2/16/2005
Welcome the Ladies We have a bunch of new Kurdish blogs, first, let's welcome the ladies..
Ladies and gentlemen,
Naz from Kirkuk and her friend Lala (another girl I suppose) are writing in Pamaee (PINK) blog...Check out their photos and their talk about Valentine in Kurdistan.
Suzan another Kurdish girl from USA writes a new blog called Kurdish Lily....Nice music and photos and an excellent design...
Yet another Kurdish girl, Pepuley Kurdistan (or Kurdistan's Butterfly) writes in another pinky blog. She has just had Mahmood Tea (adverts for it are on all the Kurdish TVs and it is known as the tea of love).
And finally Darbaz from London talks about the recent elections...
Also check Dilnareen at KBU see if you can find an anwer to why Kurds always dance.
Finally thanks to Maureen here is what a volunteer teacher at an English School in Kurdistan, Sulaimania has to say about the elections on 30th January 2005 :
Jessica in Sulaimaniya. (Jessica is a volunteer teacher in the Gasha School, an English school made it for those who have returned back to Kurdistan from Europe.)
Saturday 29th Jan 2005 - In the late afternoon Iwe set off for a friend's house up near the university. Could we find a way into their street...all approach roads blocked off with wrecked cars, barbed wire, heaps of stones, anything to bar the way through. Green and white ribbons wound around and across lamp-posts and trees, banners and posters. A real party atmosphere and as dusk fell the cars came out once more hooting and honking, people sitting half-in and half-out waving flags and posters and shouting for their candidates. The children wanted to go to the bazaar to buy a flag and join in, but I don't think we could have found a way there and back without getting lost. 1,400 are reputed to have been commisioned to ferry people to and from their polling stations, free all day and the people in the office reckon the turn out will be over 90%.
I got back at 7.30 just before the car curfew at 8pm. soldiers and police everywhere but cheerful and friendly. People still walking around at 10.00pm but absolutely no private cars. Only the authorities checking the night watch. Highly organised and efficient from what I could see.
Sunday 30th January 2005- Despite being confined to the hotel this morning, I did slip out. Watching in eerie silence from my window I could see people begining to go to a polling station very close to the Ashti, so I thought I could risk a quick visit. People walk with a determined air, elderly, bright young things, families and single women. Some in traditional "gilli Kurdi" national costume, old women in spangled black robes and men in the baggy trousers and cumberbund, smart and proud. Flags flying everywhere in the bright cold sunshine. On the street corners outside the polling stations, red flock roses are handed out to the voters who were sensible 'early birds'. Its a lengthy process. Soldiers and police frisk one and all. Women must leave their handbags in a heap at the road block before joining the queues. Separate ones for men and women, of course and then the proceedings inside as you may have seen on TV. I took as many photos as I could without being too intrusive.One group of police asked me to take their picture, but I was stopped by an over conscientious young soldier who asked me what I was doing and called his superior officer. We grinned at each other and admitted to not being to speak our respective languages, so he asked if I could speak Arabic!! I told him I worked for KSC and was cordially waved on. Magic.
The buses keep coming but it's lunchtime now and the trickle has slowed down. I"m sure it's been a high turnout and I do hope it makes a difference to the number of seats the Kurds get in the national paliament
I guess this post was a too girly. But why girls like pink ?! Ladies !?!
