Entries this day: Dream Fashion_show Today fadi heaven_and_earth zzzzz.

Dream

7:19am CST Wednesday 25 May 2005

A woman was trying to clean a record that was quie covered in dus. she was brushing it radially, and I explained to her that she should clean it with non-radial strokes; she should follow along the grroves as we were taught in KTRU The woman was pouring window cleaner on the record, and I was like, "don't get it wet" although I knew it would be okay if she dried it properly. She poured more window cleaner on the record to spite me.

I walked awayand went over to Joel and Brandt, maybe to tell them what happened. They were like, "oh; okay; we wil take care of it."

Then I was walking through a field and a guy came up to me, "hey Rob I'd like to ask you something" and he took me toward a secluded area and I was like, "hthis isn't a question; he's about to yell at me" and he said I was in trouble for hitting two people and I was like, "Stop right there, or I'll give you a bloody nose" and he ran away and I chased hin until I caught thhim and was like, "you have been lying to me or you have been given false information."

And he eventually came to acept he was given false information. We were okay again and about to walk back when I realized I had left my camera in its case in the huge grassy field, so I went out to get it. While I was walking, a woman came up to me and she was all, "can I carry your camera?" and I was like, "no way; first you have to prove you are on my sie. What is something that only a good team eprson would know?" and the girl behind her, who was part of PB, like one of the passengers, was whispering answers. I was like, "you have already proven that you can't be trusted; don't prove it even more."

Fashion show

9:41am CST Wednesday 25 May 2005

I hope I can get some pictures from the fashion show; I have a few from behind stage, but not from onstage, er.. taken of us on stage.

It has been super fun with dancing and singing and craziness. I, for example, am wearing a vest and mardis gras mask and orange afro with skulls in it.

It's hot.

10:21am

I'm not sure where we are allowed to go at this point; some people are splitting; I think it's cool if we jet, but I'm not sure what's next after this.

Today

8:39pm CST Wednesday 25 May 2005

Today has been pretty relaxed; I spent a lot of time watching water; the waes are quite gentle todday, though the ship as a whole is rocking. I wrote six postcards to 7 people, and we had a couple of meetings for GET and the Hong Kong orientation.

Oh! We had four interviews today; which laste only an hour total, but were the culmination of a lot of effort to coordinate all the questions and how we would score/rate the responses. We basically are doing the tricky task of quantifying peoples' language ability, which spans a huge range of aspects and personalities and the like.

Anyway, we think we have a pretty workable model.

I got the Bulgarian sisters mixed up today. I thought Slavena had taught me how to say good morning, but it was Kremena. I think I can tell them apart now, but I'm not sure. I'd definitely like to get a picture with them each/both.

Oh, so anyway, I saw Kremena and she was like "do you remember?" and I'm like "rember what?" thinking I hadn't even seen her today.

fadi

8:58pm CST Wednesday 25 May 2005

I hope we can give you a glimpse of real life and not what you see in
the media.

I would like to also presen tmy thanks to PB for their help to Iraqui
people and to all PB staff members...

I would like to present condolences to PB member who was killed in OZ
in a car accident.

As I told you my name is Fadi;

I have a BA in English and Master in translation.

I was born in 1979, so I'm almost 25 years old.  Actually almost less
than a year less than the Iraq Iran war started.  Once my motehr told
me I was still an infant when the bombings started, and she would
carry me to shelters to avoid the explosions.


The war was extrememly destructive. The war destroyed every bit of
hope of beoming better in daily life, especially in economy. Billions
of dollars in debt buying weapons.

The most horrible incident or reality is that the casualties and the
innocent who were killed in schools and hospitals.  Actually my uncle
was killed in action and my father was injured in action in the war.

In August 1988, the war ended, and we throught it was a real
beginning, but Saddam's regime did not give us a chance to start a
new life, and he made the mistake of invading Kuwait.

The 1991 war was quite destructive and actually I would like tshare
with you so many storeis ata we've been through in other wars.

Whent he war broke out, we suggested   decided to go to northern IQ
which was much safer than where our relatives lived.  That day we
went to therailway station to check in for the train, but it was so
crowded with people and soldiers in uniform.  At that moment an air
raid took place and we saw a bomber jet so close to us; it turned and
came back to destroy the station; we all rushed out of the station to
avoide the bomb.  But fortunately the defense forces were able to
launch an anti aircraft was able to destroy the aircraft, minutes or
seconds before woe would have been killed.

I guess everybody knows the santions imposed on IQ after invading
KT;   ... something contiued for 13 years.

So we were cut from the world; we couldn't travel abroad, export oil
to restore and rebuild our economy.  So you can see that was a slow
pace of degredation and the economy dropping and inflation rising;
every sector was becoming worse day by day, health, education..

Saddam Hussein was so harsh and dealth with his people very badly.
He wasnted to always impose the ideas of Baath socialist party and
impose them on everyone in Iraq



this on one hand allowed people to feel frustration, for example
compulsory military service, and all our freedoms were taken.  Our
life was very difficult.
I will give you a simple example to clarify:

At a graduation party, my cousin and I suggested we should take plain
Tshirts and draw Shakespeare on them ad write To Be Or Not To Be.
This small sentence taken from his play Hamlet, represents the
English department.  We collected many and created these T-shirts for
the English department.

However, once two men came to us, took us aside,  "what are you
doing?  You must not put another image on the shirts.  You must put
SH's image and say we lov eyou SH."

You see we felt so much frustration, and actually we were hoping we
could just forget about him and turn on the TV and not see his
picture anymore.

The US said they would oust SH and we were really hopeful they could
do sometihng good for our country; we hoped we could have  freedom
after SH was ousted.

So this is the third war, and I hope it is the last one.

Actually the image of war is very horrible, and we heard from the
media, they will use chemical weapsons and new weapons, so we have
had to equip our homes with many types of equipment to survive the
types of weapons.

We slecet a secure room in our house and sealed the room with mud and
plastic.  It's our only shelter.

So the war broke out and was very destructive and the noises all day
all around.
though
We said we would not make the same mistake of leaving Baghdad.
During the war days, my father was going to his work as normal. it
was difficult, but he wanted to fulfill this duty.

He works at a ministry of health and still work there.  He was in
charge of a medical warehouse in Bagdad.

Once when the US forces were closing in on the capital, he saw people
rushing to the other side, and there pajams; the US troops were
lcsoing in on the district and crushing everything in front of them.

When my father saw this, he came back to the house, and he insisted
we leave the house at that moment.  We took our baggage and went to
the bus station, and it was crowded, and the bus didn't show up.
Suddenly we heard an air drop took place at that area.

So imagine civilians in the bus station and soldiers rushing everyone
preparing for battle..  So everybody took their baggage back home; it
was to late to catch a bush. We sent the women and children back to
the house ans we waitied at the bus station until we found a taxi to
go back home. We were so worried that something bad might suddenly
happen.  Fortunately we rushed back home and it was really difficutl
for us. 

When we crossed the bride, at that moment, we were able to see the US
tanks closing in on where we had been.  Actually it was nearly 2 days
after that incident that we heard  in the morning we heard a noise
outside, so we went out to see what it was.

Outside, we saw te tanks crossing our streets and telling the peoepl
to come out; the war is over.  We felt kinda relaxed, but truthfully
there were stillexplosions, so it was not securye for everybody to
leave.

But the sad reality is that whenever you hear an occupiying force tom
eot a countyr, it must protect it.  but the US didn't protect the
people or the government facilities, or school, museums,
universities..  they started choosing places to set up and put their
weapons and equipment; leaving the streets open to looters and
thieves.

worse, they were even helping the thieve s to break in banks, by
breaking the doors to rob everything out of the banks.

The only thing they protected was the ministry of il.  the ministry
of oil, because they wanted to export oil as soon as possible.  This
unsecure condition continues today to theis moment.

It's been nearly 2 years and nothing tangible has been felt by any
IQi citizen.  The lives of IQis and everyone in IQ is beoming more
difficult day by day.  For example, there is shortages of electricyt,
food, medication, ater.; s

Often the US closes bridges and roads; people who want to go to
therir offices must waste  time, from 150% of the normal travel
time.  Worse, is the security, which does not yet exist.


If we talk about the US policy in IQ, then we must list many mistakes
since they have occupied IQ.  First, imposing a US governor, who
doesn't know what IQs want.  He told the police to go home; we won't
pay  you anyting.  That was the first time he created unemployment.
Another mistake is setting up provisional governing council made up
of 40 IQ people who were unknown to IQi people., and who have never
epperience the misery of IQ people.

And the worst is that he chose htem based on ___ and religiosu
discrimination and ethnic diversities.  So that was the reason behind
the government not gaining control and having the difficulties they
are now facing.

Also when the US came to IQ, they left the borders open without
monitoring, so many militants from different countreis who want to
attack US came into IQ creating a battlefield in IQ.  Security is an
important key for our society, but it's not existant.  Explosings
happen continually anad kidnappings as well.

I'd like to share some experiences. of mine.

One I guess you've heard the miltants are bombing mosques and
churches.
They are trying to create hatred within people of IQ  Once my mother
and sisterr were at a church when it was bombed, but they survived
it.  Another sad story happened to my aunt, a pharmacist.  She was
going to her pharmacy, and stopped to buy some fruits.  There was a
policeman standing there. Suddenly, he was assassinated, and she was
incidentally killed in the shooting.

This is a simple story ofthat every IQi has been through.  Professors
and doctors have been kidnapped, frightening them and isallowing them
from travling abroad.

In the media, they say the US gave IQi people freedom, but they are
taling about cellphones and satellite, but this is nto freedom. but
this in 't freedom. We need better healthcare, education; every
sector needs help, but we've received nothing tangible.  

Some people are longing for the days of SH; the US is the other face
of the same coin.  Thank you very much for your attention.

-------------------



I tell you I cried for this is the first time I had seen the medal
for the first time in two years.  My family tried to keep it out of
my sight..  This was the first time in 2 years, like a mother seeing
the picture of her dead baby.

Or even just a missing child.  So again I apologize for what's going
on.

this story is not just my own.

My ouse ad been broken in by a purpotedly IQi person.  But so many
houses were broken in by US military troops.  Exactly two weeks after
the breakin at my house, my brother's house was broken into by a US
military troop.

During that night when they were all sleeping.  They tried to break
in the door with their tank and enered ther houses, looking for
anybody related to SH.  Just because the area where my brother lived
was a military area.

They searched everywhere, every drawer and corner.  The turned it
upside down.AFterward, they took his entire family.  They were
arrested from 9am to 5pm the next day with no charges filed.

This was 2 months after the occupation began.  The militants were
better behaved.

Another story happened to my mothers's cousin.  She lives in a city
of Bagdad called Aldora.  Th city where Fadi lives.  Some days 7
people were in their car, but the returned home at sunset and
suddenly the military US troops stopped them as they were arrivng; in
front of their houses, the car had stopped, so as long as they were
near their houses, the granmother tried to get out of the car since
they are arrived home.  The US soldier directed a weapon toward the
car and killed the entire family; they were all burned  with a laser
type weapon..  

What kind of fuking weapon is this??????????

They had done nothing to deserve this.

Another thing that I saw with my own eyes.  I was returning back f
home from my university, and on my way I looked to my left and saw a
car driving by a woman and the car was crushed by a military truck as
if it was a piece of paper.  The truck crushed the car with the woman
inside..  Of course, no one can/will do anything toward these
soliders although they are kiling innocents.

One day a year ago a soldier had asked a question, what is the
imporant thing you gained when you came to IQ.  He answered, "the
mosts beautiful things and the proudest thing I can kill freely
without any punishment."

This is good for him; he can kill without remorse and without
retribution.  This is their freedom.

A colleqgue of mine had a brother who was killed just as he was going
to work early in the morning and he tried to rush.  he accientally

a US troop came out suddenly and they told him to stop, but instead
of stopping, he hit the gas. accientally; this is a crime.  They shot
him.  He was a 30 year old engineer.

There are so many stories like this one, but now because I am so
excited, they are out of my mind for the time being.

This is experience of our daily life.  We always live in unsecure
conditions.  We are insecure when we go outside.  We are unsecure at
home.  Even at work we are insecrute.

Believe me, what I am doing; most IQi people are doing the same as I
am.  When I go out of my house I pray, because I am sure I will be
killed at any moment.



You know the way between my housse and my uiniversity is 17
kilometers.  I woke up early; I go outside at 6:45am or 7am.  Because
my path requires 2 hours.  The roads are suddently blocked my roops.
One day I was going to my university.  in the morning.  I was
crossing the bridge.  I was so surprised; I was surprised at how few
people were on the bridge.   I was happy because I thought I would
arrive as early as possible.  But suddenly I didn't recognize
anything except a truck military truck headed on my side.  My privage
driver turned the car away from the truck.

I could only scream in shock.  If the driver hadn't turned the car,
the truck would have crushed us.  When they passed me a few meters
away, I saw a car had been crushed, with a man on the floor.

At that time I gave thanks to god that I was not the second.  (and
her driver?)

There is no security at all.

The distance between Bagdad and Jordan is usually 9 hours, but now it
takes 20 hours or more.  Some days, some times, we wait five hours
when it's cold during twinter at the border or along the way and
sleep in the car.

They stop us for a minimum of five hours.

It's supposed to be secure, and the prosperty would come.  but no
such thing has been gained.

Quite to the contrary, 

At lst before there was security.  Previously I oudld return at 1 am
or midnight.  But now I could never.  I cannot come home after 4pm.

These are some examples of our life.

I apologize again if I make some trouble to you.  Thank you very much.

1:26am CST Thursday 26 May 2005

I don't plan to correct the above. I wrote it based on what they said, but often changed their style of speech into what seemed more natural to me. "house of my brother" became "my brother's house" ...

heaven and earth

1:24am CST Thursday 26 May 2005

LeLy Hayslip's book made into movie must be really good. The movie was lovely.

zzzzz.

1:24am CST Thursday 26 May 2005

We are at N 22.16'505" and E 115.03'570", 90.2 kilometers from where I said Hong Kong is. We're going due west.