Desert Oasis!

Today we found out that there is a whole other side of the base with a much bigger and nicer BX, barber shop, restaurants, another theater, Starbucks, a lounge area with pool tables and video games, etc. It's like a little desert oasis!


This is called "Jack's Place", I found it a day or two ago. It's basically a quiet reading room where you can sit on the big fluffy chairs and read magazines or a book. There is a small library of free books there, as you can see in the picture above. Also hot chocolate, coffee, snacks, etc. I had some hot chocolate last night to warm up after freezing to death out on the computer.




Here's the big BX on the other side of the base. It's a real building, not just a tent. There's WiFi there, so people are all over the place with their laptops.


Here's the food court, they have a Starbucks, an Asian restaurant, etc.



Here's the main BX part, almost as big as the one we have at my base in the states.




Here's the game room, they have probably 6 or 8 PS3s, Xbox 360s, etc. They have a pretty big selection of games that you can check out as well, or buy your own in the BX and play it I guess.


Another view of the game room.


Pool tables, foosball, air hockey, TVs, etc.


The central fountain area in the BX again.


Movie poster at the theater.

I bought some Crocs to use as shower shoes at the BX. As always I'm highly concerned with shower fashion accessories so the regular black $.99 thongs were not going to cut it. I also bought some soap, as I am not only concerned with fashion in the shower, but also cleanliness. And I'll need a lot of soap to feel clean in the showers here, as they are mostly disgusting filth holes. Perhaps I will take a picture of them later so that you can all enjoy them.

Also while we were out we saw some TCN escorts and got a preview of what our lives will be like for the next 4 months. There were a bunch of Qatari civilians or someone working on building a building, and a few Air Force personnel just sitting on a stool watching them work. That's what I'll be doing in Iraq, except I'll have on my helmet and body armor and be carrying a weapon I think. So that should be even more fun.

Still don't know when I'll get out of here, but it is becoming a bit tiresome living out of my backpack and trying to sleep in a tent full of other guys. Will be nice to get to Iraq and get my own room or at least just have one roommate and have a job to keep me busy. Which sounds strange to say it'll be nice to get to Iraq, but at least it'll be a steady schedule and I'll know what to expect and can unpack my things and have a "home".