Saturday, May 23, 2009

Selfish Saturday


Just a short post today.  Last night's send off BBQ avec les medecins Francais went a trifle late, and I have promised myself a refreshing nap as recompense for my contribution to international relations (it would hardly be polite to abandon the French general - an avuncular, white haired former anesthesiologist - and his officers).  It was fun, and fortunately their anglais was much better then my french.  They remembered how to use different verb tenses, for instance, while I could only discuss the present.  

The affair was nice, but was held outside in the "Old Cantina" - the camp's original  watering hole.  The air was completely still, 100 degrees despite the darkness and the humidity felt like 90%.  You broke a sweat eating a potato chip!  Anyway, there is some prospect that we'll get together again this long weekend, and that perhaps AC will be involved.  Other then that plans for the weekend are fluid.  I'll keep you posted.

The picture is from the local golf club, looking at the parking lot and the 7th fairway.  Quite a sand trap, eh?  Seriously though, one drives up, hires a Djiboutian caddie, who carries not just your clubs but a small section of green mat from which you can tee off  (there is not now and never has been a blade of grass).  The "greens" are oiled sand, and are reportedly undetectable without your caddies guidance.  I'm told that it has happened that games have had to be terminated when the caddy has abandoned his post on the arrival of the daily khat plane - although this is the merest of hearsay.

And that's it!  A couple of completely self serving notes  and I'll get to exploring the napping possibilities afforded.  Firstly, I figured that blogging would be a great way to let folks know what's going on without e-mailing, and I hope that's true.  I'm certainly enjoying it so far.  It does have the disadvantage however of not providing one with any feedback - one is speaking from a lit stage into a dark theater, unsure if there is any audience at all.  Not that I would stop were that the case - these entries are for me too - but please accept my sincere invitation to all and sundry for commentary either in the blog site itself, or via e-mail at "khufu8it@gmail.com".  Either will be as welcome as the first robin of spring.  

Secondly, one of the things I sort of miss (this from my vast experience of 9 days "boots on ground") is music.  Not that I don't have many gigabytes of stuff on iTunes, but there is no practical way here to sample new music, downloads are prohibitively slow, and radio is nonexistent.  I would love therefore some musical recommendations - I can order CD's from Amazon, or from our exchange.  What are you listening to?  Let me know - and my tastes are very, very broad .  I'd love to learn about some new tunes (or old ) that you all think are interesting, noteworthy and fun.  Thanks!

John


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