February 16, 2009 - I'm
halfway through my assignment, and I regret that I haven't been more assiduous
about keeping this website updated. Time
has passed amazingly quickly (although my wife might disagree). There are several more entries that I would
like to write, but certainly I should fulfill my commitment to write about the
preparations that you might want to make in addition to the packing list that I
provided previously. My recommendations mostly
center around how to keep in touch with family and friends. My suggestions will be obvious, but perhaps
there will be someone who might not have thought of one or another of them.
You should definitely
bring a laptop computer with you. You
will have use of a computer at work with internet access, but you will not have
any privacy to use it. Without a
computer, you can go to the internet cafe next to the PX, but you won't know
whether you will be able to find a free computer there, and you still won't
have any privacy. The staff diplomatic
apartments (SDA) have an internet connection through a cable that is 100
mega-bauds per second (100 Mbps), which is relatively slow compared to the
usual service in the U.S., but will support several critical functions
described below. My family had a laptop,
which we generally took with us when traveling, but I bought a second laptop
for my Baghdad assignment.
I don't need to provide
advice on exactly what laptop computer to buy, since many websites and print
media advice exist regarding the pros and cons of various models. I was considering an Apple, because of its
durability, but my wife dissuaded me in the end. The real issue perhaps is the laptop's size
and weight. I purchased a Hewlett
Packard (HP) with a 17-inch screen, because I considered that the laptop would
be a substitute for a desk computer, but you might want to consider issues of
portability. You can bring a smaller
laptop more easily with you on your breaks from Iraq or even on a TDY to a
Provincial Reconstruction Team. While
Sully Compound has an internet center, the laptop could come in handy at a
transit airport or at the hotel in Amman while you wait for a connecting
flight. I've always left my laptop in my
room.
The laptop that I
purchased also came with a digital TV recorder and TV tuner. I thought it would be neat to record programs
off of the U.S. military Armed Forces Network (AFN), especially since the fact
that Iraq is one or two hours ahead of Germany often means good programs are on
quite late. I was disappointed to find,
however, that, although I found a way to connect the laptop to the cable outlet
in my room, the audio tuning on the laptop did not match. I could record video, but no sound.
You'll probably want to
get a Skype or other Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) internet telephone
service, and, if you plan to do so, you should ensure that your laptop has a
built-in webcam and microphone, or purchase one. When I was in Diyala, the person whose
quarters I shared used a hands-free headset with a microphone, which seemed to
provide some additional privacy, or at least I would have had to intentionally
eavesdrop to hear his conversation. If
your family members have the same service, then you'll be able to talk
computer-to-computer at no charge. I at
first thought that the video feature would not be particularly significant, but
I was surprised to discover how much it added to the telephone conversation to
be able to see my wife's facial reactions when speaking to her. The internet connection at the NEC can handle
the telephone and video connections; any problems are general internet problems
and not something that arises from limitations in bandwidth or speed.
I had barely heard of
or noticed Facebook, when I saw a State Department website which said that
there was a "Diplomatic Service in Iraq: Facebook group with useful
information. I signed on to Facebook to
access the group, but discovered that it had no significant information (this
website is vastly superior). Since
coming here, however, I've discovered that Facebook is an easy way to keep in
touch with family and friends. I am "friends" with all of my kids (although our 14-year-old daughter refuses to be
friends with my wife), as well as with my wife.
Although the process is extremely slow, Facebook allows me to share my
photos from here and from our joint vacations with my immediate family and to
see their photos.
There is also an active
Facebook community at Embassy Baghdad, which I'm sure will continue to be true
after my departure. I went out to dinner
with an old friend, and learned that three of us in our foursome were on
Facebook. Within a day, we were all
Facebook friends. There are also two
women working at the Embassy who frequently write each other on Facebook, even
though they not only work in the same office, they share an apartment. If you're not on Facebook and you're coming
here, you definitely should consider getting a Facebook page. (Excuse my enthusiasm, but Anne, who is quite
active on Facebook, will attest to its addictive qualities. At a place like Baghdad, however, a mild
addiction might not be a bad thing.)
An electronic camera,
which will allow you to post those photos on Facebook, is another obvious
purchasing decision. I'm usually a
troglodyte, so I had a camera that used film until I came to Baghdad. I decided that I should purchase an
electronic camera for its convenient size, and because I didn't want to wait
for my film to be developed through the mail.
I saw someone using a newly purchased Olympus Stylus 790 SW during the
mandatory training for Iraq service, and purchased the same camera. It comes in a variety of colors and the
camera is waterproof and shockproof. You
can also buy a neoprene covering that prevents the case from scratching and possibly
enhances the shockproof qualities. (The particular
model has been subsequently replaced by the Stylus 850.) An equivalent waterproof camera seems to be
the Pentax Optio W60, which has a 5x optical zoom, vice the Olympus 3x. This could be an advantage, since I found the
zoom to be a limitation. For example, I
had a good seat at a dinner but would have liked to have taken a closer-in
photo of Prime Minister Maliki when he addressed the audience. The Amazon reviews also complain about the
short storage life of the Olympus model's battery, which is helped if you
purchase a second battery.
Finally, in the way of
electronics, you should consider bringing an iPod or some other digital audio
player. For those who can't do without
music, the iPod will provide portability, since you'll be able to load all your
CDs, rather than actually bringing the CDs themselves. I didn't bring one, but bought one on my
latest leave, after a colleague described its advantages as a portable entertainment
device. He noted that we are often in
waiting mode whenever we travelled, which is true. During such times, my colleague noted that he
could pull out his iPod and listen to an audio book, a podcast, or watch a
video. I also like to listen to the NPR
broadcast, "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me," when I work out. While it's actually possible to receive the
BBC world service on the radio, the reception tends to cut out indoors.
My last word of advice
is to give some consideration to the suitcase that you bring. I simply grabbed the largest capacity
suitcase from my closet, but you might want to buy one especially to travel to
Iraq. I can't locate the reference, but
I recall that Anne recommended a duffle.
I would just note that, at Sully and other helicopter landing zones (LZ)
in Iraq, the roads and walkways are often unimproved and so covered with
gravel. Most suitcase wheels will not be
able to roll over the gravel, but will simply stop spinning and require you to
drag the suitcase while scooping an increasingly large load of gravel. To avoid this problem, you should look for a
duffle that has large-diameter wheels (around four inches) and good clearance
from the body of the suitcase. I
actually don't think that such a suitcase is sold in the U.S., but the duffles
that are sold on websites such as LL Bean, REI, or LA Police Gear seem to come
closest. In addition, if you think that
your position will require significant travel in Iraq, you might consider
bringing a sleeping bag. When I was on a
provincial election observing mission in Diyala, for example, a sleeping bag
would have been quite handy.
And, as an additional
piece of advice, I recommend that you pay attention to Anne's "Tips for Travelers"
section on this website. The general
situation has changed significantly here, but her suggestions in that section
are still quite valid. Good luck!