Train Ride With Dad

I remember the first time my dad took me to Matanzas. I had never been to my uncle Kico's house and I was as excited as I could be. I must have been about eight years old at the time. It was a long time ago so there are many details I don't remember. But before I go any further, you must know that public transportation is horrible everywhere in Cuba, my homeland. And if traveling between provinces, it is guaranteed to be no better.

My dad and I had to take the train from Havana City to Matanzas, where uncle Kico lived. The trip took a few more hours than it should've, considering the distance, partly because it stops in every town on the way for a few minutes allowing passengers to come on and off but mostly because it is extremely slow.

We are almost there and it's only a few more stops before we reach ours when my dad tells me to gather my share of our bags and to start getting ready to leave. By this time all the seats and aisles are full with people. We stuggle to get close to the nearest door, squeezing through the crowd.

We finally reach our stop. The train stops and the crowd awaiting outside rushes in pushing us aside. People are still trying to get inside when we hear the whistle and feel the machines come alive underneath us again. The train is moving and we are still on it. Suddenly, my dad pulls me towards the door which became accessible once the machine began to move. There's no doubt the train is gaining speed as well. We have no time, he tells me we're going to have to jump. He grabs my bag and together with his throws them out the door. Everything after that happened in a blaze of a moment. I hear him hit the ground while I'm still rolling from my fall. Feeling a little dizzy still, I see a tall figure running at full speed towards us while the train is moving at a faster speed to my other side. It was Kico. He hugs us and kisses both of us full of happiness while saying "I was losing hope when i didn't see you come off but as soon as I saw the bulks flying out of the moving train, I knew it had to be you two."

Going Shopping Online

Of all the things I thought I would be doing in Iraq, it never crossed my mind that I would end up a super Amazon online shopper. Everything is just a couple of clicks away now. No more getting dressed, driving and walking all over the mall to find something to make me happy for a little while. It all started with a couple of books. I’ve always been a reader and since I’ve in this place I haven’t found much else to do, therefore books have been an awesome time killer. Then I found a tripod for my camera that would be perfect for a deployment. With that came the new camera case, the waterproof camera housing, the speakers, the Ipod holder and a few other irresistible items. Before I could stop myself; I was buying a new printer, that I wouldn’t even be able to use until I got home but ‘it was too much of a good price to let it pass’, I told myself. The truth is, I was expecting to be deprived from many of the small luxuries I have at home but I would have never imagined that shopping online would become my little addiction to make up for my accessibility to real stores. It’s all just a perfect example of how we adapt when our surroundings change, and how we always manage to find new options when the ones that are familiar to us disappear, sometimes even without realizing it.

Book Break-Up

Have you ever read a book so captivating that even after you finished it, you kept thinking about the story to the point that you couldn't fully concentrate on whatever new novel you tried to read later on? I'm definitely in that stage right now. A couple of weeks ago I finished the last book of 'The Mortal Instruments' series by Cassandra Clare, and now I find myself wanting to go back to the story. The truth is I've read plenty of really awesome books before, but I guess this is what happens when you become somewhat emotionally involved with a story - you can't let it go- I've always found science fiction novels to be the best reads, although I had always opted for more complicated adult writings. But it all changed recently when I discovered that even the ones meant for a younger crowd are capable of seducing anyone into the plot. There's something about these nonexistent worlds of vampires and werewolves that I find totally addicting.

Beginnings

It's been almost three months since I left home. The days go by as I struggle to keep myself busy whenever I'm not on duty. I had wanted to start this blog for quite some time now, but for some reason it wasn't until I came here that I actually made myself do it. And now I'm so glad it's started. A part of me wishes that it hadn't been this deployment what triggered my desire to write again. But it is precisely during these unusual times that I find myself, as I've heard someone say before, going back to basics. In this case, it is simply a need to express my thoughts through this keyboard. And although this trip is no more than a chapter of my life, I don't wish for this blog to be that as well. This is why I have promised myself not to allow my days here to define my every thought and my writings. As I told my husband before I left: There was life before Iraq and there will be life after Iraq. I will be the same person when I come home, the only difference, is this time I will have my blog.