Today was my day off from work. Now, I guess around here it’s something of a luxury to get a full day off work (for us military folk, anyhow), and I actually did have to come in for a newcomer’s meeting with our two-star general, but most of the day was filled with wandering around and leisurely reading in my “hooch” which is the (affectionate?) term for our trailers around here. I’ve uploaded some pictures of where I’m living if you’re curious. I made sure to carry bedding with me so that at least it feels like there is something of me in here.
I’m really struck by how beautiful the area around here is. Sure, the trappings of war tend to crowd the edges of that beauty, like the tarp-covered sandbag buffers in the picture here, but it’s still just a gorgeous place, and nothing can fully disguise it. I hope to retain a sense of wonder and thankfulness for the beauty that I notice around me. For instance, as I walked under one of the date palms today, I noticed that it was teeming with tiny little birds (sparrow-sized, though I’m not sure what their indigenous species are here) that were all chirping their little hearts out. It made me smile. And then as I walked along I noticed that the things dropping from the palm trees were actually dates, and looking up I saw that I am surrounded by date palms instead of the coconut palms that I’m much more accustomed to (having lived for a while in Miami). They’re taller and more stately, as befits a part of the world with such a long and deep-rooted history.
I can’t believe I’m living between the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers! Here, where the very deepest roots of our civilization sink, I actually get to experience part of this. Yes, it’s basically a little America within a fence (and on a war footing, so the culture is a little different), but you still can’t avoid the constant reminders of the culture around us. For instance, the Embassy, which started out as one of Saddam’s palaces, is simply breathtaking. There are chandeliers and marble floors and inlaid ceilings in all the rooms. Even the fact that we have walled off cubicles and offices out of the sweeping spaces can’t conceal all of its grandeur . . . though I’ve got to say, seeing what we’ve done to the interior architecture of this place, I feel a little bit like we’re the Yankees at Tara in Gone With the Wind. I can see why they might resent that, somewhat . . . even though Saddam never let anyone else near his palaces!
I am so glad that I did all that studying about the War on Terror and the roots of terrorism for my thesis earlier this year—because of all that, I’ve got this great historical/cultural background on what is going on, and it’s been a lot easier for me to get up to speed on who are the key players and what are the key areas for what is going on. Many of my compatriots who came in around the same time are having to do a lot more catch-up reading and studying in order to get comfortable with the context in which we’re operating. (Because we’re dealing with the information side of the war, people working in my division have to be up to speed on what’s actually happening and how it fits into the bigger picture—and since we don’t always pay close attention from the States, it means a lot of up-front learning.)
I’ll tell you what, though. After going to the BX—excuse me, PX—and attempting to pick up Scotch tape, pens, a coffee mug (so that I’m not using Styrofoam cups every day), and light bulbs, I can see that I have taken our culture of Wal-Mart for granted. All of you at home—take a moment to reflect on and appreciate how convenient it is to get the little things you need or want to make your life run more smoothly!!! Because they’re out of most of the important stuff in the PX (apparently every time there’s a shipment, there’s a run on the more popular items such as shampoos, fabric softeners, that kind of thing), and then when you do find something that might not have been what you were looking for but it will do in a pinch, you have to stand in line for roughly half an hour to purchase it . . . Because convoys have been delayed or have run into difficulties, too, we run out of things in the dining facility (for the past few days there have been no diet sodas available–not terribly important in the long run but . . . odd . . . when you’re used to always having it at your fingertips–I’ve actually started drinking milk again).
Though, just so that I’m not coming across terribly negatively, it is delightful to have restaurant-quality food available to me for the price of a signature . . . and only a 5-minute walk from my home or my office . . . So there are definitely good things about the setup here, too. But having become terribly mega-mart-dependent over the last few years, it’s slightly difficult for me to accept that I might have to just wait a couple weeks for things that I really want to get to me through the mail . . .
So there’s a snapshot of life in Baghdad after a week here. And I’ll finish up with a picture of me that shows exactly what all the travel, time zone adjustment, long hours at work, and a cold will do to a person . . .
Posted by Kjirstin 
