Off to Mosul

Just before a trip to Mosul, Mu asked me to snap a photo of him... just in case. I am posting his photo here for posterity, but in reality, it turns out it wasn't really necessary as he came back safe and sound.

Souvenirs

So you must have realized by now that I am no longer in Iraqi Kurdistan... I have passed through Stockholm (more on that later) and am now in Vancouver, where I have started to hand out some of the souvenirs I bought before leaving. One of my friends' favorite places to buy souvenirs is (predictably) the Kurdish textile museum. By purchasing things here, there is the sense that you might be helping to keep local arts and crafts alive... and that people who craft these items might be getting a decent fee for their handiwork (although you can never be certain).
Sarah, on her last visit bought a beautiful felted piece (like the sign above, but in beautiful patterns and colors), but I opted for smaller silver pieces that wouldn't cut too deeply into my 20kg luggage allowance. Fhn in Vancouver likes her silver, turquoise and ? earrings!

Ugliest Room Award?

So since I never use the back room in my house, this is where I put all my new purchases and created a home gym! I vow to use this room at least 5 times a week when I go back... Below see little H trying out both my shoes and my bike! I love this color orange for my gym... and the yellow and blue walls... so retro, but I hesitated posting the photo in case somebody in real estate finds these photos and steals them for their ugliest rooms blog.

Shiny Showroom

Although it doesn't really make a lot of sense, my last few days in Hawler (before leaving on vacation) were spent shopping. After the clean air and healthy lifestyle in Canada, it is sometimes hard to come back... so this time, I have bought new things for my flat, so I have something new to play with when I get back to Hawler from vacation. This time it was the spin bike and a plasma screen from LG. Believe it or not, it is better value to buy a nice 32 inch display from the LG showroom in Bazaari Nishtiman than some little shop in the main bazaar!

Remember to stay hydrated...

It's hot and dry in Kurdistan! Seems Carey remembered his dad's advice and remembered to drink lots of water!

Sandstorm In Middle East May Be Largest In Modern History (PHOTO FROM SPACE)

Sandstorm In Middle East May Be Largest In Modern History (PHOTO FROM SPACE):

"In what is said to be the worst in recent memory, a massive week-long sandstorm descended on Iraq last week, sending hundreds of people to the hospital and forcing Vice President Joe Biden to cancel his plan to visit Kurdistan. From Reuters:

Many Baghdad shops stayed shut on Sunday, while police wearing masks directed thin streams of traffic through eerily misty streets. Hospital emergency rooms were packed with people complaining about breathing problems, officials said.

'We are on alert. This is the worst dust storm we have ever had in Iraq,' said Doctor Jasib Lateef, operations manager at the Iraqi Health Ministry. 'A large number of people are turning up at emergency rooms at hospitals, challenging our resources.'"

AH! That explains the masks in the market... and why I felt so crappy these last few days!

Happy Belated July 4th! from Erbil Expat

I was amazed on July 1st, to meet a newly arrived American professor wearing a Canada T-shirt. I thanked him for remembering Canada Day, but he told me it was purely coincidental that he was wearing that particular shirt. So I am sorry that I didn't do anything (accidentally or otherwise) to commemorate July 4th. I should have at least attended the party, but I am afraid that I am not a member of AKFA. I think that on my return to Kurdistan next year, I will see if I can't join. Apparently it is open to Americans or those living in Kurdistan (by invite only).... If you are like me (non-American expat living in Erbil), I entreat you to sign up with me... or contact me so that we can start an expat social club for all resident expats.

Anyway, I must stop blogging for the moment so that I can send my American colleagues a belated July 4th greeting.

Possible Canada Day 2010 Sponsor?

I found this product for sale in the bazaar yesterday. Unfortunately, it is not a product that I use and is certainly not a brand I recognize from my home country. After a little Internet search for "Nitro hair wax", "Canada hair wax", and "Nitro Canada"; I only came up with a message from World Business Marketplace essentially telling me there is no such product existing.

Bazaar Return Policies

Huh? Return policies in the bazaar? Yeah, I know... it is not likely, but I have to try. I bought a number of football jerseys from the guy to the left. He assured me that they were "Free Size" when I asked for large. When I got home, I noticed that there was a small 'M' sticker on one. The other all had 'S' stickers. Why, oh why didn't I notice this before? So it looks like I have to make another trek to the sports bazaar tomorrow (located under the Shehan hotel pictured below) to see if they can't rustle up some in 'L' or at least 'M' size. If the kind sir can't return my money, he should at least be able to make an even exchange, right?

Safety for sale

The last time there was a truly bad dust storm (worse than this one), students were passing out the surgical masks in the school cafeteria, and outside in the garden, students paced (no doubt memorizing important points from lectures for their finals) with them on making campus look a bit like Taipei City during the SARS attack. Ironically, that was the week that the university had scheduled all its interviews with faculty candidates from overseas. I wonder what they were thinking when they arrived on campus to the strange sight of stressed and pacing masked students - most stressed because of exams, but a few because they were worried as they had noted a shortage of surgical masks in Erbil.(Could they have been serious?)

Anyway, you will be happy to notice that there is no shortage this time. Masks are readily available at the cardboard box across from the governate building. If you look carefully, you will see two happy customers threading through the traffic sporting their new purchases.

Dusty days...

This weekend past (Friday and Saturday), most people tried to stay home to save their lungs from the choking dust rolling in. There was so much dust, the road in front of our apartments wasn't visible. However, being my last weekend before vacation, I had no choice. Yesterday, I headed for the bazaar... The photo below is taken from the top of the citadel (first stop - Textile Museum at the top of the citadel). Second stop, Bazaari Nishtiman: Fancy shopping center, but still, all the activity takes place over the pavement hawkers' wares.

Looking for simple things made in the region in the bazaar.
The children don't seem to mind the dust and play near the fountains near the Erbil Governorate building.

Happy Canada Day!

The picture below is stolen from Defense Industry Daily and is clearly a picture of soldiers (not my friends and I)celebrating Canada Day in Afghanistan, NOT Kurdistan. Obviously, I am am going to have to start my own Canada-Kurdistan Friendship Association (CKFA) if I hope that future Canadians living in Kurdistan will be able to celebrate July 1st.
In other countries I lived, there were parties! In Yokohama, Japan the HMCS Vancouver docked in the port and threw a good will party on Canada Day! In Taiwan, the Canadian import business gathered to provide Canadian ice beer, Dasani water and other local Canadian goods and decorations (including flags and T-shirts)and we Canadians organized a barbecue/pool party ending with games, live music and fireworks. I did a little search to see what companies I could hit up next year to sponsor such a bash and only came up with this:
3206, 8 PARK ROAD
TORONTO,ON
M4W 3S5
CANADA
Phone: +1 416-356-7892
Fax: +1 416-944-1554
Email: info@canada-kurdistan-business.com

Do you think this Council really exists? Should I email and try to visit while in Canada?