Salam Pax… the clandestine diary of an ordinary Iraqi

I found this book by accident in a little book store… The cover wasn’t really attractive, but this quote captivated me: “The most famous and most mysterious blogger in the world… Salam Pax was the Anne Frank of the war… and its Elvis”

Salam is an Iraqi young man who started blogging, a few months before the second Golf war, in order to keep in touch with his friend Raed who went to study in Jordan. That’s where the blog title comes from: Dear Raed

Eventually, Salam started talking about his everyday life, about his evil greedy boss, about his frustrations living in a country devastated by decades of Tyranny, wars and a ravaging embargo combined with a useless “oil for food” program.

As you get to explore Salam’s universe, you get a better picture of how is the real life in Iraq. You get to understand how the Iraqis got used to the tough times, understand their confusion between the fear of war and the excitement of getting rid of the bloody Saddam.

‘Let me tell you one thing first. War sucks big time, don’t let yourself ever be talked into having one waged in the name of freedom. Somehow, when the bombs start dropping or you hear the sound of machine-guns at the end of the street, you don’t think about your ‘imminent liberation anymore’

-------

‘No one inside Iraq is for war (note I said war not a change of regime), no human being in his right mind will ask you to give him the beating of his life, unless you are a member of fight club that is, and if you do hear Iraqi (in Iraq, not expat) saying “come on bomb us” it is the exasperation and 10 years of sanctions and hardship talking. There is no person inside Iraq (and this is a bold, blinking and underlined inside) who will be jumping up and down asking for the bombs to drop. We are not suicidal you know, not all of us in any case.’

-------

‘[…]Do you know what I read in the NY Times also? the American troops they are studying how the Israeli Army fought in Jenin. Jenin. remember how jenin looked like after the siege? how comforting is that.’

-------

‘Do you know when the sight of women veiled from top to bottom became common in cities in Iraq? Do you know when the question of segregation between boys and girls became red hot? When tribal law replaced THE LAW? When Wahabi became part of our vocabulary? it only happened after the Gulf War. I think it was Cheney or Albright who said they will bomb Iraq back to the Stone Age, well you did.’

Although, despite the regretful situation and the sad events he talks about, Salam remained very funny. His sarcasm and humour are extremely hilarious… Salam even offers some didactic courses on Iraq’s history and the accession of Saddam to power, on the Shiite religious holiday Achoura and its origins… Some gossip too about Saddam & sons “achievements”, the Baath party members etc. etc...

‘In the early eighties the Iraqi Hunting Club had a new indoor swimming pool built. Quite big and state of the art. They decided to have some sort of a party to announce its opening. A nice classy affair. at around eleven Uday comes in with his entourage wearing a white tuxedo and top hat, there is still a photo of him in that tux being printed on calendars but without the top hat, has a couple of drinks, decides that the party is boring and to liven things up a bit commands everyone to jump into the swimming pool, and unleashes his dogs = bodyguards to push people into the pool. Has a good laugh and leaves, A fun guy eh?’

Then, as the drums of war get louder, you get to share the Iraqis fate and their preparation for war… it is so disconcerting to realize that it becomes an everyday life thing… you get to share their uncertainty about the future, their time waiting for the bombs to fall, concern and fear… it feels like living the war in Baghdad…

‘Other normal stuff we did this week:
· Finished taping all the windows in the house, actually a very relaxing exercise if you forget why you are doing it in the first place.
· Installed a manual pump on the well we have dug because up till now we had an electrical pump on it.
· bought 60 liters of gasoline to run the small electricity generator we have, bought two nifty kerosene cookers and stocked loads of kerosene and dug holes in the garden to bury the stuff
· so that the house doesn’t turn into a bomb.
· prepared one room for emergency nasty attacks and bought “particle masks” - that’s what it says on the box – for use if they light those oil trenches […]
· got two rooms in our house ready to welcome our first IDPs - internally displaced persons’

-------

‘A couple of hours earlier we were at a shop and a woman said as she was leaving, and this is a very common sentence, “we’ll see you tomorrow if good keeps us alive” – itha allah khalana taibeen – and the whole place just freezes. She laughed nervously and said she didn’t mean that, and we all laughed but these things start having a meaning beyond being figures of speech.’

-------

Poll Results
frankie still says war, but you said....

first week of february..haj or no haj, it's going down ---- 29
second half of february. it's warmer. ---- 30
It's not happening till march/april ----14
nah....not until next autumn, it's closer to the elections that way ---- 9
what? are you blood thirsty? there will be no war. ---- 9


Salam’s courage is amazing, he was the voice of Baghdad before and during the war despite the heavy censorship in Irak and the risk of being executed at every entry he writes in his blog : ‘I spent a couple of days thinking this is the end. And then you wait for a couple of days and nothing happens and you say, “OK let’s do it again.” Stupid risks, one after another.’

Only one word remains to say Salam: MASSIVE RESPEK

A.

Fever…

The NBA 2006 playoffs just started and the fever is hitting town…

Very exciting couple of months to come… from the first round to the finals we’ll have very interesting matchups to enjoy!!!! Here are my predictions…

East:
1 – Detroit Vs 8 – Milwaukee
David against Goliath, Milwaukee has an interesting team with lots of upside for the future. The Bucks are capable of magic any given night, but the Pistons are simply too strong to beat. I predict: 4 – 1 for the mighty pistons

2 – Miami Vs 7- Chicago
Same as Milwaukee, The Bulls have a young and very promising team… they may make it hard to Miami to win… The Bulls are even the favourites of Scottie Pippen I don’t agree with the Pip on this one, I think he went a bit sentimental… I think Miami is gonna advance to the next round, simply because they have a polyvalent team where many role players can step up and make a difference (Walker, Haslem, J.Williams, Posey, Payton, Zo Mourning) add a dominant center in the person of Shaq to the mix and spice it up with an incredible versatile player that can beat a whole team by himself: Mr Dwayne Wade and you get a championship contender… Unless they are broken by injuries, 4-1 for The Heat.

3 – New Jersey Vs 6 - Indiana
NJ ended the season very well… while Indiana suffered a bit; Now they have Jermaine O’Neal back and if Stojakovic excels they may cause troubles. NJ is the favourite to win this series, although surprisingly, the Pacers won game 1 and have home court advantage now. Time for the magic three (Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson) to show us what they can do… Waiting for some V.C hang time wonders! 4-3 for the Nets

4 – Cleveland Vs 5 - Washington
Lebron Lebron Lebron… this guy is amazing… After a HUGE season, first playoff game in his career and he gets a triple double along with 31 points. Lebron James is the future of basketball, his set of skills is unlimited and most importantly he has the mentality of a champion: Humble, a team player, focused and eager to win… and he is only 21!!!!! 4-2 for the Cavs

West:
1 – San Antonio Vs 8 - Sacramento
Please somebody beat The Spurs… or at least they should get a little bit more exciting to watch by playing more on Ginobli and Finley. For sure the Kings won’t have this privilege, The Spurs are way too dominating… 4 – 0 for The Spurs

2 – Phoenix Vs 7 - L.A Lakers
Interesting matchup if the Lakers play the same way they played in game 1, as a real team where everybody takes responsibility and Kobe passes the ball. Huge game one from Lamar Odom… Phoenix should win though, 4-2

3 – Denver Vs 6 - L.A Clippers
This case shows how much the new standings system is f’d up… Denver is seeded #3 while has a worse record than Dallas, Memphis and L.A Clippers. That’s a very interesting series, but only if Carmelo, Camby and K-Mart play at their best level. The Clippers are hungry for wins and for once they are the best team of L.A. 4-2 for the Clippers

4 – Dallas Vs 5 – Memphis
That’s a very good matchup, probably the best one in the first round… these two teams will exhaust each other. Memphis has a great defence while Dallas has an overwhelming offence with threats coming from everywhere on the court (obviously I am not talking about Eric Dampier)… it is the batlle of the two European skilled big men Dirk Vs Pau... Venga Pau Venga!!!! I think home court advantage will be decisive in this series, probably Dallas in 7.

So for the second round in the East I would expect to have: Detroit Vs Cleveland and Miami Vs NJ. Unless the Nets use their talent to its fullest the conference final would be Detroit Vs Miami, exactly as last year… Detroit would still win it!

As for the West, San Antonio Vs Dallas is a huge matchup and Phoenix Vs The clippers is a very spectacular one… San Antonio Vs Phoenix in the conference finals… and that’s very tough to predict who would win…

I would love to see Detroit Vs Phoenix in the finals, the opposition of styles would be very exciting. Last year’s finals were a bit boring, Pistons – Suns should be an excellent one… crossing my fingers…

Great playoffs a todos

Saludos

A.

What goes around… comes around

Immigration has always been a hot topic in the industrial countries and the word has always carried a negative connotation. As a matter of fact, it has always been omitted how immigration was one of the main factors for the economic progress in the prosperous era post WWII.

As Europe was devastated after the World War II, it needed a growing workforce to implement the Marshall Plan to rebuild a dying continent. Colonial countries went shopping again in their colonies to bring people from whom it was only needed to work hard. Again after the “chair à canons” literally “flesh for artillery” brought from Africa and placed in the front lines of the colonial armies, during the WW I, WW II and colonial wars like the French Indochine war.

De facto, immigration was seen as a temporary strategy to provide workforce. It was never expected that the glorious era would last 30 years. Immigrant workers were eventually allowed to bring their families, who stayed in ghettos as well. That was the cradle of the integration issues of immigrants in Europe, what goes around comes around…

Other countries successfully dealt with their immigration. The best example is Canada which probably has the most multicultural population in the world. First, European communities immigrated (Italians, Greek, Irish, Brits, Polish…); they were eventually followed by Asians, south Asians, West Indies, East Europeans, Persians and people from all over the world. It is great to see this mosaic of cultures living together in harmony.

Now, the issue is back on the plate: the demographic changes in the industrial countries make it a necessity to recruit work force again. The baby boomers reached the retirement age, the population is ageing and the birth rates are very low.

A growing proportion of the population will retire, receive pensions and wouldn’t pay taxes while spending their savings. This means, less tax money, more government expenses on the elderly and less capital to finance investments… DISASTROUS

By 2025 the number of people aged 15 to 64 is projected to dwindle by 10.4% in Spain, 10.7% in Germany, 14.8% in Italy, and 15.7% in Japan*.

By 2040, 26 percent of the U.S. population will be at least 60 years old, up from 16.3 percent in 2000 […] At least 45 percent of the populations of Japan, Spain and Italy will be 60 or older by then. In each of those countries, there will be one retiree for every worker. **

How the high-income industrial countries will deal with issue!?

Through history, every time Europe faced economic stagnation and needed resources they faced south: sending their ships to conquer the new world; creating colonies, “collecting” their resources and enslaving autochthones in their own lands. Later, they brought the autochthones as cheap hard working workforce to reconstruct their economy and now they are seen as invaders. (Reminds me of “les envahisseurs” des inconnus… Bijour Monsieur Vincent)…

It is time the “developed world” drops its colonial attitude towards the south and creates win-win partnerships with their ex colonies. A good initiative is the EU- South Mediterranean countries partnership, even though it is going a bit slow and it has to go faster than that to make a difference…

The world is interdependent. The north can’t prosper when the south is living in misery… what goes around… comes around

A.

* Business week
** Washington post
*** Diagram

Lucky...

It is so nice to comfortably sit down, look back and realize that you’ve made something nice out of your time…

I realize how lucky I am for having had the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and discover different places, ways of life and people. It is just a wonderful thing to do that I wish for everyone to experience.

Some would say”there is no luck involved; you make whatever you want out of your life”. True somehow, you make your own decisions in life, and if you want something hard you will end up finding ways to do it, however there is lots of luck involved, and thankfully I’ve been lucky…

It is a fact that we (Tunisians/Africans, all those not Europeans/north Americans) don’t have the same opportunities to travel as European or North American youth. And when I say I am lucky it is in comparison to so many friends of mine that didn’t have the chance to travel anywhere.

First, it is very expensive to travel, and young people usually cannot sustain their expenses without their parents helping them. It requires lots of funds and parents are not usually willing to make such a great sacrifice. The lower the family income is the greater is the sacrifice.

Second, people are not free to move, a visa is needed to go almost anywhere. Those who didn’t have the “chance” to deal with consulates don’t know how fun it is to wait in line for long hours to apply for a visa, collecting all the necessary documents (proving the reason of your stay, how much money you’re taking with you, an invitation letter and so on…) And the most fun part, is the uncertainty of it all. You never know if you’ll get it or not… you are not even allowed to ask why you’ve been refused a visa… All the frustration you go through makes it worth celebrating every time you get a visa to somewhere…

Then, the processing time: How many jobs I’ve been accepted to until the employer figures out that it needs a few documents and a few months waiting for the guy to join… I obviously get a “sorry but we need this position filled ASAP”. I even had to resign from a one year term with the member committee of AIESEC Italy because of a similar issue… I had to wait 3 months to get my visa to Spain and 2 months for Canada…

All this makes me realize how lucky I am… for having encountered AIESEC that changed my life… for my supportive parents who encouraged me all the way and most of all who gave me the freedom to choose my path without any pressure… for having the patience to go through a bazillion interviews, excitement, hopes and disillusions…

I wish everyone could have the same luck as I did coz’ I have wished for so long… how I wish for you today*

A.

* Pearl Jam/Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan – Long road
“Dead man walking” Soundtrack

Peace and food

Have you ever wondered where Baklava comes from!? If you want to know, try to throw your question during a dinner bringing together a Tunisian, a Middle Eastern, a Turkish, a Greek and an Armenian…

Each of them will keep on going on the origins of baklava and how the best baklava undeniably comes from his/her mother land. Needless to say that any other baklava you may try is just a mere replica… The same goes with Chawarma, aka Gyros aka Doner kebab… different names for the same yummy greasy meat sandwich… funny!!!!!

It is wonderful how the food we eat everyday carries so much history. If Baklava is so spread around the Mediterranean it is because of the Ottoman Empire that ruled the region for centuries. The cultures within the empire got mixed and go look now for the origins of Baklava, good luck.

We are not that different after all and our food is here to confirm it, actually it proves that we are very similar and have so much to share… and as my friend John would say: “Even tho many countries make their own baklava, they are practically all the same - just like human beings. No matter where we are from - we have mostly the same basic needs/desires. WE ARE ALL ONE BAKLAVA”

That reminds me of when I went to Turkey and figured out that the words I was used to hear in the Egyptian movies were actually Turkish, words like Gazma, chanta, abla, abi… the Egyptian language and pronunciation completely changed after the 5 centuries ruling of The Mamalik. And on the other hand the Turkish language carries lots of Arabic words as well as Hungarian influences, eastern Europeans, Balkans…

*In Tunisia, the food reveals the mix of cultures that lived in Tunisia through the ages: Berbers Mediterraneans, Arabs, Andalusians, Séfarade Jewish… Ah I really miss the food de mi tierra,, mloukhiya, madfouna bil hargma, chminka, roasted lamb head, brik, slata mechouia, and the delicious Mediterranean fish.

Don’t go say this to my mom though, she would feel sad for me, and for no reason cause I am enjoying my food here… One of the things I love so much about Toronto is the diversity of food you can have, AMAZING. You pretty much can find whatever food you may have in any other part of the planet, all but Tunisian (for that you gotta go to Montreal), there is only one Tunisian restaurant here but (to my deep regret) not that good and they have a limited menu.

But there is no reason to whine, when you can have a tasty tiger shrimp Pad Thai, an “all you can eat sushi”, a Caribbean curried goat or jerk chicken, Chinese food (so tasty), Indian food etc etc. and I am still discovering, soon I’ll try Persian food, east African, Vietnamese… Any suggestions?

I should stop, it is lunch time and I think it is my hunger talking not me…

Bon appétit
A.

*Slata Mechouia courtesy of Haroun Inc.

Elevation...

Elevation

There are tens of songs that I really like while there are a few that stand in a different category, I call them the “hold on a minute, I am listening” songs. They have the power of kind of pausing my life for a few minutes cause’ I can’t do something else while I am listening to them…

I would be pleased if you could share yours with me, maybe I can discover wonderful songs I never heard before… here are mine:

1 - Since I’ve been loving you - Led Zeppelin
From the first note to the last one, I AM HYPNOTIZED, just to summarize the effect of this song on me. It is like the perfect combination of a great guitar by Jimmy Page and a breathtaking vocal performance by Robert Plant. And even though I have no personal experience or memories to associate with this song, it makes me feel like it is my own story every single time I listen to it.

You better not play this one when I am around cause' I will be away for 6 minutes... Shut up Eduardo, I am serious shut UP!!!! ;)

2 - Shine on you crazy diamond - Pink Floyd
A theatrical piece of 13 minutes, listening to it is like watching a play in several parts. An instrumental intro of 8.45 minutes where the superb guitar of David Guilmour takes you upside down, sweet...

You better not play this one too :)

Well, there is a tough competition for the third position; I really can't make up my mind between the songs below (in no specific order):

Pearl Jam & Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Long Road
Should be played loud, the notes of the sitar and the voice of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan literally give me shivers. Eddies Vedder's performance is great and the lyrics are wonderful.

School - Supertramp
Only for the keyboard solo at the end, probably the best keyboard solo ever, I can't avoid playing air keyboard like a crazy every time I hear it.

The great gig in the sky - Pink Floyd
Simply astonishing, nothing more to say. One of the best vocal performances I have ever heard. Shivers shivers... I can’t believe the singer hired by Pink Floyd for this song apologized after the first try cause’ she thought it was really bad. They only recorded it once, It was the one.

Roger Waters - Perfect sens (part I and II)
A very deep song, the lyrics are so meaningful. The piano notes are subtle and smooth while Waters talks, then the female voice takes you somewhere else. This song is so true and beautiful that it makes it painful to listen to... “Can't you see it all makes perfect sense!?”

Terence Trent D'arby - Holding on to you
First time I heard it, it was in a recorded live performance... TTD went off, he entered in a kind of trance and started saying poetry, and then out of a sudden he yelled a shaking scream while the guitar player started a beautiful solo, it was improvised, wow. If I just can get my hands on this performance again. Definitely a great song, a wonderful poem, an amazing vocal performance and a very nice guitar solo.

Fairouz - Zahrat al madaaen
I avoid listening to this one cause its effect on me is a mix of sadness, anger and usefulness. A very beautiful and powerful one...

War – Bob Marley
This song is based on the speech presented by Haile Silassie, king of Ethiopia in an UN session. He was considered by the Rastafarians the king of kings that would deliver black people from Babylon and bring them back to the Promised Land.

There is a famous picture of Bob Marley, throwing his arm in the air, looking to the sky and standing still. It was taken at a live performance while singing “War”. He literally stood still in that position for 10 seconds as if the picture was paused, while you could see the wailers moving in the back, he was in the zone.

Waiting for your songs...

A.