Just so ya'll know how the operations work here - here is a briefing. We have 4 offices. Three are in Dubai and I work between two of them. The ones I work at - one is an actual office building and the other is out of a hotel. My apartment, which I just moved in to on Friday is close to the office building. I can walk to work but then I have to take either a taxi or the subway to the hotel office. The forth office is in Abu Dahbi which is two hours away in one of the other UAE's. I will not be mentioning on here what kind of work we do or what company I work for - for safety reasons alone and I am sure you already know or you understand the issue. While it is very safe here, I will not take chances.
I will be posting pictures soon, but it will be inside my apartment, views, or touristy things. I won't be posting what each facility, including the apartment look like from outside. I have a cool view of the city limits from my balcony and once we have a clearer day, I will take a picture. Directly in my line is the worlds tallest building. However, with all of the sand in the air it looks as if there is a brown haze (very similar to smog) that covers everything.
Today I spent most of the day in the office and then headed over to the hotel. Tomorrow morning I have to leave for the hotel at 5:00 am as we have a very large group departing. Today was a short day with only 12 hours working. So tomorrow will be a VERY long and tiring day for me. It is already after 9:00 pm here and I am just getting home.
Something strange: I will try to put something that I find very strange in every blog. The customs here will give me plenty of writing material. This morning Kirk called me at 4:45 am to talk with me. We have set this time since it is my morning and his evening and it works out well. The evening before, I was talking to him - I can't remember if it was email or call or instant message - and I told him that I had set my alarm for 5:00 am. When he called at 4:45 he got the front desk and told them to ring my apartment (the apartment runs like a hotel) they told him they did not want to ring me since I was not going to be up until 5:00 am. When he told me this, we were both shocked. How on earth did they know I would be up at 5???? I had just moved in and this was only my second day here. So they are either able to read everything I write or listen in to the phone conversations. We have no idea but it was really freaky. However, I have to laugh because at least they were curtious to watch out for my beauty sleep!!
By the way... If you have not guessed, I am not the greatest speller in the world. And my spell check does not work without a mouse. At this time I do not have my mouse plugged in so you are just going to have to get used to my mistakes.
Time for bed - good morning to those in the States
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Lost in Transition
I have been here a week and I have been running the whole time. I have not had much time to even eat and sleep. I have been working non-stop from 5:30 am to up to 10:00 pm. I don't do well on less than 8 hours of sleep. But so far I have been able to keep up. Today is Saturday and it will be my off day here. Hopefully I will be able to get on here a little more often to keep up with everything that is happening. I will be forgetting key points if I don't.
First off, I am not adjusting as well as I thought I would. With everyone in high gear, I have not had anyone show me how to get places. I can get from the hotel to the office through the subway - thats about it. The taxi drivers don't know where you are going and I can't give directions. Last night I had my first experience going from the apartment to the hotel all by myself and it was a nightmare. By the time I made it there I was an emotional wreck. the taxi driver was lost and was one that did not treat woman with any kind regard. Between him yelling at me in God knows what language and being where I didn't recognize a single land mark I lost it. I finally made it to the hotel and then was afraid to leave and go back to the apartment when the time came.
I have been shadowing the operations crew for the last week. This will not be my job but I need to see what they are doing and understand it. Next I will be leaning my job. I will be setting up the MDC here in Dubai. MDC stands for Mobilization Deployment Center. So far I am a one woman show and I will be running it all by myself. I have help setting it up and I sure hope that they bring in another person to work along side me so that I can take time off when needed. Plus it would help to have a coworker to bounce things off of and so that we can improve the processes when we get it up and running.
I have learned not to draw attention to myself. I don't want to let them know I am an American or what company I work for, work we are doing here etc. I can't hide the fact that I am a woman so I will have to deal with the issues related to that when they come up. So far it has not been too bad. I had a problem with they guy that stamped my passport, and one with a guy in the elevator but that is about it - other than the taxi driver. I also got what they call "stalked" yesterday morning. I guess it is there way of hitting on a woman. He kept his distance but it freaked me out. Nothing like being circled and stared at not stop. It took me a while to figure out what he was doing. At least now I know what to look out for and take myself out of the situation fairly quickly.
Enough for now. When I think of more I will log back in. It cost me over $300 for 150 minutes of internet time. So I will make these very brief.
First off, I am not adjusting as well as I thought I would. With everyone in high gear, I have not had anyone show me how to get places. I can get from the hotel to the office through the subway - thats about it. The taxi drivers don't know where you are going and I can't give directions. Last night I had my first experience going from the apartment to the hotel all by myself and it was a nightmare. By the time I made it there I was an emotional wreck. the taxi driver was lost and was one that did not treat woman with any kind regard. Between him yelling at me in God knows what language and being where I didn't recognize a single land mark I lost it. I finally made it to the hotel and then was afraid to leave and go back to the apartment when the time came.
I have been shadowing the operations crew for the last week. This will not be my job but I need to see what they are doing and understand it. Next I will be leaning my job. I will be setting up the MDC here in Dubai. MDC stands for Mobilization Deployment Center. So far I am a one woman show and I will be running it all by myself. I have help setting it up and I sure hope that they bring in another person to work along side me so that I can take time off when needed. Plus it would help to have a coworker to bounce things off of and so that we can improve the processes when we get it up and running.
I have learned not to draw attention to myself. I don't want to let them know I am an American or what company I work for, work we are doing here etc. I can't hide the fact that I am a woman so I will have to deal with the issues related to that when they come up. So far it has not been too bad. I had a problem with they guy that stamped my passport, and one with a guy in the elevator but that is about it - other than the taxi driver. I also got what they call "stalked" yesterday morning. I guess it is there way of hitting on a woman. He kept his distance but it freaked me out. Nothing like being circled and stared at not stop. It took me a while to figure out what he was doing. At least now I know what to look out for and take myself out of the situation fairly quickly.
Enough for now. When I think of more I will log back in. It cost me over $300 for 150 minutes of internet time. So I will make these very brief.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Wheels Up!
I finally have the clearance I need to go "wheels up". My security clearance went through on the 17th. I still don't have my CAC and LOA to head to Afghanistan but I can wait it out in Dubai. Looks like it could be 4 to 6 months before I get those. When they come through they will fly me to Kuwait to get them.
I am pretty sure my Directors did an "oh sh....". One saw me in the hall at work Friday and said they had forgotten to get me out and I should have gone earlier this week with some of the other HR folk. So now I get to fly today with the Deputy Director in to Dubai. I am so nervous and my stomach is doing flip flops. In less than 7 hours I will be headed to the airport to start my travels to the other side of the world. It is an exciting adventure, but it is hard to leave my family. It is really starting to hit home now.
Last night I packed up my trunk. I had to have to of my girlfriends come over and sit on it just to get it closed. This morning I finished up my laundry and once I take a shower I will start packing my suitcase. I already have a box that I have filled with stuff that I have to mail home since I was issued a HUGE sleeping bag that takes up half of my trunk. I am having a hard time deciding what I need and what I want to take with me. I really want some comforts of home just to keep me from getting depressed when I get over there. I put together an album (Thank you Uncle Jim and Sam for the album!) with pictures of family, my kiddos (my dogs) and me and Kirk. It only has a few pages filled but I NEED it so it goes in the bag even if I have to put a few more shirts, shoes or pants in my package home. I can always buy some new clothes once I get over there, but I can't buy new pictures of my loved ones.
The last two weeks have been filled with thoughts from everyone that had already been over in either Iraq, Dubai or Afghanistan. We are learning what to do and what not to do based on some of the cultures we will be working with. I am already aware that I will be considered "property" in Dubai by the locals. It is said "Men are for pleasure, woman are only for making babies". Whatever floats their boat, but being who I am - I will not let them treat me bad. I will make sure that if a restaurant or store treats me like "property" then I will no longer spend money there and tell everyone I know not to go there either. Maybe it will hurt their pocket book if I can't stand up to them. I have every intention of going there and respecting them and their culture. I even taylored my wardrobe to fit their requirements. I have loose fitting clothes, higher necklines, and all shirts cover my shoulders. I have even informed Kirk that when he comes to visit he has to be respectful as well. Men are allowed to touch other men, hold their hands and kiss in public. But a man cannot touch a woman at all in public without bringing shame to themselves. So at the airport I may have to have someone else pick him up just so he doesn't even shake my hand! I would want to give him a BIG hug and kiss and if I did, we could both be thrown in jail. That would not start his trip off on the right foot! Hahahahaha
I must mention that I have met and made some really great friends here in SC. My classmates are wonderful. I do believe that I have made three friends that will be friends for life. Brittany, Nancy and Veronica are such a blessing. We stuck together like glue - not only for safety reasons but also it is nice to hang with the girls when 90% of the rest of us are men. It was a bonding experience like I have never had before. We are all sad that I am leaving today, but excited to meet up in Dubai before they head to Afghanistan. I thank God everyday that I met such incredible woman to share the journey with.
The picture below from left to right is Nancy (in the glasses), Me (being a goofball), Leslie, Veronica, Brittany, and Maryam. All are very special to me and I am going to enjoy working with them and continuing on a lifetime of memories.
I am pretty sure my Directors did an "oh sh....". One saw me in the hall at work Friday and said they had forgotten to get me out and I should have gone earlier this week with some of the other HR folk. So now I get to fly today with the Deputy Director in to Dubai. I am so nervous and my stomach is doing flip flops. In less than 7 hours I will be headed to the airport to start my travels to the other side of the world. It is an exciting adventure, but it is hard to leave my family. It is really starting to hit home now.
Last night I packed up my trunk. I had to have to of my girlfriends come over and sit on it just to get it closed. This morning I finished up my laundry and once I take a shower I will start packing my suitcase. I already have a box that I have filled with stuff that I have to mail home since I was issued a HUGE sleeping bag that takes up half of my trunk. I am having a hard time deciding what I need and what I want to take with me. I really want some comforts of home just to keep me from getting depressed when I get over there. I put together an album (Thank you Uncle Jim and Sam for the album!) with pictures of family, my kiddos (my dogs) and me and Kirk. It only has a few pages filled but I NEED it so it goes in the bag even if I have to put a few more shirts, shoes or pants in my package home. I can always buy some new clothes once I get over there, but I can't buy new pictures of my loved ones.
The last two weeks have been filled with thoughts from everyone that had already been over in either Iraq, Dubai or Afghanistan. We are learning what to do and what not to do based on some of the cultures we will be working with. I am already aware that I will be considered "property" in Dubai by the locals. It is said "Men are for pleasure, woman are only for making babies". Whatever floats their boat, but being who I am - I will not let them treat me bad. I will make sure that if a restaurant or store treats me like "property" then I will no longer spend money there and tell everyone I know not to go there either. Maybe it will hurt their pocket book if I can't stand up to them. I have every intention of going there and respecting them and their culture. I even taylored my wardrobe to fit their requirements. I have loose fitting clothes, higher necklines, and all shirts cover my shoulders. I have even informed Kirk that when he comes to visit he has to be respectful as well. Men are allowed to touch other men, hold their hands and kiss in public. But a man cannot touch a woman at all in public without bringing shame to themselves. So at the airport I may have to have someone else pick him up just so he doesn't even shake my hand! I would want to give him a BIG hug and kiss and if I did, we could both be thrown in jail. That would not start his trip off on the right foot! Hahahahaha
I must mention that I have met and made some really great friends here in SC. My classmates are wonderful. I do believe that I have made three friends that will be friends for life. Brittany, Nancy and Veronica are such a blessing. We stuck together like glue - not only for safety reasons but also it is nice to hang with the girls when 90% of the rest of us are men. It was a bonding experience like I have never had before. We are all sad that I am leaving today, but excited to meet up in Dubai before they head to Afghanistan. I thank God everyday that I met such incredible woman to share the journey with.
The picture below from left to right is Nancy (in the glasses), Me (being a goofball), Leslie, Veronica, Brittany, and Maryam. All are very special to me and I am going to enjoy working with them and continuing on a lifetime of memories.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
March 11, 2010
Today is Thursday and I am exhausted. The classes are the work schedule are easy, and even sometimes darn right boring. I am emotionally exhausted. This is the hardest move I have ever made. I did not think it would ever be this hard. Trying to pack the right gear in the right luggage - trying to sell or lease my house - trying to deal with my emotions as well as Kirks emotions - uprooting my doggie kiddos to live with my family where they can't get along with the other animals in the house - leaving my family for a year or more. I am not at the end of my rope yet but it is sure taking a toll on me and it is starting to physically show. My anxiety is kicking in, along with acid reflux...ugh. This will be the third time in my life that I have experienced acid reflux and I can't stand it. So now I am not even hungry because I just don't want to have to deal with it.
I am keeping myself busy with classes and trying to stay social. Tonight I went out with three other girls from class to a steak house down the road from the hotel. One of the girls has been very quiet and does not talk very much. Tonight she talked up a storm and we found out that this will be her third tour in the Middle East. She has learned to keep her head down and not bring attention to herself so that she does not have to deal with the men. Her instincts kick in and she just does not want to have to deal with anyone. Turns out she is a really cool woman and someone I really enjoyed hanging out with tonight. She even gave me all of the warnings I should be looking out for in Dubai and when I travel in to Afghanistan - which I will tell you some of them now.
Blondey - I will call her that to protect her name (and she is the only blonde in our class) took me through her experiences in Kuwait being a woman in a Muslim country. Apparently Muslims believe, or act, like the way to date is to stalk someone. She has been followed in car and on foot repeatedly, men walking up and bumping her and then turning around and doing it again over and over, etc. I hope this does not happen to me. I don't think I would be so nice. I might just have to give them the "thumbs up" which is apparently a rude hand gesture. LOL If they keep it up I will have to give them the "OK" sign - another rude gesture. - yes I am a dork, I crack myself up!
Something strange in SC: The restaurant we ate at was in a popular shopping center. The storefront right next to the restaurant had a bunch of stuffed animals in it. It finally dawned on me after staring in disgust for a bit that it was a taxidermist! I have never seen one since they seem to be off old roads in the middle of nowhere. It was so strange to me to see one right in the middle of a busy shopping plaza.
I am keeping myself busy with classes and trying to stay social. Tonight I went out with three other girls from class to a steak house down the road from the hotel. One of the girls has been very quiet and does not talk very much. Tonight she talked up a storm and we found out that this will be her third tour in the Middle East. She has learned to keep her head down and not bring attention to herself so that she does not have to deal with the men. Her instincts kick in and she just does not want to have to deal with anyone. Turns out she is a really cool woman and someone I really enjoyed hanging out with tonight. She even gave me all of the warnings I should be looking out for in Dubai and when I travel in to Afghanistan - which I will tell you some of them now.
Blondey - I will call her that to protect her name (and she is the only blonde in our class) took me through her experiences in Kuwait being a woman in a Muslim country. Apparently Muslims believe, or act, like the way to date is to stalk someone. She has been followed in car and on foot repeatedly, men walking up and bumping her and then turning around and doing it again over and over, etc. I hope this does not happen to me. I don't think I would be so nice. I might just have to give them the "thumbs up" which is apparently a rude hand gesture. LOL If they keep it up I will have to give them the "OK" sign - another rude gesture. - yes I am a dork, I crack myself up!
Something strange in SC: The restaurant we ate at was in a popular shopping center. The storefront right next to the restaurant had a bunch of stuffed animals in it. It finally dawned on me after staring in disgust for a bit that it was a taxidermist! I have never seen one since they seem to be off old roads in the middle of nowhere. It was so strange to me to see one right in the middle of a busy shopping plaza.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Third Day of Class
Today I got two more bags of medications that I need to find room to pack. It is so strange to me to have to go through immunizations and several rounds of antibiotics all before I go. They even tell me that I need to go to the store and pick up a few more over the counter medications. My bag is filled with meds.
We went through security clearance and had to sit through videos and pictures of "what could happen to you if you are not vigilant on staying safe". Yeah, it made me soooooo sick. Nothing like watching people get blown up by car bombs, IED's, etc. They even showed what the shrapenal - bolts and nails put in the bombs - can do. I am getting all woozy just thinking about it.
I made a date with the girls in class to go out to dinner tonight. It is after 6 and I have yet to hear from them. Hopefully I will be able to hold out a bit longer for them to get out of class. My classes end early, if you consider 11 hour days early. I am spending my evenings on certification classes that need to be complete before I deploy. Today I did my Human Trafficing and Afghanistan/Taliban certifications. There is some really scary stuff that goes on in the world that we rarely hear about. Hundreds of thousands of woman and children are kidnapped every year and sold around the world in to slavery and sex slavery. I knew it existed but never thought it was that bad. I was trained on how to protect myself as well as spot certain activity to report to authorities to protect others. While they are only classes on-line, they are very informative and really keep me as an active reader.
I am exhausted as usual. I have about 6 more hours of certifications to complete so I had better get at them.
We went through security clearance and had to sit through videos and pictures of "what could happen to you if you are not vigilant on staying safe". Yeah, it made me soooooo sick. Nothing like watching people get blown up by car bombs, IED's, etc. They even showed what the shrapenal - bolts and nails put in the bombs - can do. I am getting all woozy just thinking about it.
I made a date with the girls in class to go out to dinner tonight. It is after 6 and I have yet to hear from them. Hopefully I will be able to hold out a bit longer for them to get out of class. My classes end early, if you consider 11 hour days early. I am spending my evenings on certification classes that need to be complete before I deploy. Today I did my Human Trafficing and Afghanistan/Taliban certifications. There is some really scary stuff that goes on in the world that we rarely hear about. Hundreds of thousands of woman and children are kidnapped every year and sold around the world in to slavery and sex slavery. I knew it existed but never thought it was that bad. I was trained on how to protect myself as well as spot certain activity to report to authorities to protect others. While they are only classes on-line, they are very informative and really keep me as an active reader.
I am exhausted as usual. I have about 6 more hours of certifications to complete so I had better get at them.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Sunday Class
Today we filled out more paperwork and then hit first aide. I was soooooo bored! They say it gets more boring as the days go by. AND if you forget to sign the roster for each class you have to take it again a week later. I am making sure I sign each and every one twice!
The building was full with people like me in training. Several classes were going on. My class has around 30 people - 4 other girls besides me. I was very happy to see that I was not the only girl. All were going to Afghanistan except me and one other guy who was also going to Dubai. I had to introduce myself to him since he did not make any effort - young kids....lol
I met some guys down in the lobby that have been here for over 2 months waiting to go out. They rented a car this weekend so I am going to tag along with them to dinner tonight since there does not seem to be anywhere here to go except Ruth Chris and The Waffle House. Ruth Chris is too expensive and Waffle House is just plain nasty. The guys were saying they even got sick there and it was filthy....ahhh just like Houston. I guess chains don't change state to state. They just called so I am going to go get ready. Nothing like a night on the town with complete strangers!
Greenville, South Carolina
My first stop - Greenville SC. I believe I will only be here a week - at least I hope so. This place is beautiful but I don't want to have to stay in a hotel with a stranger for two weeks. So far I am lucky and the only woman here so I have my own room. But they made it clear not to get comfortable and they would be moving me as soon as another female arrives. Since all training starts on Sunday I am keeping my fingers crossed that there won't be another one.
Lee, my boss from my previous job picked me up from the airport and had me over to dinner at her house. It was absolutely lovely! She has a beautiful house and wonderful family. My favorite two things were Annie, their family dog and the backyard had a creek running through it. If I have the chance, I will go back and take a walk down by the creek. Lee and I split a bottle and half of sparkling wine so I was feeling pretty spunky! LOL
MDC (Military Defense) training starts at noon. I guess I am the late shift. Most of the men I talked to yesterday start at 8. And yes, it looks like I am the only female here for LOGCAP. There are men everywhere. I met two females this morning but both were guests visiting family in the area and only here for two days. Bummer. I hate to say it, but everyone I have met in the hotel so far are not the kind of people I usually keep company with. Dare I say a bunch of back woods country boys? They are polite enough but so far they have been the "know it all" types - keeping my language very CLEAN here. Still good guys though. Most are heading to Afghanistan as truck drivers, maintenance crews, etc. I am the only one heading to Dubai and the only one with an office job. One guy has been here waiting for his assignment for 4 months! That is just crazy and I would go home and wait. Luckily I have my assignment and I am actually late getting there so they are going to push me right on through and kick me out of the country in one week- possibly two weeks.
I will write more once my training starts. I hope it is interesting!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Immunization Shots
Yesterday I had my shots. I thought it was going to be a few in one arm. As it turned out it was a few in each arm. Strangely, my body reacted quickly to them and right after she pulled out the needle, my skin automatically repelled it and drained out. They had to give me extra to make sure I received the minimum dose. The nurse said that meant I had very healthy skin. Not sure if I believe her or not since we all stared in wonder as it drained out.
The symptoms are not as bad as I was expecting. I have slight flu sickness with fever. This afternoon I had a hard time keeping down my breakfast and lunch. Tonight seems to be better and I was starving. I still have the fever and my left arm has a huge lump in it. My right arm is just a bit soar - like someone punched me. I am sure I will be all better by tomorrow.
Yesterday morning Kirk got a call to go offshore. He turned it down thinking he would be a bad boyfriend for leaving me two days before I depart. It was not looking good for him in the eyes of the company so I made him call back and accept the job. He left last night. I am now staying here with his roommate, Nick. It was a very sad day for both of us. It will be about 4 months until we see each other again. This trip is three weeks and then when he gets home he will head out to Mexico for two to three months. Hopefully after that he will be able to fly out to Dubai to spend some time with me. Our first vacation has already been decided - Greece. I am already looking forward to that vacation!
Friday I have to head in to work bright and early. That means getting up at 4:30 am to make sure I am there by 6:45 since I am over an hour away now. Robert, the driver, comes to load up my household around 9. I will head out from work to make sure he gets everything and "supervise". It should not take him that long.
Tonight I started to pack up my foot locker and suitcase. I WAY over packed. I have already filled a large box with stuff that will have to go in to storage. Even with condensing, I still have more than I have room for. I hope I can fit it all in. I am going to be paying a pretty penny at the airport for my luggage for sure. It is hard to pack a household full of stuff in to one footlocker, suitcase and backpack. How do you decide what to take and what not to take. While packing I was trying to think of my trips to Afghanistan and I packed all of my boots. When I arrived at Kirks I realized I didn't have any nice sandals for the office in Dubai. So that created a shopping trip! Yeah, I over did it there too. Tomorrow, in my spare time, I have to go back to the mall and return a few items.
My flight for Greenville is set for noon on Saturday. I already have dinner plans with my boss, Lee, from my previous department. She has invited me over for dinner with her family. I am really looking forward to spending some time with her while I am in South Carolina. It is always nice to know someone in new places. I know a few others that are getting ready to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan so it should make the training go by nicely. One, Bryan, has already hit Afghanistan and he is actually enjoying it. The camps are allot nicer than he thought they would be. He emailed me today and told me that when he was in Dubai for a day he was propositioned by a hooker within the first few hours of stepping off the plane. I have heard they were abundant there so it should be interesting to see if I can distinguish them from others.
Here is what I know so far about my adventure to Dubai. I will be staying in a furnished apartment that is 1/4 mile away from the office. I will have a car and be issued a cell phone and computer. The office is running 7 days a week at 80 to 100 hour weeks. I have never worked that much in my life so it will be quite a challenge. I guess I will be feeling my Dad and Sisters pain since they seem to work long hours at the family business.
I know I will be traveling Afghanistan. I just don't know how often or how long I will stay. Good news is I get an extra 35% in pay when I go.
My arms are tired now, so I will clock out.
The symptoms are not as bad as I was expecting. I have slight flu sickness with fever. This afternoon I had a hard time keeping down my breakfast and lunch. Tonight seems to be better and I was starving. I still have the fever and my left arm has a huge lump in it. My right arm is just a bit soar - like someone punched me. I am sure I will be all better by tomorrow.
Yesterday morning Kirk got a call to go offshore. He turned it down thinking he would be a bad boyfriend for leaving me two days before I depart. It was not looking good for him in the eyes of the company so I made him call back and accept the job. He left last night. I am now staying here with his roommate, Nick. It was a very sad day for both of us. It will be about 4 months until we see each other again. This trip is three weeks and then when he gets home he will head out to Mexico for two to three months. Hopefully after that he will be able to fly out to Dubai to spend some time with me. Our first vacation has already been decided - Greece. I am already looking forward to that vacation!
Friday I have to head in to work bright and early. That means getting up at 4:30 am to make sure I am there by 6:45 since I am over an hour away now. Robert, the driver, comes to load up my household around 9. I will head out from work to make sure he gets everything and "supervise". It should not take him that long.
Tonight I started to pack up my foot locker and suitcase. I WAY over packed. I have already filled a large box with stuff that will have to go in to storage. Even with condensing, I still have more than I have room for. I hope I can fit it all in. I am going to be paying a pretty penny at the airport for my luggage for sure. It is hard to pack a household full of stuff in to one footlocker, suitcase and backpack. How do you decide what to take and what not to take. While packing I was trying to think of my trips to Afghanistan and I packed all of my boots. When I arrived at Kirks I realized I didn't have any nice sandals for the office in Dubai. So that created a shopping trip! Yeah, I over did it there too. Tomorrow, in my spare time, I have to go back to the mall and return a few items.
My flight for Greenville is set for noon on Saturday. I already have dinner plans with my boss, Lee, from my previous department. She has invited me over for dinner with her family. I am really looking forward to spending some time with her while I am in South Carolina. It is always nice to know someone in new places. I know a few others that are getting ready to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan so it should make the training go by nicely. One, Bryan, has already hit Afghanistan and he is actually enjoying it. The camps are allot nicer than he thought they would be. He emailed me today and told me that when he was in Dubai for a day he was propositioned by a hooker within the first few hours of stepping off the plane. I have heard they were abundant there so it should be interesting to see if I can distinguish them from others.
Here is what I know so far about my adventure to Dubai. I will be staying in a furnished apartment that is 1/4 mile away from the office. I will have a car and be issued a cell phone and computer. The office is running 7 days a week at 80 to 100 hour weeks. I have never worked that much in my life so it will be quite a challenge. I guess I will be feeling my Dad and Sisters pain since they seem to work long hours at the family business.
I know I will be traveling Afghanistan. I just don't know how often or how long I will stay. Good news is I get an extra 35% in pay when I go.
My arms are tired now, so I will clock out.
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