Helina Blogs

Its dawn, the rays from the sun shine across my bedroom and my eyes open wide, I grab my IPhone and I see that its 6:30am. Time to get up?  I then realize its Friday, my off day from work. I try to get back to sleep but I am too awake.  Instead, I decide to jump out of bed and start my weekend. I put the angelic voice of Fairuz on, open my windows and here I find myself meditating to the beautiful view of Sulaimani, while inhaling the biggest dose of fresh air possible. I look down from my balcony and I see a few old men with their cute traditional Kurdish shalwal and qamis on, with a bag of fresh bread in their hand. Me drooling for some myself, I choose to change quickly and run downstairs to get some from the neighborhood bakery.  I walk by the teahouse, and here I hear the stirring noise of the teaspoons in the chai istikan (little tea cups), the closest noise to my heart and mind.  Here I think to myself, what a beautiful start to a day for me. The view of Suli from my balco

So it was 9am on August 30th, 2012. I was still asleep until I heard my phone ringing. It was my driver from the American University of Iraq in Sulaimaniya (AUIS). “Miss Helene, where are you, I am in my way to get you.” I immediately jump up quickly and try to comprehend the driver’s words. He is in my neighborhood and I am not even ready. I rush to take a shower and then get ready to meet him. As you read my words in this blog, you will understand that the transition from the U.S. to Kurdistan has once again begun! This time the jet lag is taking a toll on me. I am up all night and have the hardest time waking up in the morning. I would like to start this blog from the second I met my driver in Hawler to my settlement in the pak city, the residential housing that belongs to AUIS. So here is the dialogue that occurred between my driver and I. For the purpose of this blog, I decided to refer to him as Kaka Driver. Kaka Driver: You are a Kurd, Miss. Helene!? Me: Yes I am kaka bu