The Waiting Place intrigued me from the beginning. It’s tagline, “…Contemplations on those who left, by those who were left behind.” The image of two women, one veiled, increased my curiosity. Reading a few entries, I learn that this is a “warblog,” of sorts, but isn’t easy to categorize as so. The writers aren’t your average armchair pundits, in fact, much the opposite.
Trish and her daughter, Eva, have been blogging since April of 2003, mostly regarding the situation in the Middle East and their own deep connection to it. Meran, Eva’s husband, is a Kurdish Iraqi who emigrated to the United States in 1992. There, he fell in love with and married Eva. Last year, he was called back to Iraq to translate for the Department of Defense. I found this to be a powerfully human and eye-opening story, and the blog is an eloquent expression of it.
The entries, though far from regular, are full of details, and easily read. This blog focuses more on the human aspect of the Middle East conflict, and this is marvelously refreshing. The authors speak of the situation facing Kurdish natives of Iraq, very personal to them. Be sure to read the poem on the left of the page, as it helps to give cotext to the rest of the blog. Eva writes about life as an American Muslim, both stateside and abroad. Despite its somewhat ethnic flavor, this blog has incredible universality.
By far the most enjoyable part of this blog is the occasionally-posted letters between Eva and her husband. These are truly touching, and give readers a portrait of a genuinely loving marriage, and what happens when two people who love eachother are torn apart by circumstances. Amid Meran’s sweet missives of love to his wife, we learn of his experiences overseas and the job he does. I was most moved by Meran’s dutiful assurance to his wife back in the states, “I am a man of this century and the next.”
Be sure to follow the links in the right-hand column, to other blogs and complimentary sites. Beneath the picture, Meran’s name is linked to a page showing the Kurdish area of Iraq and an brief bio of him by Trish. The sheer quality of the blog itself makes up for any design issues. However, the page appears somewhat off-kilter. I would move the main picture to directly beneath the title. Also, on my screen-resolution, there is a horizontal scrollbar. This isn’t a big deal, and could probably be remedied by cropping the edges of the photo of Meran and Eva in the right-hand colum.
This blog is a must-read for anyone in the blogosphere wanting to be well-informed about the war in Iraq. In all honesty, however, the blog is not about the war in Iraq. It is about a woman, her mother, and the man she loves. For that reason, I recommend this site to anyone and everyone. The Waiting Place