Iraq

Baghdad's spring fever

March 13, 2010

It’s spring in Baghdad! Everybody is out and about trying to enjoy the mild 100 degree whether before it gets too hot out. …yeah. Seriously, 100 degrees in March? Get me out please. Aside from the blazing sun, it was a fun day. A coworker invited me to take pictures of the first formal lacrosse [...]

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An Oasis in the desert

March 11, 2010

Another Baghdad restaurant review! This one is called “Oasis” and truly lives up to its name. The place is run by Iraqis and is packed with authentic Middle Eastern flair. For example? Several large TVs installed in every room, each blasting “Melody Hits” or “Melody Tunes,” the Arab world’s answer to MTV (if MTV still [...]

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Happy Election Day!

March 7, 2010

I have to admit, I’ve been sort of overdosing on Iraqi politics and news for almost eight months now and I’m just about completely fizzled out. (Read: I’ve got exactly two weeks left) That being said, it’s election day so I feel a bit compelled to throw in my two cents. It’s sort of a [...]

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Baghdad Apple Crisp

February 15, 2010

We were hit with a mortar yesterday…a 107-mm mortar of love and homemade dessert! There was no complaining from me this Valentine’s Day (a noted cynic), even if it was spent in Baghdad (I can think of only a few worse places to spend any romantically-themed holiday). Despite the location, I was among a sparse [...]

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War zones

February 9, 2010

If you ever wondered what the U.S. military has to sacrifice to protect your freedom, look no further! Nobody ever said livin’ in a war zone would be easy! Note: Soft-serve ice cream had disappeared for at least a week before this notice was posted…meaning, the cafeteria staff probably got fed up with fielding questions [...]

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Special beverages

February 6, 2010

So, I hear there’s some sort of football game coming up soon? Kinda important? (Please remember, I’m a bit detached from the rest of the world, to say the least.) Well, the good folks at the Embassy dining hall are setting up a special Superbowl menu, which includes such favorites as…hot dogs and chili! Jalepeno [...]

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Baghdad lessons

February 6, 2010

Forty-four days left. As the calendar winds down, I’ve been attempting to jot down various “lessons” that I’ve learned during my deployment. The list is still a work in progress, but I will share one tidbit that still takes me by surprise: 1. Baghdad gets cold. Now, I know it’s nothing comparable to the Snowpocalypse [...]

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Oh, to be somewhere else…

February 5, 2010

This post will be expanded shortly, but here’s a teaser for now: Some recent frustrations in the sandbox are making me consider running back to Malaysia to live like a hippie on some remote, serene beach. Oh life. 45 days til DC.

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happy latte

January 25, 2010

Happy Monday!

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I stand for haggis

January 24, 2010

I know, with some certainty, that I am part Italian, German, and Irish. With less certainty I could say there might be some Scottish mixed in there as well. Two nights ago at the British Embassy in Baghdad, everybody celebrated their Scottish heritage, whether it’s real or not. In true IZ fashion, Brits, Scots, Irishmen, [...]

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