My trip to the U.S.A

Amman, first step. Treasure of Baghdad’s diary

Although I know I will return back to Baghdad, I left my beloved city with tears in my eyes expecting more and more violence to happen. Farewelling every building, tree and stone in Baghdad, I was singing Kadhum al Sahir’s song, “Escaping”. A tear dropped from my eyes when I reached “I am escaping from a great house which every eye wishes to see. Under its shadows, you and I were like birds. We used to share the laughter and the tear.” Of course, the house is my beloved homeland, Iraq.

I arrived the airport sad and excited at the same time. “The good things in America are waiting for me.” I said to myself to cheer up. My friend J, Harvard, New York and DC are waiting for me.

I was travelling with a friend of mine, S., who studies in Amman. We arrived Amman at 5 p.m., Amman local time. I did not expect that it’ll take me two hours just to stamp the passport. At Alyia International Airport, Iraqis were treated differently. They were asked to stand behind. Every single Iraqi was taken to a room where airport officials were sitting and were asked many questions untill we were allowed to leave. This came after the terrorist attacks hit Amman few weeks ago.

My friends whom I haven’t seen for almost two months were waitnig for me. I saw the happiness in their eyes, specially in Z’s eyes who was very happy to see me.

We all retuned back to the house and had dinner after a long day in airports. At night, I went to an internet café close to S’s house to check emails. After checking emails and reading Iraq’s news, I read the comments on my blog and on 24 steps to liberty’s. I was shocked to see how I am being misundirstood by some of the commenters. In fact, I started feeling I am being attcked. Once I critised some of the bloggers, including Riverbend, for closing the comment sections. Now, I don’t and I feel as she/he feels.

I was really upset and was about to close the comment section until I decided not to do that beleiving that I live in a “free” country and I have to be open-minded to read these comments. Anyway, I retunred back to the house sad but convinced myself that I should be strong and accept criticism.


The next day, Thursday, I went to the US embassy and found no one there. Of course, it was the Thanksgiving !! my excitment made me forgot that. Then I returned back to see my friends waiting for me to have breakfast in an Iraqi restaurant. We went there, had breakfast and then returned back home to have some rest. At, 6 pm., we went to Mecca Mall. Z and I had Starbucks coffee and then we all went to a movie theater where we really had fun. At night, we went to a restaurant, had dinner and returned back home late.

On Friday, nothing was changed. We went to the same Iraqi restaurant for lunch where Z and I had Mazgoof, a large fat fish usually is taken from the Tigris. Iraqis consider a national delicacy. S and M had Yabsa, beans. At night, we went to Mecca Mall again and as usual, had coffee and went to the movie theater to watch a movie.