16 May 2009

الثالثة ثابتة



6:30 a.m. : Alarm goes off; first time I wake up this early in easily 9 years.

7:30 a.m.: Leave house, head to a school in Kaifan to monitor elections as a KTS volunteer.

7:45 a.m.: Get kicked out of first classroom by unaccommodating judge.

7:46 a.m.: Get kicked out of second classroom. Decide to stop asking about checking polling stations, walk around to check signage around school.

8:05 a.m.: All five polling stations are open, old ladies begin filing in.

9:30 a.m.: Leave polling center to get food. Drive to Starbuck's in Adailiya where apparently everyone who's working for any candidate in District III is there.

10:00 a.m.: Back to school, asking judges for permission to monitor from inside the classroom.

11:ish a.m.: Notice traffic slowing at polling station. People are sitting around waiting for voters to show up.

12:00 p.m.: Head to my own polling center to vote.

12:ish: Parking far to avoid being double parked. As I'm walking into the building, I try to choose four from the six candidates I had in mind.

12-ishish: I'm getting dizzy from the sun, walk into the empty polling station (good timing on my part) check four names. Fold paper. Hand ballot over to the judge. Watch as he puts it in the clear box.

1-ish: Drive to KTS. Watch Dr. Salah Al-Ghazalli's interview on Alrai. Realize that most volunteers were rudely kicked out at the school's gates.

1-ishish: Meet friend at McDonald's (we're a classy bunch); where I find my thirteen year old sister who's helping a friend's uncle's campaign. Tell sister to stay off the streets. (Which I think is great advice at any age.)

2:00 p.m.: Still dizzy. Probably dehydrated.

5:30 p.m.: Drive back home. Too dizzy and tired to do anything anymore. Call KTS supervisor, tell her I can't show up at poll closing.

How'd your day go?

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