Another day in the oilpatch is nearly gone...and again nothing particularly exciting happened. I did some work and had some meetings; really it is remarkably like being back in Houston most days. Of course when you go outside it is very obvious that we aren't in Kansas anymore, but from the inside of the processing shack you would never know it, except that back in Houston I don't work in a shack. I guess that I sort of knew that being on a field crew was still like working in the office in some regards, but meetings...out here?! It is just a bit jolting to the senses to go from the rough and tumble field workday and work environment and then get on a teleconference back to Houston, with clients and supervisors and VIPs on the line.
So, last night I began going through my New Year's Resolutions, so perhaps I will continue that activity today. To recap...Resolution #1 is to not be a lazy, fat-ass anymore in 2013. Check...working on it! Resolution #2...I hereby resolve to be a better father this year. Let me start out in my explanation of this particular resolution by saying that I am a pretty good dad already. I love my kids more than anything in the world. They are the most magical and wonderful little people. When I see them I simply melt; I am a better person because of them. It is because I love the kids so much that I feel I need to work on being a better father this year. Because I am away quite a bit and feel guilty about it, I tend to try to make the time with my kids really fun and light, and it is here that I run into some troubles. I don't discipline them enough, which makes me feel like they will be happier, but from a parenting perspective is almost always a poor choice. Kids need and actually want discipline; discipline helps sweet children grow into good, hardworking, respectful people who make good decisions and treat people well. Another place where I have fallen short as a father over the past year is in my spending on my kids...I buy them too much STUFF. Now presents are nice, and sometimes a gift at the right moment really makes someone know how much you care for them, but I am afraid that I am giving my kids a poor understanding of the value of money and possessions. I am worried that they will become materialistic. For this reason I plan to work hard this year to show them how much fun we can have NOT buying stuff but enjoying each other's company instead. I also plan to try and teach them the value and importance of charity and volunteerism...rather than spending money I want to get them hooked on donating their time to worthy causes, and perhaps even teach them a little about giving money to charity in lieu of buying junk with it. So, in summation, my resolution is to be a better father to my kids by offering them needed discipline and structure and teaching them about the value of belongings and the importance of charity.
It is dark out at this point over here, and I just went outside to find it very cold (surprise) and very clear (actual surprise!). It has been very blustery today, so very dusty...most days that I have been here so far have been choked with dust (apparently the winter is when sandstorms are most frequent here in Iraq). In any case, tonight the moon is a beautiful red, thin crescent, with the arms pointing up into the heavens...I attempted a few pictures and will put one or two up for you to see...it is one of the prettiest moons I have seen in a long time. Trust that the picture won't do it justice, and you people living in a modern country with hot water and no armed guards and no wild dogs and money with value are totally missing out on the good life over here.
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| Isn't that moon lovely...bet you wish you were here! |
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| It is truly beautiful, even hung over our not so fair little camp... |
I think that the old blog here needs something else to keep it going when the days here are uneventful, so I have decided that I will include some fun facts about Iraq into the blog from time to time, starting today. I have so far been a bit unkind in my descriptions of Iraq, and I would like to point out that I have seen very little of the country or the people so far. To help remedy this slight against this place that I realize I know and understand little about, I offer the following facts: the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were located in Iraq (this is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World)...that is pretty impressive, right?! They were apparently built by King Nebuchadnezzar for his queen in the 6th Century BC. The story is that she was from a mountainous kingdom (some versions say Greece, while others say Persia) and was home-sick, so the gardens were built to model the mountains of her home. Here is another one: the Garden of Eden was supposedly located in Iraq...that is a claim to fame for sure! I mean, how much more charmed can a place be than to be the very birthplace of man and woman...a veritable perfect paradise (aside from Satan slithering around causing mischief)! Whether or not you believe in the Garden of Eden, it is well documented, I believe, that the earliest major civilizations that we know about were located in Mesopotamia, which was the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (that's very near where I am now)...it is commonly referred to as the "Cradle of Civilization". Iraq, the name, means "Country with deep roots", and indeed the history here is quite long and distinguished. Here is another very interesting fact, the Irish people can be traced back to Iraq...they share certain genetic markers with modern ethnic Iraqis which can be used to trace their lineage back to Iraq. So, if you are a ginger with ties back to the Emerald Isle...I may have been touched by a distant cousin over here. So, those are all of the awesome facts about Iraq that I plan to share today...there are plenty more to come in future posts.
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| My mean face, but boy that beard is looking good! (Observation Day # 2) |
I had a request come in to talk a little about what day to day life and work is like here on the camp, so tomorrow I will write about a day in the life of a Field Geophysicist in Iraq. Until next time...ma'a salama (that's goodbye)!
It's funny to read your descriptions of Iraq, Robby. In many ways, it's very similar to my memories of Egypt, though more in line with the time I spent outside of Cairo, along the Red Sea in Dahab. Of course, minus the landmines and natural gas flares. That may have freaked me out a bit. More specifically, I'm thinking of your impressions of the people, culture and way of life (touching, unscheduled, etc.). In some ways, I am jealous of your travels. Others, not so much.
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