Here's my roommate Stacy, standing in the front door of our apartment. We walk through the "gate", up a flight of stairs and our door is on the left.
On Monday, January 9th, I went with Stacy to her two art classes - one at 8:30 and the other at 1:45. We came home in between (home is about a 15 minute walk away). Below is the view on my way to school! It is really beautiful and it hasn't been as cold as I anticipated. There is no frost, but there can be a cold wind in the morning. In the afternoon it warms up as the sun comes out. If you look on the left, you will see a long white wall, halfway up the picture. At the top of this wall, on the right, is the school.
The 8:30am class is a 4th grade class.
They are very good students (it might be because I have them first thing in the morning...)
The 1:45pm class is also a 4th grade class. However, they are much more challenging! Again, this might be because it is the last class of the day and they are ready to go home.
After the 8:30 class, Stacy and I walked to Mazi (the local supermarket). It is quite a walk (probably 30 - 45 minutes from the school.) When we got there, we discovered that it was closed all day. There was no rhyme or reason - that is just how things are in Iraq! :) Surprisingly, these things have not bothered me. Instead, I have focused on enjoying the profitable conversations that Stacy and I have shared during the long walks and the things I get to observe the more I am out and about. After we got home and ate lunch, I took a nap before the 1:45pm class (a wise decision!)
The first couple days it was difficult to sleep through the night and I would wake up from 2am to 5am and then get up at 6am. Sometimes, I just got up at 5am and had more time for prayer/devotions. By the afternoon I was ready for a nap.
After the 1:45 class, Stacy's friend came over to practice her English.
(As I am writing this, the electricity just shut off - a regular occurrence - it only shuts off for a few hours though and we have a back-up generator that should turn on a few minutes. Just thought I should mention this aspect of daily life). We were invited to the friend's house, where we were shown around and introduced to her family and then offered NesCafe. Hospitality is very important here. I am learning to follow the rhythm of the culture which is slower and less abrupt than the task-oriented rhythm of the American lifestyle. (The generator is on now, but this means there will be no heat for awhile).
Stacy and I walked to Andy and Lisa's house, which is about 20-25 minutes away. We ate dinner together, then enjoyed a time of fellowship and worship as we read "Abiding in Christ" by Murray. After praying together, it was time for our Skype call with Lisa and Dave (the Director of Team Development and the Executive Director at Servant Group International) back in Nashville. We met a prospective couple during the meeting, which was ironic since just under 4 months ago, I was the prospective teacher meeting everyone in Iraq through Skype! The meeting started at 9, so by the time we finished and walked home, it was after 11pm. I was exhausted and finally got a good night's sleep!
Tuesday morning at 9:15 we went to another class. This class is also fairly quiet and attentive. After class, Stacy and I went to the market for cake mix and I bought some things to clean the bathroom. We came home and rested, then I headed off to the 1:45 class to teach by myself! It was especially challenging as the rowdy boys in the bunch wanted to test my limits. They began the class by yelling at the top of their lungs. (One little girl gave me a rose at the beginning of class) :) After the boys quieted down, we had some productive time, then things started to fall apart again. I could tell that several of the girls felt sorry for me and were upset at how the boys were behaving. I was praying the entire time, asking the Lord to guide me in His power. We rallied for the last 15 minutes of class as I focused on the attentive students and ignored the others. When it was time for dismissal, I stood at the door and allowed all the 5 star students to leave first, thanking them for being good students. When they left I spoke firmly with the remaining students, telling them that they had not behaved honorably to their teacher on her first day. Several were genuinely affected. As each one left, I made him tell me how he would improve for the next session. As I was walking home, I passed some of the rowdy students waiting for the bus. They made sure to tell me they were very sorry and would behave better next time. :)
Stacy listened sympathetically when I arrived home and we decided to try Mazi again as a mind-reliever. It was definitely a break from teaching, but was overwhelming in its own way. It is really like a supermarket back home (though not as crowded). I would describe my reaction as a sort of culture shock. You can buy almost anything and everything, but it may not be the best quality and a little more expensive. For example, I bought a "dollar tree" plastic basket for $3 and a modern sponge-mop for $8 that probably won't last too many more washings. It is nice to see familiar things, but overwhelming as you try to fit them into the current context. I know that I can live without a lot of things, so as I settle into the apartment I am trying to find the balance between making it seem like a home vs. "Americanizing" it.
Because we had several bags, we took the "bus" home. It is really a 9-passenger compact van (not a Ford) that stops when it wants to and costs 500 dinar to take you as far as you want to go and/or wherever it stops. The exchange rate is about 1200 dinar/$1. Stacy seems to understand where it is best to get off... perhaps I will learn the system one day as well.
While Stacy made a cake for her friend's birthday, which we celebrated at our apartment, I cleaned the bathroom. It is reassuring to do something familiar and I actually enjoyed doing a job I often dreaded at home. We had cake and cream puffs for Stacy's friend (who is also the neighbor we visited on my first night here.) She turned 17, but because she felt "old" (apparently girls are supposed to be married by 25), we teased that it was only her 15th. Her younger sister came over too and they taught me some words in Kurdish. The younger sister is a good teacher, but gets adamant when I don't have the correct pronunciation. :)
