When I first moved to Erbil 15 years ago, it was becoming a small city. Most people who could afford it were buying or building new, modern homes. There was a neighborhood called English Village where Western/American style homes were the trend and where everyone assumed I lived. I did not. My house was in [...]
Between Iraq and a Hard Place: Episode 61 Part 2 of our interview with Erik about life and culture in Iraq. Also, an amazing story of how he survived a 100mph crash on a highway! Learn more over on our Iraq page! And send us questions and comments to Hannah@servantgroup.org. Here's a Rough Transcript of [...]
Clear Windows and Yellow Pipes If I had been a child rather than an adult, I would have pressed my nose against the window, willing my body closer to the world on the other side of the glass. I was in a midsize SUV exiting the city, and I was in the unusual position of [...]
Between Iraq and a Hard Place: Episode 60 Hannah and Colleen interview our friend and teammate, Erik, about his life and experiences teaching and living in Iraq as well as his studies of Kurdish history and culture. Learn more over on our Iraq page! And send us questions and comments to Hannah@servantgroup.org. Here's a link [...]
Sustainable Living in Iraq This isn’t about what you think it’s about. Sorry? Too often we associate “sustainable living” with recycling, cutting emissions, gardening, and getting rid of single use plastics. But what about living in a way that we are mentally, emotionally, and spiritually able to sustain for the long term? One of the [...]
Hannah and Colleen have a conversation with Victoria, who spent 28 days in Kurdistan on our teacher training trip back in August of 2021. Hear her reactions, culture shock, what she learned, and whether or not she'd ever go back! Also find out about what to do when you break your ankle on a mountain [...]
Last week one Syrian friend shared with us that her brother was diagnosed with brain cancer. He had been having horrible headaches and dizzy spells for months, and thought it was just the residual effects of the war and shrapnel that had been lodged in his head from a previous injury. When the doctors told my friend [...]
I ran out and introduced myself to the new family who had moved in across the street, in Dari! (I’ve learned just a few words and greetings in the past month.) I had seen the man smoking while squatting on a chair on his front step. I had seen several children in their traditional clothes [...]
Who's Got the Power? At the airport, I bought a phone SIM so that I would have data and emergency calling capability anywhere I went. It seemed reasonable given that my co-teacher and I were headed off on our own for a month with no language. It worked great! I texted my husband on our [...]
5oth Episode -- How Iraq Changed Us Hannah and Colleen share the ways that Iraq shaped small behaviors in their lives including hand gestures, expectations of people, restaurant protocol, and more. These are some of the ways that that Iraq changed us and made us different from our peers here in the US. Also, celebrating [...]
