Hard times

Last week was definetly one of the hardest weeks in Kurdistan. It's not the lack of electricity, lack of water or anything material. I could survive in a tent! (Yes I can,I've found that out)

It's the things you don't think about when you've grown up in Europe. The fact that you can pack up and go for a long walk,and no one would care. The fact that you can be a single woman and sit in a cafe with your laptop, and the waiter wouldn't approach you as if you were a prostitute. These are all things I cherish about "The West"!

The week in Duhok showed me just how hostile some people are to change. It's not the new generation, they thrive when being informed and taught about democracy and human rights.

It's the few parasites that still want to control the situation and wipe out any form of development. These voices were heard throughout our trip last week.

At a workshop where our participants were university students a few unwelcome guests made their views about "us westerners" quite heard. It's too complicated to fully go into,but it's a lose lose situation when it comes to reaching out to some here in Kurdistan.

When having nothing left to criticize, one of these "elders" attacked me for not speaking too good in Kurdish. The students (who the workshop was really for) corrected this man and told him that my Kurdish was flawless! Take that,you mean mean man!

If you try to show them that the West also has miscalculated things,and that looking up to them is sometimes dangerous, they criticize you for not knowing enough about Kurdistan. If you then tell them that some issues from the Western thinking should be implemented you are accused of being an orientalist.

Well well, I guess this was a wake up call.

/H