How I ended up back in school on the first day of the Egyptian Revolution

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One of the most amazing, scary and life changing experiences of my life was being present during the Egyptian uprisings in 2011. One of the most poignant stories happened on the first day, January 25th and this post was written to explain the events that led me to hiding out in a building all night long!

As I now blog about travel the post has been moved to the travel site as it’s content, I feel, is more appropriate there. Still I would love if you would go and read it in full and drop me a comment or two!

The full post can be found here “How I Ended Up Back In School On The First Day Of The Egyptian Revolution“ and below is a teaser to entice you to go and read it. All comments from the original posting have been left below.

For 18 days in early 2011 the world watched from far away as the common Egyptian fought against the repressive system in the hopes of creating a brighter, freer Egypt.

I had been living in Egypt prior to this for about a year and a half. We always “joked” that the country needed a revolution and although we laughed it was actually a real desire any compassionate person wanted. The common Egyptian didn’t live, they survived.

When rumours that a large protest against the repressive government were being planned for January 25th 2011, we all believed it would be a day of active protest until the police violently broke it up and then everyone would go home and life would continue as it did before. Us foreigners and the rich 1% of Egyptians would continue lives of comfort. The majority of the 90-or-so-million people would continue struggling with day to day life.

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I want to talk about that day and the crazy journey I experienced. The beginning of a forever changed Egypt and a forever changed me.

So check out the post in full here at Everyday Nomad.

Thanks a million.

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21 Responses to “How I ended up back in school on the first day of the Egyptian Revolution”

  1. Emily

    20. May, 2012

    This story is so amazing– I’m so glad you’re finally sharing it with the world! Thanks Ian :)

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  2. Lance@MoneyLife&More

    20. May, 2012

    Wow crazy story! I’m glad you got to share it and were safe that night. It is amazing what people will do for each other even when they are complete strangers.
    Lance@MoneyLife&More recently posted..Weekly Goals, Round Up and Carnivals #4My Profile

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  3. Practical Parsimony

    20. May, 2012

    That was scary and oh, so interesting. How long were you in Egypt?
    Practical Parsimony recently posted..Rhubarb Pie with Pat-a-pie Pastry and RecipesMy Profile

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  4. Dave

    21. May, 2012

    Seems so much more real when you know the participants. A brilliantly written account of a trying and difficult time .

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    • Forest

      25. May, 2012

      Thanks very much for reading David. I know you are a busy busy man these days!

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  5. Practical Parsimony

    21. May, 2012

    So, Forest, your name is Ian. I was almost certain from the beginning that Forest Park was not really your name!
    Practical Parsimony recently posted..Rebellion with Evil Eye and Wing FlappingMy Profile

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  6. Jonathon

    22. May, 2012

    Powerful and refreshingly personal account of your adventure in Egypt. Maybe adventure isnt the best word for that day but it sounds like the experience has inriched your already positive outlook on life. Thanks for sharing your story Ian.

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    • Forest

      25. May, 2012

      Cheers Jon, thanks for reading and i’ll be seeing you in a few months :) .

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      • Jonathon Hopkins

        28. May, 2012

        See you in a few months mate! Love in the air, Drink in our bellies!

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  7. Financial Samurai

    27. May, 2012

    “Everything is worth fighting for”……… you are so right. Incredible story. Hope Egypt will be a better place!
    Financial Samurai recently posted..The Privilege Of Giving Back Through YakezieMy Profile

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    • Forest

      27. May, 2012

      I really do too Sam. Their election went pretty smoothly and the official announcement for the first round will be announced today. Then mid June will be a run off between the two top candidates. Likely Mubarak’s former PM and one of the Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate. I’m hoping in that situation it is the Brotherhood candidate who wins. I don’t support religious government but it is the people’s will and much better than the old regime. They are fairly moderate and I expect something more like Turkey will come of it.
      Forest recently posted..Reader Business: Starlene’s 3D Ebook CoversMy Profile

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  8. Robert @ The College Investor

    27. May, 2012

    What a story! Thank’s for sharing it with us! What a crazy night!
    Robert @ The College Investor recently posted..Disaster-Proof Your Household FinancesMy Profile

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  9. Evan

    28. May, 2012

    I guess we are about to see the results. I do hope it is a democratic outcome and one that values human rights.
    Evan recently posted..Two Simple Ways to More Enjoyment and SatisfactionMy Profile

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    • Forest

      28. May, 2012

      I don’t think we’ll really properly start to see the results for another 10-12 years to be honest. I think it’s going to take a slow grind of more protests and a few election cycles to grind off the corruption that has been rusting away at the country. Lets hope things stay on the right path.
      Forest recently posted..Reader Business: Starlene’s 3D Ebook CoversMy Profile

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  10. Invest It Wisely

    10. Jul, 2012

    Hi Ian,

    Unfortunately we see the same behavior by some of the police from time to time here in NA. I do hope that Egypt is on a path toward a brighter future. Thanks for sharing this story. :)
    Invest It Wisely recently posted..Are People Shooting Themselves in the Foot With Income Reports?My Profile

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    • Forest

      24. Jul, 2012

      Hey Kevin, the behavior of the police in the recent Montreal protests has been outrageous. However we need to have some perspective and not draw comparisons too close because it isn’t fair to what Egyptians and places like them really have experienced. The police killed somewhere around 900 people during the revolution in Egypt and just piled the bodies by the side of the road.

      The military are just not letting up on their power sadly and the new president won’t be able to get anything done for good or bad at this current rate but the Islamic majority will be much more careful to protest because they don’t want him to lose the symbolic power he has a least. It’s a tough situation but in many ways it is at least mildly better than before (but life is harder and the economy is crushed) and slow changes are better than no changes.
      Forest recently posted..Faster, stronger, richer, lighter in 6-weeks – My plan!My Profile

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  11. Forest

    16. Apr, 2013

    Just dropping a comment to let everyone know this post has been moved to my travel blog. It can be found here: http://everydaynomad.com/how-i-ended-up-back-in-school-on-the-first-day-of-the-egyptian-revolution/

    I would love if you came by, helped spread the post and left any new comments you have.
    Forest recently posted..Your Business: Costs to Consider When Accepting Credit CardsMy Profile

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