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July 16, 2008
News
Life at home
Kurdishaspect.com - By Sazan Mandalawi
It has been a year and a half since I have been back home!
Living abroad for numerous years of my young life, after settling well into Kurdistan I call it my home, that is my real home. It may have taken time to realize this. With no doubt there were days of tears during the beginning of my return with my family. Western countries provide the life every individual would desire to live in; no electricity cuts or the sound of loud generators and 24 hours of hot water- just two of the infinite luxuries. Nonetheless, some thing just does not feel 'right'.
Despite the first difficulties, confrontations and adjustments, as I write today, I can never imagine living back in the west. "Foolish" is what you are thinking of right now. But when you realize what the beauty of living is, then, for a young girl, there is nothing better than living amongst your own people and culture.
Growing up abroad as a traditional Kurdish girl, with the large influence of parents, often it is difficult to adapt fully to the life style there. Thinking back of school days not realizing it at the time, there were so many boundaries between myself and those around me. Whether it was the prom, the dinner dances or the camping trips. Not mentioning the peer pressures at that sensitive age, it does become as you often hear "lost between two worlds". For us this was no problem, because no matter what, we saw ourselves as proud Kurds and nothing else. Despite this, there is continuous difficulties trying to 'adjust', when you return, it becomes a similar story, because you become slightly different from the natives in your own land- either way it is an intricate situation.
Going to university here, with students of the same culture, religion and traditions as myself, only now do I feel the beauty of living with your own people. The level that you understand one another, share similar views and opinions and accept and reject the same things.
The average day to day people are lovely and inspiring, despite the much suffering witnessed in the history of so many of them.
To me Kurdistan remains home, despite years of living abroad, today, I do not regret a second of my return, often when I read about the life of Kurdish emigrants abroad, the phrase "lost between two worlds" appears. This is not just for Kurds, but any traditional person moving to a different country with varied values, religions and traditions. For a person rooted to be a Kurd, no matter where you live the roots remain there.
Home, is the culture you are, I see a building rise, a fountain at work or a clean surrounding there is a deep smile within, I feel true contentment; as though a new building has been built for me, a fountain put in my garden and flowers blooming in a clean environment on my own land.
Funny, because this was never me, small details as such I never really thought about, but the influence of the return has been great, changing me as a person. I admire all Kurds to have confronted so many difficulties in their life and continue to encounter hardships such as lack of electricity.
I encourage all young girls to take the experience of returning home after a year, you will just realize what it was that your parents kept talking and nagging about as they spoke of Kurd, Kurdawary and Kurdish land. Knowing that you could help a stateless nation to a brighter future on its own is a large feeling of satisfaction.
It is amazing how much you learn from an experience, because indeed it is a world of difference living in Europe and in a Middle Eastern country in general.
Naive, I may be, nonetheless, the most amazing experience of return back to Kurdistan has been to realize just how great Kurdish people really are, it became a dream of mine to walk in a mall and to
hear people around me speak my mother tongue.
You can live in all the continents and countries of the world, have everything you needs and desire, at the end- be it today or tomorrow there is "no place like home"
No matter how much difficulties and confrontations home is facing!!
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