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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, December 16, 2011 · 4 They watched history unfold outside their door Continued from page 1 course, was not the case, as unknown to us was that many, many people had grown tired of the Mubarak regime." Living in Cairo -- about a 20-minute subway ride from Tahrir Square -- gave them a close up view of the events that unfolded last winter, as Egyptians took to the streets to overthrow the long-standing regime. As that occurred, Dinner sent along his thoughts and perspectives to family and friends via his blog at www.cairo-mania.blogspot.com. He relates a story of initial confusion and uncertainty about what was happening, followed by fear as gunshots rang out around their apartment and fires were set outside their window. "A night spent coming to grips with a difficult balancing act of being both afraid for our safety and proud of the efforts of ordinary folks to keep the peace," Dinner wrote. "But mostly afraid. Our ignorance was no longer something that allowed us to live in bliss, but in extreme fear as to what was really going on." They were on the first flight of Canadians evacuated from Cairo, although their plane only took off after passengers donated money to pay off bribery demands by airport staff. From the safety of Canada, they watched Mubarek resign. "The jubilation echoed around the world, SUBMITTED PHOTO DAWN OF A NEW ERA: John Dinner, a teacher from Oakville, who is working in Egypt, documented history via his blog. Here, he is at work writing as he sits on Mount Sinai at sunrise. and the images witnessed on a television set half a world away, coupled with my feelings of connection to all people at that moment, will stay with me for as long as I live," Dinner wrote on his blog. "The feeling of pride I had for the people of Egypt overwhelmed me, and I desperately wanted to be in the square celebrating with them." Several weeks later, the pair returned to Egypt and their classrooms, where they helped students talk through both the large political changes that had happened, as well as the very personal impacts of the uprising on their lives. While inspired by the changes she has seen in Egypt, Forster still struggles with the treatment of women in Egypt, even after the revolution. "They speak of unity and equality and yet women are treated as second class citizens at the best of times," she writes. "On the other hand, I also understand that Rome was not built in a day, and it gave me hope to see so many women participate in the elections." Two years of teaching at the Canadian International School of Egypt has capped off nearly seven years of travel and teaching in locations as far flung as South Korea and Ecuador. The couple met in Sri Lanka in 2006, when they were both on a volunteer tourism trip, and were married in the summer of 2010, just before moving to Egypt. With plans to start a family, they plan to return to Canada in July. Watching the birth of a fledgling democracy has been an experience that has made them think deeply about the role of citizens in society. "Without a doubt it has made me cherish what it is to grow up in Canada and be Canadian, while cementing in my mind that it is without a doubt the greatest country in the world," wrote Dinner, who graduated from Loyola and has taught for the Halton Catholic District School Board in between his travels. "And as any of my students from Oakville and Milton will tell you, it confirms what I have said all along ­ that being raised in a place like Oakville just about makes me the luckiest person in the world. Floor Model Event Hurry In! Absolutely Every Indoor Floor Model ON SALE up to 40 % OFF 29 Plains Road West Burlington 905-681-3355 3105 Winston Churchill Blvd. Mississauga 905-569-1101 www.hauserstores.com Why wait for boxing day? Dining · Barstools · · Sectionals · Occasional Chairs · End & Cocktail Tables · Indoor Wicker