Memorial

There is a memorial on the base in our compound to three men who worked for KBR and died in 2008. What got me when I looked at the plaques was the day they all died, February 18th which also happens to be my birthday. I was told the events of that day, the alarm went off to indicate that there were incomming rockets/mortars and the three men ran to get to hard cover (concrete shelter) instead of lying flat on the ground face down. Because they were running and had not got to a suitable shelter when the bomb landed they were all killed. The men were 35, 39 and 43 years of age and in the wrong place at the wrong time. RIP

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Sweet Iced Tea

Very nice stuff served chilled over ice. It seems to contain a lot of sugar though so I try not to drink it too much. You can buy it by the bottle from a bar here called 'Echos'. A few years ago the bar used to sell alcohol but now it doesn't. We go there for food on the odd occasion for a change.

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The fence is going up

After installing the fence posts and putting the barbed wire on the top the workers are now finishing the perimeter fence. There is a berm (mound of soil round the outside to stop vehicles being driven at the fence and wall) then a gap, then the fence, another gap which will be the perimeter patroling road and then the wall to the camp which has watch towers at each corner.

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The temporary Gym is being constructed

These photos show the containers being put in place for the Gym in the temporary camp (the camp that we, the workers, will live in while the main camp is being built). You can see two shipping containers with the sides cut off being welded together to form the room and also the installation of the wall and ceiling panels. Work continues into the night, the workers prefer working at night because it is cooler.

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My new home

When I move out to site I am going to be living in (sleeping in) a cabin that is not big enough to swing a cat in. I suppose as long as I have somewhere to keep my things, can sleep well and stay cool and dry then nothing else really matters.

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Birdy

Yesterday when I went to the toilet block I noticed a bird through the window, it was just stood there staring in and did not seem too bothered with me being close to the window. I watched it for a while and then went back to the office to get my mobile phone so i could take a photo. When i got back the bird was nowhere to be seen and I had lost my chance. Or so I thought, today I paid a visit to the toilet block and the bird was back, this time I had my phone on me. It seems to like sitting in the little crevice between two broken bricks and the window, outside the block to cannot really see the bird because the top of the bricks are above your head.

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Green Beans Coffee

Went for a wander today and stopped off at Green Beans Coffee to get a smoothie. I was sweating when I got back and it was only a slow stroll, it's hot out there today.

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