And so I come to the end of another hitch in the great nation of Iraq...can't say that the break is coming too soon. The winds have continued unabated and the temperature has begun to steadily climb into the 50's (Centigrade). Bugs have continued to multiply in camp, and I seem to have more and more frequent bedfellows...there is nothing worse than waking up to something crawling on you in your sleep, I can assure you. The sleeper trailers are neither dust-tight nor bug-tight, it seems.
Ramadan starts in six days and will last for a month...everyone is gearing up out here for the decreased productivity that results from the fasting and high heats. The guys aren't even allowed to drink water while the sun is up, so working in 50+ heat becomes downright dangerous. Also, because food may only be consumed at night everyone stays up late eating and celebrating, so fatigue becomes a bit of an issue as well. It promises to be an interesting month out here that I will miss for the most part. Our entire junior staff and the bulk of our seniors as well are Muslims, so I am sure that when I return for the last week of Ramadan that everyone will be in quite a bad way. I will say that I am interested to see the Ramadan traditions observed first-hand and have promised the QCs that I will observe the last week of Ramadan with them, so I also will take on a full fast (sunrise to sunset) for that last week of the holy month.
Tomorrow I will be in Dubai, which I really enjoy. I plan to get a massage and maybe check out a movie. Oh yes, and eat some decent food for the first time in almost a month. I need to buy a couple of gifts for the kids, and possibly a pair of pants for me. Maybe I will take the city tour again, as I enjoyed it very much when I did it a few months ago. A whole day with nothing to do seems so alien coming from out here...I have been working seven days a week, anywhere from 12 to 18 hours a day for so long that freedom seems foreign and exotic, strange and wonderful.
I made sure to leave myself plenty to do tonight to help pass the time...I had daily production to complete, finished my handover notes, completed my loadchart for June, then packed, and finally showered and got dressed in clothes suitable again for the world at large. I leave camp at 5:15 am for the airport...I am so excited! I guess that this trip home is looming so large for me because I have been away from home for so long this hitch...it has been over eight weeks now. And my last break was so very short...a mere twelve days, I believe. I have my Wine Weekend coming up on Saturday, and I am going to be in the States for the 4th of July, which promises to be a very good day (I didn't think that I was going to be home for Independence Day originally). I am excited to see the people that I have been missing so very much...reunions are always joyous events...the old adage that absence makes the heart grow fonder may very well be true.
Well, that's about all from Iraq for now...I have an armored convoy to catch! Until next time...
Ramadan starts in six days and will last for a month...everyone is gearing up out here for the decreased productivity that results from the fasting and high heats. The guys aren't even allowed to drink water while the sun is up, so working in 50+ heat becomes downright dangerous. Also, because food may only be consumed at night everyone stays up late eating and celebrating, so fatigue becomes a bit of an issue as well. It promises to be an interesting month out here that I will miss for the most part. Our entire junior staff and the bulk of our seniors as well are Muslims, so I am sure that when I return for the last week of Ramadan that everyone will be in quite a bad way. I will say that I am interested to see the Ramadan traditions observed first-hand and have promised the QCs that I will observe the last week of Ramadan with them, so I also will take on a full fast (sunrise to sunset) for that last week of the holy month.
Tomorrow I will be in Dubai, which I really enjoy. I plan to get a massage and maybe check out a movie. Oh yes, and eat some decent food for the first time in almost a month. I need to buy a couple of gifts for the kids, and possibly a pair of pants for me. Maybe I will take the city tour again, as I enjoyed it very much when I did it a few months ago. A whole day with nothing to do seems so alien coming from out here...I have been working seven days a week, anywhere from 12 to 18 hours a day for so long that freedom seems foreign and exotic, strange and wonderful.
I made sure to leave myself plenty to do tonight to help pass the time...I had daily production to complete, finished my handover notes, completed my loadchart for June, then packed, and finally showered and got dressed in clothes suitable again for the world at large. I leave camp at 5:15 am for the airport...I am so excited! I guess that this trip home is looming so large for me because I have been away from home for so long this hitch...it has been over eight weeks now. And my last break was so very short...a mere twelve days, I believe. I have my Wine Weekend coming up on Saturday, and I am going to be in the States for the 4th of July, which promises to be a very good day (I didn't think that I was going to be home for Independence Day originally). I am excited to see the people that I have been missing so very much...reunions are always joyous events...the old adage that absence makes the heart grow fonder may very well be true.
Well, that's about all from Iraq for now...I have an armored convoy to catch! Until next time...
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| That's me leaving...bye! |
