Sunday, July 31, 2005

I am enjoying the freedom

Hi everyone, yes I am still alive. The chances here to be killed are very limited unlike Iraq. Anyway I did not write anything before because I don't know what to write. Believe it or not we had an electricity cuts twice during the last 3 months! Once happened in Dubai last month due to a technical problem and lasted for a few hours and the second due to maintenance in my building and they notified us before they cut it off. Anyway my life here is so simple and comfortable and I feel very relaxed here. Yesterday I was talking with Ahmed (my husband) about how long we have been here and we did not have a headache because in Iraq we used to have headaches so much, besides I had problems with my colon most of the time when I was in Baghdad now I don't.
Every now and then I sit down and think about my life 3 months ago before we came here and compare it with today. I don't know how we were able to stand it. Now I know what real life means, maybe before I didn't know the difference that much, but today I know and I feel sorry for Iraqis. They don't deserve this.
Few days ago we celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary, it was the first time I was able to go alone to the markets and buy a present to my husband without him. Even before the war I was not able to go alone in Iraqi markets for many reasons one of them I was young and usually hear many molestation. Here I can go anyplace anywhere alone even in the middle of the night. Now I do most the shopping alone and sometimes I go out to buy few things after 11 pm alone with no fear of anything. I think here I know the word FREEDOM very well.

My daughter is living normal kids life, we take her to playing areas a lot and to parks (when the weather is good), we bought her a bike and she plays with it in the park. We registered her in school which she will join in next September.
Last time we had electricity cut in our building as I said for maintenance, Farah (my daughter) started to cry and when I asked her why are you crying she said you said only in Iraq the electricity goes off , not here.

For me, the first two months here I had nightmares, one of them I dreamed of a rocket was running after me and I woke up very tired from running. Now I don't but I still panic every time I hear a sudden sound.

Maybe this will be my last time to write, many Iraqis are writing their Diaries in blogs and telling you their stories, so you will not need me anymore. I read many blogs everyday to see if things are getting better in Iraq or not. But till now things are getting worse everyday. No water, no electricity, and no fuel. No sign for near improvement even in the far future. I still hope one day things will be normal as here and we will return to our home again.

New update: we went to a wedding party in Sharja, the wedding was for a relative of mine. Most of the guests were Iraqi doctors, since the groom and the bride's family are doctors. it was a very nice party but what distressed me was the number of Iraqi doctors I saw in that wedding, you can not imagine how many doctors I saw and that means there are no more good doctors left in Iraq. One of the doctors who sat near us in the table said that he left Mosul one year ago and left his family in mosul but when things started to get worse he brought them here 5 months ago. And the other I talked with said he came here recently and his family are in Jordan waiting for their visa. By the way as I hear, they said the government here are not giving residency to Iraqis anymore I don't know why. And that doctor I talked with said he got his residency but failed to get one to his wife and children, so they are waiting in Jordan.
Since we left Iraq, many of our relatives and friends started to think of leaving Iraq, but it is not that easy, first of all nobody is giving visa to Iraqis in most of the countries as we are considered terrorists. I still can't understand, during Saddam's regime we couldn't have visa for political reasons and when he is out we still can't have it. Me and my husband where lucky to have it.
My cousin couldn't follow her husband in Qatar because of the visa, her husband got his visa because he is Egyptian, but she couldn't because she is Iraqi. And now he is working in Qatar and she is waiting in Egypt.

29 Comments:

Blogger Jack B. said...

Please don't stop blogging, Rose. Your life in Dubai sounds very interesting. From pictures I've seen Dubai is a beautiful and cosmopolitan place. I see your sister (Sunshine's mom) has started blogging, she seems as level-headed and nice as you!

All the best to your daughter and Ahmed. I'm glad you are safe.

12:42 PM  
Blogger Mad Canuck said...

Hi Rose,

I'll toss my vote in there too - please keep blogging. I've always enjoyed your blog also.

Regarding visas, it's interesting that the various governments down there are giving a hard time for families. In the US and Canada, they give scrutiny to the main applicant (the one going there for work), but once that person's approved, for everyone else in the family it's pretty much automatic that they'll accept them.

The bad thing is, doctors are smart people who can get a job anywhere in the world. If the UAE doesn't treat them well (such as by jerking them around over their family's visas), they'll pack their bags and go elsewhere. The UAE isn't doing themselves a favor by giving people like that a hard time.

5:54 PM  
Blogger In His Steps said...

Yes,please keep blogging Rose. I have just bookmarked your blog along with your sister's and sunshine's. It gives us a very clear picture of your families life. Stay safe. Kim

11:36 AM  
Blogger Salam Adil said...

Rose - let me let you into a little secret. Your blog is popular because of how you write not where you are. You husbands blog... well that can stop now. Keep writing and telling people about how life is for you. There are so many misconceptions of us Arabs in people's minds and your blog reminds us that we are really all the same.

2:15 PM  
Blogger quixote said...

yet one more vote: please don't stop blogging! Just because you're not in Iraq doesn't mean your experiences aren't interesting. What you said about the doctors: a week or so ago, the BBC had a report on that very brain drain.

I was also very interested to read what you had to say comparing ordinary personal freedoms in the two countries. Something I don't understand is why female bloggers in Iraq hardly mention the limitations. Surely it can't seem normal? Iraq wasn't like that until the Americans "liberated" it. Or is it a sense of loyalty? What's going on?

I disagree with johninnz that the purple fingers were "pathetic." Heroic, I would have said. But I do second his question about what you think of the Sharia-leaning developments in the new government.

And I disagree intensely with Salam Adil about your husband's blog. I read the whole thing when I first found it. I keep checking back, but the man doesn't post. Badger him for us.

So don't stop blogging! People like you are and the only windows we have to some of reality.

9:08 PM  
Blogger Margot B said...

Glad to hear from you again, Rose...you have become a virtual friend to us and everything you write about is interesting to us. Please continue to share your thoughts with us.

10:27 AM  
Blogger jarvenpa said...

Rose, as your other friends have said, the reason people read your blog is because it is refreshing and seems honest. We will be glad to read about your life in Dubai. Happy anniversary (a little late!) to you and your husband. May your life be sweet and safe.

2:51 PM  
Blogger dcat said...

Rose,

I was afraid to look and much to my surprise..."YAY"!

Ok I will read the post now. Nice to see you post again!

10:51 PM  
Blogger Rosemary Welch said...

Dear Rose,
Please go to Iraq the Model's site and find out where to meet Tuesday at 10 am for a Women's Rights march! Men are welcomed also.

Everyone is rejecting sharia law! Read about it, okay? Here is another protest! You go, girls! I'm with you in spirit. Godspeed.

6:02 PM  
Blogger Rosemary Welch said...

Sorry, that's Tuesday, 9 August, 2005.

6:03 PM  
Blogger Dancewater said...

Rose,
I hope you keep blogging and telling us about your life and about Iraq and about the Middle East. There is so much we want to know about!

good luck and god bless!

11:15 PM  
Blogger Howarde said...

Amazing, isn't it, how many friends you develop around the world when you blog? Just came across yours and it is interesting, and it brings people closer together. It also lets them understand that there's little difference in the way many of us think, Arab or Caucasian or any other race or nationality.

1:08 AM  
Blogger cile said...

i feel glad to read some of and about you again. the difficulties iraqis had and have with visa are indeed a problem, as well is the fact that many doctors have left iraq. but i can imagine, since real positive developments are so hard to find.
bests to both of you
cecile
www.streamtime.org

8:09 AM  
Blogger Combat Doc said...

I may be getting back to Mosul around this time next year. All I can hope for is that this works out for your people and that the other Arabs nations in the region will see your example of freedom. I hate that Islamic countries preach a hatred of the US and claim all our "atrocities" but when other Muslims need help they are the first t turn you away. Stay strong Iraq will be free.

10:34 AM  
Blogger Arab Lady said...

Hi
u got a nice blog...all the best..plz keep telling us about ur life in Dubai...take care

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