While I'm out and about, I get to see the whole country from the air. I try to take photos of interesting things, but of course after a while it all starts to look the same. I did find some good shots recently: a camel caravan, the train tracks that run North-South through the country, and several examples of housing. As we fly overhead, children run out into the courtyards of their homes to wave at the helicopters, sheep flock together for safety, or a lone policeman on patrol looks up and waves. Everything appears very small, but real life is visible.
Camels walking through the desert
Typical houses with courtyard
We have read about much of this in books: people living in mud huts or houses without roofs, Bedouins living in long tents while herding animals nearby, life along the banks of the river making full use of the natural resources it provides. And now this all becomes real! I must look like a child with my nose pressed to the window to watch it all go by.
National train
These days, the helicopters are flying "doors open" - meaning, I sit facing the open sky, wind blowing in my face at whatever speed we're flying, my toes rest on the edge of nowhere and I just hope we don't lean too far to one side! Of course, since I'm always cold, I sit there and shiver most of the time - I'm usually the goofball wearing a windbreaker on these flights!
Helicopter Views
View of river and city in the south
And while I am out and about in the provinces, I ride in fancy limousines (MRAPs or Humvees), stay in luxurious lodging (CHUs - containerized housing units) and take the "high road" to work. Most of my photos are taken from a helo or through the window of an armored vehicle.
The photos here show pictures from a few of my training program trips to various provinces in the south (Maysan and Muthanna), central (Diyala, Salahaddin), and two longer trips in the north – to Kirkuk and the Kurdistan region (Erbil, Dohuk, Sulaimaniyah), where I was conducting training for groups of Iraqi teachers and supervisors. The Kurdistan region is very different from the rest of Iraq, in terms of geography, development, and culture. It was a nice change from the other regions I have visited, and it was a good place to go during the hot summer months!
I travel about 60% of my time, from Baghdad out to the provinces for one or two weeks at a time.
In Baghdad, I live on the Embassy compound. In the provinces, I stay at a military base and work either at a school, university, government office, or at the base.
I am one of the few people who travels so much - I get to see the whole country, meet local people, and get off the compound on a regular basis. If I didn't, I think I would go crazy!
Many of you have asked good questions about life here, so I will try to answer several of them.
What do we do for fun?
Besides work, which could be 10-12 hours in a day, most people on the compound use the gym, socialize, and make their own fun. When the weather is good (or when it’s cooler in the evenings), there are a lot of gatherings outside, especially on the large patio area where we have several grills and picnic tables. There is a new sports field as well as a large lawn, so there are lots of sports and activities going on all the time. There are a few places in the International Zone where we can go to shop and eat.
Somebody has created an International Zone Guide, written by a guy who worked here and researched many of the local sites. While there is not much tourism to speak of, it is a good description of the recent history of many of the sites right around us in the IZ.
So what do I do?
I use the gym most days, I meet friends on the patio in the evenings, I get off the compound and go out to eat at local restaurants or other compounds nearby, I play Ultimate Frisbee, and sometimes I just stay home and watch DVDs or have a quiet dinner. When I am out travelling, I stay on military bases, so there is always a gym to use, and sometimes I join the folks at the office for whatever social event they have – foreign film night, BBQ, wine and cheese, cigars around the fire, small concerts, evening walks, etc. I just bought a Kindle, so I’ve always got several books to read, and I bring along my laptop and DVDs for quiet nights in my trailer.
As the summer season winds down, in the peak of high temps (120 and above, with wind like a hair dryer), there have been many “hail and farewell” parties and BBQs outdoors. So while we have welcomed many new arrivals here, we have had to say goodbye to old friends who are going off to new posts around the world. But as the song goes, it really is a small, small world and we will meet again somewhere, sometime.
Baghdad has been busier than usual recently with booms and bangs, but hopefully that will quiet down again once there is a new government in place. Our security here is very good and we have great facilities to keep us busy and safe. For those of you who worry, I can’t tell you not to do so, but you should know that safety is a top priority here and I am well protected when I am travelling.
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