1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,240 That was my first Arabic, "Jeebi khuboz". 2 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:06,240 "Jeebi khuboz"? 3 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:07,240 First Arabic? 4 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:10,800 Jeebi khuboz, it's your first word that you learned? 5 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:13,280 Iraqi word, Jeebi khuboz. 6 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:15,240 It's all around the food. 7 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:17,680 By the way, I'm a start recording. 8 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:23,120 So all you guys should keep silent, silent. 9 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:24,120 Okay. 10 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:29,800 Yeah, I think we learned a lot of words around food because of places such as central 11 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:32,800 So, Zewi and Anika, right? 12 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:33,800 Okay. 13 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:38,960 And you say you have been almost above month, least than month in Iraq. 14 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:44,520 So in general, how you start the traveling? 15 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:46,560 From where does it count? 16 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,440 I started in Colombia. 17 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:51,800 Two days after my 18th birthday, I flew to Colombia. 18 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:54,400 I didn't tell my parents until I arrived. 19 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:55,720 Which year was that? 20 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:56,720 This year. 21 00:00:56,720 --> 00:00:57,720 No, 2022. 22 00:00:57,720 --> 00:00:58,720 2022. 23 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:00,920 I'm still 18 right now. 24 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:07,120 After Colombia, I went to Europe and I traveled from Spain to Greece and then to Turkey and 25 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:08,480 then to Iraq. 26 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:12,280 So you have a big list for a future. 27 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:14,040 What about you, Zewi? 28 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:20,120 So I traveled, I started traveling when I was 20, 1920. 29 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:26,680 And I went to Latin America and then COVID started and I had to go back to Switzerland 30 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:31,360 and then I had the idea of traveling in a different way. 31 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:38,920 So I'm independent and I don't rely on public transportation and I go in a way that I can 32 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:42,280 be more connected to the people and nature. 33 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:47,720 So that brought me to the bicycle because I was cycling a lot during COVID. 34 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:51,360 So you're famous in Iraq by your bicycles, actually. 35 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:53,320 We'll talk a lot about your bike. 36 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:54,320 Yeah. 37 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:59,160 I'm coming to see a woman on a bicycle with a dog. 38 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:00,800 Especially with a dog. 39 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:04,360 Women maybe we see before, but a dog. 40 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:08,440 Actually me and my friends are talking a lot about your photos and Facebook. 41 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:31,000 I'm about the dog. 42 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:44,740 Almost two weeks now in Iraq and we'll check up on some questions and know how much 43 00:02:44,740 --> 00:02:50,400 of the compared ago. 44 00:02:50,400 --> 00:03:07,680 So, what are the words in Urbeque you have been learned during the past days? 45 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:12,800 In the desert we learned so many words, I can't list all of them now. 46 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:16,400 Very common word that we kept hearing in the desert was Mejnuri. 47 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:20,160 They kept calling me Mejnur, dad do stupid things. 48 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:21,160 And what else? 49 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:22,160 Dibi hubist. 50 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:23,160 Dibi hubist. 51 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:25,160 What does it mean? 52 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:26,640 Give me bread. 53 00:03:26,640 --> 00:03:27,640 Give me bread. 54 00:03:27,640 --> 00:03:28,640 Okay. 55 00:03:28,640 --> 00:03:29,640 Another one? 56 00:03:29,640 --> 00:03:37,520 Mmm, tibisamun, which is another type of bread. 57 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:45,840 Like common things like when Ahmed, when... 58 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:49,440 There's a lot of common words that people use in everyday speech. 59 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:54,440 Okay, so, what is my father's name? 60 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:55,440 Shinseh, what? 61 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:56,440 What is your name? 62 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:57,440 Al-Rasi Al-Aqsaasi. 63 00:03:57,440 --> 00:03:58,440 Al-Rasi Al-Aqsaasi. 64 00:03:58,440 --> 00:03:59,440 Alhamdulillah. 65 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:00,440 Alhamdulillah. 66 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:11,320 Okay, we're talking before that, how you start and when you start. 67 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:19,840 So you're visiting, Annika said that she's visiting Colombia, now to start after that 68 00:04:19,840 --> 00:04:21,440 for two euro? 69 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:22,440 Yeah. 70 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:25,560 So you've not been to visit Arabic country before? 71 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,400 Even you, Zoe? 72 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:34,840 My parents were travelers, so they took me to Egypt, we traveled with the Bedouins in 73 00:04:34,840 --> 00:04:38,800 the Sinai desert, to Asia. 74 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:39,800 How many? 75 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:40,800 How old? 76 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:43,760 I was, I think, 12 or 13. 77 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:46,400 But I didn't pick up any of the language. 78 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:54,400 Yeah, but I asked this question because you are not visiting any Arabic country, how you 79 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:58,080 can decide to visit Iraq? 80 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:01,640 For me, I don't know. 81 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:03,640 I thought why not? 82 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:04,640 Why not? 83 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:06,320 I got nothing better to do. 84 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:07,320 That's easy. 85 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:08,320 Yeah. 86 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:09,320 What about you? 87 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:16,720 For me, because I'm traveling with the bicycle, I go step by step from country to country. 88 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:18,960 And my plan was always to go east. 89 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:23,920 Actually, I have different ideas along the way, but first it was to visit, I was like, 90 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:28,760 okay, I'll leave Switzerland by bicycle and cycle to India where I want to meet up with 91 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:31,960 my friend who lives in the Himalayas. 92 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:37,080 And that's still kind of the goal, but you know, I've been on the road for two years 93 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:38,080 and... 94 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:41,160 It's all to go by bicycle to Amaliyah? 95 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:43,640 Yeah, and then meet my friend there. 96 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:46,720 But it's been two years and my plan obviously changed. 97 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:52,280 And I worked in Greece with refugees and I met a lot of Iraqi Kurds, but also Iraqi 98 00:05:52,280 --> 00:05:54,600 Arabic people there. 99 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:55,600 And in Greece? 100 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:58,560 In Greece, yeah, they were there seeking asylum. 101 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:03,520 And I made friends with them and I was introduced to Arabic culture. 102 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:07,360 And how you decided to visit Iraq? 103 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:14,960 Well, Kurdistan, yes, Kurdistan Iraq, but I wasn't really aware of visa and anything. 104 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:16,880 I didn't inform myself before. 105 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:22,000 And then in Kurdistan, Iraq, I met a lot of female travelers actually that had come to 106 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:27,160 Iraq and they told me it's amazing for the people and history and everything. 107 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:28,160 So I was... 108 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:30,480 You're not making any research on internal? 109 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:31,480 No. 110 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:35,160 About Iraq, about travelers in Iraq? 111 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:39,640 Because I usually go kind of off the flow, I didn't really have Iraq on my mind to travel 112 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:42,720 by bicycle. 113 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:46,160 And yeah, just from what people told me. 114 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:55,920 Okay, so about the dog, it's such interesting to take a dog with you on a bicycle. 115 00:06:55,920 --> 00:07:02,440 Do you face any problem, any restriction during your travel with your dog? 116 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:09,280 A few times, I had encounters with people that were really, really afraid of dogs and 117 00:07:09,280 --> 00:07:15,480 I think they were meaning to harm him and I had to stop and interfere them from harming 118 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:17,000 him. 119 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:22,440 But usually, even if they're really afraid of them, I had really nice encounters with 120 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:26,960 people offering him food when I went to restaurants. 121 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:32,320 And yeah, people are usually really happy to see him. 122 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:38,520 So you are met in Kurdistan and Iraq. 123 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:43,280 You will join together, traveling together from now? 124 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:46,880 Because I moved the bicycle, my bicycle was in Kurdistan. 125 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:50,200 I will go back and then continue traveling by bicycle. 126 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:53,680 So we can see your dog, right? 127 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:55,480 We can see your dog. 128 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:57,040 You'll bring it? 129 00:07:57,040 --> 00:07:59,760 Because of visa, of federal Iraq? 130 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:05,240 Not because of visa, but because of traveling by public transportation with a dog here is 131 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:06,920 very difficult, I think. 132 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:08,240 That's why I didn't bring him. 133 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:12,080 So how do you continue from Kurdistan? 134 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:13,080 Bicycle. 135 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:15,600 From Kurdistan to another country? 136 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:21,280 Back to Turkey and to Georgia, Azerbaijan and then I want to cross the Caspian Sea 137 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:24,760 to go to Kazakhstan and then east. 138 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:25,760 Kazakhstan. 139 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:28,880 Kazakhstan, back and to Central Asia. 140 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:31,680 So you will go to Hamaliyah. 141 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:34,840 What about your destination, Anika? 142 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:42,680 After Iraq, I want to go to Jordan and then Egypt and maybe cross into Saudi and come 143 00:08:42,680 --> 00:08:45,600 back through Iraq up towards Turkey. 144 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:46,600 What about Oman? 145 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:47,600 Yeah. 146 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:48,600 Such interesting countries to visit. 147 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:52,680 Yeah, I think I'll go to Oman when I'm in Saudi. 148 00:08:52,680 --> 00:08:54,680 It's a question for both of you. 149 00:08:54,680 --> 00:08:56,800 How do you see Iraq? 150 00:08:56,800 --> 00:09:01,280 It's the same that you're hearing and seeing in media? 151 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:02,760 I would say not at all. 152 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:09,560 At least in the West, in Canada, we have a very bad image of Iraq, but here it's totally 153 00:09:09,560 --> 00:09:12,120 different than what we see on the TV. 154 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:14,200 It's so much better that people are so hospitable. 155 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:19,600 It's a beautiful place and it's, I think it's one of the safest countries I've been in, 156 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:20,840 if not the safest. 157 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:23,600 What about you, Tug? 158 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:25,000 Anything to say? 159 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:28,560 Yeah, similar to Anika. 160 00:09:28,560 --> 00:09:33,640 In the West, we think of it like a destroyed country kind of because it has been through 161 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:35,520 so many conflicts. 162 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:41,400 And yeah, I think it's portrayed in the West as a, they don't portray the beautiful people, 163 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:46,640 they just portray what has happened, but not like actually how the people are. 164 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:49,920 But yeah, that's the case for a lot of countries in the East, I think. 165 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:52,200 They like to live their life. 166 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:54,000 You go to Baghdad. 167 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:57,880 What places you have visits in Baghdad? 168 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:02,160 I don't know the names of most of the places, honestly. 169 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:04,160 I went to Mutinabi Street. 170 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:07,200 Mutinabi Street, Shah Al Mutinabi. 171 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:10,600 You know, Al Mutinabi is just a street for selling books, is it? 172 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:11,600 Yeah. 173 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:12,600 Alley. 174 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:15,520 I went to the streets around the Book Street. 175 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:20,200 And this street's old, maybe more than a hundred years. 176 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:21,200 Yeah. 177 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:24,320 I went to the streets around the Book Street and told me about some of the history of Mutinabi. 178 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:25,320 Mutinabi. 179 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:30,240 I think, I have to say, I much prefer other places in Iraq to Baghdad. 180 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:35,120 But I think for some travelers, Baghdad would be a great place to go. 181 00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:45,760 So you will go, for sure you will go south of Iraq, with the Somarians and all civilizations. 182 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:51,160 You have any spots in your mind and in your list to visit? 183 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:58,480 We want to go to Babylon, Ur, Uruk, Al-Ukhidr. 184 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:02,000 And I'm really interested as well in going to Nasiriyah, Al-Trabayesh. 185 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:03,000 Al-Trabayesh. 186 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:04,000 Marshes. 187 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:05,000 Yeah. 188 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:06,800 I want to see the Jammuz. 189 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:07,800 Okay. 190 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:09,600 You want to see the Jammuz? 191 00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:10,600 Yes. 192 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:15,480 First of all, you should eat the Gamer before seeing the Jammuz. 193 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:18,880 I mean, lots of it here in Iraq. 194 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:19,880 It's so delicious. 195 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:20,880 I love it. 196 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:24,560 Try that traditional Iraqi food in Kurdistan. 197 00:11:24,560 --> 00:11:26,160 Yes. 198 00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:31,560 I have stayed with families and they have showed me some recipes, like dolma, makluba. 199 00:11:31,560 --> 00:11:33,560 Dolma and makluba. 200 00:11:33,560 --> 00:11:34,560 What else? 201 00:11:34,560 --> 00:11:35,560 The one with the bread. 202 00:11:35,560 --> 00:11:36,560 No. 203 00:11:36,560 --> 00:11:37,560 Okay. 204 00:11:37,560 --> 00:11:38,560 Khubis. 205 00:11:38,560 --> 00:11:41,600 No, the one with khubis. 206 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:44,160 Where you soak it in the soup. 207 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:45,160 We're in the soup. 208 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:46,160 And the shereb. 209 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:47,160 The shereb. 210 00:11:47,160 --> 00:11:48,160 Okay. 211 00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:49,160 The shereb. 212 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:54,200 And I think we've had a lot of Fidiarian food, but we don't necessarily remember all the 213 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:55,200 names. 214 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:56,200 Yeah. 215 00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:59,720 So it was the most famous maybe dolma, makluba khubur. 216 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:00,720 And today we have... 217 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:01,720 How you found it? 218 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:03,360 The shereb soup was the soup. 219 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:04,360 The soup. 220 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:06,200 The greenish one. 221 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:07,200 Yeah. 222 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:08,200 How you found it? 223 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:09,200 The meals, the foods in Iraq. 224 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:10,200 Amazing. 225 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:11,200 The food here is so good. 226 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:12,200 Very amazing. 227 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:16,480 But I'm... because everything is fried or it was a lot of oil. 228 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:19,480 I'm noticing that I'm... 229 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:20,480 Yeah. 230 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:26,920 I found it so much fatter here than it was before I got to the Middle East. 231 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:27,920 You need it. 232 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:30,760 You're traveling a lot, so you need to get a little... 233 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:31,880 A little bit, yeah. 234 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:32,880 But we're... 235 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:35,360 We sometimes get forced fees. 236 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:38,040 Because we don't have the option. 237 00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:39,760 By the Iraqi mothers, they... 238 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:40,760 They... 239 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:41,760 Yeah. 240 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:43,080 They force you to eat more. 241 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:47,600 They think we're too skinny so they give us more and more food and a lot of desserts. 242 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:48,600 Yeah. 243 00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:50,360 It's kind of hospitality actually. 244 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:51,360 Yeah. 245 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:52,360 Yeah. 246 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:53,360 Yeah. 247 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:54,360 It's really nice. 248 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:55,360 But it's hard to say no. 249 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:56,360 We have to still learn that. 250 00:12:56,360 --> 00:12:57,360 We're not allowed to say no. 251 00:12:57,360 --> 00:12:58,360 No. 252 00:12:58,360 --> 00:12:59,360 No. 253 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:00,360 No. 254 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:01,360 Like cases. 255 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:02,360 Okay. 256 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:03,360 I'll ask you. 257 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:04,360 That's a real question. 258 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:05,360 How many tea cup of tea you have been to drink? 259 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:06,360 God, let's not be vegan. 260 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:07,360 So many here. 261 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:08,360 Yeah. 262 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:11,840 So Iraqis, you know, if you went... 263 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:17,040 If you go to another Arab country, you will drink a different tea. 264 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:18,800 But you will remember the Iraqi one. 265 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:21,120 The Iraqi one is so much better than the Turkish one. 266 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:22,120 Yeah. 267 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:23,120 Turkish one, what's... 268 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:24,120 What's why? 269 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:25,560 Turkish one doesn't have any flavor. 270 00:13:25,560 --> 00:13:26,560 Uh-huh. 271 00:13:26,560 --> 00:13:27,560 Light. 272 00:13:27,560 --> 00:13:28,560 Lighter. 273 00:13:28,560 --> 00:13:29,560 More lighter. 274 00:13:29,560 --> 00:13:30,560 The Iraqi one is so flavorful. 275 00:13:30,560 --> 00:13:31,560 They were full. 276 00:13:31,560 --> 00:13:32,560 And dark? 277 00:13:32,560 --> 00:13:33,800 Dark, yeah. 278 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:35,920 But I don't like the sugar park. 279 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:36,920 Sugar park. 280 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:38,320 I prefer without sugar. 281 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:39,320 Yeah. 282 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:42,000 Ahmed actually drinks without sugar. 283 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:44,520 Ahmed is a good guy. 284 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:45,520 So... 285 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:46,520 What's your name? 286 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:47,520 It's called Rondomli. 287 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:48,520 It's a little bit. 288 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:54,840 If you have any questions, you can ask me. 289 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:58,720 Ah, ask questions to you. 290 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:00,200 Maybe like how? 291 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:01,200 Okay. 292 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:02,800 I will ask you last question. 293 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:03,800 Okay. 294 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:11,000 Will you advise your friends, your traveler that you know to visit Iraq? 295 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:12,600 Yeah, definitely. 296 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:17,960 Like on the one hand, it would be nice if it doesn't become too touristic and it stays 297 00:14:17,960 --> 00:14:20,320 kind of authentic. 298 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:24,720 Because what happens to other places is when backpackers first come there, then they get 299 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:26,680 really touristic. 300 00:14:26,680 --> 00:14:33,240 But definitely, it's really amazing and it feels very authentic. 301 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:34,760 It feels real in a way. 302 00:14:34,760 --> 00:14:35,760 Yeah. 303 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:37,840 It's a special experience. 304 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:42,040 Any advice for the travelers who want to visit Iraq? 305 00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:43,040 European travelers? 306 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:44,040 Yeah. 307 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:46,960 I mean from other not Arabic country. 308 00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:53,080 Because you know about, I'm talking about maybe cultures, religion, or restricts. 309 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:54,080 Kind of. 310 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:59,200 How do you advise other people they plan to visit Iraq? 311 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:04,840 I would say maybe be open to anything and everything because so many amazing experiences 312 00:15:04,840 --> 00:15:10,960 have happened because I've said yes to a stranger who says, hey, you want to go do this? 313 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:14,120 We come to my house to eat and I've met amazing people through that. 314 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:16,800 So just be really open to everything. 315 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:17,800 And trust people? 316 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:19,560 Yeah, trust people as well. 317 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:22,160 Iraqi people are so good. 318 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:23,160 Thank you. 319 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:27,120 And also you don't need to plan your trip. 320 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:29,720 You can't have fixed dates to visit certain areas. 321 00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:31,120 Don't book hotels. 322 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:36,040 Just go and go off the flow because in Europe you can't really, you can, but it's more 323 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:37,040 hard. 324 00:15:37,040 --> 00:15:42,000 I feel here like people just take you and they'll offer you an experience with their family 325 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:44,000 with, I don't know. 326 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:48,760 So you just really should go off the flow to really experience the real culture, I think. 327 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:54,120 So just enter from the, just make your passport stamped and feel ex-Egyptian. 328 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:57,120 Yes, Syrian. 329 00:15:57,120 --> 00:15:58,120 Okay. 330 00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:02,800 Did you stay in a hotel through your visit of Iraq? 331 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:05,200 No, I think hotels suck. 332 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:07,200 I hate them so much. 333 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:08,680 I would never stay in a hotel. 334 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:10,720 I'd rather sleep on the street than stay in a hotel. 335 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:11,720 Yeah, me neither. 336 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:14,520 I don't go to hotels. 337 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:20,680 Not only because I can't afford it, but it feels weird being in a hotel. 338 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:26,600 Like how do you see Iraq, like how do you see tourism coming to Iraq? 339 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:32,000 How have you seen the last two years since the visa on arrival exists? 340 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:36,240 And how do you see the changes and what do you, where do you think Iraq will go? 341 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:40,960 Like, will it become a very touristic place or? 342 00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:41,960 Uh-huh. 343 00:16:41,960 --> 00:16:52,160 Actually, as you know, Iraq has a big history and there are lots of different civilizations 344 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:55,120 from north to south, east and west. 345 00:16:55,120 --> 00:17:02,200 So I think just only this matter of like a big history, it's enough to make Iraq a 346 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:03,880 touristic country. 347 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:10,280 And we all hope that's go in the future, go advance and develop this sector of flow. 348 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:15,920 And actually till now, people not see a lot of tourists around. 349 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:21,840 But yeah, the amount of tourists go bigger and bigger by days. 350 00:17:21,840 --> 00:17:30,080 And one thing you know about the Zakourat of Ur and Nasriya, they now established a building 351 00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:33,280 church near the Zakourat. 352 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:37,840 And now it's under construction and it's interesting thing. 353 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:43,280 So the Christian people around the world, they can visit, you know, it's good thing 354 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:45,640 to talk about. 355 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:51,480 And yeah, and musul, lots of thing to visit in musul. 356 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:53,880 After what's happened in the last few years. 357 00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:54,880 Yeah, we hope so. 358 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:58,560 We hope to see lots of tourists in the future. 359 00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:04,240 And you don't fear that like, it could also destroy the culture a bit if there's too 360 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:05,240 much tourism? 361 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:06,240 I don't think so. 362 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:08,280 It's good to be open actually. 363 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:09,840 It's good to be open to the world. 364 00:18:09,840 --> 00:18:12,880 See different cultures, different religions. 365 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:20,120 By the way, Iraq have made up to six religions as you know. 366 00:18:20,120 --> 00:18:25,280 Yeah, so even in Iraq we have different nationality. 367 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:28,000 And why not to be open to other people? 368 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:31,880 We already have this mixed, why we not share it with the world, yeah? 369 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:33,680 I have a question for you. 370 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:34,680 Okay. 371 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:38,120 So do you as an Iraqi see the West? 372 00:18:38,120 --> 00:18:41,000 What's your image of the West? 373 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:48,160 My vision actually maybe not to present most of Iraqis because I met a lot of them in 374 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:53,080 work or in live, in even in social media. 375 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:58,400 So I have a good vision about the West in general. 376 00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:04,360 But yeah, maybe Iraqis a little bit conservative about some issues. 377 00:19:04,360 --> 00:19:12,960 But you know, when you be open to people and share the culture, the share the ideas, 378 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:15,840 it will be understandable. 379 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:20,040 You can understand the people, their culture. 380 00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:29,360 You know, all what we see in movies and media, social media is sometimes, most of the time 381 00:19:29,360 --> 00:19:38,560 actually is pushed by some establishment or is directed to one point overview. 382 00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:41,360 It's limited, not the truth by the end. 383 00:19:41,360 --> 00:19:42,360 Yeah. 384 00:19:42,360 --> 00:20:00,800 Okay, what's the most? 385 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:02,440 That's a good question. 386 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:09,840 How your friend families feel when they heard that you aren't in Iraq? 387 00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:16,800 My parents are so happy and they are like always asking for pictures because they love 388 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:17,880 the Middle East. 389 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:19,680 They actually met in the Middle East. 390 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:26,320 So they're really excited and they would like to visit Iraq too, especially my dad. 391 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:29,480 Do your parents have an idea to visit Iraq? 392 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:37,280 Yeah, they actually, my father will retire soon and my mom, they will, they want to travel 393 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:40,800 when they're both retired, but I don't know where exactly. 394 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:46,080 But I think if I tell them how amazing it is, they will definitely want to come to Iraq. 395 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:47,400 Okay, that's good. 396 00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:54,080 May I, okay, I told you earlier, may I go to visit Switzerland? 397 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:58,520 Of course, you're highly welcome there. 398 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:04,440 I can't say that the people are as hospital as here, but my friends and family will definitely 399 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:05,840 welcome you with open arms. 400 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:06,840 Okay, thank you. 401 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:14,000 Actually, I'm following lots of pages talking about Swiss and Swiss page, especially for 402 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:19,040 the camping page, such amazing nature there. 403 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:23,080 Yeah, I hope I can do it, but I will do it in the future. 404 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:24,080 So visit. 405 00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:25,080 Insha'Allah. 406 00:21:25,080 --> 00:21:26,080 Insha'Allah. 407 00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:30,160 Anyka, how does the react of your friend or family? 408 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:31,160 Same as her. 409 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:33,520 My family thinks it's so cool that I'm in Iraq. 410 00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:38,840 My grandma always is wanting me to send her pictures and tell her what I'm up to. 411 00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:42,600 She recently told me my grandma was in the hospital and she went to see my grandma and 412 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:44,000 she was showing me all the pictures. 413 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:48,080 I sent her of camping in the desert with the Iraqi dudes. 414 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:50,200 And my grandma thought it was absolutely amazing. 415 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:56,200 She thought it was so hilarious, the videos of dancing, the Iraqi dance in the desert with 416 00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:59,720 them shooting the guns and the air and everything. 417 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:00,720 So everyone thinks it's so cool. 418 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:01,720 My friends as well. 419 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:04,280 They think it's amazing that I'm here in Iraq. 420 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:05,560 Anything else, guys? 421 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:08,600 I think you can close in here a lot. 422 00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:10,480 You have anything to add? 423 00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:11,480 Little Saida. 424 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:12,480 Little Saida. 425 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:13,480 That's it. 426 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:14,920 Final words for you. 427 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:17,120 I will make you close in the episode. 428 00:22:17,120 --> 00:22:24,320 Yeah, just thank you to the Iraqi people for your amazing hospitality and your amazing 429 00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:30,880 hearts and teaching us so much life lessons about kindness and amazing food. 430 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:31,880 Thank you. 431 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:32,880 Yeah, what she said. 432 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:33,880 Thank you for the shit. 433 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:34,880 Thank you. 434 00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:35,880 I'll go try. 435 00:22:35,880 --> 00:23:04,880 I'll eat a big type.