Riverbend i Bagdad skriver fantastiskt bra.

"I feel like I have my finger on the throbbing pulse of the Iraqi political situation every time I visit Abu Ammar. You can often tell just how things are going in the country from the produce available at his stand. For example, when he doesn't have any good tomatoes we know that the roads to Basra are either closed or really bad and the tomatoes aren't getting through to Baghdad. When citrus fruit isn't available during the winter months, we know that the roads to Diyala are probably risky and oranges and lemons couldn't be delivered. He'll also give you the main news headlines he picks up from various radio stations and if you feel so inclined, you can read the headlines from any one of the assorted newspapers lying in a pile near his feet. Plus, he has all of the neighborhood gossip. (...)

'So do you still think the Americans want to turn Iraq into another America?' (...) Abu Ammar shook his head and sighed, 'Well if we’re New York or we’re Baghdad or we’re hell, it's not going to make a difference to me. I'll still sell my vegetables here.'

I nodded and handed over the bags to be weighed. 'Well… they’re going to turn us into another Iran. You know list 169 means we might turn into Iran.' Abu Ammar pondered this a moment as he put the bags on the old brass scale and adjusted the weights.

'And is Iran so bad?' He finally asked. Well no, Abu Ammar, I wanted to answer, it's not bad for *you* - you’re a man…"
Baghdad Burning: Groceries and Election Results..., 18 feb 2005

(Denna notis skriven lika mycket för att visa på hur många rika, intressanta former information tar sig - i den verkliga världen.)


Permalänk | Andra som länkat hit (0)