Oops...

Oops...I realise the title of my last post was "first stop Kirkuk" but I failed to actually tell you anythin about this place. There is quite alot goin on here...Kirkuk is the center of Iraq's oil industry and is connected by pipelines to ports on the Mediterranean Sea. The oil company Shell carried out an integrated study on Kirkuk, with work recently completed in early 2006. This will mark's the first study in three decades for Kirkuk, and is significant because it used the latest technology.

There is alot of area's that can be researched here...I am wondering what the effect is on the people here in Kirkuk because of living so close to and oil resource...maybe there is none with not only living in an area with all these fumes but also Kirkuk has had one of the worst sewage systems. Before the sewage repair project was initiated, 30 percent of the city's sewage was dumped in the streets, 50 percent was transported to a non-operational sewage plant where it quickly seeped back into the city's water system and the other 20 percent was stowed in containers then dumped outside the city. With the help of Coalition forces, the city is repairing this key piece of infrastructure. Six projects are under way to clean sewage from the streets this can only have some sort of effect on the people living here. (geeky facts!woo)

Bye for now,

Jess

Iraq...first stop Kirkuk

So it'been a couple of weeks since my last update. This is because we were travelling over the iran-iraq border. Quite a scary experience. The amount of military protection that there is to get into the country is something else! We had to stop a couple of nights there as they wanted to check all our documentation and I suppose just make sure we are who we say we are. They took most of our researching equipment off us and said it wasn't aloud to go any further. Our mentors said that they don't like to feel that people are looking down on their country. So our research is really going to have to be all written and then mayb a few samples that we could take home with us. I'm expecting big things from Iraq as no-one really knows what exactly goes on here and things are very private.....I'll be investigating loads!

Newhoo, bye for now,

Jess

Lake Zarivar - Could stay there forever

Well Lake Zarivar is just wonderful! I think if I had my cats here, I could stay forever! I do miss my cats...they really is are my best friends! Anyway here's a view of this wonderful place...


Bye for now,

Jess

Spoke too soon

Not impressed!! We all managed to end up with some wrotten bug and missed out on going to Prisaat as our mentor's said we wouldn't have time. We're now in Marivan. We stopped at a few places along the way altho I couldn't get internet connection to update you on them...nothing overly exciting happened anyway.
Marivan is close to the border of iran and iraq. It seems to be a local tourist area and has alot of trading markets. It's a beautiful place. We are visiting lake Zarivar tomorrow so I'm sure I'll get lots of nice photographs there. 

Bye for now,

Jess

Another night in Rasht

Tonight we are supposed to be moving on to Prisaat in Azerbaijan which is quite a long journey as it takes about 5 and a half hours to get there in our little bus. And believe me the driving is not like home...zebra crossings and give way to your right seems to mean nothing over here.

Well anyway we're not going tonight as a couple of the UKSRI members have become a little ill...stomach bug...probably something to do with all the spicey food we're eating at the minute. Thankfully I have seemed to escape so far...I'll just keep taking my own made ant-sickness tablets...I studied into it and found a herbal remedy from years ago and kind of adapted it slightly to my own specific needs. Pretty proud of myself...it's worked wonders so far...although I'm not going to offer it to anyone my supply is limited.

Anyway we'll hopefully be on the move to Prisaat by tomorrow night so I'll let you know how the journey goes.

Bye for now,

Jess

My Birthday!!

So, today it was my birthday. The first one I've ever been away from home. Not that home really matters, I'm sure nobody would really remember anyway. Today I got a birthday cake...my UKSRI team got me it!(although I think Adam had something to do with it as he's the only one who would know) I think it's the first cake that someone has bought me in about 5 years. I was so excited!  Here's a wee photo of my lovely cake, with a whole 24 candles...oh dear so old!!

Bye for now,

Jess