The Sultan Center - Al Kout Fahaheel

Girls coming out of a Video Game store

Definition: a long loose body-covering garment with veiled holes for the eyes, worn by some Muslim women

The lastest in Burka Fashion

I went to Kuwait City today for a Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) trip. It was really great to be able to escape this jail cell. The military doesn't ever let anyone leave the base except for work purposes. Well, I went to a mall. This mall was really nice and everything was very clean and luxurious. There were guards everywhere and everywhere you see, you see Muslim women in Burkas.

Despite all the burkas, this mall had lots of clothing, shoe and jewelery stores similar to what you would see in the United States. I was actually quite shocked to see familiar brands and familiar stores such as Harley Davidson, GNC (Vitamin Food Retail Store), Footlocker, etc... They also had lots of clothing stores which look somewhat similar to American like clothes.

There's so much to talk about, I'll continue on tomorrow.

IncrediblyX enjoying cool ocean breeze

Muslim Men going to get Starbucks Coffee

Brag Sheets, Absolutely a Play on Words

Sandstorms look cool unit they hit you

It is that time again, where enlisted sailors of the U.S. Navy are supposed to input their brag sheets. Brag Sheets are like resumes except that we aren't looking for a job. We are trying to get a raise, and believe me, it is cut throut. I have seen an example of one being 14 pages long. It is a bit ridiculous but I think it is unfair. Some people have jobs where they do absolutely nothing so they have all the time in the world to be attending college courses and taking correspondence courses during working hours. I believe it is a wrong to be doing personal advancement type stuff during working hours. It is unfair to those who bust their asses everyday in the frontlines. And especially to those who are deployed.

Well, in the sample bragsheet I have seen, this one person made, "putting up bathroom checklist" sound like saving the universe in the description. So stupid. But I guess if you can write and brag about yourself, you have an advantage over those who can't.

It is total bullshit.

People who try to stomp on people to get on top don't have consciences. They'll get what's coming to them eventually.... An extra hundred dollars a month.

Some people ask me if I have seen "Camel Spiders". The answer is no. I haven't seen any and they are rumored to be very large creatures. More like resembling a crab. If I see one, I'll put a picture up.

"Jarhead" - I watched that movie and it was mediocre. I liked the dramatic scenes where it paused and showed the spraying oil wells. I spoke to a Marine who saw it too. He said, "It was dumb, all it was about is how stupid Marines act." I was really wondering if he saw the same movie that I saw. That is totally what it's NOT about. Dumbass. It's someone's story about what they had experienced while going on Operation Desert Shield. Really good movie, everyone should see at least once. I doubt that it would become a classic like "Full Metal Jacket" since the bootcamp part of insulting Pvt. Swifford was way too short. Really great to watch, but too boring to watch again. The book was a whole lot better.

Beer Goggles and Female Shreks

Give me a Kiss you Fool!

Male conversations usually consist of sports, cars, technology, beer, and women. After being in Kuwait for so long, I think that being in a place where there is a lack of females, I'm probably getting dumber. I notice that my co-workers are getting the beer goggles and finding everything and anything attractive. Fortunately for me, I'm not getting affected by all this sand and dust. But some guys are. They're falling for "Female Shreks". Which is the common term to describe females that resemble green monster-like people. The Army has plenty of them. I asked an Air Force Sergent what he thought when he first stepped foot on this base, he said, "I've never been anywhere where there's so many ugly women." I joke, "Well, prey that you don't get beer goggles." Beware! I'm sure a good number of women look the same on almost every military base in the world where the it isn't a U.S. Air Force base. My wife is an exception!

Speaking of female Shreks, some of them can run pretty damn fast. I've seen girls run the speed limit. The speed limit is less than 25kph. The Army has the habit of doing physical training so freaking early in the morning. When I go to breakfast I usually see them chase after cars. My max is 9.3 miles per hour (on the treadmill), but damn, those Army girls are fast! (even the chubby ones)

Lately, I've been busy with coming up with articles to write in the newly established, The Desert Anchor. It is the hospital's newsletter and I've volunteered myself to be an editor. My main focus is writing about the guys "Behind the Scenes"... the people who make things happen.

Also recently, my wife has been pictured in the Umitaka (Japanese for Seahawk) which is the Yokosuka's newspaper. It shows her trying out the new fitness center. She was one of the first ones to ever get on an elliptical. She says that the new gym has treadmills with flatscreen tvs on them. Really cool stuff! I can't wait to try it, I'll bring my headphones.

Spec Ops Survival Tip:
Learn how to fall asleep in any situation because you never know when you'll have the opportunity to get a good night's rest. I think I have mastered this skill. I can sleep on a hard cold concrete floor, no cover with loud people shouting and music playing.
Seahuts at Fleet Hospital Training, Camp Pendleton, CA

Kuwait City

Kuwait Tower

Although I haven't had the opportunity to visit Kuwait City, I have pictures to share with the world of what it looks like. It is a very modern city, with big city happenings. Lots of people and crazy drivers. It is very clean and high tech just like the western world.

Feeding the Curious Camels

Camels

Mail Call

My House in Kuwait

Mail Call is the most exciting part of the day here at Kuwait. To have your name magically appear on the list is like winning the lottery. I haven't received a package or letter since Christmas. But that's okay, I can deal with it. :( I'm high tech, I get e-mails like crazy and my mailbox always gets full.

I remember George W. Bush saying, "Don't forget about Poland!" Since I've been here, I've seen troops and people from all over the world, EXCEPT Poland. I've seen people from S. Korea, Japan, all over South America, Philipines, India, Pakistan, Italian, Kuwaiti, British, Australia, Canada, all the Allied Nations, the U.S. Coast Guard (HUH? what are they doing here?), but where's Poland?!? What a disappointment. That is my goal. To meet and see a Polish soldier before I leave Kuwait, but I don't think it's going to happen.

There are so many pictures on our server. I'm stealing them and uploading them on my blogger. They're free to take anyways.

Buggers. I noticed that being in the desert, I get a lot of buggers. I can just imagine people reading this and thinking to themselves... ICK! But yeah, desert life brings on the life of sand and buggers.

"Showers can only be 5 minutes long!" New rule at the barracks. I've always had kept my showers short... but I guess people are abusing the hot water so that others may suffer the consequences. I can just imagine what the water bill used to be. Out here, water is like gold and the tax-payers are footing the bill for those water hogging bastards.

Soco weighs 140lbs with the baby right now. She is doing good. The baby kicks a lot!

Spec Ops Survival Tip:
Be unpredictable. "I don't have a routine." - LT. S*****Y (U.S. Navy Seal)

Iraqi Kids

Picture of a Sand Storm Arriving

Reason why Contact Lenses are not Authorized.

It was passed out in the Plan of the Week that people are getting eye injuries due to the wearing of contact lenses. People want to wear them although they are not authorized... dummys.

Soco also mentioned that if I had went to college, I would never have my daughter and have meet Soco. Yeah, real good point. It is a good thing.

Reminder: Valentines Day is coming up. Very important day for couples.

Spec Ops Survival Tip:
It takes 30 minutes to develop your best night vision. When you look at something, don't look directly at it. Look from side to side and what you are trying to see is much clearer.

Sunset in Kuwait

Should've gone to College

A spy!

Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like if I went to college instead of the military. Maybe I would be going to school and find myself working my ass off at McDonalds. I used to work for McDs. It wasn't very fun. The military life is actually a lot more fun and more fulfilling. I'm not helping make anyone rich. I'm working for my country.

Advancement exams for making rank is coming close. Lately, I've been studying every night. I feel like I've studied everything and I'm ready for the test. I know that I won't make it the first time up, but it is worth doing my best on it. I don't know when I'll ever have this much free time to focus on studying.

Spec Ops Survival Tip:
The emergency exit for tent city is determined by which wall you stab your knife through. Everyone here is issued a blade. I swear that my knife was sharpened by a laser because I never have to use the sawing motion to slice through cardboard.

Early Morning Fun Run (Can you find me?)
Camel Pics

News from Kuwait

EMF Kuwait (MASH?) Unclassified Outdated Photo

Kuwait is in the state of mourning for the late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. He has died this morning of illness. He is known to have led Kuwait during the war with Iraq in 1990 and modernizing the country of Kuwait.

A change of plans, the MWR trips have been canceled until further notice.

Good news, my departure date is getting nearer and nearer. I can't wait to leave this place.

"Keep the calls to 15 minutes please."
These signs are posted above all the morale phones so that people can get a chance to call home. I try to keep my calls between 15-20 minutes, but sometimes I get carried away. Calling home to Japan isn't cheap, AT&T current rates are roughly 35 cents a minute. Soco doesn't like it when I talk for such a short time. Me neither.

Aeon Flux and Chronicles of Narnia
I got to watch these two movies this weekend. Chronicles of Narnia (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) was so good! I think it was better than the book. When I was in middle school, I read that book and it was fascinating! It is a good break from reality. Aeon Flux on the other hand was very interesting. I liked it, but most people would hate it. It as techy as The Matrix and the story is about the struggle of human survival and evils of human cloning. Pure science fiction, nerd talk and martial arts. Soco would hate it.

No, for the last time, I'm not in Iraq!

Aftermath

After a long phone conversation with my mom, she still seems to think that I'm in Iraq. Kuwait is not Iraq! I am not in the Army. I am in the Navy on an Army base. For civilians, I guess it is difficult to understand this concept. The two government services are much different with different missions, histories and traditions. It is like saying that the Dallas Cowboys is the same as Miami Dolphins. Don't get that confused.

Today, I had a very long talk with my boss. He told me his entire life history during dinner. It was quite interesting and very sad at the same time. I try to keep him on his toes and back him up on every situation. He finds it humiliating to still be an E-6, over 40 years old with 18 years in the military. I cheer him up by telling him that he has a valuable marketable skill. BMET jobs are out there when he gets out and maybe his civilian peers may be laughing at him right now, he will have the last laugh in the end.

Stay Positive!

Well, I've been playing with the new answering machine we have at our shop. And so far, we left a funny message with Jcid yelling and screaming. I can't stop laughing when I hear it because he is being obnoxious and professional at the same time. "If this is an Emergancy, CALL US ON OUR CELLPHONE!!!!!!"

My parents are pretty happy I'm having a child. Since they are very Asian, I was hoping that having a daughter didn't disappoint them. It didn't. They were pretty much expecting it. Well, what can I say? I'm pretty happy too that it is a little girl! It was fun teaching them how to say, "Nayeli". I know it is a strange and unusual name, but it means, "I love you" in Aztec. So if you call her name, you're telling her that you love her. (Soco's Brilliant Idea) I love my wife so much :)

Well, it is the end and there's nothing else to talk about but work. I made a new rule to myself and the rest of the guys at my shop. You already know what rule No 1 is.

Rule No 1: Last one to show up for head(bathroom) cleanup, scrubs the toilets.
Rule No 2 (New!): Whoever talks about work after 6 p.m. will get slapped. (Except if a customer asks a question.)

I like that rule!

Hajj Week

Rolling in Head Trauma

This week is the week of the Hajj where Muslems all over the world make their life long journey to the city of Mecca. In Kuwait, it is a week long holiday and business isn't usually conducted during this time. People fast and only eat and drink before sunrise and after sunset. For us, it is business as usual.

Lately, I've been having dreams of being home with my wife. It is such a pity that I can't take a few weeks of leave to go home. Six months seem like a little long for me. There is no getting "used" to this place. More like getting "bored" of this place. But last Monday, I stayed in my bunk bed the whole day and the next day, I was charged and ready to go. This week, was somehow a relief because the workload somehow vanished and we are littered with small chores and cleanup. I caught up on all the work I was wanting to do for the past few months and now we can continue with doing our long overdue, "preventative maintenance" (which we have been neglecting for the past month).

People still in Pajamas (when there is a mascal, there is no time to waste, get out there and help!)

Soco has been shopping for a diaper bag. She is looking for a relatively inexpensive, yet durible and functional bag. Jokingly, I suggested that I use my "spec ops" bag. (Same bag special forces (Navy Seals) use.) It lacks bottle holders though...

I can't wait to be home.

Bus Rollover - Mass Casuality

Nayeli Isabella Huynh and Cellphones for Soldiers

Seafood Night at the DFAC

So the news is out! It a Girl! And she is healthy. Well, during the ultrasound, I hear that she discovered her thumb and sucks on it a lot. She kicks Soco when she is hungry and puts her hands on her head when agitated. I wish I was there to see it! Her name will be Nayeli Isabella Huynh. The first name is American Indian, middle name is Spanish and the last name is Vietnamese. What a mix!

Recently, I got to make a morale phone call home using a 1 hour calling card donated from the, "Cell Phones for Soldiers". Everyone here got one. It was really a thoughtful and fantastic gift and morale building. You can visit the site:

http://www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com/pages/1/index.htm

"The Cell Phones for Soldiers program was started in April of 2004 by thirteen year old Brittany Bergquist and her twelve year old brother Robbie of Norwell, Massachusetts. After hearing a news report about a local soldier who ran up a massive phone bill calling home from Iraq, they decided they wanted to do something to help. Brittany and Robbie donated their piggy bank money, collected snack money from their friends at school, and with $21.00, they went to the bank to open an account."

In turn, we sent a big "Thank You" certificate with all of our signatures on it.
Really great people with big hearts.

H2O

We need Leadership, not Likership

Field X-ray machine at Troop Medical Clinic, Camp Beuhring

I think the Army and the Marine Corps is the gayest (in a happy way) when it comes to leadership practices. They put up dumb signs to remind people of ridiculous things. If you ever go to Kuwait, the sign "We Need Leadership, Not Likership" is posted where it is most visible at almost every camp. So does that mean, that people should be assholes to each other? If they're going to post signs, they should post signs like, "Leadership is about inspiring people to do things, not because you tell them, but because they want to." Well, that's my definition of leadership. Leadership is all about inspiring. Being able to make people WANT to work hard for you, is a true force multiplier. If you inspire people to do things, they'll do a better job in the end and they'll be proud of what they did. Leading by example is key. When I see a Lieutenant sweeping the floor, I'm more than happy to take that broom away from him, rather than watching him make a mess and asking me to clean it up. If you work hard for your people, your people will work hard for you. Simple as that.

Lately, I got asked about how female servicemembers get treated at Camp Arifjan. I think they get treated fairly. Everyone here gets treated the same and everybody lives in the same crappy place with cold shower water. The Army uses the "Buddy System" and in Zone 6, the statistics say that one person (male and female) gets raped a week. Well, that is alarming, but that is what the buddy system is in place for. To stop that kind of crap.

Good news, I'll be moving out of a top rack and will be moving to a bottom rack. To whoever is fortunate enough to be living in a nice and cozy bed, be thankful. The mattresses here aren't the greatest and I wake up with an achy back. To ease the pain, I try to sleep on my side until my arm falls asleep and then I flip back over. But now, I don't have to worry about falling off and breaking my leg everytime I try to get out of bed. Bunk beds should be outlawed. They're safety hazards. Here I go again, preaching safety to everybody. I've been the safety officer almost everywhere I've been... sorry. Well, me and my buddy went to a Chinese restaurant on base. It was called the, "Oriental Restaurant". If I had to compare it to real Chinese food, it was mediocre, but compared to the DFAC, it was delicious! I'm starting to get sick of the DFAC and I noticed that my plate is starting to look like, "mashed potatoes and peas". I'm also starting to worry about getting cavities because people donated so much candy and cookies. I can't help but eat up all those boxes of cookies! They're so addicting. Especially those Girl Scout cookies. YUM!

New Year in Kuwait

Tanks

The New Year went out with a BANG for the Biomed Division here. I got called in for a portable X-ray machine at 2030 and worked on it until 2350. It made the time go by much faster before the countdown for the New Year. For some reason, when the unit is switched on, it creates a loud explosion and a cloud of smoke. Perfect timing isn't it? While me and Jcid were struggling with trying to find the root of the problem, there was a party going on inside of our shop. People were singing and eating grilled ribs.

When 2006 came, I saw lots and lots of fireworks in the distance surrounding the perimeter. Looks like, the Kuwaitis were going crazy as well as us. We were making loud racket and throwing pallets on the ground. We were making some noise and screaming "Happy New Year" at the top of our lungs! Woopie! It was fun. One day closer to going home. After that, I went back to my top bunk in the open bay barracks and crashed for the night.