We have arrived in beautiful Baghdad, and are settling in. I apologize to you all for the tardiness of this post, but things have been hectic, and the satellite links unreliable. On to the update.

I have been working 15 hour days, 7 days a week. I'm the head of IT, and this is a startup, and this is Baghdad. There is more work here than I can possibly fathom. But I'm at the top management of a company that is positioning itself as a major player in the network market, and the rewards for success are great. Plus, I like being this busy. I almost never notice the clock until it's time for bed.

On the downside, it's harder on Jayme and I. The lack of a social environment outside of work is difficult. And we don't get out much. But we're making time for each other and finding ways through it. We did buy "wedding ring props", and we just tell people we're married. It's the easiest explanation for Iraqis.

The weather is very hot. The peak two days ago was 61 degrees. Celsius. That's 142 for you Americans. Next time someone complains about the heat at Burning Man, I'm going to laugh in their face. Every time I climb the stairs to the rooftop (to adjust our array of satellites or just watch the black helicopters fly around), it's like ascending to a higher level of hell. Dante had it all wrong; it's only air-conditioned in the lowest rung. But it really is that hot up in level one.

The staff are all very nice, but it's a little like having house-elves. They make our food, clean everything, do the laundry, and constantly look to help. All while being very deferential. It's very unsettling for someone not used to having servants, or human rights. It's going to take a long time to bring Iraq back to true democracy. We have managed to convince them that doing things for ourselves is not a sign of displeasure with their work.

Gunfire is frequent, and we always have two guards on duty. I'm pretty good at recognizing Kalishnikov fire now; the sound is quite distinctive. No battles on our street, but the Americans attacked a house nearby a few days ago. There are lots of skirmishes, nothing major. Tanks sit on major street corners with blackened turrets and troops in full armor on top. In the heat. The Iraqis think they must be supermen, standing out there in 61-degree weather with 10 kilos of flak vest, helmet, and full fatigues. There is a strong feeling of American invincibility (that pretty much defines an M1A1 Abrams tank). There is also a strong feeling of American heavy-handedness: driving tanks over center-lane dividers because they can't be bothered to use an entrance 100 meters away, blowing up entire houses in dawn raids, etc.

I have lots of stories from Greece and the flight over. That will have to wait for the next post, in shaa' Allaah.