Would you visit Kurdistan?

For the sake of sanity, if you value your life then just wait untill the war is over.

There are other better things to do in life. Walking into a lions cage when you don't have to, is rather a daft thing to do in my view.

Anhar
 
rook said:
Sounds like the chance of a life time.

Could be a great doc.

go man.

go.

-rook
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i could see you as the presidents advisor, go ahead push the button do it man do it, let's see what happens
 
kimko said:
i could see you as the presidents advisor, go ahead push the button do it man do it, let's see what happens
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Stop it, I can't take anymore. That is TOO funny. :laugh:
 
mcgeedigital said:
I would but only if I could take some of my friends from Blackwater.
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somehow i just see this picture of you guys sporting farmer jeans baseball caps holding down those big fleshy oversized ears and gap toothed smiles yelling out with shotgun in hand "wheeen we gonna git ta shoot some o those varmints"
 
I'd have difficulty not taking this opportunity. I'd probably regret it for the rest of my life if I turned it down. But, then again, I'm not married and I'm an "impulsive" teenager. Regarding the "lion's den". First off, I doubt the war will ever end (but let's stay away from politicals). Anyway, if you go now, you're going to get a much different, and probably rounded, experience then, say, if you were to go in 10 years. Two completely different perspectives.

Yes, something terrible could happen. You could suffer terrible injury. You could die. Your wife would never overcome the loss. However, this could also open a path unveiling some personal truth, a truth you could share with the world. The probability of harm is relatively low. Think of how embedded journalists throughout history have felt, oft when their probability of harm was much higher. I'm sure they had families too, with full sets of children. What would have happened had they not overcome such grave fears?

It's all about weighing outcomes, as you're fully aware. I've traveled to a few less-than-hospitable third-world central american countries and, to a lesser degree, felt the numb-inducing, yet fully cognizant state of persistent fear. It really sucks when you don't even know what you're afraid of. If you've felt that before, this trip might not have so many advantages. It might be better suited for a later date, when the country's more stable.

As someone clearly pointed out, it all comes down to your gut feeling. The worst thing you can do is overthink this. Trust yourself, and run with that. Best wishes, Prairieboy. If you decide to depart, let us know, and we'll all have a bon voyage party.

My avatar doesn't really support my advice, does he? :grin: At least I can serve up some roasted Kermie.

/rant off

P.S. Why does Kimko remind me of Jesus?
 
kimko said:
somehow i just see this picture of you guys sporting farmer jeans baseball caps holding down those big fleshy oversized ears and gap toothed smiles yelling out with shotgun in hand "wheeen we gonna git ta shoot some o those varmints"
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Not quite but nice try.
 
John_Hudson said:
If you're lucky they'll film your beheading in 24p.
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Man, FLow-Masta Grandflash should take a self-impossed five minute banning for this one. :)

On topic, which I rarely am....I would want to go when I was drunk and wouldn't even think about it when I was sober. Want to live dangerously? Move to Seattle where it's been raining for something like 400 years or something.
 
Prairieboy:

I ain't goin to Iraq, but I'd very much like to offer some help (even on a volunteer basis) to the cause of helping promote Kurdish heritage (and a free Kurdistan!). As I see it, the Kurds have been the noblest of the factions in the area, while being constantly shortchanged and under-respected by the Western world. A free Kurdistan should be one of our (the U.S.'s) primary goals, regardless of how much it would annoy the neighbors.

Sorry for the politics, everyone. Prairieboy, let me know if you have a good contact.

And, should you go? Tough question. I've been to some rough places, but not any war zones so far. Frankly, if I were to go, I'd keep any "Presidential" association to myself... it seems like far more of a deficit. But it sure sounds like a great opportunity... I once had an opportunity to go with Nat'l Geographic (as a translator) on a 3-month expedition along the entire length of the Inca roads. I foolishly turned it down because I was in a degree program I didn't want to interrupt. It still saddens me a bit to think about it....

-Barry
 
Anhar Miah said:
There are other better things to do in life. Walking into a lions cage when you don't have to, is rather a daft thing to do in my view.

Anhar
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Iraq, Schmiraq. Try shopping Walmart in Chicago. You have not begun to conceive of daft.
 
You mention a wife, but no kids. If you had kids, then I'd advise no. But any spouse will get over your demise eventually.

So just go with what YOU feel, not what you think your wife would feel.

Realistically, I think the areas relatively safe, as you point out. You don't even hear much about IED's in the north.
 
a few years ago I had been working for about 1 year near Kurdistan and my old passport has more than 40 entries for Turkey. I met a lot of Kurdish people, even started to learn one of their difficult languages (Kurmanji but I quit and changed to Turkish - today I also work as a Translator for Turkish some hours a month). So perhaps this is the right place here now to share some experience:
- Kurdish mentality and culture is VERY, VERY different to american, even mediterranean mentality and culutre
- Kurdish mentality has its roots in the times of the silk-road when caravanes crossed Iraq and northern Turkey, so
- hospitality is almost a religion for Kurdish people
- and their hospitality knows MANY strange rules that could cause a lot of problems, if you don't know them...
- e.g. who has the right to talk to who (age, gender, etc.)
- you have to kiss the hands of elder people and put the kissed hand onto your front and you will have to kiss men of about same age on their cheeks
- many of them eat without folk, just with the hand from one single pot
- "toilet" means sometimes just a hole and some water besides the hole to clean your *** in stead of paper
- you have to accept invitation (and you'll get invitated every single day) otherwise you hurt the pride and honour of a clan/family
- left hand is dirty (as they use it for after toilet), NEVER point or give your left hand to any person
- know some facts about alevit religion (depends on the region)
- no friendship to women or girls is possible (I recieved many threats to death when I had girlfriends the times I passed in that regions)
- always keep gifts for eventual invitations
- wear your ring, not to get married by force....
- don't look straight into men's eyes if you don't know them and never towards women
- learn a few words in the Kurdish dialect (there are many) that is spoken in the region you will go to (or just Kurmanji, the most common dialect) because a) they love interested people b) it could save your life not to look/be/behave 100% american, because many people there hate American people to death...
- never mention that Kurdistan is not on any official map on the world as a state...
- respect their endless pride for their suppressed country
- I have visited arabic countries during small wars also and I'm sure, IF you have trouble in a Kurdish region, it has less to do with the war or the actual politics but more with ignoring the mentality and culture of a very, very proud people.
- when I once gave my sportsbag for a couple of hours to be watched, they have stolen all my Swiss chocolate.... but they left my money! :) (I was young and green and trusted a manager...)
- taking fotos and filming might be dangerous, unless they really believe that you want to share their culture with the rest of the world with the pictures you make
- taking fotos and filming could bring you straight to jail - not too much reason will be explained (just like people used to do with wiches) either guilty or not, making pictures will be the subject and you'll stay at least 3 weeks in jail on remand until the hearing that you will probably win..... still 3 weeks in hell (might be much worse than what you know from "Midnight Express"...). Just one single unreflected movement could ruin your life psychologically....

Nonetheless, there is a LOT of world-history in that region and a lot of antique ruines too. The landscape often is breathtaking and people are smiling as if they would earn money with each smile... Study their traditions, get some of their clothes (with headcharfs if northern Iraq) and they will love you.
 
HorseFilms said:
I don't know, but if he starts turning water into wine, he'll never get rid of me.:beer:
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NAW YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO DRINK ANY WATER THAT I TREADED ACROSS WITH THESE BIG TOEJAMMED DIRTY NAILED CLODHOPPERS....:engel017:
 
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