Diving in
Upon arrival in Baghdad, I always find myself immediately going into full-immersion mode. I ask colleagues to update me on specifics about the latest sectarian violence. The election this past January required knowledge of candidates and parties (fortunately not all 111 political entities) and the recent drafting of the constitution was a chance to get a primer in Sharia law. Each morning I settle into my place in our newsroom and I automatically punch up various newspapers to read analysis, feature and op-ed pieces about the all of the conflicts here (ethnic, political, military, the debates about Iraq from abroad). Next I move on to the wires to catch up on the day's events so I can then start searching for video - suicide bombing aftermath, demonstrations - whatever pertains to the day. Our local staff provides me with personal insights about the country. Sometimes we share a laugh, but more often I listen to their stories of frustration and tragedy. I offer sympathy but know there's no way I could ever truly relate to their daily struggles. All this while pops of gunfire and crashing booms from mortars are occasionally heard in the distance - irregular enough to make the routine here very unnerving. There is obviously no escaping the horrific realities of life in Iraq, and that fact is certainly hammered home when you live in a compound. So what can one do? While I'm here, I give myself the unapologetic excuse of devouring stories I would normally find pretty mind-numbing. When I'm home in New York I pretty much limit flipping through celebrity magazines to hair appointments (and they fall in line after beauty magazines). Quite frankly, stories about celebrities seem repetitive to me. Moreover in America, they're omni-present and inescapable. Yet while in Baghdad, I find myself leafing through an old issue of Britain's Hello Magazine left behind many months ago. I stare at pictures of British pop stars and soccer players' girlfriends who I've never seen before. I'm engrossed. I catch up on the current New York City tabloid story about the fugitive former fashion writer Peter Braunstein, accused of raping a former co-worker after coming up with a bizarre scheme to dress up as a firefighter to enter her apartment for an inspection. What else am I missing back home?? I devote a late afternoon break to reading a feature which brings up the burning question of whether or not Kate Moss will be able to salvage her career following the hidden video which revealed her taste for cocaine. Although I'm presently reading a very good book by John Crawford called "The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell - An Accidental Soldier's Account of the War in Iraq," it's difficult to find the energy to pick it up at the end of the day. A Vanity Fair article about Camilla Parker Bowles however, proves to be much more enticing.
EMAIL THIS
Seeking Sources advertisement
Slide Show
- Life beyond the violence
Suicide attacks and murders due to sectarian conflict continue around Iraq. See how residents live their lives amid the attacks.
Read the Nightly News blog
