Nice Bombs

Okay. So. Having flaunted my ignorance, and shamelessly exposed being stuck in my Western mindset, as well as venting my pet peeves about my trip to Baghdad, I thought it would be a good time to list the things I liked and saw as advanced, positive, amazing things about Iraq.

1.) Healthcare: when I was sick, doctors were friendly, knowlegable, and accessible (they even made housecalls). When I needed any kind of medication I needed only visit a pharmacy and list my symptoms. High quality perscription medicines were extremely cheap (as I said, they were as little as two cents U.S. per pill), and hassle free. I was able to treat my acne which has been bothering me for over a year (it's all gone by the way!), as well as get Valium to help me sleep, and an antibiotic for my broncile infection. This is a million lightyears beyond healthcare in America, where, if I need a doctor, I have to assess whether I would rather pay my rent or get a check-up. Yes, it's that bad here. And a sipmle bottle of topical antibiotic for acne can cost up to $100.

2.) Childhood: Kids are very important in Iraq. As I mentioned, they are one of the reasons for living. And to top it off, they get the undivided attention of both parents, since divorce rates in the Middle East are very low. Family is important, and that can only be an advantage to a young child. But, as a side note, I do have to mention that I saw some child labor. It was usually children working in their parents shops. To be honest, I did the same as a child in my parent's store. It's a simple side-effect of entrepreneurship, and kids learn a lot from it, so it's not so terrible.

3.) No such thing as lonely: If you need someone, you will always find a cousin, friend, aunt, uncle, sister, brother, or neighbor to keep you company. For people who love people, it's a fantastic place to be.

4.) History: There is an awareness of history unlike I've ever recognized elsewhere. It's the cradle of civilization so they say, and you can feel it, see it, smell it. The place itself remembers and in some cases remains unchanged. Even the contemporary pop music is based upon long standing tradtions, styles, beats, melodies, instruments... Even in downtown Jordan I saw an ancient Roman amphitheater.

5.) Global Awareness: Along with common knowledge of history, there is also an awareness of woldwide current events. There are 125 newspapers in Iraq now!

6.) Dance: Iraqi's love to dance! From bellydancing to Chobie in a big circle, music and dance is everywhere! I got pulled into a celebratory boogie down at least once.

7.) Persistence: Even in the face of crisis, Iraqi's are determined to go one with their lives. Through three wars in a single generation, they just won't stop moving on. And there is a positivity which I see everywhere - a hope for what comes next. They have a great sense of humor about things. I will never forget how U's cousin would laugh and say "it's a nice bomb. When I hear a bomb I sleep better at night." But even more amazing is that even though the electricity is going off every three hours, and communication lines go down regularly, many internet cafes are springing up, and setting up shop. They can't wait around for things to be perfect. They just jump in and start advancing.

8.) Frankness: If there's a problem, Iraqi's perfer to get it out in the open and face it head on. They may discuss it and argue for hours, but their passion about a subject never dimishes their love for one another. Especially among family. Blood, as they say, is definitely thicker than water there.

9.) Satelite TV: 700 channels, and all you need is a $100 dish and reciever. No monthly service charges. It's as easy to set up as a simple antenae. Here i pay about $40 to rent a DirecTV dish and get around 500 channels. And if I want all the avialble channels it costs a ton more.

10.) Work days: A typical work day for someone who works in a bank for example is like this. Start work at 8:00 or 9:00. Come home at 2:00 PM. Have the rest of the day and night for family, friends, or whatever the heck you want to do. Other scenarios include working from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, coming home for two hours for lunch and a nap, and then going back to work from say 4:00 to 6:00. Oh, and Thursdays are halfdays and Fridays you get off... If only the US would follow such a model, I'm sure we'd be every bit as productive as we are now, if not more. And for proferssors... 12 hour work weeks are considered full-time. Now that's a life!

11.) Food: When you buy a chicken, they kill it right there and clean it for you. That is fricking fresh! Plus you're more connected to what it is you're eating. If you see it there clucking around, and see the process of how it becomes food, it seems to me that you're not so detatched. People in America think chicken comes from the grocery store, if you know what I mean. They are out of touch with what they are putting in their bodies. That's why people can get away with such inhumane practices toward livestock. Plus, there's far fewer processed foods, which we all know are not good for you, anyway.

12.) Lack of materialism: People are ten billion times more important than things. I don't know how many times someone said to me "if you like it, you can take it," offering me some item that belongs to them. Iraqi's aren't greedy, and are generally very generous with what they do have. I feel an Iraqi would give you the shirt off his back to make you more comfortable.

13.) Moral stability: Even with no laws in place, the Iraqi people function respectfully toward one another. I'm afraid that in the same situation, Americans would rob, rape, and kill each other without regard. Even with no consequences, Iraqi's have a good moral fiber.

14.) Architecture: I have never seen buildings as beautiful as some of Iraq's mosques. Truly fantastic to behold! Words have no power to desribe them!

15.) Tolerence: For the most part, I saw little predjudice among everyday Iraqi's toward other religions. When I told people I was Wiccan, they were more curious than condemnatory. I never felt that religion was pushed on me, though it is such a big part of everyday life.

Okay... I'm sure there are more... but you get the idea...

So, despite my bad, and slightly ignorant, attitude I did see the good things.

K