Leila Alawy, Monica & Wanawsha

Just wondering if you know what the following three women have in common... aside from perhaps the same eyebrow stylist?

Leila Alawy, an Egyptian actress, Monica Lewinsky and Wanawsha, a character on a Kurdish TV show are all women who have inspired nicknames for this lovely piece of machinery...
Of course this model is the "new" Land Cruiser, so it is the Wanawsha. The models prior to this were all Monicas... and in the mid 1990s when only the political leaders could afford one, they were called Leila Alawys!

After discovering that not all Land Cruisers are Monicas, I felt just a moment of panic... As I can't really distinguish a 2005 model from a 2007 model, what is going to happen if I accidentally call someone's Wanawsha a Monica? I will never forget when (shortly after my arrival in Kurdistan) I commented on our university driver's Monica, and he replied with scorn, "It is NOT a Monica, it is a PRADO!"

I wonder if there is a special name for the one Mu has borrowed. It seems this is the only place in the world where I am likely to ever have to struggle to open the incredibly heavy door of an armored Land Cruiser!

(All photos "borrowed" from the internet).

Naz City Summer Cooking School

Summer is here and with the departure of Spring went my desire to cook. Let's face it, it is just too darned hot! Turning on the oven or the gas flame in this heat is not appealing. No problem; however, for H (pictured) and Mu. Lately, Mu has started making his famous çiğ köfte (raw meatballs) much more frequently. It used to be a rare and occasional delicacy - it is really a lot of work grating the onions and kneading the spices and bulgur into the köfte... and it's also not easy to find suitable meat given the electicity and refrigeration issues. I guess that Mu must have found a good clean source for fresh raw meat... and it probably doesn't hurt in the summer heat that only lemon juice and tons of spice are used to "cook" the köfte.

The first few times, this delicacy was made, the kitchen was an absolute mess, but now with H around to clean the veggies and counters, not a problem. The çiğ köfte below is pictured with fresh mint and a bowl of yayla çorbası (yogurt soup). This second item, the soup, is made almost every 3 days at my house! I am trying hard to learn, but am also looking forward to some new additions to the repertoire in the near future.

A Sunday morning spent waiting for technicians...

It is Sunday morning and I have now recovered from my trip to Dohuk. Yesterday morning was pretty low key... woke up late, broke in the spin bike, made coffee, threw some frozen Turkish cheese pastries in the oven (which now taste pretty awful after discovering real thing here in Erbil).... and then spend a few hours vigorously doing NOTHING. In the late afternoon, it was time to go for coffee and then come home to do nothing for a few more hours.

This morning, I am up earlier, but am doing only slightly more than nothing- I am trawling the Internet for... nothing in particular. This is a good pastime for this morning because I am waiting for technician (one to fix some brackets on electrical wires and one to patch a damaged wall)... and because the Internet is actually working today! I still can't decide what to have for breakfast... maybe some of the yogurt soup my friend made yesterday? But I am dreaming of the day that we can get Bakery & More to open for breakfast and offer dollar pancakes with fruit compote or maple syrup, eggs benedict with or without smoked salmon... or even an 'American breakfast' of eggs, bacon or sausage, toast and and hash browns.

Time to go warm up the soup and call the technician (electrical) who is now late... The wall patcher has arrived!

The Long Road Home...

These pictures were all taken in/near Barzan as the sky was as black as the Spanish olives available at Naza Mall by the time we reached Shaklawa (let alone Hawler).

Barzan-land

And from Amedi, instead of turning back and going home the same way we came, we decided to forge onwards... leading us through Barzan - more than just a pleasant picnic spot. We passed a hill with three fabulous mansions on it - perhaps homes of the members of the Barzani family - Kurdistan's ruling family... 

A few minutes later, our vehicle stops at the side of the road and I wonder where we are and why we have stopped, but all 3 of my traveling companions seem to know. They take me past some men who give me a scarf to cover my hair with and lead me past the board below. Mu stops to have his picture taken with the honorable Masoud Barzani's father, Mustafa (right), and Nechirvan's father, Idris (left). A few steps further and we are standing at their graves. All the men stop to say a prayer at the mounds with stones at either end and a line of pebbles down the centers of the mounds. Then I return the borrowed scarf and we pass by a memorial which is being built...
... and climb a few steps to the grassy area where tea is being served. Our host, who speaks excellent Turkish, speaks with the men in Turkish and Badini. Then he demonstrated how to tie his impressive 9-meter-long cummerbund (which he insisted was tied NOT in a method specific to Barzan, but rather the traditional method).
After a few glasses of tea (which I shouldn't have had given that after Barzan, there is nothing but road and trees for hours), we departed and drove past those mansions and a lot of little stone outposts (below) - so much more attractive than the little square shacks provided the peshmerga at checkpoints! Could it really be true that these were for government employees employed to ensure that nobody was poaching (game or trees!) in Barzan?

Ah.... Medi!

Set on the flat top of a mountain, the sight of Amedi rising up above the road ahead is an impressive one. Normally, we would stop at Anishki or Sarsang (I don't know which of these the picture below is of) to take photos, but yesterday being Friday, there was no parking. The curbs at least one kilometer before and after the road through these towns was tightly packed with weekend away-from-home tea-drinkers.
Although I had been to Amedi before, I had never managed to see the ancient stairway and gate. This time, with Mu's help, we found it! I am not sure exactly how old it is, but perhaps more than 3000 years? There is some information on the web, but I am not sure how accurate any of it is.

And below is a much newer gate that you will pass through as you descend back down the mountain.

Dohuk!!!

Just after we entered Dohuk and were pulling up to the entrance of Mazi Mall, my phone rang... twice! One was a colleague and another was a former student... and both wanted to know if I had arrived in Dohuk yet... and both were calling from Mazi Mall. Anyway, we chatted for a bit, then split up to window shop. After deciding on a beautiful made-in-Taiwan spinning bike (the purchase of which was my sole reason for coming to Dohuk), we were informed that we could not buy it until 2:00pm as the workers in the warehouse were off at the Mosque (well, it was a Friday). So we took Msd (the student) and headed to Malta for lunch. WOW! As you can see below, it was decorated in the recently ubiquitous grotto-type stone & cement finish. But don't be too critical; although the salad was soggy, they had fish on the menu! My sea bream was perfect. After lunch, we returned to Mazi Mall (I forgot to take a photo) to buy the bike. This time, I discovered they didn't have any bikes in the warehouse and I would have to take the display model. A little bit annoying as we had waited, but I guess this saved us the assembly as the whole assembled bike fit into the back of the huge new landcruiser! Below please see purchase as it stands in the back room of my flat.
I love it. It cost the same as only 3 months membership at J&K women's gym... and I could have bought one even cheaper, but this one has the chrome-finished flywheel (no worries about rust). Sdr and Mu wanted me to ride it home. No comment on their senses of humor.

On the Road to Dohuk

After a breakfast of börek in Iskan, Haji, Sdr, Mu and I set off for Dohuk, passing many familiar landmarks along the way... I always wondered what these be-flagged tents are used for, but unfortunately, I still don't know.
An hour and a half after leaving Hawler, it is time for a rest stop... in the part of the drive I hate the most when taking a night taxi to the border. It always seems that in the windiest parts in the mountains where there is almost no light except for the headlights is always the very place the drivers want to turn their heads around to see if I am paying attention to their Kurdish lessons.
We take a seat under a grassy roof for tea... I am made to feel just a little twinge of nerves by the fans that are wobbling overhead as they spin lazily suspended from the roof by what looks like nothing more than stripped twist-ties.
But despite the overhead hazards, this turns out to be a pretty good rest stop as the toilets are clean, the sound of the fountain (made by a big black hose suspended to the roof drizzling water into a tiled basin below) makes the place feel cool and... they have pets!

Börek 4 Breakfast

Here in Kurdistan, I cook my own breakfast as places where I would like to have breakfast usually don't open until noon. However, a couple of friends recently discovered a wonderful breakfast option - börek (Turkish pastries) plain or filled with meat or cheese. Although I usually only eat eggs or yogurt with honey when in Turkey, that is probably because I had never had Su Böreği or 'Water Borek'...

Since these friends found börek right here in Erbil, I have had it a few times (as take out), but yesterday was my first time to actually go to Roozer, the börek shop. We had a day trip to Dohuk planned and so Mu and I met Haji and Sdr there for an early breakfast.
Below is Mr. Yilmaz Aykan, the owner behind his wide variety of börek.
And here, a big plate of börek:
And just in case you want to try Roozer, but have as hard a time finding places as me, below is a picture of an easy landmark - the minaret of Haji Bekir Jeringar Mosque in Iskan. This is what can be seen across the street from Roozer... and if you get lost, just call the owner: 0750.729.0776.

I can see by my right eye

I'd like to share with you a wonderful email that I (and other instructors) received from a student today:

Dear instructors

After I finished the Exam, I wanted to go to Iran for treatment. Fortunately, a group of doctors who they were from Jordon came to Arbil for several days to do some operation. So I saw them and they did the operation by modern instruments. Thanks to God, the operation was successful and the light return to my right eye. So I am very very happy now. In addition, I never ever forget what my instructors do for me and I never ever forget how they were so kindness with me when I was half-blind.

Best Wishes
Your Student

treadmill for sale

On entering the apartments this evening, we were greeted with a flyer stating "treadmill for sale, $600" - a good deal as the treadmill had only been purchased 3 months prior.

Moving time is hard for all, but especially for those who didn't plan on moving. For me, it is always hard to determine which emotion I feel more strongly; empathy (because I certainly have faced the uncertainty connected to a sudden change of plans), sadness (that a colleague, neighbor or friend is leaving) or jealousy (that the person moving is getting out instead of me)!

The taste of summer

OK... so many of the posts lately have all been about food. What else is there really to do in Hawler besides meet a friend for lunch or dinner? (That is one of my biggest problems).

But my latest favorite "find" has got to be the basil lemonade at Al Karam. Of course the owner, Mr. Bechara Choueiry, won't be pleased if you tell him the lemonade is the best item on the menu, but it isn't my fault this item is so delicious - tart, herby and refreshing. It seems that he opened Al Karam nine months ago (when he left Fairuz, which incidentally has closed it's doors only about two weeks ago), but it took me this long to find it... he told me that his new restaurant would be by the Ainkawa overpass, but as I didn't know the names of the overpasses or the way to say "overpass" in Kurdish, I didn't go. Now I know you just say, "Ainkawa jisr."

Bechara will tell you that a good chef is one who likes food... and therefore he should at least be a little fat. (I am not sure that I believe this, but it is true that the food here is better AFTER the "big" chef arrives... try after 1:00pm). 

Above find Bechara in his lovely dining space... and below in front of Al Karam with its clever logo, half of the Lebanese cedar superimposed over the Kurdish sun.
If you would like to know how this lovely summer drink tastes, it seems you just throw some lemon juice, less than the usual amount of sugar, water and fresh basil leaves into a blender. I am going to try this at home in Canada with frozen strawberries added.

PS. If you want to go to Al Karam, they also have fish tajin and fish falafel! But I have yet to try them as you must order a day in advance... Call: 0750.799.7979

PPS. L and S's favorite is the cheese rolls, but the Lebanese bread also is a highlight as it comes all hot and puffy from the over rather than flat, stacked and in little plastic baggies as in other Lebanese restaurants.

PPPs. The photos come from the owner's facebook photo page... he he.

Clearing the Freezer... of Kubbat Mousel

Photograph: Terry McCormick/Stacey International

The last time Remon was over, he commented on the state of my fridge/freezer (he was the second person to do so after Dk). And seeing as I will be leaving for summer holidays soon, I thought it was important to clean it out. I tried to get rid of everything that was not likely to EVER be eaten, leaving only one full shelf of (you guessed it) condiments: hot chilli sauce, tabasco, 3 kinds of mustard brought into Kurdistan via suitcase (mine, Dr. D's and S's), sun-dried tomatoes suspended in oil, spicy ketchup, coconut paste, chilli mayonnaise...

And then there was the freezer which yesterday evening contained only 2 full ice cube trays, a half bottle of peach vodka and one frozen kubbat Mousel! The plastic wrap on the kubbat said absolutely nothing except for "Alsalem" (the brand?) so I had no idea what to do with it. I rubbed it with olive oil and put it on a piece of tinfoil for baking (my favorite no fuss cooking method), but after baking it, I discovered that I should have boiled it and then fried it. For all of you that actually like this dish (I ate it because I am trying to empty my freezer), you can find interesting Mousel Kubbat trivia and the recipe here (where I stole the photo).

IKEA!!!

All the late night marking last month was HARD on my eyes! All these stupid light-saver bulbs and no really decent lamps (I'd like a halogen one) made me tired enough to head to Erbil Light Showroom (The lighting at Marina reminded me of my new purchase) where I purchased a really simple Ikea standing lamp.

What I really want however, is one of the "chandeliers" from the bazaars in Istanbul made of multiple hanging mosaic glass globes. I will put it over the dining table.

Safari in Kurdistan

Another little treasure left behind from S's visit. One night when in a mad chocolate craving, she came back with Safari chocolate imported from (no, not Belgium, Switzerland, France or even England) Turkey. Mmmm. With such exquisite wrapping, I am waiting for a real event at which to break it out.

So all of you curious about how it really tastes, you will have to go out and buy some... or wait until I am REALLY desperate.

Gullan Goes to Boston...

... sponsored by DJ Pup Dawg! OK, not only by DJ Pup Dawg, but that was the "partner" that surprised me the most. See below for the complete list. Gullan has been selected to attend the 4th ever Women2Women conference in Boston! (Congratulations Gullan!) The young women's conference is hosted by Empower Peace, "a new peace initiative launched with the goal of bridging the gap between Muslim and Arab youth, and youth in the United States... a program committed to breaking down cultural barriers through open dialogue promoting mutual respect, understanding and world peace."

Partners:
Lesley University
Program on Negotiation at Harvard University
Harvard University’s Institute of Politics
The Fletcher School of Tufts University
Polycom
VBrick
The Mason Fellow Program at the Kennedy School of Government
Governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick
Massachusetts State Senator Joan Menard
The Charles Hotel
DJ Pup Dawg
Teamsters Local 25
Grossman Marketing
The Walden Woods Project.
The US Department of State
(Actually, the partners Polycom and VBrick sounded odd as well until I discovered they were all about video streaming/conferencing, etc...)

Anyway, we will see how well this initiative acheives its aims on Gullan's return.... I know that US-Middle East relations are an interest of hers. Even her choice of novel for her literature essay this year was on a related theme!

I wish her all the beston this, her SECOND trip to the US. She went last summer on the Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program! See article about the program written by one of our other students... bottom of page 15. We were proud of the students as the largest proportion of students selected for the program (from all of Iraq) seemed to be from our humble uni.

2000 year old toothbrush?

To be truthful, I don't really know when it was discovered that Miswak (twigs from the Peelu tree) were effective teeth cleaners, but apparently the use of Miswak is widespread in the Muslim world as instructions to use this twig daily are written somewhere...

Anyway, even Wrigley's has done studies on the benefits of this twig for dental health. S received this one from a Sheikh who cures 'hysterical' women by smacking the bottoms of their feet with a wooden plank to make the djinns depart.

I wonder how she could leave this very interesting souvenir behind.

Running for Cover

This afternoon, while taking a break from doing next to nothing, I heard a rare sound... rain, and then hail! Finally, something to wash away the dust. If only it could also wash away the dust accumulating in my mind.

Anyway, it seems a suitable day for rain since I am feeling a little bit blue. Yesterday afternoon, S (my house guest) left with the insistence that she will NOT be back. With her, she took Fr, his son and J who are all off for the summer break. Yesterday evening, D came for dinner and he, Mu and I sat in the near dark (the electricity went out for nearly 2 hours) and traded dreams of upcoming vacations. This morning at 2:00 am, he left on the early flight to Istanbul. Now I am here near friendless waiting for July 8th and my flight to Stockholm.

Marina

As last night was S's last in Erbil, S, Mu and I decided to go for dinner at the "French" restaurant at the top of the "Sheraton" (quotations needed as the food is not really French and the Sheraton is not really a Sheraton), at the place where every evening, the same man croons songs like "Margaritaville" and "Leaving on a Jet Plane" in his distinctive scratchy, yet fortunately unobtrusive voice. Anyway, at the last moment when getting into the taxi, Mu changed the plan and instructed to driver to take us to Marina in Ankawa.

Although I read about Marina on "Gretta's" blog and had seen the massive signs around Ankawa, I had never been. In dry and dusty Erbil/Ankawa, I felt that "Marina" was a bit of an odd name for a restaurant, but my mind was open. We walked around the side of the reddish building with windows edged with contrasting white bricks, and finally entered a huge open space. The restaurant was huge... like a wedding hall. The lighting was dim, but the ceiling appeared to be a twilight painted sky complete with stars and the edges of the ceilings were lined with porch-like wooden beams with round little shingles at the edges where porch meets sky. In one corner, however, there was a raised section with sofas and the wall was like a country cabin (all made of small logs).

We sat down at our table in the sky section and proceeded to order. First came greens - marvelously arranged, but not as easy to eat as the lemon, huge radish and tomato had been left whole. We asked for more mint, dill and chilis, tabouleh, hummus (Gretta, you are right, it could be the best in Erbil/Ankawa), spinach pastries, spicy potatoes, greek salad and chicken wings... and all but the final two were good (Who puts mayonnaise in Greek salad?). The food was quite acceptable, the live Kurdish music (two groups of musicians taking turns - one more traditional and one slightly contemporary) was good... and the decor - definately a MUST SEE. I will try to take photos on my next visit: the sky, the porch, the log cabin and the at least 5 different competing types of lighting over in the bar area add to the interest (Erbil Light Showroom must have made a bundle on this place!).

New City Loyalty Card

I was recently checking out New City's website to view pictures of the nasty motel I stayed in when I first arrived in erbil and discovered this... the New City Loyalty Card! What does this mean? Kurdistan is very much a cash society... I think there might still be that one cash dispensing bank machine near New City, but as far as I know, nobody uses credit cards anywhere except possibly the "Sheraton" hotel. I wonder if you can use this card like a credit card and get store points? (I also wonder whether or not this card really exists). If you know, please post a comment... Otheerwise I will have to head to New City to find out.

Pizza delivery?

About a month ago, a friend came to visit. Tired after a marathon catching up session, we were both too tired to cook and decided to order chicken saj from Saj Al Reef, a restaurant serving local and "Western" dishes. I knew they delivered as a colleague often ordered pizza from there (if only he would stop ordering that nasty dry chicken pizza). I rang up, but the man on the phone informed me that they don't deliver until after 7:00 pm. So I patiently waited only to find out that in fact, they couldn't deliver at all as the delivery guy's car was no longer working. More recently, I called back again and was told the guy with the car quit. No more Saj Al Reef delivery?

Anyway, I called around and got a number for Laffa, Lebanese fast food restaurant, from a friend. I tried calling and they came with the most delicious minty tabouleh and some chicken dishes. Last night, I called the same number for food to share with D and J for their weekly Wednesday night's viewing of "Top Gear". The guy came with the food, but he didn't come to D & J's flat as instructed, but to mine... and he came bearing food not from Laffa, but from Al Karam! Seems he quit his job at Laffa and moved to Al Karam, but is still willing to deliver. Either that or it is a conspiracy and all the Lebanese restaurants in Erbil are just one big conglomerate.

One thing that is certain, is that the phone numbers attached to food delivery here really belong to the guy with the car... NOT the restaurant.

Some useful numbers for men that deliver:

Laffa Kirkuk Road (the Ainkawa branch doesn't delivery): 0660.255.0044
Laffa's former delivery man (now at Al Karam?): 0750.422.4778
Saj Al Reef (in case they start delivering again): 0750.423.7358
Pizza Express (New City): 0750.444.7773

Hersch visits the Uni

Do you recognize the guy in this photo? From the movie Turtles Can Fly, it is Bahman Ghobadi's character 'Hangow', an armless boy from Halabja who has the ability to predict the future. He travels to a camp outside of Erbil with his sister who has a blind child, the product of a sex crime perpetrated by soldiers of Saddam. Along with the other children there, he earns his living by removing mines from local fields. The photo above is of him engaged in this occupation.

This year, our class (see picture below)watched this movie as a subject for class discussion, interpretation and analysis. When I told another teacher about our upcoming seminar, she mentioned that she knew Hersch, the boy who played 'Hangow'. She had met him near her home in Ankawa. He approached her and told her he had seen her in the bazaar a few days ago. Of course she immediately replied that she had also seen him, but in a movie.
Anyway, we invited Hersch to speak to the class. He came and it was interesting to hear his stories... He was spotted by Ghobadi who was apparently looking for an armless boy who could swim; hence he was quickly recruited for the role (lacking in large bodies of water, swimming is a rare talent in Kurdistan). According to Hersch, Ghobadi was a demanding director and not easy to work for, but he also stated he would rather work hard than break Ghobadi's heart.

Although it was nice to hear firsthand how the film was made and the actor's ideas about his own role in the movie, I was left with a lot to think about. I had been told that Hersch burned his hands in an electrical fire - a condition that should have been treatable, but because of poor medical attention, infection spread and he lost both arms. At that time in his life, it seems he lead a pretty difficult life in the streets in Hawler.

Now after participating in the movie, he no longer has to live his former life, but I wonder how things are for him now that he has had a glimpse of other realities and possibilities. He worked with a famous director as an actor. He received futher medical treatment in the US. But what about life from now...

Certainly I wish him all the best and hope that he will achieve his aim of working in other movies in the future. Inshahallah.