Baa Baa

If you have ever been to the Textile Museum at the top of the Citadel in Erbil, you have likely seen the nomadic tent on the rooftop. But have you ever seen the real thing? I don't know why, but I sort of thought it was a thing of the past until this past weekend. I saw one when exiting the environs of Amedi and these other two in Shekhan near Lalish.

Sheep, goats and a donkey... You don't know how much these animals make me happy. It gives me opportunity to use the first words I learned in Kurdish (on a road trip to Sulemaniyah): mar, bizen, ker... Good thing sheep don't lunch on laundry.
And these sheep are ones spotted from the bus from Amedi. Unfortunately I missed catching the shepherds with my lens, but they were wearing Arab headdresses (kefiya, agal and all) and some rode donkeys. More bedouin?

Newroz we piroz be

picture stolen from Lonely Planet
This year's Newroz picnic was much like last year's, except that I had 2 invitations to 2 different picnics which turned out to be the same picnic. I got up late and missed the departure of the people who invited me first (Izzy and his gang)... such a shame. However, it meant that I didn't have to get all dolled up in a borrowed candy pink Kurdish dress. Instead I went with Dr. Z, Pambette, Mu, the owner of Cafe de Paris (the restaurant where I spend the evening before dancing to live music), and one of his staff.
Anyway, we arrived at this year's chosen picnic spot- outside the village where Salahadin lived. There were tents and the musicians from the night before's party were there. Many people were dancing and alas, as we made our way towards the dancers, we tripped over Izzy's party. They were grilling and eating meat and Juan was wearing a green Kurdish dress (which my borrowed pink one was to accompany). We listened to music, ate and then got back on the road home (which was packed with picnickers). This year, I saw just a few things that I didn't see last year: Bedouin men on the hillsides walking in groups and a few solitary guys watching their sheep. Also, I saw lots of swings. I guess they were there last year, but I didn't notice them... all over people had attached ropes looped to trees, a pillow or blanket anchored in the middle and women in their dresses sitting on those pillows just a swinging.

My camera was given to a friend of Mu's today who will take it to Istanbul for fixing... However, I will get pictures from Izzy and Pambette and replace the one from the Lonely Planet.