Missing Iraqi Kurdistan: Seeing the beauty in the small things

Right now I am missing Iraqi Kurdistan. Don't get me wrong, I am also loving being here in Winnipeg in the summer time: living with the family that I love, being able to plant my garden and watch it sprout, visiting and chatting with dear friends and looking toward a busy July and August doing stuff on behalf of CPT here in North America. BUT I am still missing the ones I love in Iraqi Kurdistan. As well, I imagine what they are feeling like right now with the uncertainty of whether life will change or not. [In case you don't know what is happening in Iraq here is one post from someone on the ground in the capital city, Hawler-here ]

So, today I am posting a few photos from my time there this winter and spring. These are some  things that I found to be beautiful in Iraqi Kurdistan.

The Beauty at the Bazaar

Sometimes the goods are just placed randomly on the street, but sometimes the proprietor takes a lot of time to make the display beautiful. This is amazing since he will have to undo it  very soon, when the bazaar closes.

The Beauty of the People

These last 3 photos are of two small people I met on my walk home. It was just a week or so before the elections and they were playing with the flag of the Goran (Change) movement. When I stopped to talk to them the little boy asked me if I was Gorani (supporter of Goran). As I stopped to think what I would tell him (whether an easy "yes" which is not really true as I don't support any Iraqi Kurdistan party or to try to tell him the truth -in Kurdish), he got tired of the foreign lady and motioned the girl to head on home.