I've recently had the oppurtunity to see some new area and it's really quite a change. Some of the area I've been too looks more like what I expected coming to Iraq, almost like the surface of Mars at times. Although there are still many canals most of the area near them is rather barren and dry looking. Of course the one constant is the children rushing too our vehicles and always waving, or asking for mangaria and food.

At some of the villages we frequent I've managed to recruit kids that help me control the rest. I still try to be as helpful as possible but it does get very frustrating at times. I recall recently giving a small Teddy bear to a little girl only to have a little boy rip it from her arms and flee into the village. My instict said to run him down and get her bear back but common sense made me stay put and just let the girl cry, there will be other bears and soldiers I'm sure. I also remember when one child was telling me how thirsty he was and in need of cool water, I broke down and gave him a small bottle of water and he immediatly sold it to another child, this really bothered me since we never have enough water to go around. I find myself wondering if they understand the concept of sharing. And yet when I've given a soda or water to the little girls they seem to scurry off and return asking for more. I assume they've given the item to a parent for safe keeping or sharing.

It's really strange here for the females they are either cute outgoing little girls , some are shy but not most, or they are covered from head to toe in usually black clothing and working in all aspects of farm life, herding sheep and cattle, tending the fields and harvesting crops. Most of the time there's a man just watching them work. But this is not my home or culture and I must not interfere. I've only spoken to two American women since I've been here and they seem to feel as I do, they,the Iraqi women, are all yearning to be individuals but that likely won't happen anytime soon.

One female soldier explained to me the logic of polygomy. It seems that many Iraqi women want their husbands to marry their sisters, simply in order to maintain social/family ties. If you're a woman in Iraq and get married the only other women you'll really be able to talk too are your husbands other wives, so better it be someone you care about and trust. That's just how it was explained to me and I really wish it wasn't so but who am I to decide the issue?.

I am still trying to learn as much as I can about this place and its people but the main concern is always to just make it home. I have a great deal of respect for the Iraqi people but really don't understand many things yet. I've been through areas recently where people live in grass huts and have stone tools but still have antennas. We've passed through small cities that are much like the U.S. and still have mule carts in car lanes. We pass by street vendors selling blocks of ice and the Iraqi soldiers will still ask us to give them our ice, we don't of course but wonder why at 125 degrees don't they just chip in and buy some.

The soldiers I work with continue to ask for everything they can possible get from us and seem to believe our access to things is with out limits. I try to share things with them and have also seen them grab things from each other. I recently brought some baby cloths to one soldier I had seald in large ziplock bags. When one fell to the ground another soldier scooped it up and kept it. The original soldier looked at me begging intervention with his eyes, but again I declined. I'm sure in that case I could have retrieved the cloths but it wouldn't have solved the issue, learning to share.

Well, I guess I've still got alot to learn and by the time I head home for good I will be just a bit more worldly. My next entry will be with dealing with those that have been wounded and the fallen.