It's Time to Go to the Movies! Hannah and Colleen take a trip around the world and into a Middle Eastern movie theater. Sometimes watching movies in Iraq is like a short visit to the United States, but other times it's more like visiting a different country... or a different planet where the spoken language [...]
Kim Tells the Best Stories! Hannah and Colleen chat with Kim, our Office Manager, about her time living in Iraq. We love her stories and she is an excellent story teller! Sometimes in the office we ask her tell the same ones we've heard before because they are just so funny. Here are a few [...]
What's it like going to church in Northern Iraq? Colleen and Hannah talk about what "going to church" looked like in Iraq. A lot of people have questions about this and a lot of preconceived ideas about what it means to be a Christian living in a pre-dominantly Muslim country. Learn [...]
Lemon, sumac, unripe fruit, pickles… sour food is overwhelmingly popular in Kurdistan. Hannah and Colleen chat about all the foods that make your mouth pucker and water in Kurdistan. Go grab your jar of pickles and join us in the culinary journey through sour foods in Iraqi Kurdistan!
Hannah and Colleen share their experiences of the roles and rules around what it means to be a man or a woman (or boy or girl) in Kurdish culture. Expectations and limitations for both men and women are a bit different than our experiences in the United States and anyone thinking to visit would do [...]
Hannah and Colleen explore the difficult and sometimes humorous world of social media in Iraq. If you've never had a new Facebook friend go through all ten years of your photos and comments and like or comment on every single one, you should check this out! If you have… that's weird. But join us anyway [...]
Between Iraq and a Hard Place - Episode 38 Hannah and Colleen talk about how Kurdish people respond to different kinds of crisis. Some big, some small, some medical, and some military -- the Kurds have seen it all and we have gained some perspective from them as we face new kinds of crisis. Learn [...]
Between Iraq and a Hard Place - Episode 40 Hannah and Colleen talk about their experiences with cleanliness in Kurdish culture, the biggest compliment they ever received from Kurdish women, and how some of those things are already changing! Learn more on our Iraq Page! Ask questions about this episode or life in Iraq on [...]
Buddhism (an overview) Buddhism is non-theistic. There is no belief in a higher power and holding on to such a belief is thought to keep one from achieving enlightenment. Enlightenment is achieved not by learning the doctrines of Buddha but by following the Eightfold Path. This Path is concerned with three things: morality ( 3-5 [...]
Hannah and Colleen chat about several key terms in Kurdish language and culture: sherma, aiba, and haram. All have meanings that connect to honor, shame, and what is allowable and what is forbidden. Cultural expectations and norms are part of what can be a challenge for a westerner. This podcast explores their shades of meaning [...]
