Mar 02 2008
Shopping in Dahuk
This week, Glenn and I went to Dahuk for a couple of days. After spending two days in Dahuk, we then went over to Erbil for another day. I know I need to get up to Dahuk and Erbil more frequently, and I always enjoy visiting my Resident Offices there. But I do feel guilty any time I go because of how safe and secure those areas are. I have numerous blog posts floating around in my head from this recent trip.
We had the chance to do some shopping while we were there. We wandered aimlessly through the bazaar in Dahuk with Gee. He kept asking us what we were looking to buy. We had no idea and just kept walking. I did walk in a scarf shop. I was quickly overwhelmed by the array of colors. The effect was almost dizzying!
Glenn decided he wanted a couple of plants to make his CHU more homey. So Gee took us to a small nursery in the middle of Dahuk. There was a small, elderly Kurdish gentlemen who owned and operated this nursery. Glenn asked him to show us some indoor plants, but he wouldn’t go into the makeshift greenhouse with us because he was afraid of our guns. So we went in and started looking around. Glenn found one he liked that looks like aloe vera but with thorns. Of course, when he picked it up, he immediately pricked his thumb on a thorn and let out a yelp. Everyone got a kick out of that! Periodically throughout the rest of the day, one of the Peshmerga guards would pretend to prick his thumb, yelp, then point at Glenn and laugh. Glenn was a good sport about it and can take a little pickin’.
I’m sure the kids miss my pickin’!
Hey Dale
Guess i just never got to see much of your pickin’. Somehow you never struck me as the pickin’ type.
By the way, I found some photo’s the other night of New Years Eve ‘05. Sure was nice to see y’all agin.
New Years Eve ‘05…Jed and Liz’s pass the parcel extravaganza. I laugh just thinking about it.
Come on Mugs …. Gimme a kiss! (Apologies to every one else, you had to be there to understand
)
Ummm, ok … maybe i better give an explanation to the previous comment.
New Years Eve 2005, and as Mugs alluded to earlier “pass the parcel” is in full swing. Between each layer of paper is a task to be performed that without exception involved activity of some kind; bobbing for apples; disco dance demontrations etc.
The parcel comes to me, and the music stops. I take the wrapping off and read the note. To this day, I can’t remember what it really said, but in my best serious voice (which i don’t use too often) I read out “Give the girl on your right a big kiss”!
Now, my wife, my kids, lots of friends etc give me kisses all of the time (no big deal, a little peck on the cheek was all that was needed) but seriously, Mugs (who was the girl on the right) has let out a scream that could have bought down the building, launched out of her chair and took of like Marion Jones (without the steroids of course). At one stage, I thought she would not stop until she was home in Jerra - bom - berra NSW!
Thankfully, in the end she did stop running and rejoined the game but I never did get that kiss!
Maybe there will be another NYE party sometime … I can only dream
If there ever is another New Years Eve pass the parcel game, I can guarantee you that my note will say, “give the guy on your left a good kick”.