the 7th.........

Evening All

Today hasn't been very interesting really although it has been quite restful in many ways (although I ache all over from my session in the gym tonight).

As I mentioned yesterday, I had to go and give blood for a test today as everyone does apparently. it's all part of the process to get and extension visa which I need if I'm going to stay more than 10 days. I did ask someone what they were testing for but the only thing we could come up with was AIDS - who knows. I watched the doctor take the syringe out of a sealed packed and he hit the vein first time and after that I'm not that bothered.

Giving blood meant that I couldn't go to site, which meant I had to find something to do at the office all day - I just about survived......but only just. One of the things I occupied myself with was trawling through the photos that we have from past site visits. The one below is of a sand storm coming in across the desert:

I'm not sure if seeing it coming like that is awesome or scary !

I have also managed to requisition a camera, at least in the medium term and intend to take a few pictures around the camp and of the vehicles we travel in cause they're pretty cool as well. (I'll try, for my own benefit, to make sure that I don't get into trouble but there may be a few through smoked windows..........).

I've just got back from the office from dealing with the latest emergency which was all the power going down at the desert camp. I imagine this must be pretty scary when you're out in the middle of the desert and suddenly it goes quiet and all your lights go out ! We don't strictly look after the camp that is occupied now that it's been handed over but it's nice to show a bit of interest sometimes. What it did show up in a stark light was the isolation of these places. Communication is difficult at the best of times. There are no land lines, mobiles are next to useless, even satphones don't work sometimes. The guards have trouble communicating with their operations base when the weather is against them (at night that might be a clear sky which screws up their HF radios), and with no power there is no Internet which is what we all live by - Skype is our friend !

The communication problem was solved by skype'ing one of the contractors that live on site in a separate compound, with separate power, and getting them to go and find out what's going on. The generator problems were solved, simplistically, by using that age old technique of turning it off and turning it back on again - needless to say, it's one more thing on our list for tomorrow. We'll draw straws for who gets the PR role.......

I have also done two things today that I haven't done since I got here - firstly I had to get someone with a better pass than mine who was going over to the American side to buy me a belt so at long last I have parted with some money. I'd like to say that it was because I had lost so much weight that I needed a belt but in reality it was simply because I felt improperly dressed in the belt I use for keeping up my suit trousers back in reality.

Secondly, I have been somewhere different. For the last however many days I have been from my accommodation to the office, to site, back to the office and back to the accommodation. I can't say it's very exciting but it's a routine. We have a very basic gym at the accommodation as well as a canteen and laundry etc. and I haven't had much need to go anywhere else but today I was talked into going to a different gym in another part of the camp. To explain, we exist in this massive bubble called the COB (Continuity Operating Base) which the Americans manage. Within the COB are lots of other smaller camps belonging to various companies (the FCO has it's consulate here which is something to behold !) There are lots of things around that I haven't been introduced to yet, mostly because I have been keeping my head down and getting on with work and healthy living but I have started to feel the need for a decent cup of coffee (there's a coffee shop) and someone came back with a 12" sub from Subway for lunch today. We don't have access to the American barracks where the best shops and canteens are but I think it's time to have a look around.

Today's inventory:

4 cigars - the crisis looms ever nearer. I had decided to try and cut down to three today and then less subsequently but I needed one as I walked back to the office to try and sort this power thing out.

0 units - I fancy a drink now, just because it would be different I think, not because I can't live without one - it's an interesting new feeling.......

$10 spent - my belt was $6.95 but I let the guy who got it for me keep the change cause I'm nice like that. It's a nice belt and it's jolly comfy, and apparently I can wear it through metal detectors at airports because the buckle is some kind of special plastic....... the excitement is almost to much to bear !

Weather - bloody hot again. I was watching the BBC world news whilst I was eating my tea in the canteen and roughly where we are was the hottest place with a number over it and I know it was hotter on site.

Food - the bestest spicy beef noodles and salad ever (and an orange) - I think, cause I'm not actually counting them, that for the first time in living memory I am eating my 5 a day. Vegetables and salad here are really tasty because they are grown locally and are invariably fresh because nothing keeps very long here anyway and are therefore a pleasure to eat, and besides, I can eat as much of it as I want which is better than going back for seconds of spicy beef noodles !

I was thinking about doing a "days to go" countdown but am a bit worried that if you actually know when I'm coming back you might not let me in..... I'll have a look and see how depressing it looks before I share it with you all.

I'll finish up now with a picture of what we have essentially just finished building because from tomorrow it's all back to building sites again!