Folks
It's my sad duty to tell you that currently I will not be returning to Iraq. There have been changes at the project end and which results in there no longer being a role for me and therefore, and more importantly, there will be no more blog (well, probably no more blog).
I've enjoyed my time writing for you, and had had a long discussion with my family about the value of the blog, both to myself and to my family and friends, and it had been my intention to start a new one on my return to Iraq.
Whatever happens I will ensure (assuming it stays here) that I will keep you all updated by posting any links to new blogs on here as a final page.
Lastly, I have compiled a complete collection (as yet un-edited) of my ramblings over the past couple of months so if anyone wants to read the lot then let me know and we can discuss exactly how much red wine you will have to give me !
For now !
Thursday 2 September 2010
Wednesday 11 August 2010
24 hours in Two Halves
Today started with me waking up in the second of four different beds and wondering where I was for a few minutes…….It all comes back to you eventually I suppose and I’ve become better at not being surprised when I can’t remember where I am for a few waking moments – I guess I should be grateful that it’s not drink related (I’m not looking forward to my first hangover, and you can all stop thinking bad things about me cause we all know it’s going to happen !)
I was back at the COB on leg one of a three phase escape plan – I am sitting typing the first half of this mid-way through Phase 2 (I’m in Basra airport having gone through all the formalities in less than 20 minutes and have now been killing the best part of two and half hours in the departure lounge with no bar and a tiny duty free shop. All current indications point to the plane leaving at 1630hrs as planned…….we wait with baited breath ! (post event note – revised o leave at 1700hrs and eventually left at 1730 but I would have taken that at any time)
I have been basically killing time all day. I had one handover report to write this morning and thought I would get it out of the way early and then I would have the rest of the morning to do what I wanted. So having woken up at six I decided that I would breakfast and go to the office early to get it done only to discover that the internal door was locked and I had to doss around until eight before I could even get into a desk. The upshot was that I finished work at about ten and decided that the only thing to do was to go to the gym. I did 45 mins on the treadmill before I got bored and decided that enough was enough (I have a lovely sweat soaked set of kit as a present for my wife when I get back – 24hrs in my bag should just get it going nicely !).
Then lunch and more hanging around, then back to the office to get taken to the airport, where I hung around some more (I’m now an expert at wasting time……). I’m now hanging around at the airport !
Part two of this story should see me in Dubai, taxi to a friends flat and then dinner in the pub opposite his apartment. Then up at 0530 to be at the airport for 0600 for check-in, shopping and flight to Birmingham. I’ll fill you in on the evening the next time I can get onto some free internet.
Part 2
I’ve arrived.
Briefly, Dubai was a few glasses of red wine and a bit of pub grub with some friends and work colleagues after getting to my friends flat at about 9 in the evening following one of those hairy taxi rides (we went past the traffic courts at 120kph in a 60kph zone whilst the driver was on the phone, which I thought was possibly bordering on foolish but what do I know…….). I then repaired back to my friends flat at 11.30 for a sensible early night – well, that was the plan anyway. I got to bed at about 1.30 after rather a lot of brandy with a 5.15 alarm call programmed into the phone (but we have a pointing picture……). That bit was a struggle but the upshot was that I got to the airport hours before I could have done, dropped my luggage off and was through security in a matter of minutes. It’s then up the escalators to the shopping mall – where chaos reigned. By 7.30 I was panicking that I didn’t have everything I needed and it would all be a disaster…….but I ducked and dived, dodged and weaved and damn well got it done, achieving the greatest victory since the Winchester Flower Arranging Team beat Harrow by 12 sore bottoms to 1 !
A long flight back, the usual wait for luggage (we’ll gloss over the other smelly noisy passengers and leave that for another day I think……). Shouting children with a big banner saying “Dad” and I was back – a sandwich and a drive home, Close your eyes for the big surprise……
Chinese takeaway, couple of glasses of red and the rest, as the say, is history.
I’ve lost 2 inches off my waste and just under a stone in weight for those of you that are interested…….and my huge bed never felt so good. A big thank you to one of my regular readers for my welcome home gift – I shall put that to very good use this evening when I get reacquainted with my BBQ.
I’m back out on the 5th September with “Who the Hell Are Leicester Tigers” ringing in my ears and by popular request (although I’m willing to negotiate……) the blog will return. It will probably have a different name so keep an eye out for the new link. The paperback version will be in the shops soon……..
A massive thank you to my family for keeping it all in perspective and to my followers (is that the right name ?) some of whom commented in one way or another, and some of whom read it incognito – they’re the one’s who’ll not be basking in the reflected glory when I win a booker prize, and don’t say you weren’t warned.
I was back at the COB on leg one of a three phase escape plan – I am sitting typing the first half of this mid-way through Phase 2 (I’m in Basra airport having gone through all the formalities in less than 20 minutes and have now been killing the best part of two and half hours in the departure lounge with no bar and a tiny duty free shop. All current indications point to the plane leaving at 1630hrs as planned…….we wait with baited breath ! (post event note – revised o leave at 1700hrs and eventually left at 1730 but I would have taken that at any time)
I have been basically killing time all day. I had one handover report to write this morning and thought I would get it out of the way early and then I would have the rest of the morning to do what I wanted. So having woken up at six I decided that I would breakfast and go to the office early to get it done only to discover that the internal door was locked and I had to doss around until eight before I could even get into a desk. The upshot was that I finished work at about ten and decided that the only thing to do was to go to the gym. I did 45 mins on the treadmill before I got bored and decided that enough was enough (I have a lovely sweat soaked set of kit as a present for my wife when I get back – 24hrs in my bag should just get it going nicely !).
Then lunch and more hanging around, then back to the office to get taken to the airport, where I hung around some more (I’m now an expert at wasting time……). I’m now hanging around at the airport !
Part two of this story should see me in Dubai, taxi to a friends flat and then dinner in the pub opposite his apartment. Then up at 0530 to be at the airport for 0600 for check-in, shopping and flight to Birmingham. I’ll fill you in on the evening the next time I can get onto some free internet.
Part 2
I’ve arrived.
Briefly, Dubai was a few glasses of red wine and a bit of pub grub with some friends and work colleagues after getting to my friends flat at about 9 in the evening following one of those hairy taxi rides (we went past the traffic courts at 120kph in a 60kph zone whilst the driver was on the phone, which I thought was possibly bordering on foolish but what do I know…….). I then repaired back to my friends flat at 11.30 for a sensible early night – well, that was the plan anyway. I got to bed at about 1.30 after rather a lot of brandy with a 5.15 alarm call programmed into the phone (but we have a pointing picture……). That bit was a struggle but the upshot was that I got to the airport hours before I could have done, dropped my luggage off and was through security in a matter of minutes. It’s then up the escalators to the shopping mall – where chaos reigned. By 7.30 I was panicking that I didn’t have everything I needed and it would all be a disaster…….but I ducked and dived, dodged and weaved and damn well got it done, achieving the greatest victory since the Winchester Flower Arranging Team beat Harrow by 12 sore bottoms to 1 !
A long flight back, the usual wait for luggage (we’ll gloss over the other smelly noisy passengers and leave that for another day I think……). Shouting children with a big banner saying “Dad” and I was back – a sandwich and a drive home, Close your eyes for the big surprise……
Chinese takeaway, couple of glasses of red and the rest, as the say, is history.
I’ve lost 2 inches off my waste and just under a stone in weight for those of you that are interested…….and my huge bed never felt so good. A big thank you to one of my regular readers for my welcome home gift – I shall put that to very good use this evening when I get reacquainted with my BBQ.
I’m back out on the 5th September with “Who the Hell Are Leicester Tigers” ringing in my ears and by popular request (although I’m willing to negotiate……) the blog will return. It will probably have a different name so keep an eye out for the new link. The paperback version will be in the shops soon……..
A massive thank you to my family for keeping it all in perspective and to my followers (is that the right name ?) some of whom commented in one way or another, and some of whom read it incognito – they’re the one’s who’ll not be basking in the reflected glory when I win a booker prize, and don’t say you weren’t warned.
Sunday 8 August 2010
Summary to Sunday Night
Lewis suggested that I do a summary of all the inventories that I had done over the last 6 weeks – which I thought was a really good idea (the rest of you should be ashamed, being out thought by a 10yr old – a very special 10yr old I’ll grant you, but none the less……)
I think it’ll be wise to discount my night in Dubai for the moment as I haven’t really got any idea what to expect, or I will get there so late that it doesn’t matter (and I am acutely aware that the flight leaves at 0805hrs and I should be there at about 6 if I want to do any shopping, so missing my flight is not a very bright option !)
So, here goes -
44 days (45 if you count one more night in Dubai)
28 nights at the COB, 14 nights on site, 1 night in hospital, 1 night in Dubai, 1 night on an airplane.
1 unit of alcohol (a small glass of pink champagne which, as you’ll all know, I didn’t really enjoy, but I took it to be sociable)
$194 in cash on cigars and other bits and pieces (that’s about £125)
Cigars – 115, that’s less than 3 a day on average which considering it’s my only vice out here, I don’t think that’s all that bad. It’s funny, whether everyone else has the same thoughts or this is just where you come if you smoke, but the ratio here is probably 50-50, certainly higher than I have seen it for a few years.
Gym – 27 trips to the gym in 45 days that’s more than 1 every 2 days, which considering I was ill for a week and spent 2 weeks in the desert isn’t bad either really. They have stopped us running around the perimeter of ROO Camp for “security” reasons, even when we take an armed guard with us, so the opportunities for exercise have been limited and motivation has been a problem. There is something about getting changed and “going” to the gym that gets you up and moving, and whilst you are there you might as well do all the right things and make the most of it. It’s not quite the same as doing press-ups in your room every night.
Weather – mostly it has been burning hot. The highest temperature measured, but not that accurately, was 64deg. I have no idea what the lowest was I’m afraid. We have had several sand storms and one thunderstorm followed by a torrential downpour that lasted a good hour. We had one morning of fluffy clouds (and this afternoon had clouds, although you wouldn’t call it cloudy) and one day where the humidity was so high it was like fog, but not as we know it. We’ve had high winds and light breezes, and days where it’s so still, the heat just goes straight through you and it’s like turning on a tap as the sweat runs down your back.
Food – I’ve had good, bad, but mostly indifferent. We went through a period at the COB when the Chef ordered 700kgs of prime fillet steak (instead of 70kg) by mistake where we ate like Kings every night – BBQ nights were especially good. Some of the curries stand out, along with the evening where they cooked noodles to order. Breakfasts have been the downside, even with the crunchy American streaky bacon that has appeared at Phase 0 lately, it’s not the same. It’s also very easy to eat too much here and not take any exercise because you can have 3 courses to every meal and as much as you like. There aren’t really any snacking between meal opportunities, and of course no drinking, but you could easily put weight on here if you had a sedentary job – and I have seen some very good examples !
Lowlights – I guess my illness and night in hospital probably cover that element alone. I felt so wretched when they said I had to stay and be put on a drip, and very lonely too, but then again I was ill so I guess I wasn’t likely to be my usual happy self. I haven’t really enjoyed our client either – he’s a bully and I’m fairly certain that he doesn’t like me, because I’m indifferent to his bullying and I think that doesn’t suit him. I had a long chat with my boss this afternoon before I came away and we have decided (subject to things not changing whilst I am away) that I will do more of certain roles and less of others. I think there’ll be a general shift in several jobs so that we can have a permanent client face and some people who get on and make things happen. We’ll see when I get back, because there is plenty of time for it all to change again !
The internet is another lowlight, but also a highlight – you forget how dependant you are on it, it’s your only contact with home most of the time because the mobile phone systems are so erratic and there are no other ways of speaking to home – God only knows what the postal system is like here ! But when it’s working, and working well, it’s wonderful and it gives you endless opportunities for entertainment and for contact with civilisation.
Highlights – most of my highlights are little things, talking to home on Skype, finding a new shop on the base after being here for a month, my first drive out into the desert in an armoured car (that’s a bit sad really but I am struggling for highlights whilst I sit here…………). The weather was amazing when I first got here but it just became part of life, and then a drag after that. The pizza that I have just had was also a highlight – it cheered me up a bit as I was starving and I’d hit a bit of a low with the internet not working properly (see above) and the anti-climax of sort of setting off home but not really getting very far, if that makes any sense…….we are all going through a particularly difficult phase at work as well, for a number of reasons that I won’t bore you with, and I thought I would be even happier to get out but I guess I am just a team player……………..actually, I’ve just read that back and I’m going to leave it in and see what it looks like after a glass of wine tomorrow – should at least make me laugh !
Personally I think the main highlights are yet to come, and getting out of Birmingham airport at about quarter past one on Tuesday will be one of them – the rest you will just have to guess.
Oh, and this is the 47th blog !
I think it’ll be wise to discount my night in Dubai for the moment as I haven’t really got any idea what to expect, or I will get there so late that it doesn’t matter (and I am acutely aware that the flight leaves at 0805hrs and I should be there at about 6 if I want to do any shopping, so missing my flight is not a very bright option !)
So, here goes -
44 days (45 if you count one more night in Dubai)
28 nights at the COB, 14 nights on site, 1 night in hospital, 1 night in Dubai, 1 night on an airplane.
1 unit of alcohol (a small glass of pink champagne which, as you’ll all know, I didn’t really enjoy, but I took it to be sociable)
$194 in cash on cigars and other bits and pieces (that’s about £125)
Cigars – 115, that’s less than 3 a day on average which considering it’s my only vice out here, I don’t think that’s all that bad. It’s funny, whether everyone else has the same thoughts or this is just where you come if you smoke, but the ratio here is probably 50-50, certainly higher than I have seen it for a few years.
Gym – 27 trips to the gym in 45 days that’s more than 1 every 2 days, which considering I was ill for a week and spent 2 weeks in the desert isn’t bad either really. They have stopped us running around the perimeter of ROO Camp for “security” reasons, even when we take an armed guard with us, so the opportunities for exercise have been limited and motivation has been a problem. There is something about getting changed and “going” to the gym that gets you up and moving, and whilst you are there you might as well do all the right things and make the most of it. It’s not quite the same as doing press-ups in your room every night.
Weather – mostly it has been burning hot. The highest temperature measured, but not that accurately, was 64deg. I have no idea what the lowest was I’m afraid. We have had several sand storms and one thunderstorm followed by a torrential downpour that lasted a good hour. We had one morning of fluffy clouds (and this afternoon had clouds, although you wouldn’t call it cloudy) and one day where the humidity was so high it was like fog, but not as we know it. We’ve had high winds and light breezes, and days where it’s so still, the heat just goes straight through you and it’s like turning on a tap as the sweat runs down your back.
Food – I’ve had good, bad, but mostly indifferent. We went through a period at the COB when the Chef ordered 700kgs of prime fillet steak (instead of 70kg) by mistake where we ate like Kings every night – BBQ nights were especially good. Some of the curries stand out, along with the evening where they cooked noodles to order. Breakfasts have been the downside, even with the crunchy American streaky bacon that has appeared at Phase 0 lately, it’s not the same. It’s also very easy to eat too much here and not take any exercise because you can have 3 courses to every meal and as much as you like. There aren’t really any snacking between meal opportunities, and of course no drinking, but you could easily put weight on here if you had a sedentary job – and I have seen some very good examples !
Lowlights – I guess my illness and night in hospital probably cover that element alone. I felt so wretched when they said I had to stay and be put on a drip, and very lonely too, but then again I was ill so I guess I wasn’t likely to be my usual happy self. I haven’t really enjoyed our client either – he’s a bully and I’m fairly certain that he doesn’t like me, because I’m indifferent to his bullying and I think that doesn’t suit him. I had a long chat with my boss this afternoon before I came away and we have decided (subject to things not changing whilst I am away) that I will do more of certain roles and less of others. I think there’ll be a general shift in several jobs so that we can have a permanent client face and some people who get on and make things happen. We’ll see when I get back, because there is plenty of time for it all to change again !
The internet is another lowlight, but also a highlight – you forget how dependant you are on it, it’s your only contact with home most of the time because the mobile phone systems are so erratic and there are no other ways of speaking to home – God only knows what the postal system is like here ! But when it’s working, and working well, it’s wonderful and it gives you endless opportunities for entertainment and for contact with civilisation.
Highlights – most of my highlights are little things, talking to home on Skype, finding a new shop on the base after being here for a month, my first drive out into the desert in an armoured car (that’s a bit sad really but I am struggling for highlights whilst I sit here…………). The weather was amazing when I first got here but it just became part of life, and then a drag after that. The pizza that I have just had was also a highlight – it cheered me up a bit as I was starving and I’d hit a bit of a low with the internet not working properly (see above) and the anti-climax of sort of setting off home but not really getting very far, if that makes any sense…….we are all going through a particularly difficult phase at work as well, for a number of reasons that I won’t bore you with, and I thought I would be even happier to get out but I guess I am just a team player……………..actually, I’ve just read that back and I’m going to leave it in and see what it looks like after a glass of wine tomorrow – should at least make me laugh !
Personally I think the main highlights are yet to come, and getting out of Birmingham airport at about quarter past one on Tuesday will be one of them – the rest you will just have to guess.
Oh, and this is the 47th blog !
Saturday 7 August 2010
Diversion Tactics
Before we get onto the meat of the subject I would just like to share tonight’s dining experience with you. We were promised a BBQ, which is what we got, King Prawn and pineapple kebabs, pork steaks, burgers, rib eye steaks, baked potatoes, salads, sauces and jelly and ice cream – I’m stuffed !
We ate outside as well, which was sort of nice but when you are used to eating in an air-conditioned dining room it’s a bit of a shock to the system to be in 30+deg heat with the sound of an enormous generator rumbling away in the background. As with all these occasions we are the last to leave and they end up clearing away around us. We generally do this because there is very little that’s attractive about going back to your room at eight and playing on the internet or watching another film. I’ve tried going to sleep early but it just means that I wake up early, and then lay in bed trying not to go back to sleep because I know I’ll oversleep if I do. I have to be up tomorrow at about 6.30 to go with the client on his early morning walkabout – I have to take one for the troops as it’s my last day.
His walkabouts are notorious – he asks questions non-stop until he finds one that you can’t answer, then he piles in – you end up on the radio to one of your staff trying to find the answer out instantly whilst the whole of your team waits…… to be fair we have generally been waiting since about half an hour after he sets off (most people can do half an hour before he finds something). It’s a sort of morbid fascination – if I’m due out I spend the night wondering what I should have mugged up on before everyone went home today, so that I can have some more answers ready just in case. It must be like being a politician, always having to have all the answers at your fingertips just in case.
What’s all this got to do with diversion tactics I hear you all cry – well, during our after dinner cup of tea discussion we were talking about diversion tactics for naughty children – you know the sort of thing
“wail wail I wan a bicut wail wail”
“oh look, spoon…..”
“eeh ?”
One of my colleagues has a term for it, he calls it Squirrel, as in
“oh look, a squirrel”
“where”
“oh, it’s gone now”
The discussion meandered around to using diversion tactics when the client asked difficult questions – the favourite being
“oh, sorry, the phones vibrating – won’t be a sec”
or if you have an ear piece for your radio then
“hang on – there’s something coming through”
and then in both cases jabbering away quietly whether there was anyone there or not, until he gets bored and walks off.
My personal favourite was just taking a ball out of my pocket and throwing it, but that was deemed unprofessional, although it was agreed that it was likely to result in the best facial expression from the client……..I might try the squirrel one though, I think that’s got mileage, although I will probably have to use a lizard as there isn’t a tree in sight !
The worst thing is knowing that, like I was this morning, everyone in the team is waiting by their radios for the first sign of weakness, and trying to keep a straight face when I realise I am going to have to get on the radio !
I though I would treat you to some site photos from one of the towers. Those of you that have been following this drivel for 6 weeks will be able to remember what it looked like 6 weeks ago, and those of you that haven’t, will be able to go back and have a look. And before any smart Alec says that it doesn’t look much try and remember that we have had to raise the whole site by nearly 2 metres !
Today’ inventory
1 medium sized cigar and 3 small ones – I had two different suppliers today because I can’t rely on anyone anymore – tusk !
0 units and £0 dollars – tomorrow is going to cost me though, as I had to promise a pizza and a milkshake to someone back at the COB to get a job done.
No gym – but I had to have a shower at lunchtime as I was soaked with sweat after spending several hours out on site so that must count for something ?
Weather – bloody hot again, in a burning sort of way. I had to put suncream on my nose at lunchtime, which is not the sort of thing you do when you're panic tanning before going home !
Food – BBQ and Ice Cream (and jelly)
Countdown – 1 desert sleep, 1 COB sleep, 1 Dubai sleep – I’ve tried very hard not to keep talking about it today because I know how irritating it got when other people were going home earlier and I wasn’t – I‘m not sure I can do it tomorrow though……
Tomorrow I thought I would do a summary of my inventory (because Lewis suggested it) for the whole trip along with my highs and lows (one of the lows is likely to be the sand in my keyboard, but you can’t see how many times I have to go back and retype words because there are letters missing – mental note to self, must remember to hover keyboard when I get home !) and Monday’s is likely to be typed at the airport (or even on the plane) concerning my night out in Dubai and posted on Tuesday morning (probably) and then Tuesday’s will be very short !
Evening All !
We ate outside as well, which was sort of nice but when you are used to eating in an air-conditioned dining room it’s a bit of a shock to the system to be in 30+deg heat with the sound of an enormous generator rumbling away in the background. As with all these occasions we are the last to leave and they end up clearing away around us. We generally do this because there is very little that’s attractive about going back to your room at eight and playing on the internet or watching another film. I’ve tried going to sleep early but it just means that I wake up early, and then lay in bed trying not to go back to sleep because I know I’ll oversleep if I do. I have to be up tomorrow at about 6.30 to go with the client on his early morning walkabout – I have to take one for the troops as it’s my last day.
His walkabouts are notorious – he asks questions non-stop until he finds one that you can’t answer, then he piles in – you end up on the radio to one of your staff trying to find the answer out instantly whilst the whole of your team waits…… to be fair we have generally been waiting since about half an hour after he sets off (most people can do half an hour before he finds something). It’s a sort of morbid fascination – if I’m due out I spend the night wondering what I should have mugged up on before everyone went home today, so that I can have some more answers ready just in case. It must be like being a politician, always having to have all the answers at your fingertips just in case.
What’s all this got to do with diversion tactics I hear you all cry – well, during our after dinner cup of tea discussion we were talking about diversion tactics for naughty children – you know the sort of thing
“wail wail I wan a bicut wail wail”
“oh look, spoon…..”
“eeh ?”
One of my colleagues has a term for it, he calls it Squirrel, as in
“oh look, a squirrel”
“where”
“oh, it’s gone now”
The discussion meandered around to using diversion tactics when the client asked difficult questions – the favourite being
“oh, sorry, the phones vibrating – won’t be a sec”
or if you have an ear piece for your radio then
“hang on – there’s something coming through”
and then in both cases jabbering away quietly whether there was anyone there or not, until he gets bored and walks off.
My personal favourite was just taking a ball out of my pocket and throwing it, but that was deemed unprofessional, although it was agreed that it was likely to result in the best facial expression from the client……..I might try the squirrel one though, I think that’s got mileage, although I will probably have to use a lizard as there isn’t a tree in sight !
The worst thing is knowing that, like I was this morning, everyone in the team is waiting by their radios for the first sign of weakness, and trying to keep a straight face when I realise I am going to have to get on the radio !
I though I would treat you to some site photos from one of the towers. Those of you that have been following this drivel for 6 weeks will be able to remember what it looked like 6 weeks ago, and those of you that haven’t, will be able to go back and have a look. And before any smart Alec says that it doesn’t look much try and remember that we have had to raise the whole site by nearly 2 metres !
Today’ inventory
1 medium sized cigar and 3 small ones – I had two different suppliers today because I can’t rely on anyone anymore – tusk !
0 units and £0 dollars – tomorrow is going to cost me though, as I had to promise a pizza and a milkshake to someone back at the COB to get a job done.
No gym – but I had to have a shower at lunchtime as I was soaked with sweat after spending several hours out on site so that must count for something ?
Weather – bloody hot again, in a burning sort of way. I had to put suncream on my nose at lunchtime, which is not the sort of thing you do when you're panic tanning before going home !
Food – BBQ and Ice Cream (and jelly)
Countdown – 1 desert sleep, 1 COB sleep, 1 Dubai sleep – I’ve tried very hard not to keep talking about it today because I know how irritating it got when other people were going home earlier and I wasn’t – I‘m not sure I can do it tomorrow though……
Tomorrow I thought I would do a summary of my inventory (because Lewis suggested it) for the whole trip along with my highs and lows (one of the lows is likely to be the sand in my keyboard, but you can’t see how many times I have to go back and retype words because there are letters missing – mental note to self, must remember to hover keyboard when I get home !) and Monday’s is likely to be typed at the airport (or even on the plane) concerning my night out in Dubai and posted on Tuesday morning (probably) and then Tuesday’s will be very short !
Evening All !
Friday 6 August 2010
And Tonight’s Specialist Subject is……..
Completely unknown………I’m at a loss, bereft of ideas, an empty vessel floating on a sea of inertia. On the up-side, I've started Sunday nights blog and Monday and Tuesday's should be easy !
I’ve got some photos that I promised Amy I would take the next time I was around at the security compound, so we could start with them and see where it leads us……
Some time ago I commented on the new air-conditioned dog kennels which we’d been making for our explosive sniffing dogs, and that they were better looked after than us because they have somewhere to exercise. Well, I went over to see them today because I’ve heard a lot about them and here are some photographs of them at home (it’s a bit like Hello Magazine). I’m afraid I don’t know their names at the moment so don’t bother asking me ! (I have heard their names in the past though, and they’re Western names not Arabic which I thought was interesting)
We use them as part of the search teams at the gate, but, and I didn’t know this until now, the Iraqi Muslims have a major problem with dogs and we had uproar at the gate when we started using them the first time, because the dogs we standing with their front legs in the cars and sniffing around the seats and the things that were being left in the cars when the occupants got out to be searched……and don’t get me started on what happens when a dog sniffs your lunch and you’re a practicing Muslim over here ! I will have to talk to my Muslim friend when I get back about all this and try and understand whether is an international problem or just an Iraqi one.
The upshot is that the dogs can sniff around the car with the occupants in it and the windows down, and then the occupants all get out and go and sign in and the cars are then searched manually by two specialist searchers.
We use the dogs for other things as well, such as searching some of the thousands of cubic meters of fill we have been using to compact the sandy ground to an acceptable level to dig trenches in (you’ve all tried to dig deep holes on the beach, well this is a thousand times worse because the sand is not intrinsically wet underneath the surface – we also have to put thousands of gallons of water onto it whilst we are compacting it). I’m drifting off the subject a little. This stuff comes in from outside, in lorries, gets dumped in roughly the right area, then it’s spread out by diggers and at this point we turn the dogs into it. They can sniff out bullets and bits of old munitions, and if there aren’t any, then handlers will go and hide a couple of bullets in the dirt so that they always find something and get a fuss made of them. It’s quite nice to watch them whizzing about, their tails going ten to the dozen……
You will notice from the photos that they’re all completely different and it was quite funny to walk past the German Shepard, the Labrador and end up with the scabby yapping mongrel – I guess it takes all sorts, even in the dog world !
Today’s inventory:
1 cigar – I’m out and the usual supplier didn’t come to work today because it’s Friday and there’s nobody for him to manage when the subbies don’t show up. I might well have lost my sense of humour by the time I have a site meeting in the morning at eight – time will tell, but if we have any childishness then the fur will fly !
0 units and $0 dollars
No Gym
Weather was hot hot hot (so get a grown up to help you get it out children !)
Food – there’s nothing wrong with it but it’s just getting a bit repetitive, however, tonight there was a sign up advertising a BBQ tomorrow night with all the different meats and kebabs, and salads, and baked potatoes……..and Ice Cream ! It’s my last night here for a few weeks so it would be nice if it went off with a bit a bang (but not literally thank you) although it’s the first time we’ve had one here so I’m setting my expectation levels somewhere between flame grilled and charcoal, but I’ll do it with a big smile on my face !
Countdown – Two ROO Camp Sleeps, One COB sleep and One Dubai sleep. I think tomorrow night will feel like I have started the journey home and I think consequently it will be very difficult to concentrate all day on Sunday (mental note to self – don’t fall down a trench and break your leg !)
And on that cheery note I will bid you all a very good night.
I’ve got some photos that I promised Amy I would take the next time I was around at the security compound, so we could start with them and see where it leads us……
Some time ago I commented on the new air-conditioned dog kennels which we’d been making for our explosive sniffing dogs, and that they were better looked after than us because they have somewhere to exercise. Well, I went over to see them today because I’ve heard a lot about them and here are some photographs of them at home (it’s a bit like Hello Magazine). I’m afraid I don’t know their names at the moment so don’t bother asking me ! (I have heard their names in the past though, and they’re Western names not Arabic which I thought was interesting)
We use them as part of the search teams at the gate, but, and I didn’t know this until now, the Iraqi Muslims have a major problem with dogs and we had uproar at the gate when we started using them the first time, because the dogs we standing with their front legs in the cars and sniffing around the seats and the things that were being left in the cars when the occupants got out to be searched……and don’t get me started on what happens when a dog sniffs your lunch and you’re a practicing Muslim over here ! I will have to talk to my Muslim friend when I get back about all this and try and understand whether is an international problem or just an Iraqi one.
The upshot is that the dogs can sniff around the car with the occupants in it and the windows down, and then the occupants all get out and go and sign in and the cars are then searched manually by two specialist searchers.
We use the dogs for other things as well, such as searching some of the thousands of cubic meters of fill we have been using to compact the sandy ground to an acceptable level to dig trenches in (you’ve all tried to dig deep holes on the beach, well this is a thousand times worse because the sand is not intrinsically wet underneath the surface – we also have to put thousands of gallons of water onto it whilst we are compacting it). I’m drifting off the subject a little. This stuff comes in from outside, in lorries, gets dumped in roughly the right area, then it’s spread out by diggers and at this point we turn the dogs into it. They can sniff out bullets and bits of old munitions, and if there aren’t any, then handlers will go and hide a couple of bullets in the dirt so that they always find something and get a fuss made of them. It’s quite nice to watch them whizzing about, their tails going ten to the dozen……
You will notice from the photos that they’re all completely different and it was quite funny to walk past the German Shepard, the Labrador and end up with the scabby yapping mongrel – I guess it takes all sorts, even in the dog world !
Today’s inventory:
1 cigar – I’m out and the usual supplier didn’t come to work today because it’s Friday and there’s nobody for him to manage when the subbies don’t show up. I might well have lost my sense of humour by the time I have a site meeting in the morning at eight – time will tell, but if we have any childishness then the fur will fly !
0 units and $0 dollars
No Gym
Weather was hot hot hot (so get a grown up to help you get it out children !)
Food – there’s nothing wrong with it but it’s just getting a bit repetitive, however, tonight there was a sign up advertising a BBQ tomorrow night with all the different meats and kebabs, and salads, and baked potatoes……..and Ice Cream ! It’s my last night here for a few weeks so it would be nice if it went off with a bit a bang (but not literally thank you) although it’s the first time we’ve had one here so I’m setting my expectation levels somewhere between flame grilled and charcoal, but I’ll do it with a big smile on my face !
Countdown – Two ROO Camp Sleeps, One COB sleep and One Dubai sleep. I think tomorrow night will feel like I have started the journey home and I think consequently it will be very difficult to concentrate all day on Sunday (mental note to self – don’t fall down a trench and break your leg !)
And on that cheery note I will bid you all a very good night.
Thursday 5 August 2010
A Sad Day
Today got off to a difficult start as one of the clients security company’s Local Nationals died in his room late last evening. This would explain the crashing and banging that I heard at about 11 last night as I put out the light to go to sleep, and all the frantic radio traffic that was going on. (I believe he died peacefully and the crashing and banging was them trying to revive him - just in case there is any confusion and you though he was being beaten to death or something)
I was never worried about safety or security as the noise didn’t have that feeling to it, and as with all these things, I went to sleep and missed all the formal wailing and chanting as they took the body away in an ambulance with the police in tow.
I am not sure of many details (well, none of them actually, except there is a spare bed now, I think we can be sure of that). I am pretty sure that he was 23 and that he had complained of not feeling very well at dinner and they found him at 11 when he didn’t turn up to a briefing. After that it’s all a bit sketchy, and the people I would normally go to for gossip are the people trying to sort out the repercussions, so it would be slightly insensitive to arrive asking questions…..at least until the dust settles anyway.
The Security Company here on site has now entered a 3 day period of mourning until the funeral, which isn’t effecting us particularly because we use a different security company, but for the client it’s a pain as they are only performing basic guard duties, so no driving or escorts, which means the client is confined to barracks until after the funeral. We have offered assistance where we can but it’s only really emergency assistance and then only if we are going that way anyway (mainly the COB for people needing to get flights etc. or paperwork and other supplies) so we are all prisoners together. It’s a very serene atmosphere though because it’s a close knit sort of community and we have been used to the guard shift that isn’t working sitting around chatting and smoking, or going off to play football on our building site (we don’t mind too much, because where they play we haven’t dug trenches yet and it’s over seen by one of their spotlights, and it’s flat. It keeps them off the street I suppose. But at the moment it’s all very quiet……
Other than that, today’s had a bit of a Saturday afternoon feeling about it, mostly I suspect because it’s Friday tomorrow (Islamic Sunday) and there won’t be that many people on site anyway, so they packed up early and disappeared. They do that somehow, just disappear. One minute it’s a busy site and then you turn around and they have all gone. Maybe they’re like that on building sites the world over and it’s just my lack of experience showing through.
They don’t do it on mass either. I sat and watched them one day, out of curiosity, and the drift off in one’s and two’s, and then a digger will roll off the site and there will be four in the cab, then you will take your eye off them for a second and voomph, the rest just seem to evaporate. They’re supposed to be working 2 shifts at the moment, but I have only seen that on a few days this week, although the weather did put a stop it yesterday, there was hardly a sole about when I walked around the site at 4 this afternoon. It remains to be seen what will happen as the month goes on, but Ramadan is approaching next week (just after I have left – how lucky is that !) and then they’re not supposed to eat or drink from one hour before sunrise till dusk. With sunrise being about 5am here, they can pretty much survive until lunchtime before they keel over – which just seems daft to me, and not particularly helpful. Anyway we have one shift working Ramadan hours at the moment so everybody gets used to it. We have also tried to get some idea of numbers out of the subbies as to who will be fasting and who won’t, so that we can try to plan works involving non-fasters in the afternoons after all the fasters have gone home or keeled over……..I hope you’re keeping up with all this…..
We have to watch out for people swinging the lead though, and I am assured that they will try, by saying they are going to fast and that they have to go home at 12 and then going out for dinner. The best lot we have is our own security company where pretty much half want to fast and the other half don’t want to. Simply, we put the half that fast on at night so they can eat all night and sleep all day and the half that don’t want to fast on during the day when it’s not a problem for them to eat and drink – easy peasy !
As I said, I leave 2 days before Ramadan starts and get back 3 days before the celebrations begin for the end – and no planning involved………now all we want is the lottery numbers to come up and my life will be complete !
Today’s inventory:
2 Cigars – I’m down to one with a promise of more coming in tomorrow…….watch this space for a grumpy bastard if they don’t !
0 units and $0 dollars – I handed over the scotch to someone who can make better use of it than me – the idea of me drinking it never entered my head, it’s disgusting to me for some reason but I sure I’m grateful for whatever the reason is. I’d have bet you 6 weeks ago that I would be willing to drink lighter fluid by now but I’ve surprised even myself with my lack of need. I’m going to murder one when I get home but up till now I’m quite comfortable without one.
Gym – nothing, and nothing till Sunday by the look of it. I will have to go on Monday before I go to the airport as well, just to make it feel like I am trying, which means I am going to turn up at home with smelly sweaty gym kit, which is a great welcome home present I’m sure you will agree !
Food – again, nothing to write home about although I am in the bosses good books cause I have laid my hands on some Snickers………
Weather – blazing hot after yesterday
Countdown – three sleeps to the COB, one to Dubai and one more to Birmingham.
Share tip – Buy BP
Today, I completed the whole set of travel documents – Passport, Exit Visa, Paper ticket from Basra to Dubai and electronic ticket from Dubai to Birmingham. Just a few more sleeps and a bit of luck and I’ll be shouting at the kids just like the rest of you !
I haven’t got any photos for you today because I haven’t seen anything that interests me but if you’ve got any requests, bearing in mind where I am, so be realistic please, then shout, because the next time I come back the whole site will look completely different.
I was never worried about safety or security as the noise didn’t have that feeling to it, and as with all these things, I went to sleep and missed all the formal wailing and chanting as they took the body away in an ambulance with the police in tow.
I am not sure of many details (well, none of them actually, except there is a spare bed now, I think we can be sure of that). I am pretty sure that he was 23 and that he had complained of not feeling very well at dinner and they found him at 11 when he didn’t turn up to a briefing. After that it’s all a bit sketchy, and the people I would normally go to for gossip are the people trying to sort out the repercussions, so it would be slightly insensitive to arrive asking questions…..at least until the dust settles anyway.
The Security Company here on site has now entered a 3 day period of mourning until the funeral, which isn’t effecting us particularly because we use a different security company, but for the client it’s a pain as they are only performing basic guard duties, so no driving or escorts, which means the client is confined to barracks until after the funeral. We have offered assistance where we can but it’s only really emergency assistance and then only if we are going that way anyway (mainly the COB for people needing to get flights etc. or paperwork and other supplies) so we are all prisoners together. It’s a very serene atmosphere though because it’s a close knit sort of community and we have been used to the guard shift that isn’t working sitting around chatting and smoking, or going off to play football on our building site (we don’t mind too much, because where they play we haven’t dug trenches yet and it’s over seen by one of their spotlights, and it’s flat. It keeps them off the street I suppose. But at the moment it’s all very quiet……
Other than that, today’s had a bit of a Saturday afternoon feeling about it, mostly I suspect because it’s Friday tomorrow (Islamic Sunday) and there won’t be that many people on site anyway, so they packed up early and disappeared. They do that somehow, just disappear. One minute it’s a busy site and then you turn around and they have all gone. Maybe they’re like that on building sites the world over and it’s just my lack of experience showing through.
They don’t do it on mass either. I sat and watched them one day, out of curiosity, and the drift off in one’s and two’s, and then a digger will roll off the site and there will be four in the cab, then you will take your eye off them for a second and voomph, the rest just seem to evaporate. They’re supposed to be working 2 shifts at the moment, but I have only seen that on a few days this week, although the weather did put a stop it yesterday, there was hardly a sole about when I walked around the site at 4 this afternoon. It remains to be seen what will happen as the month goes on, but Ramadan is approaching next week (just after I have left – how lucky is that !) and then they’re not supposed to eat or drink from one hour before sunrise till dusk. With sunrise being about 5am here, they can pretty much survive until lunchtime before they keel over – which just seems daft to me, and not particularly helpful. Anyway we have one shift working Ramadan hours at the moment so everybody gets used to it. We have also tried to get some idea of numbers out of the subbies as to who will be fasting and who won’t, so that we can try to plan works involving non-fasters in the afternoons after all the fasters have gone home or keeled over……..I hope you’re keeping up with all this…..
We have to watch out for people swinging the lead though, and I am assured that they will try, by saying they are going to fast and that they have to go home at 12 and then going out for dinner. The best lot we have is our own security company where pretty much half want to fast and the other half don’t want to. Simply, we put the half that fast on at night so they can eat all night and sleep all day and the half that don’t want to fast on during the day when it’s not a problem for them to eat and drink – easy peasy !
As I said, I leave 2 days before Ramadan starts and get back 3 days before the celebrations begin for the end – and no planning involved………now all we want is the lottery numbers to come up and my life will be complete !
Today’s inventory:
2 Cigars – I’m down to one with a promise of more coming in tomorrow…….watch this space for a grumpy bastard if they don’t !
0 units and $0 dollars – I handed over the scotch to someone who can make better use of it than me – the idea of me drinking it never entered my head, it’s disgusting to me for some reason but I sure I’m grateful for whatever the reason is. I’d have bet you 6 weeks ago that I would be willing to drink lighter fluid by now but I’ve surprised even myself with my lack of need. I’m going to murder one when I get home but up till now I’m quite comfortable without one.
Gym – nothing, and nothing till Sunday by the look of it. I will have to go on Monday before I go to the airport as well, just to make it feel like I am trying, which means I am going to turn up at home with smelly sweaty gym kit, which is a great welcome home present I’m sure you will agree !
Food – again, nothing to write home about although I am in the bosses good books cause I have laid my hands on some Snickers………
Weather – blazing hot after yesterday
Countdown – three sleeps to the COB, one to Dubai and one more to Birmingham.
Share tip – Buy BP
Today, I completed the whole set of travel documents – Passport, Exit Visa, Paper ticket from Basra to Dubai and electronic ticket from Dubai to Birmingham. Just a few more sleeps and a bit of luck and I’ll be shouting at the kids just like the rest of you !
I haven’t got any photos for you today because I haven’t seen anything that interests me but if you’ve got any requests, bearing in mind where I am, so be realistic please, then shout, because the next time I come back the whole site will look completely different.
Wednesday 4 August 2010
The Team
Today, at the suggestion of my family, I thought I would tell you a little about the team I am working with here, both on site and back at the COB. I have always tried to shy away from naming names, both corporate and personal, so that both for security reasons and for my own personal safety (i.e. they can’t take offence at any thing I write if they should happen to stumble across my blog) I can avoid compromising anything.
I won’t put up an organisation chart because that would look a little anal, therefore if you have any questions you will have to ask – just try to imagine little lines connecting everyone if that helps.
At the top of the Chart is our Project Manager (PM), an Aussie, roughly my age, with over 5 years experience out here. She has overall responsibility for the project. Under her there are a number of direct reports, the Construction Manager (CM), an expat from “up north” (and also roughly my age) based out of Dubai when he's not in Iraq. He is a Structural Engineer by training with loads of experience working on site. Then there’s me – nominally I am a Quality Control Manager (QCM) for 50% of my time and the other 50% is shared between Construction and Project Management depending on who is away on rotation at the time. This week I are be mostly a CM and a QCM (because the CM is away on leave). Last week I was a Project Manager and a QC Manager. Next week I will be happy not managing anything !
Also under the PM are a stream of Iraqi Engineers and Surveyors, they cover all of the disciplines across the site and generally there are 2 of each covering 2 shifts. The are all managed by a Construction Site Manager who reports directly to the PM. There are Mechanical & Electrical Engineers, Structural and Civil Engineers as well as Health & Safety Managers and Quantity Surveyors (I always put QS’s last because I have known so many over the years that should be put last, that it’s become a bit of a habit – it must be said that I haven’t seen them in their natural habitat before and the difference is generally very good, as they no longer have time to interfere with everyone else’s jobs because they’re to busy doing their own. Only time will tell if they can stick to that !).
We have a Planner, who is way more than that, and has masses of construction experience and who has been a great help to me – he likes detail, which is nice because I hate it ! He only has one fault, he’s Welsh, but you can’t have everything ! He lives in Bahrain and has just gone home on leave and I miss his acidic whit, as well as the rumours that he seems to be able to conjure up from nowhere (he lives on the COB and seems to have a finger in everything) – he’s rarely right but again, you can’t have everything and he is entertaining. He’s the one that thinks I’m the peace keeper in the team so clearly he’s mad !
We also have a Health and Safety Manager (who is South African and bunks with me at Camp Zero and is also teh same age as me and a Grandfather 3 times over) and an M&E Manager. The M&E Manager tends to spend more time at the COB for reasons known only to himself, but he’s Irish and quite young, from Dubai and I think he likes his creature comforts. We also have QS who is there to deal with contracts and variations (he’s from Gloucester but we won’t hold that against him for now……). He has to be very IT based with the systems out of Iraq so invariably has to be at the COB. He’s useful to know because he seems to have been around the COB longer than anyone else I have come across and can tell you where to find just about anything.
It is worth saying that I haven’t really found one that I don’t like (there’s a couple I wouldn’t want to get stuck in a lift with but again, that's a story for another medium !)
Above the PM is the usual structure of people who have been promoted to get them out of positions where they can do some real damage, and a further structure based in Dubai who are supposed to support us but generally hold things up and lose paperwork so that we have to do everything twice. The less said about those two elements, the better, although it has to be said that if you can actually find out who makes it all work (as I think I have) then it helps a great deal to grease the wheels.
Today we have been graced with the presence of two of our great and good, one of whom I distrust immensely and the other I quite like but who is rarely in Iraq as he has other countries to look after. So we’re been on our best behaviour so far (they’re staying the night so I will have to be on my best behaviour tomorrow morning as well !)
That’s it really, the system of rotation does not help at all because you could do with some continuity, but if you stayed out here too long then you start to get a little crazy. You also start to think that you know everything which is a pain, and does cause some resentment amongst those of us who are just trying to do our jobs. Why people feel the need to constantly tell you about this time in 2003, or that time in 2006 blah blah blah - it can just turn into one big dick measuring contest if you’re not careful.
Today’s inventory:
3 Cigars – probably. I’m writing this before dinner for reasons you will note when you get to the weather section, so I may have to have another one (I’ve had 2 so far) before bed
0 units and $0 dollars – although I was presented with a bottle of scotch today as a preset from a contactor but as some of you will know scotch and I don’t get on so I’m going to give it away at some point in the near future (when the heat is off and the bosses have gone home)
Food – boring boring boring. I am going to go on a chocolate hunt later to see what I can dig up !
Weather – what a day…….. started overcast and Tolkein like, got very hot and sticky towards mid-day then all hell broke loose – thunder, lightening, massive dust storm, torrential rain and then more wind and rain. The temperature dropped by 20 degrees at least and suddenly became pleasant. I am waiting for it to go as fast as it came but it doesn’t seem to want to !
I won’t put up an organisation chart because that would look a little anal, therefore if you have any questions you will have to ask – just try to imagine little lines connecting everyone if that helps.
At the top of the Chart is our Project Manager (PM), an Aussie, roughly my age, with over 5 years experience out here. She has overall responsibility for the project. Under her there are a number of direct reports, the Construction Manager (CM), an expat from “up north” (and also roughly my age) based out of Dubai when he's not in Iraq. He is a Structural Engineer by training with loads of experience working on site. Then there’s me – nominally I am a Quality Control Manager (QCM) for 50% of my time and the other 50% is shared between Construction and Project Management depending on who is away on rotation at the time. This week I are be mostly a CM and a QCM (because the CM is away on leave). Last week I was a Project Manager and a QC Manager. Next week I will be happy not managing anything !
Also under the PM are a stream of Iraqi Engineers and Surveyors, they cover all of the disciplines across the site and generally there are 2 of each covering 2 shifts. The are all managed by a Construction Site Manager who reports directly to the PM. There are Mechanical & Electrical Engineers, Structural and Civil Engineers as well as Health & Safety Managers and Quantity Surveyors (I always put QS’s last because I have known so many over the years that should be put last, that it’s become a bit of a habit – it must be said that I haven’t seen them in their natural habitat before and the difference is generally very good, as they no longer have time to interfere with everyone else’s jobs because they’re to busy doing their own. Only time will tell if they can stick to that !).
We have a Planner, who is way more than that, and has masses of construction experience and who has been a great help to me – he likes detail, which is nice because I hate it ! He only has one fault, he’s Welsh, but you can’t have everything ! He lives in Bahrain and has just gone home on leave and I miss his acidic whit, as well as the rumours that he seems to be able to conjure up from nowhere (he lives on the COB and seems to have a finger in everything) – he’s rarely right but again, you can’t have everything and he is entertaining. He’s the one that thinks I’m the peace keeper in the team so clearly he’s mad !
We also have a Health and Safety Manager (who is South African and bunks with me at Camp Zero and is also teh same age as me and a Grandfather 3 times over) and an M&E Manager. The M&E Manager tends to spend more time at the COB for reasons known only to himself, but he’s Irish and quite young, from Dubai and I think he likes his creature comforts. We also have QS who is there to deal with contracts and variations (he’s from Gloucester but we won’t hold that against him for now……). He has to be very IT based with the systems out of Iraq so invariably has to be at the COB. He’s useful to know because he seems to have been around the COB longer than anyone else I have come across and can tell you where to find just about anything.
It is worth saying that I haven’t really found one that I don’t like (there’s a couple I wouldn’t want to get stuck in a lift with but again, that's a story for another medium !)
Above the PM is the usual structure of people who have been promoted to get them out of positions where they can do some real damage, and a further structure based in Dubai who are supposed to support us but generally hold things up and lose paperwork so that we have to do everything twice. The less said about those two elements, the better, although it has to be said that if you can actually find out who makes it all work (as I think I have) then it helps a great deal to grease the wheels.
Today we have been graced with the presence of two of our great and good, one of whom I distrust immensely and the other I quite like but who is rarely in Iraq as he has other countries to look after. So we’re been on our best behaviour so far (they’re staying the night so I will have to be on my best behaviour tomorrow morning as well !)
That’s it really, the system of rotation does not help at all because you could do with some continuity, but if you stayed out here too long then you start to get a little crazy. You also start to think that you know everything which is a pain, and does cause some resentment amongst those of us who are just trying to do our jobs. Why people feel the need to constantly tell you about this time in 2003, or that time in 2006 blah blah blah - it can just turn into one big dick measuring contest if you’re not careful.
Today’s inventory:
3 Cigars – probably. I’m writing this before dinner for reasons you will note when you get to the weather section, so I may have to have another one (I’ve had 2 so far) before bed
0 units and $0 dollars – although I was presented with a bottle of scotch today as a preset from a contactor but as some of you will know scotch and I don’t get on so I’m going to give it away at some point in the near future (when the heat is off and the bosses have gone home)
Food – boring boring boring. I am going to go on a chocolate hunt later to see what I can dig up !
Weather – what a day…….. started overcast and Tolkein like, got very hot and sticky towards mid-day then all hell broke loose – thunder, lightening, massive dust storm, torrential rain and then more wind and rain. The temperature dropped by 20 degrees at least and suddenly became pleasant. I am waiting for it to go as fast as it came but it doesn’t seem to want to !
Gym – nothing again and I am starting to panic that I might get fat……not very likely I grant you but worth worrying about !
Countdown – Four sleeps till I leave site, one more to leave Iraq and one more to get home from Dubai. I forgot to mention that I’m not playing musical beds tonight because we found an extra room for the management to stay in !
We have had no internet all day so you may have to read two on the same day if it doesn’t sort itself out (apologies for those of you that read this with their cornflakes !).
POST WRITING NOTE:
I have now found out that the Camp Manager (our client) had changed the password to limit who goes onto the internet and is only giving it out to people he can trust (read "friends"). When I found out it took me two minutes to get it from somebody which is why you're reading this. It might just be me (because I've had enough and want to go home) but that seems really childish and I've made a note of it and will "wreeek my rewengee" at some point in the near future - which is clearly not childish at all.........
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)