Letter from Iraq

The old Saddam bills above were sent to me as souvenirs by Jocelynn, who's currently deployed with the 1st Marines Division in northern Iraq. She wrote, "It's not so bad here except for the daily mortar rounds that hit our compound. Thank goodness that I've been lucky that I still have all my body parts; moreover, that I'm still alive. Hehe." She's also been "taking mad pictures like I'm a tourist out here" and promised to post all of them online when she returns.

Lastly: "I've been bathing in untreated, nonpotable water. We have a 'shower-at-your-risk' policy enforced. I mean the water looks clean. It's not dark or muddy; it's clear. It's just it stinks a little bit. I heard the water is drawn straight from the Euphrates River, untreated, unfiltered."

It's a good thing to see so much of her letter focusing on the more mundane aspects of her life, like photo-taking and showering, as opposed to horrifying and unpleasant things. I guess the less exciting it is for her, the better off she will be.