Where sheep fear to wander

Between our new accomodations and the road to the airport is a field, a rather largish field containing a sort of pond and lots of ummanicured greenery through which every morning sheep wander. With them is a youngish shepherd who every now and then prods them westwards by hitting them with a stick. The sun chases after them and the temperature climbs towards 40 C.

Forget that the banks are strewn with garbage and the pond stinks like sewage, greeting the sheherd and wandering with the sheep (in the cooler early morning) was Cy's pastoral dream of Kurdistan... one which she didn't really get to indulge before leaving. Too bad as I had a couple of students (D and A) who could likely find greener, more romantic sheep/goat-grazing pastures ( like the mountainsides of Shaklawa) for her to tromp around in... and tromp safely.

D & A recently handed in research reports using background information and statistics they had collected at work (whereby they identified areas contaminated with mines and UXO - unexploded ordinances). Now thanks to their efforts, I know what the various types of mines imported by the former Iraqi government look like, what triggers them (and other UXO) and that the majority of people killed or injured by them in the last few years were teenaged shepherds. I am sure there are no mines in the field behind our apartments, but should you try to tromp through it, you would be reminded that you live in Kurdistan. The machine gun toting guards that inhabit the vacant lot to the right of the field might chase you,and ask you what you are doing in the field and direct you back to the road.

I write this post not because of Cy's recent departure, but because today I was reminded of this wish of hers by and the dangers of being a shepherd by an article in the Kurdish Globe on "Kurdistan Region's minefields". It mentions that the minefields are being successfully cleared and attributes the success to awareness campaigns of which my two students were clearly a part. Good going guys... "Harbiji Kak D & Kak A!"

Two Lives

Two lives, two wives, two families... A Hawleri friend desires this - "Two lives" not referring to the two lives discussed in Vikram Seth's biography, but to the two separate lives he wishes to live with two separate women in two separate families he will have here in Erbil. The scary part is that I think I was to consider being the second... Is it possible? As unattractive (mostly due to my Western perspectives) as I might be to a Kurdish man, I was told that I am beautiful, after all, "Woman - Fat - Good to Kurdistan!" I was then quizzed on my thoughts about a person having two families. I avoided response and was then pointedly asked a more personal question along the lines of whether or not I would ever consider being someone's second wife.

Hmmm.... I think NOT! I hope that is the end of that discussion, however, there was an interesting moment whereby I had flashbacks of India... except in India, it was never an earnest youngish man who I actually knew, but only flippant efforts by old rich silk factory owners (or jewelers) with nasty teeth looking for a fourth and final wife... Perhaps they thought a nice wheatish-colored Non-resident Indian (or half-Indian) might add to the prestige of their household. Here in Kurdistan, I think I would more likely bring dishonor and shame.

In the flight path

And a plane has just passed overhead, so close that it seems Marcello (one of the Bolivian brothers who manage the Internet services to this complex) in the far tower - Tower D- could reach out of his window with a poker and scrape the paint off the left wing. Cy is likely on that plane on the way to Dubai (a stopover that will be considerably less that the 7 hours she dreaded due to a 4 hour delay). I wonder how it will feel to be back in the US since she is unsure if and when she will return.

This morning, Cy woke me with to come gather the stuff she didn't want to cart back to the US... although it would have all have fit within her luggage allowance - she had the least luggage of any woman here (although she was well -and flamboyantly- dressed every single day). She regards clothes as kinds of costumes; a wonderful perspective that we took good advantage of at her farewell party two nights ago. The cafeteria musicians (who no longer work at the cafeteria) came and played some folk music, Kurdish and Turkish, along with a little Gypsy King's. Cynthia got out her Jordanian veil/mask decorated with coins (a item Tf wouldn't let me wear as he said I looked like a scary witch doctor of some sort) and her belly dancer's scarf and we all took turns dancing with it... although nobody could beat her flamenco. Later Z and Mu came and Mu helped Tf kill the multitude of mosquitos (who entered while the smokers were smoking on the balcony) by throwing the sofa's golden 'throw' cushions at the celing where the pesky devils were congregating next to the light bulb.

To be honest, although sad to see Cy leave, I didn't really want to get up to say goodbye as the mosquitos migrated to my house last night and I woke up with a lip so bitten and swollen I looked as though I'd been in a fight. Anyway, one more teacher has left and summer is coming. I still haven't made my plans and wonder when and where I will go, and who will return in fall... If I am here, I will watch their planes come in from my balcony and (if my camera is fixed by then) take a photo to prove how close to the flight path we really are.

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.

Sauerkraut

Deutsche
Schnitzel für Kurdistan
Ein Thüringer betreibt in Erbil das
einzige deutsche Gasthaus im Irak und begeistert seine Kunden mit Hausmannskost,
Gartenzwergen und Udo Jürgens.
Von FOCUS-Online-Korrespondentin Annette Blettner

Gunter Völker hält Hof. Im karierten Trachtenhemd und Lederhose unterhält der Chef des gerade eröffneten Lokals und Gästehaus „Deutscher Hof“ im nordirakischen Erbil seine Gäste. Im Kleinod deutscher Kultur treffen sich Auslandsdeutsche und Rückkehrer, Geschäftsleute und internationale Mitarbeiter von Hilfsorganisationen, und immer mehr neugierige Iraker. Hier werden Informationen gehandelt und Geschäfte abgeschlossen. Deutsches Investment wird gerne gesehen im kurdischen Teil Iraks. Der Oberbürgermeister von Erbil, selbst Deutschlandrückkehrer, ist schon Stammkunde bei Gunter.

The above article comes from a German site... and no I don't read German, I just thought this blog needed to have words like "Oberbürgermeister" and "Deutschlandrückkehrer" written somewhere in the content (and a picture of Gunter in a red apron). But in truth, I publish this entry to remind myself not to be a "Sauerkraut".

Hawler is a kind of vacuum... There is nothing here and it just keeps sucking in on itself... And on a personal level; loneliness seems to lead people to do things that make them even more lonely. Then there is the resulting regret (for those who feel regret) ...

Anyway, after two brief phone conversations last night, both with people searching for different ways to break boredom (one through the act of calling and one through the beverages comsumed before calling) I decided not to sit home and be sauer. I removed myself to a party I had already declined an invite to and ended up with 'Izzy' and his friends/staff from Baghdad at the Deutscher Hof. It's amazing how profoundly simple things can make life so much better: a few friendly faces, a little sauerkraut, some conversation, a grassy garden and a few enthusiastic tugs at the sleeve from Pepsi, Gunter's dog.

On Trial

Sometime in the 16th C, Bartholomew Chasennee won a court case in which he was legally representing and defending the province’s rats – rats guilty of eating the grain needed to feed the people of that same province. The verdict was that they would be given an option to relocate within a set number of days or face extermination. I don’t have all the details about this event as I was unable to download the facts (one source being the Virginia Law Review-1899) from JSTOR, but I heard about it from a friend who read it in a paper by a French philosopher. We were discussing law, policy and logic.

In any case, I now know that the case was real and not fabricated which is more that I can say for equally unbelievable stories about my immediate surroundings! Are the defendants here also pernicious vermin? Who are the jurors and what constitutes their criteria for decision-making? I wouldn’t hazard a guess as rumors are more in abundance than facts.

Kimchi Nemsae Nayo (the scent of kimchi)

This is just to let you know that that wonderfully punjent and inescapable garlicy fermented smell of kimchi is finally contained to just the inside of my fridge. Where was I was able to get kimchi in Iraq? Well... I spent Saturday afternoon on the Korean peace-keeping-forces base: a new friend -LC Go- met me at the gate and guided me through an afternoon which was much like my first day of work in Seoul some years ago.

First I went to the boss' office (in this case, the first-star general) and drank tea and chatted politely about what I was doing in Kurdistan and how long I would be there... after which he welcomed me and gave me a commemorative coin (I will eventually figure out a use for this). Then I went to the next office to relive the experience. Then I met up with Go Sonsaeng nim and a couple of translators (Korean-English and Korean-Arabic and some Kurdish staff members).

And finally, I was able to go to the dining hall for a Korean lunch with that last group and a couple of people who I met at a Korean-Kurdish friendship event (an event I will post about when I receive the photos): For all those who like Korean food, they served Jjajang-pap, twigim, kamja- hobak dwenjjang jige, kimchi and takwan. And after lunch, the cook packed me some small containers of kimchi, Korean sauces and sesame oil to take home and tide me over until my next visit.

Although it was a military base, it was in fact one of the least hostile and friendliest environments I have been in since I have arrived here. 'Hama', a lovely local staff member drove me home (stinking up his car with the fermented cabbage -a smell which he says he has gotten used to). Unfortunately, the next time I go just won't be the same as LC Go -the friendliest of the friendly- leaves for Korea today.

Praying Lions, Chanting Roosters and Singing Camels - newsworthy animals

(Photo credit to Mosnews.com; Russian news online in English!)


Izzy (not his real name), a newspaper editor, incensed that one of his journalists printed an announcement of her engagement on the front page of his independant Iraqi paper, began a diatribe about what was and wasn't newsworthy in a 'serious' paper. However, we both agreed on the entertainment value of some articles in OTHER papers...

I have fond memories of a 3/4 page article on Shuma the singing camel printed in the Taipei Times (which incidentally has won awards for design). Staff refused to comment on this article and it was not added to Internet archives... good thing I saved it on a former blog! Izzy was telling me something I couldn't quite understand about a praying lion in Baku written up in a Turkish paper. I can't read Turkish (this is one of the banes of my Hawler existance-but that is a story for another post), so the best I could find were the following places where you can hear the lion roar Allah! I also found that a rooster in the Kyrgyz city of Osh started calling out the name of Allah instead of crowing... and this article also mentioned the praying lion of Azerbaijan. (Shuma was also purportedly from this region).... I think I should schedule a visit to the zoo soon.

Mustache mandate

This passport photo belongs to someone regularly featured in this blog... but the face avec-moustache is almost unrecognizable to me. A friend (who lived in Turkey for a while) commented that ALL men had mustaches when this photo was taken because it was LAW that men sport caterpillars on their upper lips. (Can't remember if she was talking about Turkey or Iraq). Anyway, I looked it up and found a number of rather interesting articles:

• Does Saddam Impose a Mustache Mandate in Iraq?

This article was from 2003, but the adage "an eagle could land on his mustache" predates Saddam. I wonder if an eagle could land on the one in the photo and does that indicate that he would have been considered very impressive and manly then? I also am thinking of asking for the Arabic translation for cursing someone's mustache... and the threat to shave off someone's mustache with my shoe. This reminds me of the insulting necklace of shoes in Salman Rushdie's Shame.

The third article speaks of Turkey and the different varieties of mustaches.

• Moustaches under threat

Does the mustache in the picture suggest that its wearer was a right-wing nationalist at the time? Or is it not turned down enough at the corners... and does it droop enough over the lower lip to indicate an old-fashioned leftist? Clearly Dr. Z's goatee is sure sign of an intellectual. And I have discovered that although originally from London, my stepfather twirled and waxed a type labelled urban or "Istanbul style". For the most part, I am in favor of waxing most moustaches right off.

Sanctuary

And just when you thought there were no truly relaxing places to go in the city, Heaven was temporarily discovered in Mu's garden. Suntan lotion and another beer, P?

Mealtime Massage by and for Mu?

There are too many people with the same name in this place. let's say for example your name is "Aso"; then we would have to specify which Aso by saying something like, "goteed Aso" or "green-eyed Aso" or even "your Aso" or "my Aso"! So in this picture, there are two by the name of "Mu"... and the grey-haired Mu is receiving a massage from the other (whose identity is protected by my lack of photographic expertise).

The remarkable thing about this event is that although restaurants in Kurdistan have family sections (usually near the kitchen and bathrooms in the back away from the windows) , Batmas restaurant (at the 1st checkpoint into Ankawa) not only permits women to sit at prime window tables, but allows its patrons to receive massages between the mezze and main course. I am posting this picture to remind myself that it is about time I visit 'Gardenia' hair salon and find out if it's really true that women can receive massages in Hawler as well.