Day 194

Here I sit, in the Rest and Relaxation (R&R) Center in Camp As Sayliyah, just outside of Doha, Qatar. I've been in the Middle East now since the 17th of November, and yesterday, the day of my arrival, I heard the Call to Prayer for the first time. We have two mosques on Camp Adder, but one suffered a little bit of damage back in 2003 when it was struck, quite by accident I'm sure, by explosive ordinance from the American military. The other has stood empty since my arrival there. We sleep in a warehouse. There are several GP Large tents set up, with bunk beds and lockers. Showers, toilets and laundry are all in the warehouse, and lots of all. I'm currently in the R&R main building, with free internet, charging my iTouch. We are authorized to consume no more than three beers a day, from one of three establishments, all to my immediate right. On my left is a bowling alley. Just ahead of me is a large area with a stage. Further in the building, there is room with free Wii and X-Box games, consols, and TV, and in the back, there is a movie room. The entire area is 'shoe-free', and very soft flooring. Further into the building, there's a coffee shop and a computer room, for those without laptops. On the left side, just outside of the briefing room is movie lounge with oversized, extra-stuffed leather reclining chairs which face the large-screen TV, which is always playing a movie. The PX is ok and there are a few local vendors hawking their wares. Some stuff isn't too tacky. We wear civilian clothes, do our own thing, and just basically relax. What a good name for R&R.