Each morning, I drive from my office to the front gate where I pick up our Iraqi workers. Most of them live in Nasiriyah or its surrounding villages, spend the day working on our base, and return to their homes at night. These are some of our Iraqi workers who work with me. I'm wearing my "shemagh", which one of my workers bought for me in Nasiriyah. I absolutely love it, as it's such a practical piece of gear. It keeps the sun off of the face and neck, protects the eyes and mouth from the blowing sand, and keeps the head cool. I plan on single-handedly making shemagh's fashionable in the US, should I ever decide to return. The temperatures are finally approaching 100 degrees, which I love. I would prefer to be uncomfortably hot than uncomfortably cold, so I'm looking forward to summer. When you're in intense heat, you can always drink water and sit in the shade to find relief- however, there's no getting warm when you're in extreme cold. You can pile on the layers, but it's still cold and miserable- for me, anyway.
The base I'm working on is expanding at a rapid rate, though you probably don't hear this on the news. It is obvious that this base will be a permanent, US/Iraqi base, after the majority of US troops have returned home. For me, this means job security.
I'm enjoying myself a lot out here. I love working with the Iraqis, as we seem to get along rather naturally. Most of them seem to share my brilliant sense of dry humor, and I appreciate their toughness and work ethic. I respect them, and they seem to respect me. The fact that they know I was "mushatabariyah" ('warrior of the sea', Marine) in the Sunni Triangle back in 2004 helps this, but I also treat them like real men, unlike a lot of the Americans do. I have worked with several Iraqis who have told me that they preferred working with Marines over the Army, only because of the fact that the Marines treated them with respect, as opposed to just some 2nd class local national.
5 comments:
I normally pick on the Marines…:-) But in light of the current post…decided to go a different route.
Iraqi Hockey Player…..
The Detroit Red Wings foreign scout flies to Baghdad to watch a young Iraqi play hockey in the new American sponsored league, and is suitably impressed and arranges for him to come over to the US . They sign him to a one year contract and the kid joins the team.
Two weeks later the Wings are down 4-0 to the Blackhawks with only 10 minutes left. The coach gives the young Iraqi the nod and he goes in. The kid is a sensation - scores 5 goals in 10 minutes and wins the game for the Wings! The fans are delighted, the players and coaches are delighted, and the media love the new star.
When the player comes off the ice he phones his mom to tell her about his first day of NHL hockey. "Hello mom, guess what?" he says in an Iraqi accent. "I played for 10 minutes today, we were 4-0 down, but I scored 5 goals and we won. Everybody loves me, the fans, the media, they all love me."
"Wonderful," says his mom, "Let me tell you about my day. Your father got shot in the street and robbed, your sister and I were ambushed, raped and beaten, and your brother has joined a gang of looters, and all while you were having such great time."
The young Iraqi is very upset. "What can I say mom, but I'm so sorry."
"Sorry? You're Sorry? !!" says his mom, "It's your fault we moved to Detroit in the first place!"
Well, that's it boys, Jimmy's gone over to the savages. I see what this is, yeah, this is going to turn into a whole "Apocolypse Now" thing where you go Colonel Kursk on me after too many days in the field. Unfortunate, though quite unavoidable, is the fact that I will eventually be dispatched by higher headquarters to find your remote camp and eliminate you once and for all and good riddance too. I suspect that you will, upon my intial arrival, attempt to sway me into joining your cause, in league with the foe, thereby harnassing my vast warrior prowess for your own cause. However, having studied your impressive military career and well knowing your alter ego "Jimmy Pete" I will not easily be swayed with words alone. At this point, recognizing the stalemate, you will offer me booze and women of ill repute in accorandace with your past behavior. Having lost my will to resist your siren's call, I will fall into your trap and you will disappear into the abyss of Arabia. Well played sir. ---Matty
Go ahead and have that dude on the bottom left report to the dental trailer for a checkup before he bites someone with his snaggletooth. --Matty
i cant find jim... is he the one on the far right? someone help me out.
Jim is deceiving you all... this is actually a soccer team he assembled in hopes of competing in the 2012 Summer Olympics being held in London. Although I think he is missing a goal-keeper and a few other utility players it seems.
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