neurotic Iraqi wife
January 28, 2005
The Mark of Freedom......
Wow what a day, a pretty sureal one. The first day of voting was today for all Iraqis living outside, and I believe that in my city alone, more than half the registrants that registered between the 17th-25th came to vote today. A big factor, I think was that today is a Friday(a public holiday),the equivalent of a Sunday in the west.
I stood there at 650 am, waiting to be ushered in at 7. I smoked 2 cigarettes to pass the time. The clock struck 7 and I brisk walked to my station as to be the first voter, but HEYYYYYYY,a colleague of mine cheated and didnt bother to stand in the queue. Instead he entered the area as a staff member and stood at the station pretending to read things off the wall. Grrrrrrrrr. I was fuming. I couldnt believe it. I coulda easily done the same, but I wanted to do it the right way. the excuse he bloody gave me"You were the first registrant, you cant be the first voter as well". I kept pushing him,lol (can u imagine the scene). Two grown ups fighting for who to be first in line, then out of the blue,a young polling staff member said I wanna be first. I looked into his eyes, and saw the excitement in them. I couldnt but let him go before me(and ofcourse couldnt say no to those innocent puppy eyes,could I now.sigh). At that moment, I cracked up laughing, I never thought the day will come for us Iraqis, fighting for who to vote first. It really was an amazing feeling. And not to mention, my horrible colleague was left there for third place,hehe....
Crowds and crowds of people started walking in at 730am on a Friday morning. It was simply beautiful. Families singing and clapping as they made their way through. I cant describe the feelings of jubilation. There were chocolates and sweets being distributed and one family brought in huge pots of rice and mutton and gave it to everyone in the center. Umm, No Thank You, Mrs here didnt have any.....
Alot of media was present as well, and I made sure they knew their limits in taking video footage and pictures. They always have to ask permission before doing any of those, cuz we still have people fearing for their families lives back in Iraq. And they have every right to refuse being photographed. One incident though that took place was a press lady who started asking voters about their choices and when answered she made sneer comments about the party in question. The voters started complaining to the staff, and she was ushered outside to be reminded politely of the code of conduct. She gave the excuse of freedom of press, Umm yeah no one said dont ask questions but its a NO GO Lady when you interefere with the voters choices and belittle them.
That was the only glitch. Everything else went great. We had political entity agents present to make sure that voters are not being swayed one way or another. We had independant observers roaming about making sure that everything is going smoothly. All in all it was a great day. One thing I kinda disliked was the darn ink, it turns a yucky shade of black afterwhile,the colour aint the issue here but the dry sensation makes it real eeewwww....I was told that it lasts throughout the voting period and even more as to ensure no one votes more than once....Hmm a smart idea???Hey HUBBY, thank god u aint here, cuz my finger sure looks like something from the adams family right now.....A change from that red varnish you kinda love,lol....
I guess thats all to report today, everyone was happy, chirpy and at the end of the day real real tired including moi. Most of all, EYES were exhausted searching in the massive crowds for the marked fingers, frowning if they dont see that mark, The Mark of Freedom......
I stood there at 650 am, waiting to be ushered in at 7. I smoked 2 cigarettes to pass the time. The clock struck 7 and I brisk walked to my station as to be the first voter, but HEYYYYYYY,a colleague of mine cheated and didnt bother to stand in the queue. Instead he entered the area as a staff member and stood at the station pretending to read things off the wall. Grrrrrrrrr. I was fuming. I couldnt believe it. I coulda easily done the same, but I wanted to do it the right way. the excuse he bloody gave me"You were the first registrant, you cant be the first voter as well". I kept pushing him,lol (can u imagine the scene). Two grown ups fighting for who to be first in line, then out of the blue,a young polling staff member said I wanna be first. I looked into his eyes, and saw the excitement in them. I couldnt but let him go before me(and ofcourse couldnt say no to those innocent puppy eyes,could I now.sigh). At that moment, I cracked up laughing, I never thought the day will come for us Iraqis, fighting for who to vote first. It really was an amazing feeling. And not to mention, my horrible colleague was left there for third place,hehe....
Crowds and crowds of people started walking in at 730am on a Friday morning. It was simply beautiful. Families singing and clapping as they made their way through. I cant describe the feelings of jubilation. There were chocolates and sweets being distributed and one family brought in huge pots of rice and mutton and gave it to everyone in the center. Umm, No Thank You, Mrs here didnt have any.....
Alot of media was present as well, and I made sure they knew their limits in taking video footage and pictures. They always have to ask permission before doing any of those, cuz we still have people fearing for their families lives back in Iraq. And they have every right to refuse being photographed. One incident though that took place was a press lady who started asking voters about their choices and when answered she made sneer comments about the party in question. The voters started complaining to the staff, and she was ushered outside to be reminded politely of the code of conduct. She gave the excuse of freedom of press, Umm yeah no one said dont ask questions but its a NO GO Lady when you interefere with the voters choices and belittle them.
That was the only glitch. Everything else went great. We had political entity agents present to make sure that voters are not being swayed one way or another. We had independant observers roaming about making sure that everything is going smoothly. All in all it was a great day. One thing I kinda disliked was the darn ink, it turns a yucky shade of black afterwhile,the colour aint the issue here but the dry sensation makes it real eeewwww....I was told that it lasts throughout the voting period and even more as to ensure no one votes more than once....Hmm a smart idea???Hey HUBBY, thank god u aint here, cuz my finger sure looks like something from the adams family right now.....A change from that red varnish you kinda love,lol....
I guess thats all to report today, everyone was happy, chirpy and at the end of the day real real tired including moi. Most of all, EYES were exhausted searching in the massive crowds for the marked fingers, frowning if they dont see that mark, The Mark of Freedom......
19 Comments:
Thank you so much for sharing this story of yours with us!! You are so lucky to have a vote. We all are when we can voice our political opinions thru elections and voting. I am so happy to see voting taking place...My only wish is that the people in Iraq will have as easy and a safe time voting, my prayers and thoughts are with them on voting day.
BTW great pic lol :)
M
la-vie-folle.diaryland.com
I was at the same centre, but the woman ruined my hand.... :( laish heechee ..... i dont have just on one finger but on my middle one and in between my fingers..... sooochich!.....i am teasing..... the mood was kinda over the top everyone was really happy.... for me though something happened that got me so angry just an hour before going to the station that made me not only change my vote but not fully enjoy the moments :(.... still I voted and I have to go into work tommorrow looking like i didnt wash my hand cause of how much ink is on my hand.... :) good work
Congratulations, you are now a member of the real world, and you have the finger to prove it!
Can't wait to hear if Hubby works out his little dilemma. It's kind of funny, he's been there the whole time fighting for your freedom, and you get to just stroll in to a voting center and cast your choice. He's got to find some way around the rules and maybe even risk life and limb... well don't even think about that today, today is the first day of the rest of your life, Enjoy!
Wow, your words give me pause for thought. All this talk of voting makes me realize how much we (or particularly, I) have taken our voting privelege for granted. This year was the first year I ever voted at the age of 35. Until now, I always thought it was someone else's problem (a mark of immaturity, I now realize). But hearing your story and those of other Iraqis and Afghanis, it makes me realize how precious it is. Thanks for sharing your experiences!
That is a beautiful story NIW - thank you so much for sharing all of your experiences.
Congratulations once again and the appreciation I feel for all Iraqis all over the world making this stand knows no bounds. Thank you.
BTW - Wow! Can't believe how much ink they put on your finger! Guess they didn't want the same problems as in Afghanistan - when the accusations flew that the wrong kind of ink was used, eh? It is a mark to be proud of as far as I'm concerned.
That is just beautiful... WoW. Congratulations, NW.
boyintheworld
Bless you, dear. Your joy in the election consoles us and gives us the strength to go on. You, your husband and your nation are in our prayers as we all work to assure freedom for you and your children.
Hello NIW!!!
How amazing that Iraq is voting, I'm watching it on t.v. and reading the websites; seeing lots of lineups I know it won't end the violence as the nay sayers like to point out, BUT Iraq is a free nation now. Glab that bum of a reporter was shown the door - no class at all. Sounds like she does not know the spirit of Iraqis, such as yourself. Perhaps now she's more informed. :)
Peace and Freedom for IRAQ!
Hope your job continues to be a source of joy for you!
Bye for now...
<>
i wish you and hubby the best of course from the northwest corner of the u.s.. i opposed the war before it started, and continue to believe it was a great mistake. there have been too many iraqi lives lost for me to believe that it was worth it. i can never know the life that was lived before this war, or what it is now. but regardless, what will happen next is all that matters, the eyes of the world watch this election, and there must be billions that wish for only the best for the people of iraq, and this for the moment, must make the possible great.
Hey, hon..been reading you regularly. Was watching the coverage last night on the three cable networks here and MSNBC showed YOUR BLOG on national (dare I say "internation"?). Don't get nervous, but you are linked via the official MSNBC blog on blogs:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6409077/
I note the nasties are already finding your blog via this link. I wish that they had stayed up and seen this and came to comment here for the same reason I did which is to congratulate you and wish you joy on this happy occassion. You may have a temporary mark of freedom on your finger, but the real mark of freedom is forever in your heart.
God bless and keep you safe. Hope the hubby is doing okay and you all get your next chance at an exotic R&R location. LOL
don't pay attention to the whiners. It was worth every moment and every drop of blood and sweat and tears to see this moment come true.
For the record, as many ask and claim that people have no right to speak if they did not pay with the life of a loved one or in separation, I have a brother in the military, a cousin in the military (he was there last year) and several friends who have gone and came back and are going again. They tell me it is worth it. That's good enough for me.
Stay strong and enjoy your happy day.
Congratulations!!!!! Your vote and the stain on your finger show the world that you want change for Iraq, that you want to participate, and that YOU believe that YOU can make a difference. Your actions this weekend, and the actions of 8 million other Iraqis around the world, will help fuel the momentum of freedom. More people will start to believe. Freedom is contagious. It is unbelievable to be able to witness the history of democracy on television. It is a magnificent. Best wishes to you, your family and your country.
Congratulations! I wish you could have been downtown.
Everyone in my unit thinks it was worth it. Our year is coming to an end soon.
Raven
Hello
see my recent 3 posts.
http://iraqidoctor.blogspot.com
my blog
Hi! My name is Stephanie, I've been reading your blog off and on for sometime now, and wanted to give you a big internet hug. My husband is serving in Iraq right now, almost at the end of a year tour- and I feel some of your pain when you miss him, etc... Good luck (and I think the ink looks AWESOME on your finger- very amazing, and brave) http://stephielove.diaryland.com :)
Hello
see my recent posts.
my blog=http://iraqidoctor.blogspot.com"
Lady NIW:
where are you?
come on give us a new post!
we all miss you!
Obviously she has much to talk about. She's one of your folks NIW and expats too. From the dates of her posts it seems that she's started just recently, less than a month ago. Quite intriguing blog, I suggest you visit ISHTARRIA, she's a new Iraqi female blogger
Where I am 77 years old and all my frien that were smokers are dead so quit your smoking. You have mouch work ahead of you so start reading and set yourself and your husband to start working in the new government. It will not run itself and if it does get going it may not go the direction you want it to. Self government is not easy and if you are not active in it then what happens may be your fault. There is much to be learned in "google search" and you have no reason not to be involved. Lots of luck don't look back you have a great future.
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