Ramadan

How great is it to have a band of musicians playing traditional Arab music (read: Islamic Hymns, basically) with drums and other traditional iknstruments right outside the window of your hotel room?

And given that it is Ramadan where people fast all day and feast at night, it's likely to go on for a while.

Awesome.

Travelin'

So, I made it to Amman. What a pit this place is. I've been through the airport before, but never through the city.

It's ugly. There are more different species of trees here, especially conifers, than in Baghdad, but it is just as ugly. The construction is just as bland and poorly built, it's just as dry and dusty (everything covered in it), people drive just as badly.

Not much to be enthralled with so far. I'm on my way to Baghdad inthe morning, as long as my luggage shows up sometime tonight.

Oh Yeah, Delta lost my luggage. One connecting flight between San Francisco and Amman, in NYC, didn't even change airlines, and Delta managed to get one of my checked bags on the plane, and leave one behind. Same for about 6 or 8 other travelers from San Francisco. Thanks Delta! You suck!

While I'm on the topic of traveling- why, pray tell, does the TSA treat first class passengers differently? There's a seperate, and faster security screening line for 1st class and business class.

Isn't the TSA a government agency, paid for by our taxes? As such, they're not being paid extra to expedite certain travelers- they must be doing it for the airlines' benefit. I'll be writing my congressman about that.

Vacation's over...

... back to the sandbox.

Lots to report about my summer, I have just been too busy living it to write about it. But at the end of this week, I am flying back to Baghdad so I'll be back to boredom, and undoubtedly have lots of time on my hands.

Short version though: Taking an entire 2 months off work was excellent, 3 weeks vacationing in Ireland was brilliant, and I love my new motorcycle.

I almost bought half a bar, but it doesn't look like the financials will be what I need to feel comfortable, and since I am now going back to work in Baghdad, I can't even put the personal attention into it that it would really require.

I'll have a review of my iPhone 3G and my experience once I have cracked it. There are already both very positive and not so great things about it.

This week I'm in a fast track course for RHCE, and with VERY little Linux experience before this, it's tough going. Not that any course where you study one subject for 8 hours a day leaves you much to think with at dinner time.

Santa Clara California does NOT appeal to me.

That is all for now.