Filling in the Gaps

It's always interesting when I go back and read one of my post that half of what I thought would have been interesting never makes it. I suppose that's because I either get tired of writing, or I spend too much time writing about something else. At any rate, I thought I'd take a couple ticks and fill in some of the travel and arrival gaps that were left out of yesterdays post.

I flew from Denver, CO to Kuwait City yesterday with a 3 hour layover at Dulles in Washington, D.C. . It's a twelve hour flight from Dulles to KWI, but it seems 3 times that long when you are sitting in coach. I thought my back would utterly explode by the time we arrived, and I'm sure I spent a quarter of the flight standing in the aisle just to not have to sit.

When I exited the plane there was a gentleman with a sign that had my name on it as well as that of George Close, the former 2 Star General who I will be working for in Afghanistan. George is the Sr. Vice President of DynCorp, Intl. who will be running the Contract Support Office for LOGCAP in Kandahar. I will report directly to him. George was met at the airport by Captain Earl Gibbs, President and CEO of Gryphon Air, a private airline that we have contracted to charter flights into Kandahar. I must say - when you have to clear customs in a foreign country, it's nice to have someone like Mr. Gibbs along for the ride, as he pretty much can walk you straight through the airport.

Once we exited the customs area of the airport and had a chance to chat, Goerge introduced me to Mr. Gibbs, and as he tends to do every time he introduces me, he tosses into the introduction that I am LDS - in a playful and half jab kind of way. And for the second time in as many weeks, the response from the person I was introduced to was....."Oh - Me too!..." which gave me the chance to jab back at George, and tell him we had him surrounded...

We were driven to our hotel in Kuwait City, and later that evening I decided to go out and find something to eat.....As I waited for the elevator, there were 3 gentlemen from a 3rd country, probably the Phillipines or Nepal (I wasn't looking closely) plus 2 gentlement, clearly arabic, in traditional dress with Dish-dash and Kefeya. When the elevator arrived, I boarded the elevator of the hotel, along with 2 arabe gentlemen, however the 3 other gentlemen stayed off. I've been to the middle east several times, I'm familiar with the culture, language, customs, etc....but I was struck by the actions of one of these gentlemen on the elevator, as he made a very large show of turning around right next to me, and facing the mirrored wall of the elevator, and adjusting his head dress, or kefeya, and flinging the cloth around his head to get it jsut right - several times - brushing against my face as he did so. I don't know, but I suspect it was his way of looking down his nose so to speak at the infidel who dared get on the same elevator and didn't show the same deference as the other gentlemen who didn't board the elevator.

My roomate - as it were, banished himself to the bedroom of the 1 room suite, so not to bother me with his smoking, however, I had to open the window of the hotel to get air in, as it still filled the room with smoke.

I was able to spend a good bit of time speaking with Karen and the boys on Skype today. That was a real joy. Thank heaven for this technology, as it really helps with being away.

There is a mall attached to the hotel, so as you exit the hotel, into the mall, you can shop, eat, etc. I was struck as I rounded the first corner and saw a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop in a mall in Kuwait City. No - I didn't get any - but I did have dinner at "Johnny Rockets' in the same mall. Go figure - Park Meadows Mall in Denver or Al Manshar Mall in Kuwait City - Johnny Rockets can take care of you.