A few weeks ago I went to Step Aerobics to see how I would like it. For those of you who think that step is an activity for the weak, I encourage you to go to a class anywhere and then get back to me. It is hard. There is always a lot of movement involved, plus the step, so you have to be somewhat coordinated. Let me tell you about my experience here.
My first night, I showed up not really knowing what to expect. The first thing that surprised me was the amount of men in the room. Much like everything else in Iraq, they outnumbered the ladies. The second thing that surprised me was that the instructor was in Army PT gear. His name is Will. The music was BLARING. I walked in, put my step on the back row, in the corner, so I wouldn't look like a fool and got ready.
7 p.m. came and we got started. For an hour I had no idea what was going on. I was pretty much lost the whole time. My only saving grace was that every single time I turned around, there was an older and bigger gentleman behind me who was even more clueless than I was. By then end of the class, I was exhausted, sweaty, and my face was as red as a fire engine. I had SO MUCH FUN.
A couple of things about Step-Military Style. There is an incredible amount of yelling. A big part of my confusion the first day was the fact that people were yelling. Will would say, "Let's do the T-Step." Everyone would yell, "HE SAID THE T-STEP." And so on. It was crazy.
It has been at least 3 weeks and I think I have missed twice. I really do have fun. Last night was Will's last night. He gets to go home and has trained a replacement. I wish I would have taken some video of the class, because even this description will not do it justice. I will probably have to tell you about it in person sometime. I am sure the new teacher will fine, but we will all miss Will. Out of all of the yelling and encouragement in the class, my absolute favorite was when he was trying to get us to do a certain step sequence that was particularly difficult. He would say (on beat), "Don't give up. Just keep on moving. Just keep on moving." It gets stuck in my head and while walking around base, I will think it. I have found that applies to my life in Iraq outside of step classes as well. Whenever I get frustrated about the way things are going-or not-while I am here, I think, "Don't give up. Just keep on moving."
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Laundry
I have a place I take my laundry. It is called Blue Devil Laundry. Some people in my group complain about the fact that we don't have a laundry facility where we are able to do our own. I don't complain. It reminds me of living in Korea and taking my laundry around the corner to my lady. We drop off our laundry here, are free to check back in 48 hours, but it could take up to 72 hours to get our clean clothes back. I think it is a good system. Typically, I will drop off a bag when I pick it up, so it keeps things moving.
There are a couple of things I love about the laundry here. The first thing is the people. The people are great. There are a couple of people from the states, and more guys from India. They are always very polite and seem to genuinely enjoy their jobs. I am sure that it is a long boring day just hanging out and either checking in, or out the laundry bags. Their smiles are refreshing.
The decorations are also noteworthy. When I first arrived after Christmas, they were in the process of taking down Christmas decorations and putting up New Years decor. It didn't take long for Valentine's Day to show up in the form of shiny hearts EVERYWHERE. I mentioned to a woman that I enjoyed the decorations and think that it is nice of them to do that. She replied, "We try to do something to keep things festive around here." I asked if we would see St. Patrick's Day next, and she said that Easter would be the star. When I was there today, it was still Valentine's Day. I guess there is nothing wrong with promoting love a little while longer.
The last, and perhaps my favorite, thing about the laundry I like is that they always have quotes up on the boards. They have some message boards with procedures, lists of people who have left their laundry for more than 2 weeks, etc. I have read some very interesting quotes in my short time of doing business at the laundry. I will close with a few of them. I don't know where they came from, I may not even have remembered them exactly, but you will get the gist.
"Life is like a 10 speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use."
"Worry does not empty tomorrow of sorrow, it empties today of strength."
"If you would be loved, love and be lovable."-Benjamin Franklin (obviously a remnant of the Valentine's Day theme)
"Worry is like a rocking chair-it gives you something to do, but doesn't get you anywhere."
Lots of Love-M
There are a couple of things I love about the laundry here. The first thing is the people. The people are great. There are a couple of people from the states, and more guys from India. They are always very polite and seem to genuinely enjoy their jobs. I am sure that it is a long boring day just hanging out and either checking in, or out the laundry bags. Their smiles are refreshing.
The decorations are also noteworthy. When I first arrived after Christmas, they were in the process of taking down Christmas decorations and putting up New Years decor. It didn't take long for Valentine's Day to show up in the form of shiny hearts EVERYWHERE. I mentioned to a woman that I enjoyed the decorations and think that it is nice of them to do that. She replied, "We try to do something to keep things festive around here." I asked if we would see St. Patrick's Day next, and she said that Easter would be the star. When I was there today, it was still Valentine's Day. I guess there is nothing wrong with promoting love a little while longer.
The last, and perhaps my favorite, thing about the laundry I like is that they always have quotes up on the boards. They have some message boards with procedures, lists of people who have left their laundry for more than 2 weeks, etc. I have read some very interesting quotes in my short time of doing business at the laundry. I will close with a few of them. I don't know where they came from, I may not even have remembered them exactly, but you will get the gist.
"Life is like a 10 speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use."
"Worry does not empty tomorrow of sorrow, it empties today of strength."
"If you would be loved, love and be lovable."-Benjamin Franklin (obviously a remnant of the Valentine's Day theme)
"Worry is like a rocking chair-it gives you something to do, but doesn't get you anywhere."
Lots of Love-M
Friday, February 11, 2011
Team Building
Every week the division of the Air Force we work with gets together to play volleyball. Prior to this week, I had witnessed this volleyball day twice. It was fun to see how much fun they had playing volleyball together. It was entertaining to see who was great, and who needed more practice. After watching last time, one of the Sergeants asked if I was going to play. I said, "I'm not very good." And left it at that.
Since Kyle moved back to California, he has mentioned going with his sister to play volleyball a couple of times. He seemed to have a good time, even said it was fun. This week I thought more about volleyball. I thought about how everyone I know who has been playing lately, was having a good time. Then I thought about the people I saw playing who had plenty of room for improvement. I decided that if Kyle can do, I can too and signed up for this week.
Let me begin this paragraph by saying that I have never once considered myself good at volleyball. I feel incredibly awkward when I play and it always hurts my arms. It is generally not a way that I enjoy spending my time. I managed to convince two of my coworkers to join in the volleyball team-building activity as well. We showed up at the gym and had a little time. We warmed up by playing basketball. Now basketball, is my sport. I made a few shots, felt at home on the court, and started to feel pretty good about myself. Then volleyball started. The first time I hit the ball thinking it would go over the net, or at least towards the net, and after I hit it, I watched it sail up, up, up, and behind my head out of bounds. "Great." I thought, "I can't believe I signed up for an hour of this." Well, it wasn't all that bad. While I wasn't as horrible as I had imagined I would be, I certainly wasn't as good as I had hoped I would be. Part of my problem was the floor. It was so dusty and slippery. I could not stay on my feet. I slipped a lot. Most of the time I caught myself, but a few times I did not.
Overall, it was a good experience. I laughed a lot...at myself, and at others. It was a fun day. Today, I have some muscles aching that haven't for awhile-nothing wrong with that. I am glad that I got over my fear of being the most horrifyingly bad volleyball player Camp Taji has ever seen and had a good time. I am sure I will get better the more I play. Maybe one of these days, I might even be considered good.
Since Kyle moved back to California, he has mentioned going with his sister to play volleyball a couple of times. He seemed to have a good time, even said it was fun. This week I thought more about volleyball. I thought about how everyone I know who has been playing lately, was having a good time. Then I thought about the people I saw playing who had plenty of room for improvement. I decided that if Kyle can do, I can too and signed up for this week.
Let me begin this paragraph by saying that I have never once considered myself good at volleyball. I feel incredibly awkward when I play and it always hurts my arms. It is generally not a way that I enjoy spending my time. I managed to convince two of my coworkers to join in the volleyball team-building activity as well. We showed up at the gym and had a little time. We warmed up by playing basketball. Now basketball, is my sport. I made a few shots, felt at home on the court, and started to feel pretty good about myself. Then volleyball started. The first time I hit the ball thinking it would go over the net, or at least towards the net, and after I hit it, I watched it sail up, up, up, and behind my head out of bounds. "Great." I thought, "I can't believe I signed up for an hour of this." Well, it wasn't all that bad. While I wasn't as horrible as I had imagined I would be, I certainly wasn't as good as I had hoped I would be. Part of my problem was the floor. It was so dusty and slippery. I could not stay on my feet. I slipped a lot. Most of the time I caught myself, but a few times I did not.
Overall, it was a good experience. I laughed a lot...at myself, and at others. It was a fun day. Today, I have some muscles aching that haven't for awhile-nothing wrong with that. I am glad that I got over my fear of being the most horrifyingly bad volleyball player Camp Taji has ever seen and had a good time. I am sure I will get better the more I play. Maybe one of these days, I might even be considered good.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Winter
A few days ago I had the pleasure of talking to my lovely cousin Emily on Skype. She is a busy lady and it was because of the snowstorm, she had some free time. She was nice enough to open up her door and let me see what all the fuss was about. She turned the computer around and all I could see was white everywhere. I have heard also about some fun my cousins Adam, William and my niece Maddie had one snowy night when they were treated to a ride on a sled. I am missing the snow this year...big time...currently around 20 inches in Warrensburg.
In light of the massive snow storm that went through the midwest, I thought I would take a minute to talk about my winter. For the most part, it has been pretty nice here. Not too bad. Mostly, we have rain. It is strange because a few days ago we had a glorious day. It was sunny and warm-ish and beautiful. There was a slight breeze. I drove around seeing people out running or playing some kind of sport thinking about how nice it was that the mud had dried up. I went to sleep happy about the beautiful day and looking forward to morning, assuming it would be the same. I awoke to rain. Lots of rain. It had begun raining during the night and didn't finish until evening. It was so cold and the mud was back. I am tired of this mud.
I know that some of you might be tired of the snow and all of the inconvenience that it causes. It is cold and makes getting out and about much harder. But think about this, one of my neighbors, Gary, gets the bottom of his pants muddy when he thinks about walking around outside. It is crazy. A couple of days ago, I got mud on my face, I was a big disgrace. Enjoy the snow. It will be spring soon.
In light of the massive snow storm that went through the midwest, I thought I would take a minute to talk about my winter. For the most part, it has been pretty nice here. Not too bad. Mostly, we have rain. It is strange because a few days ago we had a glorious day. It was sunny and warm-ish and beautiful. There was a slight breeze. I drove around seeing people out running or playing some kind of sport thinking about how nice it was that the mud had dried up. I went to sleep happy about the beautiful day and looking forward to morning, assuming it would be the same. I awoke to rain. Lots of rain. It had begun raining during the night and didn't finish until evening. It was so cold and the mud was back. I am tired of this mud.
I know that some of you might be tired of the snow and all of the inconvenience that it causes. It is cold and makes getting out and about much harder. But think about this, one of my neighbors, Gary, gets the bottom of his pants muddy when he thinks about walking around outside. It is crazy. A couple of days ago, I got mud on my face, I was a big disgrace. Enjoy the snow. It will be spring soon.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Helos
A: "Helos. How do you spell that?"
B: "H-e-l-o-s. It is short for helicopters."
A: "Oh. Right."
Helicopters. More helicopters than I have ever seen or heard in my life. They are all around. In fact, I had to opportunity to fly in one. It was truly an unforgettable experience. I hope that when I am 98, I can still remember the day I got to fly in a helicopter. It was HUGE, which I found surprising. There was a ramp on the back that didn't close all the way. It was put up for landing and takeoff, but lowered for the flight so we could look out the back and see the sights. It was night and mostly we saw lots of lights. It really was unbelievable.
The photo I am going to post I did not take, but a coworker was kind enough to let me use it here. If you look very closely, you can see an outline of a soldier sitting there, very near to the edge. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life.
For me, the sound of this war is the helicopters. They are constantly around. At night we can't see them, but I hear them. It is funny because when I first got to Baghdad I was reading a book in which one of the characters is a helicopter pilot. I have a new fascination with them and am thinking that if I had to do it all over again, I might be tempted to choose helicopter pilot as a profession. To get to school, part of our journey is around the airfield. So, while riding in the car, I am able to watch these machines and the fascination grows.
B: "H-e-l-o-s. It is short for helicopters."
A: "Oh. Right."
Helicopters. More helicopters than I have ever seen or heard in my life. They are all around. In fact, I had to opportunity to fly in one. It was truly an unforgettable experience. I hope that when I am 98, I can still remember the day I got to fly in a helicopter. It was HUGE, which I found surprising. There was a ramp on the back that didn't close all the way. It was put up for landing and takeoff, but lowered for the flight so we could look out the back and see the sights. It was night and mostly we saw lots of lights. It really was unbelievable.
The photo I am going to post I did not take, but a coworker was kind enough to let me use it here. If you look very closely, you can see an outline of a soldier sitting there, very near to the edge. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life.
For me, the sound of this war is the helicopters. They are constantly around. At night we can't see them, but I hear them. It is funny because when I first got to Baghdad I was reading a book in which one of the characters is a helicopter pilot. I have a new fascination with them and am thinking that if I had to do it all over again, I might be tempted to choose helicopter pilot as a profession. To get to school, part of our journey is around the airfield. So, while riding in the car, I am able to watch these machines and the fascination grows.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Crazy Days
We have been busy. Very busy. It isn't that there is so much to do, it is just that there is a lot of chaos. Some of my coworkers call it organized chaos, I don't. It seems that our schedule changes almost daily. It definitely changes on a weekly basis. We are told about all of the changes and adapt accordingly, only to find out that it has changed again. It keeps me on my toes and helps the time to go by more quickly.
Our school has approximately 18 classes. I say approximately because at two different points today, two teachers had classes, had them taken away, and then they were returned. So, I don't really know how many classes we have. Our students are mostly Air Force and there is a wide range of ages.
My students are great. I have 10-13, depending on the day. Most of them are a bit older and are more dedicated to learning English. They ask questions when they don't understand, explain things to each other in Arabic when necessary, and have plenty of jokes. Today, I laughed so hard in class I almost cried. I am lucky to have such a great group. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will keep them after the reshuffle.
After the first round of testing, my students were pretty much where I expected them to be based on their performance in class. I have them again this week and we moved up a book. We use curriculum from the Department of Defense. I really like it. It is well structured, but I have the freedom to adapt the day based on how my students are understanding the material.
The second night we were here, the Colonel from the school invited us to a real deal Iraqi dinner. It was very interesting. We had a very long table and stood up to eat. He took our culture into consideration and we were given plasticware to use. The food was really delicious. I am hoping to be invited again once I get my camera.
I guess that is just about it as far as school goes. I can't go into specifics about much because of security. I will say this, with exception to the helicopters (more about that in a later post), I don't really feel like I am living in Iraq. Taji feels a bit small at times, but not all that foreign.
Lots of love,
Matia
Our school has approximately 18 classes. I say approximately because at two different points today, two teachers had classes, had them taken away, and then they were returned. So, I don't really know how many classes we have. Our students are mostly Air Force and there is a wide range of ages.
My students are great. I have 10-13, depending on the day. Most of them are a bit older and are more dedicated to learning English. They ask questions when they don't understand, explain things to each other in Arabic when necessary, and have plenty of jokes. Today, I laughed so hard in class I almost cried. I am lucky to have such a great group. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will keep them after the reshuffle.
After the first round of testing, my students were pretty much where I expected them to be based on their performance in class. I have them again this week and we moved up a book. We use curriculum from the Department of Defense. I really like it. It is well structured, but I have the freedom to adapt the day based on how my students are understanding the material.
The second night we were here, the Colonel from the school invited us to a real deal Iraqi dinner. It was very interesting. We had a very long table and stood up to eat. He took our culture into consideration and we were given plasticware to use. The food was really delicious. I am hoping to be invited again once I get my camera.
I guess that is just about it as far as school goes. I can't go into specifics about much because of security. I will say this, with exception to the helicopters (more about that in a later post), I don't really feel like I am living in Iraq. Taji feels a bit small at times, but not all that foreign.
Lots of love,
Matia
Friday, January 14, 2011
Settled In
I have arrived in beautiful Taji. Everything is the same color, brown. I have never seen so much mud in my entire life. Apparently, it doesn't rain often, but the mud is around for awhile this time of year. Nicoleta, my rommate since Ft. Benning, GA and I are still together. We have managed to make our approximately 9ft by 15 ft room homey. After all of the carrying around suitcases and not knowing when we would leave, it was nice to finally unpack. We stayed up fairly late the first night unpacking and trying to make this place more like home. We have since sweet talked our way into having a small fridge and "acquired" a table from elsewhere on base. It isn't so bad. We live in the middle room of a 3 room trailer called a chu. Yes, it does sort of sound like a sneeze. We have 2 guys on either side of us and 5 across the the breezeway so we are well protected. We have a nice little walk to get to the "cadillac." I have yet to figure out why they call the restroom chu the cadillac. We are pretty centralized and have everything we need within walking distance. It is great. I happen to have the day off tomorrow so I will write more about the trip here and my actual job then.
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