Dropped down dead when he heard the news

Location New hotel room. Too many bedbugs and not enough AC in the last room. | Mood Blank | Date 8 August 2006

Filed in:

Author (full name):

Franny Armstrong

Location:

New hotel room. Too many bedbugs and not enough AC in the last room.

Mood:

Blank

Soundtrack:

Muslim call to prayers outside our window five times a day

Ailments:

The runs

Date:

8 August 2006

Franny, and our fixer, Khulood, interviewing Iraqi widows on the streets on Amman

It seems that everyone here knows all about the million-strong anti-Iraq War march in London in 2003. First thing they say when we say we're British. So, even though it did nothing to stop the war, maybe it achieved more than we realise.

But *no one* knows about climate change.

Met a very promising family today. A stunning looking mother and three extremely cute kids (do we always pick our characters based on looks? Have a bad feeling that might be the case). The father was killed by an American bomb on the second day of the war and the eldest brother (aged 16) was injured and is still in Iraq as he didn't manage to get out. They seemed very friendly and less timid. Meeting with them again tomorrow.

We attempted to film test interviews with three women we'd met yesterday, but we were attracting too much attention filming them by their cigarette stall. So tonight we got them all into the hotel. Poor Lizzie had to entertain five (they brought friends) raucous, underwashed, smoking women killing themselves laughing when any hotel guests went by - especially a white guy in his boxer shorts - in the foyer while Kulood and I did the interviews in our room. All Lizzie could think of (not speaking Arabic), was for them to dress her up in their sweaty chadors. Worked a treat.

Interviews were very distressing. Especially Badria, who explained what happened when she found out her two sons had been shot by the Americans: "When my husband heard about our sons' deaths, he had a sudden stroke and he dropped dead".

We gave each of the women 10 dinars (about 8 quid) to buy dinner and as compensation for missing an evening's selling. They were delighted.