Still Alive

I know it's been a long time since I gave any real update - so I'll dash off a quick one while I have a moment.

I'm finally back in Suli after a nice long month in Kqin. Despite being "based" in Suli, I haven't spent more than two nights here since Oct. 2nd. It's actually been lovely to partake in the home-cooked food, the chances for walks through the countryside, and the satellite TV opportunities down there. Now the expats have converged upon Suli to host a summit meeting for several of our national staff from down South - an opportunity that doesn't come up very often due to the insecurity down in the region and on the roads.

Contrary to what everyone might see on TV though - the situation up here in Kurdistan is relatively calm. There is a very strong push from the Kurds to keep the violence from their region and they will do whatever it takes to protect the area. This is not a guarantee of safety by any means, but it really gives one the feeling of being okay out here - at least for the time being. Our country director is very rigid on security though - so threats are taken seriously.