My class trip

Today for school or as we know it here SFI, svenska för invandrare, Swedish for Immigrants, we had to not go to class. Instead we got to go later in the morning and meet in Central. Not everyone was there, about 5 or 6 people didn't show up. We took a little tour on the way to the Library, which was our main stop. The teacher explained things to us in Swedish, which I only caught half of it because it was noisy outside and the wind was blowing etc etc...
I am on the far right, the second one in-back row, and the girl to the right, the Arabian, is Eliana, my best friend. The class consists of people from all over the world, which I had mentioned once before. I love it because I get to know everyone and hear about life in their part of the world. Sometimes though there are things maybe you wish you haven't heard at all.

There is this one student I might have mentioned before, Anmal. he is from Iraq. We had a little talk with each other in the library and it was a sad one for the two of us...probably more so for him. I sort of figured he was a refugee here but I was not 100% sure. I had asked him if he would go to visit his family in the summer when we have a break for school. He told me no because he has no family, or home. It started to sink in with me what he was saying.
I know he is from Baghdad. That was enough for me to figure it out on my own. He told me he has no home, his whole family was killed, and to top it off, he still has a bullet in him that they cannot take out because it is lodged somewhere and that if they did take it out, it would have dire consequences. He got hit with a bullet from an american soldier. My heart sank.
I said to him I was sorry, so sorry. Anmal said ' No it is ok, it was not you that did this to me, it's alright.' But I could see he was sad now and he went to sit down on one of the benches behind everyone. Eliana asked me what was wrong and I whispered in her ear what was said, and repeating this caused me to have a few tears. I felt so sad.

After I got out of the line I went to sit next to him on the bench and he was himself again and was laughing and of course I laughed with him. He ran from his country because it was taken from him. I don't know what else to say right now about it, but I am not happy that there are good people in that country who get affected by this war and killed and injured and loose everything they have ever known. Innocent people die because Bush decided he wanted to just take over. I don't even like Bush to begin with, and now, I hate him even more.
I never in my life thought I would come across someone who was affected by this war in Iraq. Not someone who is on the other side of the fence. This guy is a good guy. He is always happy and smiling and is friendly with everyone. Anmal is only 21 and I wish he and other people from his country who want a normal peaceful life didn't have to go through this.

It felt good to come home to my husband today and tell him about this. I wouldn't know what to do without Paul. I love him like crazy.

Of course I am also sad for our people, the americans who die in this war too. It hurts me that there has to be so much hate and so many people dying, but there is nothing that I can do. It's life. Anyways i will shut up about it now. I have to say that I have learned so much more in my life here in Sweden then I ever have living in America.

The day at 'school' did come to a nice end though. Eliana and I went to a cafe to have coffee and cake, and we sat and gossiped while it poured and rained outside after we were free to go. It was so nice to do that, and then comming home to Paul and the cutest puppy in the world made it even better.