So now that I have spent two weeks in Iraq you would think that I would already know the language, have a full time job, know every nook and cranny in the city, and have the entire town know my name. Two out of three isn’t too bad.
My bestfriend, my sister, and I are now moved into our 1,200 sqf flat above a warehouse owned by the Kurdish God-Father. The lack of hot water and furniture has now been remedied. We solved the clothes washer dilemma along with the heating fuel catastrophe. Now we spend $500 per month for rent (payable in three month increments), and $150 per month in electricity for 20 amps. Add to this the $3,000 we spent to outfit our house with couches, chairs, beds, dressers, and desks and you have the American answer to every problem. Throw money at it!
The one thing you cannot do in Kurdistan is starve. At first I thought everyone was bringing out a lot of food to the table because we were Americans. Now I realize they do this for everyone. When James and I go into the restaurant at the foot of our street we are greeted with smiles and yells. Everyone knows who we are, and they seem to like us. We sit down at our table and they bring us dishes of noodles cooked in a spicy tomato sauce, creamed apples, green olives, mushroom soup, baked beans, and a plate of shredded lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, onions, black olives, and red cabbage. After this you order your meal. The dude likes to get roasted lamb shank with rice, and I have lately gotten a beef dish cooked with peppers and onions in a spicy tomato sauce called Kali Sil. We eat this along with cans of Fanta and finish it off with a hot cup of tea served in a small glass with no handle and lots of sugar. We eat all of this for the low-low price of 20,000 ID (approx. $15) for both of us. Did I mention that this is the expensive restaurant?
If you would like to eat on the cheap you can go to any of the markets around and buy vegetables, fruits, nuts, pastas, and meat for very cheap prices. The other day I bought one kilo each of oranges, nectarines, apples, potatoes, onions, and tomatoes and it cost me less then five dollars. As you cannot make a meal with just fruit and vegetables I went and bought 12 pieces of flat bread for 1,000 ID (less then a dollar). Add to this meal the frozen meat that I bought for 10,000 ID (approx. $8) and you have enough food for a few good meals without spending the $15 you would on one meal for two people. Like I previously stated, if you go hungry here – it is your own fault!
Going around the town I have been approached by a number of people who speak English. Everyone wants to know more about America and how the people think. I told them that people are paid a lot of money in the US to figure out this exact thing, and not much has been really been found on the subject. It is true though that the Kurds love Americans and everything American. The problem with that is the Kurds do not really know what an American is. They think we are a bunch of Godless people who put more attention into how many wives we can have in a lifetime and how much we can drink before we die. The view of Americans is based on what people see on TV and in movies. I tell them this is a fair view because most Americans only think of Iraq as a war torn region of the world where everyone living there is a terrorist that wants to burn our flag and shoot our soldiers. As both views are an incorrect label of the whole population I can see similarities.
For all of you who are waiting for us to get to work and stop playing your request has been heard. James has been working on our Satellite Internet access, and that should give us enough speed to get our work done. With the initial cost of $1,600 to install the satellite and the $450 per month price tag on the service I hope it works really good while giving me a back rub and a foot massage. Well two out of thee isn’t that bad.
Just to pass the time while I am here I have been asking the locals what they think are the biggest problems holding the Kurds back. The two complaints heard most are about the lack of continuous power and the lack of clean drinking water. Other complaints are about the rubbish issue, airborne contaminants, equality for women, jobs, and government corruption. When I ask those who do not mention government corruption about their views most say that they just expect it from the government so they did not mention it. Everyone I talked to did mention the lack of continuous power is a major concern for them. All said the government should do something about it.
To answer the call of the people I have been working on a couple of business ideas. Two ideas really seem to work the best for me. The first addresses the concern about all of the trash laying all over Kurdistan. It would be advantageous for Kurdistan to have some sort of a recycling initiative. In order to meet this need it is my goal to start a recycling and garbage collection center that takes care of the garbage while destroying as little of mother nature as possible.
Rome was not built in a day, and all roads lead to it, so I decided to start somewhere. The first step that I am going to take is to hire a shipping container and fill it with recyclable plastics. I will then ship it to China via Turkey. Once the container is in China I am hoping to sell it for enough money to pay for filling and shipping a second container. Once I build a system I can start to send more and more containers.
Once I have built a reputation for myself with the local government I can approach them for a few acres of land outside of the city for my facility. At this time I can incorporate more people and more containers into my venture as well as look into recycling more diverse items. Soon my trucks will be loaded with plastics, metals, and glass for shipping to recycling centers around the world.
The next step I would take would be to approach the local government and private investors for permission and capital to purchase and install large scale recyclables processing equipment. To power my site I would install a power generating incinerator built to eliminate the garbage released into the air by most methods of burning trash. Setting up a site like this would allow me to operate off of the local grid while providing a much needed service to Kurdistan and putting some cash in my pocket as well.
This business is one that I am very interested in running and I hope that it will work out. I think that this will help the local people, and provide a good living for me as well. From this platform I can work with water purification and air purification as well. I have high hopes or this venture.
Before I came here I was told to shoot for the stars. So this second business idea fulfills that request. When I came here I was approached by some men who are interested in building a 250,000 BPD oil refinery just north of Dohuk. There are 10 refineries in Iraq with an output capacity of 603,000 BPD. The largest refinery in Iraq has a maximum capacity of 150,000 BPD. An oil refinery in northern Iraq would increase Iraq’s refined oil production by at least 25%. This refined oil would limit Iraq’s dependency on neighbors for oil products like kerosene and fuel. Security concerns are limited do to the proximity of the refinery to Turkey and the distance from Mosul, Baghdad, Tikrit, and Kirkuk. Add to this the capable Peshmerga forces that would be allocated to this refinery for protection and you have a security situations that investors can feel safe about. To further increase the incentive to investors the INOC (Iraq National Oil Company) is willing to give investors 30-40% of the profits in relations to their percentage of the initial startup costs for 10 years. With the current oil consumption on this planet and the trend in market price, the investor would stand to make a substantial profit. We are currently gathering letters from the government that supports all claims, and drafting an investor contract with the INOC and the Kurdish Regional Government along with the Central Iraqi Government and the Oil Ministry.
Building an oil refinery is a very lucrative idea on its own. However building companies right next to the refinery that used the refined products to make further products would only increase the profit potential for the refinery. The local government is planning on building a power plant right next to the oil refinery. Coupling the oil well on the other side of the power plant would allow for minimal transportation concerns and lowered security liability. Having a power plant so close to a refinery would encourage related businesses to spring up further raising profit potential for the refinery.
The power generated by the power plant would decrease Iraq’s dependency on foreign power. This simple task would add to the Kurdish citizen’s quality-of-life. Cheaper fuel oil and a local supply of reliable power would ensure the area’s draw to foreign investors would increase and the subsequent investments would provide a much needed boost to the economy.
Kurdistan has many problems that it has to face in this next stage of its evolution. Whether it continues on as an autonomous region of Iraq, becomes part of a larger Iraqi state, or gains its full independence a recycling center, oil refinery, and power-plant will only add to the viability of any option.
Other then trying to solve all of the problems in Kurdistan I really have not been up to much. I have talked with many of the local kids about how they like life here in Kurdistan, what there memories are of the past, what is their favorite video-game, where is the best place to get a hair-cut, and other important daily issues. The best part of my daily grind is to learn how to speak Kurdish. I have been making daily progress. I have a larger list of words that I can never remember when I should. I will share some more of them with you now. I think first it would do to learn how to count. So I will give you the list.
0 Sifir
1 ek
2 du
3 se
4 char
5 pench
6 shesh
7 heft
8 hesht
9 neh
10 deh
11 yasde
12 duwazde
13 sesde
14 charde
15 pazde
16 shazde
17 hevde
18 hashde
29 nozde
20 bist
30 sih (seeh)
40 chil
50 penchi
60 shest
70 hefte
80 heshte
90 not
100 set
1000 hizar
I think that will do for now. Next time we will learn the days of the week and then the months of the year. That should be fun.
My bestfriend, my sister, and I are now moved into our 1,200 sqf flat above a warehouse owned by the Kurdish God-Father. The lack of hot water and furniture has now been remedied. We solved the clothes washer dilemma along with the heating fuel catastrophe. Now we spend $500 per month for rent (payable in three month increments), and $150 per month in electricity for 20 amps. Add to this the $3,000 we spent to outfit our house with couches, chairs, beds, dressers, and desks and you have the American answer to every problem. Throw money at it!
The one thing you cannot do in Kurdistan is starve. At first I thought everyone was bringing out a lot of food to the table because we were Americans. Now I realize they do this for everyone. When James and I go into the restaurant at the foot of our street we are greeted with smiles and yells. Everyone knows who we are, and they seem to like us. We sit down at our table and they bring us dishes of noodles cooked in a spicy tomato sauce, creamed apples, green olives, mushroom soup, baked beans, and a plate of shredded lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, onions, black olives, and red cabbage. After this you order your meal. The dude likes to get roasted lamb shank with rice, and I have lately gotten a beef dish cooked with peppers and onions in a spicy tomato sauce called Kali Sil. We eat this along with cans of Fanta and finish it off with a hot cup of tea served in a small glass with no handle and lots of sugar. We eat all of this for the low-low price of 20,000 ID (approx. $15) for both of us. Did I mention that this is the expensive restaurant?
If you would like to eat on the cheap you can go to any of the markets around and buy vegetables, fruits, nuts, pastas, and meat for very cheap prices. The other day I bought one kilo each of oranges, nectarines, apples, potatoes, onions, and tomatoes and it cost me less then five dollars. As you cannot make a meal with just fruit and vegetables I went and bought 12 pieces of flat bread for 1,000 ID (less then a dollar). Add to this meal the frozen meat that I bought for 10,000 ID (approx. $8) and you have enough food for a few good meals without spending the $15 you would on one meal for two people. Like I previously stated, if you go hungry here – it is your own fault!
Going around the town I have been approached by a number of people who speak English. Everyone wants to know more about America and how the people think. I told them that people are paid a lot of money in the US to figure out this exact thing, and not much has been really been found on the subject. It is true though that the Kurds love Americans and everything American. The problem with that is the Kurds do not really know what an American is. They think we are a bunch of Godless people who put more attention into how many wives we can have in a lifetime and how much we can drink before we die. The view of Americans is based on what people see on TV and in movies. I tell them this is a fair view because most Americans only think of Iraq as a war torn region of the world where everyone living there is a terrorist that wants to burn our flag and shoot our soldiers. As both views are an incorrect label of the whole population I can see similarities.
For all of you who are waiting for us to get to work and stop playing your request has been heard. James has been working on our Satellite Internet access, and that should give us enough speed to get our work done. With the initial cost of $1,600 to install the satellite and the $450 per month price tag on the service I hope it works really good while giving me a back rub and a foot massage. Well two out of thee isn’t that bad.
Just to pass the time while I am here I have been asking the locals what they think are the biggest problems holding the Kurds back. The two complaints heard most are about the lack of continuous power and the lack of clean drinking water. Other complaints are about the rubbish issue, airborne contaminants, equality for women, jobs, and government corruption. When I ask those who do not mention government corruption about their views most say that they just expect it from the government so they did not mention it. Everyone I talked to did mention the lack of continuous power is a major concern for them. All said the government should do something about it.
To answer the call of the people I have been working on a couple of business ideas. Two ideas really seem to work the best for me. The first addresses the concern about all of the trash laying all over Kurdistan. It would be advantageous for Kurdistan to have some sort of a recycling initiative. In order to meet this need it is my goal to start a recycling and garbage collection center that takes care of the garbage while destroying as little of mother nature as possible.
Rome was not built in a day, and all roads lead to it, so I decided to start somewhere. The first step that I am going to take is to hire a shipping container and fill it with recyclable plastics. I will then ship it to China via Turkey. Once the container is in China I am hoping to sell it for enough money to pay for filling and shipping a second container. Once I build a system I can start to send more and more containers.
Once I have built a reputation for myself with the local government I can approach them for a few acres of land outside of the city for my facility. At this time I can incorporate more people and more containers into my venture as well as look into recycling more diverse items. Soon my trucks will be loaded with plastics, metals, and glass for shipping to recycling centers around the world.
The next step I would take would be to approach the local government and private investors for permission and capital to purchase and install large scale recyclables processing equipment. To power my site I would install a power generating incinerator built to eliminate the garbage released into the air by most methods of burning trash. Setting up a site like this would allow me to operate off of the local grid while providing a much needed service to Kurdistan and putting some cash in my pocket as well.
This business is one that I am very interested in running and I hope that it will work out. I think that this will help the local people, and provide a good living for me as well. From this platform I can work with water purification and air purification as well. I have high hopes or this venture.
Before I came here I was told to shoot for the stars. So this second business idea fulfills that request. When I came here I was approached by some men who are interested in building a 250,000 BPD oil refinery just north of Dohuk. There are 10 refineries in Iraq with an output capacity of 603,000 BPD. The largest refinery in Iraq has a maximum capacity of 150,000 BPD. An oil refinery in northern Iraq would increase Iraq’s refined oil production by at least 25%. This refined oil would limit Iraq’s dependency on neighbors for oil products like kerosene and fuel. Security concerns are limited do to the proximity of the refinery to Turkey and the distance from Mosul, Baghdad, Tikrit, and Kirkuk. Add to this the capable Peshmerga forces that would be allocated to this refinery for protection and you have a security situations that investors can feel safe about. To further increase the incentive to investors the INOC (Iraq National Oil Company) is willing to give investors 30-40% of the profits in relations to their percentage of the initial startup costs for 10 years. With the current oil consumption on this planet and the trend in market price, the investor would stand to make a substantial profit. We are currently gathering letters from the government that supports all claims, and drafting an investor contract with the INOC and the Kurdish Regional Government along with the Central Iraqi Government and the Oil Ministry.
Building an oil refinery is a very lucrative idea on its own. However building companies right next to the refinery that used the refined products to make further products would only increase the profit potential for the refinery. The local government is planning on building a power plant right next to the oil refinery. Coupling the oil well on the other side of the power plant would allow for minimal transportation concerns and lowered security liability. Having a power plant so close to a refinery would encourage related businesses to spring up further raising profit potential for the refinery.
The power generated by the power plant would decrease Iraq’s dependency on foreign power. This simple task would add to the Kurdish citizen’s quality-of-life. Cheaper fuel oil and a local supply of reliable power would ensure the area’s draw to foreign investors would increase and the subsequent investments would provide a much needed boost to the economy.
Kurdistan has many problems that it has to face in this next stage of its evolution. Whether it continues on as an autonomous region of Iraq, becomes part of a larger Iraqi state, or gains its full independence a recycling center, oil refinery, and power-plant will only add to the viability of any option.
Other then trying to solve all of the problems in Kurdistan I really have not been up to much. I have talked with many of the local kids about how they like life here in Kurdistan, what there memories are of the past, what is their favorite video-game, where is the best place to get a hair-cut, and other important daily issues. The best part of my daily grind is to learn how to speak Kurdish. I have been making daily progress. I have a larger list of words that I can never remember when I should. I will share some more of them with you now. I think first it would do to learn how to count. So I will give you the list.
0 Sifir
1 ek
2 du
3 se
4 char
5 pench
6 shesh
7 heft
8 hesht
9 neh
10 deh
11 yasde
12 duwazde
13 sesde
14 charde
15 pazde
16 shazde
17 hevde
18 hashde
29 nozde
20 bist
30 sih (seeh)
40 chil
50 penchi
60 shest
70 hefte
80 heshte
90 not
100 set
1000 hizar
I think that will do for now. Next time we will learn the days of the week and then the months of the year. That should be fun.
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