired after being up on Twitter til 2am. I really didn't feel comfortable seeing the journalist reporting from the Rixos, knowing that any moment things could get very nasty for them. Then I didn't feel comfortable about just going to sleep, but decided it was a good thing to do, even though it is like switching off a problem, too easy and wrong.

The smile on the face of the Libyan ambassador just now speaking in London outside the embassy. It's lovely to see emotion showing through on the face of a person in a role like that.