To the sweeeetest, most special, most loved, most loyal blog reader in the world,
I am home! Home sweet home! (I promise from this day forward I will be as loyal of a blogger as you are as a reader! that's a promise from me to you!!)
First thing is first. I land at Erbil International Airport with my heart skipping a million times a second. Those first steps out of the plane can never be explained by words, you only have to see me to realize that I am indeed the happiest girl in the world when I give my passport for an entrance stamp.
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| Erbil International Airport (EIA) |
I will keep this entrance short, but will briefly give you a guide to my first three days.
Arrival: The sign: "Welcome to Kurdistan" at the airport took away all my travel stress, my eight- and- a half months of homesickness, and every other misery that I might have had.
Morning 1: I woke up to the sound of dad's kaws in the front yard, I went and said good morning to them, most of them are new members to the family and of course I had to introduce myself and let them know that dad loved me way before their arrival.
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| One of the many Kaw we have.... |
Day 2: Falooda! I don't know the English word for this, it is not your normal ice cream, although if you love ice cream then you will love falooda too. The best one is sold close to Masif's main road, I didn't have to ask to turn left this time when we were on our way to Shaqlawa. The family knew how much I had missed the incredible taste- if you're ever in Masif you MUST, you SHOULD, you HAVE TO try the falooda! And while you're there remember (and du'a bka) your Loyal Blogger who has found you a new addiction for the next ten years!
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| I introduce to you falooda- the one in Masif is a must taste |
So what is best after a good Falooda? A nice trip to Shaqlawa. The road was packed since it was a Friday, but no matter what time you go Shaqlawa has its own unique and special atmosphere. It puts you in a very different mood, I love visiting because for some reason I get a positive energy from everyone around me. I feel as though all those in Shaqlawa are there to enjoy their time and put aside their troubles and stress. It felt great to be there in the company of my family… I watched the scene, breathed in the air remembered all the times where I dreamed of exactly that. There were many days where I would sit in my room so far away from my family and my country, my eyes would get tearful as I wished to be with my little family over a mountain in Kurdistan, and I lived just that in the second day of my arrival.
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| A hill top view of a section of Shaqlawa |
The experience in Shaqlawa is always very interesting. You need to walk the main street and buy nana qaysi, you need to walk the little roads going up and down slopes picking Tw from trees. You need to live the entire experience by hand picking them one by one with friends and family members, bring it back home for a good wash then eat it one by one together (please do try this next time you're in Shaqlawa!)
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| Tw (or toot) freshly picked from the trees in Shaqlawa! |
Today, a dear friend (a sister and a mum-to-be) took me to a nearby fast food place, couldn't believe in the little time I was away the flat, sandy land was now converted into two fast food restaurants (believe me with the rate of fast food restaurants opening Erbil soon half of of the population will suffer from obesity) - special thanks to my sweet friend JB (the mother of my niece, who will be born in September).
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| Gold n Brown as well as Dal's Burger on Gulan street in Erbil - newly open |
