The Beginning
Right After the War
I did not wait more than three months after the brutal war on the Iraqi people has stopped officially on April to get a new job after my company which I worked for over than three was looted. It was quite a disgraceful thing at that time to witness the events especially when it happens to be that I am no psychic to read the future and realize that more horrific things would take place later on and make looting sound just a normal reaction After all it did happen in many countries like Germany in WII and Canada when they had an Electricity black out.
Anyhow, realizing that there would be no Mukhabart (Saddam’s intelligence) again, I could apply to any international job. My dream was to enjoy the professional atmosphere in western systems for many reasons like:
1) The males in general respect working women and they do not look down at them regardless the certificate they hold
2) There is plenty of work and you spend all your time behind your desk working and working and giving all your energy and feel you ‘re productive, completely opposite to the state in the companies during Saddam’s era.
There are loads of other virtues of course but the two above are my priorities up till this moment.
After all the suffering, after all the darkness I lived, I felt freedom for the first time. I felt my true inner self was finally coming out to the light. I confidently shook all the previous years’ dust off my life and started over.
Ya Far7a Matammet!!!! ( The happiness that never meant to be)
Sadly, few months later I found myself on the reduction list among the 90% of the employees due to the bombing attack on our company which killed 12 people.
It shook me and changed my perspective!
Despite the short period I worked there, I had already succeeded in evolving my skills and making great friendships that I am proud I still have them till now.
New Start?
Knowing that I will lose my job I started studying offers. Iraq at that time, in the end of 2003 was still trying to get on its feet despite the bombing cars trend which started months after the announcement of the end of the war. Many international companies started to open in Iraq and I was offered a better position with a very reputed European company.
It was heaven!! The company was thriving and I was handling bigger responsibilities. I was planning to learn another language beside English to have another skill and my boss liked me which gave me even more confidence to be more active and more productive.
It was the beginning of 2004. I had a driver with a car and I used to get to office which was 20 km away from home at 7:30 a.m. and leave at 8 p.m or little more depending.
At that time it was dangerous to roam Baghdad streets in the dark when the city had no electricity (not that we have it now) with a posh car but compared to now, conditions were normal and peaceful.
Our streets were still not blocked, we did not have any Iraqi police yet , Iraqi National Guards nor Iraqi politicians, thus there were no crazy drivers with their gangs members coming out from the cars’ windows holding guns and shooting in the air. None of that was existed yet.
Despite the hard work I have never felt alive like that in my whole life. Happiness reflected on the quality of my work I was performing and glowed my face that I was given a nick name of “ Smiley face” which unfortunately has got nothing to do with me now. Well I do smile and laugh, I have been always appreciative to a good laugh but I was told that my smile never reach my eyes anymore. I usually take that note lightly for I succeeded in developing a level of tolerance with my own self. I agreed with myself not to hurt me too much and never give too much thought of what people say unless I can use it to my benefit. Try it, an excellent deal :)
To be continued………..
I did not wait more than three months after the brutal war on the Iraqi people has stopped officially on April to get a new job after my company which I worked for over than three was looted. It was quite a disgraceful thing at that time to witness the events especially when it happens to be that I am no psychic to read the future and realize that more horrific things would take place later on and make looting sound just a normal reaction After all it did happen in many countries like Germany in WII and Canada when they had an Electricity black out.
Anyhow, realizing that there would be no Mukhabart (Saddam’s intelligence) again, I could apply to any international job. My dream was to enjoy the professional atmosphere in western systems for many reasons like:
1) The males in general respect working women and they do not look down at them regardless the certificate they hold
2) There is plenty of work and you spend all your time behind your desk working and working and giving all your energy and feel you ‘re productive, completely opposite to the state in the companies during Saddam’s era.
There are loads of other virtues of course but the two above are my priorities up till this moment.
After all the suffering, after all the darkness I lived, I felt freedom for the first time. I felt my true inner self was finally coming out to the light. I confidently shook all the previous years’ dust off my life and started over.
Ya Far7a Matammet!!!! ( The happiness that never meant to be)
Sadly, few months later I found myself on the reduction list among the 90% of the employees due to the bombing attack on our company which killed 12 people.
It shook me and changed my perspective!
Despite the short period I worked there, I had already succeeded in evolving my skills and making great friendships that I am proud I still have them till now.
New Start?
Knowing that I will lose my job I started studying offers. Iraq at that time, in the end of 2003 was still trying to get on its feet despite the bombing cars trend which started months after the announcement of the end of the war. Many international companies started to open in Iraq and I was offered a better position with a very reputed European company.
It was heaven!! The company was thriving and I was handling bigger responsibilities. I was planning to learn another language beside English to have another skill and my boss liked me which gave me even more confidence to be more active and more productive.
It was the beginning of 2004. I had a driver with a car and I used to get to office which was 20 km away from home at 7:30 a.m. and leave at 8 p.m or little more depending.
At that time it was dangerous to roam Baghdad streets in the dark when the city had no electricity (not that we have it now) with a posh car but compared to now, conditions were normal and peaceful.
Our streets were still not blocked, we did not have any Iraqi police yet , Iraqi National Guards nor Iraqi politicians, thus there were no crazy drivers with their gangs members coming out from the cars’ windows holding guns and shooting in the air. None of that was existed yet.
Despite the hard work I have never felt alive like that in my whole life. Happiness reflected on the quality of my work I was performing and glowed my face that I was given a nick name of “ Smiley face” which unfortunately has got nothing to do with me now. Well I do smile and laugh, I have been always appreciative to a good laugh but I was told that my smile never reach my eyes anymore. I usually take that note lightly for I succeeded in developing a level of tolerance with my own self. I agreed with myself not to hurt me too much and never give too much thought of what people say unless I can use it to my benefit. Try it, an excellent deal :)
To be continued………..
posted by Rejected @ 4:51 AM
8 Comments:
I saw your request on UAE community blog, please feel free to email me at secretdubai at gmail.
wow..
what a tale.. youhave left me hungry to hear more..
wishing you peace safety health and prospertity..
Thanks secretdubai, I had a tough time trying to figure out where the email was. Mashallah great site you have there!
lirun thanks for your nice wishes. I need them so much.
I will post my whole story soon.
You have some interesting thoughts. I have a friend and he is Iraqi too but he has been in Dubai for a long time.
It is quiet interesting to learn however what the Iraqi's who had to leave think about the situation and those who were not in Iraq but elsewhere.
I guess situations like war leave people stranded and leave very little or no room for hope.
Good Luck!
Gautam
I think you are a cheat and a scoundrel; I am just waiting for the time you ask people to send you money because you are a "poor iraqi".
Save your shit for the millions of dollars your people have swindled from us decent Americans thro our taxes AND the 2,818 decent Americans you have killed!
First of all I afford more than you do other wise you would have at least got yourself a proper education. I am a working lady and despite all the bullshit your country brought to mine I have two jobs. What do you have loser other than attacking people on their land and sites? Go read Iraqi bloggers to see how many you are killing everyday scum bag. All we are going through is because of you and your monkey president.
The injustice of the world made it so easy for garbage like you to enter any country, a racist, a killer , ignorant and quite uneducated.
And again, this is bigger than your little brain can ever handle and it is no way about the money. Go find a tree to clime for it seems you're far away from home now.
Sounds gripping. Wish you all the best Rejected
Anonymous
"Save your shit for the millions of dollars your people have swindled from us decent Americans thro our taxes AND the 2,818 decent Americans you have killed"
I can't recall when did Iraqis swindle any American money??? Besides we didn't ask the Bush Administration to come for our rescue. We didn't cross oceans to kill or detain the Americans, did we?
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