Things to do in Baghdad when you're a student - Ahmed
- 21 Mar 07, 12:28 PM
As part of Salam Pax's Window on Iraq blogging series for Newsnight - running during and beyond our - Baghdad student Ahmed's second blog entry (read his first) explains the extracurricular activities on offer in the Iraqi capital.
There aren't really many things you can do for fun in Baghdad today. Because of the difficult security situations and the curfews you can't go too far away from where you live. So for a month now my friends and I have been going to a tea shop nearby.
It is owned by an Egyptian guy called Mahrous. It is a very simple tea shop with simple chairs and tables and domino sets on each table. That's what we do, we play dominoes from 6 to 8 at night, that and drink tea and smoke nargila - a type of hookah with sweet flavoured tobacco.
Mahrous also offers sandwiches but these can be lethal. The first time you try his kabab you'll get food poisoning but then you are immune and you can have them without worrying.
If we get bored with dominoes we play football in a clearing amongst the houses. When we knock over the wooden fence set up by one of the neighbours the game has to end because if we don't run he will come after us.
We can't go for a meal at a fast food place or any of the places we used to hang out at anymore. Many of those places have closed down. A couple of days ago we did try and went for a meal but the restaurant was empty. None of the hustle and bustle we remember, just us, two couples and 4 other guys.
So the dominoes and the occasional football match get you through the late afternoon but what do you do the rest of the night? Ok, you study. But if you don't feel like it all you have left is the internet.
The internet for us is like a club you meet all your friends at. If you haven't met them for a while because you can't go to their neighbourhood any more? You can chat to them online. If they have left Iraq, you can meet them in a chat room. And if you are happy with the slow state owned internet service provider you it won't even cost you too much.
The only problem with this rosy picture is that we don't have electricity to turn the computers on for most of the day.
So when all else fails I spend my time talking to friends on the phone. I try not to talk to much on my mobile phone. They are so expensive here.
But in fact what I wish for is a chance at getting a part-time job. I wouldn't have to risk the sandwiches Mahrous sells nor spend pointless hours online or on the phone.
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Are the female students in on even this extremely limited social life?
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I have tried to contribute to this blog only to be stopped by a message saying that I must try again later under a procedure designed to curb malicious posts.Surely this is twisted logic-won't the malicious also be the most persevering?
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Please do not censor this post,I am a nice person who loves flowers and furry animals, and I also have a very short attention span and four children which makes it impracticable to post repeatedly.
I would just like to know whether young people in Iraq feel that fo reign troops are succeeding in the campaign to win the hearts and minds of the local populace.We hear a lot about this in the UK, but it would be interesting to hear the opinion of young people at grass roots level.
Thank you.
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