There will be no leaving on a jetplane...

[elleflies]

I'm supposed to be in Kuwait right now. As in, on the ground dealing with the heat, waving goodbye to soldiers going back to duty stations and begging rides off ground guys so I don't have to walk to the on-base Subway in heels.

This did not happen.

Instead I am still in Germany, which I really don't mind as I like Germany. It's just that the plane never breaks when I'm in places like Guam or Greece. Which kinda sucks.

We sat around for about 5 hours on the plane watching the maintenance guys stand below our left engine scratching their heads. They kept saying "2 hours, it will only be 2 hours." There are only so many times you can say "2 hours" before it turns into an outright lie.

There's only so much to be done, so as I am just a lowly flight attendant I waved my goodbyes to the maintenance guys and trucked back to the hotel. Which basically puts me in a "hurry up and wait" situation. I don't know what's going on, I don't know when I'll be doing this Kuwait turn or it I even will be doing this Kuwait turn. I am completely at the whim of fate, maintenance and bureaucracy.

Such is life. And Aviation.





Right next to where the Tigris bends is the Al Taji Army Airfield. The runways can't be seen in this image, they are farther to the south, but the support facilities in the lower left can. The airfield is located about 20 miles to the north of Baghdad. Back in the day it used to be an Iraqi military installation but is now jointly used by the troops and the Iraqi National Guard

On a clear day, our flight from Kuwait to Germany brings us right over the heart of Baghdad, we follow the Tigris river as it twists and bends through the city.

If I'm not busy passing out Chicken or Pasta, I love watching Baghdad as it slips by.

Comments

[shinyopals.livejournal.com]

Ah, planes are such fun when things go wrong, aren't they?

Out of interest, have you been elsewhere in the middle east?

(I lived in Riyadh for three years, holidaying in Dubai, Bahrain and Muscat. I've also holidayed in Kuwait because my dad currently works there! I'm assuming your trips are less about lazing around the swimming pool than mine were, though!)

[elrina753.livejournal.com]

Planes are just a blast and a half!

I've mainly been to Kuwait and Bahrain with a trip to Israel stuck in there for good measure (they can't pay me enough to go back to Israel. I might just murder a passenger and that would be bad). I've stopped in Qatar and Jordan but never stayed. I do have plans in the works to go to Egypt next November for vacation, so there is that. :) And you'd be surprised at how much time I spend lazing around and sight seeing (although the sight seeing in Kuwait is what everyone else would call "shopping" as Kuwait is SUCH a tourist spot)

Living in Riyadh for 3 years? That seems like an interesting place to live... If you don't mind me asking, why Riyadh?

[shinyopals.livejournal.com]

(although the sight seeing in Kuwait is what everyone else would call "shopping" as Kuwait is SUCH a tourist spot)

Heh, I spent half of my "holiday" in Kuwait in my dad's flat, on the internet. Not that I didn't enjoy it, but it strikes me that there are better ways to spend holidays! XD I do remember at one point we drove down a road signposted "Iraq" accidentally and ended up doing a *very* quick U turn!

And my dad worked in Riyadh from when I was 6 to when I was 14 (working for BAE and a company called Saudi Development and Training). I lived there from 11 to 14. It was actually a brilliant few years, which surprises most people when they hear about it! (Particularly since I was there when 9/11 happened.) I reckon these days I wouldn't go back simply because now I'm 20 I'd notice the lack of freedom that didn't really bother me in my early teens! But while I was there it felt a lot like a holiday!

But I miss the middle east in general. There's just something about it! Sometimes I walk out of a building here and get hit by a gust of hot, dry air and it feels oddly like home, even if it's been years since I've been there!

[elrina753.livejournal.com]

I love the hotel we stay at in Kuwait. There's high speed internet, free dry cleaning for uniforms, an amazing breakfast (free!) and they have hookahs. I am such a sucker for a hookah. I generally don't even leave the hotel when I'm there, as really, there's no need.

I'd be doing a quick U-turn too if. I may transport troops, but they don't pay me enough to follow those guys into Iraq.

I can see how the repression and lack of freedom would fly right over the head of a pre-teen. Still, makes for an interesting experience I'm sure! From what I've seen of the middle east, it's a completely different experience for children then it is for adults, especially female children. I could be wrong, but that's the impression I got.

There are times I really enjoy the Middle East and then there are times when I get back to the Western world and thank my lucky stars I'm so fortunate to live where I do. *g*

[shinyopals.livejournal.com]

Heh, I was always too young to try the hookahs. I think we have one in our garage at home which my parents occasionally get out when the neighbours have a bit of a party! XD

I can see how the repression and lack of freedom would fly right over the head of a pre-teen. Still, makes for an interesting experience I'm sure! From what I've seen of the middle east, it's a completely different experience for children then it is for adults, especially female children. I could be wrong, but that's the impression I got.

Yeah, I'd imagine so. Obviously I've got no real comparison but I never noticed the fact that I couldn't drink or drive, because I couldn't in the UK. Saudi is quite strict, though, so for most of time I was there I had to wear an abaya, but I just found that convenient - I could bung it on over shorts and I was ready to go!

We lived on a compound with some really awesome facilities (five swimming pools, gym, bowling alley, restaurant, little shop) and quite a few people my age so it honestly did feel like a holiday camp. Admittedly towards the end it was a bit iffy - once a compound got bombed that had the same name as somewhere my friend lived, and after we left in May 2003, Riyadh was bombed pretty heavily and my school was very nearly destroyed (my ex French teacher ended up on BBC news) - but I was fairly sheltered.

And yeah, I'm definitely glad my permanent home is in the UK, even if I miss it out there sometimes!

[mtemplar-fic.livejournal.com]

Why is it that planes (or cars/trains/buses, for that matter) never break in a convenient place? That's a nice picture - how do you avoid getting reflection from the glass? *is curious*

And if you're stuck, at least you have internet, right? *grins*

[elrina753.livejournal.com]

Murphy's Law I guess. That's my only explanation.

And the pic... it all comes down to lens and camera. You need a camera (and lens) where you can focus on one part of the image instead of the entire thing. In that pic, the camera is focused beyond the glass so you aren't going to see it, also positioning yourself in certain places helps. A high angle helps cut down on glare, I also run them through image editing programs. So, yeah...

And that was probably too much information about aerial photography but it is so much fun and I get so excited about it *g*

Stuck for only one more hour, and then it's off to Kuwait and back. I don't want to leave the intarwebz.... *sniff*

[goodnight.livejournal.com]

Your job is so cool and yet it would terrify me a little bit.

[elrina753.livejournal.com]

lol! It is definitely an experience. One that makes me want to beat my head against the wall but what job doesn't make you want to do that?