What I find different
Janet and I take a walk together every day.
As we walked through the woods the other day, we stopped and just listened.
Silence....nothing....
It has been a long time since I heard nothing. We talked about that on the rest of the walk.
"What do I find that is different or unexpected since I got back?"
Here is a short list:
*The quiet is amazing. There are no generators running 24/7. I am surprised at how normally I acclimated to the noise of the generators. They are everywhere and we don't even realize it.
*There are no helicopters flying overhead. I love watching helos fly, but there are none here at my house. No medivac or supply choppers flying in regularly every 45 minutes or so. Outside ceremonies are interrupted two or three times by helicopters flying overhead that are so loud that the speaker cannot be heard. We can tell the medical choppers that are on "milk runs" of normal delivery and cirucit rides from the ones that have patients. We comment to each other while at poolside in the evenings whether or not the ER at the hospital would be busy that evening.
*Seeing children! The International Zone produced a T-shirt that I did not get around to buying. It had a logo on the front pocket and on the back said, "The International Zone-Baghdad, Iraq. The world's most exclusive adult gated community. Security by Abrams and Bradley." There are so few children in the IZ, that I was not accustomed to hearing or seeing them around when I got home.
*Being able to hold a glass under a faucet and drink the water. None of the water in the sinks was potable. Brushing one's teeth with water from the faucet invited diahrrea.
*Using stainless steel flatware and real glassware and coffee cups and pottery....
We ate off of plastic plates with plastic ware and drank from juice cartons and bottled water.
*Sitting down at a restaurant and being served. I have stood in line for every meal and gotten up for any refill or forgotten item. It is nice to sit and visit without having to get up until the meal is over.
*A good shower. The water pressure was so poor in the trailer that the water just dribbled down the wall and splashed off the handle. Every shower was more of a standing wash cloth sprinkling that it was pathetic and generally the water did not get very warm. I shifted to considering my swim in the pool as enough hygiene to last for a day. Now I can stand in a shower with water pressure, hot water and not worry about the water running out or getting cold.
There are more things, but this is a good start.
As we walked through the woods the other day, we stopped and just listened.
Silence....nothing....
It has been a long time since I heard nothing. We talked about that on the rest of the walk.
"What do I find that is different or unexpected since I got back?"
Here is a short list:
*The quiet is amazing. There are no generators running 24/7. I am surprised at how normally I acclimated to the noise of the generators. They are everywhere and we don't even realize it.
*There are no helicopters flying overhead. I love watching helos fly, but there are none here at my house. No medivac or supply choppers flying in regularly every 45 minutes or so. Outside ceremonies are interrupted two or three times by helicopters flying overhead that are so loud that the speaker cannot be heard. We can tell the medical choppers that are on "milk runs" of normal delivery and cirucit rides from the ones that have patients. We comment to each other while at poolside in the evenings whether or not the ER at the hospital would be busy that evening.
*Seeing children! The International Zone produced a T-shirt that I did not get around to buying. It had a logo on the front pocket and on the back said, "The International Zone-Baghdad, Iraq. The world's most exclusive adult gated community. Security by Abrams and Bradley." There are so few children in the IZ, that I was not accustomed to hearing or seeing them around when I got home.
*Being able to hold a glass under a faucet and drink the water. None of the water in the sinks was potable. Brushing one's teeth with water from the faucet invited diahrrea.
*Using stainless steel flatware and real glassware and coffee cups and pottery....
We ate off of plastic plates with plastic ware and drank from juice cartons and bottled water.
*Sitting down at a restaurant and being served. I have stood in line for every meal and gotten up for any refill or forgotten item. It is nice to sit and visit without having to get up until the meal is over.
*A good shower. The water pressure was so poor in the trailer that the water just dribbled down the wall and splashed off the handle. Every shower was more of a standing wash cloth sprinkling that it was pathetic and generally the water did not get very warm. I shifted to considering my swim in the pool as enough hygiene to last for a day. Now I can stand in a shower with water pressure, hot water and not worry about the water running out or getting cold.
There are more things, but this is a good start.
posted by greenzone at
8:20 AM
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