Embroiled in Egypt’s uprising

Egypt's small expat population has found itself stuck in a country hit by the largest uprising in modern history. Some foreign residents have already left, fearing for their safety, others are assessing the situation as their hosts fight battles on the streets around them.

Whatever choice the expats make, their experiences in this North African nation have changed beyond all recognition. The likelihood is that their lives there will never be the same again.

Yahoo! Maktoob has spoken to a group of expatriates who lived or are still living in Cairo. Here they explain their reasons for staying or leaving and how they think things have changed.

Egypt

Jenna Krajeski, 29, American journalist still living in Egypt

"I have been here for about a year. I lived here before for four years when I was a teenager. I came back because I got a job.

Things around here changed very abruptly. In terms of my personal safety, I have always felt confident walking the streets of Cairo - I am from New York where it is not safe to be walking alone at night. Cairo was a nice place, you did not feel any fear of being robbed or attacked. As a woman, there was always some verbal harassment and the occasional grab, but nothing more.

No one could have predicted how things would change, how abrupt it would be or how quick it would come. As a journalist, I have covered protests before, but nothing like this. Here you know the police are the real threat. The tear gas, the sheer numbers, it was all quite scary

But the atmosphere of the city (Cairo) also started to change. People started to say what was on their minds. This was a very exciting time, but it was also very unpredictable.

Initially a very high number of police were on the streets, they were in riot gear. It was very frightening.

I have not felt at risk personally, I have been very cautious, I have managed to keep a relatively low profile, I have not gone anywhere alone. I do know people who have experienced problems. They have been targeted by pro-Mubarak demonstrators or police, some have been arrested.

One of the most remarkable things I have seen is in Tahrir Square. People saying this is the first time they have been able to speak openly. Egyptians are very vocal people anyway, but I have noticed over the last couple of weeks that a lot more has been said, than people were able to say before.

Egypt has always felt quite normal, although it is politically very oppressive. Saying you do not like the president is a big deal here — and yet now a lot of people are saying it.

This has been a fascinating experience. Most of the people I work with are around thirty-years-old or younger and have known nothing but Mubarak. This is a big deal for everyone. There was very little that could be done to change the outcome of elections in the past. If Mubarak was to run, then it goes without saying - he would win.

I moved here because I like Cairo and I still do. It is unlike any other city in the world. If I leave Egypt it will be because of personal reasons. But for now, this is an incredible place to be. I see no reason for me not to be here."

Lavinia Dieac, 26, Romanian online marketer still living in Egypt

"I went to Egypt for an internship in June 2009, and have been here ever since. I wanted to experience new cultures.

I have had good and bad experiences here. I found it very different to what I was used to. The way people speak, the way they sell stuff, the way they eat and work — everything is so different. I found this all very interesting.

When the uprising started I was very proud that people finally stood up for their rights. The fact that they managed to do this is amazing.

I was already aware of earlier demonstrations. I was very happy when I saw last week that so many stood up and protested.

But I have become very disappointed, because I see people stepping back because they are being fooled by the lies that have been said by the government through the media. I keep my sanity and hope stay because of the people who remain in Tahrir Square.

I have not joined the protests, I have been in the house for most of the week. I stepped out on Wednesday to see a friend before the violence started. Coming back I saw in the distance the violence starting among Mubarak supporters.

I also had a completely different view of Egypt before the troubles started. There are two types of people here: those who are pro-democracy and change - they see the goals clearly, they are ready for change - and then there's those who are backwards, not for change. These kinds of people will change my existence here.

I am very worried about what the pro-Mubarak people will do once he is gone. I expect they will make it very difficult. Life will be very tough once this is all over.

I am 98% certain that I will not stay if Mubarak remains in power. I am sorry for the Egyptians who have to stay, but there is no way I would. If people accept him staying in power for any time it would be a defeat for them and I would not be able to live or work alongside people who have given up fighting before the end.

If Mubarak stays the situation will just get worse. The Mubarak regime would want to hunt people down who stood against him.

Freedom matters a lot to me. I do not remember much about the time of the communist era in Romania, but my father has told me stories. I do remember the difficulties after the revolution and I remember asking my father what had been achieved, he told me that no matter how much we struggled in the difficult times, 'we did it as free people'."

Kim Fox, 40, American associate professor of journalism still in Egypt

"I'm extremely proud of Egyptians. I love how this started out organically and sort of slowly and morphed into national camaraderie. I've seen the small protests in the past with a few staunch protesters.

Of course, I personally see Egypt differently. Again, I've seen the small protests in the past like on April 6 and for Khaled Said. But the January 25 movement came on the heels of Tunisia and many people see hope that change can come for Egypt. I'm impressed that the people came together on their own; without El Baradie or the Muslim Brotherhood. That's what I noticed was different from the beginning.

Unfortunately, Mubarak is playing games. He's not making any concessions that please the people who are at the core of this revolution. And although the people have on most days been allowed to protest peacefully, like never before in the past thirty plus years, the fact that the emergency law remains in effect shows that Mubarak refuses to make steps in a positive direction.

I will remain in Cairo until the U.S. government issues a mandatory evacuation and they pay for travel expenses.

Many Egyptians see the country and themselves as they've never seen before. They see how they've come together for one cause. Their national pride has escalated to something more than what you'd usually see at a football game.

However, there's a contingency that believes that since Mubarak has not stepped down yet, then he never will and the people should leave Tahrir and call it quits. They want their old lives back in a way: having shisha and shay at a ritzy cafe in Zamalek."

Rosanne Izzo, 22, American. Until recently she was an English teacher at an international school in Cairo, but has left Egypt

"First of all, I am very happy that the Egyptian people finally felt that it was a time to stand up for themselves against a government that has clearly been exploiting the people for years. The purpose of a government is to protect and better the society that it governs, and the Mubarak administration has clearly not been fulfilling its duties to the Egyptian people.

Even the American government has noted the extreme human rights violations, as well as the extreme poverty that blankets a huge portion of the population which the Mubarak regime has done very little to improve. Pushing out any other political opposition with intimidation and arrests, the people of Egypt have been forced to live in a self-serving dictatorship for too long, and people around the world stand behind them and the brave people continuing to protest and rebuild their country despite the turmoil.

I don't think many political scientists or governments could ever have predicted that the Egyptian people would rise up as it has and also sustain the protests for this long. I used to always view Egyptians as very complacent when it came to their own country's politics and often quarreling with each other between Christians and Muslims. I have been so happily surprised to see everyone working together during protests, Christians protecting the Muslims during the prayer times, and the people standing more united than they've ever been, save for the few days of clashes between pro- and anti-Mubarak demonstrators.

Egypt has also changed in the fact that the government has realized that they can't hide the people's political sentiments any longer, and that if they want the country to function at its full economic and social capacity, they need to start making big changes that will improve the average citizen's situation and not just some businessmen sitting around the Gezira club.

I left for the same reasons that many expatriates left. The violence became a harsh reality when there were no police or military to protect local neighborhoods and it was left to the local residents to protect their houses from looters and thieves. Furthermore, the constant curfews and checkpoints made mobility very difficult, as well as there being long lines to get gasoline as well as money from ATMs, if one could be so lucky to find one that was functioning.

I hated to leave my job and my extremely courageous friends and colleagues who stayed behind, but I reasoned that it was better to leave before things possibly became worse, especially with the American embassy being almost entirely closed. I haven't decided to return yet, but as one of my Egyptian friends put it, 'Once Egypt gets in your blood, you always come back'. I sincerely hope I do return to a happier, and more democratic Egypt.

The change in the people is very apparent. They aren't as afraid of their government as they used to be, and it is clear that they have found their voice and are ready to use it. The new-found solidarity with neighbors helping each other, calling everyone to make sure that they are okay, as well as the unity of the protesters, have been amazing to see. I had personally experienced it with my Egyptian friends who were doing their very best to make sure I was safe and sound, and I hope that this spirit continues throughout Egypt as the people go through this transition together."

Dana Smillie, 47, American photographer and journalist, still in Egypt

"I have been a resident here for 15 years. I came originally to work as a photographer for a locally published English language magazine, and have been freelancing since 1999.

Nobody saw this coming. I alternate between being in complete awe of what is unfolding in front of me to being completely depressed that my 'normal' life has been completely turned on its ear.

I have been covering demonstrations since 2000 and I never ever expected to see scenes like this in Egypt. I never thought they could get the numbers I have seen down in Tahrir.

I am curious to see how the story will unfold, so for now... yes I do plan to stay in Egypt..
People are uniting together, and organizing themselves in rather creative ways."

Mark Jaffrey, 40, English pastor at an international church in Cairo, staying in Egypt

"We have lived in Egypt twice. The first time for two years when I worked as an IT consultant in 1999. We had a six month old child when this opportunity came up, so we jumped at it. After returning to Liverpool two years later I received a job offer to work in a Christian church in Cairo providing the music. I accepted the job in 2003 — we have been here ever since.

Before the troubles, my experience of Egypt was very positive. We love the Egyptians we know. We like Egypt very much and no matter where we have been, we have always been treated very well and always felt very much at home.

On a grander scale the struggle for freedom against oppression has been played out in a lot of countries. But I have never thought I would be in the middle of it. I have a lot of admiration for those dealing with this.

Life has gone on even when things started to escalate. We were in church, two-thirds of the way through the service when some police walked in and said at 5.45pm that a curfew had been announced and was due to start at 6pm. We prayed for another five minutes and then we all left.

On Saturday (January 29, 2011) we heard the first gun shots. They were coming about a mile away where the prison is. That night we all decided to spend the night on the streets to make sure everything was okay. The first two nights that we did this you could hear a lot of gun fire in the distance, people were very jumpy.

There must have 30-40 of us on the block, I armed myself with a piece of wood, but some others were better armed with guns and knives. That was just surreal. I am very happy that I have not had to use my piece of wood in anger.

There was an unexpected benefit that we have all gained from this. While people acknowledged each other before, Egypt has a very large class divide and there lacked a sense of community. Since we have all had to stand on the streets together we have found that the sense of community is there, it is much stronger and the divides between classes seems to be less of an issue. There have been some wonderful conversations on the streets.

State security here has always been very strong and there has always been a very imposing presence. There is now a real feeling of freedom where people feeling that they can say what they want without fear of reprisal. I'm so excited about this.

I truly believe that all people have a deeply held desire to be free. I cannot see how what has changed in Egypt can ever go back to what it was before. Even if Mubarak does not go in September people are saying 'if this happens we will simply have another revolution in six months, and this will be doubly strong because his current supporters will then realize that he has lied to them'.

Politics aside, I think it is definitely time for a major change in the country. People want to be able to express their opinions and have a much broader range of governance. I do not think it will ever be the same here again.

I am going to stay in Egypt. We love it here and I have a lot of faith in the people. I have not taken part in any of the protests, Egyptian friends have told me it is better that foreigners stay away - it is not their fight.

I believe there are two things: first there has been an awakening to a future they never thought was possible and one that they can choose. And secondly there is a renewed unity between people of all backgrounds. Egypt had very broad divisions between the people — these seem to have mostly disappeared.

My greatest hope is that the awakening can continue, that the people can and do have a say and that the sectarianism remains in the past."

(Photo: AP/Emilio Morenatti)