Missing Suly

I want to cry when I think of this:

I preferred to buy groceries in the basement of the mall, Rand Gallery. Sure, there was a market just at the end of our block, but it had less variety. Rand was only a few blocks away, and even in 90 degree weather it was worth the walk. The grocery in Rand Gallery (and its name slips my mind) had everything: aisles of canned food, crackers, cookies, cheese, olive oil, ice cream. It was like a mini Target with cosmetics and DVD sections.

Upstairs was the mall: clothing stores, fast food restaurants, kids’ arcades, and Blue Cafe. When the Internet went out in the office, we walked to Blue Cafe to finish our work. Though it was stuffy and it smelled like cigarette smoke, we dealt with it — if only for their killer kiwi smoothies. We gladly paid 6,000 dinar per smoothie, which was the cost of a full meal most places.

—

I woke up at 4 a.m. this morning longing to be back in Suly. It’s been a full year. My heart aches for that country: for the people, the restaurants, the dirty streets, the culture, the mystique.

I am thankful for this summer’s internship, for getting paid, for being just an hour from my boyfriend — but I want to be back in Iraq. Hopefully, I’ll be able to return. Inshallah.

 

 

Lauren

May 28, 2011

Posted in Nonfiction and tagged culture, Iraq, Kurds, travel.