Thursday, April 27, 2006
Insights on Leadership
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
My stupid phone...
Sunday, April 23, 2006
N/A ( No really.. I mean that)
Blog Title: N/A ( No really.. I mean that)
Date: April 23, 2006 2111 Hrs GMT+2
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
logan pics new and old
see no shame in my game
the above pics are about 2 months old
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these are some of the first pics that we took when logan was like a month old
keep in touch ...and don't foreget june 3rd .......weddin bells over here
talk to ya later
lee
Reflections of Life In a 3rd World Country
I opened the drapes this afternoon and sat down to write. Immediately, it strikes me that
The view you see here is from where I sit, right at this moment in time, separated from you by six thousand miles.
The view outside my window is of life in a third world country.
Here below, you see what I can see from my balcony. However, the picture, no matter how good or bad does not transfer even a tenth of what this view affords one who is present here. From your vantage you can not hear the sounds of the muslim prayer that is broadcast from the towers 5 times per day.
Right this moment, what you might hear there is music from cars that pass by in your vicinity. Here, I hear the sounds of Arabic music being played in the street shops.
What of it actually reaches me is full of cymbal, reedy percussion, and vocals that wash me in in words that I cannot understand.
The other sounds are of horns, tires on asphalt, and the occasional greeting yelled from one local to another as they pass each other in walking down the street.
At home, right now, my senses would be full of the pollen of the sea
son, the smell of new pine and new oak growing, and maybe the first scent of cut grass for the year. None of these things exist here in this land. I am greeted instead by the scent of the Shisha bar near my window; it's alternating sweet and acrid moments carrying the scents of apples, cherries, bananas, and a plethora of others unknown to me.
In the United States, these buildings you see here would be hotels for visiting families to stay while they come to visit friends or family. Here, such is not the case.
What you see to the left is housing. These buildings are created quickly and with an amazing efficiency, with their only purpose being to provide a place to shelter a family of 5 or 8 from the elements.
At home, vines, Kudzu, and other creepers battle stone buildings for life as they reach their way skyward. 
Here, electrical wires cling tenuously to cracks in stone, balconies, and any other crevasse they can find. Water pipes creep up the sides of buildings in a hodge-podge with no rhyme or reason. Satellite dishes and air conditioners hang precariously from any point strong enough to hold their weight and deliver their services through holes bored crudely in the concrete and stone walls.
Clothing and linens hang suspened over balconies, providing the only color in a tan and green world. Tan is the natural color of the stone, any any attempt to hide its narural domainance in shades of anything else are quiclky repealed by time, the elements, and the sand that blows ever through the air.
Green is the color of Quadafi, his chosen representation I suppose of a united Africa under his rule. I don't quite see why he picked the color, for it is about as far from what Africa truly is, at least in this part of the country, than any other color in the spectrum.
Every building; hotel, office complex, restaraunt, and other, is decorated with the shining visage of their leader, smiling down at his people in a dominant pose. This is law here. By law, every building reminds you of he who provides for them and shelters them against all things evil.
Well, I had planned a nice long diatribe since it had been so long since I had posted anything of meaning, however life once again calls me to duty. The secondary team who arrived in Libya, as well as the remaining portion of the original team are preparing for their journey home tomorrow. Moods are festive almost, as if they are getting ready for a vacation, which I guess in truth, they are.
Surprisingly, I find myself fairly OK with being left behind as the others return home to friends and family. It will be only Tim and I who remain here alone, until Doc and April come over sometime soon. Two months here find me fairly acquainted with the territory and with the population's customs; enough that I do not fear being left here alone.
I am quite sure however, that by tomorrow evening, the cultural solitude will set in on me with a vengeance. No english conversation with anyone except the few words spoken by my Cab Driver and the people at work. No laughing dinners or stories told outside on the balconies. No more groups of 6 or 8 people spending time reliving our pasts in my room. It's going to be truly lonely here while everyone is gone.
Most of me wishes to be joining them, to be home spending time with all of you, driving around town, listening to native radio and television. However, someone has to remain to keep a lid on this situation here while the rest are at home, else we will be completely back at square one when we return en-masse in June, if we truly can be back by that time. So, for the next two weeks, Tim and myself will be at work every day, struggling to get all the things done that the ten people before us could not.
That is not to say that any of them are ineffective; quite the contrary. I consider this to be the most intelligent and efficient team I have ever had the pleasure to work with. However, as the Project Manager, it is much easier to coordinate the responsiblities of two people and two sets of issues, rather than those of ten people. Two people who are working together on every problem will, by nature, stay more synchronized than the ten who are all working on independent projects and small group projects. It also takes down the pressure from the client; for they can only ask so much when there are only two here to implement their requests. Common sense will prevail a lot more, at least that is my hope.
So, it is with mixed emotion, that I bid adieu to all of those who have been with me for so long here, and I say "see you soon" to all of those back home. I miss all of you and will miss you all more in the coming days.
Please try to write when you can. I miss seeing the lives' of others on here. It was great hearing from Todd, Sameena, Marcus and Mary, Nicole and Lee, Mom, and all the rest of you who take time away from your lives to post on the blog.
Talk to you all soon.
Ma-Salem.
Tommy
Monday, April 17, 2006
Posted By Gandalf
Posted By Gandalf
Posted By Gandalf
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Saturday, April 08, 2006
For You Darling
This is for you April. This is a broach made in Niger by a local artisan who brought it to the fair to sell. It's hand stamped silver with a bright pure turqoise stone.
I hope you like it... I really do. I'll find a chain that you'll like better.. I just wanted the broach more than the necklace. 
Not a toy...
Nope, this is actually a real vehicle that you'll see quite often on the road here. Like most vehicles here, it's running on 12 or 13 inch wheels and it's about 12 feet long from bumper to bumper. It's a diesel that will traditionally hold between 8 to 10 people on their daily ride to work.
Be very glad the next time you're packed 3 across in the back of a Suburban. Over here you're packed 4 and 5 across in something that's only six foot wide.
Rangers?
Ok.. we've been here for almost six weeks and we have to come to the National Expo to find an American vehicle. I did see a 2001 Jeep like mine once and a hummer, but all the rest have been european cars.
These are 2006 Ford Ranger Pickups. The sad thing is they're so expensive that you'll never see one on the road here. The Toyota's, Mitsubishi's, and Peugeot's are much cheaper and a lot more prominent here.
Been pimpin!
This is Tyrhon (left) and Brad (right) pimpin beside the new 2006 Kompressor. Yeah, you can get them in the US, but not like this.
That's a 118,000 dollar car.
Nice huh?
This was at the Tripoli Expo today that we went to.
Hooka!
Ok.. now that you've read the title... relax. You all know me better than that. What you are seeing here is called a Shisha pipe.
We have a "Shisha Bar" at the Amwage hotel where I'm staying. Now, you all know me; so there's two things you ought to know.
1.) I don't do drugs.
2.) Outside of #1, I'll try anything once!
What you do is step inside the covered tent and take a table. (They have TV's playing the "football" soccer game if you're a sports fan.) This is a place where the more refined individuals come to relax. It's dark, very quiet, and quite interesting. And yeah.. that's a four foot pipe!
So, Desmond and I ordered up two Shishas packed with "Red and Green Apple." I asked to see it so I could write about it. It's very finely shredded apples that have been cured in some kind of concoction. So, they pack your pipe with the flavor of your choice and bring it to your table where they light it for you and you "toke" to your hearts content.
Lol.. it's an all you can smoke bar for 5 Dinar!
(Tomorrow I'm trying the Cherry)
For those of you who are smokers, I was amazed. I was expecting some very harsh taste, kind of like a cheap cigar. Instead, the pipe bowl is sitting over a bowl of ice, where the smoke is cooled, and then filtered through the water before being sucked up the pipe. It was a surprisingly smooth flavor with a very mild apple taste. I have to say it's a neat experience. I can now say I'm the only one of my friends who ever smoked a "hooka" the way it was intended to be by those who created them.
Greetings from the Amwage!
Date: 08 March 2006.
Blog Entry: Greetings from the Amwage!
So, at 9:30 this Saturday morning, I made it a plan to roll out of bed, partake in that fun game of lets’ try to get some hot water for the shower, and then quickly maneuver myself behind a solitary table here in the hotel Amwage for some quality time with those of you back in the states.
Now that I have found myself here, I find that I am amazingly uninspired. This has happened often of late, and is the primary reason that I find it difficult to write. What once inspired me and put me into a state of wonder now simple passes as the normal daily routine here. All new things fade… I’m sure that’s most likely listed in some Confucian monologue somewhere.
To begin: Hotel Hopping!
Last week I had to move some of my men from the hotel we were all originally at, the Bab Al Bahr, to new accommodations. The Libyan national goods expo they are having in
That does pose quite the conundrum, now that I pause to give it thought. I’m able to just about get anything I need here with a wink and a smile. I think I better begin to work on my real public relations skills before April gets here to join me. Somehow, I think she’ll put a stop to the winks and smiles from the ladies when she chases them away with that “don’t’ even consider it” look she thinks I don’t see.. She’s quite feisty when she chooses to be. However, it’s a sacrifice I’ll gladly make to have her much-needed company here with me. I truly can not wait to see her. I find myself counting the days until I can hold her again in my arms. Yes, yes, yes, I know. I shant begin an emotional diatribe… relax.
I’m trying hard to think what you will find of interest that I can tell you about. So many things leap out at me to tell you about when I see them, but I either forget them or find my inspiration absent when I actually get five minutes alone behind the keyboard to write.
Inspirational Moments:
I found myself laughing out loud last week while I was working at the site location. You’ll need the back story to completely understand why. Sometime last week, after I acquired rooms here at the Amwage for this half of the team, I was sitting in my room discussing music when Brad came in. He informed me that he brought a “bunch of stuff” with him but that wasn’t aware what he had, and that I was more than welcome to peruse his music collection for my iPod.
This breeds yet another back story I find I must acquaint you with. For those of you who are not aware, I am a music lover. I don’t mean an aficionado, or someone who really “likes” it, but a true lover of song and verse. Additionally, though I am very social, I find that I tend to want to work others as hard as I work myself. To do that, especially over here, would eventually breed resentment in my men. To accomplish the best of relations and productivity, I find it most beneficial to find long, tiresome tasks, that I can set aside for myself to perform on the site. This way, I can task the other teams with their responsibilities and the I can turn my radio off and disappear for an entire day to lose myself in the physical work which requires little or no communication with others. This stops me from constantly worrying and hovering over the others who all have their own jobs to do in their own way. There is plenty of work, so finding something that can occupy me for ten or twelve hours is less than difficult. Any network engineer can tell you that he hates nothing more than “racking equipment.” This is the process that often requires standing in the same spot for twenty four or thirty-six hours straight while organizing the millions of dollars worth of equipment located in this seven foot rack. Thus, in the effort to maximize my “alone time” I chose these tasks for myself to do. (Amazingly, no one argued… lol)
Now, to return to the previous prelude: While perusing Brad’s music collection, I was amazed to find country music, gospel music, and even bluegrass music. I literally jumped off the bed in the room, thankful for the arrival of the one thing I had forgotten from the states. I had no idea how much country and gospel music was part of my life until I had been six weeks without the twang of a six-string guitar and the heavenly sound of a slide on a steel guitar. So, on the night that he let me borrow his hard drive, I spent six hours laughing to myself as I found artist after artist that I wanted to copy to my iPod to play later. Desmond only shook his head resignedly as I sat there calling out the names of artists I truly did not expect to find in anyone’s collection except my own. There before my eyes lay the digital imprint of my childhood. I eagerly loaded up my player with the childhood memories of Kenny Rogers, the Oak Ridge Boys, the Statler Brothers, over 100 songs from
With this to look forward to, nothing much could ruin the day I had planned for myself. After meeting with the Project Manager for the site, the production manager, and instructing the various teams what they needed to do that day, I happily set out to hide in a closet and work for the next twelve hours.
Picture, if you will, the tan desert sand, the morning sun opening up its rays to slowly begin to bake the earth in its unabated heat at only nine in the morning. Various hundreds of sandaled, long shirted men milled about, beginning their own plans for the day; carrying mortar, mixing concrete, laying power lines, and a a myriad of other tasks. Their dark hair and sun darkened skin marking them as veterans of the heat and sand that is ever-present in this country. No one sings or whistles, or even talks much as they work. They arrive each day to arduously perform the tasks they are so very grateful for being paid to do. In succession and from all parts of the site, heads slowly raise to discover what the god-awful racket is they are hearing approach.
It’s 10 AM by the time I got on my way to my site due to logistics issues I had to handle. When I turned on my iPod to begin my journey I was struck with the difficult decision of whether to begin with the Statler Brothers or with Alan Jackson’s Gospel album. Memories flooded me from various parts of my childhood at the mere thought of either selection. I remember riding in the front of my mom’s blue Dodge car as a child, listening to the southern quartet renditions of “
I chose, however, to go with the Gospel playlist for the start of my day. There can be nothing more communal than the beginning of the day when the cold of the morning is battling the sun for dominance. Cold breezes are quickly battled back by warmer ones, and then more completely by hot arid currents that bring the day’s dominance into full view in preparation for the sun’s daily vigil across the empty blue sky of Africa. I remember that no clouds dot this blue skyscape. From the moment you see the sun and it has established itself, it will let no mercy rain down until at last night chases it from the sky.
Blessed Assurance was replaced by the memories of Sunday school when “In the Garden” began and I remembered Grant playing that on his six string. Through out the morning I happily belted out “leaning on the everlasting arms,” “Standing on the promises,” “Are you washed in the blood,” and tons of others, all of which I was so very much glad that I learned as a child. The words were lost on the natives, who I’m sure had no idea what in god’s-earth I was singing. It’s bad enough to hear people sing when you can hear the music too, but these poor people were buffeted with nothing but my horrible bass and baritone that baroommed from the marble walls of the small office I was working in. This continued for almost eight hours non-stop. Surprisingly, after about the first thirty minutes, no one in the building would come in to see me any more. I chuckled to myself as the security man that was put in place to guard over me begged his duties to me and excused himself to some location, ANY location, where this tall American wasn’t assaulting his ears with racket! This is a maximum security building! This man just pushed the key into my hand and fled like the devil himself was chasing him. At any other time, I would have taken the time to be offended. For surely, my singing isn’t as bad as all that? (No comments from you Bannag and Twitterpaited!)
Please write, comment, post, email, etc. I miss hearing from you all. Now, I think I’m going to load up some Alan Jackson Gospel, Elvis Gospel, and take a walk through
Tommy
