While Tahrir Square has resumed near-normal functionality for the moment, with traffic circulating, a few remaining vendors are ever ready with Egyptian flags, T-shirts with revolutionary slogans and face paint for the occasional passing tourist or the next outbreak of protest.
One of the most famous characters emblazoned on T-shirts is the face of Chinese basketball player Yao Ming, who retired from playing for the Houston Rockets in 2011, which seems like a strange choice. His face is crinkled in slightly pained laughter, and many Egyptians recognize him from the popular Asa7be comic strips on the internet.