Firstly a big thank you to all of you who, in one form or another, contacted me to assure me that you were still reading this blog and that it was still worth reading. It’s difficult to put into words, and if I do I’m probably going to offend someone but any sort of entertainer needs some encouragement every now and again, even if it’s just a polite round of applause.
Whilst we’re on the thank you trail, can I also thank all the people that have been ringing Tracey or texting her (and I know she’s not the easiest person to get hold of , but it makes my life easier if I know other people are keeping an eye on the bits I left behind.) – and if it’s your wife that’s been doing that then please pass it on for me.
Now, back to the plot: I had thought for some time now (since the World Cup actually) about doing a theme on the Rainbow Nation. Unless I am mistaken, South Africa call themselves the Rainbow Nation because they are colourful and have a colourful flag and a colourful nation (we’ll leave vuvuzalas out of the equation for now – actually, forever, now I come to think of it). My Rainbow Nation is slightly different.
It first caught my attention, and set me thinking, when I left the canteen one evening and was walking back across the car park and I could hear singing, and as it was a Sunday I realised that the singing was actually hymns, almost gospel type hymns. And I asked – as you do…… That’s the Fijians, I was told. Since then I have realised that it’s not just a Sunday night when they are singing (they were at it tonight for instance, which was what reminded me to mention it) and it’s not just or only hymns (although everything I have heard has been along the same lines). What’s so strange about that I hear you ask – well, nothing really, it’s all a bit out of place here though and you have to take into account that they are all massive in one way or another. They generally work for the company that runs the camp that we live on (a sort of hotel) but that company also deals with the baggage and freight handling at the airport next door (their motto is “Doing difficult jobs in difficult places” if you get the burning urge to look them up with your CV !). Besides the Fijians there are other South Sea Islanders, Tongans, Samoans, and more besides (there’s one here who looks, and is the same size, if not the same shape, as Tiny who props for the Saints, and tonight he arrived in the gym in sports kit wearing his body armour and then spend at least 20 minutes on the treadmill with a towel over his head. He then came and lay down in front of me, still with his body armour on, and started to do sit-ups !).
We also have Russians and Italians in the same camp as us although we only really see them at meal times. We have a smattering of American and Canadians, a fair number of South Africans and the Welsh, Scots and Irish are here in their usual numbers. We have an abundance of Ugandans, who all work for one company who man all the check-points in and out of the camp (the cynics amongst us would all like to know what the USA owes Uganda because they are largely useless and would have been shot anywhere else, never mind sacked !) There are Chinese, Thai, Korean and Vietnamese all over the place with more coming in all the time because they have previous oilfield experience (so I’m told), and there are the Indians. The Indians seem, for some reason, to do all the cooking and domestic duties, which does mean that virtually every meal has a curry or a curry theme.
Last, but not least, although I have only seen a couple (one of whom is my boss so I’d better be nice……) are the Australians. I guess there aren’t as many as you would normally expect, because there are no bars, so as a general rule there’s not much work for the average Aussie (as Al Murray says, “breed for bar work” !). I haven’t forgotten the Iraqis, who outnumber us all (certainly when we get to site) but I’ve mentioned them as I have been going along so I won’t dwell on them now. I am sure there are many nations represented here that I have forgotten (Sri Lankans already spring to mind, as we have several in the security teams here) and if I have then I apologise in advance, and I promise I will try harder in future and I’ll certainly mention them over the next few days.
Today’s inventory: (just a small break in transmission whilst the camp got mortared – but we’re back with you live now)
3 cigars – It would have been 2 but I had an extra one whilst we were waiting for the all clear.
0 units
$28 dollars - $10 on a new swanky padlock for my Gorilla Box, $16 on cigars (the shop will have closed down by the time I get back from my next stay at site and what I have now should see me through till the end, taking into account my new austerity regime) and $2 on a big bag of crisps (the same BBQ ones we have in France coincidently). I cracked and opened my Nachos a couple of nights ago but there is still half a bag left so not too bad !
Weather – same old !
Food – Nothing much to say really, I had porridge for the first time in years this morning because it looked like it might lie heavy on my stomach – I might try it again tomorrow because it didn’t seem to have any negative side effects !
Gym – 35mins on the cross trainer. I was going to do some weights but some huge bloke was in there and had monopolised just about all of them and I couldn’t be bothered taking things apart and putting them back together again so I cut my losses and staggered back to my pit for a shower.
Tomorrow I’m off to site for a few days for a change of scenery (well, at least I don’t have to do 3 hours a day in an armoured car whilst I am staying there). Apparently they’ve got real telly there now – which probably means I get the chance to watch BBC World News every day cause it’s the only English speaking channel……..I have put the television on here once in 4 weeks and haven’t missed it one bit.
Almost lastly, I’m not sure if I have mentioned it here before but word seems to have leaked out at home so it must be true – I have agreed to come back for another 6 weeks at the beginning of September. I’m certainly not sure I can keep this blog up for another 6 weeks !
Lastly – here is a picture of a professional pointer and the finished landscape sample – if you don’t understand that then it’s because you’re not my friend on Facebook and you didn’t read yessterday’s blog !
Whilst we’re on the thank you trail, can I also thank all the people that have been ringing Tracey or texting her (and I know she’s not the easiest person to get hold of , but it makes my life easier if I know other people are keeping an eye on the bits I left behind.) – and if it’s your wife that’s been doing that then please pass it on for me.
Now, back to the plot: I had thought for some time now (since the World Cup actually) about doing a theme on the Rainbow Nation. Unless I am mistaken, South Africa call themselves the Rainbow Nation because they are colourful and have a colourful flag and a colourful nation (we’ll leave vuvuzalas out of the equation for now – actually, forever, now I come to think of it). My Rainbow Nation is slightly different.
It first caught my attention, and set me thinking, when I left the canteen one evening and was walking back across the car park and I could hear singing, and as it was a Sunday I realised that the singing was actually hymns, almost gospel type hymns. And I asked – as you do…… That’s the Fijians, I was told. Since then I have realised that it’s not just a Sunday night when they are singing (they were at it tonight for instance, which was what reminded me to mention it) and it’s not just or only hymns (although everything I have heard has been along the same lines). What’s so strange about that I hear you ask – well, nothing really, it’s all a bit out of place here though and you have to take into account that they are all massive in one way or another. They generally work for the company that runs the camp that we live on (a sort of hotel) but that company also deals with the baggage and freight handling at the airport next door (their motto is “Doing difficult jobs in difficult places” if you get the burning urge to look them up with your CV !). Besides the Fijians there are other South Sea Islanders, Tongans, Samoans, and more besides (there’s one here who looks, and is the same size, if not the same shape, as Tiny who props for the Saints, and tonight he arrived in the gym in sports kit wearing his body armour and then spend at least 20 minutes on the treadmill with a towel over his head. He then came and lay down in front of me, still with his body armour on, and started to do sit-ups !).
We also have Russians and Italians in the same camp as us although we only really see them at meal times. We have a smattering of American and Canadians, a fair number of South Africans and the Welsh, Scots and Irish are here in their usual numbers. We have an abundance of Ugandans, who all work for one company who man all the check-points in and out of the camp (the cynics amongst us would all like to know what the USA owes Uganda because they are largely useless and would have been shot anywhere else, never mind sacked !) There are Chinese, Thai, Korean and Vietnamese all over the place with more coming in all the time because they have previous oilfield experience (so I’m told), and there are the Indians. The Indians seem, for some reason, to do all the cooking and domestic duties, which does mean that virtually every meal has a curry or a curry theme.
Last, but not least, although I have only seen a couple (one of whom is my boss so I’d better be nice……) are the Australians. I guess there aren’t as many as you would normally expect, because there are no bars, so as a general rule there’s not much work for the average Aussie (as Al Murray says, “breed for bar work” !). I haven’t forgotten the Iraqis, who outnumber us all (certainly when we get to site) but I’ve mentioned them as I have been going along so I won’t dwell on them now. I am sure there are many nations represented here that I have forgotten (Sri Lankans already spring to mind, as we have several in the security teams here) and if I have then I apologise in advance, and I promise I will try harder in future and I’ll certainly mention them over the next few days.
Today’s inventory: (just a small break in transmission whilst the camp got mortared – but we’re back with you live now)
3 cigars – It would have been 2 but I had an extra one whilst we were waiting for the all clear.
0 units
$28 dollars - $10 on a new swanky padlock for my Gorilla Box, $16 on cigars (the shop will have closed down by the time I get back from my next stay at site and what I have now should see me through till the end, taking into account my new austerity regime) and $2 on a big bag of crisps (the same BBQ ones we have in France coincidently). I cracked and opened my Nachos a couple of nights ago but there is still half a bag left so not too bad !
Weather – same old !
Food – Nothing much to say really, I had porridge for the first time in years this morning because it looked like it might lie heavy on my stomach – I might try it again tomorrow because it didn’t seem to have any negative side effects !
Gym – 35mins on the cross trainer. I was going to do some weights but some huge bloke was in there and had monopolised just about all of them and I couldn’t be bothered taking things apart and putting them back together again so I cut my losses and staggered back to my pit for a shower.
Tomorrow I’m off to site for a few days for a change of scenery (well, at least I don’t have to do 3 hours a day in an armoured car whilst I am staying there). Apparently they’ve got real telly there now – which probably means I get the chance to watch BBC World News every day cause it’s the only English speaking channel……..I have put the television on here once in 4 weeks and haven’t missed it one bit.
Almost lastly, I’m not sure if I have mentioned it here before but word seems to have leaked out at home so it must be true – I have agreed to come back for another 6 weeks at the beginning of September. I’m certainly not sure I can keep this blog up for another 6 weeks !
Lastly – here is a picture of a professional pointer and the finished landscape sample – if you don’t understand that then it’s because you’re not my friend on Facebook and you didn’t read yessterday’s blog !
I can tell this is an off-duty pointing job, look at the lack of defination in that thumb!!
ReplyDeleteHi Ian - could do with your landscapers, my garden is sadly neglected this year, I warm to the idea of something simple and compact.
ReplyDeleteAm following your daily doings but am not to clever at commenting, fighting biddydom off with a stick.
Well you have managed it today so you can't be that close to biddydom !
ReplyDeleteToday's episode should be interesting......
can we have more pictures like this please - and I don't mean the finished landscape sample XX
ReplyDelete