Kurdistan With My Own Eyes

In February 2005 I sent an e-mail to family and friends recounting a recent trip I'd made to Erbil and Dahok in Kurdistan.  I wanted to share portions of that e-mail here.  Partly because I've had the unique opportunity to visit Kurdistan, and with Kurdistan in the news, I can share a personal experience from a trip that I greatly enjoyed. 

The below text is from my e-mail - at the time I was working as the Public Affairs Officer in the Gulf Region North District based in Mosul, Iraq.

 

Our emphasis here in country is moving towards getting reconstruction news out to the local media.  In order to start establishing a working relationship I requested that meetings be set up with local media in Erbil and Dahok, two provinces in the green zone of Kurdistan.  Little to no attention has been given to the Kurdish media.  Connie G., a public affairs officer from headquarters, who has been in Iraq helping with the elections, traveled up to go with me.  We had an awesome trip!

Apparently when I explained that we wanted an informal meeting with the media, an opportunity to introduce ourselves and meet them, it got lost in translation.  We walked into a full blown press conference in Erbil without knowing it.  I think we all had the deer-in-the-headlights look initially but everyone came through very well.  We made the evening news.

After the press conference we had a chance to meet the governor of Erbil.  I was able to sit and ask him some questions about the Kurdish media.

We had invited the media to accompany us to some project sites but no one took us up on the offer.  So we went by ourselves to visit a new electrical substation being built next to a beautiful mosque and then we went to see an ongoing school renovation.

Electrical project

Mosque near construction project

Erbil is the largest city in Kurdistan.  There is a historic structure called the Citadel.  I was told that Christianity in the region started at the Citadel. 

Citadel on hill behind Connie and I

We were told that people still live within the Citadel.  Here are some pictures.

 

I’ve seen it in Sulaymaniyah and now in Erbil.  They do have t-walls protecting government buildings.  The great thing is they paint them with beautiful images.

That evening some of us got invited to have dinner at the new Sheraton with a local businessman who one of our Deputy Area Engineers met.  It was incredible.  When I think of Iraq I certainly never thought of hotels like this.  I’m sending you a picture of the exterior and the lobby.  We had an awesome dinner and we got to wear civilian clothes.

The following day (Feb. 16) I was able to go visit the $100 million new water project for Erbil.  My first press release was about this project. It was absolutely beautiful.  In fact, the weather the whole time was incredible.  

That afternoon we drove about two and a half hours to the west to Dahok.  I’ve been to Dahok before but this was a totally different experience.  A female interpreter caught a ride with us.  She was born in Dahok but has been living in the U.S. for several years.  She invited us over to her family’s house for dinner.  So when we got to Dahok we went to their home.  I felt so welcomed and have truly been overwhelmed by their generosity.  When I was in Erbil I had complemented one of the Kurdish translators on her beautiful necklace and she wanted me to take it.  When we were at the female interpreter's family's house her nephews washed our filthy cars while we were eating.   

On Thursday (Feb. 17) we had a meeting with some local media representatives in Dahok.  We tried to be a bit more clear about our expectations in Dahok so we didn’t walk unsuspectingly into a press conference.  We had a very nice conversation.  The people here are very eager to hear about reconstruction efforts.  

A great lunch following our meeting.

Dahok is a beautiful city, set up against a mountainside.  I feel like I’m back in Utah, although the mountains aren’t as green.

Taken on my earlier trip to Dahok

I actually got a chance to visit the market in Dahok and do some shopping.

   

 

  

As we were getting ready to leave the market we ran into our translator's brother.  He has been living in Europe the last 17 years and is the owner of a very fancy hair salon.  He has opened one in Dahok.  Later that evening, we were invited to visit the salon and get our hair done. We laughed a lot, drank lots of tea and just had a great time.  And then at the end, he wouldn’t take our money.  It was his gift to us.

What a blessing this whole trip has been!  Yesterday I had a chance to travel north and visit several projects, which included schools where I saw some of the cutest kids. 

Visiting a local school in Kurdistan

Taken by one of our engineers on a separate trip to Kurdistan.

I am so thankful to the Lord that He has given me this opportunity.  It has really been one of the greatest experiences of my life.  I hope you know that there is a lot more to Iraq then just what you see on TV.  Kurdistan is like a whole different country.  If I hadn’t been pulled up to the Northern District by Phil (Tom's best friend and deputy district engineer while I was in Mosul), I never would have been able to experience these things and meet these incredible people. 

Thank you everyone for your prayers, love and support!  This experience is teaching me that when you place your trust in the Lord and go where He calls you, He will take you to incredible places.

I returned to the United States in March 2005.