Wednesday, October 11, 2006

New City Opens!

It was a big day for everyone at New City Motel today. After only 2 days, I was starting to understand why people kept saying they were bored of eating. There really isn't much variety in the local shops: very salty feta cheese, bread of a dryish consistency, olives, lamb kebab, pickled veg, tomatoes and cucumber... If you want a treat, there is baklava, crackers and biscuits, 7-up, and ice cream at the little ice cream parlors where men here gather instead of pubs.

So at 4:00pm, B and I ventured over to the market... WOW! Not only could we get frozen paratha from India, cherry juice from Turkey and about every condiment Lea & Perrin produces, we could ask for things in English. SOme of the staff were Philippino and apparently came over here just to work at New City.

Tonight, we will celebrate. In festive spirits, G, Z (a Turkish Kurd who has come to be part of the academic staff) and ? (another professor and an overseas Iraqi Kurd from the US) have gone to the Christian district to buy alcohol. I think they are bringing back beer for me as well. It can't be bought in the shops that usually carry it around here as it is Ramadan. The call to prayer can in fact be heard now!

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