Life in Morganhdad

Mass Media

I am so sick of seeing lies on the news about the progress that is being made and the peace that this progress is fighting for. I am hoping that after the Mayor’s speech tonight people will be able to ask questions. I doubt this will be the case. It usually isn’t. But I would really like to ask what specifics aspects of Morganhdad life shows signs of progress and peace? Is it all the dead bodies I see everyday? Is it a curfew starting at 8? Is it military men on every corner constantly stopping everyone and asking them for identification? Is it everyday bombings or on a good day just an afternoon shooting? Because the last time I checked all these things were signs of war, conflict, and destruction and definitely not signs of progress.

4:00PM Dinner

I am eating dinner really early tonight because I am going to a speaker at 6:00PM and won’t have time to afterwards because of our curfew. Our former Mayor Ala al-Tamimi is giving a speech tonight about safety. I am somewhat excited to hear what he has to say, but overall I am just extremely skeptical of all political people these days. I just really think that politicians care more about sustaining the image of a great world than actually striving to make a great world.

Everyday Crap

After anatomy lab I needed to check my email account and look up current news. President Bush gave a speech today on the value of liberty and freedom of choices. I want to believe in what he is saying, but these ideals are far from reality. Everyday I live in fear that something will happen to me or someone I love. The anxieties of leaving my house and what I might encounter outside have now become common place, which is depressing. Even more depressing is that I do not see an end anywhere in sight, this war and hatred against one another is continuing to grow. Each time someone is killed for a religious reason, hate spreads, and the more that hate spreads the more people want to kill each other, and this unending spiral of terror, hate, and death keeps spinning completely out of control.

2:00PM Anatomy

We dissected a cat today which was definitely interesting. Today we specifically looked at the superficial muscles of the cat and next week we will be looking at the organs. The muscles were amazing to see and by observing them it is really easy to see exactly how they work and how powerful they really are.

Hanging out with the fellas

My friends and I were talking today about appearances and how appearances seem to be what the world is based on most of the time. From mass media to social customs appearances plays a huge role. The difference between a Shiite and Sunni is not noticeable by appearance alone which I guess is good in some ways, but also is dangerous in others. Its hard to know who you can trust and who you can’t which I guess is one of the reasons why people don’t try harder to stick together. It’s been so violent and dangerous for so many years that it’s just easier to protect yourself and watch out for your own back than to really worry about what anyone else is doing.

12:00PM Lunch

I love having lunch with my friends. Besides actual classes, hanging out with my friends is my only other release. They understand what I am going through more than even my brothers and sisters or parents. Sometimes I just think about how destructive war is and that no one wins, no one ever wins, everyone just looses.