12.05.2004

this morning was chilly, but i'm adjusting to the temperature. it's still not as cold as St. Louis was when i lived there. every day, the weather is cooler and clearer (the skies are a cold, deep blue).

saturday night was "salsa night." i went to take lessons and ended up dancing until 11 (i left early because i had to be at work the next morning). dancing and twirling around, i nearly forgot i was in Baghdad. funny thing about being over here: if you're a woman, you're the center of attention, no matter what you look like. so, i hadn't even taken my coat off completely when someone asked me to dance.... and he was wearing his 9mm pistol the entire time (which i found somewhat entertaining in itself). ever dance with someone, spinning like a swing dance, while he/she is wearing a pistol? i will have to go back next saturday and do it again, because not only was i exhausted dancing nearly every song, but i had fun and released a ton of stress from work.

yesterday, when i got off work (early, for once), i went to North Victory where they have a small "bazaar" with items from the local population. i had to do some Christmas shopping, of course. i'm sure that if i had been able to get off the base to do the shopping, it would have been cheaper (and suicidal), but they jack the prices up b/c those of us on base don't have any other options. also, there is no such thing as bargaining there. *sigh* and that's the fun part! oh well. i also went by the Rug Shop, where they have real Persian and Turkish rugs for sale at reasonable prices. i am seriously thinking of getting a small one from Qom, Iran. they're pure silk, gorgeous, and as expensive as can be (why, oh why do i only like the best?). i'll have to get a really small one, but it'll last forever. i'll wait until next year to get it...


2 comments:

Sean Dustman said...

Hey Amber, if you make the photo that shows up on your blog smaller through bloggerbot (if that's what you're using), it won't push everything down to the bottom. Have you heard about what happened to Sgt Lizzie? Her convoy got hit by an IED, she's somewhat alright though, can't say the same for her driver. Stay safe.

Lauren said...

hey, glad you liked my blog. yours is definitely interesting reading. that's one thing i like about the whole blogging world- you get to read about people's lives that are so different from your own.

and keep up the salsa- it's so much fun!

loz x