New Friends

There are few shopping opportunities here on the New Embassy Compound. We have one small store, I would say it is a bit bigger than your average convienence store. With the exception of jewelry, baby, toys and clothing, it has most of the same sections as your local Target but the selection within the various "departments" is extremely, extremely limited. For a comparitive shopper like me, the shopping experience is a little lackluster and generally disappointing. The other day I had the chance to visit a nearby base which has a mini bazaar of local, meaning Iraqi run, shops. I appreciated the opportunity to browse a bit and was quite satisfied with my eventual purchases.

Later that afternoon my coworker Colin, who I particularly enjoy for his quick wit and good nature, stopped by my cubicle. I enthusiastically took the opportunity to share my newly acquired goods with him. I spread them out and started extolling the virtues of my purchases. Not getting quite the reaction I hoped for, I pointed out a few more things worthy of note. He gave me a sigh, a look, and then said something along the lines of, "you can't turn me into a girl you know." It was a funny and accurate observation. I packed up my purchases, tucked them away, and took note of one sad fact- I really miss my girl friends.

In the Navy, I have always been the minority sex, and really it has never been an issue. It has not been something to notice, you just do your job. But here, for whatever reason, it is a bit more striking. I am the only female in my department, and on further reflection, the only female officer that works full time in this building. There are many women that work for state or other agencies but my work space, and camouflage outfit with combat boots, separates me from them. Friendly smiles are exchanged in and out of the lone female restroom on our floor, but it would be kind of hard and desperate, to get to know someone at the restroom sink. I do have my roommate but we are on different schedules and different places in our lives. I last about an hour after work, or spin on spin nights, before collapsing in bed and closing my eyes until morning. She showers at night and stays up late, very late for me, and sleeps until the last possible moment in the morning. I am showered and gone before the CHU lights go on. Not a lot of overlap.

So enter my new friends: Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte. I never watched Sex and the City; I was just not interested at home. But here, they are filling a void, and during the past few weeks rarely a night has gone by that I have not watched an episode. For 24 minutes I enjoy walking the streets of NYC with them, occassionally having lunch or stopping by a trendy boutique. But, I do not watch for the Manolo Blahniks or Jimmy Choos- my fix is the easy banter and knowing looks exchanged among girl friends. My boxed set contains all the seasons so I am set for quite a while. And come November, I will not be the only woman in the office; another female Navy Commander (and Mom of four) is headed this way. Maybe I can bring out the bazaar purchases one more time.

Love,

Krista

p.s. Colin is a new Dad. His first child, an adorable baby girl, was born two months ago. He will meet her for the first time, in just under a month, when he goes home for R&R. Talk about personal and family sacrifice, he takes the cake.

Iraq's Best Burger

Every morning, I am the first to wake in my CHU. I make my way to the door and get ready for the piercing light that greets me each day. Because we essentially live in a tin can with no light and because I don't want to bother my CHUmate by turning on the interior light, that first glimpse of the sun is painful. But each day I close my eyes to a squint, open our door, and feel my way to the bathroom door, thankfully only one door away. I am sure it would be very amusing to a passer by. So one day this week I decided to try a new tactic and wear my sunglasses for the trip, I opened the door and thought "wow, what a difference!" As if I could not believe that the sunglasses could be that good I lifted them a bit and got a bigger surprise- it was cloudy, full blown cloudy with no blue. Since I have been here- not a cloud in the sky. Not one. Sometimes a little sand in the air that creates a haze, and some pollution visible from smokestacks across the Tigris but never a cloud. After living in Columbus for almost twelve years, welcoming a cloudy sky is a new feeling for me but I did welcome it and enjoyed not feeling the sun boring down. Not only did I make my way to work with an appreciation for how different things looked but it was also the topic of conversation of work. And that there is the one thing that made this week different- clould cover.

I have previously described the New Embassy Compound (NEC) as a mini college campus, and I think that it has that feel but there are touches of the middle east that serve as a reminder of where you are. Depending on which way the wind is blowing, the call to prayer can be heard in the distance or sometimes very clearly. The call is a song of sorts broadcast over speaker. But not a melody to my ear, more of a wailing tone that sometimes sounds a bit erie and sometimes very beautiful. Hard for me to describe but definately a reminder throughout the day that I am in not in Kansas anymore. Depending on where I walk, when I look over the wall I sometimes have a good view of Saddam's cross swords monument, at least the arch of the swords where they meet and I can also see the former Baath Party headquarters building. I imagine both of these graced the front of postcards not too long ago.

Today is Sunday, my normal day to write but I have recognized a new pattern that involves Sunday and I think it is worth writing about. Sunday at lunch features the Embassy Burger. I had my first Embassy Burger on Labor Day; I figured that I would enjoy the holiday in the same fashion many at home would- with traditional barbeque fare. I was not alone, the grill had extra long lines that day. It was so good that at the end of the day, I shared with my roommate that I had one for lunch and went on to tell her how good it was- she said, "I know, I had one for lunch and one for dinner it was so good." So what makes it so special? The patties are hand formed, the buns are dry but toasted on the grill, you can go plain or get cheese melted on top. Other options once it comes off the grill include bacon, grilled onions or mushrooms. I go classic, a single burger with one slice of melted cheese loaded with shredded lettuce, tomato slice and rounds of raw onion with ketchup. And maybe, just maybe, there is one more special ingrediant that makes is so good- the taste and smell of a bit of American culture when so far away from home. If forced to compare with one at home, I would probably send you to Five Guys. But if you are in Iraq, I would be willing to bet you will find the best burger right here at the NEC!

So in just a bit I start another week. I have commented to a few that I am puzzled by how the days can seem so long and the weeks go by so fast. But it is far from a complaint, I am happy to keep moving forward.

Love,
Krista

p.s. Won my first fantasy football game and led in points overall for the first week- who knew I could play football?

Special Note: It has really been quiet lately but this morning, not so much. While I am fine, and those around me are too, a few VBIED's (vehicle born improvised explosive devices) have rocked Baghdad today (outside of the International Zone.) Seems really trivial, and frankly embarassing, to wax on about a burger amidst death and destruction. But that is kind of what life here is like, you grasp the good and the normal. Still, glad I got the post written before seeing all the reports.

Housewarming

Come on in, I have got my home away from home all set up. This week my $34 flatpacked desk arrived from Walmart- I had envisioned myself getting all resourceful and building a desk from a discarded pallet but despite looking, I could find nothing around here that would come close to providing me what I needed to fabricate a desk. And the fact that my only tools are on a pocket size multitool, probably best that I ordered the desk. I was able to borrow a screwdriver from the housing office and got right to the assembly. This is the type of thing that Adam would normally do for me. It would go something like this, "Adam, I'll make you lunch (or put any meal here) if you will put the desk together." He would knock it out and I would present him with some plate of somewhat artfully presented food. Not an option. I thought of my friends, specifically Lisa or Cathy, that would open the box and tackle the project without hesitation. So I channeled their attitudes, and abilities, and opened the box. I spread all the pieces on my bed and picked up the instructions. When my roommate eyed the package of screws, kind of a big package, with six different compartments for the different type and length of screws, she suggested she help me when she get back from taking a shower. Still channeling Lisa and Cathy, I told her thanks but I would give it a try. I got to it and guess what- done before she got back from the shower. Yes, she does take very long showers. But still, I was feeling good and the desk is solid!

I also bought a $9.99 rug from the little exchange; it is cream- never a color I would buy at home but boy do my pink toes look nice against a cream rug. And then I have the ingrediants that feed my soul; most significantly Amelia's old comforter which she was happy to help me pack in one of my "mail forward" boxes. It is only seeing it here that I realize how worn it is. Very faded with a few holes where Oscar scratched- but to me it feels loved rather than old, and I can recall snuggling on it, or under it, reading countless books with Amelia. I also packed a little heart that I picked out at a Saturday morning Market in Germany in 2007. It was a little market, in a nearby town, either late November or early in December. It was not a Christmas market but had a number of vendors set up with gift type booths. I was inspired by a particular artisan's handiwork and ended up choosing two items. One hangs here, and one at home on our back porch. But it is not just the item, it is the memories of that morning and family that make it treasured. It was the first time we had tried fresh German waffles and Noah was completely enamored. This booth was a preschool fundraiser, maybe a euro for a waffle sprinkled with powdered sugar. I can not remember how many times Noah went back to the booth but it was comical by the end. After that I hit the resale shop on base for a german waffle maker and the local market for some german waffle batter- it became a regular weekend family ritual for the rest of our time there. I guess I share this to say that while I am alone, I am comforted by my surroundings and thoughts of home. It may be cliche, but for me, home is where the heart is.

And there are the practical things I like about my room. Adam shipped me a memory foam mattress topper and pillow set- my bed is super cozy. The bed is next to the wall, I often decompress flipping through a magazine- how convienant that I can rip out a page and just magnet it to the wall. No more loose pieces of paper on the nightstand. My view from the bed is the back of my roommate's locker, and it being metal too, a perfect place to hang pictures and cards. It is my "happy wall." I have my locker with half shelves and half hanging space with one big shelf running across the top. Everything is nicely organized in a way that I would struggle to maintain with my personal things at home. More truth to another cliche, less is more. There is actually a window in our CHU but the view from the window is the back of another CHU and the AC units, better closed for now.

I am getting ready to head to work, I took my "half day" yesterday afternoon and this is my standard late day- with almost 24 hours away from the office I feel quite refreshed. I wrote for a bit this morning and then headed to an early lunch, which for me was brunch since I missed breakfast. I slept until 8:40 this morning, that is pretty late for me. Since today is an Embassy workday, breakfast ends at 8:30am. Missed that. No worries though, I enjoyed a quiet morning. I was happy to see that the Buckeyes had such a good game against Miami. I know that my family, and probably most of Ohio, will be in high spirits today. I am actually playing a little football myself, NFL fantasy football that is. Another player was needed so I "suited" up and made some picks for the draft. I did pretty well scoring Peyton Manning as my QB and some emotional picks that I thought would make Noah happy. We will see how I do!

Lots of love,
Krista

p.s. In addition to the CHU pictures, a partial shot of my cubicle after a bountiful mail call- came back from a meeting to find a pile! Thank you!

One Month Down

If I were to summarize how this past week felt, I would have to say it felt normal. And to be able to say that here, at this time, feels like some sort of accomplishment. This normal is long work days, peppered with sporadic "duck and cover" alarms, meaning I get under my bed if I am in my CHU, or away from the windows if I am at work. With the change of operations from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn, highlighted by a major ceremony with very special guests; it was expected that we would see a heightened increase of in-direct fire (IDF.) My arrival in Iraq also coincided with the beginning of Ramadan, and historically throughout the country there is an increase in IDF at that time. So kind of a double whammy. But I am well; I take every precaution and work hard to keep a keen sense of my surroundings. I am determined to fight off the complacency that inevitably can set in, but I also welcome this feeling of normalicy.

I am also fortified by my regular correspondance with Adam and the kids. Both Noah and Amelia are loving school and all the activities that fall brings. For Noah that means Grandview Youth Football and for Amelia, it means soccer, and new this year, piano lessons. In addition to sleepovers and playdates, I know they are frequently catching rides to and from school as well as practices. I have always believed in the "it takes a village" philosophy but to have so many helping out for the benefit of my family- I just want to say thank you!

Adam, Noah and Amelia celebrated "1 Month Down" with the Day family during this past week. I left behind a little red enamel recipe box, but instead of recipes, it has 12 envelopes marked with each month. I provide dessert for a monthly celebration- and this month the envelope contained a gift card for Jeni's. As I prepared for my deployment, I found great comfort brainstorming about this type of thing. It was certainly much better than thinking about leaving family and friends. So while they had Jeni's, I found my way back to the ice cream bar for a scoop of Pralines and Cream, and we all had the satisfaction of officially celebrating one month down. While I was at Camp Virginia, we were all required to enter information into a database. One of the entries was the day you arrived in theater (Persian Gulf). For me that was 6 August 2010, the day I landed in Kuwait. After entering it, the computer magically, well it felt like magic, spit out the day I leave theater. My magical date is 22 July 2011, that is based on my orders for 350 days. So while I am not a counter by day, I will gladly mark each month and keep looking forward to July 22, 2011.

Not much new to report on work, just chugging away and learning everyday. I am very short on pictures with the NEC photo restrictions but have included a shot taken on my first job related trip out of the International Zone (formerly referred to as the Green Zone.) It is not much to see, but there I am back in full battle rattle. I even managed to stick with my "Safety First" policy and get my seat belt on. No easy task in full battle rattle! Regardless of the seat belt, I have never felt safer. That trip was just one of the many times I have felt like I must be in a movie. "Surely this is not my life" is a frequent refrain that has gone through my head from my early days at Camp McCready to the present. And although there is no script, I just do my best to act the part. Security concerns prevent me from going into more detail, but at least know that I will have stories to share when I get home. And, that the security provided here is of the highest caliber- so high that I am certain even my Mom would approve!

Love,
Krista


p.s. toes are OPI kiss on the chic pink