3 weeks in, 1 week of work

First week of class - done.

Ten weeks to go.

So far so good, students are great, the job is demanding, but worth every minute. In just the first week, we've all seen fast improvements across the levels. It's amazing how quick you can pick up a language if you are forced to speak it in every class, 5 days a week. We'll see how the quizzes are when I grade them today and how the first presentations go tomorrow. It will be interesting, that's for sure.  

In other news, I'm attempting to discover a little culinary diversity. I really need to find recipes that I can try with the foods that I have on hand, instead of relying on my same old favorites. And I really want to bake something today. I have no clue why. A trip to the store is definitely in order, but I am admittedly still a little shy about going off by myself. Somehow, I've picked up how to say thank you and that's about it. And if I get lost, well, how will I know? I'm feeling a bit helpless right now and need to break out of that. Till that happens, time to see who else needs food.  Maybe someone will go with me. And maybe I'll find a great recipe for lentils.

you should read this

http://facts.randomhistory.com/interesting-facts-about-iraq.html

no really, you should. take five to ten whole minutes to truly connect 5,000 years of history that has happened in one area. Remember why Iraq today is worth improving. Can you imagine what people will say about the US right now 5,000 years from now? That's right, they won't, we are a small blip on the map. With an election days away, the choices will lead us for 50 years at the most, no matter who wins. Either party will makes choices the opposition judges as incorrect and no matter what, the president will be vilified. My personal beliefs aside, strong as they are, looking at a country's multi-millenial history makes you really think about your importance in this world. It also makes me even happier that I decided to come here. Apparently (based on #1) it's my ancestral land too. Who knew? Getting away from the barrages and skewed views of the US is the best thing I could have done. It's simply a blessing that it was because I found an amazing job with great people and great students. Some days, you simply have to look at what there is in front of you. Today is one of those days.

Two weeks in, blog started

I wasn't going to do the whole blog thing. But I really would like to make sure I remember all the things that are happening every day, and well, this seems to be the way to do it. Between this and my journal, I'm hoping to actually have a functioning memory of my time here. Here's the deal. October 1 I was offered a job as an English Lecturer at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani. By October 17, I was here in time for the last day of new teacher orientation. It has been a whirlwind of a month. Saying goodbye to my family, my friends, my job, and my new apartment weren't exactly easy, but opportunities like this are not happening for almost 30-somethings at home right now. It's really gratifying to use my brain a bit instead of punishing my body during shifts as a waitress/bartender. But I do miss Philly. I miss the familiarity of my neighborhood, the sense of comfort in knowing that at any time, one of my family members could be with me in anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, depending on where I was in the city. I miss texting my sister just to tell her my hair looks hilarious, here, look at it. I took the fact that my parents were only an hour away for granted, and didn't spend nearly enough time with them. But they're all so supportive, I'm incredibly lucky. I have my Skype, my email, and facebook. In this day and age, I can talk to my whole family with ease. It makes it all a little less scary, a little more comfortable. It's a strange position to be a homebody and someone constantly desiring adventure. As the hammer is set to fall on my 30th birthday in a few months, I couldn't stand the idea that there wasn't much substance to my life. After 30 years of existence, what was I proud of? The list was short. Now, hopefully, with this program, in this place, I can get a taste of the adventure I crave and some pride in my actions. Maybe this will be my time to finally shed the social anxiety, to really embrace things that are different without being petrified. Or, I'll be an utter hermit here and regret everything I didn't do because I was afraid. It's time to be done with regrets. I've already dived in, now let's explore the waters.