My town, Qasre Shirin, stands on the river Hallwan, or Allwan which means stream.
                                                         It is beautifully surrounded by palms and fruit gardens. 
                
                       The city, which is on the Iran/Iraq border in southern Kurdistan, 
                                                        has long been a resting-place for travelers from the
                                                                                                                           East and West.      
             The mild winter and wet climate                                                                                                                   
                              has made it possible for a wide variety of green to grow in the area. 
       
                              Sweet lemons,     
                                         oranges, pecons, dates, 
                                                  water and honey melons, 
                                                            grapes, grapefruits and grant apples
                                                                    are just a small sample of the gifts 
                                                                                of nature in Qasre Shirin. 
                                                     
                                                      After a warm rain in May 
                                                       you could smell wet earth 
                                                       mixed with the scent 
                                                       of eucalyptus trees . . . 

                                                                         The harmony of the life could not have been 
                                                                          better for the people of Qasre Shirin. 
  
             My grandmother used to say that the palms are the song 
                                                                          of God's good will to the people of our town.