tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63084722024-03-13T23:29:02.950+03:00Life in BaghdadArticles about life in Baghdad as I see itAhmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308472.post-1115032448234961612005-05-02T15:06:00.000+04:002005-11-06T08:39:24.256+03:00I very very quick updateYes I left Iraq, and to know how others figured that out, check http://www.rosebaghdad.blogspot.com/I was hoping to write a long post, but since I came to Dubai, I've been extremely busy and once I finish settling down, I plan to make a longer post, and there is a chance that it will be a last post since that I am neither in Baghdad, nor it is year 04 anymore.Maybe I Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308472.post-1110949709851166352005-03-16T08:03:00.000+03:002005-03-16T08:57:37.196+03:00Iraq, me, and wars.I've written this post months ago, but did not post it, then I updated it two weeks ago, but still did not post it. Today I finally decided to post it. There is one piece of information that should be added at the end of the post, but I will not say it now and leave it till the timing is right. So here is the post.At the age of eight, the Iraq-Iran war started. It was 1980 and Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.com58tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308472.post-1108840998460241512005-02-19T22:19:00.000+03:002005-02-19T22:23:18.466+03:00A depressed Iraqi's reflections on some great quotesThere are many lovely quotes out there, but these are much more wiserthan to be considered ‘just lovely’. I’ve commented on some of them, but unfortunately not at one of my best moments.“Years later, when I got to college, I learned about an important theory of psychology called Learned Helplessness, developed by Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman. This Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.com112tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308472.post-1107082331803209592005-01-30T13:50:00.000+03:002005-01-30T13:52:11.803+03:00I did
Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.com143tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308472.post-1106814863043309132005-01-27T11:32:00.000+03:002005-01-27T11:34:23.043+03:00The Ultimate Voters GuideMy company decided that it is better not to go to work till after the elections because of the increasing risk factor involved. Therefore, I’ll have a lot of spare time and amazingly enough, I’ve decided to write a post. so I sat down, started my computer, started the word processor and started gazing at the white page on screen.
As with what usually happens whenever I Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.com137tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308472.post-1098619482074509572004-10-24T15:03:00.000+03:002004-10-24T15:04:42.073+03:00Not the right time to post!
Dear all,
I want to thank all of those who gave ideas and suggestions about what normal citizens can do. I have made a lot of notes preparing for a post summarizing what is practical and what is not in Iraq.
Unfortunately for the past two weeks, and due to the constantly flowing stream of bad news, I have been feeling very depressed and discouraged. And since I like Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.com89tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308472.post-1097044711007214202004-10-06T09:37:00.000+03:002004-10-06T09:38:31.006+03:00A different approach
Dear friends, where have you been all this time :)
In most of my previous posts, and in most of the post of all other Iraqi bloggers, the general tendency have been to complain, complain, complain, then to blame the Americans then blame more and more and more.
Since that will not take us anywhere, I’ve decided to be more positive and take a different approach.
If you want Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.com104tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308472.post-1091702307065087732004-08-05T14:29:00.000+04:002004-08-05T14:38:27.066+04:00I wanted to write something since Sunday after the bombing of churches. I am feeling so angry and frustrated that I cannot write anything that I consider convenient.
A colleague at work missed the explosion by just few seconds, unfortunately a friend of hers did not
I want to say one comment to non-Iraqis: There is no Muslim-Iraqi who does not have some Christian close-friends. This simply Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.com103tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308472.post-1091009863180808062004-07-28T14:17:00.000+04:002004-07-28T14:17:43.180+04:00This is the building for the Olympic Committee (Uday's office). It was damaged during the bombing but the main damage occured during the chaos after the 9th of April, it was completely looted then burned as shown in the picture.Now, I couldnt find it. Its somewhere behind the fence!!Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.com89tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308472.post-1091009543404119262004-07-28T14:12:00.000+04:002004-07-28T14:12:23.403+04:00This is the Ministry of Irrigation. It is fully renewed now :)Note that the Olympic building and the ministry of Irrigation are adjacent to each other and adjacent to the Ministry of Irrigation is the building for the Ministry of Oil. It is interesting to know that the building for the Ministry of Oil was not even slightly damaged and was immediately protected by the Americans! So it will have Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.com61tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308472.post-1091008813914871532004-07-28T14:00:00.000+04:002004-07-28T14:04:23.816+04:00Following are some pictures taken right after the fall of the ex-Iraq regime, and pictures for the same places taken now.
Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.com104tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308472.post-1090065455116361752004-07-17T15:55:00.000+04:002004-07-17T15:57:35.116+04:00This post is only for people interested in health care in Iraq. If you are not, you will find it very boring.
Hospitals – revisited
Many of my friends abroad have been very concerned about the situation in Iraqi hospitals. I have previously talked about the situation in one of the main children hospitals in Baghdad, and now I will talk about Abu-Graib hospital.
The information I am stating Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.com107tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308472.post-1088588639119572472004-06-30T13:41:00.000+04:002004-06-30T13:43:59.120+04:00Handover of sovereignty - At last
On Monday, when I heard that the handover had taken place, I simply felt HAPPY. It definitely is a step forward and I will not allow anyone to convincing me otherwise.
For those who say that this handover means nothing and the Americans will still control our country, I just want to say: Get real. What have you been expecting? Let’s be reasonable for once and Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.com87tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308472.post-1088334859374780372004-06-27T15:09:00.000+04:002004-06-27T15:14:19.376+04:00Hello Again,
A very interesting program was broadcasted on Thursday June 24, 2004 on BBC Radio Channel 4 called “Letters from Iraq”. Excerpts from letters sent from Iraq by Iraqis (including me), American soldiers, and others are read ‘by actors’. It is directed in a very touching manner and it helps a lot in getting an idea about the feelings about different people in Iraq.
The program will Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.com77tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308472.post-1084868292117447332004-05-18T12:14:00.000+04:002004-05-18T12:18:12.116+04:00“All generalizations are false, including this one. “ (Blaise Pascal)
Dear friends,
My last letter was not long time ago, but I had a lot to talk about so here is another letter which again turned out to be a long one.
What to believe?
I have heard many stories about the behavior of American solders that I did not believe. I did not believe them because many people are continuously spreadingAhmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.com111tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308472.post-1081932879861183532004-04-14T12:47:00.000+04:002004-04-14T12:58:35.530+04:00Dear friends,
Warning: Long letter ahead of you….I have been writing this long letter for some time, so it contains all kinds of news and my moral state had changed several times during writing the letter. Starting with high spirit and ending with the lowest spirit possible.
Some time ago, I was planning to write about some of the good things happening lately and are positively affecting ourAhmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308472.post-1078848056763898402004-03-09T18:43:00.000+03:002004-03-09T19:04:04.076+03:009Mar04
Unlike what I expected, I made a blog but I am not adding short comments everynow and then as planned.
So I am adding this paragraph just to convince myself that It was a good idea to make a blog
A very short update about the current situation:
First of all, you all heard that the constitution was finally signed. I read it all, and it sounds good. IF IT IS FOLLOWED. Because as far as I Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308472.post-1076235825213595422004-02-08T13:22:00.000+03:002004-02-08T13:26:10.606+03:00Finally I finished posting all my previous emails. Now the blog is ready for new material.......Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308472.post-1076235261120739342004-02-08T13:12:00.000+03:002004-07-25T14:27:24.023+04:00Keeping you updated, 26 Jan04
Dear friends,
I've been writing this message for about two weeks. I am too lazy to finish it, and each time I leave the message for few days, some of its news become obsolete, I delete them and the message shrinks in size, so I wait few more days to add more news and so on. Another reason for not writing is thinking to myself: Ok I'll write, then what? People Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308472.post-1076234426618344992004-02-08T12:59:00.000+03:002004-07-25T14:29:26.400+04:00Back to where we started, 23 Nov 03
Dear friends,
The last message I wrote was before the beginning of Ramadan, and I was worried that Ramadan will not be as it used to. Today I write this message with only a day or two left of Ramadan. Things were a little bit better than what I expected. Many shops remained open till about 10pm and streets remained busy till about the same time. Though the Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308472.post-1076234013133878932004-02-08T12:47:00.000+03:002004-07-25T14:31:08.353+04:00A New Hope , October 03
Dear friends
It has been over six weeks since my last letter and much have happened since then. During this period and for a while I decided to write a letter entitled "A NEW HOPE", but before I write this Longley awaited letter, the NEW HOPE title seemed to be a little too early.
But anyway, lets talk about some good stuff first. First there is the new government (Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308472.post-1076233610692127562004-02-08T12:44:00.000+03:002004-07-25T14:32:48.920+04:00Broken Promises, 24th of August
Hello friends,
Each day I write you a letter in my mind but I simply lost the will to put those letters into the computer. This time I fortunately did.
I just wanted to update you with what is happening here.
In my last letter, about a month ago, I told you that we used to have electricity for about 8-12 hours a day. We were promised (you know by whom) that Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308472.post-1076233302010096242004-02-08T12:40:00.000+03:002004-07-25T14:34:46.000+04:00Second letter dated at 1 July 03
Dear friends,
If you wonder why I haven't sent you anything lately; well, I started writing a long letter a week ago but while describing the extremely bad situation we were in last week (All Baghdad stayed without electricity for more than 3 days with very weak water or none in some places, plus a big fuel shortage for generators and cars), I was listening toAhmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308472.post-1076232375203617332004-02-08T12:24:00.000+03:002004-02-08T12:28:40.496+03:00Well, Before I start adding new stuff, I will add the letters that I've previously sent to my friends. Those letters were widely spread, and thats why I decided to make this blog.
I will start with my first letter, then the others according to date.
================
My first letter dated at 14 June 03
Dear friends,
Being rather sick for more than a week, and being board also, I will tell youAhmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308472.post-1073694800796987392004-01-10T03:32:00.000+03:002004-01-10T03:33:40.886+03:00Test
10Jan04
My first blog ever
Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14934485614607155820noreply@blogger.com0