Christmas in Doha

As I start my 30th and final year with the military, with 10 of them on active duty, this is the only time I have been away from home for the holidays.  I have been mostly lucky, and my last mobilization I took R&R to come home from Yemen, but this time I am away.  Now, full disclosure, I could have gone home this Christmas - I would have just had to fill out a leave chit and buy a ticket - there was no 'you must stay in Doha' mandate.  But we debated and it was a lot of pain and expense for limited benefit - the kids are older and not into Xmas morning anymore - definitely not like the past where they would wake us up before 6am to open presents.  So, it was an ordinary day in Doha - woke up and went to the gym, and then back to the apartment for normal stuff  (reading, watching some videos, doing a bit of work).  Am nursing a mild hangover, as there was a small party last night in the complex with a group from the embassy and there was wine there.  It broke up pretty early because a bunch of them had to work on Christmas.  Why?

A 'CODEL' (Congressional Delegation) is in town on Christmas to 'spend time with the troops on Christmas'.  Really, it is just a taxpayer funded boondoggle for the person to get some pictures to post on social media to show that 'they support the troops'.  The truth is that 'the troops' do NOT want to spend time with the CODEL - some number get 'voluntold' to be there on a day they would rather be chilling to meet with someone they have ZERO interest in seeing.  Now, if it is was a sports personality or an entertainer - THAT is what people want to see.  NOT folks from Congress.  Not only does it mess up the day of 'the troops', there is also a contingent from the embassy and base who have to manage the CODEL and ensure they get where they need to go and ensuring their agenda is met.  And the CODEL isn't just the person from Congress, it is a contingent of 'staffers' - I think this one is 18 people.  So, bottom line, people that nobody wants to see are here wrecking Christmas for  bunch of people for their own selfish agenda on our nickel.  Our government 'at work'...

But besides the extra days off (Embassy closed 24th and 25th...) it hasn't really seemed like the holidays.  Part of it is the weather - no snow here, and I even hung out by the pool on the 24th.
I did bake my 'traditional' cookies this year - chocolate chip and peanut butter with chocolate kisses - though it was not without some challenges.  Ingredients were mostly not an issue - I imported the chocolate via Amazon, and most everything else was available locally.  Vanilla extract was the one ingredient that I could not get - it is not allowed locally (contains alcohol!), and I could not even import via Amazon.  Luckily, one of my peers had some he had brought in with him and he gave me a bottle.  As I started the process, I discovered I didn't buy all of the equipment I needed - I did get cookie sheets and a cheap mixer, but forgot measuring cups and mixing bowls.  I was able to wing it with stuff I had, but there were issues and my peanut butter cookies were just a bit off. 

Cookie baking 2019

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da...

... life goes on, bra

Not a whole lot to blog about.  On my first deployment, I did a lot of what I considered 'interesting' stuff - exploring Bahrain, Iraq, and then Yemen was pretty novel for me.  This time around, not so much... life is a lot closer to 'the norm'.  That manifests itself in a quiet blog.

I attended my second Qatari wedding.  I knew that the guy who invited me was pretty connected (and he is related to the guy who invited me to the other wedding...) but when he sent the 'pin' location of the event, it was in an empty city block.  I expected a low key thing - the last one was in a nice wedding hall place.  So I arrive, and besides the normal mass of Land Cruisers, there were some rather large, ornate tents - the tents had chandeliers in them...  My friend greeted me and took me through the receiving line... lots of Ministers and Chairmen type folks, and the Minister of Defense eventually arrived.

Not just any old tent...

Land Cruisers anyone?

After the receiving line, I hung out and drank coffee and tea, snacked, and chatted with folks who came off the receiving line.  Over the course of 90 minutes, I probably met and chatted with Ambassadors from a dozen nations - all stopped by to pay their respects to the family and socialize.  It was also interesting watching cars pull up to the VIP drop off area - lots of Bentley, Rolls-Royce, and even the token Mercedes or two.  But after a couple of hours, I had enough schmoozing.  I really appreciated the invite, and the fact my friend spent some time chatting with me despite all of the family duties.

Having fun in the man cave

Also went for dinner to another friends house the prior weekend.  This gentleman is an up and coming member of another ministry and we interact quite a bit, so he invited a couple of us up for dinner.  His house included a farm (with about a dozen Arabian horses), camels, bees (for honey)... and the house had a pool, a sauna, a weight room better than any hotel I have been in, a 'woman cave' (for his girlfriend) and a massive 'man cave' full of fun toys - including the shooting game pictured above.  The cave was a brief stop - most of the evening was spent by the fire pit under the stars drinking tea and talking.  Observation - there were several family members (brothers, uncles, cousins) etc in the house - maybe 20 - all male.  Did not see a woman the entire evening.  Just a different culture. Qataris are pretty conservative, but also pretty open - women are free to drive, work, serve in the military... and there are numerous women in significant positions in industry and government. 

It's all in the job title

One of the interesting little quirks is the details in job titles.  I am the Naval Forces Central Command liaison officer to Qatar, so I do things like coordinate training and events with the Qataris, as well as any joint operations.  I do NOT help sell things like US weapons or training to them - that is specifically outside my job description.  There are other people at the Embassy who do that sort of thing.  One of them is the Naval Attache' - another Navy officer at the embassy.  He has a different job scope and does much more 'big Navy' stuff, where I am mostly the conduit for the HQ in Bahrain.  The international attache' group gets together regularly for socials and each nation periodically hosts events and they get together... a few weeks ago there was an event on a warship from India, then Oman National Day, and then German National Day.  All are dress up affairs where they get together, eat, drink, and talk.  Part of the attache' job description is to host events like that.

I was invited to the India event, so I dressed up in Summer Whites and went down to the base.  A Frigate from India was there, and it was nice time.  They had a tent over the back of the ship (where the helicopter would normally go...) and people serving hors d'oeuvres, soft drinks, and later a meal and more adult drinks.

Banner celebrating the event

INS Trikand

 The fantail of the ship

There were people from all over, and though I mostly socialized with the ones I did know (from a couple of other attache' events I was invited to...)  I did get out and meet new people.  Besides briefly chatting with Chinese attache', I bumped into and talked briefly with the attache' from the Iranian embassy here.  Though our nations are not exactly friendly, I had a nice but brief chat.

One of the things we do is arrange for training of locals in the US - well, the attache' does that.  Given the recent events in Pensacola, one might question that...  But having US trained members in foreign military forces is a good thing, actually - it builds relationships that last a long time and helps cooperation.  Most of the more senior Qatari officers I work with have been trained outside of Qatar, though UK and France have trained the majority of them.  And we train a lot of foreign pilots in the US as well - the Iraqis trained their F-16 pilots in Arizona, for example.  So a logical thought after the recent events is to ban foreign students here, but that is NOT a good idea from a military cooperation perspective.  Though they might go to someplace like the UK or India, they could also go to Russia or China instead...

Back in Iraq (not now, but for my day job)

If you read the blog from my last mob, one of my Iraq stops was Balad Airbase.  Well, I actually ended up back in Iraq - several times - for my day job.  Mildly ironic story - after we destroyed the Iraqi military, US contractors ended up selling them a lot of new military equipment.  In my case, Iraq bought F-16 fighter jets powered by my company's engine, and I ended up the program manager for the Iraq program.  So... I ended up traveling back to Balad as a civilian - several times - most recently in March 2019.

It was weird flying back to Baghdad - this time in an Emirates airliner.  Traveling through Baghdad is almost like flying to any other city... but there are quirks.  For one, their customs and immigration process is a bit primitive - but then again one can say that about JFK!  Secondly, there are no nearby airport hotels,  but there is the Al Burhan complex which is on the airport campus.  It is like a Motel 6... but it is a self contained campus so there is a gym, an outdoor pool area, a dining facility, and even a convenience store.  It is home for contractors supporting the airlines and a few other businesses.

Rooms at Al Burhan.  A lot like a Motel 6.

Al Burhan Center - a hotel on the campus of Baghdad International Airport.  Big building is dining hall.

Being back on Balad was also surreal.  Now, living conditions were better - all of the US contractors get private, wet CHUs (see earlier posts..) - no sharing porcelain with 40 of your friends, or walking outside to get to the facility if you have to take care of business.  But the same DFAC (chow hall) is still there, and the base looks the same.  US contractors can't drive on base and have to be driven by well armed private security guards once you are out of the living or working areas - basically when you eat or go to / from work.  The guards tend to be South African mercenaries, essentially - soldiers of fortune who use this duty as 'down time' before the go back and do 'tactical stuff'.  One of them reminded me of 'Thor' - a big beefy guy with long hair and an accent... but I didn't get a picture for my wife...

I enjoyed working with the Iraqis, though they have their quirks... Last time I was there in March 2019, they gave me a big box of fresh Iraqi dates which were really good.  Unfortunately, I could not bring them back to the US, but I did donate what was left to my friends in the Royal Jordanian Air Force.  (I stopped in Amman after leaving Baghdad)

Living compound for contractors on Balad Airbase, with protective walls

Meeting with the Iraqi Air Force

Old aircraft hangars at Baghdad International - bombed during Desert Storm

Step 1 for check in at Baghdad Int'l - dogs inspect the bags.  And that is assuming you can get to the airport ... security is pretty tight.

Inside Baghdad International

Ahh, flying out of Dubai on the Emirates A380....

Flying out of Baghdad is also a bit different.  First, access to the airport is tightly controlled.  I had to leave the airport area to meet at the Iraqi Air Force HQ, and getting back on to the airport was a bit of an issue.  Then, there are multiple screenings - starting with a dog check of the bags, then a scanner to get in the building, then 3 more scans to finally get to the gate.   And, every scan is different - toiletries are always an issue - some pass them, but some confiscate them.   But, besides that, flying Emirates or Royal Jordanian is much much nicer than sitting in the back of a C-130

TCN world; keeping busy

In this part of the world, the locals tend to import a lot of labor to do the 'ordinary work' - the NPC term is 'Third Country National' or 'TCN'.  For example, in the hotel I was in, I did not see any Qataris - it was all TCNs.  TCNs are common in this region, though the proportion depends on wealth - UAE, Saudi, and Qatar have a lot, Bahrain has less, and even dirt-poor Yemen had them... though in that case they were refugees from Somalia.

Qatar only has ~ 300,000 citizens and the remaining 90% of people here are TCNs - me included.  Qatar has enough wealth so that it can afford to outsource most of the work, and locals tend to take jobs in finance or business management roles.  You will not see a Qatari working in a McDonalds or the local IKEA.  This manifests itself in some strange ways - language is one.  I was at a Starbucks in one of the malls recently, just sipping my coffee.  A Qatari man, dressed in a traditional thobe, walked up to the barista (who was from SE Asia) and placed his order in ENGLISH.  It seems that English is the defacto common language in mixed company, which makes it easy for me.

And of course, construction.  This whole country is one big construction project - besides all of the soccer stadiums and road construction to support it (sort of like Boston's 'Big Dig'), they are also adding a metro rail system which covers the whole city.  The metro rail is actually pretty nice - a small spur recently opened and the family and I tried it out one night to avoid the traffic due to street closures from a marathon.  It was the opposite of the NYC subway - brand spanking new, clean, and there were a ton of friendly people there to help with tickets, show you where to go...  

Challenge 'coin' given out by USMC Det at the recent USMC birthday ball.  More like a belt buckle!

One of several stadiums being built

 

Traditional music and dancing at wedding

The video is from a Qatari wedding that I attended earlier in the week.  Weddings follow a different structure here - there are two separate ceremonies.  I attended the groom's celebration, which was all men (though women guests can attend...).  It was basically a four hour social - a receiving line, lots of chit chat and Arab coffee and tea, a prayer, a dinner, and more of the same.  They also have traditional dancing and music (see video)... but that is as close as it gets to what I am used to.  But there is no 'wedding ceremony' - that is apparently a private affair.   And, the bride has her own party - and that is apparently more of a party (albeit no alcohol...) - fancy dresses, DJ, music, dancing, disco balls..  So, the groom's ceremony was Wednesday, the bride's on Thursday, and apparently the actual formal ceremony was on Friday. 

Besides that, not much to blog about - keeping busy.  I did attend the USMC birthday ball a week ago - basically the highlight of the embassy social season.  It was a nice time at a very posh hotel, great food and conversation, and there was plenty of booze there.

The weather has changed - temps are now dropping into the 70s at night and highs in the 90s - bearable.  I experienced my first rain since leaving the US on Sunday,  and more is forecast for the coming week.  Things like dining outside are now possible - and my runs are now limited by my endurance, not heat stroke.  I am even training for a half marathon - ran 6.6 miles today without too much trouble.

Perspective, Plastic...

My wife and youngest just spent a week here visiting so had a fun week.  It was a bit surreal - am off on this isolated military deployment and all of a sudden they were here in my life.  It was a good time and besides experiencing a bit of Qatar, we spent a few days in Jordan.  But, I will NOT bore you with vacation pictures or stories - not the intent of the blog.  But, it did raise some other thoughts and issues.  First, even my daughter noticed that in Qatar, the people doing most of the work are not from Qatar, whereas in Jordan they are likely Jordanians.  Lots of oil money does that.

It also gave me a couple of thoughts on perspective.  It is good to meet with people from a different part of the world and just note their different views of things.  Of course, it is easy to get opinions on US politics, but as stated, I will not go there.  So, here are two interesting perspectives.

One - we stayed at the Dead Sea Marriott resort.  The Dead Sea is shared by Israel and Jordan, and from the Jordan side you can see Israel - the sea isn't that wide.  Our driver pointed this out, but he noted the other side as Palestine - NOT Israel.  Jordan happens to be home to a lot of refugees from the original Palestine, and much of the world recognizes Palestine as a state (but not North America, Australia, and Western Europe)

Two - I am good friends with a Jordanian - he is my company's consultant in the country so I have seen him many times over the last five years and know him pretty well.  We happened to discuss the current situation in the Middle East and the recent attacks on the Saudi oil facilities.  I happen to hold the US opinion - shared by much of Europe - that Iran was directly responsible for the attacks.  However, when discussing it, my friend brought it up and from the discussion he clearly believes that the Houthi rebels in Yemen were responsible.  I didn't push the issue.

The other part of the title...

 

We spent a lot of time driving in Jordan - from the airport to the Dead Sea, then to Petra in the south, then Wadi Rum farther south, then back to Petra, then up to Amman... then to the airport.  All in all, at least 12 hours riding - and much of it was 'new road' (not retracing our steps).  I spent a lot of time staring out the van window, and over all of the that driving I never went more than a few seconds without seeing some sort of garbage on the side of road.   Typically, plastic bottles or plastic bags - though the occasional aluminum can or cardboard / paper item. But thousands and thousands of plastic bottles - from the most desolate road in the middle of the desert to crowded roads.  It made me think of this commercial from my youth...  I do recall lots of trash along our roads in the 1970s, so there is hope...

Just a side note about this commercial - though widely praised, it turned out there was a dark secret behind it.  It was funded by a group called 'Keep America Beautiful' that was actually sponsored by packaging and beverage companies and it was their ploy to shift responsibility for litter to the individual.  You may recall that disposable packaging really picked up steam in the 1970s and they did not want their business impacted!   Oh, and the 'Native American' was actually an Italian American actor.

Some pictures, but some I can't take

Sunset at the Corniche

Sunrise at the beach

Doha, from my apartment patio

Downtown Doha, from the Corniche

A few 'money shots' from out and about Doha the last couple of days - not sure why the sunsets have been so fantastic the last week.  No - it wasn't smoke from burning Saudi oil facilities, though those are not too far from here...  Just enjoying it.

I see a lot of gorgeous scenes.  Walking out of work at Al Udeid air base last week at sunset, there was the beautiful orange/ purple sky on one side, then the moon rising on the opposite horizon... and even with the barren desert it is was gorgeous.  And for an airplane geek, I was right next to the ramp, so there were some USAF jets parked- and as a bonus got to watch a couple of US fighter aircraft (powered by my company's product...) rip down the runway and zoom climb - a special treat.  Alas, no pictures allowed at the base...

But I did get to grab a couple of shots of another work adventure... got to ride on a US Navy helo from Doha out to a ship at sea - and back - for a planning conference.  I rode helos more my last mobilization, so it wasn't a NEW experience, but it was still pretty cool - and I am getting paid to do it.   

My ride - taking off for home

Riding in the helo over the Arabian Gulf

Ride inbound