shitmud workers:
these dudes and 4 others get paid 7 dollars American (I couldn't figure out if they meant a day or an hour but I think it's a day) to haul shit mud out of the backed up sewer via a man hole with two buckets on ropes. they were nice guys and anyone actually working is a good, though rare site. they don't smell nice though and were in the middle of about a 30 minute break when I talked to them and took their pic.
we're doing what?:
some of the platoon looking completely enthralled at our patrol brief before we rolled out this morning. it's about 0630.
breakfast:
of champions. yeah right!
DC Haji:
this is just funny. who knows where he got the jersey. I have also seen a guy in a redskins jersey.
fire....this is from behind the alley where 'one of my favorite corners' is. it's behind the big benzene (that's Haji for gasoline) station. some dudes donkey cart with big plastic jugs of fuel blew up. accidentally it seems. or so spake the Haji.
more fire.... same place
a mosque tower near the FOB....
Haji horse:
yes it is. in a field south of the FOB.
Haji kids:
to be found at one of my favorite corners behind the benzene station. if you read these all in the right order you can see where I patrolled today. sorta. the kids here are usually cool, have never thrown a brick at my head, and listen when I tell them what to do. a nice change of pace. there are about 3 places in the city like this.
little hustlers:
three kids who live in previously depicted shit hole shanty village. they
have been hanging right outside the FOB since the Americans got here.
thus they are experts at getting any number of items at relative low cost
to us and extreme profit to themselves. this can be smokes, Pepsi, whiskey,
porn, hash, or heroin. they also know any number of interesting American
phrases and English slang. to include 'what's up my nigga?', 'white power',
and 'shut the fuck up'. I taught the kid with the towel on his head (that's
not a racist remark, it really is a towel) to say 'protect the neck' today.
I was so proud. these kids are completely used to us, know every angle,
and have zero fear.
health and welfare:
this is what the army calls a room search/inspection/tossing. a piece of equipment got lost and we had to stand around in the hall for about 4 hours while the 1stSgt, CO, and Lt tossed our shit. thus the long faces. incredibly annoying.
