Recent teaching developments: I've started teaching "y" as "ee," and "w" as "oo." When Kurdish is written in Latin script, "ee" is always conveyed as "y," and where I'd expect a "u" to go, there's always a "w." For instance, the word "short" is written as "Kwrt," but pronounced "Koort." . The kids were (are) … Continue reading Linguistics
Category: Kurdish
So, making friends... it's hard. And it's also really, really crucial. Here's why: I'm in a new place, about which I know next to nothing. I don't speak the language. All the friends I've made over the past 22 years are thousands of miles away. I have a bunch of new co-workers with whom I … Continue reading Hi, I’m Rachel. And you are…?
I decided to explore the bazaar on my own today, to brave the stares (single white woman!! *gasp*) and do my own thing. This meant that I had to get 2 cabs on my own, something that people have consistently told me never to do. But today is Friday, which means that everything's a bit … Continue reading Taksi Drivers
I started decorating my classroom today! The best part of decorating was meeting the children trickling into the school. They need to purchase their uniforms before class begins next week, and so as I was creating this sea-scape, they were running around the primary school building. I met three little ones, Ara, Ana, and Nazi. … Continue reading Little Kurds, and Kurdish Gifts
Hang with me here: My worlds are multiplying before my eyes. It's wonderful, and strange, to recognize that I've created little lives, so separate from one another, across the world, containing unique people, who have never met anyone from my other lives. My Sulay friends have never met, and probably never will never meet, my … Continue reading Multiverse
I was able to ask a taksi driver, "bachinda?" (how much?), and understand the answer (chwar hizar - 4,000 dinar). I would say that's a successful outing! Other useful taxi phrases: ira = here (ira bash - here's good.) rast = straight cha = four pensch = five (yep, definitely an indo-european language) hizar = … Continue reading New Vocab and Tips
Taxis don't have seat-belts.Kurds are both maniacal and very polite drivers. They'll accelerate super fast, weave in and out of cars, honk with gusto, but also slow waaaay down for speed bumps, and they yield for any car which is trying to merge into their lane.Taxis usually cost about 3,000 - 4,000 dinar (2.5-3ish dollars), but if … Continue reading Factoids
In Mutual Weirdness 