weather is improving

The weather here in Baghdadistan is improving by the day. There was a light, cool breeze whipping through the IZ today and although I was standing outside at midday with all my battle rattle on I was not drenched in sweat as normal. I have been asking God to turn down the heat in this country for months now and my prayers are finally being answered. Some of you may claim it’s simply the seasons change but I'd like to think its been my fervent prayers. Unfortunately, along with the cool weather has come several sandstorms, I'm not sure if there is any correlation but it was extremely annoying. It was interesting however to see the air change colors because of the sand. At one point I walked outside and everything was orange...not exaggerating. It was like wearing the sunglasses with orange tinted lenses, everywhere you looked was orange. I came back inside to people asking me if the sand had calmed down and what’s the weather like…all I could reply was “orange”. What’s the weather like Dave…orange…like living in a pumpkin or something (I realize I have no future as a weather man). I do have pictures however they cannot be posted because of the landmarks photographed so we will all have to all huddle around my computer when I return to check them out.

September as been the month of Ramadan here in Iraqistan, and all other Muslim countries for that matter. During Ramadan Muslims will fast until night fall and than eat a large meal with family and friends during the late evening hours. Ramadan lasts the entire month and because the Iraqis are fasting we must fast when we come to visit. Now the Iraqis are very generous people so when you visit with them they frequently offer you soda, tea, water, little snacks, etc (so obviously after a three hour meeting I have to pee like a race horse). But during Ramadan most Iraqis will not offer those things because they are fasting. So the one highlight of sitting through the meetings is taken away during this month of celebration (note the sarcasm). One man asked me “Daoud, are you fasting?” with a big, silly grin…I said “nam Sade-de” (which means yes sir), I fasted between breakfast and lunch, that got a laugh. This man asks me because he knows I love to eat…many times he has asked “is it time for you to leave?”, I reply “my stomach will tell me when its time to leave.” So when I start packing up to go he says “Daoud must be hungry…” (sometimes to throw him off I will eat a huge breakfast so I can talk right through lunch). The Ramadan celebration will conclude at the end of the month with a large three day party feast. I’m hoping our missions will coincide with the feast so we can partake in all the good food.

Random comment: Chuck Norris put the laughter in manslaughter or Chuck Norris died 10 years ago, death is just afraid to tell him.

Lastly, thank you for all the support. The books, letters, snacks are always a great reminder that there is a world outside of this that we eventually return too. Please continue to pray for all of us out here and pray for the Iraqis as well. While we return to the security of our bases the Iraqis (those ones looking to better the country) must live and fight this war in the same area.

Infidel Dave