Today after work I took my first trip to downtown San Antonio. I visited the river walk and took a boat ride/tour on the river. It was interesting to hear about the building of the riverwalk, the history behind some of the buildings in the area, and to see the Christmas lights that decorate most of the trees in the area. There were an overabundance of people, though, and this was a bit uncomfortable for me.
Before going on the boat we ate at Dicks. The waitress was extremely rude and sarcastic; in other words perfect for her position. The food was not too bad. I had alligator nuggets for an appetizer. I had the chicken fried chicken for the main meal. It wasn't too bad, but I didn't like the sauce.
Before all of this, I went to the Alamo. It was an interesting historical place with lessons hidden in the stories told. Who would have thought that history would support the fears that some people have about large amounts of immigration from Mexico. The Mexicans invited European/American settlers in to have a buffer zone between them and the Comanche, but soon there were so many of them that Mexico was afraid that they would try to separate. Today there are those who think that this is what will happen within the US. Most don't site this little piece of history, but it shows that while many may be paranoid, there may be some history to back them up. Perhaps we really need to listen to people and see why they think what they do, and see if there is more to it than we would like to believe. There is way too much dismissal of others on both sides. :(
And now I must start to decide where I need to turn to next in order to offend people!
I left the conference in California (www.cbiworld.org) on Sunday before it was over, and as a result missed one of the sessions I really wanted to attend :( I arrived in San Antonio around midnight. I was grateful to have my friend and her son meet me at the airport to take me to her house where I am renting a room for my time here.
Working at DLI seems to be an interesting assignment. I am scheduled to be deployed to Afghanistan hopefully in May if my security clearance goes through. As I haven't even been able to start the process yet, I am uncertain how long this is going to actually take. I just found out that my training is going to be quite extensive. I have 3 weeks of preservice training followed by 4 weeks of Afghan specific training. This is supposed to include language training as well. Then I will have to do an Air Advisory Course for an unknown amount time. In addition to this I will have to do Combat Readiness Training at Fort Dix in New Jersey which will last another month! With all this training, I wonder how long I will actually have left on my contract when I finally get to teaching!
I have been suffering from information overload, though I am grateful for it. I have also been introduced to many different people who have all been very kind and helpful. I was taken out to lunch by two separate people, invited to dinner at another person's house, and have been accepted by just about everyone. As political as everyone says this place is, I have managed to ignore it thus far. I just hope it stays that way for me.
San Antonio is not a place I would choose to live if it weren't for the job here. There isn't a lot in the way of restaurants (lots of Mexican places, a few others but nothing too great according to those who live here). It has been a little colder here than usual, so that has resulted in some interesting talks.
I am much more interested in the Defense Language Institute and the students that actually represent over 120 countries! I learn so much from them, and it is interesting to hear them speak with each other outside of class. Yesterday during an observation I say next to an Iraqi Lt. Col. He was very nice and wanted to talk with me about my time in Iraq. It was interesting to be able to talk with someone who knew where I was talking about!
I am not sure if this is really a question or more of a statement. It seems that my body refuses to let me get the rest I need in order to accomplish all of the things I need to accomplish this last week of classes! Normally I wouldn't care (maybe), but I really would like to do well in most of my classes anyway! I have been doing well thus far, why mess it up now (though I must say I have a tendency to do just that!).
Last night I was kept up by a rather profound and confusing memory. About 3 years ago, I went on a trip around Eastern Europe beginning and ending in Krakow, Poland. It was a trip that changed my outlook on what I was doing at the time and actually caused me to "give up" and leave Krakow (a very beautiful city that I miss to this day). One event in particular came to my mind last night: a meeting with a special girl in a sandwich shop at the train station in Lviv, Ukraine.
I was waiting for a bus to take me from the train station to where I was going to be staying. I was told they ran every half hour or so, and as I was hungry I decided to stop at the sandwich shop that was located not more than 100 feet from where the bus supposedly left. I bought a sub and an orange soda and sat down to enjoy my meal in the empty deli. As I was eating, in walked a Roma girl of about 14 years old.
Her face was caked with dirt, her hair scraggly and tangled, but if one could look past that they would see a bright, beautiful young girl. She was shy, yet insistent as she attempted to introduce herself in a language I did not understand. It could have been Russian, Ukrainian, or even a dialect of Romanian; all I could understand was her name which I have now, sadly, forgotten. I told her my name and she proceeded to ask for part of my sandwich. I could tell by the hungry eyes that looked longingly at the bread and fillings that lay on the table as we attempted to communicate in conjunction with the pointing finger she brandished with a bravado that was briefly shattered by the small, almost imperceptible, trembling.
The clerk/manager of the shop stood behind the counter glaring at us. I could tell he wanted the girl to leave immediately. With a little hesitation, I gave her part of my sandwich. I didn't have much money, and I hadn't eaten in a while, but I was sure she hadn't eaten in much longer. The warnings people had given me about the dangers of giving things to beggars weighed on my mind, but my sadness won over. But what they had said was true! After I had given her the food, she asked for more; she wanted my drink to go with it.
I sat there wondering if that was so bad, all the time pretending I didn't know what she wanted. It was easy to do as she already knew I didn't know her language. But then, I decided to purposefully not understand for a different reason: I wanted to see what she would do. Perhaps this was my way of distancing myself from a situation I was uncomfortable with and from someone I had found myself connecting with a little too much. Whatever the reason, I sat and looked at her as if I were an idiot who couldn't understand basic gestures.
As I didn't make a move to stop her, she grabbed my bottle of pop (soda) and ran out the door. To my surprise, the deli woman raced out after her, came back with my bottle, washed it off and returned it to me. I took a small drink from it to show the woman I was not afraid to do so, gathered my stuff, and left. The girl was still outside. I looked at her and gave her the bottle. I would not die of thirst, and I could get some more later if I so chose. I couldn't help but wonder what I would have done if I were in her shoes.
This particular event kept going through my mind last night for reasons that are unclear to me. The tears I wept for her last night brought no relief to me, only confusion and bewilderment. Perhaps it will become clear to me soon; I can only hope.
Well, it appears that the worst is over and I am, metaphorically speaking, over the threshold of death. While I am not completely cured, the ability to sit at the computer without going into migraine-style symptoms allows me this note of optimism I so desperately need at the moment!
I have been questioning many things lately, which I often do when I am sick (perhaps this is why I get sick, to remind myself I need to do this), and I have decided that it may be best, though not financially the wisest, to return to my nearly empty apartment that is anxiously awaiting me in the cold confines of northern Michigan. At a time such as this, it is definitely good to have people around that can support you, or give you that kick if you so need it. I will attempt to get things worked out to this end as soon as I can. We shall see what happens.
I have discovered that if I sit propped up like an ancient Roman aristocrat, my nasal passages are clear, and I can actually BREATH!! Now if I could only find someone to feed me, I would be all set. I haven't really left my room in 2 or 3 days. I can't sleep, and I am having a difficult time even typing this as my eyes are burning and my head is pounding!! I think I may have been put under a curse of some ancient Korean who saw the pictures of those ridiculous white men being fed grapes and decided that every so often one should be subject to "needing" to sit that way, just for a change of perspective. Now, how did I become the lucky one?
I am down to one meal a day as I mean to get up for breakfast, but just can't bring myself to move. Dinner is a little easier because I have had all day to try and limber up enough to go eat. The heat from the food cools me down, so it is a comfort that I really don't want to miss!
I may have to come back soon, just for some wonderfully made chicken soup! There is just something about the goodness of homemade soup that makes everything better (funny that it doesn't quite work the same for the soup I am getting here. Delicious, but not as satisfying at the moment). If I can ever bring myself to get out of the room, I may go get some samgaetang: a small chicken sitting in broth with ginseng and other stuff I can't remember.. it tastes good, and it is healthy.
Enough complaining for now. I have taken a lot of time to write this short bit as I have to keep stopping, but I felt I needed to let everyone know that I was still alive, even if not in the best of health.
It seems like I learn a new way that I am "supposed" to eat every time I eat with someone new. While these are always wonderful forays into the various adventures of culinary delight and education, I can't help but wonder how I could ever take in such complex ideas when I was growing up. Sure, it may not seem too complex when you look at it (hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills aside), but that simple motion of bringing a spoon or fork to one's mouth with food still in place takes much more conceptualizing than one may think!
Of course here, it is spoon and chopsticks! You may think that this would be a problem for me, but it is really quite easy once you get used to it, and I seem to have gotten the hang of it quite quickly. The problem comes when you have to decide when you should use the spoon, when the chopsticks, and when your hands. Is it alright to lift the bowl or not? Sure, please do...if it's soup.. lifting the bowl of rice may lead to a ban on eating rice for you (probably not that serious, but still considered quite rude). This is why Koreans generally eat their rice with spoons!!
When I do have the rare occasion to use a fork, I find that I would rather not. They have become more troublesome than chopsticks for the most part. It is difficult to relearn how to negotiate the fork so that the food doesn't fall all over the place; chopsticks are much more efficient! I may have to start carrying around my own set again when I get back home or wherever I happen to end up next. The metal Korean chopsticks are apparently the most difficult to learn how to use, but still my favorite overall....
I should be back in the US come December: I hope I don't have to learn how to eat all over again!!
My first question is: Is this still procrastination? I usually call it productive procrastination as it really is beneficial, just not necessarily what "should" be done... though who makes those decisions anyway?
Yesterday, I left off with my coming home to sleep, I think. Somewhere in all of this, I lost a day, so I am getting a little confused. I left the airport, found the people to show me my new "home", took a nap, had dinner, went to bed...that was the first day ;) The following day I woke up sore, tired, and weak... decided breakfast was out of the question, and I went back to sleep planing on not getting up for the whole day. Then what happens? I get a phone call from a person who says she has tried texting me two or three times. I didn't get these texts for some reason. I have to go for the second half of a test she is conducting for her PhD research in Linguistics at Georgetown University on learning honorifics in the past tense in Korean (or something very close to that). I thought it was going to take about a half an hour; it took about two! The test material was all in Korean, and I didn't always know what it meant (which I guess was part of the plan). I thought my head was going to explode, but I did learn the word for "just now", the changing endings on some of the exception verbs, and had a brief reminder into the past tense. I think it would have been safer to just go to class!!
As part of all this, I also learned that right across the street from where I now live (as this is where it ended up being...though I had to walk 10 minutes out of my way to find this out), there is a coffee/tea shop where you can rent rooms on the upper floor. You can order food and study there... it is even better than the place where you can rent miniature classrooms! I am not so sure of the price, but I think it is a place that will be useful in the future.
Tomorrow I have a vocabulary test over chapter 3, and I may know half of the terms. The grammar is really easy at the moment, but vocab is always difficult for me. I hope I can manage to absorb enough to at least pass. If not, who knows what will happen!
Yet another long journey has been made by this unsuspecting wanderer. I went back to Denver, Colorado last week for the residential portion of my current classes. This is quite the trip from Seoul, but it wasn't too bad. Sure, I was a little tired for the first day or so (that seems to happen when you don't sleep for a couple of days), but getting to see everyone there was well worth it!
After a week of classes, a rather light schedule comparatively speaking, and a trip back to Korea, I found myself in a hotel in Inchon near the airport. I stayed out of the city because I needed the quiet, the sleep, and the place to keep my luggage! I had found a place to move into after returning to Korea, but it would not be available until the following day. Then I find out that it will not be available until the afternoon of the following day (i.e. today)!! This meant that I would have no place to put my luggage while I went to class, so I decided that I would just go to the airport and wait there until I could go move in.
While I was waiting and trying to study my Korean, a person approached me and told me that they needed more foreigners for the shooting they were doing at the airport. So, I agreed to be an extra in this Korean drama! So, most of the morning I spend rolling my luggage to and from the doors leading to the customs area of Seoul International Airport while they shot an airport scene...This is another reason I like to pack light! I didn't this time and rolling that stupid thing around all morning was exhausting! Surprisingly there were 4 or 5 Russians working with them as well. One was a student at my university doing her Masters in Political Science and Korean. As she put it "I am a Russian studying political science at a Korean university in English, which I have to translate." It sounds like her life is quite similar to my own. I never did get her number, but she lives in this same area as me, so maybe I will run into her again sometime. The person who hired me to be an extra took my phone number and said he would call me again if something came up where they could use me! Now that would be AWESOME!
I left a little early ($30 richer) arriving at the designated meeting place at the designated time. I ended up waiting half an hour for the person to show up to take me to my new room. As it coincidentally turns out, a couple days or so before I left, I was sitting behind a restaurant off the main road with a classmate of mine. I had pointed out a sign on a nearby building and mentioned that they were renting rooms, and that it would be an even better location than where I was presently living at the time. Now I find out that I am living in that very building! I guess it is ok that I didn't take the phone number and try to call! Such a wonderful example of happenstance in my life!!
This place is closer to school than where I was staying before, costs less, and provides wonderful meals at breakfast and dinner! There is not much more one can ask for. I do have to ask about laundry, but I believe there is a washing machine here as well. I do have to share the bathroom and shower with about 8 other people, but I guess I can handle that. There is one person here who lives on my floor who speaks English. She is a very friendly Korean student at a local university here. It is good to know that if I have any problems, there is someone who can help, if I actually attempt to ask!
I went out a couple nights ago and have subsequently been sick. I would say that I drank too much had I had anything, but this wasn't the case. I have been sore, and I slept for 16 hours the night after. I was ok enough for school on Tuesday, but today I stayed home and slept even more. In the midst of this, I missed a test that I thought was scheduled for Saturday! And because I missed it, I will have to pay $50!
I ran into some unexpected expenses, so now I have to figure out a way to make some money! I am really unsure of what I have gotten myself into this time. There are many things I want to do, and I am not so sure I can do any of them. I feel like I am falling behind in everything now that I had to take a day or two off. I am not sure if I can catch up, and I am not sure that I really care! I think that is what worries me the most: my lack of caring.
My first day of Korean was Thursday. Why they would want to start on a Thursday, I have no idea, though perhaps it is because of the holiday this coming Monday! As I believe I stated previously, most of what we are doing is wonderful review, though the teacher gives some wonderful explanations I would never have known otherwise. It is very enriching in the education department.
The class is a mixture of nationalities: 2 from Singapore, 3 from China, 1 from Vietnam, 1 from Japan, 1 from Sweden, 1 from DR Congo, 2 from Spain, and then me! I have been hanging out with the one from Congo, the one from Sweden, and the two Spanish. We help each other with our Korean and just chit chat about nothing. Yesterday, I with the Spanish girl to the university that is right across the street from my own to meet another Spanish girl. It ended up being 3 Spanish girls and myself; with them all talking in Spanish of course! Then we met up with yet another Spanish woman and a guy from Italy.
We went to Krispi Kreme donut shop! The sell Hello Kitty donuts! I think next time I may just have to get one! My friend took a picture, so when she gets it to me, I will post it. Do they sell Hello Kitty donuts in the US?
I spend a lot of my time studying these days. I think I am actually keeping on pace, but I am really not sure. I seem to be reading everything, and getting my postings done on time. I think I took the right combination of classes to be able to take the amount that I did. I just hope I can keep it up when my Korean course starts getting really difficult.
On a housing note. I am still in the guest house (code name for hostel), and it looks like I will be until the 11th. I am not happy about it because it is a little more expensive than I was expecting or can afford. I think I may have found something that is only $350/month and includes breakfast and dinner. This will be very helpful.
After waking up at 3am yet again, I decided to get some homework done. I ate breakfast, and then more homework (a pattern seems to be forming here). Then, around 2pm, I decided to go to lunch. I was told that there was a Kimbap Changkuk nearby, so of course, I went.
Kimbap Changkuk is basically a fast food restaurant that serves many different types of kimbap (California roles), ramen, and other soups and such. These things are necessarily good for you, but they are relatively quick and quite inexpensive. The first restaurant I went to when I came to Korea the first time was the Kimbap Changkuk, so it was fitting that it was the first restaurant I came to this time as well! And it is interesting that it only went up about 50 cents in 8 years!
It appears that my search for a place to live will continue. I was told that they have a room here for $25/night, but that comes to like $750/month and it should be no more than $500/month. The Language school apparently can help people find a place, so I need to remember to ask them for help tomorrow during orientation. We shall see if it works out.
I arrived safe and sound, if not overly tired, on Sunday night/Monday morning at my new home for approximately 10 weeks: Seoul, South Korea. Unfortunately, I am scheduled to stay for only 3 days in this establishment and need to find a more permanent location for the remainder of my time here. Fortunately, I also discovered that the owner of this place also does long term rentals for students and business men! I just need to find out the particulars to see if it will include everything I desire and still be affordable as well.
Yesterday I went to the Yonsei University Korean Language Institute for a placement test. This was a rough experience for me as I know enough Korean to not be an absolute beginner, but not nearly enough to be even a beginner! This is going to be a course of both review and new information! Perhaps this is best as it gives me more time to focus on not only learning the language but experiencing the culture as well. Though in addition, I will have to make sure to stay on top of my seminary classes as well! Overwhelming? Yes. Impossible? No.
After my test, I wondered around the Sinchon area in search of signs advertising boarding houses. There were tons of them! It made me wish that I had a phone, and that I could already speak Korean! It appears that there are no real shortages of people running boarding houses, but I do not know how many will be available, or how to contact them without a phone. I will look for a Korean person to help me within the next day or so. Orientation isn't until Thursday, so I have a little bit of time.
This section of the city is a little overwhelming. I did notice that with all the restaurants, there are Korean, Japanese, Italian, Thai, and Indian. I was very surprised at the amount of Mexican restaurants in the area, though. Of course there were also the ubiquitous American chains like McDonald's, Burger King, Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, among others. There was even an Outback Steakhouse and Caribou Coffee! I went to Starbucks to see about the prices, and if they would take my gift card. There was a picture of it on the door, and something a reference to the gift card, but I couldn't tell what it said. The person at the counter wouldn't take it, so I just paid cash for my grande iced Kenya coffee. Interestingly, I had been walking around with "my" travel mug, and when she saw it, she asked if I wanted my coffee in it. I decided that it was a good idea (even though I may have gotten less coffee; something I need to check on), and I actually saved around 30 cents because of it! To think, I wasn't even planning on getting coffee when I went out, and I saved 30 cents because I had taken coffee with me on the walk!
After the walk it was homework! I read some history of Methodism, and learned that I need to look at syllabuses more closely! I apparently have to write a 6 page sermon on grace by the weekend. I have never written a sermon before and have no idea even how to start! I guess that is what I get for taken seminary classes!!
The LA area has a lot to offer; most of which I have decided I was not interested in partaking. I was able to meet up with one of my friends here in Long Beach, and we went on a outing to Pirate's Dinner Adventure! I had never heard of this relatively modern version of Medieval Times. It is an adventurous Pirate show in which various audience members get to play a part. This all happens while you are enjoying a nice filling meal. I had one of the best times I have had in quite a while, even though I did find that the credit card charged me 1 cent more than what was on my receipt!
After the wonderful show, my friend and I returned to her place for a couple hours of wonderful conversation. It seems that we all have things to learn and things to do, and to be able to have someone to talk about those things with is very helpful. This time was not only enjoyable, it was also quite productive! I am generally not very productive, but I guess I need to make an exception every now and then ;)
I am hoping to be able to some time again have such an evening; it was good for my stomach, good for my mind, good for my heart, and good for my soul! (Even with fried Mac&Cheese and fried sweet corn!)
It has been a few weeks since I left Denver. Most of it was spent at my brother's apartment where I visited with family, met up with some old friends and interacted with them and their children. A very dangerous activity to be sure, but one I enjoy very much.
Now I have made it back to Houghton, MI: the area which I spent much of my time during my collegiate years. It is good to be back, though I think it will be a very busy time for me. There are people passing through, people who live here, and people who live elsewhere, who want me to stop by to visit. As much free time as it may seem I have, I really have very little. I have responsibilities no one knows about, and some that they do but may not realize how much time they take. For having very little tangible in my life, I am very busy. Perhaps I need to relook at the the cost-return ratio of my life!
I am happy, though, so there is no need to run out and change to much for the moment. That being said, however, I must bid you farewell as I go work on some readings, studyings, musings, and postings.
My seminary days have begun. They started out as rather unassuming online classes that allowed me something to do my final days in Iraq. The random internet troubles tried to prevent me from doing them, but I mostly overcame these problems. Then there was the transition into the residential portion of the classes. Ahh, the joys of hybrid courses!
My days at Iliff in Denver were ones of great uncomfortableness and growth (these two so often come together). As an extreme introvert, I knew that it would be difficult, but I didn't realize just how much. My classmates are all very interesting and diverse: just what I was hoping for. Be careful what you ask for runs through my mind. I looked at them all with a hope of getting to know them while also harboring a fear of doing so.
There were a couple of people that I looked upon with admiration and awe. They had many attributes I could relate to, and at the same time seemed much more grounded and stronger than I was. Perhaps I was even a bit jealous of this. It made it difficult to connect, but I hope that will be different when I see them again.
Now those days are over for now. I found that saying good-bye was a very difficult thing to do. As guarded as I was, I still allowed myself to be affected enough to become saddened by the need to leave. In addition to that, I feel that a time may come for me to move to Denver. Denver is a diverse city with a great feel to it. It isn't overly expensive, and it appears to have a lot of opportunities. Perhaps that will be a stop for me in three to six years from now.
It has been quite some time since I have been able to post. For some reason my blogs would all come up blank when I tried to post them, so I gave up. I am once again trying. I am once again in Michigan and trying to visit people. I am not sure what it next, but when I find out, I will let you know. That is it for now.. I will post another blog for what I really wish to say.
I am once again in Cairo, Egypt. One may wonder at the intelligence of coming here given the recent happenings (I can hear a demonstration outside as I type), but come I did. Even I can not really figure out the reasoning for such a thing, though perhaps it could have something to do with a friend I have here that I really would like to see once again.
You see, Cairo is a busy city where one doesn't come to relax. Just crossing the street is like taking your life into your hands. Every time I leave the hostel, I have a number of people attempting to offer their "help". They try to convince you that it is just out of the kindness of their hearts, but they are almost always looking for money or some type of favor. Many are selling things at more than what would be the fair market value counting on the fact that the person is ignorant about the worth of such items and locations as to where they could get them more reasonably priced.
I knew when I came that I really did not like Cairo. I came with trepidation in my heart and suspicion in my mind. Of course this tends to make itself into reality in a number of different ways, and this time was no exception. I managed to not have anyone meet me at the airport as agreed, not have my baggage even reach Cairo, and in my moment of extreme anger of it all, I skipped the long line at the customer service counter and started walking toward downtown. Of course I only made it 3.5 hours before I decided that I couldn't do it anymore and I needed to hail a taxi, which I paid what I thought was a fair price, though it seemed like he was expecting more.
I ran into the family of nemeses I encountered on my last visit. The one did not recognize me, and attempted once again to help me. The others saw me and talked about what happened; at least it was amiable. I am soooo sick of having to deal with people, though. I think my next vacation is going to be somewhere I have friends that aren't so busy, or else I will go with someone I know. Maybe I will find someone who would like to go to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and stay in a resort down there. If you are interested, let me know :) The more the merrier! (Up to about 8). Sometime from August 14 or 15 - September 10 (one or two weeks) would be ideal.....
Today was just another day in tent city where there is less to do than where I was previously. Basically, I walked around for some of the day, then I came into Green Beans and had a coffee and surfed the internet. Not the most entertaining thing in the world, but it did end up being productive. At around 6 or 6:30 I went to the local "Oriental Restaurant". The food was passable, and while a little more expensive than I would have liked, not exorbitantly so. I was a little disappointed that oriental meant Chinese and two or three Korean dishes in a restaurant staffed exclusively by Filipino/a workers.One would think I would be used to it by now, but I don't think that will ever be the case.
Tonight will probably be another early night so that I can get up super early in the morning and take a relatively private shower. Then I have to go to the office to get my LOA (Letter of Authorization) stamped by those pesky LNO people stating that I have obtained the proper visa to take the bus into the airport to catch my flight. I have to be ready with my things by 8:30am because my flight is at 2:20pm. I am not sure it is going to take that long, or even when the bus leaves from here. They only give show times, never departure or arrival times. It all makes sense, but it can be frustrating as well. I wonder what is going to happen when I finally make it into the real/normal world once again.
If you thought that a food article would have been good, then perhaps you would like The Road Forks by a couple of friends of mine. I am sure you will enjoy their writing and marvel at the opportunity they have had to eat their way across much of the world... If only I were as pushy!
I am now at another crossroads in life. I am doing online classes for which I must spend some time in residence, but for the most part I have a huge decision to make. I am soon to be officially unemployed. I have the opportunity to go back to school and live in the wonderful Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan, or I could do a little more traveling first.
I am looking at a number of possibilities. I am looking at Israel, North Korea, and Cairo for a slightly extended stay. They all have pluses and minuses, and it is difficult to decide what is worth it and what is not. As the time makes its way closer, I will let you know how the decisions finally come out. Either way, I am sure it will be an adventure worthy of of blogging. Perhaps someone out there will actually enjoy it.
My vacation has almost begun; you will surely read about it as it unfolds. Good luck to all, and happy reading.
While I mentioned how I left Iraq, I didn't tell about the most interesting conversation I had while waiting at the air terminal. While I was passing the time working on my computer, a nice 1st Lieutenant addressed me in one of the most common ways people have addressed me in Iraq, "you must be hot in that!" As I was inside, and the air conditioning is set at a level that would make a penguin feel at home, I could truthfully answer that I was not. Of course I couldn't make it that simple, so I replied, "only outside. I wear the jacket for when I am inside."
I assumed that this satisfied him, as he turned away. Suddenly he turned back, as if he had forgotten something extremely important. "What do you do?" Not a very uncommon question either, so I told him I was an English teacher. "Oh. You should know that the rumor around base, because of you hair and your style, is that you are CIA. But now I know, so it is alright."
Now this could explain why it seemed like so many of the soldiers always seemed to be talking about me, looking in my direction and whispering. I wasn't being paranoid, they actually were! I can't help but wonder what other strange things they may have been saying about me. I also wonder if this has anything to do with the change in the way I was treated by the air force before I left. Perhaps this actually explains a lot!
I actually sort of wish that I did work for the CIA, at least then I would have the satisfaction of doing something good while being treated this way for a reason. I suppose that will have to go down on the list of things I never got the chance to do, however. Very sad.
Yesterday was a swarm of activity! I went to breakfast and to the office as any usual day, but after saying good-bye to everyone, I was driven to the pax terminal where I awaited my fixed-wing flight to the wondrous land of Kuwait.
I waited at the air terminal for around 3 hours, and then loaded a cargo plane with as many others as they could pack in. Most of them were getting off at the first stop, but many more were to get on. This trip was the closest I have ever come to knowing what a sardine in the desert feels like. I was packed into a flying tin can while wearing body armor and carrying a heavy backpack. All the others were about the same. The plane was sitting on the airstrip with the sun beating down on it with all of its might with no shade is sight. Finally we were underway, but comfort and sleep were the imaginings of a mad man who one thought his sanity all that was left.
The first stop went off without a hitch, though I had to stay on the heat riddled plane for the half an hour it took to unload and load it. After was seemed an eternity, we finally landed in Kuwait and were taken to the wonderful tent city where I would find my home for the next 2 - 3 days. The bus which had dutifully picked us up at the airplane dropped us off in front of the building in which we could get directions as to where to go next. They sent me to the LNO (no idea what it actually stands for, but they help with logistical type matters). I went in and they gave me a visa application and a sheet with directions. I would have to go in the morning to get processed.
Then I took the arduous journey back to where I had just come from to find out where I could turn in my body armor. The extra weight was not something I wanted in the extreme heat of Kuwait. Fortunately that didn't take long and I could get my tent assignment and then get down to the real business of the day: going to the Green Beans and having a nice cup of coffee while surfing the internet!
I spent a few hours doing that and then went to chapel. It was a small traditional service which I quite enjoyed. It was good to finally be able to go to a service again! When I finally got back to the tent, I lay down and tried to get some sleep. I tossed and turned, but sleep eluded me. I transformed my jacket into blanket mode, but this resulted only in a more comfortable still awake me. Around 2:30am I took a shower and trudged back down to the Green Beans and chatted with those who were online. It was finally time to catch the bus for the visa trip.
They loaded us up and took us into the secure area of the airport. The liaison took our passports, photocopy of the info page of the passport, the visa application, and the money and gave all of it to the agents to process. The whole reason we were required to go this way was due to the implementation of rules in which we need to have fingerprints and retinal scans done. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it) the biometrical equipment was not functioning today; therefore, we were able to get away with not having to do it. I guess this information is not all that crucial to the Kuwaitis after all!
We managed to make it back in record time! We were only gone for 4 hours instead of the whole day as we were supposed to be. Now I get to relax, enjoy another coffee (and some cliff bars), and write about how relatively boring my life is.
As most people may or may not know, I like to try out different things and take advantage of all that is made available. For instance, if I am put in business class, I am not going to pass up the opportunity for that free glass of wine. I think that if I have the chance to do something that I may not be able to normally do, it would be foolish to pass it up!
In this same vein, a couple of days ago I was forced by my coworkers (and supervisor) to go to the clinic. I have been having nausea every time I eat or drink anything, and they were getting quite concerned. I have also been very tired and sore as well. So, off to the CSH, (combat support hospital which we pronounce as cash) I went! I gave them my Letter of Authorization (LOA) so they would be able to treat me, but the receptionist sent me back to the back to have the person authorize me for treatment. The Specialist (E-3) behind the desk told me I was only authorized for life, limb, or eyes according to my LOA. This had been a problem before and a letter was sent to them to explain the circumstances. I mentioned this, but he said I had to wait for his NCO to arrive in about 2.5 hours!
I left. I went back to work very unhappy. I don't like doctors to begin with, and this was just the reason I needed to not go at all. Of course upon telling my supervisor, he found and printed the letter and told me to go back, so, sadly, return I did. I showed the letter to the Specialist and he paged his NCO. When the NCO finally arrived, he said that it was fine, so back to the receptionist I went, and I was able to start waiting for the next half hour or more to actually see the doctor.
When I was finally able to see the doctor, she asked questions, did a couple of exams, and then decided that she needed to draw blood. This was done, and I had to wait around waiting for results. She stated that as a result of the examination, she wanted a CT scan and an ultrasound, so I would have to go to a different hospital because they don't have those capabilities at this one. It was an interesting prospect, but not one I was really looking forward to. Still, she went off to make the arrangements.
While I was waiting for blood test results, they found an ultrasound machine and decided to try it out. As the three doctors fiddled with the machine to try to get it to work, I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. They worked on the machine for 15 minutes before they were able to get it to work and attempt to perform the procedure. As they were in the midst of the procedure, they realized that they couldn't really see what they were looking for, so they decided to stop. They told me that they had arranged for me to go to the ER in Baghdad and that I was to get my stuff and come back ASAP. They would then call the medivac people to come.
I went back to my CHU (containerized housing unit), packed in 3 minutes, and returned to wait for the medical helicopter that was going to transport me to Baghdad. The chopper ride was interesting. The medic, wearing his helmet with the dark shield down to shade the sun, sat on the gurneys across from my seat, the only one in this part of the helo. He placed the blood pressure cuff over my arm and took vital signs during the whole flight. We had to land and change helicopters as part of this trip, so I was handed over to another medic.
The seats on this were a little different. This chopper was able to carry 4 people sitting, plus the medic (and of course the gunners on each side and the pilots. There was a flash outside the helicopter as we were flying, but as it only caused irradic flying for a few minutes, I figured it was better to forget about it.) Anyway, I finally made it to the ER where they did the CT scan, urinalysis, more blood tests, and an ultrasound. So many fun things including having to drink some concoction that numbed my insides and some type of lemony crystals that expand in your stomach and give you gas (this was to help in the CT scan). They also injected me with something that would make my veins light up so they could see them. This stuff caused me to become warm all over, almost to the point of being uncomfortable... it was really kind of cool!
Then came the arduous task of getting back to my current residence! I spent the night in temporary billeting in Tent City. My tent had about 30 or 40 cots set up, but fortunately most were empty. In the morning I checked out and went to the helo-terminal and registered for a flight. I had to go to a different base where I would have to register for another flight to my base. I did finally get out of there as well, but not until after 9pm..
This morning I didn't wake up until 11:11am! Even given that, I am still a little tired and VERY sore. Because I have no authorization for sick days, I will have to use vacation days for this, so I will probably have to give up my vacation. This isn't the worst thing in the world, but I am not really happy about it. This is all just part of the process of figuring out what is coming next for me.
The days here have been pretty frustrating for the ELTs and the cadets alike. The constant changing of information with little to no explanation seems to get on people's nerves. The cadets were supposed to leave some time ago, but for various unknown reasons, they are still here, and we are still teaching them. We are now planning on giving them a test even though we really don't know if they are still going to be here that day or not (we are suspecting that they will be).
All of this uncertainty has made the cadets grumpy and whiny. They don't want to come to class, and when they do come, they don't want to work. This in turn causes the teachers to speak poorly about them. As these discussions happen, I can't help but wonder how much we don't know. I have heard it said that they "have no honor", "they are lazy," "they agreed to something so they need to do it", and even "if they don't come to class, they should be docked pay". I find myself wanting to agree. Then I stop, take a step back, and reassess the situation. I start doing what I seem to do best: asking questions!
The cadets have taken a job which puts their life at risk. I don't mean in the same way that one puts their life at risk by joining the military back home; that merely carries with it the risk of going to war (not a risk to be taken lightly for sure). When a person in Iraq affiliates themselves with the military, they become a target of their own people. Before the Iraqis leave the base, they must all be in civilian clothes, and they are not allowed to leave, for the most part, by land; they, like us, must fly back to bases close to home and take taxis and such from there.
As part of their uniform, they are required to wear a beret. This beret can leave a black line on their forehead. If they don't take care to clean this line before leaving, it could cost them their life. They also are a little skittish about getting their pictures taken as these could also fall into the wrong hands and possibly get them killed.
So, I have to ask myself, "are these cadets without honor? Are they scared, whiny little brats as some seem to claim?" When I think about all the dangers they face just by being there, the fact they don't get paid for the time they are supposed to be on break but are forced to continue with classes because the plane didn't come, the general respectful actions, I can't help but come to the conclusion that for whatever reason they have become cadets, they are behaving honorably and much better than most people I know would. I can't help but think they are being misjudged and that before we attach labels and judgements on people, we should attempt to put ourselves into their shoes and try to understand where they may be coming from.
I went to another seminar in the series on relationships, marriage, and parenting. This one was about making your marriage last a lifetime. The video that was shown gave a lot of good advice and made associations and used real examples that made it much more understandable and practical. The best part, however, was in the discussion.
One woman talked about when Adam and Eve were created, and how people often use this story to indicate that the woman is subservient to the man because it states that she is to be his helper. As it turns out, the Hebrew word means, basically, someone who helps in all things. She is to be a sounding board, a builder of character, someone to help when he is sick, and a nemesis (I really liked this last one). And, apparently, in Psalms this same word is used to refer to God as out helper! If we talk of God and of woman using the same word, this definitely did not have the connotation of subservience or of being unimportant or menial in nature!
Each day is bringing fresh, new ideas as well as just reopening old ones. I am learning a great deal here and hope that I can continue to do so until it is finally time for me to leave.
Tomorrow is a day off from work, but hopefully not from learning. There are many things happening here that I can feel but have no knowledge of. I did ask about it and learned that my feelings are right about this. Oh the inconvenience of being so affected by others feelings...empathy can be negative sometimes!
It seems that working in a location where much of what you do cannot be discussed makes it very difficult to keep a blog with very much consistency. Unfortunately, the lack of consistent frustration is not a problem here. It seems the cadets don't want to always come to class, and the US military is concerned with this. Of course their interference is going to cause the Iraqis to become a little discontent, and the English teachers manage to bear the brunt of it all. I don't really mind for the most part, but it seems a little counter productive to me.
Of course I am out of here in about 5 weeks, so no matter what happens, I don't have to put up with it for very long.
After all of this, many new things are on the horizon. I am not sure what they will settle into, but it will prove to be a very busy next couple of years no matter what I end up doing. I hope I am able to manage it. I need to probably find some sort of job while I am at school, but I don't know what it could possibly be! Perhaps it is just out there waiting for me to take it.
I wish I could write more, but I am neither in the mood nor do I have a lot that I can say at the moment. I guess I will just have to wait until tomorrow to see what happens and what I can report then.
Yesterday and today brought with it much anger, and a few laughs. My cadets this cycle or pretty arrogant. They are Alpha class, they have fairly decent English, and they think they are better than everyone else. The other teachers have no problem with them, but I do. I am not really good at ignoring things of this nature, though I would be much happier if I did.
Yesterday one of my students remarked that Ugandans were lazy, stupid, and only ate, slept, and went to the toilet (most of the guards here are from Uganda). I told him that I knew a couple of them that were intelligent, spoke fluent English, and were interested in Politics and World Affairs. He said it wasn't possible. I was very angry about this and told him that I could say the same thing about Arabs! He face became stern and he glared at me with a look that would have turned Medusa to stone. After a brief pause to let that sink in, I continued on, "I know it isn't true, but there are many people who believe it because they don't know any better." We talked about stereotypes and how bad they can be. At the break he explained to me that many of them treat Iraqis without respect, even if they are generals. I have a feeling there is a cultural difference about what it means to respect someone, but I didn't broach that subject at all.
Today was a day that we used mainly to just talk and waste time. We finished just about everything, and they didn't want to work. I gave them some Penguin Readers (including Crime & Punishment and Anna Karenina). They absolutely loved them. While some were reading, others of us chatted about various things. I gave them some idioms using the word 'chicken'. They decided they didn't like that because they always have chicken for lunch, and it is usually pretty badly prepared. I told them that chickens were stupid, and one of them squinted his eyes and pursed his lips and responded: "I am offended by that!You shouldn't stereotype chickens!" I couldn't actually tell that he was joking, though I was hoping he was. Touche says I, touche! A little levity to show a point well taken and creatively dished back. As obnoxious as these cadets can be, I really like my students!
I should have typed this as soon as I got back yesterday, but I was absolutely exhausted! We didn't have to meet until noon for lunch and then teach in the afternoon. This is very unusual as we normally teach in the morning; but the cadets had something else going on, so we accommodated them. After this long and arduous two hours, we sat in the office for another hour making sure everyone was caught up on all the information that was going around and that we all knew what we were supposed to be doing later that evening.
Then everyone went home; everyone that is except me and one of my coworkers. We were partners in the tournament that was to happen at 5pm that evening. It was quite obvious that given neither one of us had participated in an event such as this for many years (if ever) we would need to practice just to keep from looking like complete idiots. Unfortunately, the little bit of practice we had, did little to quell this appearance.
We were one of the first teams up. I was pitching first. I could feel the cold weight of the steel in my hand. Would it be good luck for me now as it is said to be if you put it on your wall (ends facing up of course). I aimed toward the metal steak in the ground and threw. The first was a little too far to the left, but still in the sand! I was doing better than I had in practice! The next landed close enough to the steak to give my team a point! This was the only victory I was asking for. The other two seemed to be up on the game and we lost 21-6. At least it was fun... somehow horseshoes is a game that just belongs at a picnic!
While the tournament was going on, we were able to have potato salad, ribs, hamburgers, or hot dogs. There was music playing and eventually a fire to sit by while making smores. Those who weren't playing horseshoes could play foosball, watch the various games, chit-chat, eat (dessert as well: pecan pie or carrot cake), or just relax. In the midst of all this, we said our hellos and goodbyes to those who have come in the past 3 weeks or so and to those who will be leaving us very soon. It was a bitter sweet occasion.
During this one could hear shots from machine guns out in the distance. No one seemed to even take notice. I merely thought of them as fireworks as a freedom celebration three months early. With all the fun that has been happening here, I am almost sorry I didn't join the military when I had the chance; I could be retiring soon had I done that!
I finally got the chance to look over the material we are using, and I find it to be quite interesting. It appeared at first that the DLI material was based on archaic research and ideas, but I have found this to not be the case. Not only is the material meant to be taught using the latest methodologies, there is also a lab portion which is absolutely phenomenal. I think I could get used to teaching using this material!
Tomorrow we are testing the students. I will get to invigilate my first test with this material, but it all sounds pretty easy. After this job, I will be an 'expert' with the DLI material, so when they hire me to work for them, they can make me unlearn everything and relearn it the proper way! I just can't wait for that. I am not really sure how I feel about testing the students though. I have only had them for a couple of days, but we reviewed all the material, and they seem ready for the test. There are a couple I am concerned about, but I think they should have no real problems passing.
It will be a long day as we have to mark the exams, but it won't be difficult. So, here is to work that is not difficult and even enjoyable. Even in Iraq these are wondrous things we can cherish!
Finally! I have been waiting for this day for a while, but yesterday, I finally was in front of my own class teaching once again. Actually I am not sure I like being in front of my own class, and the material is a little different than I am used to. Trying to make things interesting that the students seem to think are too easy is a bit difficult, but I am sure I will manage to think of something. The students have seen fit to ask me all sorts of questions about the set-up of the program and what is going to happen to them next after they take the exam and such... it reminds me of when I was teaching in Kurdistan: same exact questions, and me with the same answer: "I don't know. Let me check on that for you." Being only my second day, they hadn't covered all those things with me; there were other logistical matters that needed to be addressed first. So, once again, I felt like an uninformed idiot in front of my students... military students... there is something about the uniforms that make them a little more intimidating than others I have taught.
Today is my only day off. It is Friday and I get to do with it as I please. I just don't really know what I please to do with it. I am exhausted as I have not been sleeping well, so I may just sleep the day away. It does seem a shame, though, as it is quite beautiful outside. Perhaps I will look for jobs to go to after this one. I don't really know how long I will be here, so I need to be prepared for later in the year. I know, at maximum, I will be here until September 14, 2011. More than likely, I will leave before that. I hope they let me know; I have a couple of things I would love to do, but I can't do them this year because they are at a time that conflicts with my present job. I guess these are just things we have to see about in the future.
Well, I have finally made it to my permanent duty location. I will hopefully be here until my contract ends, but things like this are never really certain. I have decided that I need to get a new wardrobe to accommodate the weather and dust here in Iraq. I think that I may be wearing a lot of tanish colors from now on. I need new pants/trousers, socks, shirts, and shoes... I just have to get to the Exchange to see if they have all these things.
I haven't eaten here yet, so I am not sure about the food. I guess we shall see in a few minutes. All in all this trip has been exhausting. The helicopter rides, the cancellations, the newness of the process, these were all contributing factors to my wanting to curl up in a little ball and sleep for the next ten years! Things are better now that I am here though.
The place I am staying is alright. It is somewhat small and I have to share, and I have to walk 200 - 300 meters to get to the showers and the toilet, but I can handle that :P The biggest problem is that there is no self-service laundry; one has to take the clothes in to be washed by someone else and then come back and get them 2 days later. I am VERY not fond of others doing my laundry!
Of course there is the issue of the roommate as well. I really don't like sharing a room at all usually, but I can handle it alright; it isn't the first time by far. Unfortunately, he seems to like it cold, so he has the air conditioner on full blast. For me, that is too cold, and the air conditioner itself makes me a little nauseous. It will be an interesting bone of contention.
All in all, I am happy for now. I will go observe some classes tomorrow so as to become familiar with the program and such. We shall see what happens. I hope to also pick up either a watch or a new cell tomorrow as well. It is important to have a way to wake up and to know what time it is; there aren't a lot of clocks hanging around to let me know.... wish me luck.
It is hard to believe almost two weeks has past since I have arrived. I had expected to start teaching right away, but things did not work out quite that way. The military had put the project on hold to review the safety and security issues involved. I am glad they are doing this as it means they are concerned for our safety. I suppose someone should be!
There isn't a lot to do here, though. I spend most of my time online or eating! I am sure I will gain 100 pounds before leaving here. The food is good and probably full of calories. Not being able to really leave the base makes things a little boring as well.
I am living right across from the US Embassy, so that is an interesting thing to see. I wish I were actually able to go visit, but no one is allowed without a special badge or specific permission. I can understand the security issues though.
People here have been wonderful! We have been getting along and playing scrabble and have also put on a couple of English classes for the people on this compound. I am scheduled to finally be moved to my new location soon! I think I will be teaching pilots... hopefully things at the new place will be as good or better than here.
That is all I can say for now. I will attempt to keep you informed. Let me know how things are going with the rest of the world; I live in a bubble!
Last night I got the word that I would be leaving this morning for Kuwait! I have been waiting for this to happen for what seems like centuries. Of course this is just because I get anxious when there is an impending situation, be good or bad. I do hope this ends up being the former and not the latter!
After getting the news, I promptly decided that I needed to do my laundry. I managed to get that done and then packed... not at all very exciting, but it seems so much different when you getting ready to head over for a new job. I had a difficult time sleeping last night and today is going to be quite a long one. I only partially know what to expect, but at least there are two others who will be traveling with me.
I already ate breakfast, packed the remainder of my things, and now I am sitting and thinking,. I really don't have to go to roll call today, I don't think, but I will go anyway because it will give me something to do and another chance to say hello and goodbye to the people I have met here. This whole situation has been quite interesting and entertaining. Unfortunately, most of the people I met will be going to Afghanistan, so the chances of ever seeing them again are remote. The two that are going to Iraq with me may not be stationed anywhere near me. I just found out there are 7 teaching locations, and they really don't know which one I will be placed at. So much for knowing that I am going to Baghdad! At least I will spend the first week or so there in order to process all the paperwork and such that needs to be processed.
Yesterday was an extremely full day! After the morning role call and announcements we went straight into first aid training. This training started out the same as previous trainings I have had so long ago, but it didn't stay that way. This was training to the standards of the Department of Defense (DoD) not the American Red Cross, and there are a few differences which I don't think I will get into here.
We started of learning things like rescue breathing, treating for shock, the Heimlich maneuver, etc. Then we took a much needed break. Then we went into some combat field first aid. We went over tourniquets and marking the victims to inform others of tourniquet use; treating sucking chest wounds, open abdomen wounds, and severed limbs (this is where the tourniquets came in). Finally we had a two minute drill in which a disaster was simulated and we had to provide first aid for around 8 victims. My group lost two: one we didn't find, the other we couldn't get to as there was a suicide bomber blocking our path. The darkness made it a little difficult to work; I should definitely remember to get a flashlight and always carry it with me!
After the 4.5 hours of first aid training, we went over other information we would need. This included recognizing improvised explosive devices (IEDs), gaining a basic understanding of the Universal Code of Military Justice and how it will apply to us as contractors, a brief overview of the Laws of War, a briefing on sexual assault, and information on what to do if you get separated from your group for any reason. Becoming isolated in an area that isn't exactly the most friendly is not an easy thing to handle.
After this training we went to dinner, had a short break and then it was back to another daily briefing. I got to watch 3 or 4 people that arrived the same day I did get their paperwork to be deployed. I must say I was kind of jealous! I am anxious to get out of here as soon as possible now as most, if not all, of the training I was to receive here is done. I will have a day or two of processing when I arrive in Iraq, but at least I will finally be in country.
Most of the people are going to Afghanistan, so they are getting antimalaria pills; I am off to Iraq and won't need them; for this I am overjoyed! The rest of the day is pretty much mine to do with as I please. I will probably spend it answering questions from a reporter from Aljazeera - English about my previous job. I will also take a "short" tutorial from someone. Maybe I will sleep a little as well. If I am lucky, this evening I will be able to get going to the laundromat so I will have only clean clothes to take with me to Iraq (as long as I leave on Thursday as was the previous plan but has yet to be confirmed). Here's to hoping!!
I arrived at the airport yesterday around 10:50am. Right after landing I received a call from the hotel confirming that I had arrived and that I had received the information as to where to meet the van to be taken to the hotel. I managed to make it to the spot in a very short time and was told by the person meeting us there that the van would arrive in about 10 minutes. Within this time frame, the van arrived. Unfortunately we had to wait for more people, so we didn't actually leave until almost 1pm!
The hotel is quite nice. I have a large room on the 7th floor with a king size bed and large flat screen tv to myself. While the view overlooks the parking lot, it isn't really all that bad. We had to meet as a group around 3pm. We had a briefing and was told what to expect for the following 3 to 4 days (hopefully it won't be any longer). They explained how we were to use the restaurant and would be able to order anything and it would be covered up to :Breakfast: $10; Lunch: $12; Dinner $22. The food was good, and I didn't have to pay for it (thankfully!!).
After all of the briefings and dinner, we had to finish the online training that we didn't accomplish before arrival. This lasted until around 10pm.; I went to bed shortly after this as I had to wake up around 4:30 the following morning.
Waking up was easy. Went downstairs to have blood drawn, urinalysis, and 2 more vaccinations. This is spread out over 3 hours. Then we have to wait until 11am to eat. Afterward, there will be another briefing or two, and then physicals (though I haven't quite figured out what this will consist of). I had a vision test, a hearing test, and all of that already this morning; what is next?
This may not be all that exciting, but I thought I would let you know what was happening thus far. Hopefully things will get more interesting for you as time goes on.
These past few days have been very busy, hence the non-updates that have been happening. (Can something that doesn't exist happen?) I have spent the last week trying to figure out how to accomplish all the paperwork, medical type visits, and other such stuff to make sure that my week long trip to Texas would come about. Generally I don't worry about such things, but in this case no Texas, no job!
Now that I have completed all the medical and dental visits, filled out/in all the paperwork, and done all the online trainings, it has been confirmed that I have a space in Texas. I leave on Sunday. Hopefully it will be no more than a week, and then I will be off on my new assignment: teaching English in Baghdad!
I am quite excited about this possibility, though I suppose a little nervous as well. Hopefully I will be able to post from Baghdad, but my new employer and local may make that difficult. I may have to be a little more secretive than I like, but I guess I can do that: it fits my personality much more than I would like to admit sometimes.
Here's to hoping for the best! I will attempt to update you on all the things that I have to go through to get there and what happens when I arrive. Hopefully it won't prove to be too boring for you.
This post is going to be a little out of chronological order from those which will hopefully be completed later, but the urge to write about this now has grabbed me, and I am trying to never deny that urge. If I do, I just set myself up to fall back into the trap of not writing at all! The horrors that could come from that are unspeakable!!! (and yes, I believe all the '!s' are necessary.)
I landed at Gatwick airport ready to go check into a hotel that I was told was prepared for my arrival. I found the tickets for the Gatwick Express, bought an open-ended return ticket for 30.80 GBP. A rather expensive purchase, but London is that way. I really need to go check out something talking about London on the cheap! Anyway, I got on the train and made my way downtown to Victoria Station and then switched to a bus that took forever to find! It couldn't be one that left from the main location of nearly all the other buses; no, it had to be located around the corner in what would seem to be a ploy to confuse those of us who can't seem to read the maps they provide. I, for some reason, am overly directionally challenged when it comes to finding places in a reasonable amount of time, but I do eventually get to most places.
I say most because while I did manage to get on the bus and down to the stop I was told to get off at, I never did make it to the hotel! I called the hotel, and they told me they would send a shuttle to pick me up. I waited for about half an hour, and the shuttle never showed! Then I called again, and they told me they had no listing for me, and had no idea I was coming. When I gave them the phone number my phone told me I had, they asked if I had a mobile phone. They wouldn't accept that the number I gave them could possibly be the one! So, the shuttle never arrived, I never heard back from them, and my evening in Gatwick appeared to be ruined. I returned to the airport (effectively wasting money as one can get a one day return ticket for cheaper than an anytime return ticket, though I needn't have bought a ticket at all!)
At the airport I was cold, hungry, and tired. I have not been feeling the best lately, and I was ANGRY at the hotel. I wanted to just yell and scream at them. However, I decided to try to get online and spend my time in a relaxed fashion. I found a counter with stools and outlets; the dream of a person spending a large amount of time there! The internet I had found previously was not available, so I paid the 10 GBP for 24 hours of access. I figured it was 7pm and I couldn't check in until 8am, so it was worth it!
I made it through the night with a brief period of attempting to sleep. I bought some digestive biscuits (cookies if you will) and a bottle of chocolate milk for breakfast, finished them, and went through security. Then it was a Gingerbread Latte and more internet (Costa Coffee isn't all that bad). I was flying Iceland Express and check in was at 7:50am which turned out to be 8:10am, but these things happen, even in England!
When I checked in, they were having problems inputting my information into the computer. They needed an address for me from the US, or they wouldn't let me travel (I thought I provided this on the website, but apparently not). I gave it to them, but something just wouldn't work. They finally called their supervisor who did it for me, but they only the boarding pass to Reijkiavek would print; the onward boarding pass would not, so I would have to pick it up in Iceland!
The flight was decent. They do not provide meals and such, but you can buy food online if you so choose. I chose not to. We landed in Iceland 2 and a half hours later. Those of us who were not given onward boarding passes were told to go to the customer service desk at gate 11. This happened to be on the other side of passport control, so I got another stamp from Iceland.
"How long you going to be in Iceland?" the border guard queried. My response, with as much of the incredulousness removed from it as possible, came quickly. "Maybe 10 minutes!" He looked at me somewhat dumbfounded and then replied, "Well, I hope you enjoy your stay." I thanked him and walked on my way.
I found the service desk where a nice woman, whom I later learned was from Denmark, was attempting to get her boarding pass to Newark as well. The worker was having a difficult time with the computer. She said that it wasn't printing, and we would have to go to the service desk at gate 27; it would open at 3pm (approximately 1o minutes). This is on the other side of passport control, so we went and stood to wait for passport control to open. The guy was standing there and said he couldn't open until security was there. Half an hour later we were on our way through passport control (and no security)! I was asked for my boarding pass as I was about to head down the stairs, but I informed them I was told I needed to go to the service desk at gate 27 to get it, and they let me through (I still can't figure out why they didn't just have us go there in the first place).
I got my boarding pass without a problem and went to explore the airport a little and sit down. I talked a little with Seena (need to look up the spelling), the unemployed international human rights lawyer from Denmark on her way to the US for vacation, before going and getting back on my computer. Then we boarded the nearly empty plane and headed off for the comforts of America!
I had decided that in my condition of not quite complete healthiness that I would not stay at the airport. I booked a room at the Howard Johnson instead. This was rather exciting for me, and I was pondering how to find the shuttle pick up place while waiting for my luggage to arrive. Finally all the bags seemed to have been off loaded with one conspicuously missing: MINE!
As I stood there looking at the last 6 or 7 bags going around the carousel, a man approached and asked if I had flown Iceland Express. I told him I had and gave him my name when he asked for it. "Ahh, I don't think your bag made it. I was just going to page you." I am not sure how they knew or what may have happened to delay it, but I found it a little odd for him to say that. I was also reminded of this little issue when I exited customs:
"Do you have all your bags with you?" "No, I don't." "I am sorry about your bags not arriving." "Thanks. It happens."
If it seems that I was playing this minor inconvenience a little too cool, perhaps I was. Things like this don't always bother me, and I had packed a change of clothes in my carry-on, and they said they were going to ship me my bag on Monday, so it really is only a minor inconvenience. Then I started to think about it a bit more: I fly out of Newark for Saginaw, MI (via Chicago) on Saturday the 5th (the following day). I had previously thought how I didn't want to pay the $25 checked luggage fee, and now I wasn't going to have to! It seems to me that the minor inconvenience of having my luggage delayed resulted in my saving $25 on luggage fees! How is that for fortunate. I should be thanking Iceland Air for their timely decision on making it my luggage to delay.
I found the hotel shuttle pick up with little difficulty (P4), but had to wait almost an hour for the shuttle to arrive. I checked in with no difficulty and ate at the restaurant that is downstairs. It was reasonably priced, which seems unusual for a hotel restaurant, and the food was good. I then went, watched Monk, and went to bed! I was very tired from my long journey, and now this long posting!!
Today was the birthday of the newly 4 year old niece of the people I live with. We went to the parents/grandparents house to celebrate this momentous occasion. As usual, the table looked as if they had severely overestimated its capacity, and there was plenty of wine. My lack of desire to join in the wine has gotten me in trouble on more than one occasion previously, and it was to be no different this time. It seems that if I do not drink, I must not be happy. What could possibly be wrong with me? This causing of problems for this family is just one minor reason I am glad to be leaving; I am not so sure I really want to even try to fit into this culture anymore!
Anyway, they toasted the 4 year old, all night, and we enjoyed the various foodstuff that graced the table. Unfortunately, I was unable to partake in the conversation, and the people I actually know were elsewhere in the house, so I was actually quite bored most of the time. I did get to see some of the news about Egypt though! (It was in Georgian, so I couldn't understand it, but the pics were interesting!)
I don't know why I even agreed to go to this little get together. I really don't like crowds, and I knew I wouldn't be able to understand anyone. It was just one more way that I show myself that I don't belong here (whether it be by choice or not). It was still an alright time as the food was good and the cake added a sweetness that has been missing. And of course what meal would be complete without the nice hot coffee to finish it off? I am just glad to be back and able to relax... I am sooo tired!
Friday was the day for amazing happenings at school. It wasn't such an unusual day; it started much the same old way. The two students I live with were not going to school (one was getting sick, the other is still a mystery), and I was feeling like someone took me out the previous night and poured 20 glasses of Ch'ach'a (Georgian grape vodka, as in made from not flavored) down my throat! Not having had any alcohol the previous night made me think that perhaps I am not as well as I thought I was.
My first class or two went as normal as usual: the students weren't really interested, the teacher insisted on translating, and I felt kind of useless. My fourth grade class, however, was fabulous! I arrived early for some unknown reason and watched as they ran around chasing and hitting each other. The boys pulling the girls' hair reminded me of something out of "Little House on the Prairie". I was thinking about attempting to stop them, but then I figured if the Georgian teachers aren't saying anything, who am I to interfere? Besides, it is much better to have them like this now than in class!
After the bell rang, they semi settled down. We took out our books and started to go over the body parts they had learned the previous lesson. They were still confusing 'hand' and 'head' but they got the general idea. Then we moved on to the next lesson of body parts. The Georgian teacher didn't want to because they didn't fully have the other ones down, but I convinced her it was good if only for a preview of what was to come.
So, we went over the new vocab and just when the Georgian teacher wanted to not do anything more, I decided that we should sing. She thought it was a good idea, but didn't have the CD (not sure why she thought we needed the CD for this one!). And what did we sing? Of course: "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes". The students loved it! They became all wild again, but within the confines of the song. They didn't quite get when to change to the face parts or get all the words right, but we went through it 5 or 6 times as a group.
Then, as one of the children who never even smiled in class before, had been participating all day, I asked her if she could do it by herself. This turned into everyone wanting to take a turn (something they are used to doing is standing up and reciting). Quite an adventure in 4th grade land.
After my classes were finished, I still had to stay for the remainder of the day. I went and watched my 6th graders attempt to play Mafia. It is interesting to hear the directions in Georgian, and then to watch them play as if they knew what they were doing. Of course they were playing wrong! I didn't attempt to correct them, though as that would have been too much work, and one of their mothers was there to do that for them anyway.
Then I went home and did nothing for the rest of the night, which was just what I needed to do!
Sitting by the fire place watching as the flames dance and crunch away at the wood reminds me of my youth. The only thing I seem to be missing is either hot chocolate or a nice cup of hot apple cider! There isn't much that compare to the cinnamon and apple flavors mixing so nicely in their own little spicy hot tub releasing their vapors for all to savor.
I have decided that I also hate the fire! It seems that I am a little more obsessive than I have previously expected. I put wood on the fire as it was getting low. However, the wood didn't burn evenly; it was burning only in the front and on the right hand side. I couldn't believe how frustrated it was making me. I am usually so laid back about this sort of thing... Could this possibly mean that I am just stressed?
I went to school today after two days off. My coteacher asked how I was feeling, to which I replied "fine." Then she asked if I had a fever. I wonder if everyone is supposed to have a thermometer and take their own temperature whenever they feel a little ill. Of course I don't have one, so I had to tell her I didn't know. Then she asked about my pressure! How am I supposed to know? Of course the previous night my host was telling me what her pressure was, so perhaps it is just something that people are supposed to know, like their blood type. They sure know how to make one feel stupid for having to say "I don't know" to such a strange question!
They day itself went fairly slow. I taught 3rd grade early because one of the teachers wasn't there, so we did English as a way to have something for them to do. This meant, of course, that I would have nothing to do for 5th - 7th periods and leaving is not really allowed. I tried not to sleep during this time, but I am not sure I was totally successful.
Ok, I got up this morning at the right time, took my shower (such as it is), and prepared my things for school (why do I still insist on calling work 'school' as if I were a student and not a teacher?). All of this done, I decided that I would catch a few more winks. This was a rather stupid idea for me if I actually want to get anything done! I fell back asleep and didn't wake back up until about 12:30pm!
True, it is not the end of the world, but I still feel bad for missing two days in a row. I think it was good for my body though: yesterday's break told my body it was ok to be sick, and today's gives it a chance to get better! I am still a little sore, and my head feels congested, but I am not nearly as tired; perhaps this is the end of the nasty bugs.
Of course, due to my late awakening, I have not been very productive today. I have sent a couple of emails that needed to be sent, and I am updating my blog. I will feel much better getting back to school tomorrow where I will hopefully feel like I am doing some good (though it too often seems like I am wasting my time. Sometimes I wonder what I am even doing here!).
Today I stayed home from school. I got up later than I normally would have, but I was still exhausted! My host told me that she thought I was staying home today, and that if I wanted to, the school wouldn't die if I missed just one day. I decided that was the best of ideas.
I slept until about noon. I got up and ate some mashed potatoes and "kasha". I am not quite sure what it is, but it is a type of grain. I only know that the Russian is 'kasha', and I had a lot of it when I was living in Ukraine. I followed this up with a cup of coffee and went back to sleep.
It may have not been a very productive day, but I think I got some much needed sleep! Perhaps tomorrow I will be ready to face the students once again. Is this what I really want?
Yesterday after classes (though before school was officially over), my co-teacher went with me to the clinic. I have been feeling overly exhausted all the time recently as well as quite sore. My host told me that I should go to the doctor and that her mother worked there, so to text or call her when I arrived. I don't like doctors, but I did as I was asked.
The teacher and I waited for a while before she stuck her head into the office of two of the doctors. She knew them, so it took a couple of minutes to say hello and all that. Then we were told I needed to go down the hall where a doctor would take my blood to be analyzed. I was then to bring back the report for her to see. However, when we got to the room, the doctor was not there; we would have to wait until the following day!
My co-teacher went and talked with the first doctor who sent us to another building where they also analyze blood. I waited for them to finish with someone else, and then they stuck my finger and took a few small vials of blood. This was supposed to cost 7 lari, but they told me I didn't have to pay! They also said that instead of having to wait around for an hour, they would send the results to my host's mother and if there were anything wrong she could tell my host who could then tell me! I guess patient-doctor confidentiality has no meaning here, at least not for those of us who don't speak Georgian!
But I did get to see another doctor who told me that my blood pressure was low. There didn't seem to be anything else wrong with me, so I should take vitamin C unless something came back in the blood tests. It was interesting that during all of this they never once took my temperature. I wonder if that is something I should have already have done at home. The world may never know.
But, as it seems, my being a foreigner with the mother of my host working in the hospital, I was able to circumvent lines, waiting periods, and minor obstacles such as missing doctors to get what done what I needed. Sometimes it does work for you!
I don't know how I keep falling behind in my blogging, but I guess it is normal for one such as I. I was away on vacation and having a grand time during the holidays, but now I am back! I arrived back in Georgia a day or so later than I was supposed to. My first flight from home was canceled, and while the one the next day was on time, the one from Chicago to Warsaw was delayed as was the one from Warsaw to Tbilisi. I was not feeling the best when I finally arrived.
Fortunately, I was met at the airport by a taxi driver (actually he searched me out for business, but that is pretty much the same thing). He took me to a boarding house where I slept the day away. I spent the next day at the boarding house as well, and returned to my host family on Saturday while they were away.
As a way to pass time, I visited my old host family who once again asked me to return. I have to go through my company in order to do this, so I did send them a message (albeit 3 or 4 days later). I am not sure, but that may have been a bad idea. Thursday was my first day of school, and things with the teachers were fine. Friday was a different story. I have no idea what was up, but the timing was interesting.
This weekend was horrible. I slept/hid in my room for most of it. I didn't come out from when I arrived home around 4pm on Friday until around 3pm on Sunday! I have been overly exhausted and sore. I am not sure what is up, but I think I may have a touch of something. I am sure my host family thinks I am either mad at them or just crazy.
