No doubt about it.

This sign reads 'The restaurant is not open because it is closed'. No confusion there.

What goes on here?

Although the sign indicates that this is a factory, so little is manufactured in Kurdistan that I find that very hard to believe. All the cigarettes I have seen have been made elsewhere.

Most men smoke, and it always comes as a surprise when someone says they don't smoke. Women smoke too, but not as much as men and almost never in public. Generally they are thoughtful about not smoking inside, plenty of places have no smoking signs and most cafes and restaurants have non-smoking and smoking areas so overall it isn't too bad.

The Ukrainian crisis and Kurdish independence - there is a connection

For years, the Kurdish Government (KRG) and the central government in Baghdad had a clear arrangement - all Iraqi oil revenues would go through the central government and the KRG would receive a fixed portion of the oil money. This worked reasonably well, though the Kurds also 'casually' exported about 40,000 barrels of oil a day, mainly by truck overland to Turkey and 'forgot' to hand this money over to Baghdad. Late last year a pipeline from the Kurdish oil fields to the Turkish port of Ceyhan was completed and early this year oil began to flow.

Then the central government decided to take into account the 'casual' exports of oil from Kurdistan and deducted it from the KRG's overall oil revenue. A bitter row ensured and in January of this year Baghdad suspended all oil payments to the KRG causing a major financial crisis in Kurdistan (which is still on going). Meantime oil began to be stock piled at Ceyhan as Baghdad and the KRG could not find a solution despite mediation by Turkey..

Then came the crisis in the Ukraine and Western Europe was sharply reminded of its dependency on Russian oil and gas. Looking for an alternative source of oil, the European attention focused both on the stockpile at Ceyhan and the pipeline from Kurdistan.

But who actually owns the oil stockpiled in Turkey? Baghdad or KRG.? This question was dramatically answered this week when the Kurds sold one million barrels, which as we speak is sailing towards Western Europe. Badgdad is naturally furious and is planning to take legal action, but in reality the Kurdish action must have had tacit support from Turkey, the US and the EU.

So what has this to do with Kurdish Independence? Now that the KRG can control both the delivery and the sale of oil from Kurdistan, it finally has its own direct source of income and no longer has to rely on Baghdad. After years of autonomy full independence is now possible. Whether Turkey, the US and the EU supports this next step is uncertain. Turkey is certainly not keen on an independent Kurdistan adjoining it's own Kurdish territory (nor is Iran) and the US wants to keep Kurdistan inside Iraq to ensure some sort of balance and stability. On the other hand the EU and the US want a reliable source of oil and Kurdistan can provide this.

The Kurds are now talking openly about a referendum on independence, a referendum which would clearly be overwhelmingly in favour of a free state. But this is the Middle East and nothing is what it seems. The Kurds are unlikely to declare independence and leave the disputed territories of Kirkuk and Khanaquin inside Arab Iraq. Are they just playing a long game to grab an even greater share of Iraq's oil revenue, hoping that Baghdad will concede in order to keep the country together? Guess we will just have to wait and see.

Wheelchair ramp?

This seemingly suicidal wheelchair ramp is in the Rand Gallery mall near where I live. There is no way anyone could get a wheelchair either up or down this steep set of steps and besides, the footpaths and streets are so wheelchair unfriendly,  a person in a wheelchair could never even get to the mall. Come to think of it I have only seen one person in a wheelchair and he was a gypsy begging so it was unlikely that he even needed a wheelchair.

The bucket is to catch leaks when it rains. All buildings here have flat roofs and most are poorly constructed  - it is a rare building that doesn't leak. In this instance the ceiling has crumbled and great chunks are missing.

Pittosporum tobira

In this tough climate, there are few plants that can be recommended for New Zealander gardens but one such plant is Pittosporum tobira, the Japanese Pittosporum. It has tough glossy leaves much like coprosma and daphne-like flowers that are highly scented. It likes a dry well drained situation (I guess 6 months of no rain and hot weather qualifies) and can be trimmed or pruned hard. It is frequently grown as a standard and would really suit a pot. It is also used as a hedge.

A couple of near misses....

Security forces have intercepted two bombers this week.

Early in the week, a car packed with explosives and guns was stopped near the Asaish headquarters and three men arrested. This is where I went for my security check just a couple of weeks ago. However, they weren't very bright bombers and didn't do their home work as there is no vehicular access to the headquarters and you also go through a security check at each end of the street. Just what they intended to blow up is anyone's guess.

The second incident was much closer to home and this time the target was the city's only Shiite mosque which is just 400 metres down the road and which I walk pass all the time. Yesterday a man left a backpack with 10kg of explosive inside the mosque. However, as he tried to leave, other worshipers noticed the pack and alerted the guard who held the man until the Asaish could arrive. The only comment that the police have made was that the man spoke Farsi, which indicates he is likely to be Iranian AND Shiite.

There are several reasons that the Kurdish regions is very safe. One of the key factors is that Kurdish nationalism trumps everything, else so the threats are external rather than internal. The border between Arab Iraq and Kurdistan is heavily patrolled and beyond that there are numerous checkpoints on internal main roads. Moreover, local people are very alert to any possible trouble. The joke here is that all the 3000 taxi drivers work for the Asiash, but there is a lot of truth in that. You have much less trouble traveling by taxi as the security forces are well aware that taxi drivers will alert them to any dodgy passengers. The same goes for hotels, motels and other accommodation and locals will also alert the security forces to anything they think is unusual - a strange car parked too long or people behaving suspiciously.

Another factor is that the Asaish and security forces in general are very professional, well trained,  experienced and fiercely protective of Kurdistan. These are not play soldiers.

Security of late is much more noticeable and it seems just as well.

The Mattress Maker

There are just two traditional mattress makers left in Slemani, the rest swept away by cheap imports from Asia and Turkey.The traditional cloth is unbleached cotton, but he has kept up with the times (to some extent) and has available mattresses with colourful coverings. The stuffing is raw cotton which is shredded in the small shed and then he hand sews the covering and the shape. At first I thought the mattresses looked very hard, but they are exceptional soft and comfortable. While there is a standard mattress, you can have a custom made mattress and you can even bring your own cloth and he will make up the mattress. .

Likewise he makes pillows and again there is a standard version, but you can also have a softer or harder pillow. Pillows are sold by weight.

I walk pass this modest building frequently and the good news is that he always seems to be busy. Might be a bit tricky getting one home on the plane.