Miles and miles of golden sandy beaches, with hardly a soul on them........well, the unexploded ordnance and land mines might have something to do with that....
Today was an experience that anyone who has ever thought they could hack it anywhere has to try - a construction site in the middle of a desert oil field with temperatures in the late 50's and 40mph winds ! Add the armed guard who accompanies you everywhere with the armoured landcruiser ride to work and we have changed direction a little from the Streetlighting project I was doing in Northants and Cambs - but I shall certainly be ready for the Independent Certifier role after this !
The day starts with the oddest breakfast I think I have ever eaten (I'm positive that this is a ridiculous statement as I have eaten some very strange things for breakfast....but that's a different blog altogether !) then a walk to the office for 0800hrs before being picked up by our security teams. They consist of 3 armoured landcruisers, 4 Iraqi Nationals and 2 Expats (the team leader and the medic). All of this is for 2 "clients". Then body armour on, quick update on the current threat (a road closed on one of the routes we might have taken) and then strapped in and off. 2 minutes later we are all getting out of the cars at the exit checkpoint to the base (for retina scans, and so our guards can arm themselves - machine guns and pistols). Then we're off for real. Just over an hour on virtually empty roads in reasonable comfort. Then having gone through at least 4 different checkpoints we reach the piece of desert that will be a camp one day.
I'll tell you more about the camp another day as I suspect eventually I will have run out of things of interest to the majority of you - suffice it to say that 55deg heat brings it's own problems without the issues associated with 40+mph winds. The very few bits of exposed skin I had today have been well and truly exfoliated !
The drive back was similar to the drive out although we did drive past Chemical Ali's house on the way back - which was nice........
I am conscious that I haven't really mentioned the people or the company I'm working for, and I will probably try and avoid names etc. as I don't want to cross any "lines". It's worth noting thought that they have been helpful, friendly and extremely professional. Most have a history in the Middle East although few have long term experience in Iraq. That said, they have just accepted me as part of the team and assumed that I know what I'm doing......some are relying on that sweeping statement....... it's an interesting change in the pressure that work brings, and not an unwelcome one at that.
Today's reconciliation:
4 cigars, 0 units, no trips to the gym, no dollars spent (actually only $25 since Sunday and they were at the various airports), and at least 6 litres of water drunk (I lost count because they were in different sized bottles all day).
I'm off for a lie down. I don't know whether I'm in the office here tomorrow or the oilfield but I'll find out in the morning !
Night all.
Wednesday 30 June 2010
Tuesday 29 June 2010
Tuesday 29th
I have had to start titling these with the day and the date because already I am forgetting what day it is - which is either a good sign that I am settling in, or a bad sign that I am already going doolally !
Today -3 cigars, no units, 6 litres of water and one trip to the gym........oh, and some "Threat Awareness Training".
Weather - bloody hot ! It's like walking through a fan oven.
Tomorrow - off to see my new office. That is a picture of it taken about a month ago. Now there is a full fence, ditch and wall all the way around it and living accommodation that will be occupied on Thursday by about 70 people. There's still accommodation for another 3000 people to be built - including all the various things you would associate with a large village in the middle of the desert (there's talk of a swimming pool at some point !)
You can just make out the first of the security ditches being dug in this one and the site offices in the background - and yes, it really is in the middle of nowhere........... The whole thing is about 1km x 1km so thats quite a lot of digging......I'll see if I can get a picture of what it's like now but anyone can look at it on Google Earth if they want to. I suppose it depends on when the last time Google thought it was necessary to take a picture of the desert as to how up to date it will be. It will be an interesting exercise in trivia to be able to spot when they next update there system. I suspect "Streetview" is some way off
Tomorrow's trip should prove interesting travelling in an armoured convoy to get to work - you lot complaining about the tubes and the trains will never get any sympathy out of me after this !
Anyway - time for bed said Zebadee !
Monday 28 June 2010
Day One
....and it's been a bloody long day !
5 cigars since 5pm on Sunday
1 small bottle of wine on the plane (no bars here so it might be the last for a while but I'll keep you informed !)
I set off from Northampton at 5 yesterday (thanks for the lift Matt), flew overnight into Dubai this morning (Terminal 3 at Dubai airport was absolutely spotless at 6.30 this morning), coffee and cake at Costa Coffee waiting for the office to open and then 3 hours of on-line company Health and Safety training ! I did well, passing both tests on less than 2 hours sleep (I did fall asleep at the computer at one point but everyone understood - it was H&S training after all !
Then off to Terminal 1 (what a shithole !) the only thing missing were the chickens and the goats. When you looked at the departures board you could see why. There was hardly a place I recognised, and the ones I did were all trouble - Basra, Beruit, Lebenon, Baghdad......news stories everyone of them ! The whole idea of queueing goes out the window with the Arabs. It makes Easyjet at Luton look positively civilised !
What can I say about Iraqi Airways....... not much really. We left an hour late and the scrum to get on the bus and then to claim a seat was astonishing. We got fed, and I suppose that wasn't to bad, and an hour and 20 mins later we had landed at Basra. We had been warned of up to 7 hours to get through immigration and passport control etc. and although I had to have 3 stamps at 3 different desks, as well as having my passport checked 3 more times (and all of this in the same room ffs !) we were through in 5 mins over the hour.
First impressions - 43deg at 6pm, the wind blowing off the desert, so it feels like you are standing in front of a hair dryers the whole time you are outside. The whole place looks and feels derelict from the outside. The US base where I'm staying is a bit of a misnomer - I should think there are at least 5 separate camps within the one perimeter. It's been a bit of a whirlwind tour so far but I now know where our/my office is and where my living accommodation is (Skylink).
I have my own room with Internet, satellite telly (haven't tested it yet), on-suite, fridge (full of water) and, holy of hollies....aircon ! It sounds very 4* but it's not really, just portacabins with a few useful facilities to make it bearable. My laundry gets turned round in less than a day and I had beef curry for tea so things can't be that bad.
It's 20 to 9 here and I've had less than 2 hours sleep in the last 30 so I'm going to get my head down ready for more training tomorrow and "badging", then off into the desert on Wednesday so see what we're building and to find out about my role.
One last thing - if you are reading this without being a "follower" it would be very helpful for me if you could take a few minutes to register cause then I know who I'm talking to.
Night all X
5 cigars since 5pm on Sunday
1 small bottle of wine on the plane (no bars here so it might be the last for a while but I'll keep you informed !)
I set off from Northampton at 5 yesterday (thanks for the lift Matt), flew overnight into Dubai this morning (Terminal 3 at Dubai airport was absolutely spotless at 6.30 this morning), coffee and cake at Costa Coffee waiting for the office to open and then 3 hours of on-line company Health and Safety training ! I did well, passing both tests on less than 2 hours sleep (I did fall asleep at the computer at one point but everyone understood - it was H&S training after all !
Then off to Terminal 1 (what a shithole !) the only thing missing were the chickens and the goats. When you looked at the departures board you could see why. There was hardly a place I recognised, and the ones I did were all trouble - Basra, Beruit, Lebenon, Baghdad......news stories everyone of them ! The whole idea of queueing goes out the window with the Arabs. It makes Easyjet at Luton look positively civilised !
What can I say about Iraqi Airways....... not much really. We left an hour late and the scrum to get on the bus and then to claim a seat was astonishing. We got fed, and I suppose that wasn't to bad, and an hour and 20 mins later we had landed at Basra. We had been warned of up to 7 hours to get through immigration and passport control etc. and although I had to have 3 stamps at 3 different desks, as well as having my passport checked 3 more times (and all of this in the same room ffs !) we were through in 5 mins over the hour.
First impressions - 43deg at 6pm, the wind blowing off the desert, so it feels like you are standing in front of a hair dryers the whole time you are outside. The whole place looks and feels derelict from the outside. The US base where I'm staying is a bit of a misnomer - I should think there are at least 5 separate camps within the one perimeter. It's been a bit of a whirlwind tour so far but I now know where our/my office is and where my living accommodation is (Skylink).
I have my own room with Internet, satellite telly (haven't tested it yet), on-suite, fridge (full of water) and, holy of hollies....aircon ! It sounds very 4* but it's not really, just portacabins with a few useful facilities to make it bearable. My laundry gets turned round in less than a day and I had beef curry for tea so things can't be that bad.
It's 20 to 9 here and I've had less than 2 hours sleep in the last 30 so I'm going to get my head down ready for more training tomorrow and "badging", then off into the desert on Wednesday so see what we're building and to find out about my role.
One last thing - if you are reading this without being a "follower" it would be very helpful for me if you could take a few minutes to register cause then I know who I'm talking to.
Night all X
Sunday 27 June 2010
D-Day minus 4 hours (ish)
The tight git has been offered a lift to the airport (which is nice) and has just about shaken off his hangover derived from his daughters 8th birthday party.
The packing is done, the dollars bought, the hair cut - there are no more excuses, onwards and upwards etc.
See you all either Monday evening (If I get organised in time) or Tuesday when I would have passed through Heathrow and Dubai, into Basra and spent a whole day at work........hopefully.
The packing is done, the dollars bought, the hair cut - there are no more excuses, onwards and upwards etc.
See you all either Monday evening (If I get organised in time) or Tuesday when I would have passed through Heathrow and Dubai, into Basra and spent a whole day at work........hopefully.
Saturday 26 June 2010
D-Day minus 1
Not much to say really. The excitement is rising, the argument about whether I spend £110 on a taxi to the airport or £25 on the train is raging (apparently I'm a tight fisted git........)
On the up side, I got some very expensive factor 30 all day suncream in Boots at 2 for 1 so there's a result !
Flying to Dubai on the 2040hrs Emerates flight and then on to Basra on Iraqi Airways (should be an experience) on Monday afternoon
I doubt I will get on line with anything worth talking about now until Tuesday (which will be Day 3 in the diary room) but at least I will have something to talk about, and perhaps a couple of photos.
Good luck everyone.
On the up side, I got some very expensive factor 30 all day suncream in Boots at 2 for 1 so there's a result !
Flying to Dubai on the 2040hrs Emerates flight and then on to Basra on Iraqi Airways (should be an experience) on Monday afternoon
I doubt I will get on line with anything worth talking about now until Tuesday (which will be Day 3 in the diary room) but at least I will have something to talk about, and perhaps a couple of photos.
Good luck everyone.
Wednesday 23 June 2010
D-Day minus 3
Yesterday proved much more interesting as I finally spoke to someone who's actually out there. I now have the full run down on the weather, the accommodation, the other people, what to wear etc. etc. etc.
I also know what I'm going out to do now ! Project and Contract Management for the initial phases of a 3000 person camp being built for BP workers for a new oil field an hour outside Basra. The first 70 people move in on 1st July. I'll apparently be living on a US Military base at Basra airport for the first part of my stint but moving to the camp at some point (which will save 3 hours a day of tedious travelling apparently)
I can now answer most of the questions being asked by my wife and our friends - which is helpful, frankly.
I my never ending quest for efficiency I am taking the Tuscan to TVR Power today for some engine work whilst I am away (free off-street parking for a month !), catching the train from Coventry to London for a meeting and some pub related football (and some lightweight trouser and shirt shopping - it's 55deg at the moment and you have to wear trousers to avoid offending anyone ?), whilst making sure I'm home in time for Tracey to go to a Governors meeting.......life carries on as normal around here !
It brings back the interesting point about fitting in with others culture whilst we are abroad but them wanting us to fit in with theirs whilst we are still at home as well - my take is that they have guns over there and if they want me to wear trousers or they'll shoot me then I'm happy to wear trousers !
I now know that I'm flying from Heathrow to Dubai on Emerates at 2040hrs on Sunday (if you want to down it with a scud !) and then straight on into Basra on Iraqi Airways on Monday so I might struggle with the diary on Sunday/Monday - and if you never hear anything again then you'll know that the scud got me !
Right, must get on - won't get to Coventry by sitting here talking to you lot !
I also know what I'm going out to do now ! Project and Contract Management for the initial phases of a 3000 person camp being built for BP workers for a new oil field an hour outside Basra. The first 70 people move in on 1st July. I'll apparently be living on a US Military base at Basra airport for the first part of my stint but moving to the camp at some point (which will save 3 hours a day of tedious travelling apparently)
I can now answer most of the questions being asked by my wife and our friends - which is helpful, frankly.
I my never ending quest for efficiency I am taking the Tuscan to TVR Power today for some engine work whilst I am away (free off-street parking for a month !), catching the train from Coventry to London for a meeting and some pub related football (and some lightweight trouser and shirt shopping - it's 55deg at the moment and you have to wear trousers to avoid offending anyone ?), whilst making sure I'm home in time for Tracey to go to a Governors meeting.......life carries on as normal around here !
It brings back the interesting point about fitting in with others culture whilst we are abroad but them wanting us to fit in with theirs whilst we are still at home as well - my take is that they have guns over there and if they want me to wear trousers or they'll shoot me then I'm happy to wear trousers !
I now know that I'm flying from Heathrow to Dubai on Emerates at 2040hrs on Sunday (if you want to down it with a scud !) and then straight on into Basra on Iraqi Airways on Monday so I might struggle with the diary on Sunday/Monday - and if you never hear anything again then you'll know that the scud got me !
Right, must get on - won't get to Coventry by sitting here talking to you lot !
Monday 21 June 2010
D-day minus 5
I guess it's got to start somewhere !
Today I got my jabs and conflicting advice about malaria - I took the advice that meant I didn't have to muck about for the next 10 weeks taking tablets and feeling queezy. Works for me !
As we are on trivia, I bought some new boots for the trip and still don't know exactly when my flight will be - still, I've got plenty of toothpaste !
I'm sure I'll have plenty more to say tomorrow.......probably.
Ian
Today I got my jabs and conflicting advice about malaria - I took the advice that meant I didn't have to muck about for the next 10 weeks taking tablets and feeling queezy. Works for me !
As we are on trivia, I bought some new boots for the trip and still don't know exactly when my flight will be - still, I've got plenty of toothpaste !
I'm sure I'll have plenty more to say tomorrow.......probably.
Ian
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