Between Iraq and a Hard Place
Life as an American Teacher in Iraq
Episode Archive
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Gender Rules in the Middle East - Men and Women in North Iraq
Hannah and Colleen share their experiences of the roles and rules around what it means to be a man or a woman (or boy or girl) in Kurdish culture. Expectations and limitations for both men and w...
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Social Media in the Middle East
Hannah and Colleen explore the difficult and sometimes humorous world of social media in Iraq. If you've never had a new Facebook friend go through all ten years of your photos and comments and ...
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Cleanliness is Next To Godliness - Being Clean in Iraq
Colleen and Hannah talk about how the idea of cleanliness has some interesting cultural rules and expectations in Northern Iraq that make people mop their patios daily but throw trash in the str...
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HospitaliTEA - Kurdish Hospitality
Hannah and Colleen talk about the beautiful extravagance of Kurdish hospitality and walk you through what it's like to go on a visit to a Kurdish or Middle Eastern home. Hospitality is a key cul...
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Crisis, Isis, and Corona Virus!
Hannah and Colleen talk about how Kurdish people respond to different kinds of crisis. Some big, some small, some medical, and some military -- the Kurds have seen it all and we have gained some...
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The Cash Economy in Iraq
In the US we're pretty used to using our credit cards to pay for things and we're adding all sorts of new electronic payment methods. But in Northern Iraq, nearly everything is still done in cas...
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Sherma and Shame in Iraqi Kurdistan
Hannah and Colleen chat about several key terms in Kurdish language and culture: sherma, aiba, and haram. All have meanings that connect to honor, shame, and what is allowable and what is forbid...
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Taking the Kids to Iraq - An Interview with Robin
Hannah and Colleen interview Robin, who (with her husband, Dave) took her two kids to live in Iraq. What did this do to her kids? Her family and their relationships? Listen to us ask her all abo...
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Getting a Visa in Kurdish Iraq
Hannah and Colleen chat about the various steps to the ever changing process of getting residency in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq. This isn't the nuts and bolts, just the experiences from...
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Living on a Prayer - the blessings and challenges of living on support
Hannah and Colleen talk about the blessings and challenges of living on support and what that is. How do we deal with fear, trust, and other people's perceptions? How do we thrive in community a...