Brandon Stanton's Blog, page 345

"We were engaged for six months, but her parents made her marry...

"We were engaged for six months, but her parents made her marry a richer man." 
"What’s the last thing you said to her?"
"I told her: ‘I’ve done all that I can do. I wish you happiness in your life.’"
(Petra, Jordan)

"What happened to your arm?""I was walking down the stairs and...

"What happened to your arm?"
"I was walking down the stairs and looking at the stars."
(Amman, Jordan)

"If you speak gently, you’ll find good people wherever you...

"If you speak gently, you’ll find good people wherever you go. If you find a bad person, just move on to the next person." (Petra, Jordan)

"There’s a broken bottle down there!" (Amman, Jordan)

"There’s a broken bottle down there!" (Amman, Jordan)

"She raised us on her own. So when I graduated, I viewed it more...

"She raised us on her own. So when I graduated, I viewed it more as her accomplishment than mine." (Amman, Jordan)

"I want to be a pilot so I can fly everywhere." (Dhana, Jordan)

"I want to be a pilot so I can fly everywhere." (Dhana, Jordan)

“I’m living a good life. I’m a business owner. A lot of hotels...

“I’m living a good life. I’m a business owner. A lot of hotels say, ‘Come shine shoes for us. We will pay you better.’ I tell them: ‘Why would I do that? I am free.’” (Shaqlawa, Iraq)

"The fighting got very bad. When I left Syria to come here, I...

"The fighting got very bad. When I left Syria to come here, I only had $50. I was almost out of money when I got here. I met a man on the street, who took me home, and gave me food and a place to stay. But I felt so ashamed to be in his home, that I spent 11 hours a day looking for jobs, and only came back to sleep. I finally found a job at a hotel. They worked me 12 hours a day, for 7 days a week. They gave me $400 a month. Now I found a new hotel now that is much better. I work 12 hours per day for $600 a month, and I get one day off. In all my free hours, I work at a school as an English teacher. I work 18 hours per day, every day. And I have not spent any of it. I have not bought even a single T-shirt. I’ve saved 13,000 Euro, which is how much I need to buy fake papers. There is a man I know who can get me to Europe for 13,000. I’m leaving next week. I’m going once more to Syria to say goodbye to my family, then I’m going to leave all this behind. I’m going to try to forget it all. And I’m going to finish my education." (Erbil, Iraq)

"I was going to one of my first exams, and suddenly there was a...

"I was going to one of my first exams, and suddenly there was a bombing. In downtown Damascus! I couldn’t believe it! I didn’t think this was possible. Windows were broken everywhere, and there were people on the ground, and the sounds of ambulances. Then over the next few weeks, everything changed. The taxis in the streets were replaced by tanks. You no longer knew who was your friend and who was your enemy. Suddenly you could be killed, and nobody would ask why. Before war, you have rights. People will ask why you were killed. When war comes, nobody asks why you were killed anymore." (Erbil, Iraq)

"When I got accepted into the Master’s program at the...

"When I got accepted into the Master’s program at the University of Damascus, it felt like the whole world was in my hands. For the last three weeks before the exam, I studied for 20 hours every day. My eyes got so tired and swollen that I could not see the letters anymore. So when I heard that I passed, I felt that nothing was impossible. All my friends and family were surrounding me and kissing me."
"How did you celebrate?"
"Well, we were poor. So I bought a Pepsi to share with my friends." 
(Erbil, Iraq)