It Must be Getting Cooler

Today was the first day my t-shirt wasn't soaked in sweat whenever I went outside! That's big news! It is getting fairly comfortable. Mornings are real nice, sunny in the 70's. Days are even getting OK. It still gets pretty hot in the afternoon, but it's no where as bad as it was.

The temp is about the biggest news I have right now. Been really busy with routine stuff. It is amazing how much work just existing involves! I don't mean me, I mean this organization. It takes a mountain of effort just to keep the beast moving. That's not for any out of the ordinary stuff either, that's just day to day. This organization really is just a big bureaucratic corporation. Only difference is that we all wear the same outfit to work, oh yeah and people shoot at us. That may not be so different, depending on where you are from in the US!

I was hot!

"I was hot and sweating a lot. I thought it was my hair that was making me hot, so I went home and..." Pedro from Napoleon Dynamite

True Love

Ok, for those that do not know, my girlfriend graduated from the University of Michigan. I am an Ohio State fan. This creates some interesting moments in our relationship, especially around football season.

So I'm over here in Kuwait and was briefed before I left that I could draw linen to sleep on. This is a fairly routine procedure when living in barracks so I believed what I was told. I get here and no linen! So I buy some cheap crappy stuff at the PX.

This is where the true love part comes in. Emily has been working very hard at taking care of me. When she saw via webcam that I had crappy sheets she decided she had to try to make me comfortable, so she sent me some nice new comfy sheets. Now that's an act of love, but as she is often prone to do for me Emily went above and beyond. That's right she bought me Ohio State logo sheets! This is a real big deal for a Michigan Alumni. In fact she may be in danger of losing here Alumni card :)

Anyhow, the sheets are real comfy. It's just one more little touch from home to make this place a little nicer. So I am off to sleep to dream about my girlfriend and the victorious Buckeye's!

You Nam E?

Ha ha ha. Actually its UNAMI, United Nations Assistance Mission to Iraq. This is another of the many organizations that it is my job to help support. If you are really interested in what UNAMI does check out http://www.uniraq.org/aboutus/aboutus.asp

I went over to their compound to meet the staff and discuss some issues. It was a very productive visit. I learned a great deal about the UN and the kind of people who do it's work out "in the field". I have to say the folks I met were an eclectic mix of nationalities and backgrounds. The common thread that bound all of them was their commitment to the people of the places the go to work and their courage.

It was really good to meet these folks for work related reasons. It was amazing to get to hear their stories about the places they had been. I wish I could tell the stories here, but having only heard them I fear I'd not do them justice. We are talking about places that rarely make the US news and stories that make crime in the US look like a kindergarten outing. Then there were the "good news" stories. Again, never heard of some of these places. What impressed me most was the cool demeanor of the folks I met. They weren't boasting, just retelling some of the more interesting events.

So it was a good trip. I got to see a little more of Kuwait City. In some respects it is just like any other city with highway signs and buses. I thought the pic of the advertisement on the back of the bus turned out funny. I have no idea who that joker is or what the script says.

Think

11 September 2007

EVERYBODY here is very focused today.
Where were you 6 years ago today? There is a lot of talk and effort given to that.
More importantly where do you want to be 6 years from today.
I know right where I was, I know right where I want to be. Which is why I know it is right to be here today.

Ukranians?

Never would I have believed it. I am in a picture with soldiers from the Ukraine! So what? Well, only that up until about a decade ago these guys were our mortal enemies. Crazy. I gotta say though these are some cool guys. They were pretty laid back. Real friendly and very knowledgeable. It was kinda funny though, they have a classic Hollywood eastern European accent. It's really just the way they talk. The senior of the three just cracked us up. We met with them for a bit on business and to introduce me as the new guy. At one point one of them passes around a paper so we can right down our contact info. One of the officers hands this senior guy the paper and he didn't like how he had it done because there was just like a name no info, so he says a few things in Ukrainian to him. Then in a perfect Hollywood movie accent he says "Who's 'dis guy, here. Yeah 'dis guy. Who's 'dis guy?" So were sitting there all trying not to laugh, and he looks over and says something like. " Yeah. like movie huh? 'dis guy". Man we just start cracking up. , it was hilarious.The right three guys on the top row are Ukrainian Officers. They came down to give one of our soldiers an award for all the help he has given them while he was here. The "awardee" and I are on the left of the first row. He's is going home soon, so we will probably see more of this, which is cool.

Goodbye Tent!

Woo Hoo! Like Christmas in September. I have moved into my relatively palatial accommodations in the barracks.

Now, really it doesn't seem like much, a mere 160 square feet for two guys. I have a bed, complete with lumpy mattress and all. I have a desk, fridge, TV, and a wall locker. My roommate and I share the TV and the fridge. Fortunately, we don't have to share the bed! Ha Ha Ha.

I got a pretty good roommate. He's a real good guy, been here about 8 months. He works in a completely different part of the organization than I do which is nice. It's good to get different perspective and get to be around different people. I spend about 12 hours a day at work, so I really have no desire to hang around those guys after work. Not that they are not good folks, it' s just that after 12-15 hours everyday you really just want to see somebody else!

So these are my digs. Complete with my MacBook! We have wireless. $35/month with an average rate of 52 kBps! For those that aren't geeks, that's slower than US dialup. Yeah shitty, but way better than those guys in the tents where I used to be who have nothing.

Really that's what it's all about now. "This sucks Felix. Yeah Jeb. But it could suck so much worse. I got a buddy, he...blah blah blah." Really makes me appreciate just how much I had at home. By God when I get back I am going to take advantage of it. Really. I'm proud of America. We have a lot, and we should. My great uncles didn't all go trough this same stuff, and worse, so we could be second best. They went and did, as I am doing, because they believed in America. I'd like to think they also subscribed to the higher moral cause of believing that people should be free from tyranny and oppression. If they didn't and they went and fought just because they wanted America to be on top, that's good enough for me! I feel a real connection to those men now. When I get back I am damn sure gonna enjoy America and all that comes with being American!