So, what's it like over there?

Over the past few weeks I've had a number of great questions from family and friends about life here in Basrah. I thought I'd take a few minutes for a little Q&A. Here goes.

How hot is it there, anyway?
Most days, the temperature ranges from 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit. It usually hits 100 by around 9:00 am. At night, it cools down to 80-90 degrees (wow!). This will last through September, and it will gradually begin to cool down, with lows in January reaching the 50s-60s.

Um ... I hope you have air conditioning, then?
Yes, thank goodness - air conditioning and ceiling fans in every room. More often than not, I'm too cold in the house. But the A/C doesn't stay off for very long ...

How's the water?
Salty and stinky! Basrah's main water source is the Shatt al-Arab, the waterway that connects the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to the Persian Gulf. The Shatt is quite polluted; it's got high levels of saline and fecal coliform bacteria, and some radioactive waste thrown in for good measure. We don't drink it - ever - and rarely use it for cooking. It leaves salt spots on dishes, and rusts metal after a while. I have been daring enough to cook pasta in it and brush my teeth with it ... and haven't gotten sick yet.

Do you get hot showers?
Nope. My typical morning shower is tepid and low in water pressure. The salt content of the water, plus the heat, is great for skin and hair! Yes, I am craving a blasting hot shower already (despite above comments about hot temperatures).

How dangerous is it there? Are you staying safe?
Well, the answer is, it's dangerous. Iraq is obviously very politically unstable still - I don't need to tell any of you that. Basrah itself is relatively safer than many other cities, thanks to a coordinated effort in 2008-2009 by the Iraqi military and police, and some support from coalition forces. Previously, the city was a hotbed for subversive groups (Sadrist supporters, Al-Qaeda, you name it) but it was thoroughly cleaned out and has become much more secure, peaceful and free since then. In addition, its population is overwhelmingly Shi'a, which has minimized some of the sectarian violence that has plagued other cities to the north in recent weeks.

But, that's not to say it's without risks. As expatriates, we're at an increased risk of becoming targets for kidnapping or attacks, simply by virtue of our nationalities and our affiliation with a US-based nonprofit operating in Iraq. As a result, we attempt to keep VERY under the radar. Trips outside of our housing compound are extremely limited, and always with specific purpose and under heavy security. The compound has high walls with barbed wire, we have guards on duty 24/7/365, and other security measures in place. In addition, the principle of community acceptance really guides our security strategy. By building positive relationships within the community, we earn their trust, their respect, and therefore, their protection. It's a foundational security principle for Mercy Corps, and one that has led to a clean record of employee security for the agency.

What do you wear there?
Because I'm often interacting with our national staff, I dress conservatively in the office: loose pants or long skirts and comfortable shirts. I've started feeling comfortable enough to wear short sleeves, and this doesn't seem to be a problem. The women on our national staff all dress very conservatively, long dresses or skirts, long sleeves, and always a hijab. I don't have to go quite that far, but I am conservative out of respect. Out of the house, I always wear a hijab, and long loose pants with a tunic and long sleeves.

What's the food like over there?
A decent variety of food products is available here - we've got Cocoa Pops in our kitchen (not mine, Mom, I swear!). But I am craving cheddar cheese. And vegetables. Fresh food items are more limited, as most things are grown locally or come short distances (a lot from Kuwait). I'm already sick of tomatoes and cucumbers, and I really miss lettuce and American summer fruits like peaches and berries. But I've grown fond of the dates that grow on a palm in our yard, and our cook brings wonderful fresh-baked bread every morning. The ice cream here is unbelievable - the milk has a slight raw tang to it, and my favorite security guy, Dia, always brings the kind with fresh pistachio mixed in.

Lunch is a variation on the same theme, every day: basmati rice, with a tomato broth-based stew with small amounts of meat and vegetables. Some days lamb, some days beef, some days chicken, some days ... mystery meat. Always a salad of tomatoes and cucumbers, bread, and dates. Dinner is a little bit more varied; we have a lineup of about five meals: baked fish (masgouf, the Iraqi national dish), shawarma (shaved, rotisseried leg of lamb mixed with onions and a little vinegar, similar to a gyro), kefta (ground lamb or beef shaped into kebabs), rotisserie chicken and ... I think that's about it. Sometimes there's liver; sometimes there's kidney. Sometimes when there's liver and kidney I cook for myself.

Are there, like, big creepy bugs and stuff?
Thank goodness, the answer to that is no. It's too dry for mosquitoes, shockingly there are no cockroaches (I saw one baby one, that's it), I have not seen giant spiders as anticipated, and even the flies are pretty small. There are lots of ants - big ones, small ones - but they don't seem to bite or infest the house much. The only things I see with regularity are geckos, birds, and stray cats.

What's your typical day like? What do you do in your free time?
I get up around 7:15, take a quick shower (yeah, see above), make myself some breakfast, and get to my desk at 8:00. Work til 1:00, have an hour for lunch, and work until around 6:00. During the evening, I fill my time by running on the rickety treadmill in our hot upstairs hallway, making dinner when I'm so inclined, reading, watching DVDs or the couple of American movie/TV channels available here (with Arabic subtitles!), or playing Scrabble on Facebook. The time goes very quickly, much to my surprise.

What do you miss most about home?
- My family
- My friends; in particular my Mercy Corps girls
- Green trees, green grass
- Mild temperatures
- Hot showers
- Makeup!
- The freedom to go out and do, see, wear, buy whatever I want
- Driving a car
- Fresh produce
- Good mattresses and quality sheets
- The Pacific Northwest landscape, and running around in it
- My bike, my skis and my hiking shoes
- Alcohol (no, really)