Lucienne & Leila

Note: the following post is somewhat silly, so feel free not to read it....

Tamas (who actually authorized me to use his real name) has left for Dubai... permanently... meaning life here is even duller without his effervescent company creating excitment at unexpected meeting spots - like Thomas's makeshift office at a table in the foyer of the fake Sheraton... or at the Deutscher hof where he teases poor Pepsi-the-dog until Gunter must chain him under a table (Pepsi, not Tamas). While Tamas once was loathe to leave Kurdistan, problems of the sort we all experience here have now brought him to the point where he is embracing his move with much eagerness. Sigh... Not only did he leave Kurdistan, but he took Lucienne (the camel in hot pink spangly short pants pictured above). I love Lucienne as he reminds me of El Farouk, a lovely camel from Dubai given me by Sol - who lives there still and may even be pictured in this blog (in the pictures from January's trip to Paris). Anyway, to console me, Lucienne made a trip back to Hawler (from Dubai) to bring Leila to me (the wonderfully cross-eyed dromedary seatbelted next to Lucienne in the picture above).


And this is Lucienne and Leila in a tearful farewell. It is really a time for farewells as Tamas & Lucienne are gone (although they will visit in August), Thomas has gone to Austria for 10 days and Cy (pictured with me in the Park the day of the bombing) is leaving on Monday for the US to take care of her family. Farewells are scary here as you can't really be sure that the leavers will return. I think this is the students' biggest fear...that the foreign teacher will all leave and the place where we work will become the same as...

My first day at "Shokal Zakaria"

At 3:45 yesterday afternoon, my phone rang reminding me that I was to be moving to the new apartments in 15 minutes... Yikes! I had gone home early as I was suffering from what had been diagnosed as ameobic dysentery. I surveyed my apartment and quickly shoved all the stuff I had been planning to procure another box for into plastic shopping bags and readied myself for the truck.

At 4:00 sharp, the truck arrived and we loaded everything into the back. After finishing, Tu (a university person) arrived very angry that there was no transportation from the university to the new apartments and insisted that the truck transport her and another to the new apartments... That would have been fine, except that both the driver and I had real a real need to get the moving over quickly... and the second passenger was shopping in New City). I offered to taxi to the new place and meet them there, but in the end, we crunched up into the cab with what I admit was too much stuff for any single person to accumulate living in Iraq.

After arrival, I discovered that the apartments had been provided with all sorts of necessities (cutlery, dishes, microwaves, laundry detergent, etc), but NO toilet paper... the one thing I really needed. Anyway, I managed to get to the market and even though we still don't know the security key code to enter the apartment, I was lucky to find the door propped open on my return.

Tonight I look forward to cleaning my place (considering the size, it could take a while); It is dusty, the floors are all dirty, there is a pond in my living room from a leaky air conditioner and there is a little plumbing problem in one of the three bathrooms (a worker appears to have used it and it won't flush!). But other than that, it is rather 'splendid'... It looks just like a realtor's showroom (No worries, I will take care of that). Lots of flash with considerably less practicality. Already the movement-sensitive light switches are driving me crazy. However, after my dark New City hovel, the sun rising between two buildings and shining in through my bedroom balcony window was a really pleasant way to start the day.

PS. Shokal Zakaria is the unofficial name of the new apartments - Zakaria is a famous singer who purportedly owns the new place - taxi driver's don't know the real name.

No Women!

In response to the comment on the post below (about swimming at the fake Sheraton), the answer is "Yes, women are allowed to swim in the pool at the hotel"... at least the indoor one. However, at the apartments we are moving to, there is only one outdoor pool and the policy is NO WOMEN! However, this is now of less concern to me since I have joined Harveen Health Club at the first checkpoint into Ankawa.

You may be thinking, "Wow! A health club in Kurdistan!" Don't get too excited yet... I arrived at the club for the first time on Monday (after having my health verified by a doctor) between the hours of 3-5 (the hours that women are allowed to use the gym) and surveyed the equipment... there were a couple of treadmills, a couple of elliptical trainers, three stationary bikes, a rowing machine, some of those jiggly band things (to shake off your fat?)and some weight equipment. I went to the treadmill first... BROKEN! Then the elliptical trainer... It worked, but was wobbly... in fact, all of the equipment was only barely functional. But the pool was OK. There are two pools meaning that men and women can swim at the same time without having to see or be seen by the other. I went to the pool which was actually large enough to swim laps in (unlike that of the "Sheraton"); however, swimming laps would be difficult as local ladies were floating, playing and splashing around willy-nilly as if it were a children's wading pool.

However, the 'health club' experience hasn't been all bad. While in the gym, the regulars eyes me suspiciously... However, by the time I got to the pool, they had worked up enough courage to come and speak to me. Yesterday afternoon when I went for the second time, they all came up to me and greeted me by name. It was the first time that I was approached by and able to interact (in any kind of 'normal' way) with local women! More news to come from Harveen...

rumors of crying babies

After I leave here, it is likely I will be able to write an entire book on the role and effects of rumours... at least concerning my current context. As my current workplace is a new establishment, rumours abound. The latest rumor is that the members of my department (me included) were crying and behaving like babies after yesterday's explosion.

In fact, it was quite the opposite. I wasn't the only one who continued to teach. And our students appreciated this. It seems that our reactions were really important to them as they saw our willingness to stay and teach as a kind of indication that rumours they had heard were false. (One of those rumours being that all the foreign staff would leave at the slightest incident leaving the institution to close or become a 'local' institution).

sunshine and roses

After the explosion yesterday, staff at my place of employ were all sent home... an unexpected half-day off. It was quite strange to be sitting in our houses drinking the coffee that we usually don't have time for in the mornings, and then to saunter off to enjoy the sunshine. The beautiful pictures below were taken at "Erbil Park". In fact, most of the parks are beautiful now. Who knew that Hawler had so many roses? Every park seems full of them. It seemed weird and surreal to be enjoying a calm lunch surrounded by roses in the park as the result of a truck bomb.

PS. Please note that these photos (taken by B) are taken just hours after the ones in the post below!

Interruption - Truck Bomb

Yesterday's truck bomb interrupted more than our classes -as the loud boom shattered the silence, rattled the building and caused the corner classrooms (2 sides of windows) to flex- it also interrupted 2 years of relative peace in the city of Hawler (Erbil).
After the blast at about 9:00 am (which caused a variety of reactions from students and teachers in the building), my students made some predictions as to the possible cause of the now smoking area (viewable from our windows) in a desensitized kind of fashion... and then we resumed lessons. About 10 minutes later, we were instructed to return home so that the University could check for damage and (consider policy for such events?)


This picture was taken via a student's cell phone from the roof of our building. (Note that shirt worn by man in the picture is NOT typical - this must be one of the workers from 'North Kurdistan') The source was just outside the Ministry of Interior.This created some panic as two of our students are empoyees there and apparently there was to be a meeting yesterday morning meaning that we could assume that 100% attendance was required. Luckily, our students' safety was quickly confirmed by a couple of cell phone calls.


This second picture is of one of the buildings damaged in the blast... Note the brown bits on the right of the building. These were granity-type tiles which used to cover the entire building. Another building - the ministry guard's building - was completely demolished. Windows were blown out in some of the buildings in the immediate surroundings, including one in our administration building... even though we were probably about a half kilometer away.

As it turns out, the explosives were on a truck filled with cleaning products. But as to the reasons behind the blast or the people responsible, it seems the speculations of foreign news reports are as good as local speculations... The explosion which killed 19 people and injured about 80 (maybe more as we still don't know about those trapped under the rubble) corresponded with Dick Cheney's visit to Baghdad (and the usual violence there) and also with the killing of 4 Iraqi journalists in Kirkuk. In fact, so far, the news of this item seems to have been downplayed although it was being the first for some time in this part of Kurdistan. Some students mentioned that although they personally didn't believe the attack was Al Quaida, the anti-terrorism committee is/was based in the Ministry of Interior building and there were purportedly prionsers of the extreme-Islamist persuation held there.

In any case, it is work as usual today!

weekend at work

Seeing as it is already Thursday and I am just now posting for the weekend past, it is clear that I have been having difficulties keeping up with blogging. To be honest, the Internet at New City is not such that I can upload anything and my office (with working computer/Internet is getting quite HOT! - in the 30s by late morning). Anyway, when in my office (even on weekends), I am mostly playing catch up rather than blogging (partly due to mismanagement of time, partly due to the scheduling difficulties of sharing an often malfunctioning photocopier with the whole department, and partly due to meetings over things such as changing policies).
Anyway, the last Satuday afternoon at work was rather nice! I saw C (the chef from the cafeteria (pictured above) and he invited me to come for dinner after finishing my photocopying. We (C, his 2 kids, and two other cafeteria workers and I had a picnic dinner on a blanket on the grassy bits between the two buildings on campus...

Then we went for a stroll in Minaret Park before I taxied home to do marking.

Swimming at the fake Sheraton

WARNING: Pool is much smaller than it appears in the photo!

So after my Thursday of "walking" at the Chaldean Social Youth Club, I finally decided I was so desperate for a little real exercise that I would pay the price ($20 US) to use the facilities at the "Sheraton" (officially the Erbil International Hotel). In any other circumstances it would so NOT be worth that much (Shanghai's Jin Jiang Hotel's BIG pool costs$15 US - a fee which I would be unwilling to pay in that city), but after such a long time of inactivity in Hawler, I savored all 4 kilometers run on the treadmill and every mini-lap of the TEENY TINY pool. I then relaxed for a little in the sauna and ust considered it just a really cheap spa vacation instead of a trip to the gym. I don't think I will do this again anytime soon, however. At least now I know for certain that this option is a possibility without being a hotel guest.

The "Walking" Club, Ankawa

It has now been almost 4 months since I have left the country, exercised, or discovered any new social venues. Hence I jumped at the chance when a student from Ankawa invited me (and Tf) to the Ankawa Social Youth Club. OK, I am not really a 'youth' but apparently, all ages of 'Christian' (I interpret this as non-Muslim - read on) people are welcome there... especially after hearing about the existence of an exercise room there!

In Erbil, as you probably know by now, there are not many places where people can congregate and socialize... especially with the opposite sex! However, in Ankawa, there used to be something (translated from Sureth) called Walking Street. In the evenings (Thursday and Sunday), people went there to walk and meet their friends and perhaps even spot the love of their life. This kind of 'meat market' is something that would be permitted in parts of conservative Hawler; hence, fearing mischief from some more hostile Islamists, the walkers have recently moved indoors into a former sports club.

The Club: So the club really was just in an old brick/stone jail-like building flanked with a courtyard surrounded by a high wall topped by an additional wire fence (to keep soccer balls in or harmful objects out?). And there they were... the walkers - walking in twos and threes arm-in arm and pacing from one end of the yard and back again like prisoners on an exercise break. I joined in with my student just to experience the 'thrill' and indeed it was a bit odd! People stopped to talk to us and I even ran into another student (who you may know from this weblog as Belly dancer).

At about 10pm, everyone simultaneously tired out and moved into the cafeteria to sit around and chat. Apparently, while it is permissible to tease friends you have spotted 'on dates' here, it is an unwritten club rule that the information of who is seen with whom stays within the walls of the club... a very wise rule all considered (although I have not heard of any honor washing among the Chaldean community). Anyway, I didn't use the exercise room which turned out to be very poor, but Tf played and beat a local guy (the DJ from the Edge- that story to come later) at table tennis.

Moving Day

Short Takes: News from the International Trade Administration:
" In Erbil, Iraq, two managers of the Ankara-based Nursoy Group of Companies give Under Secretary Franklin L. Lavin an overview of the skyline-defining “Naz City” apartment complex. The mid-rises are the first of their kind in Erbil and are the most visible signs of the growing prosperity and hopefulness of this region of Iraq. (U.S. Department of Commerce photo) "

Well, I can't comment on the asthetic value of the 'skyline-defining' buildings pictured above, but I guess they are probably really are the 'first of their kind in Erbil'. I also can't comment on what they symbolize in economic terms for the region. They are of interest to me and some of our insular little community here as yesterday we received notice that we will be moving into them by (the latest) April 15th.

Some of you will remember reading my posts in October about the much anticipated opening of the New City shopping center and advise me not to hold my breath... I won't (although I am eager to escape the scrutiny of the gate-keepers at our current 'compound'). And I will be curious to see (after moving), if the swimming pool is also ready for use... and if women are permitted to use it. My fingers are crossed.