Topic: Daily Life
Americans in Iraq officially work the "Muslim work week," which runs Sunday through Thursday. However, because there is so much work to do in Iraq, most people work seven days a week (though most people sleep in on Fridays).

Interestingly enough, until recently, the official weekend in Iraq only included one day - Friday, which is the Islamic holy day. The Iraqi Interim Government recently announced that every weekend would include two days - Friday and Saturday. Some Iraqis were happy to have an extra day off. Other were upset that the government did not make Thursday the extra day off. Most Muslim nations take Friday off, but it varies in whether Thursday or Saturday is the second day of the weekend.

(Follow up comment - Even though Iraqis now have two day weekend, most Americans are working seven days per week. Sigh . . . I guess that is why they pay me the "big bucks.")

Mood:  hungry
Topic: Daily Life
Here is yesterday's menu. It sounds really nice. All the same, after you have had these things three or times in one month, it gets a little old. The names sound nice, but the food is a little bland.

LUNCH MENU
Egg drop Soup
Sandwich Bar
Grilled Chicken
Cottage Pie
Boiled Carrot
Green Peas
Wedge Potato
Carrot Rice
Creme Caramel
Lemon Tart
Pineapple Cake

DINNER MENU
Seafood Soup
Roast Lamb w/mint Sauce
Chicken Escallop
Mix Vegetable Pakora (For Vegetarian)
Fried Eggplant
Cut Green Beans
Lyannaise Potato
Yellow Rice
Buttered Pasta
Creme Caramel
Lemon Tart
Pineapple Cake

Because I can't leave my compound to make a run to the local Safeway or Kroger (damn insurgency), the food is free. I know that some of you might be thinking, "What a deal." Just remember, to get this deal I had to come to a war zone.

Mood:  smelly
Topic: Daily Life
There is a large cardboard box in the cafeteria where people throw old paperback novels and second-hand magazines. The books are generally worn out copies of John Grisham-type novels, which may excite some people but puts me to sleep. (Ok, so maybe I'm a cultural snob, but right now I'm trying to plow through Don Quixoti.) The magazines are old and very boring. For example, today I found a six month old copy of a magazine published somewhere in Africa that looks like a lousy Forbes knock-off encouraging westerns to "make it big" by investing in countries where the workforce is cheap. Sometimes I get really lucky and find an old copy of The New Republic or Weekly Standard. They might be really old, but I've found that these two magazines age must better than most. Stories about the national debt and the Supreme Court are as relevant today as they were six months ago.

Topic: Daily Life
The toilet paper here is horrible. The rolls have ? the number of sheets as a typical roll. The sheets are onion skin thin, and they are as soft as sandpaper. If you ever move to the Middle East, do not buy Santina Rosana toilet tissues.

Topic: Daily Life
The security office has directed everyone to carry their cell phone and CB radio at all times. The cell phone is rather pointless because it uses an Iraqi network that has very weak reception. The other day it said I had reception, yet I still couldn't make a phone call. The CB radio is fairly powerful (and it will cost about $800 to replace it if I lose it). We use it to contact the motor pool and listen for instructions when there is an explosion. I hardly ever use it, but I do keep it with me, even when I go to sleep. While I almost never use it, the security officers do use it on a regular basis to keep in touch with each other. I get to hear them discuss how government convoys are progressing through the IZ gates or when various key people are leaving the compound.

Mood:  hungry
Topic: Daily Life
Sigh . . . the food here is sooooo dull. Ok, so I must admit that the price is right (free) and they are trying their best to make the food tasty, but I sometimes can't tell the difference between the chicken and beef. At least 30% of the main dishes are fried. (I try to avoid that stuff.) I feel like I'm back in college. The cafeteria is open everyday, but sometimes I'm just not interested in what is offered. What I wouldn't do for some sushi or red curry!

Mood:  spacey
Topic: Daily Life
What happens when you cram thousands of Americans into a 3-4 square mile corner of a major city? It becomes a very crowded little city inside a city, and like every city, things occasionally break down. Because of a problem with the water system, right now there is way more demand than supply in the system. My compound has been asked to reduce its "consumption" until the problem is fixed. If things get really bad, I may not have enough water to take a shower! Even after they fix the temporary problem with the water system, there are probably too many people crammed into this little space. I think many here in Baghdad would agree, in hindsight, that squeezing everyone into the International Zone, right in the center of a city filled with people who don't like Americans, was a bad idea.

Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Daily Life
I was going to do a little piece on being an Ugly American, but I've gotten a lot of questions about my housing situation. So, let me give you a quick overview of what I have. I have a nice 800 square foot "hardened house" all to myself. It is made with really thick walls to help protect me from any stray bullets or mortar rounds that might land inside the compound. The house has three small rooms. The first room is a combination kitchen/living room. In the living room have a couch, desk, chair, bookshelf, and small coffee table. In the kitchen, I have a refrigerator, stove, microwave, sink, and toaster. The dressing room/bathroom is fairly small and simple. Sadly I don't have a bathtub, so my dreams of reading books in an English tub will have to wait for at least another year. The bedroom has a bed (duh), two end tables, and a dresser. The walls are white and pretty barren. Truthfully, the place feels like a nice hotel room. I'm doing my best to make it feel homier, but since the Attack Inside the International Zone a few months back, the military has kicked out almost all the street vendors. Without the ability to go shopping, it is really hard to make my house feel like "home." Please keep in mind that I have it WAY better than almost everyone else in the International Zone. Most foreign service officers double up in big metal containers that were converted into housing units, and soldiers are living in tents.

Topic: Daily Life
I made it outside the compound today. That makes two days in a row that I slipped outside my concrete prison, though this time I only went over to the PX. All the same, I had to put on my battle rattle and get a driver from the motor pool. Just in case you think that putting on battle rattle seems fun, think again. The armor weights about 22 pounds and is bulky. After a short 10 minute ride and four military checkpoints, I arrived at the PX. The PX wasn't very big. It was about the size of a large 7-11. I heard that there is a huge PX out near the airport, but because of the security situation, I can't go there. The PX in the International Zone only had snacks, some canned and dried food, laundry supplies, toiletries, a few CDs, and a few larger items (CD players, camelbacks, and a host of other odd things). The PX did offer some "protection" for the few Americans who actually get "lucky" in Iraq. If you were ever embarrassed buying condoms in the States, imagine the poor sap who buys a box of condoms with a gaggle of soldiers all around him/her. Oddly, the PX didn't have any coins. I now have these little paper chips that are about the size of a quarter and worth 25 cents and "is redeemable at any [PX] around the world." I guess it is too expensive for the military to ship in coins to Iraq.

Mood:  lazy
Topic: Daily Life
Grunt . . . "one for the commandant" . . . ughhhhhh . . . "one for the corps" . . . "well, I guess the corps don't get theirs today." We have a small exercise room on the compound. I end up using it almost everyday. I would like to say that I've finally decided to lose those few extra pounds and tone up my tummy and read end. Truthfully, there really isn't that much to do here. After work I can sit around and talk shit (without beer), read a book (sometimes I need a break from that), or watch television (I have 200 channels and only 20 in English). So . . . I have decided to work out. Maybe I will get lucky and meet some nice young girl at the gym. In the meantime, I will continue to lift the weights, ride the bike, and use the track machine. Who know, maybe I'll even become a health nut and start eating better. I've definately cut back on the beer.

Topic: Daily Life
Every time I go to eat at the cafeteria, the servers load up my plate. I tell them that I only want a little bit of food, but they never listen. The servers are like my old grandmother; they seem to think that I'm too skinny and need to eat more.