Despite the curfew, I had a too-cool party for my 16th birthday. I asked my mom if we could use the basement, which had just been "redecorated" in a mortar attack and she said sure. It was cool we were able to have it here because our house is in a part of Baghdad where the Iraqi police aren't going nuts, firing openly into traffic or getting suspended for being in death squads. Also, the checkpoints don't normally feature insurgents dressed as cops. To decorate, we just went outside and picked up some shattered glass, old humvee tires, and lots and lots of broken plates and stuff. The basement looked really cool when we were finished with it! Next we got party snacks. My mom and I went to the grocery to pick up water, bread and some rice. For activities, we just hung out while we waited for everyone to arrive, then my dad turned on the generator to run a fan and two lights while we listened to Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" musical ringtone on my new cellphone. Coolio rapped "My days are over and I'm gonna die...all I need is chili fries" and we chanted "Goodbye forever, may God curse you." Notch! After the electricity went away we lit 16 candles and I blew them all out. Then, I opened presents. All my friends loved the party. Some guests told me that it was the best one they'd been to since the occupation. I hope this helps everybody get some ideas! Party on!

-Kasim