Tzadziki

Just threw 2 of these delicious cucumbers, plus a tomato, yoghurt, vinegar, onion into the blender. Someone stole the garlic - need to buy more. anyhow made a yummy tzatziki drink plus have a few fresh dates   - cool

Langa Market

So, I'm in the Langa market, a kind of cross between KMart and Value Village spread over several blocks, I'm negotiating to buy the only coffee maker I've seen since I've been here. The guy says price is $50, so I say hey, way too much, I'll only pay $20. Meanwhile he has his calculator out and is putting the amount on the screen to show how much he wants. I see its $15 not 50 so I quickly withdraw my offer for $20!

Went to Indian restaurant again on Thurs night with my Aussie roomates. Food just as good but service not up too snuff. They have only been open a few weeks and already are moving to a larger spot next door. News travels fast among expat community.

I have to work today because we got an extra day off at Eid. But of course no students will come in so it is an Alice in Wonderland moment. We will all go in to work pretending there will be work to do.

That's the news for now

Coffee a la paper towel

Report from the frontier Nov. 12.

Cloudy here today but most days sunny and shirtsleeve weather. It is a dessert after all. I Heard about big storm in Alaska yesterday so maybe you are getting the tail end of it.

I make coffee by putting a paper towel inside a tea strainer. Can get good coffee but it is very fine grind like for Turkish coffee. Have not yet found a coffee maker. Everyone here drinks tea or Nescafé.

My roommate and fellow teacher, Driss is leaving the Univ. This is a disaster as I will be under pressure to  teach some of his courses. I can just manage the workload now so more would be ?! Story on Al Jazeera this am about highjacking  of a ferry in Turkey. Rumour it might have been a Kurdish independence fighter. Kurds want an independent country here and part of Turkey, Syria, etc. There will be more trouble here before things are done. It is more obvious here how tribal /family politics are here. Power guys play patriotism card to gain power for themselves. Same ol same old I guess but more obvious here.

They dumped 4 rolled up carpets in the front yard last week. Hussein the houseboy came after a few days and moved them into the house. No info re why here or who. Finally, my younger roommate who is never here came In and installed one. Its like Jack’s famous Montreal carpet roll.

I’m off to do some lesson prep

Nothing new here. Went to sook yesterday. like Istanbul - but packed with people. This place is a bit of a frontier town. Not pretty but vital. Our house-boy Hussein asked for a Aid tape yesterday - he meant a tip. Asking all the teachers in the area. Many are housed in the area. Driss (roommate) is going to Istanbul tomorrow.
Yesterday was the main festival day for Eid-ul-Adha. Alex went out looking for blood in the streets as all families are supposed to kill a sheep or whatevever and give the meat to friends and neigbours. But he did not see anything.

We have another block of time off in March but they won't pay for my airfare then.

Boring here but my mood is good and motivated to help the students.

It feels good to have that UP motivated feeling.

I made them a movie and a cartoon to try to get idea of cash flow.

http://prezi.com/dor8qe809jen/sheepish

Hubby

Fresh dates are so soft and juicy and sweet of course.

My roomy is great. He is from Tunesia via england. Nice guy, very fit. I will send picture

There is nothing much to do here. It is a very austere arab culture. desert.

I went to "bazzar" today. Like Turkey. 100's of shops 1/2 inside 1/2 outside all over sidewalks selling everything. packed with people. At least it is lively. 3 museum but not very good I hear. No beautiful building or parks. I think mountains would be beautiful but do not know if I can get there.

 

Tomorrow is last work day for 6 days - the Aiid festival =end of Ramadan? big holiday.

. Today was a better day - getting things under control more. Went to a men's "club" for ground lamb kabob tonight. closest place to home. just a cafe where they drink and smoke hookas. The lamb was great & veggies here are so fresh.

Also will get camera going this week.

Day 3 in Irbil

Accomodation and stuff

 

We (3 people) are in a 3 bed townhouse of 1500 sq ft? 5yrs old? similar to mid level in NA. mid level furnishings tv, air, etc. . The school and housing are in a suburb like Scarboro but 1/2 hour from downtown. You can walk to strip mall type shopping. Street paved but still muddy, Power out almost 1 per day. Love the sun every day, 20's temp. people and culture, fresh veggies etc. Teaching is tough, students lazy by our standards, smart - but thrilling to have this level of challenge.

Management is attrocious = wait for problem then react in panic.

School is in modern office type building.

Jim

Day 1 at Sabis Unniv

You all would love the fresh veggies here I swear the cukes are real - not cardboard

 

Worked 9am -9pm today but got our econ text here to students. Prepped for 4 hours and taught for 4.

Students are fine but not working hard enough to pass. Their English is terrible and they are not working on it - won't speak in class. Plan big pep talk tomorrow

I am very alive and passionate about the students succeeding. Helping the youth succeed in the mid East while the old men battle it out - their old grudges and hatreds.

As you can see i am pumped up about this.

PS I have been promoted already to >Head of Department (of 2 teachers) Gilaine would say I am nuts - a position with no pay, no authority but much responsibility

 

Voyage to Irbil

Estoy atterisado

Estaba un vuelto de Hell, pero estoy bien ahora.

"Toto, we sure aren't in Kansas anymore"

The minute I stepped on the Jordanian plane in Montreal I left the West. The plane was 100% full and 80% of the women wore burkas, headscarves, etc. several of the men wore big red (hennaed) beards. The guys in front of me watched endless reruns of rituals at the Kabala in Mecca. I thought wow these Jordanians are really devout!   But it turned out that they were all on a Haj to Mecca for the Aiid holy days. The flight to Amman from Montreal following the trip from Vancouver was hell. Small cramped seats, impossible to sleep – but at least 1^st world.

The Amman airport looked beautiful and new as we approached but the minute we stepped through the jet way It could have been Guatemala. No maintenance. The airport had the same vibe as Guatemala but without the real massive activity. Amman has a pop of 2 million and the airport was built for that but without the real activity  - a bit of a false note somehow.

I got to Irbil at 4am on Saturday after 36 hours plus of travel- ouch.

But I got some sleep last night and feel OK today.

Am staying in a townhouse in a compound on outskirts of Irbil. It is OK – Mexican level of quality. But had power outage in early AM. Met 1 of my roommates, the other Biz teacher. He has been teaching “my” courses for 2 weeks as well as his own. I have to coordinate with him to find out what he has covered – We don’t have the economics text book yet, so he has been teaching from the course outline.

Interruption- Just went to the Uni. To meet the dean and get course info. I only have 2 of the textbooks others on backorder, will get photocopies of the next few chapters tomorrow. I will be teaching from 5pm to 9 pm. Approx 25 per class. English will not be strong will need very simple ways to explain. More power outages.

I will break for now and get working on classes for tomorrow  

announcement

Hi Folks

This is a broadcast mailing to let you know that I will be out of the country for at least 1 year. I will be teaching business to undergraduates in Kurdistan. I could not pass up this chance for such an adventure! I will have to give up (at least temporarily) my work on Literacy in the Central Island, the MISTIC Board, and CESO consulting. I will create a blog for the trip and broadcast the address= http://kurdistanventures.blogspot.com/

 I will look forward to re-establishing contact with everyone on my return.

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