Sunday, May 30, 2004
The Day We Were Raided!
A few months ago we had a visitor: - a lady from an organization called UK Universities whom an English friend had asked to contact me to discuss the state of Iraqi universities.
I had sent her a map of our houseÂs location so that her driver would know how to get here.
We had lunch and a good time discussing universities and how to improve them, etc. She stayed for about two hours.
What we didn't know was that there were two cars and some security guards with her...and the entire neighborhoodd was in a state of high alert thinking that the Americans have raided our home!!!!!!
* The boys in the neighborhood had tried to misdirect them so that they wouldn't find our house, sent word to give us some warning...and filled the street thinking it was an emergency.
* Mother, who lives next door, was visiting her sister when she was told that we were raided by the Americans and, sick with worry, rushed to check!
* My nephew, who also lives next-door, was at the barber shop when he was told by someone that the Americans had raided their-, and their uncle's houses. He shoved the barber away, had his face cut in the process and rushed running for a mile to check!
* A young man in the neighborhood, passing them, spat at them and they chased him for a while (or so it was said).
* One of my neighbors was going back and forth in front of my house to keep an eye on developments. When our guest left I had a chat with him to calm him down, he asked for details and, finding out that the lot were actually British, finally said that he knew that something was different: those people somehow didn't look like Americans!!
* My niece, who also lives nearby, was hysterical with worry... and was finally told by her genius husband that since they were taking so long in there, there was nothing to worry about!
* Another neighbour who was a big shot of the old regime went immediately under-cover, hiding his car and then himself for three hours!!
Such commotion... it was the funniest thing that had happened for a long time!!!
I had sent her a map of our houseÂs location so that her driver would know how to get here.
We had lunch and a good time discussing universities and how to improve them, etc. She stayed for about two hours.
What we didn't know was that there were two cars and some security guards with her...and the entire neighborhoodd was in a state of high alert thinking that the Americans have raided our home!!!!!!
* The boys in the neighborhood had tried to misdirect them so that they wouldn't find our house, sent word to give us some warning...and filled the street thinking it was an emergency.
* Mother, who lives next door, was visiting her sister when she was told that we were raided by the Americans and, sick with worry, rushed to check!
* My nephew, who also lives next-door, was at the barber shop when he was told by someone that the Americans had raided their-, and their uncle's houses. He shoved the barber away, had his face cut in the process and rushed running for a mile to check!
* A young man in the neighborhood, passing them, spat at them and they chased him for a while (or so it was said).
* One of my neighbors was going back and forth in front of my house to keep an eye on developments. When our guest left I had a chat with him to calm him down, he asked for details and, finding out that the lot were actually British, finally said that he knew that something was different: those people somehow didn't look like Americans!!
* My niece, who also lives nearby, was hysterical with worry... and was finally told by her genius husband that since they were taking so long in there, there was nothing to worry about!
* Another neighbour who was a big shot of the old regime went immediately under-cover, hiding his car and then himself for three hours!!
Such commotion... it was the funniest thing that had happened for a long time!!!
# posted by Abu Khaleel @ 11:17 AM 
