Hair Salon--Take Two

I vowed that I would not go back to the same Salon where I initially got my hair braided because I was embarrassed about how it ended. But locals, who kept promising me to take me to another salon, never came through on their word. I put my pride aside and walked into the hair salon to request they take my braids out, wash my hair, and give me twists. The total price was $8,000 DJF ($48 USD). I was excited!!

The hair dresser clearly remembered me and instead of scalding at me, she greeting me with a hug and a kiss on each cheek. I wanted to inquire about the check I wrote her, because I don’t think it was ever cashed. Which means my last hair style was free if they don’t hurry up and cash it. But I kept my mouth shut. Was that wrong?

It took her two hours to take out the thousands of micro braids in my hair. Again, I was excited!!

However, in the end, I hated my twists. I might pull a “Amber” and let this hairstyle last for one or two weeks. Stay tuned…

Camping at Lac Abbe

Lac Abbe is a salt lake that borders Ethiopia and Djibouti. As a morale booster, the team took an overnight camping trip to Lac Abbe. It was only 60 miles away, but it took us almost 4 hours to get there with all the unnecessary stops and rough roads. Along the way, we stopped and took pictures with Camels and of other animals that I don’t know how to spell.

When we finally arrived, we went hiking about 3 miles to view chimneys and watch the sun set.

For dinner, we dined on MREs. That alone was enough of an experience for me to know that I would have never lasted in the military. While we ate, a few of the staff entertained us with authentic Djiboutian chants and songs. As the only American female, I was singled out to dance with the natives.

After all the excitement, we prepared for bed and slept in huts/tents. My hut did not have a covering over it so I could see the stars as I lay on my back. Each hut included a cot and mosquito net, but mosquitoes are very clever insects. Even with long pants, long sleeves, and deet spray, I still wound up with bites on my butt. How is this even possible???

I hope this didn’t sound negative, but clearly I am not the outdoorsy type of girl. Getting bit my mosquitoes was not my type of party. I am now reminded why I never took my girl scout’s camping.

In the morning, we hiked towards the lake to watch the pink flamingos. Lac Abbe is full of sulfur so we weren't able to swim in it. Because of this,I am told there is no living matter in the water. The flamingos eat bacteria from the bottom of the lake. (Hey, don't quote me on this, It was 6am in the morning when he was trying to tell me this information.) Even more interesing is this is where the movie, Planet of the Apes, was filmed.

Well, I guess that would have been interesting to me if I had seen the movie. Nonetheless, it was a cool fact to throw in. Hopefully, it was enough to make you want to come to Djibouti to visit me.

Mayhem in Djibouti

I return from my brief visit from the States to find that everyone lost their mind in the one week that I was gone. For starters, they fired our property manager for the Villas that we live in. I am still unsure of the reason, but with that decision, my house lock was changed and my maid, Kadra was gone!

I have already expressed how I love Kadra! I was livid to find that they let her go and hired a whole new set of maids.

The following Saturday, Kadra calls me from the outside gate and ask if she can come visit me. I go to pick her up and she is crying uncontrollably. All I could get from her was that she needed a job because she is the bread winner of her family and her father is terminally ill. I immediately made phone calls and asked the new property management if they could hire Kadra back. The manager, Leila, agreed since I made a compelling argument on why Kadra must stay with me. All Leila needed was a copy of Kadra’s Djiboutian ID as proof of her citizenship. A day and time was set and Kadra was on her way to being employed…again.

Well, Kadra decides to meet with Leila and invites along 3-4 other previously-fired maids from the Villas. The other girls took over the meeting and demanded more money. Reason being; they felt our houses were too big and too dirty. Leila would not budge on the $200 USD/month that she pays her maids. In the end, Kadra did not end up showing her ID and hence was out of a job.

To date, I have only spoke to Kadra via text messages but I was told that she found a new gig that didn’t pay as much, but offered free medical insurance for her and her family. Sounds like a win-win to me.

Grand"Mother" Lillie

Last week, my Sister called and told me that our maternal grandmother was not doing well and she felt I needed to come home. Apparently, she was officially dead for 30 minutes but she was resuscitated. My heart immediately sank because when I left home in July my grandmother was doing well. There was nothing wrong with her that made feel that I needed to worry while I was overseas. However, I listened to my sister and started preparing for a trip back to the States. I called my mom and she stated that she didn’t think I needed to come home just yet. “Just wait” she said. At this point, I am unsure what I am waiting on, but I tried to remain calm and focus my energies on other things. After all, God is in control. Right?

I waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, I received the official phone call to come home.

I jumped on the plane on Monday morning and arrived in Charleston, SC at 10:00 PM on Tuesday night. I immediately went to the hospital to sit with Mother. Her eyes were closed but I could tell that she was up and listening. I read 93 Psalms, her favorite scripture, and then just sat with her expressing my love through touches and kisses. It was very difficult for me to see my grandmother like this, but I tried to remain strong. We (my mother, Auntie Ann, and Amber) played inspirational music for her while we sat around her. The last song we played before we left was “It’s your Time” by Luther Barnes. It was getting late and I could tell she was staying up just for me. So I kissed her good-bye and left the hospital with the intentions of returning at 6 AM.

On our way home, we received the phone call that my grandmother had passed away shortly after we all left the hospital. That was one of the hardest phone calls I have ever received. Yet, I was immediately at peace because I felt as if she waited on ME. I can’t imagine how I would have dealt with all this if I hadn’t had the opportunity to see her alive and touch, hug and kiss her one last time.

As she wished, we planned her funeral within 3 days and it was one of the best home going celebrations that I have ever attended. I think everything went flawlessly and it was a refreshing to be around family and friends, unexpectedly.

A special thank you to all my friends who drove to SC to see me, sent cards, flowers or edible arrangements: SRA family, Nicole Scott, Tricy Liferidge, Naidra Hemingway, Nneka Wells, Lennox Browne, Crystal Dickerson, LJ Raines, Lisa Ernest. Your support was greatly appreciated by my family and me.

To Mother: I love you and miss you. I will always reflect on the life lessons that you have instilled in me. My affection towards others is what I know I have learned most from. Being appreciative of all things given to me and expressing my love to those around me are what I value most from you. Until we meet again…

Homesick Blues

Yes, I am still alive; I just have been in a funky mood lately. I guess the “vacation” is slowing down; I have become homesick! I have dealt with Djibouti because I looked at this opportunity as short term. And even though a year isn’t a long time, it’s the longest I have been away from my family and friends. It doesn’t help that my internet connection and satellite television at home is non-existent. And while I am at work, everyone back on the East coast is sleeping. Therefore, I rely on the internet to give me the gleams of hope to skype or facetime my close connections.

Issues have arrived back in the States that I wish I could just fix. That is what I do. I fix things. And even if I can’t fix it, I usually feel better knowing that I attempted or tried my best. Or better yet, that I was there. Being overseas has made me question whether I have control issues. (No worries, I squashed that ridiculous thought)

Yes, this is my sad song. I have tried to guilt everyone into coming to visit me, but it doesn’t seem to work. Or did it? Will you come visit me??

Moucha Island

Moucha Island Pics

Today, I went with one of my local friends, Gassira, to visit Moucha Island. Moucha Island is built of corals and located off the coast of Djibouti in the center of the Gulf of Tadjoura.

Gassira’s family currently manages the various activities and hotel at Moucha Island. As the manger, she went to verify that all maintenance was completed before the seasonal opening.

When she asked me if I wanted to join her at the Island, I had my swimsuit packed before she could even finish her sentence. From land, it was a 30 minute boat ride to Moucha. The trip was very peaceful and serene.
While Gassira was working, I enjoyed having the entire Island to myself. I picked seashells and swam in the water. The water wasn’t as salty as French Beach, so I was able to enjoy my swim without worrying about others urinating in the water.

After Gassira was finished working, she joined me in the Island. She was upset because none of the repairs were finished on the Island and they were planning to open in less than two weeks. She stated that she was going to have to stay on the Island for the next two weeks to ensure the work was complete. Poor thing. She must live a horrible life!

Presenting: Delta Force

One of the main rappers in this video is my co-worker, Mike. A couple months ago, he flew in a professional production team from the States just so he could showcase some Djiboutian talent.

This video is the final result of months of hard work. The group's name is Delta Force. I have been trying to convince Mike to let me be a part of this group. I just know that I can take us to the next level in entertainment with all my many musical talents.

Back to reality--I just saw the video for the first time today, and as a testament to how small Djibouti is, I think I know over half of the people in this video.


Next month this time, I will have met everyone in this city. Hold me to that.

My 12 Hour Days

Oh my goodness! I figured it out.
If I spend an hour for each meal = 3 hours
Djibouti shuts down completely from 12-4pm = 4 hours.
I take bathroom breaks from all the water I drink = 1 hour
Internet time to try to skype family and friends = 1 hour

After all this, I really only work 3 hours a day!!

French Beach

*Names have been modified to protect the Guilty

Today, I went to French Beach with J— and his Djiboutian girlfriend, Sago. The ride to French Beach is rocky, at best, and winds uphill a treacherous cliff. J- had to prove his manhood in front of his woman and sped the entire time. His driving was so wreckless; I got closer to God with the many prayers that I had to send up.

When we safely arrived, the atmosphere was perfect. There was no sun and just the right amount of breeze. We were the only ones at the beach, so I was able to enjoy being in the water without kids splashing me. The water is the saltiest ocean I have ever been in! No, I did not swallow any of it, but just wiping my face and near my eyes, you couldn’t help but notice how dense the water was. After about 10 minutes swimming, I had the natural instinct to use the restroom. I got out the water and tried to ask the restaurant workers were the restroom was, but they only spoke French. Yet, they have mastered the term “I don’t speak English.” I didn’t have to go that bad, so I waited for J- and Sago to get out the water and join me on the shore.

They both got out after a few minutes and inquired why I was sitting alone. I stated my “issue” to which Sago replied, “Just use the bathroom in the ocean.” Excuse me?? I am a 31-year old woman. Under no circumstance am I going to willingly urinate in open water. Especially when there is a restroom near!! She explained that I would not like the bathroom and would prefer the ocean. I was appalled and insulted. What type of lady did she take me for? Ladies do not urinate in open water. After we went through this disagreement, I won and J- walked me to the back of the restaurant where the bathroom was built.

It was an eastern-style outhouse. The “toilet” was in the floor. No lever to flush, No lid to lift. Just a hole for me to squat over and do my business. I must admit I was taken aback, but I think it was more the smell then the sight. Since I am borderline claustrophobic, I made J— hold the bathroom door ajar. In addition, it helped the bathroom air out the smell. He thought it was funny so he attempted to take a picture of me while I was in there. No picture was taken so I don’t have any porn to show you…Sorry.

Afterwards, I refused to get back in the ocean water. The thought of people using the restroom in the ocean almost ruined my trip. I began to think this was why the water was soooo salty.

In the end, a valuable lesson was learned. Use the bathroom before you go to French Beach and do not drink any water while you are out there.

(I know I keep saying this, but I have good pictures of the beach, the rocky roads, and the toilet. Stay tuned)

Ethiopia Earthquakes

This morning I awoke to my bed rattling. I immediately thought I was having a bad dream or someone was trying to enter my house by banging on the door. Afterwards, I was so shook that I was unable to fall back to sleep.

During our weekly meeting, my Technical Lead asked everyone if they felt the earthquake. I couldn’t believe my ears!! I actually experienced an earthquake!!! Instead of it being slightly exciting, as I imagined, it was quite scary.

Apparently, the earthquake was in Ethiopia which is approx 120 miles away. I haven’t been able to verify the details, but if I felt the Earth move from that distance, then the residents of Ethiopia are now in my prayers.

The Melting Pot

Today, my co-worker, Mo took me the Melting Pot for dinner. I was excited because I have never been to the Melting Pot in the States. This is the second restaurant I have visited in Djibouti. The first restaurant, I went immediately after work, so I didn’t have to fret over what to wear. But this was my first real tour of the city, somewhat.

I decided to fit in by dressing like the Djiboutians and my new friend, Kadra. I put on the longest dress that I own and wrapped my head with a matching scarf. Most Djiboutians just seem to throw on anything and not worry about color schemes. When my coworker came to pick me up, all he could do was take a picture. (Picture is coming soon). He shook his head and tried to refrain from laughing. I ignored him because he is a male and they don’t have to cover up, so clearly he doesn’t know what he is talking about. After all my prior research on Djibouti, I was confident in my attire and we left for the Melting Pot.


While walking to the gate, we ran into other coworkers. Since I was covered up, they initially ignored me because they didn’t know who I was. (See, told you I fit in!!) When my coworker told them it was me, they all just had a ball laughing. One stated, “Ramadan doesn’t start until Monday. You don’t have to dress like that.” Whatever. As if I would take fashion advice from them.


Once we arrived at the Melting Pot, I was slightly upset. The entire menu was in French. Just a little background on me, I took Spanish in high school and college. So reading a French menu is a challenge for me. Mo stated that he would order for me, but I guess he was so hungry that he temporarily forgot about the promise he made. When the waitress came, I was forced to order by pointing at pictures. In the end, I received spicy tuna sushi.

Really?!? I finally get a chance to eat at a Melting Pot restaurant and I order sushi.


Moral of the story: I have to learn French!!

Camp Lemmonier

I am currently working at Camp Lemmonier. There are approximately 4,000 people that work on base and 3,500 of them currently live on base. In total, there are 200 females that are estimated to be in this number. In other words, I will be a total loser if I don't return to the States with Mr. Gibbs. I spend 12 hours a day here (Monday-Friday and some Saturdays).
Working on base has a few rules that I find interesting as a contractor. For instance:

1. There are 3 dining facilities were I eat all my meals. You must wash your hands before you can enter and you have to wear socks. No excuses. You will be turned around if you don't follow these rules. Please remember it averages 113 degrees here. Socks are the last thing on my mind. I am still trying to figure out why covered toes are a big deal.

2. No bags are allowed in the dining facility. I assume they are worried someone might steal the food. (I doubt it)

3. Those that live on base are not able to leave base unless they have a battle-buddy that will sign them off. So once these people find out you are a contractor that live off-base you are a true hot commodity. No worries, I won't be signing anyone off base.

4. Everything is dirty! This is actually what I needed in order to stop biting my finger nails. There is no way, I will bite my nails with all this dirt around me. On average, I spend 3 hours out of my day, cleaning something (Me, nails, hair, computer, etc). During the day, there is an occassional wind that blows the dirt all around camp. This place is a contact lens wearer's worst nightmare. I wear sunshades all day and the dirt still bothers me. By 8AM, my clothes are so dirty I just feel as if I need to go home and start my day over.

5. There is a full service post office here, but I am not allowed to retrieve my mail. It must be delivered to me. Not sure if that is a good or bad thing.

6. Water bottles are everywhere! So much free water there is no excuse for anyone to be dehydrated.

7. Cell phones must be turned off when entering Camp. I have heard a couple of rumors about bombs that will detonate if the phone rings at the entry point. I have also been told they inject us with radiation at the vehicle check point. For now, all this is speculation, but I am sure one of these things is somewhat true considering we get hazard pay for working here.

8. Last and most imporant, we are not allowed to drink alcohol off-base. Not even in our own house!!! And if you drink on-base, you can't have more than 3 beers withing a 24 hour period. Seriously?!?

To me these are the most peculiar rules, so overall, working on base is interesting.

Day 2: The adventure begins

Today, Kadra, our maid recommended a place where I could get my hair braided. Wait. Did I forget to mention I have a maid?? She is so sweet and has agreed to help me learn French; one of the many languages she knows. Kadra stated that it would cost me no more than $50 USD since I was providing my own hair. She also insisted that I exchange the money beforehand so they wouldn't rip me off. As if that mattered!! They charged me $70 USD(12000 Djiboutian Francs) for microbraids. No doubt, I love my hair and I know it would have been 3x more in DC for what took two people 8 hours (Yes, they are that small and my head is THAT big), but I was hoping to pay $15 USD like Tricy told me she paid when she went to Tanzania. *sigh*

Needless to say, even after we exchanged my money, I still didn't have the money to pay the braider. They didn't accept credit cards and wouldn't accept anything less for all the time they spent. I can't say I blame them, but Kadra was belligerent. I am not sure what she was saying to the braider, but the body language told me that she wasn't using any words that could be found in the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

All I kept thinking was, I am about to be in Djibouti jail for not having money for services and then I would have to stay there because I couldn't speak their language so they wouldn't be able to understand me when I requested my one phone call. Then who was I going to call, because my parents don't pick up their phone... The bright side was my mug shot would be cute since my hair was freshly done. Yes, ALL this ran through my mind in this one moment.

Finally, the braider agreed to let me write them a check. Even still, Kadra and the hair braider continued arguing. Not sure why, but I guess Kadra was slightly embarassed because she was my translator/guide and recommended this lady. After all, everything I did at this point was with 100% trust in her since I haven't mastered the translation of money nor the language. I felt helpless, but as long as the end resulted in my hair being fixed, I didn't care much.

When I got home at 3 am, I found a lizard in my shoes! I was so proud of myself for not yelling and instead I just jumped on the bed until I gained my composure. I chuckled as I thought of all that I went through today. I didn't even tell you about me tripping down the stairs in my villa. But it never fails, if there are stairs, I will fall down or UP them.

And I failed to mention that I had a taste of Djibouti water. Kadra made me take a sip while I was getting my hair braided and I was so hungry and thirsty that I briefly lost my mind. But that one sip brought me back to my senses. The water was so heavy and salty and plain ol' disgusting! It even smelt bad! It took me forever to swallow the sip and everyone in the shop kept staring at me as if I was the one with a problem. Please...

I was originally supposed to get a cell phone today, but once Kadra promised me a hair appointment everything else went out the window, including unpacking. Let's see what tomorrow brings.

I have arrived!

OMG! I am now in Djibouti. Getting here felt like a two day journey. On the flight here I watched Big Momma: Like Father Like Son, Bride Wars, Limitless, and an episode of Two and a Half Men. Towards the end of the flight, the child behind me started whining and crying that she wanted to land and get off the plane. She started every sentence with "Mama, Mama" and starting kicking the chair behind me. What did I do to deserve this? As I felt my headache forming, I was trying to figure out if I was more upset with the child or the mother who kept ignoring her cries. Nonetheless, I was able to shake it (My headache, not the child).

In between all that action and movies, I slept and ate. I had a window seat and the mother and son that I was sitting near were very nice. Considering that I don't talk to anyone on the airplane because I fall asleep, one achieves tha label of nice by waking me up when it's meal time. The food was full of carbs/starch but it helped me keep my malaria medicine down. Those pills are really getting the best of me!

When I arrived to Djibouti, I had a sign that greeted me. The airport is so small that I didn't have to travel far with all my luggage to the door. I really appreciated that!

Afterwards, Steve, my site lead, took me to drop off my bags and then I went to work! After all, it was noon here and I slept for at least 13 hours on the airplane. I was energized! In addition, I needed to inform everyone back home that I arrived safely. My coworkers seem very nice and they already have work for me to do. I even had my first piece of mail waiting on me!! (Thanks, LJ!!)

The weather is hot but every building at work is freezing cold so the outside weather becomes bearable.

Currently, I live alone as my housemate is on travel. I reside in a 4 bdrm, 3.5 bath luxury villa. I am a block away from the President of Djibouti and the US Embassy. In addition, the community we live in is guarded and gated, so I would say I live in the best, part of the city.

So far, everything is better than I imagined. I still have my moments where I miss my family and friends and shed a tear, but overall I am excited about this new adventure in my life.

So...who's coming to visit me??

FAQ: Djibouti

Through this transition, everyone appears to have the same questions. As any legit service would provide, I have complied all the questions and answers in one section so that I won’t have to repeat myself...anymore.

Djibouti? Where is that located?
Djibouti is located on the Horn of Africa. It is northeast near Ethiopia and Somalia.

How long will you be in Djibouti?
My tour in Djibouti is for one year.

What will you be doing there?
I will be a project manager there helping on the Communications and IT project.

Will you be traveling with anyone else you know?
I will not be traveling with anyone else I know, but my company currently has over 40 employees already there.

Where will you live?
The government has provided 4 bedroom, 3 bath villas for the contractors. While it is not on base, it is located between the Navy/Army base and the US Embassy. The location is safely guarded, gated and comes with daily maid service.

Who will fix your hair?
I am sure that traveling to the Motherland will provide me with ample women who know how to handle the course, tightly-curled texture that I have dealt with over the years.

What language do they speak?
On base, English is spoken by nearly everyone. Out in the city, Arabic and French are mostly spoken.

Can I have [insert everything from car to house]?
Ummm. No. I am not dying, I am just relocating temporarily. In other words, I am not giving away my possessions because I plan to return.

When will you come back home?
After one year, I plan to return to the US unless a better opportunity overseas arises.

What will you do with your house? car? Rommie?
My house is currently on the market to be rented. My car and dog, Rommie, will be in South Carolina with my family.

How can I contact you?
Depending on internet connectivity, I can be reached on Skype (hedegi). Care Packages can be sent to: CIV GIBBS HEATHER | PSC 831 BOX 0059 | FPO, AE 09363-0059. I can always be reached via email, as well.

Where will you attend church?
The base provides weekly church services. I am so thankful Jesus will be with me in Djibouti.

What do you parent’s have to say about this?
My mother is very excited about this opportunity. My father wasn’t originally sold on this, but after he received more information about my safety and wearabouts, he is now onboard.

Couldn’t you find a job in the US?
No. Can you find me a job in the US? Nonetheless, this is a great career move for me and it will provide me with challenges that I would have never encountered in the US.

Final statement: Don’t come back here with a Djibouti man and Djibouti babies!!
My Response: Why not??

Djibouti Dreams

In one week, I had three close friends contact me to inform me each had a dream of me with a baby. Of course this frightened me because children are nowhere on my radar in the near future...if even ever. However, I took to faithful Google and realized that dreams are not literal and usually indicative of one’s own thoughts. Dreams of a baby signifies a new beginning. And this happens to be what I am going through.

Last night, I dream that I died in a fire. I often times think about how I will prefer to die and by fire is always LAST on my list. The very moment that I was dying,instead of crying out in fear, I took a deep breath and mumbled “I love you”. Amazingly, this dream didn’t shake me as much as I would think but I still had to look up its meaning. The very first website I read stated "to dream of your own death indicates a transitional phase in your life". My mother added that fire is a sign of confusion.

If that's the case, dreams never lie. I have been given an opportunity to work in Djibouti, Africa for the next year of my life. While this project is both challenging and exciting, I must admit that my nerves have been very unsettled. The thought of leaving family and friends behind along with everything else that I know and love is kind of scary. I have lost ample sleep thinking about what I am going to do with my house, what I will do career-wise when I return to the states, wondering about the health and well-being of my family, etc. For the most part, I have had a supportive network of family and friends (but there are a few naysayers).

In addition, I have trouble packing for an overnight trip, so imagine the anxiety attacks I have trying to decide what I will need for the next year in my life. My job provided me with a basic checklist, but I am not a basic chick so there are other items I needed to add to this list.

Nonetheless, I wanted to share with you that the next year of my blog will be based in Djibouti, Africa. I still refuse to join Facebook so I will try to update this blog with as many lively tales and vivid photos as possible. Can you imagine the tales I will have to share with you?

Parasailing in Cabo San Lucas

This weekend, I started off 2011 by going on vacation. My friend, Siobhan, wanted to celebrate her 30th Birthday in the warm, tropical Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. I have never vacationed in “off months”, but I think it is a trend that I will continue. The weather was high 70‘s during the day. While on vacation, I decided to check off another item from my Bucket List; parasailing.

The experience was so awesome that words do it no justice. I think I was a bird in my former life. I don’t consider myself adventurous, in the least, but being in the air gives me a natural high. I parasailed across the beaches in Cabo and even though the moment was 10-12 minutes in the air, it was one that I will forever cherish and remember for a lifetime.

Hopefully, I can encourage you to try parasailing. I promise you won’t regret it.