(13OCT2008)Holidays in theater sneak up on me. There’s no anticipation of a day off, a three-day weekend, or travel to see family or friends. There’s no sleeping in or barbecuing. Holidays are work days here as every other day, and though I usually don’t even notice them at first, there are some signs.
For one thing, nobody in the States returns your emails. Weekends and the time difference are bad enough when you’re trying to conduct business from around the world (I’m 8½ hours ahead of the US East Coast where my home station is), but when there’s a day off back home, you’re waiting another entire day to hear back from anyone.
Also, more soldiers are given some time off on holidays so there’s more people milling around the PX and the food court, walking around post and at the MWR. I went to the gym this evening and it was more crowded than I’d ever seen it, no doubt owing to the holiday.
The biggest difference, though, is at the DFAC. God bless them, they try a little harder on holidays. Normally we have steak & seafood only on Fridays, but they treat us on holidays as well. (I don’t care for their version of seafood and I never ate the dry leather that passed for steaks in Iraq, but the steaks here are passably edible.) They also put up streamers and paper ornaments, and the tables are adorned with patriotic plastic tablecloths.
The entryway into the dining room had a streamer overhead reading “WE
♥ THE US!” which reminds you that it’s not Americans running this place and we’re definitely not home.
PX = Post Exchange
M
WR = Morale, Welfare, and Recreation
DFAC = Dining FACility
