Monday, August 21, 2006

Rotten Onions and sweet smelling Ministers

I went to the Grocery’s today, my wife gave me an upgraded list of things to buy, and only thing I found were rotten onions.
The government likes surprises; they surprised us with a two nights three days curfew six hours before it was forced.
I wonder if Mr. Sheristani’s Generator stopped due to lack of Fuel? Or if Mr. Maliki’s Refrigerator went empty? I wonder if they have seen the streets this morning? With tons of rubbish and dug up water pipes the pilgrims dug out due to the extensive heat?
Yesterday was the hottest day in Baghdad, 50.6 Celsius.
Fuel prices last night shoot up to 50,000 Iraqi Dinars per 20 liters that’s $8 a US Gallon.
This afternoon I went near the gas station behind it their were two 36000 liter gasoline trailers behind the station and some armed men guarding them, the low life’s were filling in their 20 liter jerry cans and selling them on a side street.
Location, 500 meters from the ministry of Interior.

I wish I could stick those Rotten Onions up Mr. Sheristani’s …

P.S. I am now a proud owner of three generator units a 8KV/A, a 3KV/A (broken) and a small 950 watt one, adding to that two DC to AC 1KV/A inverters (without batteries) and a member of the elite street generator (“broken” won’t be fixed until diesel fuel goes under the $1 a liter line) and 8 potable water pumps. (Only three work)Only problem is I don’t have enough fuel ;) I am also a member of the Iraqi Insomnia Society (try running every four hours day and night).

3 comments:

Zaidan said...

= (

chikitita said...

Isn't it a wonder how we Iraqis are adapting to all possible turns.

Unknown said...

Amazing.
and Iraq the Model is so comfortingly optomistic. The truth lies somewhere in the middle. Weeks ago I wrote to Treasure of Baghdad that I could see the light, and it wasn't a train. Well, yes, and no. How far away is the light?
This reminds me of my thoughts about how Japan (where I now live, work and play) and the US became partners in a dance that continues.. You know the US caused a terrible amount of suffering in Japan. and a certain amount of UNNECESSARY SUFFERING, in its drive to crush the opposition. I have a book of poetry written by a B-27 bomber pilot who dropped alot of napalm over Tokyo at night and watched the flares leaping upwards..It is a heart tearing, ripping poem of sadness. (Japanese love to cry in the movies, so I am at home here;-) Japanese culture has some really opposite points of view from US California culture, from my experience. Yet the two are locked arm in arm, if not cheek to cheek. The footwork gets tangled sometimes. I can't decide if its a good thing or a bad thing...I go back and forth.

So I wonder about the same relationship the US and Iraq are forging through this mess. Perhaps this will change US culture? Actually here in Japan, I can't say that the US has changed many ways Japanese people have of viewing the world...Yes, they were forced to acccept a Constitution, and there is debate on that, but Japan had a consititution before, only the Emperor was the center. But the Emperor still exists (thanks to US fears of collapse). But there are disturbing trends of modern society that the US and Japan are BOTH victims of...drugs, hopelessness, greed, materialism, absence of a community center for life, greater and greater economic separation of social classes etc.

So how will things be after the killing has died down to levels that are normal in the US? the drive towards economic prosperity, political freedom? I think thats inevitable, its just a matter of how much innocent suffering will be between that time and now. And what will the spiritual and social values become? I know what you're saying, "First just give me basic elements for food clothing and shelter not to cause such a strain for my life. Then we can talk about the other things."