CPTnet
27 May 2005
IRAQ REFLECTION: Bored in Baghdad
by Joe Carr
[Note: The following 21 May 2005 letter that Carr wrote to his supporters
has been edited for length.]
In coming to the Baghdad war-zone, I expected a host of emotions: fear,
sadness, anger, indignation, stress. But I didn't expect the one I've
experienced the most: boredom. Along with all those other emotions,
boredom is also a common experience for Iraqis.
With a constantly deteriorating security situation, travel is dangerous for
everyone, but especially us. Combine that with limited electricity and it
leaves one not much to do. My young Iraqi friends seem particularly
distressed by this. Unemployment is over 75% in Baghdad, so people are stuck
in their houses. One young man lamented to me, "There's nothing else for us
to do but smoke cigarettes," or join resistance groups it seems.
It's a particularly slow time right now because a lot of businesses are
closed for three days of mourning for the multiple Sunni clerics
assassinated in the past several weeks. US divide-and-conquer strategies are
threatening to plunge Iraq into civil war, so the fact that our meetings are
canceled and stores are closed should be the least of our concerns.
Our day starts in the morning with worship and a meeting. We rotate a
variety of daily chores. Since the city water is full of bacteria, we boil
two pots each day, filter it through Brita [filters], and pour it into
plastic bottles. We save the water from dishes and laundry and use it to
flush the toilet. When the electricity is out, we work by candle light. It's
so novel to see us working at laptops by candle light that we've taken
pictures of it.
Since refrigeration is limited, we buy fresh food every day. It seems safe
for us to walk around our neighborhood, so everyday one of us ventures to
the local market. In the street, the stench is thick from garbage, raw
sewage, and generator exhaust. Most of the shop keepers know us, and wave
and smile at us and touch their hearts in sincere greeting.
My favorite shopkeeper stocks his store with American goods from the
black-market of US military rations, like Pringles, Cambells soups, and Pace
picante salsa. I'm a personal fan of his "Western Beef Jerky" featuring an
American flag on that package. Sometimes he asks us to check ingredient
lists to make sure there's no pork, today I assured him there was no pork in
instant pudding mix.
Fast approaching cars and weird looks make me nervous and I jump from loud
noises like someone switching on a generator or dropping something.
Sometimes, think about what I would hide behind if there was suddenly
shooting or an explosion. There are Iraqis who don't go out at all because
of these fears.
I realize that this is probably the least-interesting reflection I've
written. Know that it represents some of the least-interesting days I've had
while working in a war-zone. I'm bored, pray for me.
_______________
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