A city for 1sts

Walking around, you can definately feel that you are in the middle of a rapidly changing, if somewhat conservative city. In the pages of 'the Kurdistan Globe' you come across news of first-ever-in-Kurdistan events: the opening of an ATM, a Western Union, the establishment of the first modern nursery school, the first 'modern' supermarket... And in the streets, it appears that geometric glass-curtained empty buildings with the tape still lining the windows have fallen from the sky to perch amongst crumbling clay buildings, ornate Islamic mosques and 8000 year old ruins.

I would love for people to come and visit me, but I couldn't even give you my address as most streets don't have names and directions are given via left and right turns. For example, the address given in the ad for 'Deutscher Hof Erbil' is: Ainkawa- After checkpoint, first street right, fourth street left, follow the sign on the street. There is no real postal service either. It feels that progress moves in fits and starts... the hesitation that remains from great adversity, of trying to decide if the risk of destruction is worth the effort of development? In any case, I was here for the opening of the first modern 'supermarket (with refridgeration!) and I am sure there will be many firsts over the next year.

That said, until a few more changes take place, there is not so much to in terms of social life/night life. People say that it is beacause it is Ramadan, but I know that it won't change much after it is over... but the company here at New City Motel is good. A cooks, Z provides wine and we all sit around and discuss politics, Freud, sociology, books, food and complain about the administration of the new university. Life could be worse. While waiting for further development, I also have time to read, study Kurdish and the script (Arabic), do yoga... and hopefully write my dissertation (once my books arrive).