Real Good Hard Working Men

These men are Hard workers that never complained about anything that came their way. The ones I really enjoyed meeting are my Indian friends from all parts of India. One of the states was Andhra Pradesh. Even though it has a concoction of various communities, religions, customs, lifestyles, and cultures. In broad terms, the people of Andhra are nice and friendly, who live in perfect harmony, in spite of belonging to different castes and following a different religion. Andhra dwellers are kind, polite and god-fearing, who reside maintaining social peace and religious accord. Each person is very unique. The camps were getting smaller from base closure so they started downsizing people including the NCW/TCN's. They would put them in another area that they knew nothing about.
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They were always eager to learn when that time came. There were some that weren’t very happy each person got used to being treated a certain way. I see myself changed; I've become a little bit more humble than I was before, bet still not allowing people to run over me. The Internationals from India had their own camp that was sectioned off from other camps. At one point they allowed us to go in there camp if we wanted to eat dinner there. Some Americans would only go when they had Ox Tails with brown gravy and rice for dinner. It was mainly the ones from the south. The girls would bring me a plate whenever they had some for dinner.

Those Indians really know how to smother food with gravy or curry, and it was always delicious. I really grew fond of samosas, it's a fried or baked pastry with a savory filling, such as spiced potatoes, onions, peas, entils, ground lamb, ground beef or ground chicken. I ran into someone from India that owns a store in the downtown area. She told me that I could find them in the Indian store, now I have my daughter loving them. My faraway friends are so Talented and will always hold a place in my heart. This was a unique Celebration the whole West LSA from Baghdad was there to celebrate the special occasion

My TQ family was somewhat the same. But they were different in many ways than the ones in Baghdad. I really didn't get to know the ones at TQ. Now that I've been in the country longer I wish I would have gotten to know them. The bottom photo was taken at TQ I really didn't know both of them. The one on the Right always came in my office to use the phone to call home. When he felt as those he could ask me to do something for him he asked and if I could help I did.

I was moved to the Service Desk, the lifeline of the whole camp. Without the Customer Service Specialist title. With the title that would have been more money for me. I really didn’t care I was still there. At that time they started talking about downsizing. We had a going-away party for one of the guys on my below picture. They were all working for a service desk in the Facility maintains department for all trades and dealing with some of the Task Force Safe. They were really the brain of it all....smart as a whip. 

Nepal people they're so many different Tribes and are very different than the other ones. I was more comfortable with the ones from Andhra Pradesh my spirit was more at ease. They put most of the Nepalians in the DFAC, at TQ they had a few of them in the bakery area and I saw so much raw talent until it was so unreal. These men will never know what in the influence they have been to our country right there in Iraq and for them to be our Ilia’s we couldn’t have asked for a better country. Huh, and they say good men are hard to find.

A Strong Woman vs A Woman Of Strength

Al Taqaddum Sand Storms I hated it...... sand everywhere, your Hair, nose, but it was something new, different, nothing like we had back at home. These pictures were taken from my hooch(my room)

Our beds would be covered with sand it was bearable, it was a little bit horrible on our lungs, we kept our noise covered. We weren't out any longer than 10 minutes in this kind of weather. If I had another chance at this I would do it in a heartbeat, this was an experience that will last me a lifetime. I couldn't quite figure out why my hair would grow like wild followers in another country but not at home...... It was the funniest thing.

I've learned a lot from being away from home, I always said: “As long as you’re living you're always learning". My mind broadens after I left home for overseas being this southern woman that didn't think there was more to life than just waking up in the morning and going to work, taking care of the kids, feeding the cat, the dog and then to wake up and do this all over again. I left home wanting more for me and my kids; this was a very good opportunity for me. I'm a whole new different person now, stronger and wiser. I have this new look on life how precious and beautiful it is. Don’t live in the past live in the moment Certain things capture your eye but pursue only those that capture the heart, Although an 'Ancient Indian Proverb' yet Solomon gave the verse its start, Likewise, don’t seek after frivols material things that only make you strong. For Strength is the seed to eternal roots, to remain even after you're gone.

Here I am at West LSA in Baghdad Iraq with my faraway friends from India, Baranikapula Nageshwararao we all called him Ral for short on the left I’m in the middle and Ghonga Mohan is on my right. These men are very humble; I hate to say it if they were to come to America there would be no more humble men. This picture was doing Ral’s big day he turned 37 years old we had a big Birthday party. Something he can talk about for years to come, no one has ever done something this nice for these men. They work so hard and for them to be gone for six years before they were allegeable to visit home. This was something lease we could do. My life wasn’t all peaches and cream this change was way overdue and I enjoyed every bit of it. I've endured so much before and after the passing of my parents. I know we all have been through a lot in our lifetime, sometimes I look back and ask myself "did I or could I have done better". I could only ask God for my forgiveness and hope and pray for the ones I have let down. I have cried, mourn, the been heart is broken and yet I’m still standing with the grace of God live your life at the moment and live it to the fullest.

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Home away From Home

The Garden of Eden was in Iraq. The two identifiable rivers from Genesis are the Tigris and the Euphrates the "Empire of Man" described in Revelation is called Babylon, which was a city in Iraq! Israel is the nation most often mentioned in the Bible. The second nation is Iraq! However, that is not the name that is used in the Bible. The names used in the Bible are Babylon, Land of Shinar, and Mesopotamia. The word Mesopotamia means between the two rivers, more exactly between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The name Iraq means country with deep roots. Indeed Iraq is a country with deep roots and is a very significant country in the Bible. I never knew my bible like I should, all that time I spent there. Its never to late to learn about how Iraq effected the bible and the history of this country that we all read or see about on TV.

The cities I grew to have known are Mosul, Kirkuk, Tikrit, Ar Ramadi, and Basra and of course Al Falluja. These cities that are in Iraq became part of my life and a place I called my second home. I’ve grown to love this country as if I was born there. I made good friends and I’ve met a lot of people that just didn’t care about not having any friends. For some, it was each man or woman for themselves. Saddam will never know what his country could have become. His Palaces are so beautiful.

Welcome to my new camp...Camp Parker was one of the many camps at Camp Victory

This country that’s a part of the Bible and now I’ve made it a part of my book. I was station at Baghdad for a year and a half. Al Taqaddum was becoming a memory instead of a reality, some people left on planes while others stayed behind helping with the closing of the camp at that time they were still letting us fly out. By the time I was leaving they were not allowing any planes to land. We had to convoy from camp Al Taqaddum to camp Al Asad which took about six hours. The Marines was right there it was mind bottling to see things like this it made me really proud to say I’m American and I love my country. Leaving my home (Al Taqaddum) and being moved, it was like being back at home, and crying because I have good memories there.

By the time we got to Al Asad my mind was discombobulated because everything was out of place. The Marines really showed their strength, you will forever be in my thoughts........Oorah. Being in Iraq made the bible seem so real, there was so much hate in these people's eyes. Being in the holy land, where they couldn’t even get along was something so weird but yet so real. I wanted to go home Al Taqaddum wasn't just a place of employment it became my home away from home, being uprooted and feeling so out of place, and not knowing anyone at my new location. All of this made me want to go home to my family. Now that they've placed me from my home and my TQ family.

I took all of this as a learning experience. The non-Americans didn’t want to get along with none of the Americans unless you had a bigger position. I didn’t care I knew where I was from, and I was proud to say I’m an American and I treated my citizenship like it’s a pot of gold. I started feeling really good about this new location, It took me a while; I started having little friends but still a loner. It became more and more at ease. For those of you who are following my Blog

TQ It a short military slang word for Al Taqaddum is an airbase that is located in central Iraq, approximately 74 kilometers west of Baghdad at Habbaniyah. The airfield is served by two runways 13,000 and 12,000 feet (3,700 m) long. Since 2004, it has been known as Camp Taqaddum. ("Taqaddum" is an Arabic word which means "progress".) Wow, I miss my second home...For those of you who don't understand you have to have been there. The country itself was beautiful. Our Bible is not a myth.

Keep It Moving

 

The things I had to deal with while being away from home. This is one of the topics in my Book. I arrived in Baghdad at my new camp. My new boss a signed me to F-2 which they called it Headquarters. I was a little bit scared now I'm around high ranking officers and High branch people from the company I worked for. I was up for the challenge; each camp did their work different from one another, so I had to learn their way. Beside I wasn’t going to be there any longer, they were short of people and they needed some help.

One evening HR came to my room and told me that I was needed in their office. She walked me to the office and the minute I set down she looked at my tummy, I know right then the reason why I was there. I became very upset, I've been in Iraq for almost 2 1/2 years and now here this people my co-workers are asking me I'm I pregnant. I'm scared out of my mind tears rolling down my face of not believing what I'm going through. I told them that I was not pregnant. So I volunteered to have a test done.

When it came back negative I really wanted to give these people a Peace of my mind and how I felt as a women being violated. I asked them who the person that reported me was. They told me that it was confidential. They didn't even apologize about the situation. They handed me a card with their names on them and sent me back to my room.

I cried the whole time I walked from there office to my room. That night I couldn't even sleep, leaving TQ B-6 and coming to Baghdad really had me thinking about going home. It was so political here at Baghdad, it's every person for themselves it didn't feel like the Iraq’s against us, it felt like the people on the camp was at war with each other. I'm trying to fit in just so I can make a living for my family. After all this, I was to hurt to go on any longer. I thought about my family so I held my head up and kept it moving like it never happened.

Each Palace that Saddam Hussein had suited its own purpose. These are one of the palaces that I often see as I went to work each day. Each palace that was on Camp Victory had its own history. The Iraqi's that they allowed on the camp always love fishing in the lakes that Camp Victory had. There are many more pictures I would like to post on my blog to share with you all. We were never allowed to swim in the lakes even though the waters did look beautiful from a distance. The 4 years that I've been in Iraq living on Camp Victory, this is one of the camps' I have seen and studied the most history.

 This is called Bedrock, Yes just like the flintstone. They say that Saddam had this built for his Grandkids. I'm still Dum founded that I was on the holy land in Iraq Noah built the ark in Iraq. The Tower of Babel was in Iraq. Yep. Babel is the same as the ancient city of Babylon. Isaac's wife Rebekah is from Nahor, which is in Iraq. And yes GOD allowed me to see what more he had to offer and I'm so glad that I got to witness his world. To witness all this made me stronger than before I left home. My book is base on my life and the tour I took in Iraq there is more to come and I hope that you all enjoy my pictures the way I enjoyed my tour in Iraq

The memories of being in Iraq

Incoming.....Incoming.....Incoming, I will never forget those words as long as I live. The time that I spent over in Iraq was mind bottling. Meeting new people, eating Samosas..... which is my favorite Indian food. Now that I'm home I always stop by an Indian Grocery store to get a box of Samosas. My friends from India always laughed at me for the love of there food. I remembered when the Iraqi prisoners escaped we were not allowed outside by ourselves after dark.

 So many people lost their lives for the love of our country, along with our military men and women so did some of our Indian friends. You look at things like this and you can say that America is not alone. Even though the Europeans don't like Americans, but the US was paying them I could never figure out why they would always say that they were losing money. What really made them mad was the fact that the Americans were getting paid more than them. I think that the Indians should have boycotted even though they were getting paid a lot of money a cording to there country the pay they were getting I could get that working from home.

 It makes you wonder about the world and how they are living. My Indian friend Ganga Mohon would always tell me that the money we made over there they could go home and retire and live like a king. My dream trip is to go visit India to see my long distance friends that I once worked within Iraq.

Men......Why are you making this so hard.

 Being alone and working hard,I don't have time like i use to, but when I'm off from work i tend to stay at home relaxing not most of the time but all the time...lol.  I met this lady awhile back getting my nails done,she told me about Tagged so i checked it out. So now here i am joining this site, I didn't know it was so hard finding someone on the Internet. How do people do this, I'm to the point of just leaving it in God's hands. Savannah is not the place were you can meet someone Fairly descent. some of my friends Say's it's all about were your looking at.

 I heard on the radio about our famous church people are at each others throat's and doing the adultery thing so now it's the church whats next. How many spots in Savannah can there be on finding a good man. Most of the guys here within my Race isn't fully equipped to handle what i can bring to the table. So my mind have expand on not just my Race anymore. When i tell people that they look at me like I'm crazy. Am i?? Who knows, but I'm tired of being alone.

I met this guy on Tagged, we started talking the conversation was good. Later on that night into the early morning nature called. While i was up i decided on sending him a text,few minutes later he text back, me being surprise. I asked him what was he doing up so late, he said the restroom. So we're texting each other. I decided to call him i was getting a little tired of the texting, but when i called him he wouldn't answer the phone, a few seconds later he text me again.

 I then told him i just called you why wouldn't you answer my call this man said something to me i would rather not say on Internet. what I'm i to think if your texting some one and they don't answer your call. Come on women you know the first thing comes to our minds are they with someone, so i asked him. Yeah Lady's i did Life's to short one of my co-workers told me one night dating on the Internet it's all about dating more than one person so you can wen the bad ones out, until you narrow it down to that one person. Why cant i be the only one?

My Book

Wow....i can remember the days I spent in Iraq and the first day it became my home away from home. I've met so many people from all over the world even parts I never knew exits. My book has become my lifeline, something that my kids can look back on, and say wow mama did all of this for us. I've dreamed of going to India the day I met my new friends from that part of the world. Learning their language, learning about there culture and there dreams to come to America to see the land of the free. I'm proud to have to give my country and my fellow Military men and women my support. God allowed me to see so much, and what this world has to offer. I want the young Generation to know that you can do anything if you set your mind to your goals. Life is so beautiful never take it for granted, and life's to short you only live once live it to the fullest. I showed my kids you have to work hard at what you want. The Resilience Of A Black Women is a book of a strong woman struggling to give her kids the same life she had while she was growing up, her Mother and Dad died from Cancer. Leaving behind a lot of responsibility, taking life into her own hands. Leaving for Iraq seem like it was the only thing to do, providing not just for her kids, but her brother and sisters. My book is becoming harder and harder not only have I put my accomplishment on becoming this strong woman, but I've also had heartbreaking along the way. I hope you all like the book and that you learn a lot from reading The Resilience Of A Black Woman.