Tonight, May 16

I feel I have nothing to write about right now.

I took this picture while sitting outside. The concrete T-walls have a base that's the perfect height to sit, though you end up with dust on your butt. A friend was staying here for a week. MAJ S usually spends his days avoiding mortars in the IZ (International Zone) and he was up here on mission.

We had met at the Denver airport waiting for our flight to El Paso to begin predeployment training. I figured the gate with all the other army people in uniform was the right one. He brought me coffeemate lite and copies of pirated movies from Baghdad. What a pal :)

Currently listening to: Ray LaMontagne

Edited to add this picture.

what used to be...

the Ministry of Interior.

This morning a truck exploded in the city of Irbil, right outside the KRG (Kurdistan Regional Goverment) MOI (Ministry of Interior), destroying this building and 3 others. Local media reports that 19+ locals were killed and 50+ wounded.

Trucks and vehicles and people explode all over this country - in Baghdad, Mosul, Tikrit, Fallujah... but not in Irbil, not since 2005.

We were inside this building a week ago for a planning meeting (this is the captain picture).

Sulamaniya

Again, I made it off the FOB. Yesterday I accompanied the UN down to Sulamaniya, a city southeast of Irbil. Roughly 2 hours by convoy, through farm country and sheep tending territory, and over mountain passes that reminded me of driving through Colorado, Sulamaniya gave me a slightly more 'western' feel than Irbil. I can't really describe why I felt that way; maybe it was the mcdonal (McDonalds) or the fact that I saw men and women walking together - in public.



The UNHCR went for some meetings and then to visit two refugee camps. The first, which was so awful, I can't even post pictures, housed 72 families; most are displaced Arabs from Baghdad. The second camp we visited is more established as the UNCHR had built houses and other infastructure. Iraninan Kurds, some of these families have been in Suly for almost 30 years and have nowhere to go. Kids, being kids, were happy to see new faces and smile and try out English phrases. And pose for pictures.

aka...

Ah... the thing about this job is keeping everyone's names straight.

Kim, Lee, Choi, Park....MAJ C solves this problem by giving the enlisteds nicknames.

Pictured are 2 Lee's, 1 Kim and me. (Or is it 1 Lee and 2 Kim's? I am so bad at this!) Anyway, we call them Smiley, Beckham and Joe... Smiley (who replaced 'Lamb Chop') is the G3 runner and power point slide updater and is always happy to see us, Beckham...well his friends call him Beckham for his soccer skills, and Joe is short for G.I. Joe because he sounds like a native English speaker when he translates the morning meetings for us.

I was getting Joe confused with Corporal Jo, one of the CGs enlisted aides, so we started calling him Van Damme. Also not pictured is the opera baritone whose (absolutely amazing) voice doesn't match his body.

We call him Barry (White).

me...liasing

the division had a change of command and here is me with the outgoing commander a few days before he left.

and the combat camera was still hanging around when I was talking to LT Oh in the enlisted aides' office - if you look closely you can see me sticking my tongue out at the camera.

"I [pant] need [pant] a crane!! [pant] "

so SSG R said to me and SSG C as he came running in the DFAC.

SSG R [all panicky]: The gravel truck just tipped over! SSG C I need you to get a crane from the Koreans!

SSG C [calmly still eating lunch]: Ok, I'll talk to them.

SSG R [still panicky]: No, I need it now!

SSG C [again, calmly]: Ok, I'll talk to them.

me: Anyone hurt?

SSG R: No, but I don't know what is going to happen to the driver. An [local who brings these guys to us] is pretty pissed and I don't know what is going to happen to the driver!

me: Sit down. Have some lunch. Have you eaten?

There's a saying here in Iraq, "Inshallah" which means "God-willing" which also can mean "I'm not in a hurry." or "It will happen when it happens." Commonly said by any Iraqi, particularly when the impatient Americans want something, I just thought to myself "Inshallah."



Follow up: I can't tell you how many Koreans stopped and took pictures of the overturned truck, but we were able to get a crane from the maintenance battaion, quickly too. (we didnt even have to formally submit a memo request!) They turned the truck right side up and somehow drove it away.

Fun with Fijiians

Oh. My. Goodness.

Yesterday had to have been the best day I've had here. The Military Advisor to the UN assigned here in Irbil invited us to an awards ceremony. The Fijiian unit supporting the UN in Irbil is due to rotate, so this was their farewell ceremony.

Complete with grass skirts and a ukelele.

After the awards ceremony and reception, the soldiers sang their goodbyes. Sweet and deep voices. Friendly smiles. Welcoming and gracious demeanor.

And we were asked to join in the celebration...