Days of My Life

Talk about daily life of a teenage girl in Iraq, and days of suffering and success. My nick name will be Sunshine..

Friday, November 23, 2007

The acclimatization we have is unbelievable !!!..

Hello friends, I didn’t write for long time, the computer didn’t work and it took me a lot of time to fix it .. as well as I was really busy with my exams, and homework, you know most of our teachers don’t explain the lesson well, & I have to depend on myself, and study really hard.
My mom was really sick, and I was also busy cleaning and organizing the house, thank god she’s feeling better now..

In this month a lot for things happened, and I have a lot to talk about, I have good news as well (YES GOOD NEWS).
The situation in Baghdad is much better than before, my grandparents were able to visit our relatives in a far away neighborhood, the municipality’s cars came and cleaned my grandparents’ neighborhood, they removed tons of dirt, they also put flowers and grass!!! That’s great , although it is still not perfect in many neighborhoods there ..
There is a huge improvement in the situation in Ramadi.
The situation in mosul is HORRIBLE, now it is the most dangerous city in Iraq, (4 explosions happened while I am writing this post) !!! and yesterday I saw two police cars completely burned ..
Let’s start from my news 4 weeks ago, till today ..
Week No. 1
On Saturday, there was a lot of shooting, and I had to study for my biology exam in the corridor near the stairs! (I did really good btw, and took one of the highest marks in the class).
Two days later, I was studying mathematics when a mine exploded, my room was full of dust and I ran to avoid the bullets, a big shrapnel fell in our garden (it’s size is twice the palm’s), it could kill any one, a window was broken, at that time my grandpa and dad were fixing the windows and handles because of a previous explosion happened in the morning. After the explosion there was heavy shooting, 30 minutes later i went to my room, to study for my math exam, after about 5 minutes I heard sound of shouting coming from my neighbor’s house, I said “ oh no, someone was injured” I ran and looked from the window and saw national guards in my neighbor’s garden kicking their doors to enter their house, they were nervous (no doubt after what happened to them). The neighborhood was inspected and MANY men were arrested, they are innocent neighbors, and have been living in this neighborhood for 30 or 40 years .. beside their houses has been damaged because all of these explosions ..
many mines were put in the street in front of our house and I had to change my way to school to another longer one to avoid them. I seriously thought of moving to another school but then I changed my mind and decided to stay..
Week No. 2
I had a lot of exams, and a lot of homework, and had to stay up late to study (alone in my room which’s far from my parents’ room, we didn’t have electricity, and I used the rechargeable torches, and my headlight, very romantic)..
Our biology teacher examined us a monthly exam without telling us, she simply forgot to declare!!!, She came to the class, stood for awhile and forgot what she wanted to say, many girls took 60% or 70% but luckily I took 89% !! my mistake was in the Latin terminologies .. (the other schools don’t study them but we have to do so) .
Snipers settled my neighbor’s house which is directly behind our house, and face my room ... I went back to sleep in my sister’s room, she’s nice and allowed me to stay, but she complains every night about that, I know she doesn’t like to share a room with a teenager .. but you know what, the mines became much less than before, the sniper killed a terrorist behind the house while he was implanting a mine.. after a week the sniper left, and the situation became worse, and mines were put everywhere in the neighborhood ..
On Thursday I was invited to a FAAAAAR relative’s birthday, I talk to her on phone but I’d never seen her, she lives 2 streets away (verrrrry close),
As my school is very far, I reached home late, the party starts at 2 pm !!! and I reached at 2:15 pm, after my sister and I got ready we reached the party , but it was over!!!!!!!! We had lunch there, then took pics in the garden, while we were doing that, the police came, and arrested allllllllllllllllll the guys who were in the street walking, or shopping or even riding their bicycles !! the girls stood near the fence watching, but I went inside the house, it wasn’t wise to stay out as the policemen might be attacked ..
On Saturday we were invited to a relative’s engagement party, we spent a long time in the car trying to find an open road leads to his house! I had a great time, Yahya (the groom) is a very dear person to my heart and I admire him a lot, His fiancée lives 3 houses away !!! so when all the relatives reached his house, we went walking cheering, and throwing candies in the air till we reached, it was a great party ..
Yahya’s wedding will be on 6/12 .. I can’t wait ..
Week No. 3
It was Tuesday night, when suddenly I had sense of optimism, I don’t know why!!! But I felt that the situation will get better!! in that day grandma phoned and said the situation is much better in Baghdad. And kept talking about the improvements, I just felt that it’ll happen to us in mosul too, because the capital of Iraq is witnessing progress.
On Wednesday morning, in my way to school, my friends were studying, but I was thinking of the old restaurants we used to go to in Baghdad, I spent the most beautiful days there, I miss those days a lot, and I was thinking of the situation in mosul in general, from where the re-building will start.
The governor promised by next January there will be no more car bombs, and the police manager and a leader of one of the national Iraqi troops promised to defeat all the terrorists (he’s a great man, I’ve seen most of his speeches and I support him a lot.
In our way back home, after school, the girls and I started discussing matters about the party we were planning to have on the next day at school, what food to bring and what to wear, and in my way home I was talking with my friend who’s 2 years younger than me about the party, music, etc .. it was 2:00 pm I was tired BUT extremely happy, the driver suddenly asked us not to look at the right side, before he finish his sentence I saw murdered man thrown in the middle of the street, with A lot of blood round him..
I came home with my face red and trying to hold my tears.. in the next day I was feeling better, and I got through that.. the party was good, but many girl couldn’t attend ..

Week No. 4
I went to al jameay street, my favorite place in mosul, and for the first time it was kind of crowded, it brought back good memories, about al Rubaee street in Baghdad , my favorite part there.. were there were a lot of shops, restaurants, and nice children city named “ Al Rayhana” .. I do have hope that those days will come back..
On Saturday we went to the market, we were shopping when a police car was attacked in front of the shop and shooting started, people were running to hide in a safe place, after awhile everything calmed down, and everyone started to do shopping again, just like nothing happened.. the acclimatization we have is unbelievable !!!..
On Wednesday I was sick and couldn’t go to school, I had to postponed the French exam to Sunday..
Oh, the most important thing I want to tell you about is, two days ago, there was on TV the leader of one of the national Iraqi troops in mosul , he caught many terrorists , he took them to different places in mosul and he asked the people to gather in one place to talk to them, the terrorists stood in a line, and he started to investigate with them in the street so that everyone knows about the horrible things they’ve done, he kept shouting at them and insulting them!!, then he walked in the street pushing them and letting every citizen see those terrorists who killed tens if not hundreds of people.
As they say the darkest part of the night comes just before sunrise, and now we reached the darkest point as I believe..
Sunshine..

Btw, I’ll reply your E-mails as soon as I have time, I have TENS on E-mails need to be replied ..

31 Comments:

At 8:27 PM, Blogger John said...

It is wonderful to hear from you Sunshine! I am glad your mom is feeling a little better. I'll be praying for you and your family! Please stay safe!
Very best wishes that the dawn will be very soon!

 
At 12:11 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

So glad to see you writing again. I hope things continue to get better, especially in your town. I am delighted that your mother is feeling better. Please stay safe and well Sunshine, and know that people all over the world are sending you our best wishes and hopes for peace.

 
At 3:32 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello My Dearest One!

I am pleased to hear that your mother is feeling better. I am sure you were helpful and loving as always!

I am very sad to hear that Mosul has become the epi-center of the chaos. My prayers and thoughts are with each and every one of your friends and neighbours.

I am so very proud of you for your diligence and hard work. As I have said before, I would so love to have a class full of students who were as respectful, eager and of course as bright as you are. I know your teachers and your mother and father must be very proud of you.

Be Safe Dear One! I hope and pray that the dark truly has ended and that the light will soon begin to shine in the hearts and lives of all of Mosul's citizens.

Be Well. Be Safe. Be you!
XOXO
4

 
At 4:42 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am very happy to hear from you and also so happy to hear your mother is doing much better. Anybody who knows you already knew that you would do well in school. While it seems that your situation is still very dangerous, it is good to hear that you feel it will get better. Hope is everything.

 
At 4:43 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm very relieved to hear from you, Sunshine! I was really worrying when you didn't write for that long time.

The headline of your post tells all I'm thinking about each time I read your postings, it's impossible to me to imagine what you have to get through.

I hope the situation is really getting better. It's horrible you have to live under those conditions! It'd be great if it wouldn't be just talking again...

Stay shining, Sunshine!

 
At 7:17 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm glad to c ur posts again and ur computer is fixed. i hope and pray that the situation in mosul will get better and for kind people of mosul to live in peace, i advice u 2 visit baghdad,it's better than mosul.take care and keep shining with ur posts.

 
At 9:16 PM, Blogger Ripama said...

Sunshine,

I was concerned about Mama's health. I see she has a new posting that I'll read next.

Nothing pleases me more than to learn that the terrorists are being defeated. The problem is that they're still in Mosul, and you and your family are still in Mosul.

 
At 11:10 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey Sunshine!
it's Cat. I'm so glad things are getting better in Iraq. People in the US still say that things are getting worse, and that the war will be lost. If they could just see blogs like this one, it would be so much easier on our leaders! For Thanksgiving Day (Friday 23) I thanked God for keeping you and you're family safe... Glad to hear from you!
Luv ya,
Cat

 
At 2:43 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I've spent the past three hours reading your blogs from the beginning. It's been such a revelation! Thanks so much for helping us see the other side of Iraq. I hope you and your family will stay safe and be able to eventually have a safe place to live.

Stef (New Zealand)

 
At 4:23 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Congratulations on your wonderful school accomplishments. Your grades are always commendable.

I am very happy to hear that Mama is feeling so much better. I have worried so much about her since I heard about her being sick. There was nothing I could do to help, but I did pray to our God daily and ask him to watch over you and Mama and help her get better.

I like the niper, if I understood it correctly. I wih that more men would rise up against the terrorists and help defeat them.

Thank you for your posts. They mean so much to all of us. We do care for all you innocent Iraqi people.

Stay safe and keep up the good work in each of your clases. I am very proud of you.

 
At 12:18 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi sunshine.

Thank you so much for your nice comment.

I am so glad your mam is better.
please see my blog and put nice
comment for me. WWW.ashkavand.blogspot.com
Take Care
Ashkavand

 
At 6:51 PM, Blogger aicilef said...

it's my first time here and i'm really glad to see you so optimistic about your situation!

thank you for making me feel that life in singapore isn't that bad after all.

keep safe and stay cheerful! :)

 
At 6:57 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Sunshine,

I've commented once or twice before. I'm the guy whose oldest daughter is two months younger than you and who has a nephew, William, in Ramadi.

William returned with his unit to the U.S. a few weeks ago. You say that there has been a "huge improvement in Ramadi". I told many months ago that William would help improve Ramadi, but you probably didn't believe me. :)

William is going to Fort Polk, Louisiana now. Because he was wounded in Ramadi, he will probably not return to Iraq soon, but instead will train other American soldiers at Fort Polk in urban combat -- since that seems to be what Iraq has become: an urban combat zone.

Having been a soldier myself, I can tell you that soldiers hate urban combat. It's too much like police work. Tell your countrymen that we don't mind defending Iraq from foreigners, like Iranians, Saudis, Libyans, etc., but we think Iraqis should do their own policing of fellow Iraqis.

God bless you and your family, and keep up the good work in school. :)

RRH

 
At 2:11 AM, Blogger Melissa Walker said...

Sunshine,
I'm still keeping up with your blog and it makes me smile to hear your good news! I know your story on flip.com continues to help a lot of American teenagers put a face on this war--thank you so much!
XO,
Melissa

 
At 4:28 AM, Blogger Jessica said...

My darling Sunshine,
Your blog is amazing and I am inspired by you. I will pass on the address to many so that they too can be inspired. You are an incredibly brave person. I look forward to reading more entries as they come.
Congratulations on your good grades, keep it up!

 
At 11:57 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sunshine, This is Ashley's mom Michelle. I was so relieved to see your posting today I cried. I had heard about the mass bombings in Mosul and we were so worried about you and your family. The news out of Baghdad is indeed good and is reaching us here. Have faith little one, there is a light at the end of your tunnel.

Much love and prayers your way.

 
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At 3:06 AM, Blogger Rachel said...

I was so happy that you posted again and are okay! I'm glad you are so optimistic. My best thoughts are with you.

ps my nickname is sometimes 'Sunshine' too!!!

 
At 3:20 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sunshine, I won't get into it, but the situation in Mosul is going to improve.AQ is running out of places to hide and Iraqis are turning against them everywhere. My best hopes for your future. Keep your Sun shining. Say hello to your family for me. I feel like I know them, and though chances are slim, I would be proud to meet them someday.

 
At 6:59 PM, Blogger Linda G. said...

Sunshine, I'm so happy that you and your family are safe!
I'm really impressed that you fixed your own computer and that you have the dedication to study with flash and head lights!
Congratulations on your grades, you've earned them:)
Keeping you and your family, in my thoughts and prayers, as always..

 
At 4:03 AM, Blogger BirdMan said...

Creation

Allah created Heaven and Earth,
Rain comes from the heaven to the earth,
Vine grows,
And then it became a woman!
   
Brahman created Heaven and Earth,
Rain comes from the heaven to the earth,
Vine grows,
And then it became a woman!
   
God created Heaven and Earth,
Rain comes from the heaven to the earth,
Vine grows,
And then it became a woman! 
  
Energy created Universe,
Rain comes from the universe to Gaia,
Vine grows,
And then it became a woman! 
  
Aoyagi YoSuKe
  

 
At 5:24 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Acclimatization!! Wow, your study and hard work shows in your writing. You would be a formidable Scrabble player:)
I'm so glad they are replanting flowers, hopefully they'll also replant the palm trees soon.
It is always good to know you and your family are safe.
sebohan

 
At 10:56 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm so excited! News of improvement in Iraq has reached the media, and they have actually acknowledged it! BBC has an article about improvements in Iraq. Hopefully more news sites will take on and help spread the good news. ;)
Cat

 
At 2:20 AM, Blogger BirdMan said...

NHK reported that you have old book shop street in Baghdad.

There are about 300 book shops?

And they have been since 1000 years ago?

I see. Sunshine, so you are very smart!

You are very proud of the shops.

By the way, I bought an Arabesque Design book at Iran book shop on the Tokyo Book Fair this year.

I negotiated its price with the Iranian book seller who came from Iran.

Anyway the book is very wonderful!

AO

 
At 5:52 AM, Blogger BirdMan said...

Sunshine,

I cannot read Arabic letters.

But this is Design Book.

No prpblem!

Forward: Sallah - Iddin Shirzad(Ph.D.)

written on cover page.

Anyway the Designs are very good!

We Japanese imported the Arabesque and applied it to wrapping clothes.

ShockRun, Laki!

 
At 4:05 PM, Blogger Jhondie said...

raven1Hi Sunshine! I'm sorry we let all those bad guys escape to your city :( Hopefully the forces there can remove them and quickly.
Congrats on your Marks! You are the only person I know who studies for a test while there is a battle going on outside your house :) You're amazing!

 
At 10:16 PM, Blogger Iraqi Mojo said...

Hi Sunshine, I'm glad the situation in Baghdad is improving, but I'm sorry that the security situation in Mosul is worsening. I did read about terrorists moving north. I hope they are caught or killed soon.

Stay safe.

 
At 8:55 AM, Blogger BirdMan said...

ضوء الشمس ،

لا استطيع قراءة الرسائل بالعربيه.

ولكن هذا هو تصميم الكتاب.

لا مشكلة!

الى الامام : صلاح - iddin shirzad (دكتوراه)

مكتوب على صفحة الغلاف.

على اي حال فان تصميمات جيدة جدا!

نحن اليابانيه المستورده الارابيسك وتطبق عليه لتغليف الملابس.

I used English to Arabic translator presented by Google.

I copied and pasted the result. The order was reverse.

Why?


AO

 
At 11:04 PM, Blogger annie said...

you are so brave sunshine, you amaze me. congrats on your excellent grades, especially under the conditions you study! stay safe, i hope your neighbors return home safely too.

 
At 2:45 PM, Blogger Alameen said...

Praying for you Sunshine

 
At 3:14 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello Sunshine,

I have finished reading "Days of My Life" for the first time. It is well written. You do a good job writting in a way that gives your readers some understanding about the circumstances which bear upon your every day life.

You come across as a young girl with a loving heart and a strong spirit. Keep writing! The World is listening to you, and others from Iraq, as you bear the daily burden of risk and uncertainty; yet still with hope and enthusiasm for life. Keep writing! The World is listening as you work toward "findng your voice" through writing to let others know how things are with you.
My very best wishes to you and your family.

 

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