AFN

What is the super bowl without the funny commercials??? Many of you may not think it'd even be worth watching...but for us here in Affy, we're praying the weather holds so it doesn't interfere with our already sketchy signal.

Imagine having to wake up at zero dark thirty...no, literally at 3:30 am, to watch the Super Bowl - now that's what I call dedication. However, the real dedication isn't the getting up in the middle of the night. Instead, it is the putting up with the horrible acting and unclear message of the Army and AFN commercials. I watch it for the game, but also for the commercials...until this year.

Without that, it makes listening/over-hearing the ridiculous, attention seekers even harder to deal with...add that to your team not showing up to play as well as you wanted and it really makes one wish they were home.

AFN (Armed Forces Network) - I thank you for the live airing of the game, but I also hate you for taking the commercials from us. Either way, it gives us a little bit of home in a land so far away.

Lets go 49ers -- Lets go Crabtree!

Do as the locals do...

The one food that has been consistently good here is the local bread that the medics bring back from someone they've befriended.  Word is, he owns a bakery, so on special days, he brings lots of bread to them - and wonderful for me - they then bring it back to the clinic for us all to indulge in.

The last time I was able to enjoy this tasty treat, one of my co-workers remembered that they had some oil and garlic...so I went Johnny Carino's style for my "main course."  However, the best way to enjoy this bread is to heat it up and drizzle it with honey.  It's already sweet, so this is a perfect dessert.  And it just seemed fitting to couple it with a cup of Chai Tea...after all...do as the locals do =)

Whenever I get this bread, it becomes my dinner and I am quickly stuffed from eating way too much.  Much to my parents/family/friends approval, I haven't had opportunities to mingle with the locals, but this is a delightful way to take part in the culture that I have been "living in" for the past few months. 

Thank you Mr. Baker for sharing your creations, and thank you medics for sharing with me!

For those crafters...

Just thought I'd support and advertise a great organization that came in very helpful/handy for me during deployment.  It's all donated handmade cards that are sent to deployed service members so we're able to send something special home to loved ones - more special than a hallmark card.  Lots of the soldiers in my unit used these, especially during the holidays.  Thank you Operation Write Home!

If you go to their website, it'll show you how/where to donate cards if you find yourself so inclined and crafty.  Just thought I'd pass on the word since I know many stampers =)

MASTERED

So if there is nothing else I can say about this deployment, there is one thing that I have become fully proficient at in my time here:
Cutting EVERYTHING, including pork chops, steak, fruit, vegetables etc with plastic cutlery.  Oddly enough, it's mostly the spoons that break while eating ice cream...who woulda thought?
Although every once in a while a prong from a fork will go flying across the table onto someone else's tray, which is always entertaining...

I look forward to my return and being able to use REAL silverware =)

GUH-LEN!!!

This week at church, I started remembering all the things that dad and I would do that would often get a dirty look or a pinch from mom...

Many of you that know my madre will appreciate the title of this blog (except her maybe, love you mom!)...however, no, she did not yell this in church - although sometimes I'm sure she did in her head.

One of dad's favorite things to do was to sit next to me and find stray hairs (that were clearly still attached, but he claimed to be unsure) and he would gently tug at them...he'd continue to tug until I definitely felt it by an annoying pain followed by a crazy itch.  He'd find it hilarious.  He'd cause me to fidget in the pew occasionally try to give him a charlie horse in his quad and then I'd be the one to get in trouble by mom.  Once things settled down a bit, he'd repeat.  Ugh, dad.

One of my favorite thing about church was signing the hymns next to dad...he'd often sing the soprano (or attempt) and I'd do my best to sing the bass.  Then, often, while we would be singing opposites, we'd try to act out the hymn, I don't recall exactly, but there was one about leaning on Jesus - so as you can imagine dad and I would be standing acting out this song.  It was priceless when mom would join in.  Sometimes I think she was more embarrassed of us - but I blame her for having us sit in the FRONT of the church =)  Hey at least we all enjoyed the service, right?

Our whole family (when I was younger, but probably through middle school) would play the line game.  There were drawing pads (for little kids, but hey, we were kids at heart) that we'd each take turns drawing one line - then we'd pass it down the pew to the next person.  You'd have an idea of what the picture would become but leave it up to the other three family members to really mess it up.  This may sound like it would have been a distraction, but oddly enough, when I'm doodling or drawing I'm actually able to pay attention much better, instead of my mind wandering off - so this was a great game to keep us entertained and focused.  Dang brother and mother were much better artists and always had the fancy lines...

Thanks mom, for trying to keep us on our best behavior - who knows what we woulda done without you pinching us and keeping us in order.  I like to think we'd never get carried away, but that may be questionable.  Thanks dad, for always pestering me causing trouble with me.  I love you both!

To The Bus!

Yesterday was a weird day...maybe not weird...but kinda.

As I was leaving the gym, I saw a blast from the past...a big yellow school bus.  Immediately, my mind took me to the show we'd watch in school: The Magic School Bus.  It looked so out of place - so vibrant, colorful and...American.  We don't have a whole lot of color here and most of the buses are tourist style buses or what the locals drive on that are decked out in all sorts of decorations and writing and old pictures of Michael Jackson (they love him here).  But this was an American yellow school bus.

It looked as if Mrs. Frizzle took her class all the way here to Affy - as if to see how troops live here on the FOB or to visit a parent of one of her students.  In reality, I know that's not the case, but had it been, I was very tempted to get on that bus and take it's crazy ride on a fast track back home.  Instead...I have no idea why it was here or who rode in on it...I didn't see any grade school children.

It's odd to see such colorful and American things here.  Everything is so drab and tan and brown and gray...the only color I usually see (other than all the orange in my room) is the blue of the sky - complimented by oranges and pinks from beautiful sunrises and sunsets.  And as for American stuff...only with what we decorate our offices with.  It's nice to see reminders of home.

Last night, walking back to my room, I randomly looked up while in some shadows of a building and realized how many stars were out.  Immediately my eyes were drawn to the Seven Sisters.  Then I found the big and little dippers.  I don't know a whole lot about astronomy, but those are the three things I can always find...and I like to know that wherever I'm at in the world, it's the same stars.  Yes, it's cheesy, but there is also something very comforting about it.

In a few weeks, I'll be responding to Mrs. Frizzle's, "To the bus!" but instead I'll be climbing on plane and finding my way home - but until then...I'll be looking for the magic school bus to return and bring me home...

Finishing out the holiday season

The holiday season was survive with communication back home, food better than any other day (although I think Thanksgiving was still the best meal we've had here), Phase 10 and Farkle.  Not that this is where anyone would actually want to spend the holidays, I think its fair to say we made the best of it.

Medics opening some of the presents under
our tree at the clinic

Of course we need a chocolate fountain...with
grapes and musk melon???

I was lucky enough to call home and talk to my parents over the phone while we opened our presents from eachother.  That was followed with lots of e-mails from friends and family - which made me feel as at home as possible.

The New Year was "rung in" with sparkling juice and Farkle - I say "rung in" because we missed it by about 10 minutes, darn friends are good at distracting you as to why you actually make yourself stay up so late...but none the less, and looking back still, it's how I wanted to spend the evening.

Now that the holidays have passed - the countdown has begun.  Looking foward to beginning to pack up my things and begin my trek home.

Decorating the gator to go deliver stockings and gifts to
the rest of the FOB

Christmas Lunch with our gang

Hoping that all of you have a wonderful Christmas and happy New Year!