Another day at the office

What a wonderful day. I only got 3 hours of sleep last night, and thought today would be horrible, but I couldn't be more wrong if I had called Angelina Jolie Jack Nicholson. Went to sleep last night around 2330, guard from 0400 to 0530, did some pushups and ran 2 miles at 0600, linked up with the P.A. and hung out at the ING Aid station until around 1400, went on a foot patrol, came back to camp around 1730, and the Iraqi medics had a "Doma" for us. Basically a potluck where each brings his favorite food, and everyone eats from the same dishes. Islam believes that if everyone eats from the same dish, arms must cross, and this makes the food better. A lot of their culture is based upon brotherhood, and trying to make your friends happy, and becoming closer. To most westerners of my generation, it is a clash, because they think this behavior is kind of "dudeki" (Arabic for gay) when it is not at all. It is entirely possible this comes from one of two root causes in my belief: 1. Our countrys' violent history, thus causing people to inherently not want to get too close to one another for fear of physical harm, or, it is all John Wayne, and Arnold Schwarzenegger's fault. Actually homosexuality is despised in this country. But...friends greet each other with a kiss on the cheek and a hug if they don't see each other for several days, a handshake if they see each other everyday; and it is not uncommon to see two men walking down the street holding hands. I'm not keen on the holding hands thing, but I do greet my best Iraqi friends in the traditional manner.