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!!
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
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.
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.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
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.
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.
Friday, July 22, 2011
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??
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??
Thursday, July 14, 2011
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? 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??
Thursday, July 7, 2011
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?
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?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)