I bet you didn't think Iraq looked like this......

Some of my favourite photos that will make you question the media's portrayal of this beautiful country:

Twenty Top Team Moments

For this blog I thought I'd put down some of my top team moments from the last years in Iraq. For those that I've worked with - it has been a joy with a lot of laughs along the way! There have been so many highs that it's been hard to choose, but here are a few:

1. Karoake fun together in our basement in Dohuk. Somewhere I have a video of the whole team, national and expat, singing power ballads together.
2. Tofurkey. That very special delivery for Claudia to eat for her birthday/Thanksgiving. 
3. Sundowners on Zawa Mountain. Having a picnic takeaway on the top of a mountain, drinking beers as we watched the sun go down over the city, and listening to the call to prayer rise up. And then nearly wetting ourselves with laughter as we shared various crazy stories.
4. An impromptu lunch picnic in the park to cheer everyone up when they haven't been able to go to their field sites all week and are sick of the four walls of the office.
5. Team first aid drills in Dohuk - that time when Andy pretended to have collapsed for me, and everyone just walked past him and ignored him on the floor of the office. Until they decided to kick him back to life. 
6. The 2017 end of year party for the Erbil team - what a great night of games and dancing. Introducing the team to 'bring me a...' was an absolute highlight.
7. Making Pimms lollies when it was 50 degrees - best idea ever!
8. Friday Fry Ups in Dohuk with the first team - all bustling around the kitchen, and then sitting in the sun with our food, easing in to the weekend.
9. Monopoly Deal. Say no more.
10. Team bowling and seeing Khair's very unique style :-)
11. Going to weddings together. There's been a few, and they've all been a lot of fun.
12. Road trips and field visits galore. I should have logged how many hours I have spent in the car - it's insane. But it's a good way to get to know your team.
13. Various bonfire nights and pancake nights - sharing the British love.
14. Cooking up Bertie the Boar.
15. Christmas Day this year - my first Christmas away from home but we had a fantastic team day.
16. Monthly birthday celebrations - something I've done in both Tearfund and DRC.
17. Team banter, be that face to face or over skype, banter has a large part to play in why I'm still smiling 3.5 years later. 
18. The One Year Anniversary party at the Qayyarah Airstrip Camp - celebrating with the staff who have worked so hard to make the place a home for the residents was brilliant.
19. Our first overnight in Mosul. Only 3 of us, but what a moment to get to stay there for the first time!
20. Lunch time pretty much every day. A few months ago I made a deal with the staff that DRC would pay for a cook's salary if they were willing to purchase a cooked lunch. So we all get a delicious and cheap lunch every day, which we eat together in our staff room.

P.S. Just for Mariam, I will mention 'Family Time'. I know she'd want me to :-) 

Cultural Characteristics

With only about a month left living in Iraq, I thought I would re-ignite the blogs with a few around my favourite things and memories about this wonderful country, and some of the challenges I have faced here. First up - some of my favourite cultural characteristics:

1. Iraqi and Syrian people, of all ethnicities have a cracking sense of humour. Which is useful when you live in a country that has not been truly peaceful for many, many years. They also understand my British teasing and sarcasm which certainly helps in my quest to be a well-liked boss :-) 
2. This is quite probably the most generous nation I have ever been to. I only have to say 'oh I like your coat/scarf/earrings/sandwich' and it is instantly offered to me. If I have run out of cash, someone will instantly buy my lunch. If I forget my wallet and I want some fruit, I can pay the fruit stall man tomorrow or the next day or whenever. 
3. This culture is welcoming to the foreigner. Whether you are from another city, or another country you are welcomed. Whether you have been displaced by conflict or you are here to work like me, you are accepted and made to feel at home. 
4. Old people are treated with respect and honour. They are cared for and they are included. 
5. Meals. You don't eat alone in this country. You eat with people, and it's an event.
   
6. Middle Eastern music has grown on me hugely in my time here. And particularly the local music. I love that western tastes have not taken over and people are still so proud of this aspect of their heritage.
7. Many residential areas are built around communal gardens - outside my house is a little park which the houses surround on all sides. In the evenings the kids play football, and ladies walk around the paths. There is a gardener who tends to the flowers and keeps things nice. In my old house in Dohuk we had a similar set up, although there the garden was split in to plots. But I like this way of using outside space - people don't tend to have their own gardens - just a small patio area, but then they share these small green spaces together.
8. Iraqi people are excellent at grieving together and celebrating together. There is a sense of putting your own awkwardness aside to enter in to other people's grief or joy, and this leads to genuine community. (I've written a whole blog on this one).
9. Tea drinking is a huge part of life here. It doesn't really matter the time of day, if you sit down with people you will be offered chai. A small glass of strong, slightly spiced, sweet black tea. It's delicious and somehow it helps conversation to flow.
10. Dominoes are a serious game here. It's where I have learned to play properly. It's really a man's game, and every cafe will have men playing dominoes and draughts, whilst smoking shisha and drinking tea.