Thursday, June 7, 2007

Entry #3 - Dec 11, 2006


Had an incredible day. Hashem Mashala, whom I met the first night I arrived has assumed the role of my Middle East Correspondent and is helping me create a segment for my documentary interviewing Iraqi refugees who are surviving in Amman. He first took me to a very tough neighborhood in the Old City of Amman and we walked into a coffee shop to recruit them. We first met an older gentleman dressed in a suit, who formally was a Bank Manager under the Saddam Regine and now survives doing magic tricks at birthday parties. He demonstrated it for my camera in the coffee shop and is quite good at it.

We also interviewed a formal Officer in Saddam's army who feared for his life and left his family and young children in Bagdad. He told us he lives in hell and worries every second about his wife and children.

We talked to a women who was formally a Chemical Engineer and now takes care of her children while her husband who is also an engineer works in another country. They have only seen him for 10 days in the past two years. The attached picture is with Om ahmad and her boys. I became quite fond of them and told them they would be included in this entry.

The focus of the interview was to get to know Iraqi's personally. We avoided any talk of politics. It is apparent that we share the same hopes and dreams.

The refugees cannot get work permits and many have no money. They survive from one day to the next. They are very proud and dignified. Despite fearing for their life they wanted to talk to me and they had powerful messages to tell American people. Even though I offered to pay them for the interview they would not take the money and they insisted on buying me tea and coffee.

My heart goes out to them and I am humbled and honored to document and share their stories.

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