ESL, Social Constructs, & Development

Up until now Paige and I have only been teaching English to the faculty of the College of Engineering.  Our task was to, “get the teachers comfortable speaking in English and build their confidence.”  There was no book to follow and no set lesson plans.  For the past month we have been creating lessons completely on the fly.  Utilizing a variety of activities including impromptu speeches, debates, lessons in grammar, and writing prompts, we have been able to sufficiently fill 2 hours a day for 5 days a week.  However, without any set structure moving forward, our class has essentially peaked. 

To our chagrin, a common theme permeating the university is that lessons in grammar and vocabulary are not really necessary.  Their idea is that if you practice speaking enough you will correct your own mistakes.  I understand this argument to a point.  Confidence in speaking is highly important and countless lessons in grammar will not help you to think in English.  A lot of our students have a decent vocabulary but are not used to actually utilizing it in real life situations.  Practicing speaking and not just repeating is highly important.  Regardless, it is impossible to correct your mistakes if you do not know what they are.  Given the unstructured nature of the class and the resistance to real lessons, this class is nearing its limitations.   Progress can certainly still be made, but not nearly as much as if we divided up the class into separate levels and taught them accordingly.  A “one size fits all” approach can only take you so far. 

             As our classes with the faculty come to an end, we are now starting the ESL program.  In terms of structure, this program is a complete change in direction.  For the first time since my arrival here in Iraq I received a written schedule.  It was shocking to say the least.  The 10 hours we were teaching for the Engineering Department have been replaced with 12 hours of ESL, 3 days a week, 4 hours a day.  To put the level of the students into perspective, all of them had to take a diagnostic test which was scored from 1-100.  The students in my “Starting Skills” course scored from 6 to the high 20s; my “Level 1” course scored up to 40.  Needless to say, I have to repeat myself a lot. 

            Although the first day was stressful and slightly nerve wracking, I am excited about this new challenge.  When you can recognize the fruits of your labor just by talking to someone you do not need any affirmation as to what kind of job you are doing.  I have often heard parents say that it can be tough with small children because you, “always need to be on you’re A game.”  I do not have any children, but I find myself with a similar feeling in basic ESL.  Working with the lower level students requires a great deal of patience, clarity, understanding, and the ability to instill confidence.  I do not know what having a child is like, but I can surmise that these qualities come at a premium, especially when you have to exhibit them all the time.    Oh well, I guess that 10 hour work weeks would not last forever! 

Social Constructs

            I have written about some of the differences between Kurdistan and the United States, and I would be remiss if I did not further elaborate on the different social constructs we have created.  Over the course of my month in the KRG I have made a series of small, and seemingly independent, observations: how men always dress up, no one is jogging or riding bikes, there is strong pressure to marry before 30, women do not frequent certain establishments, etc.  For all of these everyday occurrences, there is no written law.  Women are free to do as they please; men can wear what they want, etc.  However, the social constructs which have firmly taken hold do not permit certain activities. 

            Men almost always wear dress shoes, slacks, and a button down shirt.   The reason?  They do not want people to think poorly of them.  You will never see a woman near a liquor store, bar, or smoking narghile (hookah).  The reason?  They do not want anyone to see them and think that they are women of low moral standing.  Men want to marry early because they fear that no one will take them later on in life and it reflects poorly on them to be single for too long.  You can see this line of thought clearly developing, and it even extends to otherwise trivial things like riding bikes.  The reason men don’t ride bikes?  They do not want people to think, “What is he doing? Why doesn’t he have a car?”  This social pressure that they have created, at first glance, is ridiculously constraining.  While I tend to agree, it does serve a clearly recognizable purpose. 

            Crime rates are lower here despite an overall lower standard of living, at least by Western measurements.  There is little to no evidence of social unrest, and problems with drugs or alcohol seem to be nonexistent.  Everyone is incredibly friendly, hospitable, and family oriented.  I think most people could agree that these are net positives.  These latent, constraining forces, while impinging on their sense of freedom, do seem to hold people to a higher standard, at least publicly.   As I mentioned before, everyone seems to act like a diplomat for the Kurdish people.  Perhaps there is a reason for this; they view themselves as more than representing themselves, they are representing not only their family, which is of the utmost importance, but also other Kurds. 

Development

            Not counting food, there has not been one “modern” convenience which I have found myself unable to attain.  Just like any Western household or community, Duhok has grocery stores, local businesses selling everything from tires to carpets, electricity, plumbing, large organizations, etc.   Considering that I have heard statements or questions on more than one occasion which would leave one to believe I was living with a camel in the desert, this is quite important. 

            Despite having most things at my fingertips, just like at home, when you live here the glaring differences between the 2^nd world and the modern, industrialized world begin to expose themselves.  The water will periodically sputter and go out for maybe 30 minutes; there will be sporadic power outages; public bathrooms smell putrid; entire unwrapped chickens will be tossed into freezers at the corner store; rules of the road are merely suggestions; and the level of workplace productivity is excruciatingly low, despite constant claims of, “being so very busy.”  Most of this only amounts to minor frustrations and a few good laughs, especially at the frozen chickens.  However, time and time again I find myself thinking that they aren’t necessarily doing the “wrong” things; they could just be doing the same things more efficiently and effectively.  Regardless of whether it is clamping down on workplace inactivity or installing air fresheners in the bathrooms, sometimes it feels like doing anything could take weeks.  This mindset of constantly trying to improve your lot and overall situation is perhaps the first step to bridging that gap from 2^nd world to 1^st.  

                                        This picture of the frozen chickens is too comical to not share. 

Hospitality

           Humans are naturally social creatures.  This fundamental truth is clearly evident, yet I still think it is worth pointing out.  We live together, work together, pray together, etc.  Given how much time we spend with other people, it isn’t exactly going out on a limb to state that who we surround ourselves with can directly influence our own happiness.  The people we choose to have around us have a large impact on our everyday life.  But what about the people we DON’T choose to have around us?  The random people we encounter every day can have just as much of an impact. 

Comparing strangers in NH to strangers in NJ is like comparing apples and oranges.  They are definitely different, but they are both still fruit.  The American communities I have lived in seem partitioned off from each other.  Placing great value on our independence in every facet of the word, you live your life, and I will live mine.  Most of the time there are no questions asked, contact with people outside of your group are often reduced to formalities and small talk, and unless there is some underlying purpose, real conversations with people we do not know are mere pleasantries.  For better or worse, this is my impression of the American community. 

Here in Kurdistan, community takes on an entirely different form.  From the moment you step foot into this country, northern KRG region, every person you meet goes out of his or her way to ensure that you have the best possible impression of the Kurdish people and the KRG.  The word hospitality does not even seem to do justice to their sense of amicability and kindness.  It feels like every person in the country is paid by the government to not only complete their daily work, but to also serve as diplomats.  We have been invited to numerous dinners by complete strangers; been treated with gifts and dinners; had home cooked meals delivered to our door; been told by 10+ people that if we needed anything to call them; and even been told that we did not have to pay for our purchases at local corner stores.  A spattering of these occurrences could be attributed to a few benevolent people, but this has become a constant occurrence. 

The people here seem to genuinely care about making our time here as enjoyable and comfortable as possible.  I am beginning to feel like I am part of the community, and once the feeling of being a tourist wears off, there is no better welcome to a faraway place. 

A Small Taste of Western Life

         Trips to Erbil are fast becoming my escape from the quaint surroundings of Duhok.  Culturally, Duhok is far closer to the “traditional” Kurdish lifestyle; it seems pure, peaceful, and relatively untouched by the West or our way of life.  Time moves slowly and the people are highly content with living in their own cordoned off space in the world.  Contrarily, Erbil is what I have referred to as the “New York” of Kurdistan.  There are numerous bars, high-end hotels, and establishments that serve Western food (although almost always knock-offs and continually spelled incorrectly).  Investment in the region is booming, and much of it is directed to Erbil.  If I were living here I would not be truly immersing myself in the culture of the average Kurdish person.  It would be closer to what I am used to and for that reason I would not be happy here for my 13 months.  However, the trappings of small town life are no different in Kurdistan than they are in the US, and every once in a while you need to get out in order to maintain appreciation for your original goals. 

            This trip to Erbil to recruit for Seton Hall at the Education USA fair provided just that.  I was able to stay in one of the luxurious hotels in Kurdistan, eat food that I could readily recognize and pronounce, and hear English on a regular basis.  After feelings of seclusion start to build, even the most trivial of enjoyments can bring great pleasure; to even see parmesan cheese was a delight.  Being able to consistently communicate with those around me seemed like music to my still Kurdish tone-deaf ears.  There were some great people here from all across the US as well as the KRG, and I hope to create lasting connections with them.  The trip was incredibly worthwhile, and having the first person I met working for Southern New Hampshire University certainly set the trip off on the right foot. 

The students that I spoke with were eager to learn about the opportunities of higher education in the US, and I hope that they give Seton Hall an honest look.  Overall, probably around 800-1,000 students attended this college fair over the course of two days.  I am exhausted from having to deal with what seemed like swarms of bees at times, where students would flock to the table in bunches ready to pepper you with numerous questions.  My beard also seemed to be a common topic of conversation.  It prompted many questions asking if I was Muslim; comments that I looked Eastern; and multiple visitors asked if I was Saudi Arabian.  Oddly enough, I was also hit on probably 5-6 times at the event.  For a country that is more socially conservative than the US, I was taken aback by this.  One woman even stated, “you look like an Islamic man with a pure heart; it is very nice. If I were younger I would marry you and stay with you forever.”  Despite the awkwardness of certain comments like these, it is at least refreshing to know that I can pass as a local if I refrain from opening my mouth.  When curious glances or stares seem to follow you wherever you go, feelings of at least visibly belonging can boost confidence in your ability to assimilate.  Considering I will be here for 13 months, this is quite important. 

For me, trying to “belong” in the community is important.  After going to the UN Compound as well as the US Consulate, I was quite thankful for my ability to move freely around the country and throw myself into the local way of life.  For those privileged enough to work at the UN or the Consulate, they are often flanked by numerous security guards and have strict rules about leaving the compound.  More than once I heard it referred to as a prison.  While these positions are idealized by young students of international relations, the reality of working abroad in this capacity seems to be more constrained than it is glamorous.  I appreciate being able to connect with these people, and I respect what they do on a daily basis, but I do not feel envy.  I enjoy my freedom too much for that. 

As I prepare to go back to Duhok I leave refreshed, increasingly confident in my decision, armed with new connections, and possibly another job teaching English at a private university.  There was no better way to celebrate the success of this trip than by partaking in something I have not done in years; taking a nice, warm bath.  After cozying up in the tub with a good book, “Great Expectations,” by Charles Dickens, I am ready to head back to my “village” tucked in the mountains.  Just as Pip undertakes a journey of self-exploration in the story, I am essentially navigating my own path to do the same.  

Fear and Fulfillment

            Although two very different concepts, I strongly believe that you cannot achieve a true sense of fulfillment unless there is some element of fear along the way.  When I step entirely outside of my comfort zone there is, naturally, a slight hesitation.  New or different can often be quite scary.  However, it is when you face down a fear and challenge yourself to move forward that you can truly see what you are made of.  Coming to Iraq was one of these personal tests, but I was again reminded of the interconnectedness between fear and fulfillment today for slightly different reasons.

            The main goals in my coming here were to: save money, travel to new places, immerse myself in a new culture, start an NGO, and perhaps most importantly, to see if teaching was a profession that I really wanted to pursue.  If all of the other factors did not line up perhaps I would not have taken this position.  Although there are many times that I am frustrated, the classroom is a natural fit.  For this reason alone I am glad that I took the plunge and moved to Iraq.  Fourteen months abroad is a small price to pay to potentially find a major passion in your life.  It has only been about two weeks, and I will certainly re-visit the issue in due time, but I feel as though this is something I could be comfortable doing every day.    Had I not faced down the numerous fears associated with this journey I may have never pursued this nascent interest.

            The previous example is one of far reaching implications, but facing your fears brings fulfillment to daily life as well.  Today we went to this place called “Three Bridges.”  It is about an hour and a half away from Duhok, comfortably nestled between numerous rocky mountains.  Evidently, the PKK (translated to Kurdistan Workers’ Party) also calls this area home, no doubt for its remote location and difficult terrain.  The scenery at “Three Bridges” was absolutely picturesque.  The sun was setting, illuminating the valley below, and crystal clear water rushed down the mountain.  The only traces of man were some scattered trash, a consistent source of consternation, and the bridges which looked like they were built in 1950.  As we sat on the rocks overlooking the water and ate, all was well in the world.  

     That is, until I was told that in order to swim I had to climb down a steep, rocky drop-off.  It was not any more than 25 feet of climbing, but as someone who is scared of heights, I was having serious doubts about whether or not I would be able to swim.  After Paige and Amad climbed down, I stood around for a good 5 minutes just watching them.  I had two choices in my head: either take the safe avenue and stay at the top with Reving, or climb down and seize this opportunity.  After a good self pep talk, I said, “fuck it,” and cautiously moved down the rocks and cannon-balled into the icy water.  A rush of satisfaction came over me, shortly followed by a rush of frigidity throughout my body.  It took another rousing mental speech to get myself to get back up the rocky face of the drop-off, but afterwards I felt a sense of accomplishment and confidence. 

There is no telling what kind of opportunities we will have in our lives.  The only question we must ask ourselves is: Will we be timid, or will we take the plunge?   Literally and figuratively, I am happy that I chose the latter. 

Towels

Wednesday, October 5^th, 2011

            I don’t know what it is about the towels sold here in Kurdistan, but they are some of the most poorly made towels I have ever encountered in my entire life.  If they were literally not the worst towels ever I would not waste my time blogging about them.  I do not know where they were manufactured, but whether it was in Lansing, Michigan or Beijing, China does not matter; they are an abomination and do not deserve to even wipe down dirty dishes. 

            The last time I was in Kurdistan I bought a cheap Ninja Turtles towel for about $7.  It completely fell apart within a week.  Chalk it up to buying a cheap product and getting what you pay for, no big deal.  I then purchased a more expensive, and what felt like a quite nice towel, for about $20.  I swear they must have installed a sprinkler system within the towel that spewed lint all over the room.  I was brown with lint after using it, and only after 4 times washing it did the lint sprinkler finally subsist. 

            This brings me to my next adventure in towel shopping.  I am now back in Kurdistan and, like any student of the world, I am trying to learn from my mistakes.  I went to a totally new store, bought a completely different brand, and even checked the quality of the material before purchasing my brand new blue towel, which just happened to have dolphins on it.  After eagerly trying out my new purchase, I doubled checked my body up and down.  So far so good as not a speck of lint was on my body.  However, after looking about the bathroom, it appears that this towel also had a lint sprinkler installed.  Instead of being personally covered in brown lint, my bathroom was showered with blue lint!  It was in the shower, the sink, the toilet, the washing machine, and all over the floor.  I don’t even how it got there, but this lint sprinkler was powerful.  

            I am now going to wash this towel 489 times until I do not see even the slightest sign of lint.  If, after such extreme measures, I notice lint anywhere near my body or my bathroom, this towel shall be sacrificed to the fire gods in a nearby alley.  If you are ever in search of a towel, and considered traveling to Kurdistan to get it, please, heed my warning and bring one measly towel from home. 

Random Thoughts

Tuesday, October 4th, 2011

Teaching –

We had our first class of teaching English to the faculty members of the College of Engineering.  It was my first time teaching and although I was not nervous, it definitely took a little while to get used to being in charge of a classroom.  Paige and I decided that we would teach the class together since there were only about 25 students.  Some people thought they were highly proficient in English, and up until I read their writing assignment I thought they were pretty good as well.  However, one look at what the students were writing really proved that they have a long way to go.  This gives me a greater sense of purpose moving forward in the classroom, because I know that they really do need the help.  It is up to us to create a stimulating environment that a) connects with them, b) makes them want to learn, and c) challenges them to do better.  Our lesson plan for tomorrow incorporates a lot of ideas so I am looking forward to seeing how it turns out.  

Erbil-

               Yesterday we went to Erbil for the night because Reving had a training program that the State Department put together.  We sort of tagged along just to have a night away from Duhok.  Although Duhok has a population of about 250,000 people it still has a small community feel to it.  It is fairly quaint and most of the businesses have a family owned feel to them; there is virtually no night life.  This is probably for the better as one of my goals this year is to truly gain a sense of clarity, and one of the ways I want to do this is by limiting my indulgence in vices.  So far so good, although I did smoke some hookah and have one beer in Erbil, my first so far.   I was also able to enjoy a delicious Fatburger cheeseburger, french fries, and a strawberry milkshake.  Ownership at Fatburger was keen on continually asking us how the food was and kept on stating, "This is the first Fatburger in all of Iraq!"  Considering we almost never can get a good hamburger in Duhok, I was exuberant (yes, not just happy, exuberant) to eat a delicious cheeseburger.  Afterwards, the first bar we tried to go into actually turned us down as the man at the store stated, “No madams,” a direct reference to Paige.  The specific reasons for this were unclear, but the fact that we were not welcome was enough.  We ended up at Beirut bar, the same place that Smijai, Paul, and myself closed down the last time we were in Erbil. 

Reving, myself, and Paige had a long discussion about everything from evolution to religions.  I greatly enjoyed our talk as it is always good to explore topics beyond a surface level recognition of issues.  I appreciated hearing about Islam from a direct source as opposed to what we hear in the media.  It really is a pure religion, and you can see it in the people and value system. It is a shame that we have such a misconception about its purposes and intentions.  When we think about terrorists as representatives of all of Islam it can be equated to people looking at the KKK and labeling them as representatives of Christianity; both are equally off-base.  Although I remain skeptical of any organized religion, I do look forward to going to a mosque and reading the Koran.  I want to learn as much as possible while I am here.   

 

Settling In-

               Now that we are entirely settled in with a full fridge and working hot water, I can safely call this apartment my new “home,” at least for the time being.  Where I lay my head every night is where I will long to come back to when things get frustrating, tiring, etc.  We are also making some new friends as we recently met a member of the professional basketball team.  He is from Detroit and was happy to see some fellow Americans so I anticipate that we will be hanging out soon.  Soccer on Saturdays is also going pretty well although it is clear that not playing the game consistently does not give me the same level of instinct on the field.  I have to think about every move and rely on my athleticism as much as possible; they are simply way more versed in the game than I am, but I am trying.  After the game is over we all, there are about 8 of us, sit around and play this card game called Comking (pronounced Coom-kahn).  It is a lot of fun and while we are there we share different aspects of our cultures over tea and tasty chicken sandwiches.  The people are so nice and hospitable here; in many ways it is almost the opposite of NJ lol.  We were recently taken to an Asia Champions League soccer game of Duhok vs. Al-Wihdat of Jordan.  There wasn't even one woman in the stands and everyone was chain smoking.  It was quite comical, even more so when the fans turned on their home team once they started losing!  I truly enjoy playing and watching soccer, but I do look forward to playing basketball soon.  I’d like to play football, but the communication barrier is far too great to explain a game as complex as American football…..not to mention I can’t even find a ball anywhere in the country. 

Family-

               My family is on my mind but everything is going well so far.  The only thing I really wanted to say was that I had quite an amazing dream this morning: it was my birthday we were at this giant lake house with a nice back yard, grill, clean shoreline, and a big deck.  ALL of my family, friends, and even Melissa’s family were over and we were all swimming and having a good time.  I was playing in the water with Kyle and Kory and chit chatting with everyone who was over the house.  It was just about everything that I could ask for…until the cleaning ladies barged into our hotel room and woke me up. Oh yeah, and it was also my birthday in the dream which made it even sweeter.  Damn cleaning ladies...

NGO Resource Institute-

               After a couple weeks of getting settled and trying to figure out what it is we are doing here, it is becoming increasingly clear that we will have plenty of time to set up the Institute.  We have a few meetings scheduled to discuss funding opportunities, and we will soon be starting the process to register as an official NGO in Kurdistan.  Once this happens, we should be able to apply for funding from USAID and the Kurdish government.  We have already submitted proposals to the State Department and Seton Hall.  Not only would this be a great boost to my resume and salary, it would make this time abroad even more worthwhile by being able to make a direct difference in organizations serving the local populace.  Inshallah….