Greetings from Umm Qasr….(Umm Qasr – which I believe is Arabic for “sure it’s hot – but just imagine how much money you are saving on firewood!”)
I hope you enjoyed your three days of partying and celebrating for Eid (you may have seen this spelled different ways – it really doesn’t matter as it is a “phonetic spelling”) – But after Ramadan – which is established by the moon – they have “fahtour” (break fast) and then the 3-4 days of Eid. This is a national holiday - very similar to our Christmas – where a lot of people want to go home and spend time with their families and enjoy some “down time.” I have basically moved all of my meetings until after Eid – and I told the Commodore, whom I met with a week ago – I don’t mind delaying these meetings – but remember this at Christmas time….I am expecting some payback.
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Okay, this is Iraqi fast food….but that is Kharoof (lamb) in buri-ani (rice with sweet raisins and pine nuts) – you eat this with a little bit of hummus, some samoon (Iraqi flatbread in the bag behind) and maybe a little bit of laban (yogurt). Then you finish the whole thing off with some baklava (hey…..one is missing! What is up with that???) Now THIS is the way to Fah-tour (Break the Fast!)….whoo hoo! |
I will say this, even though I show you all of the food they have given me….. I have seen the strain fasting takes on people – and yes, you can say they still get to eat and drink at night – but next time it is 100 degrees outside – trying going out and working in the yard and not drinking all day…. my point is that towards the end of the month – after 30 days or so of this, most of the people are very tired and exhausted. However, they will also tell you that there is an “accomplishment” for their fasting as they have made a commitment to Allah and kept it.
So anyrate, I am amazed at the parallels between Eid and Christmas (as far as how people react) – for instance – right before Eid, all the prices for stuff goes up – especially clothes – and of course, once that is over – (I am totally serious here…) you have the “After Eid Sales”…… (Here is another reason why I will never be a Muslim – for one, I couldn’t afford 3-4 days of gifts – and two, I don’t know how much money Jeanette would ‘save me’ if she went to all of the ‘after Eid’ sales….)
Another interesting thing is those people who couldn’t fast (because of work) are expected to contribute financially to the poor people – especially those poor folks who did fast. That way, they are “participating” in the spirit of Ramadan. Just like those of us who help the poor (especially during the Holidays) and those who “keep Christmas in their hearts all year long.” As stated before, the young, the elderly, women nursing babies, etc. all do not have to fast. But you have to understand (and this is part of the “culture gap” we have) – that people here WANT to fast – they don’t look for ways to get out of it… they have done it all of their lives – and to them it is part of the tradition of Eid.
Very similar to the many traditions at our house….. like me - eating all the cashews out of the mixed nut jars and leaving all the rest of the nuts…. or me - rummaging through the kids’ trick-or-treat bags and taking the first big candy bar….or me – biting off the ears of the chocolate bunnies…..or me - having chocolate cake (with peanut butter) for my birthday….or me – spraying the Reddi-Wip whipped cream directly into the grandkids’ mouths (and then filling my own mouth right afterwards)….as I tell Jeanette – these are part of OUR traditions…and they may seem strange to you…but they have a purpose….(and I left out “me- yelling at the TV because the football player made a bad play”) but they are “TRADITIONS!”
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Okay, for those who don’t think I eat healthy, this is called “torshi” and it is pickled vegetables. They pickle almost everything over here. This is one of those things I really wish I could share in person with Jeanette – she loves pickled stuff (and lemon) – and I am just not a fan of either. The torshi is okay – but I prefer it when you smother it in hummus, rice and kharoof! |
Another thing I have told you about is the custard with a little jello topping and they put raisins in it. (they just call it ‘custard’ – no fancy name.) This is a very popular (light) dessert for breaking the fast at Ramadan. Now I have told you how I VERY rarely eat at the DFAC here – as the food is terrible. But even rarer is when I will eat the DFAC desserts (too heavy – mostly cakes). So several of the Iraqis have brought me this – this custard is probably my favorite dessert of all the Iraqi food – it is light (the custard is probably a few calories) but it is sweet and the flavors blend so well. I don’t know about professional cooks and stuff like that – but I consider myself a professional eater (sometimes, I am TOO much of a professional at that….) but what I like most about the Iraqi food is how they “blend” all the flavors… you will get some mild – then some sweet, then some tart (think of the custard – mild, the raisins – sweet and the jello – a hint of tartness) and it just melds together. That is kind of how I think of all of their food – just a rainbow of flavors.
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Come to me….my little bowl of Iraqi goodness…this is the custard…. jjuuuuust before a “quick trip” to visit Mr. Wide… |
And for those of you worried that I am going to be coming home 400 lbs heavier – relax….395 tops…
Actually, when I go out, I have to have quite a bit of gear on – and when you take a 4 hour tour or so – with the full “battle rattle” gear on – you can use up quite a bit of energy. The building I am touring below does not have power on (hence – no ac) and it was around 115 degrees when I was looking at it….but notice who has to wear all of the gear? This was towards the end of the tour – and if you look close, I do have my camelback (if you don’t know, that is a backpack that holds about 2 liters of water). So that little “getup” I am wearing weighs about 40 lbs. or so (and when I go out with the Iraqi Navy, I wear a long sleeve shirt and t-shirt…..and don’t forget – the hat!)…my point being – I am doing okay with weight and physical things….which is good. I have heard of people gaining a lot of weight when they are deployed – but trust me, they weren’t at this DFAC.
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Here I am with a couple of Iraqi “Major equivalents” – and Mohandis Amjad (in the blue shirt) standing in front of me. We are touring the building and noting some defects that need to be corrected. |
So actually overall, it has been a slow week. Eid officially started Tuesday – but as I mentioned, think of the week leading up to Christmas – people are taking leave, getting ready to do family stuff – so there is just not a lot of decisions or briefings, etc. that people want to do. Mostly we are responding with (again, like December 15th on to the end of the year….) “can’t it wait until the New Year starts?” And most of the time, it usually can.
Also – yes, I “rag” on the DFAC here – they are terrible (some people actually think this is one of the better DFACs – to which I reply that I may want to fast as well….even without Ramadan….) – but they do correctly do one thing pretty darn good….(and no, I am not talking about “pre-packaged food”, which is my “favorite” from our DFAC….) – it is the cutting up of vegetables to make it look like flowers…here are two quick photos….
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| Two examples of the “vegetable cutting to make it look like flowers” – I also included the one on the bottom to show you our one “alternative” to rice – spaghetti – with the most gosh-awful meatball and “tomato?”-based sauce that you have ever had….but any rate, I am convinced that they put these vegetables out there so it distracts you from the food. Which leads to another question….if they can make the vegetables look like flowers, why can’t they make the food look like food??? |
Well, once again, my time with you is about over. I guess as I look back at this update – it is mostly about food….it’s funny, but I think some of the stuff I am doing – designing a master plan for a new base, designing a family area for Officers, working on a concrete boat ramp – these are all interesting and fun – but for me – the real diversion is when I can sit around with the local interpreters, the local engineers and some of the other civilians/sailors and talk….that is always done around food – so I think maybe that is why I ‘gravitate’ towards talking about it. I am hoping the coffee shop will open soon – as that will be another place to congregate and talk.
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| I just wanted to share this photo with you….. Haleem said “I will go get us some lunch” – and this is what he comes back with…. for the two of us….it is hard to see – but in the big section of the square plastic-wrapped plates is kharoof kabob (sheep) and there are vegetables in the other two sections. Haleem KNOWS I love (ahab) hummus – so he got me the little round plate with hummus, spaghetti and vegetables. Then he ordered “extra samoon”… there were 8 samoons….for lunch! Well, obviously, this became several lunches and a dinner or two. |
On a different note…. I have an RnR trip scheduled in the next week or so – and I will probably take a trip to Basrah (enshalla – God willing) to look at a Maritime Academy that the Iraqis want me to work on – so I will have an update next week (a “special one”) for you and then I won’t have an update for a few weeks. But I will start writing again once I get settled and back in place – probably around the beginning of October.
Until then, I hope this finds you well. I have worked 27 weeks in a row now (counting the training that I went to before I came to Iraq) without a day off and in mostly very physical/nasty conditions – so I must admit that I very tired and a LOT homesick….and I am looking forward to a couple of weeks back in the states with my girl (and my dogs and my motorcycle and my kids and grandkids and….well you get the idea).
Just for a short period – I will be home…..isn’t that the best “four letter word” ever? Home….
“Home” – it is sweet – and ever so humble – it is my “castle” – my rest – and it is my yearning place. It is where my heart is and there is no place like it – it is so close – yet it is a million miles away. It is the place I would choose to be more than any other place on earth. It is my center of the universe and I would give my life to protect it…..and to keep it free. My home.
I am coming home.
God bless America
Mr. Wide
مهندس واد يربرو
Bonus Photo alert….
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| Okay….nobody leaves the country until someone fesses up about who took my hat…… |
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