My Trip to the U.S.A. Treasure of Baghdad’s Diary

December 14

This is my last night in New York City. I am very sad to leave. It became one of the things that I really liked. The buildings, the people, the streets, and everything were amazing. It’s full of life. I got this impression about New York when I was in Baghdad. O told me it’s hilarious and J said “you are going to have so much fun in it”.

At 7 p.m., Ivan and I went to Time Square. I wanted to see it for the last time because I might not be able to see it once again. Who knows what would happen? Am I going to stay alive or am I going to be dead? I am not pessimistic in what I am saying here. It’s a matter of thinking and expectations.

Anyway, my main aim to go to Time Square was to make my family see how amazing it is through the video I took. After that we met with Heidi and had another tour, but now it was in the biggest toys store in America, Toys R us. To be frank with you, I was amazed of this store. So what about the children? I immediately remembered my beautiful 3-months old niece whom I miss a lot. I bought a small cat toy for her and Heidi suggested I buy a small funny frog. I bought them and made Ivan film that. It was funny, so funny.

This is last time I spent with Heidi who is off work tomorrow. She gave me a nice present which was an audio CD of the original motion pictures soundtrack of Beyond the Sea. I like it a lot, listened to all of it’s songs and liked the fourth song in it, Simple Song of Freedom.

Today, I was also invited for dinner in Joel Simon’s house. I arrived 30 minutes late. I was very embarrassed for being late. Joel has a nice house, looks stylish and comfortable.

Before I arrived to their house, he has already ordered some Moroccan food called Tajeen. It looked like my mother’s Iraqi food. It was very delicious. While we were eating, we talked about me, my family, the way we live in Iraq, the kinds of food we have and how I work and live and stay alive in Baghdad in the middle of the chaotic situation the country is going through.

I couldn’t see his cute daughters this time. They were sleeping as they have school the next day. I wished I could film them and show my family how cute they are. Because it was freezing outside, Joel offered to drive me to the hotel.

I really enjoyed the dinner and really felt how nice Joel and his family are.

December 15, 2005

Today I am leaving to Philadelphia to meet J’s sister and her family. I am going to call her J2 in my posts from now on. I am very much excited to see them but at the same time, I am so sad I am leaving the CPJ. I liked this office a lot. I liked the staff and everyone in it. They were very friendly and helpful. They considered me one of them. I liked the way they work and how much effort they do to help journalists in allover the world.

Yesterday, I was invited to give a speech about my experience as an Iraqi reporter covering news in Iraq. I was very excited. Sitting in the middle, I started the speech of how I as an Iraqi reporter working for a western newspaper mange my work in one of the most dangerous places in the world now. Everyone was silent. I was able to see how amazed they were. I think they found my stories as strange as the stories of the Arabian Nights.

This morning, I was really reluctant to take the subway carrying my entire luggage with me. I stopped the first taxicab I saw in the street. He took me from Brooklyn to Manhattan where the CPJ office is.

The moment I arrived, O called me. I was very excited to hear his voice because I miss him a lot. I talked to him for more than half an hour and then I called my parents to see if they voted or not. My father picked up the phone. He said he and my mother voted today. His voice was very confident and he was laughing in the phone out of happiness. I was able to hear my mother who was telling him that she misses me. “I miss you a lot mom,” I said to my father to pass to her.

After that, I checked the newspapers and blogs covering the elections in Iraq. Then, Ivan said if I feel hungry and if we can go to grab some lunch. Maria, a Columbian researcher at the CPJ joined us. “What do you feel?” she asked. My answer came directly, “Sad”. I felt sad because I really liked the staff at the CPJ and I did not spend longer time as I have many other things to do while I am here in the States.

We returned back and then all the staff gathered in the lunch room where we were having lunch. Joel Simon thanked me for the time I spent with them and then he gave me a book as a present. I was really impressed. It was “Leaves of Grass” of Walt Whitman, my favorite American poet. The book was signed by all the staff who wished me luck in my career. Then Judy suggested giving me one of the T-shirts with the CPJ logo on it. “Thank you, this will protect me in Baghdad!” I said told them and they all laughed.

“My desk would be empty,” I told Ivan while we were waiting for my train to arrive. Ivan nodded his head.

I am definitely going to miss Joel Companga’s everyday Iraqi Arabic greeting to me like “Shako Mako” [Hey,what’s up?], I’ll miss Alexis’s smile and addiction to work, I’ll miss Kristine’s calmness and delicate smile, I’ll miss Alex’s nice personality and friendship whose knowledge of wars and violence exceeded all the limits, I’ll miss Joel Simon the friend and the brother, I’ll miss Judy’s motherly talk and smile, I’ll miss Ivan’s unbelievable coolness every time, I’ll miss Maria who so quickly became the friend of everybody, I’ll miss Nina’s loud and beautiful smile. I’ll miss all of them and everything in them.

My train arrived at 3 p.m. Ivan helped me in carrying one of the bags I was carrying with me. Then, time to say Goodbye came. I don’t know how I am going to be away from these guys, specially Ivan who became one of my best friends. They will be always in my mind.

I arrived Philadelphia at 5 p.m. and looked for P and A. P is J2’s husband and A is their 3 and half years-old son. They were supposed to meet me at the train station. I saw them and waved to them. That was the very first time, I see both of them. I was excited and happy. We went out to the car. It was raining. Then, we went to their house to put my luggage there and grab some dinner. My first impression about P is that he is a kind of educated man who seems to have a lot of information about most of the things around the world. He’s been to many countries for work and tourism and I think this enriched his knowledge in many countries culture. A, his son who is only three years and a half looked so cute and smart. The moment I entered the house, I saw him collecting his toys which he likes. He was the first child I see smart enough to memorize all the names of his toys.

P, A, and I went out walking to a nearby restaurant to have dinner. It was still raining but we were well covered. The neighborhood was just amazing. The houses looked like those we see in movies, all made of wood decorated by Christmas with gardens covered with snow that increased their beautiful sight.