shootin

the girls worked at the institute translating this summer. They both got a whoppin $300 each. They bought BB guns. I am teaching them to shoot Ozarks style.

Institute

this is our building for our institute. The owner just apinted it. but hey, in a few months, the paint will fade and it will be not so blue. If you lived in a village where everything was brown or earth tones you would like this color also.

valley

We were out road trippin, and came upon this valley. It is beautiful. Most people don't know we have places like this here. This is really and long gulley.

July 4th

This is our 4th celebration at our house. These are all our teachers. Brianna is taking the pic. We had hamburgers and chicken wings, and lots of other good food. The girls decorated the house.

daddy's helper

I had to drop the tank in my truck b/c the gas here is so dirty. It wasn't all that bad when I got it down. But as soon as I grabbe my tools, Megan had to come and help me everystep of the way. (She wanted the pic in b&w. Said it looked better that way)

lunar eclipse

This was a neat night as we saw a lunar eclipse. I had never seen one before. The local people went to pray so that the end of the world would not come. (Something about that in their religion.) It was a beautiful sight. We were on the roof and I told the neighbor girl what was happening. She said, "no that's not right. The moon has it's own light. We learned that in school." She stood there and argued with me for a while, and I said, "Oh what was I thinking. I am so stupid." She walked away, rolled her eyes and nodded to and fro in disgust. She was probably thinking, "How could America be the greatest country in the world with people who are that dumb. Maybe only the dumb ones come here."

friends

These are our friends who came to help us teach English this summer. Zech is a great guy; loves people and everyone talks about his wonderful laugh. Ashley came last summer and once again this summer. She also is a great person and everyone always talks so nicely about her. I hope they both come back next summer.

Sifting

Roasting seeds

This old machine tossed the seeds back and forth and roasted them. I couldn't imagine working this room in the summertime!

Cleaning them!

The seeds were put in a big bag and a water hose ran through it.

Cleaning Seeds

Sesame seeds are black when they are harvested. They have to soak in a big vat and then are run through a machine to separate the black part off. They would then soak them in a tank of water and then clean them off.

Olden days

This taheen factory had an old painting hanging up portraying the old way that taheen was made. There are eight stations in from start to finish involved in turning sesame seeds to taheen.

This painting shows the roasting, sifting, and grinding part.

Taheen

Taheen is a healthy treat sold here. This road-side stand carried taheen, ground sesame seeds, grape syrup and an assortment of nuts.

Taheen is a good peanut butter substitute. The locals pour a little grape syrup or date syrup in a saucer and then pour a layer of taheen across the top. Bread is broken off and dipped into it.

If I would let her, my daughter would live on taheen alone. It goes great with a cup of hot tea.

Winter in K-Land

Kerosene is the main source of heat. As an honored guest, they place the heater right in front of us. Great way to get a buzz! One advantage of having this kind of heater is that you can always have water ready for hot tea.

Notice the Koran hanging on the wall above the little girl. It is always put in a bag to protect it from dust and elevated on a high spot on the wall.

Some houses don't have couches and they just sit in the floor on cushions. Carpet and/or rugs are put down in the winter time on top of the tile floors.

Kurdish Crib

This is a Kurdish crib. Yes, the baby is tied in. Now, some of the mothers are starting to use disposable diapers. In the past they would attach a pot to the bottom of the crib and the baby would pee through the hole cut in the bottom of the crib. The baby would be taken out in the morning, cleaned and put back in the crib so mothers could fulfill their household duties. The babies are swaddled and strapped in, then whoever walks through the room can give them a rock when they start to cry. The whole crib is covered in a set of special designed sheets to protect the baby from mosquitoes and also to help keep them warm.

Many people have hip problems or knee problems because of the crib and being tied in so tightly. This baby had all sorts of hair on the top of her head, but the back has all disappeared because she spends so much time tied in the crib.

Some mothers will even nurse their baby while in the crib. The ladies sit with their feet under the crib and lean the child toward them to latch on.

Daily Bread

Bread doesn't last very long here. It goes bad very quickly. The tray on the ground was full of dough balls, while another tray was downstairs waiting to be baked. She made enough for her family for a few days and gave a few pieces away for alms.

The bread on the old bed frame is cooling before she stacks it up to take it inside.

(The bed frame is on the rooftop. Many times in the summer the sons will go sleep on the roof.)

Bubbles in the Bread

The bread gets pulled out by a huge set of tongs.

I've had that job before. It takes some practice. If there is a big air bubble in the bread, then they say, "Someone here is hungry."

Baking the bread

After the fire dies down in the oven, the ladies throw the bread up on the side of the oven. They wait for it to bubble up and then remove it.

Flat bread

She pats the dough out with her fingertips coated in oil.

I've discovered watching many ladies make bread here that different tribes have there own way of flattening it out. Some tribes pat it out like this. Others throw it back and forth in their hands making it flat like you see people make pizza dough.

There used to be many Jews in this area. The K's also have a saying "Eat in the house of a Jew. Sleep in the house of a Christian." I've asked why they say this. They say that the Jew's cooked good and the Christian's homes are a safe place to be.

Bread is life

I smelled a fire from my flat rooftop in K-stan and discovered my neighbor getting ready to make bread in her bread oven. It's like a big clay pot covered in concrete. Her husband works at a fruit stand and brings the crates home for her to burn.

Every meal is eaten with bread. They have a Kurdish proverb that says that "Bread is life. If there is no bread, there is no life."

American Pickles

I lost count how many jars of pickles that I purchased in the States. Megan loves Kurdish pickles, but misses American dill pickles. I would buy two or three jars every week and they would disappear.

4 Wheeling Fun

The girls and Daddy spent alot of time of four wheeled vehicles.

Megan in the Blizzard

Megan heard her father talk about making an igloo when he was a kid. She decided that she wanted to try it, but ran out of time.

Brianna in the Blizzard

Brianna made a snow angel after the the big blizzard in Missouri.

Riding

Brianna enjoyed riding a friend's horse.