A Star from Mosul

I spent half an hour in the taxi, the same taxi that takes me to lessons every day; a Barazili as we call it, a VolksWagen Passat (1983-1988), it was so hot, I was desperately and hysterically shaking a bunch of papers to get some air. The car isn't air conditioned, the windows don't open (At least, that's what I thought), I can swear there's nothing between the old piece of cloth and the springs I'm sitting on.. If you look at it from the outside, it looks normal, like every other Barazili, struggling to move and with no trunk if used as a taxi..

I pay this guy as much as I would've paid for an Opel driver, but I prefere him since he's a relative of my friend, and is trust-worthy. And he's used to my absentmindedness (Would never ask me about roads).

So, I spent this half an hour in the car picking up other girls on our way to Mr.Othman's house (My Chemistry teacher), I was talking to my friend trying to forget how sweaty I was getting, then my friend told the taxi driver: "Uncle, I want to open the window", my brain wasn't responding quickly, I was like "What? How?".. He handed my friend the little tool you use for opening the windows (The one that is attached to the door from the inside, don't know the name", she sticked it in the door, and started to spin it around, and PUFF, the

window opened.. Now that was refreshing, but it didn't last long, since we had to stop in a check point.

The Iraqi national guards were masked (We're living in a world in which people who offer security are in danger, and putting you in danger too), they were searching the cars.. We were 5 girls and a driver back then.. We were just babbling and babbling trying to pass the time.. My talking has - - in front of it, the other is for the others.. You see I was so active, and couldn't keep my mouth shut.

- - Hey do you think they'd search us? Cuz my bag looks really suspicious..
- Well, who knows?
- - We're 5 girls, I don't think they'd suspect that we have a bomb in here, where would we put it anyway?
- Imagine, we could've gotten rid of all the classes, and of the final exam at the same time.
- Wow.. That would've been nice.
- Yes.
- - But I do want to pass to go to university.
- Look, don't try to put us down, if you don't want to blow yourself, go move to another car.
- - Okay, but hey, don't blame me if they found out about you!
- Hey look, the Americans came..
- Don't look suspicious, SMILE.

We were all so fed up from the heat, right in front of the way between the two streets (The one we're in, and the one the strykers are in), and the strykers were taking a turn between the two streets. So, if they decided to shoot, we were right in there for them to shoot at us. When my friend told us to smile, we all cracked up laughing..

- Okay, now they'll think we like them, that's enough to eliminate some suspicions.
- - Girls, it could've been a good hit if we were actually bombed, we can't get any closer to them, can we?
- - Let's just hope no one else got the idea..

The strykers passed, we were still sitting there feeling sorry for the masked National guards..
- - I wonder how much he's sweating in there..

Then we found out that the INGs were actually blocking the road to distibute newspapers..
- - Hey, uncle, tell them we're 6, one newspaper isn't enough for all of us.. We're six from different houses, don't let the car fool you.

The INGs gave the driver a newspaper, then they said "blah blah blah and some other words".. I was so astonished, I just looked like HUH??
Then it hit me, they were kurdish.. But I wonder what they thought when they saw the look on my face..

We arrived to the teacher's house after the girls read their astrology (Not me though), he was then fighting with a friend, she's so much of a tough kind.. She wouldn't give up, and he just liked bothering her SO much, and she bothers him back. I allowed myself to drink a glass of water and gave my friends some too till they finished fighting..

Our Chemistry teacher is so much of a straight-forward man, he wouldn't mind to call you a donkey.. But he never called me anything like that.. I look much more serious than I am as it is so hard to laugh on jokes although I do like them.

We spent 2 hours there, then we went to a friend's house to wait for half an hour and go to the Arabic lesson.. It's our last Arabic lesson, on Saturday I'll have an exam and then finish..

Then I came home with my friend, her dad picked us up.. Mom was outside waiting for us with Aya, she said Hi to my friend's mom (She's pregnant, and so tired of it) in the car, and we went in..

That was my day from 2:30-8:00 today..

Then I came back to have my share on the Internet, chatted a bit with Madcanuck and Hassan (We always have conferences, or otherwise, I'd get crazy jumping between windows)..

Now, Aya's here, and her mom is reading her a story and trying to teach her some words, Aya holds the book, throws it away and says "DOOOM" :)

There's a 90% possibility that I will be out of Iraq on the 10th this month, inshallah.. Won't say where though, just in case.

I will be out for 15 days, I've already told my teachers, I won't have any trouble in Arabic since we'll finish on Saturday. The Physics teacher said I can make up for what I missed alone, he thinks I can do it.. The chemistry teacher promised that he'll manage to find a place for me with another group.. They were all supportive.

I just hope it'll get me out of the miserable atmosphere I'm living in.. Especially that the last two days were too much of a hell for me, emotionally, and there are too many reasons for this that I can't find out what's getting me to this temper.

Before I go, and in case you haven't noticed, aunt Rose posted few days ago, check her blog. And Sunshine is doing a remarkably good job in her blog. It reminds me of when I first started my blog, everyone was so supportive, SO supportive; but day by day as I started to talk, I lost more and more of my fans..
Not sorry for that, I've learnt so much about American people I might write a book about their mentality one day!

It's been a long time since I could sit and write like that.. I'm glad I'm back to actually liking this.