If only...

If only I had money and a sharp business acumen, I would...

..see about becoming an authorized Mac reseller in Erbil. Imagine Hawleris (and others based in Kurdistan/Iraq) not having to go to an outside country to have their iPods, iPhones (they exist here) or MacBook Pros serviced. Imagine buying an item complete with the 1-year international warranty! Wouldn't there be some people who would make the choice to become Mac-users? One of our students turned up in the library with a Mac Air laptop yesterday. It seems she had a relative in Germany buy it for her and bring it back.
Photo below is of a new location in Beirut near where I traded in mine.

...start the flagship Iraqi branch of a coffee shop franchise near a university. Of course it would prohibit shisha and only allow the smoking of cigarettes at the outside tables, would have free wireless internet and a rack with magazines and newspapers in various languages. And if anyone even so much as thought of engaging in inappropriate behaviour (ex. taking photos of female customers without their prior consent), they would be publically humiliated and asked to leave and not return.
Below photo is of Columbiano Coffee Shop in Achrefieh, Beirut - near to ABC shopping center and Kinko's copy shop. It is where I comfortably spent most evenings this last trip to Beirut.
... open a steak house (who doesn't occasionally like a good steak tender enough to eat rare should they so desire?). Of course it would come complete with tacky decor (fake cowhides, cowboy hats, wooden fencing, string ties for the staff...) and frosted beer glasses. This could be located on Gulan Street en route to Ankawa.
This photo is actually one I took (not stolen from the internet). It is of Buffalo Steak House in Beirut... It had soggy overcooked veggies, but good potatoes and fantastic steak.

... or, and most impractically, open a sushi bar. This will have to happen once there is cheaper and more frequent air transport into Erbil so that I can have daily fresh fish. Also not sure where I will find a Japanese sushi chef willing to work in Erbil. But wouldn't it be fantastic to be able to enjoy fresh fish and a little tempura every now and then?
Below is Le Sushi Bar in Achrefieh, Beirut. My first stop after my hotel on this trip recently past.

If only all these things were in place, there would be no need to travel outside Kurdistan...

...so frequently.

Kilik Mishik via Ishik

A couple of days ago, at the invitation of an Francesca, I visited the site of Kilik Mishik. She told me her fellow Italian friends (who were working at the site as archaeologists) told her it was easily accessible by taxi. It was... but only after a slight mishap. The driver (who must have thought that two foreigners couldn't possibly be headed for the village/hill of Kilik Mishik) took us to Ishik College. About 25 minutes later, we pulled off to the side of the road where we were met by the mound visible in the photo immediately below (separated from us and the road by a chicken-wire fence).

We climbed to the top of the mound where people were busy at work digging through the layers of walls built upon the walls of those who lived there before... small rooms with fire pits built from stones taken from the foundations below? The foundations below assembled on top of Babylonian era walls? Unfortunately, the European archaeologists found too much erosion to be able to answer all of our questions... but the finds looked exciting to me! Big shards of pottery being unearthed everywhere...

F (?) points out a wall cross-section typical of Assyrian construction... A temple to Ishtar, perhaps?
After returning to the university, I shared my experiences with several of my student who just laughed.

"Kilik Mishik? Why would you want to go there?" someone asked. "It's just a village... a hill."

Seems they were not only tickled by the fact I found such a place fascinating. My pronunciation and the fact that 'kilik mishik' means 'mouse's tail' were also the cause of some hilarity. But as for me, I hope the Italians and French (who were present as part of an initiative from the Sorbonne) return again soon with more concrete speculations as to the history of the site and with news of other locations to explore.

Lightning

Above, the photo I promised you on April 30th. This was taken the night of the violent windstorm that knocked over the wall of the pool. On my side of the building, I would have heard the tinkling music of breaking glass... But I was at Francesca's with friends enjoying the sky show.

Mu also came and reminisced about a Valentine's evening (2 or 3 years prior) spent at Dilan Restaurant in Shaklawa (before restaurateur Seido faced possible imprisonment for something he likely didn't do and returned to France). The entire drive back to Hawler/Erbil, the road was lit up at regular intervals by the flashes of lightning ahead.

Photo by Kameran w Francesca's camera.

No ants in the hidden pantries

A couple of "lovely geese" (nickname for freshmen at universities in Iraq) enjoying the instant coffee stashed away in their lockers. Note the BIG container of sugar. Good thing the lid closes tightly as there have been a lot of ants around this spring.

Celeste

About two years ago, on a plane from Erbil to Vienna, I was allocated the middle seat between two very large and beefy men travelling home to Bosnia... both dog handlers working in Chamchamal. The men were friendly enough (good thing as both of them were big enough to encroach into my seat space), but due to lack of a common language, I was unable to discover much of what their work might be like. But in my mind, MDDs (Mine Detection Dogs) and EDDs (Explosive Detection Dogs) were large, potentially ferocious and unsociable dogs... likely German Shepherds... and the job of handling these dogs, one that required every last muscle the two giants beside me possessed.

Imagine my surprise then, upon meeting Celeste. Last year, an acquaintance told me about an MDD/EDD canine trainee needing a home... possibly my home! A border collie named Celeste. Not only is Celeste not a ferocious name, the dog was quiet, smiley, tail-waggy and friendly. Of course she had not yet undergone MDD training, but had been selected as a candidate. Due to lack of trainer time, she (complete with shots and papers) was being given away for free!

Unfortunately, soon after meeting Celeste, her caretaker returned to South Africa and I was unable to contact him. I tried to visit her on a couple of occasions, but did not meet with success. Finally, I gave up.

Well, two weekends ago, I went to a friend's afternoon rooftop gathering to be met enthusiastically by... yes, Celeste! I was so surprised to see her.... and also slightly sad. It seems the prior owner did not see me as a fit enough parent for the lovely Celeste to contact me on his return. But all's well that ends well. Celeste now has a wonderful home with wonderful people... and I can visit her whenever I like.

Note: In order to protect Celeste's identity, the photo in the top left is NOT Celeste, but merely a random border collie whose picture was pulled from the internet.