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.

Time w/ Papa

Megan and Brianna looked forward to time with both Grandpa's.

Yee Haw!

In spite of the cold weather, fun was had playing on four wheeled vehicles.

Crumbling Gingerbread House

Also attempted to make a gingerbread house with Grandma that crumbled. It was fun to lick fingers though.

Cookie Making w/ Cousins

They also enjoyed making Christmas cookies together.

Christmas w/ cousins

Christmas time was spent with family and friends in the States. Megan had a blast playing with cousins. She and her cousin had disappeared and were being really quiet. They were having fun doing girl stuff.