http://www.gabcast.com/index.php?a=episodes&query=&b=play&id=8538&cast=73011&castPage=
HW 40: Responding to a Podcast
“Iraqi Teens Work to Help Their Families”
Alive in Baghdad
October 15, 2007
The podcast covers the topic of unemployment in Iraq and how teenagers are getting work in order to help their families. The people that appear in the podcasts are teenagers who have gone out to get work. For example, 15 year old Hussein Kamal. In the past he has helped his father with carpentry but recently his brother has taught him a new career, furniture painting. Other teens that appeared in the podcast were also quite young and have been working for a number of years. The scenery displayed in the background does not look like anything that we are used to seeing. There does not seem to be any sort of factory that the boys use for carpentry. In one case it is some ones backyard. I found it sad to hear Yousif’s story. Because of the war he was born with a birth defect which has caused him to have many surgeries. He now is attending an agricultural school and is unemployed. I find it impressive that even with the rough life of an Iraqi he is still eager enough to get an education. Many other teens stories made their lives seem very routine and their lives seemed very hard. It seemed as though they did so much work and would not earn a decent amount of money. There was not one story in particular that I found memorable because I began to think that they all had interesting stories and were hard working teens that made a good impression on me.
HW:35A An Open Letter to Riverbend
Dear Riverbend,
Even though you give us much information on the war I still find it hard to relate to some things mainly because I am on the opposite side of it. Each day you are able to look out your window and see live footage of a war, where I am from we watch it on television or hear it on the radio. We have seen and heard of very terrifying things that have occurred, but could never relate to them in the way that you do. Before I began reading this book I felt that I did not have very much connection with the war but you have now changed that for me and I thank you. I now have much more knowledge and feeling of what is occurring and feel very sorry for those that cannot escape it. Although my life personally has not been greatly affected by the war I have seen others around me that it has had a great impact on. From reading your book I have felt a special connection with you and the Iraqi people. Your way of writing is incomparable. No other books that I have read have related to the war as directly as you have. I find the book to be very special because you have put a lot of your heart and life stories into it which is something very unique. Over time I feel that this book will give people great knowledge about what actually has occurred during the war.
Sincerly,
Secret
HW 33: Annotated Bibliography Entry
Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog From Iraq. Feminist Press at the City University of New York. 2005.
Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog from Iraq is based on the life of an Iraqi woman from the city of Baghdad. In the book she doesn’t tell us details from her personal life, but when it comes to giving the reader details about what goes on in her community her responses are the exact opposite. She speaks of American soldiers and her feelings on the war since it began. She does not hold anything back when it comes to giving her opinion. The cover of the book is very appealing, it represents fire and the side profile of the Iraqi woman. From what I have read so far I have gained a great amount of knowledge on the different religions that are practiced, Iraqi culture, and things that are seen from the eyes of an Iraqi woman.
HW 33: Annotated Bibliography Entry
Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog From Iraq. Feminist Press at the City University of New York. 2005.
Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog from Iraq is based on the life of an Iraqi woman from the city of Baghdad. In the book she doesn’t tell us details from her personal life, but when it comes to giving the reader details about what goes on in her community her responses are the exact opposite. She speaks of American soldiers and her feelings on the war since it began. She does not hold anything back when it comes to giving her opinion. The cover of the book is very appealing, it represents fire and the side profile of the Iraqi woman. From what I have read so far I have gained a great amount of knowledge on the different religions that are practiced, Iraqi culture, and things that are seen from the eyes of an Iraqi woman.
