My brother Lt. Magnum (USN) is in Iraq and recently traveled to Kurdistan and says,
“I am in Irbil (sometimes spelled Erbil.) It is Capitol city of Kurds (you know, in Iraq, they have Arabs and Kurds) – you should look for it on a map. Kurds have culture closer to Turkey. Also, Irbil is a lot closer to Turkey than to Baghdad. The camp is run by the Korean Army. Only about a dozen Americans here.
I flew down on a Japanese Self Defense Force C-130 painted pastel blue. My Japanese buddy, Major Natori, hooked me up. Today I got a tour of a vocational school and a hospital that the Koreans built here. I met lots of really friendly Iraqis who are getting an education. A lot of them speak English really well and even make jokes.
This place is so nice. Lots of hills and green grass. The air is very clean and clear. Maybe like North Dakota from pictures I’ve seen, or Mongolia.
It is fun being with the Koreans. I ate lunch and dinner at the Korean cafe. For lunch I had bulgoggi and the red hot spicy soup that Kaito likes. It has meat and tofu and big green onions. For dinner, it was mackerel Korean style, two types of KIMCHI, and beef with Toppogi mochi. And rice is sticky rice. It is delicious after all American in Camp Victory for 4 months!
Anyway, the adventure continues.
More …
“Man, I love this place, Irbil. So much more relaxed than Camp Victory. Nice nature and people… Plus Korean food for every meal is a bonus. Here with my sidekick MAJ XX till Sunday.
I hear that there are at least half a dozen American’s in Irbil who are not related in any way, shape, or form with the military. They are teachers at the College in town. Sounds like a good gig for an adventure seeking brother I know. They even have a “Christian” section of town where alcohol is sold. Don’t know about your other indulgences though (the one you have in common with Sean Paul…)
I wish this whole country was like Irbil and the Kurds. Such potential wasted…
Laughing with the friendly Kurdish folks here yesterday may go down as the highlight of my 6 months in Iraq.”