Baghdad Diary \ January 20th.

Another new day started in Baghdad. I’ve been busy during the previous days working on some papers for my scholarship program. I had to submit a writing sample and a copy of my CV, and I also had to update my application file as the office in Baghdad required them. Another thing I got busy with was preparing to talk online with a radio station in America about the higher education system in Iraq before and after the war. I had to postpone the meeting with the reporter till next week because I was having problems with my internet server. I’ve been also busy being a full time house keeper because my Mother is in Dubai now and I’m in full charge of everything in the house.

An email came from the Fulbright office in Baghdad lately saying that all grantees must take the GRE Exam. So, I had to go register my name for the exam in order to take it in March. The registration time was limited between 12-5 P.M. in Babel Hotel. Many streets were blocked to provide some security for Friday Prayers, and the streets were almost empty because all families spend Fridays at homes. It’s the weekend holiday here.

I went out of home with my Father before 12 o’clock in order to be there in time so that we finish early. I usually go out with my Father when I have some work to do. Not because I am a spoiled child, but because it’s so dangerous for a girl to go out alone in Baghdad now because she might be kidnapped easily is she was alone. Sometimes I wish if I have my own car to go out and do my work independently, but I’m scared of driving a car alone in the messy and dangerous streets of Baghdad.

When I was still at college last year, I used to get to and out of the university’s campus through the students’ park. The park was full of cars all the time, but those cars belonged to the guys rather than the girls because girls are afraid of driving.

Back to the registration at the hotel; I met some of the Fulbrighters there, and we all sat together and filled our registration forms. It was fun to meet them again. The first meeting at the Convention Center was not that good because it was very fast and the place was dangerous. But this second meeting was very much better although not all of the Fulbrighters were there.

So, I finished my registration form after 2 o’clock and went back home to take my sister and go to my grandparents’ home for lunch. I took some photos in my mobile’s camera because I forgot to take my digital camera with me! ( Unfortunately, somehow I lost those photos!! )

After lunch, we came back home and called my Mother to tell her about our news. She said that she passed by the American University in Dubai this morning and she wished that I would work in such place after getting my Master degree in the U.S.

My friends and I decided to go to college tomorrow, but we postponed it till Monday because there are some reports saying that the streets will be closed for 48 hours because of announcing the elections’ results.

It ends here! Those were a diary entries of a week in Baghdad, I hope you enjoyed reading it!

Morbido!