I wish I had brought my little Menorah…I would like to light the candles on Erev Shabbat. It is inteersting to me how far east we are. I noticed the Muslims here praying facing west, and it hit me that we are where we are.
Just like the threat last deployment in Iraq, the primary one here seems depressingly random and impossible to detect ahead of time. I am glad that the weapons posture they allow us is suitable…i.e. magazine IN the weapon, ready to go. That is an improvement from Basra where we were ‘green’ and just had rounds available.
We were at an outpost yesterday that was primarily ANA. Part of the wall was mud, and about 20 feet tall. It was over 500 years old, but had been largely destroyed by fighting. Sad, as what would have been pretty neat looking, with the mountains in the background, was not patched up with sandbags, concertina wire, and other misc. garbage to keep it standing…where is UNESCO when you need them?!
The Aussies here are badasses…for the record. We ate dinner the other night with a Australian major, and I think I was the only one who could understand him. He was hilarious, gregarious, and called me ‘mate’ once or twice. I chalk up being called ‘mate’ as one of my accomplishments here! I also caught part of a rugby match on the telly between the All Blacks (new zeeland) and someone else…couldn’t decipher it. Fun anyhow.
I am such an incorrigible anglophone/anglophile!
I hate thanksgiving, though here it took on significance as I saw Kenyans, Ugandans, Aussies, Bulgarians, Brits, Romanians, civilians, and of course US soldiers all taking part. It was touching…and American holiday that translates well to all who are here.
I miss Miles, Lula, Riah, Zay, and of course April (my darlin’ Clementine!); but I can hope that the distance makes their hearts grow a bit more fond of their difficult, irritable, strange dad. I have become my dad! I have been told so, and I take it as a compliment. I miss the man quite a bit, and I actually had this fantasy that he got a job as a civilian contractor and came over here to work and we were able to eat dinner together every day. That would be great.
Anyhow, time to go…
Mom, April, IF you guys are actually reading this, please comment so I know. This is one of the easier ways to dialogue with you. Know that I love you greatly, and will take this time away to work on being a better husband/son/father/dude.
Happy thanksgiving, and Shabbat Shalom.
Chazak, chazak; venit chazak!
