We started Ramadan last night and have Libya’s version of the 4^th of July on September 1. During Ramadan, everything gets turned upside down. During the daylight hours, everyone (Muslims) abstain from food, drink (including water and coffee), cigarettes, etc. In the afternoon, the wife’s expect the husbands to drop everything and go shopping for everything to break fast that evening. So at nightfall, the partying begins up to around 1 or 2 am. Everyone then crashes and gets up before dawn so they can have a meal then grumpily start the cycle over again for 30 days. So far we haven't seen any ill affects from our friends here. They've taken the British stanch of keeping a stiff upper lip and going on with life as we know it. Several came by the dinner table rubbing their stomachs and looking at their watches to see how close we were to sundown.

At the end of the 30 days, they have a three day party. Lynn and I are taking that time to be away in Paris. We can have our own party there.

Last night I was invited to a social affair hosted by the US Embassy. Lynn and I had met several of the Embassy staff at church so, even though I am without my social chairperson, I decided to go alone.

We might have mentioned sometime in the past that we live outside of the downtown area near Gargaresh Road. This is one of the few roads in Tripoli that actually has a name that anyone knows. It has miles and mile (or should I say kilometers and kilometers) of shops. We're talking ladies fancy dress shops, toy stores, grocery stores, appliance shops from vacuum cleaners to commercial kitchen appliances, furniture stores, bedding stores, butcher shops, . . . . you are starting to get my drift. Anyway, after sundown this part of town becomes "the drag". Men and women in vehicles poking along, speeding along, brakes and tires screaming as cars speed up and slow down, horns honking, people yelling - way too much testosterone! So into this fray our three vans dove as we made our way to the party. This night, I was one of the lucky ones who had a driver who knew where he was going. One of the other drivers called to let us know that he was lost. We gave him instructions of where to meet us and waited for them to arrive then proceeded to the party.

As socials go, this one was nice, nothing fancy, just an opportunity for people to get together, exchange business cards, have a little "California grape juice" or other adult beverage and visit about things in general and nothing in particular. I met some guys from Boston and Dallas with the Commerce Department. They just happened to be in town and managed an invitation. There were a number from other Embassies represented beside the US of A. I guess that there's an unofficial group of folks that comprise the "cocktail set" of International Diplomatic Corps.

After making our way back through the crowds again, we got home late and still had one more day of work in the week ahead of us. Six am came mighty early. It seemed that I had just put my head on the pillow. The good thing is "TGIT" Thank Goodness It's Thursday (our Friday).

By the way - Ramadan started at sundown tonight. It's going to be an interesting next 30 days.

RAMADAN KAREEM

Rick

Beach in Malta

It's been a while since I posted a video, so I decided to add this beach scene from my last trip to Malta. This is for Anne, I hope you enjoy it.

Dad

The Photo Shoot

I was invited to be part of a photo shoot that we are using in our future advertising campaign as well as ads in conjunction with the September 1 celebration (That's Libya's 4th of July). Karen, our corporate communications guru is trying her darndest to get everything done before leaving for the states to see her son graduate from the Marines in San Diego. She included me since I represent a certain demographic of white males over 50 who can walk and chew gum at the same time.

She had recruited kids from America, Australia and Libya for the shoot along with contractors, field supervisors and the like. We all met at the office at 7:30 am so we could get some good light and not be out in the heat of the day. We divided up into 4 vans and a sedan and headed out to the highway construction site that is one of our infrastructure projects.

It wasn't long until we got separated in the snarl of traffic and our driver turned off to take a shortcut. Since one of our infrastructure guys was in the front seat with him, we figured we'd just sit back and leave the driving to them (not that we had any choice in the matter). We wandered off for a while and my colleague sitting next to me asked if I knew which direction we were going. I told him that by my Boy Scout reckoning, and the shadows on the street, I guessed we were going southeast. We both acknowledged to each other that we thought that the highway was a bit less south and much more west, but what did we know, we're just housing guys.

To make a long story short and a longer drive shorter, we finally turned around, came back to town and then proceeded to make our way to the construction site where everyone was waiting for us . . . in the heat . . . with kids playing in the dirt. A twenty-minute drive had become close to two hours.

We jumped out of the car, got in place, took some photos and then shook hands, got back in the van and trusted that our driver could find our way back to the office without retracing his steps of the morning. We soon arrived safely back to start our day around 10:30

Busy Day

As you are now probably aware, Friday's are my Sundays.I can sleep in a little bit since breakfast doesn't start until 8:00 rather than 6:30. Rasheed did his usual job on the Friday morning pancakes. I don't know if mine were fresh or "off the pile". Anyway they were still warm. As we were sitting outside, Chris passed the "sugar water" that we call syrup. The label proclaims "2% real maple syrup". I think at home we would translate that to say "with real maple syrup flavoring" or something of that ilk.

We had a very nice service at church this morning. Allison Lee, one of our friends from the US Embassy was baptized. The Nigerian choir was in its usual fine form and we had a good time of worship together. The headmaster from the International School was back from holiday so I was able to introduce myself to him and his wife. They invited Joe Zimmerman and me to join them for lunch after church but I already had plans to meet up with the crew for chinese at 1:00.

The gang assembled in the lobby and we strolled down the block to the chinese restaurant. Lynn and I had been to the one on Gargarsh the first week we arrived but this one is next to the Shell Oil housing. The menu was ample and they had a soup that was divine; kind of like a mix of egg drop soup with tofu, vegetables and maybe sliced almonds. It had a smokey taste. I would love their recipe.

Afternoon was time to crash and relax. James and Jane Shanks had invited me over to their apartment for a home cooked meal of pot roast. Joe came by and picked me up so we enjoyed a great time of food, visiting and playing with their three dogs, one chihuahua and two pomeranians. Cute but getting pudgy.

I planned on meeting everyone on the roof to watch the stars fall (meteor shower) but by 10:00 no one was one the roof and clouds were starting to roll in from the coast.

All in all a very nice start to the weekend. I'd better finish up and call my Dad. Today is his 83rd birthday! Happy Birthday Dad!!!.

Friends or is it Fiends?

Just so that you don't feel sorry for me being so far away from long time friends and family, I'd like to introduce you to a few of my friends. I don't have a picture of Phil but he keeps me out of trouble or the other way around. He's getting ready to leave for three weeks on a trek through Africa with a couple from the company. The three of them plan on arriving in Kenya and staying a few days with the Masai Tribe along with a 3 day photo safari. Phil is an excellent photographer with all the right equipment (sorry Ryan - he has Nikon, not Canon). I can't wait to see his pictures upon his return. From there, they go to Mt. Kilamonjaro and a nine day climb to the summit and back. They have been practicing with hikes up the hills in the desert at least once a week. Before coming home, they have another photo safari planned. That's quite a break from the day to day operations here.

Next is Karen. She and Lynn have become friends. Her husband is older and back in Houston. He told her that it sounds like she lives in the dorm. Come to think about it, he's probably right on. Karen acts as our communications officer. She would appreciate your input

John as she wants to go back to college and get a degree in Cultural Anth

opology. John, you are going to have to weigh in and let her know if that will make her a better corporate communications guru. She feels it will give her a better understanding of her audience. She might be getting a bit warped hanging around with all the guys. A couple of weeks ago, a couple of the "boys" tried to convince her that she should just give up and join the male race. I must say, she held her own in that argument.

Now Robert is quite the proper English gentleman. He corrects us when we become too American with that sly wit that the British have. Of course we have him quite outnumbered and remind him often. We also reming him that being from Texas, we can still secede from the union much as Scotland can from the UK. He takes our ribbing very well and can usually put us in our place in a gentlemanly way.

Finally there's Ron Pelekanos. He's a combination of New York and Greek. He's the expert in telling our foreign friends the proper technique of both ordering a New York slice of pizza and the proper technique of rolling, eating and keeping the movement going so as to not lose the cheese into your lap. Ron loves golf and is crazy enough to play each week on the one course that exists here (I don't know where it is) that has plenty of sand traps and the "greens" are oiled. No I'm not kidding as you who have been to the middle east know.This is our usual 6:30 am breakfast group out on the patio. I don't have a picture of Bill from Wisconsin by way of Chicago. He must have slept in the morning I took my camera with me.

I'll introduce you to more later

Monday Night in Tripoli

While the rest of you are heading into your afternoon and trying to see what you've got ahead of you this week, I'm headed to bed and then "hump-day" as we head toward the weekend. This week has been crazy with meetings, meeting and more meetings. I haven't been out to any of my projects in several weeks and am starting to fell that I am neglecting them. I do finally have CM/CS (for you not in the lingo, that's Construction Management/Construction Supervision) for all three projects. Only one is under contract but at least they are showing up.

I have been trying to explain to my mentor partners the difference between project management and program management; one is where you are doing tasks and managing tasks the other is when you become a people manager, managing the people who are in charge of the tasks, focusing them on the goals and objectives while you manage multiple project teams. I was fortunate enough to have a mentor explain to me the difference when I was in my 30's and it made sense. Now I'm trying to pass that along to the next generation. Maybe thats when you achieve the next level of management. Who knows.

I'm going back to Gharyan tomorrow. This time with a driver who has the purpose of getting us to a meeting with our client & on time, not a side trip adventure as before.

Maybe I can finish the week with only 4 or 5 more meetings. Oh well, there's always the weekend.