Friday, March 20, 2009

The same old issue

We were searching for a house more than six month ago, and we are still waiting to find even a small but clean one. I mean by WE, my family, my family in law, my father and his friends, my mother and some neighboors, my finace and all his friends, my friends and their families, and there is nothing to live in.
We found several houses, very samll and expensive, very big and very very expensive, but the last one we found, is the disaster it self.
My friend N. called me two days ago, she was so happy telling me that her father's friend found a hous for rent in the same neighborhood where I live now, a house in the second floor of a nother house, but it will be separated by a stairs, which will be added later, and we will share the same garage!
we spok with the friend of N.'s father, and we met him yesterday, my father, my fiance and me, I was happy, I dreamed all the previous night about the house, I was telling my self that this is it, we found what we need, a house of two rooms, one bathroom and a kitchen. And you can't imagin how deep was my dreams, especially it was not expensive they asked for about 300 dollars per month.
We went yesterday to check the house, I found a small corridor and three doors, one for the bathroom, and the two others are for two rooms, then another door for the roof, I wandered where is the toilet and kitchen? then I was shocked, the kitchen is outside the house, it is in the roof, you can't imagine it, I felt I was living in a egyptian old movie where a poor family living on the roof.
I was sad and very disappointed, but I tried so hard to hid my feelings, because my fiance always tells me that not to build dreams on a fragile thing, or on something you have no idea about. He was right. But I can tell you that all my dreams faded away with that kitchen!.
There is a houses crisis in the country, the problem is, despite the improved security situation, but we still can't live anywhere, there are some areas far away from our parent's houses, and from work, we can't live in some areas that we are not used to, as some neighborhoods seem familiar but other areas seem so strange.
my grandmother always asks me the same old question, you found a house? what will you do?.. no body knows how much this question bothers me! yes it bothers me deadly.
I can do nothing, or WE can't do anything, yes we want to get married, but in the same time we want to do it the way we want, the time we want, we will wait untill we find a nice place for us.. this is my business, it is not others business..

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Micho,
u r right,its a crisis even more expensive than the neighbouring countries.i've heard that there are houses for rent in Al-jamiaa with the same price but better than this one but im not sure,have u looked for one there?
btw las week my sister was talking abt a girl and i discovered that this girl was you and she is your friend :D.i'd like to keep anonymous.
wish u luck.
b.d

Violet said...
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Violet said...

Micho,
It has been a long time since i have commented on a blog.. but yours is on my list of secretly following blogs...
i saw this issue and i completely understand what you are going trough... i hope Allah will guide you and your Fiancé to the right choice.. ya rab !and he will guide someone that he/she will tell you that has found a house of your beautiful dreams...
My regards and wishes :)

Michomeme said...

B.D
What? my friend? omg I have many friends, can I know who is she, and send her my regards :)
We found a house in Hai al-Jamiaa but it was not good because it was deep in the neighbohood, and we are still not sure about the security situation there.



Violete
hello girl how are you doing" long time no see, Thank you for your sweet words, inshalla we will find something good for us.

Anonymous said...

I said so when i knew,omg :D, asmall world.
i'd like to keep anonymous plz.
u are right abt the security situation there.
good luck.
B.D

Touta said...

Iraq has soo many beautiful houses, but the prices are ridiculously high, and the smaller houses in the middle of baghdad are all in ruins! I was soo sad, when i went past a house, that i used to love in my childhood-it was all destruction and bricks.

Anyway, good luck with the house hunt, and the most important thing- make sure it has a tap! hehehe, even though the water never comes...
Take care, and best wishes micho. :)

Yoda said...

OOOOFFFFF, the same old problem, do u know that this is bothering me more than you, it's a sad thing.

I hope you'll find something proper soon, but some times, you have to lower your dreams level a little in order to go on your path.

Reagrds to you sister and to LionKing.


NOTE: Sorry for not posting anything in the mean time because all my days are hectic and I can't find time even for myself, so i'll try to keep followng anything new from you two.

YoDa

Marshmallow26 said...

Oh Micho,


That is too bad and real. It is "houses crisis" in Iraq and it is not new but this issue has been around for ages, that is why most of the newly weds stay at their parents which I kinda agree and kinda refuse. How about Baghdad el Jideeda" el-ghadeer" have you looked for houses over there? How about finding an apartment?

That is why Iraqis get late in their marriages..

I hope you find one as soon as possible.

Good luck dear

attawie said...

Oh dear,

Still holding on I hope. Remember I used to email you and ask you about details and to tell you the truth, it hurt me that you're delaying your marriage because of that.

We were advised to offer our house for rent last month but a fight almost broke out over our house. the neighbors wanted it, a relative's friend was ready to die for it and the relative of the people staying in the mushtamal wanted it and I can't tell you how bad it went over the phone and everybody is calling us and telling us "I'm the best to keep your home".

We left things undecided. You know is fully furnished and full of our personal things.

All the best dear, inshaAllah soon you'll get what you want :)

Khalid from iraqiblogupdates.blogspot.com/ said...
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David said...

Micho, I am sorry to hear that you and your fiance are having so much trouble finding a place to live.

I really don't know much about how people live in Iraq. In America, it is common for couples to live in an apartment after marriage until they have saved enough money for a downpayment on a house. This payment is usually at least 10 percent of the total value of the house. The rest of the money is borrowed from a bank in a loan called a mortgage.

So, are there any apartments for rent in Baghdad? From what you have written, I am guessing that there are not many apartments, or at least, not any that you can afford.

I hope you can find a nice place soon. I wish you good luck!

Khalid from iraqiblogupdates.blogspot.com/ said...

Knowing the rather complicated decision-making mechanism in relation to the internal affairs of the Iraqi families, I ask you to regard the word "strange" im my previous comment as being removed because I was just kidding.

Michomeme said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Khalid from iraqiblogupdates.blogspot.com/ said...

Micho, Thanks for your kind comments.I was kidding and the reality you judged me without knowing the situation. I respect Attawie and I think she's a wonderful Iraqi girl. Back to business, believe me I'm trying my best to find you a place but its not an easy task.

Take care,

Khalid

Michomeme said...

BD
Ok I can say that I'm not feeling happy now because you don't want to tell me :). but any way I respect your opinion.


Touta
There are many beautiful houses were destroyed because of the bombings or because the owners just abandoned it for the same reason.
Ok I will make sure about the tap hehehe..thank you for your nice wishes Touta.


Yoda
I really really don't want to lower my dreams a level, but you know what, I think I have to, but I'm not the only one in that dream..so we have to fight in the same time.
Note: we're still waiting for a new post :)



Marshoo
You know what? living in an apartment is so hard these days especially if it was in the four up to the highest floor, because it will be sooooo difficult to go up and down the stairs every day several times, as we should put into our consideration that the elevator does not work all the time because of the electricity whichi is the second crisis actually, Oh marshoo we are living in a crisis



Attawie
Ok Atta, to tell you the truthe, I'm the best to keep your home hehehehehe, especially this one, it will be close to my friend's house and close to the Ice Cream shope that I like the most hehehehe.
Don't worry dear, I understand the situation.


Khalid from Iraq
Thank you Khalid and you're welcomed here, but I think you judged my friend here and you really don't know the situation :), do you have any house to offer?



David
The couples here have two choices, whether they rent a house or appartment, because they can't buy one and they are still in the first steps of their way. Or to live in the family house of the man. in a room or take the second floor, it depends on the rooms number and how many members of the family living there.
but sometimes, the man build a small house in the garden of his parent's house or on the roof, so it would be nice isolated samll house, I think it is better, but in my situation we can't do this because there is no enough space to build a small house, we call it Mushtamal here.
There are many apartments for rent in Baghdad, but in a bad situation, not in a good area, and as I told Marsho, the elevator would not work because of the bad electricity, I'm not ready to stuck in the elevator for hours hehehehe



Khalid,
Ok, I will remove it :)

ahmed said...

So I hope you won't get that house?

Khalid from iraqiblogupdates.blogspot.com/ said...
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Khalid from iraqiblogupdates.blogspot.com/ said...
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Khalid from iraqiblogupdates.blogspot.com/ said...
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mhmd said...

good luck finding a house and post on.

Khalid from iraqiblogupdates.blogspot.com/ said...

Congratulation!