A version of this was originally published on the Al Jazeera English website in July 2011. AT THE START I was not having a particularly …
Read Full StoryFear and Other Pandemics in Baghdad
Since U.S. forces invaded my country in 2003, I have lived an extraordinary life as an Iraqi. I faced daily risks such as bombs, violence, …
Read Full StoryPages from a New Zealand Diary: The Darkest Day, The Brightest Love
March 15 I only had one item on my to-do list: send an email to our project team to plan the presentation for the following …
Read Full StoryCaptivating Sri Lanka: An Unexpected Honeymoon
Fleeing the Rat Race I live in a corporate world, surrounded by high-rises and traffic jams, unruly crowds and heaps of concrete. Social media provides …
Read Full StoryThere’s No Place Like Rome: Travels with My Father, Travolta, & Mickey Mouse
“BAD TRIP” I was eight years old the first time I visited the United States. I didn’t want to be there. Italy was my preferred …
Read Full StoryMars Over Baghdad: Miracles in the Desert
ASTROLOGICAL APPOINTMENT 3a.m., 27th of August 2003. That was when Mars would’ve been visible from Baghdad. Yes — the planet Mars — seen from the …
Read Full StoryThe Reason for Discouragement: Verses from Mexico
La Razon del Desanimo (English translation below) Ingenuos creyentes del paraíso abonamos al infierno, adheridos a los sentidos como único camino. Hemos convertido al mundo …
Read Full StoryHello, Shadowlands: Uncovering Southeast Asia’s Booming Underworld
Neon Jihad Her breath smells of menthols. Her ragged denim shorts are damp with spilled beer. She will not stop laughing. I suppose her forced …
Read Full StoryA Twenty-Year-Old Letter from London: Memories, Midlife, and the Millennium
Let me paint you a scene — it is still one of my favourites in the world: I am sitting in the Royal Festival Hall …
Read Full StoryBetween Borders: Dualities, Wine, and Baja California
Star sign Twenty-seven-year old Violeta is “sort of” an Aries. It’s among the first things she tells you about herself – that she was born …
Read Full Story