From:  Bob Keith - Cool Dadio Media - Dahuk, Iraq, 8:00 p.m., Saturday, 21 October 2006.

 

  I have attached a couple photos that seem to bend the imagination of what a war zone should look like.  There is a strip of businesses here in Dahuk where the street light poles have neon flower ornamentation. 

 

  On that same street is an Iraqi hamburger cafe.  It is their best interpretation of a hamburger.  It is a wrap with a fried egg, some tomatoes, some well cooked meat.  Also the street Gyros cafes are ubiquitous.  Every street seems have a dozen. 

 

  A few days ago I sent out a photo of a toy shop.  They all are loaded with realistic looking toy guns.  At the time it just struck me as an odd thing for a war zone.  How do the soldiers know what is real or not I wonder?  You don't see toy guns much in America these days for just that reason.  I am old enough to remember that once in America all the toy sections of the stores were lined with toy guns. Us kids (mostly boys) then played with them all the time.  But it has been a long time since I lived in that culture. 

 

  Today a boy (about nine years old or so) aimed a real looking plastic machine gun at me and fired.  I had just rounded a corner and was totally taken off guard.  Of course, my teeth just about jumped out of my head.  As I collected myself  and passed him by, I realized he was aiming it at every one who rounded the corner to the amusement of his friends, older brothers, and what looked like dads and uncles.  Welcome to a surreal world, for this American anyway.

 

End of message.

 

Bob Keith - Cool Dadio Media


    - It seems so odd to see normal things like neon street pole decorations and trees planted
in tree wells in the concrete medians.  This is in Dahuk, Iraq.  We are so conditioned about war
zones to not think about what would be normal sights in America.  I find the mind verses reality
contrast stunning.  But then that's why I came to Northern Iraq - to see the unexpected. 
Photo by Bob Keith, October 2006 -

 
    - This is an out door / sidewalk Gyros cafe alos in Dahuk, Iraq.  It is after dark so during
Ramadan the cafes fire up as the sun sets.  It is traditional to not eat during day light hours
during Ramadan. Photo by Bob Keith, October 200 -


    - These little guys and their realistic looking toy pistols are just across the Iraq border in
Turkey.  The culture of realistic toy guns transcends the two regions. 
Photo by Bob Keith, October 2006 -