Life is Beautiful ‘la vita è bella’
Iraq nowdays April 22nd, 2007As I was watching (for the millionth time) the photo that I have posted in my previous post, I was thinking hard to speculate what was in the mother's head as she was walking her kid to school and few meters away, there lies a dead body in a burnt car.
After a long time of thinking, one thing popped into my mind; la vita è bell. Its the italian translation of "Life is Beautiful". Of course I was not thinking that the mother was thinking life is beautiful as she is crossing that street not knowing if she would be alive to pick up her son after school. "Life is Beautiful" was a movie that won the best foriegn movie Oscar in 1997.
For those of you who have not seen the movie, I'll just tell you a short description of how this relates to Iraq, that mother, and her young young kid.
A father and his son get caught by the German's in the World War II. They were placed in a concentration camp. And the father (Roberto Benigni) thinks of a brilliant idea to make the whole thing less scary for his son. He tells his son that the whole camp thing is just a game. And their role in the game is to survive the camp and the winner will get a tank..!!
I just keep thinking of my 10 months old daughter as I a mwriting these words. I wonder if she would understand if something bad happens to me. Her, and her mother are practically all that I have in this world, and I am all they have. Would her shiny eyes believe that all of this is just a game?
She is probably THE reason that I left Iraq. I did not want her to go through all of this. But as days pass by, life gets harder and harder for all Iraqis, those living inside and outside Iraq. I know that one day I will have to go back no matter how bad things are in Iraq. Not because I want to, its just because I have no where else to go.
Its very hard to live like this. I love my country and I want to get back for that. But on the other hand, my family's safety as well as my own are highly compromised if I do go back.Maybe I have to play the "Life is Beautiful" game with my self not with my daughter.
April 22nd, 2007 at 5:21 pm
May God cherish your daughter and family.
Your entry reminded me of a song Ace of Base sang in the 1990s. “It’s a Beautiful Life”… I was walking with my Polish friend the other day and he started singing it. I couldn’t sing it with him even though I know all the lyrics because It’s NOT a Beautiful Life, at least for the people in Iraq.
Peace.
April 23rd, 2007 at 9:45 pm
Hello,
My name is Charlotte Lau, and I’m currently taking a class at Stanford University in the U.S. on foreign reporting in the Middle East. My current assignment is to write an article on how the media reports from Iraq–both in terms of whether they’re doing a good job as well as how they actually go about finding/verifying stories in a place where travel is so perilous. I have mainly been speaking to American reporters, but I’d like to get an Iraqi’s point of view. I find your blog really interesting, so I’d like to interview you on what you think about the press’ coverage of Iraq, the dangers of reporting in the country, why you think journalists are targeted, etc. If reaching each other by phone proves too difficult, we could just do it via instant messages or video chatting. Please let me know if you would be willing, and if so, what time(s) would be best to reach you.
Thanks so much,
Charlotte Lau
Stanford University ‘10
cslau@stanford.edu
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:04 pm
BT,
Thank you for the prayers, we truely do need it. MAy God bless you and your family and keep them safe.
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:09 pm
Charlotte,
Welcome in my blog. I have just emailed you.