Trip to Erbil, Iraq - A Different Iraq

I have been engaged in foreign trade for several years and have had the opportunity to visit many other countries and places. Each place has different customs, food and experiences.

In 2018, due to work reasons, I had the opportunity to go to Iraq. After the National Day holiday, we set off directly from Guangzhou.

At first, I thought that Iraq was in a war and was relatively unsafe. After I went there, I discovered that, apart from being a bit shabby, it was really a treasure.

I set off from Guangzhou alone, then transferred to Doha, and then from Doha to EBL Airport. I wasn’t nervous the whole time and found it quite fun.

I was on a business trip due to work reasons. At that time, I was working part-time in an Iraqi company. We were doing logistics from China to Iraq (air transport/sea transport/purchasing/payment/documentation...). I was the head of the China office. At that time, Erbil and Suleimaniyah were divided When the company opened, I went there. It just so happens to meet local customers and colleagues to facilitate future work communication.

After arriving at the airport, I took the VIP channel, which was arranged by my old version. The whole journey was very smooth, and there was no need to queue up to go through customs, security checks, etc. I was a little nervous when I got off the plane. After all, I traveled so far alone. No one is familiar. As soon as I got off the plane, someone was waiting for me with a sign, and I followed him to a lobby. It was empty, so I was asked to sit on the sofa until a young lady would bring me fruit, coffee, snacks, etc., and then Someone took the passport and ticket for registration. I'll just sit there and have coffee and WiFi waiting.

It took a while to complete the immigration information, and then someone found my luggage and delivered it to me. Later, a handsome guy drove me to the hotel. The whole process was polite, courteous and had a very good attitude.

This photo was taken on the way to the hotel.

My hotel. The hotel is in the city, so it should be considered a four-star hotel. The location and environment are very good. Checking in to the hotel is also very convenient. ?

When I arrived at the hotel, no one from the company came to pick me up, so I checked in by myself. Then my boss called me and asked me to rest for a while and pick me up in an hour. . ?

The two people in the middle of this picture are Xiaomi’s exclusive local agents.

The one in the middle is our boss, an Iraqi.

There is so much local food, absolutely delicious! ! ! ! ! ! !

The Kurdish region in northern Iraq is a relatively independent place, separate from southern Iraq. The Kurds have their own government, flag, and army. More independent, calmer and safer.

There was actually no war at all when I went there. Very peaceful. Very quiet.

There is only one five-star hotel in Suleimaniya. We were staying in this hotel at the time. View from the hotel window. They are all densely packed with houses.

The local population density is really quite high. There are several large cities with very high population densities.

Drinking coffee in the market with the beauty from the company---very bitter coffee! ! Concentrated.

The local market is quite prosperous and there are many people. The beauty and I went to Bazzar, which is located in the center of Erbil. A bit like that market in Türkiye. It's huge inside and has everything. Because my boss was afraid that it would be unsafe for me to go out alone, that I would be cheated or get lost, so he asked the company beauty to take me shopping. I also gave the money and said the company would reimburse me. Hahaha

This is a very old castle in the center of Erbil? Maybe a castle. It was probably more than two thousand years ago. Later, when I was out walking alone, I ran up to look at it. Just a relic. It was dilapidated inside. But try to keep it as complete as possible.

I went out to play alone. Passersby saw me very enthusiastic and saw me taking selfies, so they took a few pictures for me. I'm standing on that castle. Below is a square, and next to it is the market where the beautiful woman and I went shopping. Our office is nearby. It only takes a few minutes to walk over.

There are other markets next to it, and the city center is nearby. However, because of the castle nearby, high-rise buildings are not allowed to be built.

This was our general manager in Iraq at that time. A handsome guy.

There are all kinds of strange things in the market, but the overall quality is average. It's a bit like a wholesale market or a women's street or a commercial street.

There are also relatively high-end shopping malls with big brands, but they are not here.

The locals are very enthusiastic. Many people are highly educated. Many of them I met were engineers or had finished college. Basically, those who are educated speak English very well and can communicate easily.

I spent about a week in Iraq. I came back first myself. I'll wait a few days for my boss to come back.

You come and go alone, and there are no safety concerns. Of course, I didn’t run around or go to very remote places. In the local area, I follow my colleagues and bosses to go to work, open businesses, eat, go shopping, etc. . .

The local food is really delicious! ! ! !

The locals are also very enthusiastic and there is no difficulty in communicating with them. Many of the customers are also very nice.

But in terms of cooperation, the local people are procrastinating in doing things, being single-minded, and communicating without turning. Accept death.

I am more empathetic. If you identify a person or have a good impression of a person or a company, it will be easier to cooperate.

Basically all the locals are Muslims. Islam. Some young people are more developed. Not as rigid as the older generation of Muslims. They are more avant-garde in thinking and more receptive to new things.

The above is a meal at my boss’s house. ? His mother cooked it herself, and it was super delicious. I feel that the locals have a more family-oriented attitude. I am very responsible for my family, and I always bring gifts to my family when I go on business trips or abroad. I usually take time to communicate and chat with my family. ? This feels really good. ?

In terms of clothing, I think it is a little more developed than Pakistan and Dubai. You can wear anything from a skirt to a t-shirt, and you don’t need to bring a scarf. There is no need to surround your face with bars. Girls dress very normally when walking on the street, wearing skirts and everything.

In Pakistan, girls on the streets are generally more conservative. Sometimes you have to wear a headscarf, and you are not allowed to wear skirts or short sleeves, but in Erbil you are completely free.

It is not as old-fashioned and conservative as imagined.

Moreover, the status of local women is actually quite high. Men respect girls very much. It’s not that women’s status is low.

It’s just that everyone generally thinks that it is better for girls to take care of the family at home. If girls go to work, they actually don’t object. But they will think that men have the obligation to make money to support the family, take care of the family, and men must do everything they can to contribute money and effort.

Moreover, there is absolutely no reason for local women to restrict men from shopping, jewelry and the like.

On the contrary, they are very supportive of women's shopping, makeup and dressing up, but women cannot be too exposed outside. Maybe it's a Muslim relationship. Women are relatively conservative in front of foreign men. But in family gatherings or women's gatherings, everyone dresses up beautifully. The local style clothes, jewelry, etc. are all very good. . exaggerate. . . very beautiful,. .

That’s all. . . . Finished. . . .