This month (March) is the first month of spring. Mosul was known as the city of two springs because in autumn the nature look like it is in spring.
But this spring is different. Citizens of Mosul used to go to the flat areas surrounding the city for picnics, every holiday, every Friday and even daily in the afternoon, you see families scattered at the green areas and the children playing football (soccer).
Those thing will not be seen any more, nobody dares to get out of his house unless for the utmost necessity. Today is Friday and we are all in the house, for two reasons:
First because of security purposes, and second because three member of the family have flu.
Those days, there is an outbreak of upper respiratory tract infection with high fever, running nose, cough and malaise. It is caused by viral infection and spreads from one patient to another by droplet infection, Sneezing, coughing and even respiration may spread the disease.
My two daughters Najma and NHK had the disease first, when they got better, their mother, Aya and her mother got it next, till now I am the only one who didn't get the illness.
So we all are house-prisoners, with no electricity (the neighborhood generator was exhausted and needs rebuilding, so they took it away to fix it), thank God the temperature is very moderate, there is no need for air conditioners, although we still use the small kerosene heaters because the patients feel cold.
BTW, the problem of fuel ended few days ago, especially for the gasoline. Kerosene is also available now but very expensive (more than 10 times of its original price).
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I had hoped that after the election things would be more peaceful, but that was not to be. I still hope Iraq will find peace and Iraqis will stop killing Iraqis. I can understand why some Iraqis might want to kill Americans, although I would prefer that they be friends to one another. I am much less able to understand the thinking that makes people kill their own neighbors, people of their own country. Wouldn't it be better to repair the electrical system and do other useful things than to kill and try to inspire fear?
Hopefully the thinking that drives the killers will fade like a temporary disease, which provokes the body to learn how to resist it's attack and heal itself. I expect it will take time. I hope it does not happen slowly. Perhaps your family will yet have an opportunity to enjoy this spring, but I perhaps this is too much to expect. I'm sad that you must fear to move around and can't enjoy what should be a happy season.
Sacramento, California
and here I thought I would bring my sickness over Wednesday from the states and make everyone in Iraq sick!! This makes me feel better because now I know I can maybe catch this virus for a fourth time this year!!!! Oh well, I hope everyone feels better. We've been sitting on top of 12 inches of snow for the past two months with bitter cold temeratures so you DO have that advantage. Take Care....
Truthteller, thee is a question I have, a matter of curiosity. Iraq seems to have a great need of air conditioning in the summer time. It also has a lot of sunshine and the central elecrical system seems to be highly unreliable.
My question is: do people in Iraq ever use solar panels to generate electricity? Sun-to-electricity systems do not work at night, of course, but batteries can store electricity and thermal reservoirs (like a room full of ice or a tank of hot water) can store heat or the output of an air conditioner. A solar electric system might be more reliable than a generator, although it also would probably be more expensive and would not work well in cloudy weather or at night.
Sacramento, California
Truthteller, thee is a question I have, a matter of curiosity. Iraq seems to have a great need of air conditioning in the summer time. It also has a lot of sunshine and the central elecrical system seems to be highly unreliable.
My question is: do people in Iraq ever use solar panels to generate electricity? Sun-to-electricity systems do not work at night, of course, but batteries can store electricity and thermal reservoirs (like a room full of ice or a tank of hot water) can store heat or the output of an air conditioner. A solar electric system might be more reliable than a generator, although it also would probably be more expensive and would not work well in cloudy weather or at night.
Sacramento, California
Truth, I hope your family is feeling better now (and that you've avoided the flu yourself!) I think you and your family would enjoy this radio show.
http://www.thislife.org/
It's a weekly documentary program. Click on the 2005 archive link to find this episode and you listen on RealAudio.
"Should I Stay or Should I Go?"
3/11/05 -- Episode 284
There are 3 stories.
The 1st is of a young man from Pakistan who has gone to university in America. Now his parents are encouraging him to return to Pakistan. He doesn't know what to do.
The 2nd part is about a software engineer whose project is terminated and he loses his job. Because he wants to finish the project, he continues to sneak into the company for three months. He finishes the project.
That radio recommendation was from Tilli (Mojave Desert)
PS - I forgot to say that the software engineer was at Apple. His software was ended up all the new Power Macs! -- Tilli
I'm sorry to hear that members of your family are sick and hope they are feeling better soon.
I'm also sorry that you all are stuck inside when the weather is beautiful because there is so much violence. :(
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