October 25th and 26th: End of the School Week, Beginning of an Adventure

Thursday, October 25th:

Today was the school's dress up party. Our apartment was hustle and bustle as we donned our outfits. My students asked me yesterday if I would dress up as a princess. Since I didn't have a Cinderella ball gown, I put together what I had and called myself a Grecian princess. Sarah went as a bird with her fancy mask that she found at Holland Bazaar. Mary dressed up as Sarah! She borrowed an outfit from Sarah's wardrobe, then came over so Sarah could do her hair. John and Henry dressed up as students in their blue, collared shirts and jeans.

As we walked outside, it was raining pretty steady. I suddenly wished I'd dressed up as someone wearing jeans, a thick jacket, and heavy boots! We taxied to school and noticed almost immediately how quiet it felt. No kids anywhere in sight. When we walked into the teacher room we created quite a stir! None of the other teachers had dressed up, and because of the rain they were telling kids not to come in. We waited until Andy and Lisa arrived in their superhero outfits, took a couple pics, then taxied back home.

A couple kindergartners were the only students who came dressed up despite the rain...

I jumped into a nice hot shower, changed into traveling clothes and pulled all my last minute things together for the trip. With a couple extra hours ahead of us, I made a cup of tea and curled up with a book. A little after 2:30p Samer came to pick us up. Sarah and I said goodbye to John and Mary, then hopped in the car to start our trek to Erbil.

Beautiful sunset on the way down...

We arrived at the Winchester's around 5:30p. After a delicious baked potato dinner, Sarah and I read for a little bit while the family went visiting. Hit the sack pretty early.

Friday, October 26th:

A leisurely morning, although it started at 5:45a with an early call to prayer and holiday message for the Eid. I read for most of the morning, enjoyed a fried egg and coffee for breakfast, and iMessaged Mary. They thoughtfully messaged last night to make sure we arrived safely! I've already been told that my "cousin" Brad is in Erbil (he is not related, but has an organization that gives out wheelchairs to kids in need.) All the internationals have decided we are related... Funny how word spreads so quickly. For lunch, we had cheese quesadillas and pico de gallo ... with CILANTRO! In the afternoon, Sarah and I walked around the neighborhood for some exercise, visited with the other SGI family and met some local neighbors.

Back home to read and rest.

October 5th and 6th: Sightseeing In Erbil

Friday, October 5th:

This morning we walked to Costa Rica Coffee Shop. It was about a two-mile walk, but we were able to go through a huge park with trees, green grass and lots of foliage. The coffee shop, much to our relief, was the real deal (or "legit" as Lisa would say). 

Enjoying lattes and chocolate muffins.

Andy and John took the kids back to the house for their morning naps. The ladies got to hang out together, journaling, reading, and talking. We grabbed lunch from the nearby Papa John's and Burger Queen (Burger King and Dairy Queen combined) and took it home to the guys.

Close to 1:30 pm, the girls were off again! K took us to Langa, a GIANT secondhand market! We shopped until we dropped ... well, dropped off our bags at home and headed off to the Citadel.

Deep in the labyrinth of the market.

The Citadel is said to be "the oldest continuously inhabited town in the world." It is layers upon layers of cities. We couldn't go below, but saw some of the old ruins on the top level. They are "renovating" the structure, which means (unfortunately) that much of the historical architecture is being replaced.

The Citadel

Carvings on a post

View from the Citadel

The Citadel was an amazing place to visit. It would be neat to know what it was like to live there. K said she met an older man during one of their visits who said he had grown up there as a child. The street was divided - men would walk down one side and women on the other. That little glimpse sparked my curiosity and I couldn't help but wonder what each civilization was like, how each layer would represent the culture's priorities and "personality."

As we left the Citadel, we passed the main bazaar (which is a city in itself). K ordered a juice and we all ended up getting a fresh-squeezed fig juice for free! I love free! And the juice was excellent too! From there we took a taxi to Abu Shahab where we met John and Mary for dinner. I had an Iraqi "salad plate" and Sarah ordered pizza. We stopped at a nearby grocery store for ice cream, then walked home. Happy to just hang out. Unfortunately, the "Butter Pecan" ice cream that John picked out was actually butter-flavored ice cream with walnuts. Guess it is best to take things literally here! As we sat around on the couches, Sarah braided my hair. Sarah likes to try new styles ... and I love to have someone play with my hair! It was so relaxing and looked amazing...

 We ended up playing the "name game." It was our first time playing with Sarah ... I'm glad she didn't decide to leave our team after seeing how wild and crazy we can be!

Saturday, October 6th:

At 7:30 am, K came to the house so she, Sarah and I could walk to a mosque that we had driven by the other day. It was over 2 miles, but good exercise for the morning. We passed this fountain on the way there... I want a miniature one in my room!

Here is the mosque in the distance. Erbil is a very dusty city!

And finally, up close!

The building was enormous.

Intricate tile work that covered the mosque:

The garden next the mosque was beautiful.

We took a different route home, which kept the 2.5 mile walk interesting. Sarah and I regrouped with the team. Mary and John decided to hang out at home. Andy went to look at vehicles with a friend. (Andy and Lisa are thinking about buying a car!) The rest of us (Lisa, the kids, K, her daughter, Sarah and I) went to Family Mall. We loaded up in one taxi. Tight squeeze! Sarah and I split off to look for some things and get a bite to eat. We rendezvoused around 1, so we could get back to the house for a 1:30 pm departure. We were a little later than planned, but ended up waiting for the driver to arrive anyway. Loaded up everything and everyone in an H1 and made it back to Duhok around 5 pm.

I unpacked, took a shower, did a load of laundry, uploaded pics, and even squeezed in a little school work! :) Sarah and I watched a movie with popcorn, then off to bed...

September 27th and 28th: The ABC's (Akre, Birthdays, and Chicken ... Texas Chicken)

Thursday, September 27th:
This morning we walked to school and one of the first things Sarah said was, "It's COLD!" We had to laugh because it was probably in the 70s, but there was definitely a nice breeze that made it feel like Autumn was here (the students will correct us if we use "Fall" - "It's Autumn here, Miss").

My first class (5B) went pretty well. It seems to be the same repeat-offenders, who interrupt class with complaints, "He said bad words to me, Miss," "He kicked me, Miss," "Say to him, Miss." (Which means, "Tell him to stop bothering me.") This morning I borrowed a trick of Mary's and told my class that I wasn't their mother (I got a few giggles from that one) and shouldn't have to deal with their squabbles during class. If they wanted to tattle, they could save it for after class. After that, I tried to ignore them while the rest of us completed the lesson. I promised the class that if we made it through the chapter and the even-numbered problems, I wouldn't assign them any homework for the weekend. I put dashes on the board (like Hangman) to spell out "Lesson 19 odds"; each time they got too noisy, I put another letter up on the board. If I spelled out the entire assignment, then that would be their homework. As a whole, they did well and we only made it up to the first letter "d". :) After class, I pulled the four boys aside and told them that when I was little and I said "bad words," my mom would clean out my mouth with a bar of soap. I told them that I wouldn't wash out their mouths, but expected them to keep their mouths clean. They definitely understood the imagery (though they had obviously never heard of it before).

In my second class, I gave them the same promise of no homework if they could listen attentively. While completing the warm-up, they asked me for help with the problem-solving question which read, "For breakfast, lunch, and dinner Sam ate soup and eggs and ham, one for each meal, but not necessarily in that order. List all the possible arrangements of meals Sam could have eaten." I wrote out abbreviations for each meal and each food item, then began, "If Sam had soup for breakfast, what could he have eaten for lunch?" A long pause. "Miss, what is ham?" I about choked. It took me a few seconds to regain my composure. I finally said, "You don't eat that here. It's pig." And then moved on as quickly as possible, changing the entire problem to include rice, chicken, and dolma. It was hard to keep the lesson moving, but we made it through and they earned their no-homework assignment.

My two sixth grade classes went well and I didn't have to assign them homework either. My second sixth grade class can be really rowdy as I discovered when the teacher after me didn't come for her lesson. (She was at her brother's wedding). The curriculum coordinator came in to make a change to their schedule, and I offered to stay so that the students wouldn't disrupt the other classes. While they are good students in my class and follow my procedures, their 45 minutes with me was up as far as they were concerned, and they did not want to have to stay in the classroom. School ended at 1pm, so they were anxious to leave and go home. Eventually I let the quiet students go after answering a math question, and then there were six (boys). They went wild. Being stubborn can be a good thing at times, and I wore them down. In the end, they answered a math question and were allowed to leave. It was chaos for awhile though.

At 1pm, we had a teacher meeting. N translated for me since the principal led the meeting in Arabic. I couldn't help but take the meeting personally. The principal started by telling us that we didn't need to bring every little problem to him (i.e. my kids going to him so that he would resolve disputes between them), then told us that we should be forgiving and loving towards them (i.e. the other day, a student didn't bring his books. I told him that it was his responsibility to come prepared, but he could share with someone else for the day, as long as he paid attention and didn't use it as an excuse to talk. I moved on, turned around a few minutes later and he was talking. I sent him to the principal to say that he hadn't come prepared and wasn't going to listen in class. The principal sent back a note, "Please forgive him this once." My student was grinning ear-to-ear and all the other kids thought it was pretty sweet.) Sigh. The language barrier is a problem since I can't always communicate the issue effectively. Secondly, my kids know it is a problem and use it to their advantage. I left the meeting feeling discouraged and not sure how to "fix the problem." I realized almost as quickly that I was trying to cover my shame. The principal may have a poor, albeit false, opinion of me, but I must trust that God is the lifter of my head.

Sarah and I decided to go to Texas Chicken to celebrate the end of the work week. A teacher from school was gracious enough to give us a ride. It was fun to have a special treat, and I enjoy being with Sarah. There is always something new to discover that we have in common. For instance, we both have Navy dads, but who would have thought that both of us would grow up hearing, "Keep your head on a swivel." :) Go figure!

When we got home, I tried to process the events of the week. There have been several instances just in the last five days where I have been misrepresented and bothered/frustrated by it. I think it goes back to the lecture about greed, surprisingly enough. The lecture used money as the example, but the principle that money is where we place either our self-worth or our security is something I've been trying to apply to other areas. I think that my reputation and what others think of me is like money. I am greedy with it. And greed blinds us. It asks us to die in order to have what we treasure. When I know that someone else thinks poorly of me, I feel ... mortified (which comes from the Latin, to put to death, to deaden). Essentially, my feelings are a sacrifice that feeds my treasure. The lecture talks about "giving graciously." Am I willing to give graciously of my reputation? If my reputation doesn't define me, then what does? Second point in the lecture: Jesus is our treasure. Is He enough? The Sunday School answer is, "Of course." But do I really believe that? Jesus is the only treasure that gave Himself that I might have Him. I don't have to feel mortified. Instead of clinging to my reputation, I can rejoice in Jesus Christ. And then it hits me, "Delight in the Lord." I have so much to learn.

I Skyped with my family in the evening, then went to bed at 12am (a little later than I planned since we are leaving around 8am tomorrow...)

Friday, September 28th:
S, a teacher at our school, picked us up this morning at 8:15 (and he was right on the dot). We drove out to Akre (about 2 and half hours away), turned northwest, went over a mountain range and down into a valley. It was a wonderful picnic spot near a creek (a very large tour group from Erbil thought so too!) We played in the water. Then ate a huge lunch with S's family and celebrated his little cousin's fourth birthday.

Our picnic spot

Playing in the water (barda - cold)

S and his brother dunking their younger cousin in the water.

Sarah and I going barefoot. I love the laughter on Sarah's face!

Playing the ring game. One person hides the ring in one of his teammates hands. Everyone on the team holds out their fists and the other team has to guess who has the ring. If they ask you to open your hand ("tuug" in Arabic), and you have the ring, then you say, "Buut" and your team gets a point!

Our appetizers (broad beans, chickpeas, and olives)

S's cousin and sister, Sarah, and me

On the way home, we saw this rock and thought it might be a memorial or landmark of some kind. Nothing but graffiti, but it was fun to take pictures.

Looking back into the valley where we had our picnic

We got home around 5:30pm. As I walked in the door, my family was calling on Skype! Hannah and I planned a birthday surprise for Mom. Unbeknownst to her, Hannah was downstairs setting it up, and she had been banished upstairs. Seeing I was online, she decided to call me. We talked for awhile, then Grandpa brought her downstairs (and I got to come too!) I had planned on seeing pictures afterwards, but getting to be there was even better! There were 50 colorful balloons waiting for her and each one had a "reason to be thankful you're 50" attached to it. I got to sing "Happy Birthday" and watch as she read the first one. She read the others throughout the day. Grandma made a breakfast brunch, and even though I couldn't enjoy the food, I got to spend time with them and celebrate the moment.

Dad and I talked for over an hour. We had an encouraging discussion about the things God is teaching us right now. Dad is doing a lesson on contentment and grappling with what it means to "submit and take pleasure in the things God has appointed for us," even when that means injustices or afflictions. We talked about how that fits with delighting in God. Dad reminded me that when I face misrepresentation, I must give my burden to Him and take His yoke upon me. And then I realized, Jesus' yoke is easy and His burden is light. Why? Because it is Him! He is our treasure. As we give Him our burdens, He gives us Himself. This means that submission to the Father's will, love for the brethren, etc. are the result of striving for, delighting in Jesus Christ. Submission or contentment or selflessness are not the end in themselves; they come as we find our treasure in the Lord Jesus Christ.

After "eating" a bite of cake and "blowing out the candles" with Mom, we ended the birthday celebration at 8:30pm. Sarah and I went over to John and Mary's for movie and homemade donuts night. Yummy! Another late night as I fell into bed at 11:30.

September 21st and 22nd: Hiking Up the Mountains and Walking Through the Valleys

Friday, September 21st:

Thanks to Sarah, I have pics from last night...

At Zeri Park with the teachers

In the flight simulator

At Dumballah

Bershes! (Helen and Helen, Sarah and Sarah)

This morning I woke up feeling refreshed (even though I went to bed at 2am). This was an answer to prayer as I had asked the Lord for help to go to fellowship with the right attitude. John, Mary, and I went to fellowship at 9am (Sarah stayed home to rest and recuperate). We had a good time studying Psalm 81, which went along with the lecture I listened to yesterday - expect great things from God. We looked at Israel, a stubborn, rebellious people, who were intent on following their own hearts. God spoke to them time and again, even promising them, "Open your mouths wide and I will fill it." We were encouraged to NOT follow Israel's example, but to listen to God's Word and believe His promises.

On the way home, I picked up a chicken for our weekend meal(s). Sarah and I have made it part of our weekly tradition. The "chicken man" was much more courteous, telling me the bread would be about 5 minutes more and allowing me to sit inside and wait. Before, he acted annoyed (probably because I am single and Asian-looking) even though I waited outside and tried to be respectful. This culture is difficult to navigate, especially since I break all of their molds, but I trust that God will open their eyes to see that my heart is upright, and I am not trying to offend.

After lunch, I listened to a sermon on 1 Peter from Monergism.com. There were several good points that I will try to meditate on throughout the week, but one that struck me right away was that the gospel is neither cultural accommodation nor cultural withdrawal. I err on the side of cultural accommodation. I want to adapt and fit in, fearing that I will disappoint others around me. The sermon reminded me that our lives, if we are living them to glorify God, will generate praise and criticism. "Whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation." We are to live deep in the heart of our culture, set apart. Later in the evening I was put to the test. Someone local, via Facebook, asked me on a date. My first thought was, "How should I respond culturally?" After going through various responses with Sarah, I realized that I needed to respond in a way that would glorify God. I told __ that in the States he would have to meet my parents first. (Note to fathers: Tell your daughters that they can and should always use you for backup. My dad told me that back in middle school, and it was his words that came to mind.) The reaction was positive, even though I was afraid of disappointing him. I trust God will help me respond to future situations in a way that identifies me with the gospel.

At 5pm, John, Mary, Sarah and I walked to Geli (the park near Duhok Dam) and met up with Andy, Lisa, Zander and Zephie. Together, we climbed the flag mountain, where we saw the remains of a Zoroastrian temple and took team pics.

Zoroastrian Temple

View of Duhok from Flag Mountain

Looking towards the dam

The scenery was beautiful and we decided to take a team picture. I set the timer on my camera and we took our places. The following pics give a good look into the dynamics of our team :)

Get Ready!

Sarah and John are fixing their glasses, Andy is getting Zander-man into position.

Get Set!

Leave a space for Helen! (What is up with Sarah and John holding the same pose?)

Go!

One more just for fun!

A view of Duhok in the sunset:

Zander and I exploring a cave (Batman's cave). I stepped on a bottle as we rounded the dark corner. "Crackkkk" Zander and I both jumped! (Thanks, Sarah, for taking this pic!)

The Kurdish flag

We ate dinner at "Duhok Paradise" after our hike. Our salads included pickled cucumbers (that weren't orange), pickled red cabbage (SOUR!), and diced apples in fig? jam. Between everyone's orders, we Pizza Mexicana (really good and tasted like pizza back home), Pizza Marguerite, and chicken tikka (or chicken on a skewer). Enjoyed a great view and wonderful team fellowship.

Saturday, September 22nd:
In the morning I was able to chat via Facebook with Pastor John. It was encouraging to hear from home (and converse in "real" American, even to the point of using sarcasm!) Went over to Mary's for a waffle brunch. Just as we finished up our meal, Mary received an alarming message on Facebook. Almost immediately, we (or least I) went into the default mode of last year - move into a holding pattern until we hear from the administration. Thankfully they responded quickly and even though we were still unnerved by the message, it seems that the response was faster and more complete. We sat with each other, grading papers and watching Henry until about 3.

Sarah was able to Skype with her parents, and then she and I went down to the market to change money and look for a DVD player and TV. Along the way, we saw a small grass fire. Someone ahead of us had just walked by, but I couldn't just leave it. After all, I worked for a wildland firefighting company! What to do? Thankfully Sarah brought her water bottle and, after assessing the situation and determining that it was just burning paper and grass (no alcohol), she poured water over it while I kicked some sand over the small embers. Sarah and I might just have saved all of Duhok! We ended up going the long way through the market, picking up a few souvenirs and other fun purchases. In the end, we bought a DVD player and TV too! When we got home, we set up the TV/DVD right away. It worked! Three successes in one day - we found a DVD player, we found a TV, and we got it working! Unbelievable!

After some lesson planning, we went back to John and Mary's to hang out. Tomorrow, a rep from the school will pick us up, take us to school, then escort Mary back home after her class. Praying that all goes well and we are able to walk in the Spirit.

September 13th and 14th: An Adventure Marked by Tradition

Wednesday, September 12th (continued):
Just after my last post, I left for my first adventure to an Assyrian village (Anonayh in Assyrian and Kani Mase in Kurdish). My friend, N, invited me to stay there with her family to celebrate their religious holiday of the Exaltation of the Cross. We left around 6pm and arrived at her house around 8:30pm (of course this was driving extremely fast along hairpin turns - it probably would've taken me closer to four hours to get there.) We went over three mountain ranges to a village almost on the Turkish border. My friend asked me if I was afraid of the turns, and I told her my "village" was also between mountain ranges, so I was used to it!

It was dark when we arrived, but here is a picture of their house in the daylight:

The government built this house (above) for the family after the war, but N's father built the original house (below). The family uses the one above as their main house, but as all of N's family were in the village for the occasion, some of them slept here:

The village is located on the edges a valley. This is the mountain facing N's house and Turkey is just beyond.

Here's is the view of N's village from her house (to the Northwest). The church is located on the other side of the valley, where we walked to the next morning:

Looking to the Northeast, at the other end of the valley

As we got out of the car, the sound of crickets and the smell of fresh air were a welcoming experience. Such a difference from the city. I suppose it's true - you can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl. The first to greet us was N's mother (N's father passed away in 2006 after a series unsuccessful operations weakened his body). She doesn't speak any English, but is very friendly and took good care of me while I was there. In total, thirteen of us stayed at her house. She seemed to love all the excitement and flurry that seven adults, two teenagers and three kids can't fail to create. (And if you're adding that up, I didn't include "mom") :)

N and I freshened up, then a group of us walked down to the local hang-out (a small concrete building with a lean-to attached, fluorescent lighting, dirt floors and branches for the covering). This is the main location (apart from their Assyrian hall) where all the villagers go to talk, eat, drink, play cards, and folk dance. I met some of N's friends (most of them live in big cities, like Duhok, but come back to the village for special occasions and for the hot, summer months).

When we got back, I was exhausted and ready for bed. It was about 11pm and early by their standards. I was excused since it had been a long day at school and I hadn't "taken a rest" that afternoon. N's mom also prefers to go to bed early and wake up early, so we went off to the room that we shared with N and N's niece. There were no doors (except to the Eastern toilet and to the "shower" room, which didn't really have a shower, just a bucket to sponge bathe).

Thursday, September 13th:

Despite the laughter coming from the living room, I fell asleep immediately and woke up around 7am. No one else was awake, so I read and enjoyed the view from my window - the first time I had seen all the natural beauty of their village in daylight.

N woke up about 8:30. We ate a fried egg with bread for breakfast, then set off for the church. It was a beautiful walk, along a dirt path that went down into the valley and back up to the mountain on the other side. As we neared the church, the rhythmic prayers and liturgy grew louder and louder. The church, including the covered outdoor section, was crowded with people who had come from villages all around to celebrate the occasion. We stood behind a line of people at the gate, then moved to seats in the covered area as they filed in to take the Lord's Supper. People moved in and out of the church as we sat in our chairs, greeting relatives and friends.

This is just part of the outdoor seating:

I should have started counting at this point, but didn't think of it until later on. As people started to notice me, N was obliged to tell them where I came from, giving them my entire life history, and then explain that I was a teacher and that we worked together. She must have told the story a hundred times. :) As the crowds came and went, we eventually met up with N's mom, who had left earlier by car.

N's mom is sitting in the middle, to her right is her best friend and neighbor, to her left is her brother's wife:

N's sister and her son, N, N's sister-in-law, Helda, and me

(Funny story: the person taking the picture didn't notice me at first, then realized that I wasn't Assyrian as he was taking the picture.)

After we left the church, N took me past this natural spring; then to another church, where her father is buried.

Along the way, two men joined our group. I learned afterwards that they were with the Assyrian television channel (more on that later...)

On the bridge at the base of the valley. A river usually runs through here, but this year it was very dry.

The temperature was much cooler than Duhok and very pleasant. Around 3pm it would get warm and we would usually "take a rest." At night, it was nice to bundle up under the blankets ... it reminded me of my "village" in Oregon. As a gift, I had brought N's mother a picture book of Oregon and they enjoyed looking at the natural beauties of the Pacific Northwest. Just after the bridge, I saw another reminder of home - blackberries! I didn't even know they grew here. Smaller than ours, but very juicy.

We stopped at another spring that flows right along one of the homes. They greeted us warmly, then opened up their beautiful yard to us ... this is not uncommon. In such a small, rural place, everything belongs to everyone, even to the extent that N, her mother, and brother share a wardrobe! We stayed by the spring for a long time.

 The family served us fresh fruit from their orchard (grapes, apples, and peaches).

The gate between the spring and their yard:

It was a peaceful place to relax. I tried to soak in every detail - the hummingbird flying among the yellow daisies, branches overladen with fruit, green grass and blue skies. Truly "shtrana," which is Assyrian for "beautiful."

After we arrived home, we changed into our house clothes and ate some rice and chicken with dolma (the ladies waited in the living room until the men had finished, then ate ours.) We "took a rest" for almost two hours, then ate again when we woke up and had "chai" (or tea) with milk and sugar.

The sugar and powdered milk are added first.

Concentrated tea is poured until the glass is about half full. After that boiling water is added to dilute it. The bread has a sugar and milk filling (very dry, but one of the traditional foods they make during this holiday. N told me that even if they don't like it, they will bake it and eat it because it is the tradition. I couldn't help but think of Fiddler on the Roof!)

Tea finished, preparations began for the party. I had a complete makeover. N's sister-in-law worked in a beauty salon for awhile, so she did my hair and makeup. N brought one of her dresses for me to wear (and thanks to Andy and Lisa, I had high heels to wear - they found them at the house when they moved in. Assyrian style is very different from Kurdish standards, and I know they didn't want me to look unfashionable.

Before:

After:

N's sister, me (yes, that's me), N, and N's sister-in-law

We arrived at the party fashionably late. N's brother had to take three carloads to get everyone to the hall, and we were the last group to be taken. Practically everyone in the village, and some from neighboring villages, were already there! There were about 700 people in attendance. We sat at our table for a few minutes, but that didn't last long. As soon as the singing began, so did the dancing. The man holding the flag is the lead dancer. Two steps forward, two small steps to the side, one step back, pivot, two steps forward and one step back, pivot, repeat. The dancing line moves around the outside wall as everyone in the middle watches, takes pictures, and perhaps joins in.

N asks me if I'd like to try. I remember watching this dance (sheikhani) at the teacher picnic last year. We join the line and I pick up the steps fairly quickly. As we move around the room, cameras start flashing. Women cut in to dance next to me and their friend shuffles behind chairs to take a picture. Soon I notice the men from the Assyrian TV channel training their video camera in our direction. My fifteen minutes of fame! People are whispering and nudging their neighbors. Some of them know N and they ask her where I am from. All of them are amazed that I can dance and make sure to tell N that I am doing a good job. They tell me I am the first Japanese-looking American to visit their village. "This is a day in our history," someone says. "You should write your name somewhere and put the date!" Smile and stay with the rhythm, smile, and get back in step as someone else cuts in...

Eventually, I end up holding Helda so her mother can dance. It took me 24 hours to gain her confidence, but now she is sleeping soundly on my shoulder.

Pictures, pictures and more pictures. Men are asking for pictures now too (in Kurdish culture this would be shameful, but men and women interact differently among Assyrians. In Kurdish dancing, men and women don't stand next to each other, but among Assyrians they can intermingle. At one point in the party, there was actually slow dancing, waltzing, and Western "pop" dancing - this is the part where I managed to be holding Helda). N tells me that there is a Facebook page for their village and my pictures will probably be all over it. I remember now what it is that I don't like about parties. Though they are fun at first and the preparation is always exciting, there is always a mess afterwards. I wonder what kind of "mess" I will have to clean up this time.

We get home around 1am and I am exhausted. It was a fun night and I certainly enjoy their folk dancing. Just like at home, we sit down and tell "mom" everything about the evening. She enjoys hearing how much I was made over and tells me, "shtrana, shtrana."

Friday, September 14th:
"Mom" and I are the first ones up again. I join her on the porch and we share the view together. I point to God's creation and say, "shtrana, shtrana." She nods in agreement. Some time to pray and read before the house starts to become active - praying for opportunity to talk to N about the g___ and see how much she understands. N's sister and one of the families left last night after the party. And now N's brother and his wife are preparing to leave as well.

We stay in our house clothes for most of the day. N and I have a good conversation in the kitchen, an answer to prayer. It begins when I tell her that not all Americans are Christian. This comes as a surprise to her. I explain that they are looking for a savior from their circumstances, a god that will serve their desires. We talk about true faith, which stands apart from "being a good person." She mentions faith and love, and I bring up the third trait mentioned in the verse - hope. A hope that doesn't exist in moving to a better place, but a hope in eternal life. She opens up about her father's death and tells me that she believes that God allows all things to happen for a purpose, even when we don't understand. It is a profitable conversation that continues in parts throughout the day.

Around 4pm, N's brother goes into the village to buy ice cream. We eat it on the porch while enjoying the view.

After our evening chai, and when it is cooler, we prepare to go out for the evening. On our way to N's best friend's house (the next one down the road), she tells me that J was adopted. This is a shock as I've never heard of anyone who has been adopted here! Her mother could not have children, so her mother's sister told her that she could have her months-old baby. N told me that this was very uncommon, even between relatives. J did not find out until later, but realized that God had intended it for the best. She has met her aunt and uncle (who currently live in Sweden) and there is no connection between them - her parents are the ones who raised her. They are a very happy family; she, her husband, and their little daughter live with her parents in the village and they share another house in Duhok.

Me, J, and her baby, Mimi (short for Maryam)

Me, Mimi, and J's husband

We visited for a little while. J's father used to be an English professor, so he shared a funny story with me in English. Last night, at the party, the leg of his chair broke and he fell right in the middle of the room! We couldn't stop laughing as he recounted how all at once he was in the air and just as suddenly on the floor! All of us walked to N's house, where J's mother stayed with N's mother - they are best friends. We walked on to the hang-out at the end of the street. J and her husband had to go back and change Mimi's diaper, so N and I walked up and down on the road waiting for them to arrive. Over chips and soda, we visited in English (J's husband is studying English on his own, so he was happy for the practice). After a little while, we moved to another lean-to where they were folk dancing. The music was extremely loud and I am still partially deaf. We met up with some of N's other friends and joined in the dancing.

O, S (they are getting married and moving to Canada where her family lives), me, and N

It was so cold, I had to borrow a jacket from N! Enjoyed every minute of it as I know I won't be wearing a jacket in Duhok for a long time!

More attention and pictures ... by the end of the evening I was ready for the publicity to end. I had a fun time though with N and her friends. J and her family have invited me to their house in Duhok sometime, and it would be nice to see them again.

Saturday, September 15th (part one):
Didn't go to bed until 3am! Our ride arrived at 8am, so we were up by 7 to get ready. It was a beautiful drive home (though a little crowded with three of us in the back seat). It was dark when we drove through the first time. I was amazed by the beauty of the mountains and the Kabul river flowing between them.

During my three days in Anonayh, I picked up a lot (everything is relative...) of Assyrian. N told me I should come for the three months of summer and then I will be fluent! :) One last picture that made me happy and will remain as a fond memory: hand-washed clothes hanging on the line in the morning sun.