August 2014. Exactly 10 years ago. That was the summer that "Daesh" (ISIS) had suddenly taken over parts of Iraq and Syria. I was in Jordan at the time, so right in the neighborhood. Yet Jordan had been so still and peaceful that the clamor from next-door had felt far away. But then, things started… Continue reading What’s it like flying to Los Angeles?
Tag: iraq
Medical care in Baghdad
I think the best piece of advice is, don't get sick in Baghdad. They have public hospitals and they have private hospitals. The public ones are apparently dirty on top of everything else, so if you have money, you'd prefer treatment in the private ones. I never experienced the public hospitals myself first-hand, though, so… Continue reading Medical care in Baghdad
Up the coast of Saudi Arabia from the sky at night
I did not go to Saudi Arabia, just saw it from the sky. It was approximately like this that we flew: So it wasn't just Saudi, it was also Qatar and Bahrain and Kuwait. And we hugged the coast all the way up. These cities are very very rich (at least, some people there are… Continue reading Up the coast of Saudi Arabia from the sky at night
Flying out of Baghdad
So it's time to leave Iraq and you're flying back to wherever. You're going to need to get from the city to the airport, and there are about 7 security checkpoints you have to clear. So buckle up, here we go: First, I believe that no passenger is able to drive to the airport for… Continue reading Flying out of Baghdad
Passport control when flying into Baghdad
A year or two ago, Iraq changed its rules so that citizens of many countries can get a visa-on-arrival at the airport. This is always the easiest procedure. One time, I went to Syria. This was before the war. We could not get visas on arrival at the airport in Damascus. We had to be… Continue reading Passport control when flying into Baghdad
Driving through Baghdad
Here is a series of five videos that show what Baghdad looks like during midday. The route is roughly as follows: Going from the Mansour neighborhood, to the Royal Private Hospital It's a very simple route, and though the streets were sometimes choked with cars, it wasn't so bad and we got back and forth… Continue reading Driving through Baghdad
Exploitative western scientists in foreign countries
I am still trying to get the last chapter of my PhD published, two years after graduating, and I have no idea if this is an average or super-long delay. I like the paper, though, at least the form it's finally taking. It's about the marshes in southern Iraq. Back in 2003, these marshes were… Continue reading Exploitative western scientists in foreign countries
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