The last few weeks have continued to be a frustrating time of being stuck in the office. We have had odd days where teams have been able to travel, but it's essential project staff only and that, sadly, does not include the boss very often! When I add to the access issues the fact that I've been battling some sickness it's no wonder I have cabin fever. Last week I was off work sick for 3 days, during which time the only people I saw were at the doctor's! All this means I feel pretty out of touch with our work and am getting a bit bored in the office every day. I'm seriously hoping to get to Mosul at the end of this week to see our new office which the team have been working on getting set up. So no contextual updates for you all I'm afraid.
Outside of work we've been having fun though. The weather is at one of it's few sweet spots of the year, where it's still warm during the day but nice and cool at night. It is dusty though. Last week we had a 3 day dust storm which destroyed a number of tents and latrines in the camp, as well as causing breathing issues for people. But that's passed and we're back to perfect 'sitting outside' weather which is my favourite. So I'm making the most of it by hosting various mini parties - dinner parties, outdoor cinema on my patio, BBQs and this week Fireworks Night.
One of the things I love about the adventure of living overseas is the opportunity to bring those traditions from home to life, and to include others in that. I love fireworks night in England, I love going to a small local display with friends, watching the fireworks while drinking something hot, heading to the pub after for a beer. It's just so English :-)
This year, I invited my Brit friends and colleagues over and a few extras to celebrate. We had hot dogs (with real english pork sausages!), cups of soup, mulled wine, a fire pit to emulate a bonfire, sparklers and some 'fireworks' that were really birthday candles. We played classical firework music while we watched the 'display', and we educated our non-Brit friends on the history of Guy Fawkes. It wasn't the same as it would be at home, but it was just as fun.
Traditions are so important in our lives to give us that sense of identity that we can struggle to find in this work. It's like creating family traditions, which bring a real sense of belonging to kids. Bringing traditions to life overseas helps us to remember that we aren't alone - even if no one around us shares that tradition, by drawing people in to our memories we fight that feeling of loneliness. And it goes both ways, I love being invited to Thanksgiving for example and getting an insight in to a really important American celebration. Sharing in these traditions together brings a real richness to our lives overseas where we are often thrown together in to a complete mishmash of cultures. You might not envy me for much, but I hope you're jealous of that!
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