March 31, 2012

Dadalogue deployed: Eating with the Afghans


Greetings from the other side of the world.

It’s been a good week, although the days seem to run together. I though Friday was Sunday, Saturday was Tuesday. What day it is doesn’t really matter though. Except Sundays. I get to sleep in a little bit and go to work a little later. Then there’s church in the evening. It’s Palm Sunday today, the start of the most holy week, so I’ll be extra sure not to miss it.

On this Palm Sunday I am thinking about my family too. Every year, on Palm Sunday or Easter, for the past 7 years or so, my grandmother has treated our family to a large lunch at this restaurant and Inn near my hometown.

To say the meals are delectable is an understatement. They are simply the best meals I’ve ever eaten. 
This year, I’ll miss the warm popovers with lemon curd and the special Sunday menu the chef 
prepares. Last year it was ostrich tenderloin for me. Other years I’ve had bison steak, duck, and lamb. The lobster bisque has chunks of meat floating in it. I’ve never forgotten a meal we’ve eaten there.

The building is an old historic landmark with fireplaces in every room. When we start going, it was only a handful of us: my grandmother (Mom Mom), my parents, sister, my aunt and uncle, and my great uncle. I’ve brought a friend before, a fellow Marine, and my sister brought a couple people from time to time too. But, the immediate family has certainly grown over the last several years.

My sister got married. Then the next year, her first born was there. Then I got married. Then we had a child. Then my sister had another baby. This year will be our 9-month-old Timothy’s first time. Next year, my sister will have another one. We’ve grown so much as a family, they have to give us a whole room to ourselves. It’s probably better that way too. We like to laugh.

I’ll miss it this year. It may be “Southern cooking day” at the chow hall today – which means some kind of boiled meat slathered in BBQ sauce – but it doesn’t hold a candle to the pheasant my wife says she’s going to have this year. Ohh, and crème brule. They have the best crème brule.

Of course, the time there isn’t just about amazing food. It’s about amazing time with family. The conversations and the time spent with them are just as memorable. I miss them all dearly, and my thoughts and prayers are with them constantly.

But, since this post has become more of a foodie blog today, I’m going to continue that trend to recap the highlight of my week: lunch with Afghans.

Every week at this forward operating base I’m now at we get to break bread with our Afghan National Army counterparts. They host the meal. And it’s authentic.

We walked over their compound where they escorted us into their chow hall – three long rows of benches with a huge spread on the tables. Each place setting had real silverware and plates (the chow hall is paper and plasticware). In the middle were silver platters piled high with spiced rice and baskets of fried potatoes. Little bowls of what I’m almost positive was goat meat were laid out for each person. And there was orange soda. Afghans seem to love their soft drinks.

That lunch was the best food I’ve eaten since getting here.

The conversation with our Afghans was a little difficult, having to speak through interpreters, but the non-verbal communication said it all. They love having us here. They are truly grateful for the attention and help we’re giving them. Yes, our cultures are completely different. Yes, we do things differently. But, there is a mutual connection of making this place better than it was 10 years ago.
The Afghans who serve are extremely patriotic and proud of what they do. They see their service, just like us who wear a U.S. uniform, as a privilege and an honor. Afghans are not bad people. The insurgents who fight us and torment the citizens of this country are. Most Afghans don’t want them around either. And many are proving that by wearing the military uniform of their country.

I’ve known this for a while. I don’t just read the news reports from mainstream media. I seek out the other news, and I see the other side of the story firsthand.

Don’t believe me? Come to Afghanistan and see for yourself.

And have a meal with them.

Whether it’s with family or with complete strangers – nothing unifies a group of people and creates wonderful memories quite like sitting down at a table full of food and eating together.

March 24, 2012

Dadalogue deployed: A long-overdue update


First off, an apology. I haven’t updated in a long while, and I’m sorry. I think I underestimated the rigors of deployment, even if my work keeps me “inside the wire.”

The days are long. Sleep comes easily. And, my wife will confirm, I am an 8-hour-a-night kind of guy. Any less and I’m cranky for the rest of the day.

Despite the long days, I enjoy being here. The work I’m doing is rewarding, and I’m finding that I can get things done more easily for my Marines in a deployed environment. I think everyone is more focused on the mission, so the unnecessary hassles stateside that come with getting gear or a simple signature are not present. Marines work best when they’re deployed.

Fortunately for me, even with the lack of updates here, I’ve been able to keep in touch with the Wife every few days. We’ve been able to chat on Skype and FaceTime. This morning we talked on the phone while Syracuse got beat by Ohio State. Being able to talk eased the pain of not seeing our team go to the Final 4. I even talked to Grace for a minute. My availability to talk usually coincides with her and Timothy’s nap times. Four a.m. though? Perfect.

Her conversation wasn’t much more than, “Hi Daddy. Bye Daddy. Babble babble. Syracuse, Timothy’s sleeping. Babble babble,” but it was great to hear her little voice.

My thoughts often wander back to my family and to how and what they’re doing. It makes me miss them more, but I think about the reunion (which seems so far away) and how sweet it’s going to be.
I know the Wife has been struggling a bit with the separation (she told me I could share this). There’s so much uncertainty from her end about my safety, and I’m just not around. Being separated from your soul mate for any amount of time really starts to wear on you mentally. My outlets right now for that are work and the gym. In a way, I can escape the reality of the situation. 

She’s living it every day. The kids still need constant attention, she feels guilty at times leaning on others to help out, and she wants me back to so I can fill that void. I think the biggest sacrifices are made by those who stay, not by us over here.

Yes, reunion will be a sweet, sweet day. In the meantime, we’ll keep doing our best to stay connected anyway we can.

Well, I’ll try to post more often. But remember, you are all still in my prayers. If you have requests, send them to dadalogue@gmail.com . I’ll add you to the list.