I have to confess this Eid looked different than the other previous Eids.
"Happy Eid" were the very first words I said to my father kissing him on his cheeks [a tradition we do during Eid]. Then I had to wake up my mother who was sleeping because it was still early. "Happy Eid Mom," I told her doing the same, kissing on her cheeks. I had to wake her up because I had to go to work. My day off was supposed to be on the second day of Eid according to my request. The reason behind that is that I wanted to be with my family to visit my eldest uncle's house which we MUST visit during Eid.
At 8:45 a.m., I arrived at the office and found J, my friend and J2, sitting in the office. "Good morning and Happy Eid," they both said to me. "We don't want to bother you but the internet is not working since last night." I tried for hours to fix it but it wasn't fixed till four hours passed. By that time, I enjoyed finishing the third chapter of Anthony Shadid's book.
"Happy Eid," I said for the tenth time I guess but now to my best friend O. this was left on his answer machine. O called back an hour later. "I am coming to the office," he said. "Are you crazy?" I asked him. "You are supposed to have the day off and enjoy your time with your family," I said. "You know me, I am workcoholic," he said.
O came and we worked as Iraq is always full of events even if it is Eid. By 4 p.m. I went out to talk to some people about their impression about this year's Eid. I was surprised. All the people I talked to were so happy to the extent they said, "We are not afraid."
Saad Salman, for instance, took his two sons and three daughters out to have fun during Eid. "We decided to go out this Eid because we feel security is better than it used to be," said Salman, a 42 year- old trader who was having ice cream with his children at a crowded Ice Cream store in central Baghdad neighborhood of Karrada. Salman who lives in New Baghdad district said he brought his children because they kept bragging him to go out. "Mostly children enjoy Eid. I want them to feel happy," he said.
Unlike other Iraqis I interviewed in Baghdad before Eid, he said, "We think the future will be brighter, these are the first steps to stability."
When I came back I wrote my report and compiled the Eid impression in other cities from our stringers. People in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown, went out in the streets happy with their children and relatives. They went to restaurants and amusement parks. Children played soccer in the streets, police and traffic police disallowed vehicles move in some areas as these areas are crowded with people. An amusement park that was deserted since the invasion is reopened this year and is full of people celebrating Eid.
The situation in Iraq's western province, Anbar, where most of the insurgency operations come from, Eid was different. People said they have no Eid. They said they went to the cemeteries where their relatives and friends were buried as they were killed few days ago by a U.S. air strike. "There is no happiness in our hearts," a resident said.
In Falluja, people were seen with their families walking in the streets or driving as there are no amusement parks. The big park is taken by the Marines and the smaller is taken by the Iraqi army. People were left without a place to have fun in.
By 7 p.m., O and I were done with work. I suggested having dinner together and we did. We went together to Samad, a restaurant in the upscale neighborhood in Baghdad. We had fun a lot. That was the first time I go out to have fun with O for more than a month. The last time was in Amman when we spend one of the best times in my life.
I returned back home at 10 p.m. and spent some time with my parents and then went to sleep.
The next day I woke up at 11:30 a.m., had breakfast, took a shower and dressed up to go visit my uncle. All my cousins, who are all married, were present with their families. Their kids were full of life playing and jumping here and there. My uncle, his wife, and cousins were so happy to see me this Eid as I was absent for two previous Eids being busy with work.
My aunt, prepared a huge lunch meal includes Mazgoof [the Iraqi grilled fish], Biriani rice, and different kinds of rice, salads, juices.. etc.
By 4 p.m., my friends called me and told me that we should go out and have fun. So, we met together and had tour in the dark streets of Baghdad which were lightened by the fireworks of the children and the teenagers. It was encouraging to see the people happy despite all the difficulties and danger they might face. Hand in hand, parents were walking with their children in the streets, young men were singing in their cars, children were dancing in the streets on the music coming from slowly moving cars, restaurants were full of hungry people for happiness not for food, and police and army checkpoints securing the crowds. I was very impressed and happy. These people are incredible. We always say that Iraqis are the most patient people on this sphere. I am so happy for the children whose childhood is caught in war and violence.
Today, the third and last day in Eid, we are having a big lunch party for our staff and their families in our house's big garden. Their children are playing near the pool and on the slide carrying their balloons that have the same colors of their fancy Eid clothes.
"Happy Eid" were the very first words I said to my father kissing him on his cheeks [a tradition we do during Eid]. Then I had to wake up my mother who was sleeping because it was still early. "Happy Eid Mom," I told her doing the same, kissing on her cheeks. I had to wake her up because I had to go to work. My day off was supposed to be on the second day of Eid according to my request. The reason behind that is that I wanted to be with my family to visit my eldest uncle's house which we MUST visit during Eid.
At 8:45 a.m., I arrived at the office and found J, my friend and J2, sitting in the office. "Good morning and Happy Eid," they both said to me. "We don't want to bother you but the internet is not working since last night." I tried for hours to fix it but it wasn't fixed till four hours passed. By that time, I enjoyed finishing the third chapter of Anthony Shadid's book.
"Happy Eid," I said for the tenth time I guess but now to my best friend O. this was left on his answer machine. O called back an hour later. "I am coming to the office," he said. "Are you crazy?" I asked him. "You are supposed to have the day off and enjoy your time with your family," I said. "You know me, I am workcoholic," he said.
O came and we worked as Iraq is always full of events even if it is Eid. By 4 p.m. I went out to talk to some people about their impression about this year's Eid. I was surprised. All the people I talked to were so happy to the extent they said, "We are not afraid."
Saad Salman, for instance, took his two sons and three daughters out to have fun during Eid. "We decided to go out this Eid because we feel security is better than it used to be," said Salman, a 42 year- old trader who was having ice cream with his children at a crowded Ice Cream store in central Baghdad neighborhood of Karrada. Salman who lives in New Baghdad district said he brought his children because they kept bragging him to go out. "Mostly children enjoy Eid. I want them to feel happy," he said.
Unlike other Iraqis I interviewed in Baghdad before Eid, he said, "We think the future will be brighter, these are the first steps to stability."
When I came back I wrote my report and compiled the Eid impression in other cities from our stringers. People in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown, went out in the streets happy with their children and relatives. They went to restaurants and amusement parks. Children played soccer in the streets, police and traffic police disallowed vehicles move in some areas as these areas are crowded with people. An amusement park that was deserted since the invasion is reopened this year and is full of people celebrating Eid.
The situation in Iraq's western province, Anbar, where most of the insurgency operations come from, Eid was different. People said they have no Eid. They said they went to the cemeteries where their relatives and friends were buried as they were killed few days ago by a U.S. air strike. "There is no happiness in our hearts," a resident said.
In Falluja, people were seen with their families walking in the streets or driving as there are no amusement parks. The big park is taken by the Marines and the smaller is taken by the Iraqi army. People were left without a place to have fun in.
By 7 p.m., O and I were done with work. I suggested having dinner together and we did. We went together to Samad, a restaurant in the upscale neighborhood in Baghdad. We had fun a lot. That was the first time I go out to have fun with O for more than a month. The last time was in Amman when we spend one of the best times in my life.
I returned back home at 10 p.m. and spent some time with my parents and then went to sleep.
The next day I woke up at 11:30 a.m., had breakfast, took a shower and dressed up to go visit my uncle. All my cousins, who are all married, were present with their families. Their kids were full of life playing and jumping here and there. My uncle, his wife, and cousins were so happy to see me this Eid as I was absent for two previous Eids being busy with work.
My aunt, prepared a huge lunch meal includes Mazgoof [the Iraqi grilled fish], Biriani rice, and different kinds of rice, salads, juices.. etc.
By 4 p.m., my friends called me and told me that we should go out and have fun. So, we met together and had tour in the dark streets of Baghdad which were lightened by the fireworks of the children and the teenagers. It was encouraging to see the people happy despite all the difficulties and danger they might face. Hand in hand, parents were walking with their children in the streets, young men were singing in their cars, children were dancing in the streets on the music coming from slowly moving cars, restaurants were full of hungry people for happiness not for food, and police and army checkpoints securing the crowds. I was very impressed and happy. These people are incredible. We always say that Iraqis are the most patient people on this sphere. I am so happy for the children whose childhood is caught in war and violence.
Today, the third and last day in Eid, we are having a big lunch party for our staff and their families in our house's big garden. Their children are playing near the pool and on the slide carrying their balloons that have the same colors of their fancy Eid clothes.
