My snowy trip to Erbil

It was such a cold morning when I woke up and my dad told me that snow starts falling....

Yayyyyyy...I have been waiting since 2004...and finally it snows... My trip was decided to Erbil that day. So we hit the road and on the way we faced a harsh blizzard but it was cool though....Thanks to God my camera was in my pocket... Here are some of the snapshots I took.

Later

Christmas events and beyond....

Hello All, I wish you all enjoyed celebrating Christmas Eve and day, and hope you celebrate the New Year as well.

My Christmas here was so quiet and run-of-the-mill...

I went to the church on Christmas Eve with my faily, we attended the Special Mass of Christmas along with regular ceremonies...I prayed so hard and from my heart for Iraqis and non-Iraqis, I Prayed and asked God for peace...

There were many cameras all over the place, and guess what? One of the Iraqi-Assyrian Satellite channels, Ishtar-TV broadcasted the Ceremony of our church, I saw my self on TV though!! :D

I met some old friends there, we chit-chatted for about 20 minutes, it was 8:30 P.M when we left the church!

People at church and before the Mass took place were discussing their life issues and daily endurances as usual...There were two middle-aged women sitting right behind me- believe me I didn't want to eavesdrop but I heard some of their talk:

Woman1: Hey, I have a party after this Mass!! (Mocking)

Woman2: Really? Where?

Woman1: Heheh, at home...I have to go and start cooking Pacha for tomorrow you know!!

By the way Pacha is a very popular Iraqi food needs more than 1 day preparations to be cooked, but it is so yummy..Well if soe of you known of what this pacha consists of, he/she wouldn't be able to eat any food at all, you either like it from your heart or hate it to death!!!!

The main dish will be the lamb head, heheh :D, any way my subject is not about what to cook??? But I just mentioned it so you can have an idea.

Woman2: But do you have a propane gas cylinder to use it for cooking this giant meal???

Woman1: Oh yeah I have saved 1 more, and if am running out of it, I will call my aunt to get me another one....

Me to my self (wait a minute, her aunt?! hmm, may be her aunt working in an oil company or in the petroleum products department, yeahhh welcome to the favoritism system)...Any way I avoided whatsoever they talked about after I noticed that my saliva was kinda drooling!!!!

We went home and as usual there was no power at all, no generator...My step mom prepared dinner, so I ate with zero desire of chewing the food...and went to bed.

Next Day

I woke up at 7:00 A.M and thought to my self (wait, last year my gist was under the tree and this year I almost forgot about it, I went down stairs deliriously looking for my gift!! Where is it, where is it?? My eyes looked like Bugs Bunny's eyes when he used to be caught up with some thing wrong, my eyes were full of wonder with no tear...How come dad forgotten me???

Any way, I am not a child any more to cry for a gift, I took it jocosely.

On the same day, my uncle and my aunt and their families were invited at lunch in our house...There were different dishes and sweets...Don't ask me what? Because I am not ready now to wipe off my mouth...

Yesterday we were invited at my Aunt house, the professional cook.

I checked my emails and got some Christmas e-cards from my friends and relatives...That was cool though.

So, did you notice any thing special happened to me?? No, its all the same! Ah, I got an email from the BBC Radio Five Live for a short phone interview on Dec 25th night...I missed it cuz there was no darn power at home. ughhhh.

Well, I took some pictures of our Christmas tree at home and 1 of me...

My sister ornamented the tree and designed the manger...well done sis.

LATER

Christmas wishing

Hello Folks,

Although this post won't be long...But I thought of greeting you all in advance before the Christmas Eve!! Iraqis have the priority to be greeted first!! Dear compatriots, I would like to make the best of time to greet you on this blessed day, although our country is wounded, our people are under stress and fear, no Christmas trees in the streets, no Christmas lights or carols at midnight, no Kriss Kringle and gifts...But the love, peace and glimpses of hope are still commited to our memories as if they were sculptured on the bones of our brains or amid the wrinkles... One day God willing, these days will be back again to wash our tears and draw the smile on every face, take the pain away and leave happiness in every house... May the Lord watch over you all and your families in this season. May he brocade your days will joyful, happiness, merrymaking and blessings throughout the year.... I would like to give you another description of Christmas: forget about bombs, the killings, and kidnappings, think about the baby that was born in that frosty night; Jesus Christ, king of peace...Think of how the angels started to sing and glorify the Lord: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men., think of the manger that Jesus was born in, in Bethlehem...

To my overseas friends... I wish you a very blessed Christmas and a Happy new year.. Thank you all for being my friends and supporting my blog throughout the 5 month-period ...I look forward seening you around always. I would like to thank in particular: FLORIAN-AUSTRIA. Miss-Tita NIW micho Salam TG-GIRL MAX Bill and my friend L who doesn't have a blog yet... I thank them for being there for me...Of course I do appreciate other bloggers as well.

GOD BLESS YOU ALL

Victims of Terror III

These pictures showing some of the mo*** f***r body parts, some parts of the car and the attacked house.

To hell you f***ing murderer...to hell...go and meet your other chums who are burning in hell now!!!!

Victims of Terror II

Victims of Terror

What the hell is going on here??? Why the phone is ringing and no one wants to answer… They don’t see how busy I was??? They Just think about themselves taking the nap and the hell with every thing else??

Oh man!! I missed the land-line call…rnrnrnrrn…here it is again!! Who is insisting calling us in that way???

Me: Hello, Hello… My Uncle’s wife (N): Help…Help!!!

Me: what is wrong aunty?? N: your other uncle’s house….ummm let me talk to your dad!!! Me: OK, hold on, Dad, dad hurry up!!! Aunty wants to talk to you!! Dad: Hello what is wrong? After N finished talking to dad; his face looked pale and yellow…My brother’s house had experienced a big explosion!! His wife and daughter are there!! We have to go and see what happened to them!

Me: Oh my!!! What an evening!! Dad, my sister and I got into the car like crazy people, and he was driving so fast. We arrived there but the US army and Iraqi police closed the road, because the firefighters were trying to extinguish the fire all over the place. We still don’t know the reason why that small street which is full of bunch of civilian houses was attacked??!!! Any way, we waited till all those forces left the place…

Couple of policemen stood in front of our car as we were entering the street, but my dad pointed to my Uncle’s house and after negotiating with them, we got to park our car far from the house and go there walking!!!

It was about 5:30 pm and as usual it was dark already, all wires and electricity cables melted because of the explosion… smoke, shrapnel and screams in every where, we got into the house finally.

I will never forget how my Uncles’ wife (S) and daughter (L) looked like at that moment, scared to death, quivering so bad, stammering and crying!!! Help, help…S called for us…look what happened to my house!

Look what happened to us, the door feel over L’s head, but thank God she wasn’t hurt… I walked into the house, and took a look inside in the kitchen; I found broken glasses, shrapnel, destroyed plants pots, broken dishes, and doors!!! It was so dark that we had to lit candles all over the place.

In TV room, the scene was bloodcurdling!! All curtains and glasses were mixed with each other the way we couldn’t move them, TV and satellite receiver were on the floor, not to mention whatsoever was in the credenza feel on the floor as well.

I wanted to go upstairs to check the other rooms, I couldn’t go up, because of the teeny-weeny broken glasses were on the steps and the banister… It was getting darker and colder, there was no one safe glass at home, the cold air started blowing inside the house, and my uncles was out all that time…

My dad kept waiting him at the out gate in order to tell him gently about what happened, we didn’t want him to come and figure out himself and get overtaken!!!! I took my sister aside and whisper in her ear “let’s start removing some of the glasses from the corridor, and garage!”

I took one of the squeegees and start sweeping the floor, by the time I reached the door handles, I stumbled with glasses and feel on my hand, Ouch!!! My fingers got injured!! But I kept cleaning…

I heard that my Uncle was beeping to park his car, and saw my sister and cousin cleaning the garage from glasses to make way to his car!!! My Uncle got out and he was totally overpowered of what he has just seen… I can tell that in spite of the darkness but I could see how his irises and eye pupils turned to red!! And as usual as any Iraqi hot tempered my uncle showered us with cusses and revilements…

“Oh wait!! Did I tell you the reason of the explosion” My uncle said with angry voice My neighbor is a cornel in the police plus, he is the chief of felonies investigation court. A suicide was driving his car so fast, and he invaded the police’s garage bombing himself and killing no one but him.

There is only one house which separates my uncle’s house from the police’s one! The damage was so horrendous; it affected other house from the back street also. The police cornel and his wife were injured and they were driven by an ambulance to the hospital along with the injured neighbors.

The next day all of us, my aunt and my other uncle’s wife went to clean and renovate, every one was responsible for a particular job, brushing, vacuum-

cleaning, washing, mopping, and sweeping.

The work started at 8:00 A.M and continued for consecutive 12 hours, that was only cleaning…not fixing. My step mom and aunt, cooked food in our house and brought there, as you know there was no time to cook!! My dad will bring the blacksmith and carpenters to the house on Saturday to fix the doors and windows…

What is their fault??? Sitting inside their houses and securing their lives??? Paying millions of dinnars for renovations only?? What did they do?? And you tell me be careful and stay home!! we are getting attacked In the mid of our safest places, our house!! What is the safest place that we need to go to so we can stay alive??? Is it the moon????

Any way, the pictures will explain more.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SISTER :)

I have always known many friends who celebrate their Birthdays on different times of the year but I have never notice such a crowded celebratories in Decemeber!!

Since this month started and I have to congratulate some on on his/her birthday! and when ever I come to cross names off my greeting list I find more names still waiting to be greeted..Even my mom was celebrating her birthday on Christmas Eve...

Any way a week ago was my bestest friend's Birthday, although he is not here at the moment but I gave him a phone call and greeted him on that day. 3 days ago was my other friend's Birthday, of course I had to go online and pick up a nice E-card and send, not to mention the emails...

But today is so speacial, it is my baby sister's Birthday although she is not a baby any more but I still consider her that way...

She has that hot temper and rushy in every thing except cooking!! My God, her food is so delicious and perfectly cooked...even though she is younger than me but she took mom's palce in kitchen when mom passed away!!

She is very lovely and friendly...some times she sneaks with my clothes away hahah but I still love her.

We sent her to sleep at my Uncle's house yesetrady so when she comes today will find a surprise, cakes, gifts and a small party....

Sister, I love you from all of my heart, and dad does the some...I wish you a very safe Birthday.

Enjoy your party dear and may God watch over you and protects you always. A big kiss and a hug sweetie. Your sister

Marshmallow

Patience

I love this song of Take That team. Enjoy it here. P.S. I linked the code of the lyrics and the audio song at the bottom of my page.

Alice in Wonderland country

This is a new still-running movie in Iraq...No, no, no I am not talking about Alice; that British young lady who gets smaller than her original size and enter to a new world the world of wonderland. Indeed I am pointing to a-live-on air Iraqi movie!! I guess I have to translate and factorize the word “Alice” to its initials.

For my Iraqi and Arabic readers I am sure that you all know the word “Alice or 3alis” now days, right? Well, Alice in Arabic language and especially in Iraqi accent means “chew”. Like, chewing a gum, or we say: the cassette got chewed! When the cassette strip gets messed up inside the recorder! These days, the word Alice became such an infamous word in Iraq and it took an important place amongst the Iraqi slang vocabulary… Alice has the followings derivatives:

1. Verb (past, present, continuous present and imperative) such as ( In3ilas, Yin3ilis, dayin3ilis, i3lis)

2. Noun (ma3loos, 3allas)

3. Adjective (3lasa)

4. Adverb ( 3alsan mubri7an)

Translations:

1. Verb (has been chewed up, gets chewing up, is chewing, chew!)

2. Noun (Chewed, chewer)

3. Adjective (chewing)

4. Adverb ( chewingly)

Please don’t get confused, you can’t find these definitions in Merriam Webster even, LOL… Every body in Iraq uses this word referring to (killing, murdering, and assassinating)…and yea, Iraq now is the Wonderland country, you get chewed if you are not DISOBEYING the orders, you get chewed up if you belong to a specific religion ethnic group, you get chewed up if you speak English in the street, or if you are a religious man, teacher, doctor, garbage man, singer, engineer, green grocer, vendor, cigarette seller, kin chief, interpreter (oh those have a special way to get chewed up), peddler, farmer, man, woman, child…sententiously: you get chewed up because you are a human being and seeks for the truth… I wish that I was born at 4 July 1862, when the story "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" arose. That story which describes how a little girl started her journey accompanied with her friends, the scare crew, the lion and the iron man…what an amazing tour she took, discovering lands, flowers that can speak, big cups of tea that has houses inside, and so on…this world that has all colors and it is so shiny… Our wonderland is different, gloomy or you can say -black and white with bloody color technique- you are not allowed to laugh or scream, not to complain or regret not even to reclaim or dun…

The only thing exist in this wonderland is SOUL, but anti-soul is Alice, hereby Alice exists to defeat souls and kill the joy, Alice is here to shift+delete the smiles and shut them down with bullets… Who ever want to take a trip to Iraq, he/she will see on those chewers foreheads and in their eyes this welcome note: Welcome to 3alice (Chewing) in Wonderland country !