2008/06/01 Baghdad
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Normal life

Not a war zone

I’m back on the military base that cannot be named in the country that cannot be named either.
Here is where it all started a little more than two weeks ago.
The flight on the C-130 Hercules was cramped as always, Ryanair is a miracle of luxury compared to the Hercules. (I cannot enter a Hercules without being reminded of my first trip to Afghanistan, a friendly air force officer in Kabul invited me to come to the cockpit of his Hercules and fly with him.)
Opposite of me a navy officer was reading a book titled “Legs” by William Kennedy.
The first days during this trip there were moments that I was counting the days till it was over and now I cannot imagine going back to normal life.
Thank god normal life is not going to last long – in July I will serve croissants, wine and coffee on Swiss trains. Not a war zone for a change, just a train.


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14 comments Last_comment
Restaurant cars are one of those nineteenth century inventions that will propably never go out of fashion. I think some of them have transparant panoramic roofs, so you can look up at the mountains and the sky above you. Have you seen the train that you will be working on?
said Bram Esser 01/06/2008 23:23 • x
"Normal" indeed
One country just wants electricity. The other must have the trains leave precisely on time with fresh croissants and coffee on board.
said Phil Calvin 02/06/2008 05:31 • x
What name will you choose for the next task? Günther Wallraff?
said Jan Thys 02/06/2008 08:55 • x
@ Arnon
Your life is not normal, it has never been that way. What you consider normal is still extraordinary for the most of us.
said Mieke Dutoit 02/06/2008 10:34 • x
Arnon
In a "embedded" documentary report on CNN about Afghanistan, the US officer remarked that "reenlistment" was high. I wondered why people would volunteer for another "tour of duty" in such a barren and inhospitable place where the locals don't seem particularly welcoming. Perhaps they too are afraid of the return to "normality" and having to face everyday problems like bills and boredom. What is your impression?
said Carlos Dee 02/06/2008 11:29 • x
I agree with Mieke, and want to add that 'normal' can be boring too. I can imagine that it is strange to return now, it is human nature to get used to certain conditions very quickly and make it 'normal routine'. And then it is also human nature to want to grasp to that.
said Natasza Tardio 02/06/2008 11:30 • x
Mieke
"Normal" is also in the eye of the beholder.
said Arnon Grunberg 02/06/2008 12:45 • x
Carlos
I have been told that many young officers are leaving the army. There are plenty of options to reenlist, above all: lack of other options. I
In one of the camps somebody had written above the toilet paper: enlistment paper.
said Arnon Grunberg 02/06/2008 13:04 • x
Arnon
I read in the statistics of suicide in the US, a big percent of Iraq veterans and officers are amongst it. Do you have an explication about that? Can you imagine?
said Helen Priso 02/06/2008 15:21 • x
Helen
The obvious reasons, which I’m sure you can think of yourself.
Do you have an explanation for the high suicide rate among Hungarians?
said Arnon Grunberg 02/06/2008 15:59 • x
@ Helen
For your information suiciderates in Belgium are amongst the highest in the world. I can't explain why.
said Mieke Dutoit 02/06/2008 16:25 • x
Then I have to keep my prejudices. Sometimes there exist serious scientific theories.
said Helen Priso 02/06/2008 19:47 • x
Helen
Serious scientific research? Or theories? Maybe the servicemen that committed suicide had genes that made them prone to suicide?
said Arnon Grunberg 02/06/2008 20:08 • x
Arnon
Possible, or a bad love affair, or a traumatic past, solitude, forced marriage.... whatever yes possible
said Helen Priso 03/06/2008 19:00 • x
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