Mr. Marc, "it's Iraq." It is the most commonly used phrase around my jobsite and it has great meaning in my life. Six weeks ago I wrote that the job was gaining momentum, I was wrong, it's Iraq. Mechanical still has not started, the electrical design is taking twice as long as the contractor said it would and the steel frame roof crew is about as lost as I have ever seen any subcontractor in my life. John Lennon once wrote, "nobody told me there'd be days like these" has become a frequent thought in my head. But as I look around Arbil, and look at the other projects going on, and talk to different people, I realize I am not alone. The issues that I face here on a daily basis are the same issues that every single project faces every day, which I guess gives me some peace of mind. I realize that it is not important to win each battle but position one's self to win the war. Planning and organization are the keys to our success here and that is what we have been focusing on and it seems to be working. Once again I am told that the mechanical contractor will be here to start on the 21st, and I will have the electrical design delivered to me on the 22nd, time will tell. We started the mechanical buildings last week and I made the schedule along with the manpower allocation for both the buildings and that seems to be moving along well, my biggest problem will be the delivery of concrete. Concrete companies here (like many other companies here) do not understand what customer service is at all. Case in point, Tuesday morning we ordered 80 cubic meters of concrete (8 trucks) for delivery on Wednesday, we called at 4:30pm Tuesday to verify the delivery, all was good. At 8:30am Wednesday we get a call saying they cannot deliver concrete to us. Needless to say, I went ballistic, I called the general manager to give him hell and he asked me who promised you concrete for today? He went on to tell me they had a 600 cubic meter pour for Wednesday that had been set up for a week and everyone knew it. There was no way they could get us the concrete, all of their equipment was dedicated to that pour. He acknowledged that we verified our delivery 14 hours prior and apologized for the "lack of customer service and inexcusable promise." Marc he said, what am I to do, it's Iraq!! We arranged for our delivery for Thursday and moved on. This is a normal issue that we face here day in and day out. It is a schedule buster as well as a budget issue. There is no way to build these things into a budget or a schedule, it's just Iraq.

I was invited the other night to a birthday party of a friend's two year old grandson. I thought I would go for an hour or so and then quietly leave. WRONG!!! It turns out that the "party" was all family and me. It was very interesting to say the least. I met him at his electrical shop at 8:00pm as instructed so we could go together since I was not sure of the location of the social club where the party was being held. We sat at his shop and talked for a while which was nice because I got some family history and started to learn how hard of a life these people have had. "W" as I will refer to as my friend is of Armenian descent. He is the eldest of five brothers all born and raised in Baghdad. They are a Christian family and faced religious persecution in Baghdad. In 2003 "W" was a translator for the U.S military, which along with his religious beliefs, made him a target for kidnapping and execution in Baghdad. In 2006 the situation in Baghdad was worsening for him so he gathered his brothers and three of them decided to move to Arbil. One brother went to Jordon and the other stayed in Baghdad. The brother that stayed in Baghdad developed stomach cancer and died six months ago, his family is still in Baghdad, but after one year of mourning they will move here to Arbil to be closer to the family. The three brothers and their respective families rented one house in Arbil, each family got a single bedroom. They found work and now they all own their own homes and are successful businessmen. As I sat at the party, I realized how difficult this journey has been for this family. I also realized how it made them stronger as a family. At the end of the night I was told that I am now part of their family and if ever I needed anything all I had to do is ask. I am not sure why they have accepted me, other than I have given "W" a bunch of work at the site. Maybe they realize that if they stick with me I will keep them busy and financially secure for the next few years. Who knows, but their acceptance of me, as an American, made me feel good.

The weather has been outstanding, mid-fifties early in the morning and low eighties in the afternoon. The spring rains have made beige hell a lush green environment, with flowers and grass growing everywhere. If I were to bring someone here to interview for a job, now is the time of the year I would bring them!! However, I know, that next week this weather will end and the thermostat will climb into the nineties and by the end of May we will be around one hundred and climbing.

The oil company activity has been increasing in the region. By the end of the year two of the bigger players here should know when they will hit oil. That is, by my account, the difference maker. Once they hit oil, they will need little cities built for their workers. Being properly positioned now for that work load will be necessary and should pay off financially.

Well that's all for now. I'll blog again soon!