This mundane post is for those who care to see the day-to-day environment where I do online research on education, write up notes, and schedule appointments.
Bi xer hati (welcome) to my office. Like many desks I've encountered in the Middle East, this one is an ego trip. It puts quite a distance between the person behind the desk and the person on the other side. Often the desk chair elevates a person higher than the surrounding furniture. Observing rank and order is important in this culture. Oh, and that's an air conditioning unit on the wall (top). Alhamdulilah (Thanks be to God) there's AC in my office.
The kitchen on the first floor where I'm having adventures in food prep by sterilizing everything with boiling water.
The view from the roof. Kurdistan is experiencing tremendous growth, like Maxi Mall (left of the photo). Construction is everywhere.
Also a view from the roof. Here is one of the nearby mosques, although there aren't as many as I expected. In Jordan the call to prayer seemed loud and clear wherever you went, as there were so many mosques which broadcast the call through loudspeakers on the minarets (towers). Within the building where I live and work in Dohuk, I can barely hear the call.
You can see how the city of Dohuk lies in valley between two parts of a mountain range. The only direction to build is out, so the city sprawls in a ever-expanding corridor.
4 comments:
Diana, your pictures from the previous post are beautiful! Your employer really is a fantastic designer and architect! The house fits perfectly into the landscape, neither taking away nor adding anything irrelevant to take away from the natural beauty. I'm afraid I'm a bit confused about what exactly you're doing; you're helping your employer design a school? Higher education or secondary? Oh, and how long will you remain there in Kurdistan? As always, stay safe, eat healthy, and I'll be praying for you!
--Danbee
Thank you for the glimpse into your daily life! Somehow seeing your familiar sweater and computer in that strange office was very reassuring. And you have a lovely view of the mountains.
Danbee, my employer would be pleased to hear your praise of her house. She's worked very hard on it. I'm helping her conduct research on primary and secondary schools by conducting school visits, interviews, and online research. I'll be drafting a series of reports for her. The end goal is to create a proposal for starting some kind of alternative school.
Emily, glad you enjoyed seeing my space here. Yes, the mountains are lovely, especially in the evening during the golden hour.
Diana,
Well, she highly deserves the praise!
I see~~ so you're doing these interviews and school visits there in Kurdistan? Is there a particular mission for this school that she wants to create? Or is it because there is a lack of these schools? And what is an alternative school? (The only alternative school with which I am familiar are not good schools; they were schools that people went to because they got in trouble or got pregnant). I'm sorry for all the questions, but I am very curious about what she is doing. It sounds so exciting! Once I get done with this degree, I would love to visit and see everything that you're doing!
--Danbee
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