I spent the last week in Iraq on pilgrim... and i wanted to come back on the very next day after i reached there..
I went via Sharjah... all was well till we were at the Sharjah airport.. but the difference was obvious as soon as we went through the security check for the Najaf flight (Najaf is suppose to be one of the largest cities in the country)... it seemed like the air had turned hostile and just because i was dressed differently people were looking down upon me.. i felt like a witch in Salem ..:P.. and it just got worse when we reached Najaf...
At the airport.. it was a fish market.. worse then the mumbai local train stations... hardly anyone gave a straight answer.. and it seemed like the locals din't know English... or any other language expect for Arabic.. after an hour of waiting in the queue ( which had only 5 people in front of us) for the visa checking we proceeded to the taxi... got to our destination ... the place we were staying was a part of the religious community so that was like a respite from the hostility of the citizens... spent three days in Najaf .. somehow got through them would be more accurate
All over iraq they have security checking booths.. separate for men and women... (thank god for that)... the women's checking is as good as getting molested... i was squeezed in places where the sun doesn't shine.. and at the end of it i wanted to go take a bath and scrub myself clean.. by the end of my one week i was checked almost 10 to 15 times.. though by the 5th or the 6th time i kinda got use to that degradation...
Tried the Iraqi equivalent of a burger.. they called it hamburger even though it contained only lamb meat being halal n all.. and no i dint try to explain to them how hamburger was made of ham as in pork n blah n blah... had the famous pomegranate juice and ended up with a cold...
From there on we went to Karbala... checking was still the same.. sick and disgusting..... :( but there was one difference... people were even more hostile and rude here... oh i got thrown out of a shop (the man picked up the broomstick and showed me the door) .... :( anyway somehow got through the four days there.. and when i left that country i din't feel any regret... i like my self respect and dignity... thank you very much.. oh and after that i din't go shopping in that country either...
There were a few nice people.. who smiled and tried to make a conversation with me but they knew Arabic and i dint.. so that kinda dint work soo well.. all in all i am glad its over...
A few things i learnt from this trip.. the people of my "so- called" religious community are power hungry and arrogant... they are rude and lack manners.. they love interfering in other people's business...
Another thing i realized... i love my freedom.. and i cant live when i'm dependent on people.. oh and i definitely can't share a room with my relatives over a long period of time.. i need my space.. however small and cramped it maybe it.. at least its mine...
Well, that is about it for now.... Women.. if your going to Iraq purchase a black burqa and learn Arabic.. they hate outsiders... in a way i guess that's because of the war.. but hell its still not a tourist friendly country... and i love my country for its freedom all the way...
I went via Sharjah... all was well till we were at the Sharjah airport.. but the difference was obvious as soon as we went through the security check for the Najaf flight (Najaf is suppose to be one of the largest cities in the country)... it seemed like the air had turned hostile and just because i was dressed differently people were looking down upon me.. i felt like a witch in Salem ..:P.. and it just got worse when we reached Najaf...
At the airport.. it was a fish market.. worse then the mumbai local train stations... hardly anyone gave a straight answer.. and it seemed like the locals din't know English... or any other language expect for Arabic.. after an hour of waiting in the queue ( which had only 5 people in front of us) for the visa checking we proceeded to the taxi... got to our destination ... the place we were staying was a part of the religious community so that was like a respite from the hostility of the citizens... spent three days in Najaf .. somehow got through them would be more accurate
All over iraq they have security checking booths.. separate for men and women... (thank god for that)... the women's checking is as good as getting molested... i was squeezed in places where the sun doesn't shine.. and at the end of it i wanted to go take a bath and scrub myself clean.. by the end of my one week i was checked almost 10 to 15 times.. though by the 5th or the 6th time i kinda got use to that degradation...
Tried the Iraqi equivalent of a burger.. they called it hamburger even though it contained only lamb meat being halal n all.. and no i dint try to explain to them how hamburger was made of ham as in pork n blah n blah... had the famous pomegranate juice and ended up with a cold...
From there on we went to Karbala... checking was still the same.. sick and disgusting..... :( but there was one difference... people were even more hostile and rude here... oh i got thrown out of a shop (the man picked up the broomstick and showed me the door) .... :( anyway somehow got through the four days there.. and when i left that country i din't feel any regret... i like my self respect and dignity... thank you very much.. oh and after that i din't go shopping in that country either...
There were a few nice people.. who smiled and tried to make a conversation with me but they knew Arabic and i dint.. so that kinda dint work soo well.. all in all i am glad its over...
A few things i learnt from this trip.. the people of my "so- called" religious community are power hungry and arrogant... they are rude and lack manners.. they love interfering in other people's business...
Another thing i realized... i love my freedom.. and i cant live when i'm dependent on people.. oh and i definitely can't share a room with my relatives over a long period of time.. i need my space.. however small and cramped it maybe it.. at least its mine...
Well, that is about it for now.... Women.. if your going to Iraq purchase a black burqa and learn Arabic.. they hate outsiders... in a way i guess that's because of the war.. but hell its still not a tourist friendly country... and i love my country for its freedom all the way...
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