After the suicide bomber scare outlined in the previous page, things got back to normal. The concern of the people at work was astonishing. Nearly everyone had a comment about the incident and many people approached me and said how grateful they were that nothing had happened to any of the international staff. This outflow of caring was tempered by the absolute lack of apparent interest expressed by executive management. I had not really expected them to take any notice. Our CEO was absent on one of his many trips at the time, and had already told me in a previous discussion that he was tired of all the whining about security from some of the international staff. His statement to me was "If they don't feel safe, they can always resign and leave the country." I wish him nothing but the best when he faces his own personal challenges in the months to come.
I continued my every-other-day training courses for the project management team. They are very eager and grateful for the knowledge transfer. We have had many good sessions with lots of interaction between each other. I will be sorry to have to leave them. Nobody has been designated to take my place when I am gone, in spite of my suggestion that it would not be too soon for someone to be assigned the reins of the PMO. I suspect that poor Mme. Shadia will be thrown into the fire with the usual lack of support. She tells me she will not take on the task but she's a rare jewel of a worker and will probably let them take advantage of her ability to get things done. I am not sure she will continue with the company for long. There is continued talk of the United Nations coming back to Iraq. The UN left here more than a year ago, when things got dangerous. If they return they will strip the company of every ounce of talent and many of the locals are so demoralised that they are just waiting for the opportunity to leave.
The influx of Arabic expats is speeding up now. Our HR consultant is off in Egypt hiring more staff. Based on the new hires who have shown up, operations of this company will change significantly. It remains to be seen if it will be for the better or worse. More of the CFO's friends from Cambodia are also arriving to replace some of the old guard. At least nepotism has not died here. Some things seem to be eternal.
I have spent most of my free time this week putting together some pictures of some different aspects of life in Iraq. Our very poor internet connection has made it a challenge to upload the page to my server. I think the job is done now and you can access the new work from either the Iraq Home Page or by clicking here. I hope it gives some idea of some of the interesting things and challenges one faces here.
I was invited by Mr. Yi, for what will probably be my last decent meal in Iraq. Eating at his Chinese restaurant was another high point in this rather unspectacular contract. We drank a nice bottle of French wine and toasted the vagaries of a person's personality that brings one to this land. Mr. Yi is heading back to China in two weeks for a two week holiday. Then he will return and spend another year or two here. I joked that he would have to marry a nice Kurdish girl if he stays much longer and after contemplating the idea for a very few seconds, agreed that that would not be a bad thing to do. My subtle push to unite the world through blending continues.
I haven't been taking on many new projects recently, and continue to focus my energy on cleaning up remaining work. I am leaving the office after 11 hours of work each day now and expect that to dwindle to 10 hours or less as I enter my final week. Both our CEO and Chairman are away and I don't really expect to see either of them before I go. Perhaps they will not even know that I am gone. Well, maybe not until Mme. Shadia resigns, anyway.
The pictures from home are of beaches and boating fun as Heather and Genavieve visit friends at their cottages, and Patrick continues his visit to Friendly Manitoba. It's good to see that there is life after Iraq and I can hardly wait to taste it. I have identified a number of things that I want to do when I get back. It will be interesting to see if my priorities change. What seems to be a heavenly activity here - something like spending the day at the Souris rock quarries - might seem pretty lame once I am back in Winnipeg. I haven't been to the rock quarries for 25 years and can hardly remember them. For some reason though, I have a craving to go. Maybe it would just be nice to be outdoors in a safe place where I might only get beaned on the noggin with a rock from a toddler instead of facing an RPG from some misguided simpleton.
We'll find out soon.
Steve