Saturday, March 28, 2009
Since arriving in Kurdistan five days ago, one of our biggest challenges has been keeping A "entertained" as we go on our visiting rounds. Lots of unfamilar people and places can be a challenge, especially as A's internal clock is still resetting to local time--which can make her very tired at odd times.Thursday night we drove in to Hawler (Erbil) to have dinner with a Kurdish friend and her extended family. Almost instantly, it seems, my friend's 3 year-old nephew took a liking to A. Having a new friend to play with made all the difference on this visit.
The first token of the nephew's affection for A was a toy gun. As he presented it to A, the nephew also carefully tried to show her how to "cock" the pistol. Kurdistan is a place where real guns are EVERYWHERE, so my first thought was to check to make sure that it was, indeed, a TOY gun. Nonetheless, as a symbol of affection, a realistic-looking toy pistol caught me a bit off guard.
Next, the nephew brought out a stylish rapper hat and gave it to A. "50 cent", in case you don't know, is a big name in the American rapping scene. A immediately popped the hat on her head and kept it on, despite the warm indoor temperature.
Following these gifts, A was presented with a rather tired-looking nightgown, which turned out to be the boy's "blankie", an item which we learned he could not sleep without. After being showered with such treasured gifts, A was then bestowed with a small chocolate--and two toy cars.
Finally, the nephew grabbed A somewhat roughly by the shoulders and planted a kiss on her cheek.
Somewhere in Kurdistan is A's first beau...
Next, the nephew brought out a stylish rapper hat and gave it to A. "50 cent", in case you don't know, is a big name in the American rapping scene. A immediately popped the hat on her head and kept it on, despite the warm indoor temperature.
Following these gifts, A was presented with a rather tired-looking nightgown, which turned out to be the boy's "blankie", an item which we learned he could not sleep without. After being showered with such treasured gifts, A was then bestowed with a small chocolate--and two toy cars.
Finally, the nephew grabbed A somewhat roughly by the shoulders and planted a kiss on her cheek.
Somewhere in Kurdistan is A's first beau...
