I'd Like to Buy a Vowel

So tonight was UAE Tuesday.

After a while, as the routine becomes routine, the days start to blend into one another.  This makes it somewhat challenging to distinguish the days of the week from one another.  This is where dinner becomes critically important.  There are multiple Dining Facilities on the base, affectionately referred to as DFACs (dee-facs).  And, while there are all basically run by the same contracting company (KBR), the fine cuisine is a little different at each one.

So, today being Tuesday, it was UAE Tuesday.  The UAE has it's own unit here on the base and so once a week, they open up their DFAC to outside visitors.  Tonight was actually the first night I was able to make it over there.  Needless to say, the food was very good, though I'm not entirely sure exactly what was in each dish.  Having said that, this DFAC is the only one on base that isn't governed by US food standards, so I'm told that UAE Tuesday often leads to Diarrhea Wednesday - I promise not to let you know how that turns out for me tomorrow.

Thursday is Polish Sausage night at the DFAC affectionately referred to as the Meat Shack.  Friday is Surf and Turf night and there are varying levels of Surf in the different DFACs - in some places it's filet of sole, and in others it's lobster tail and crab legs.  Saturday doesn't really seem to have any distinguishing features and neither does Sunday for that matter, though many of the guys make that the day for Ice Cream Sundae.  I haven't yet developed that discipline as I often find a bowl of ice cream in front of me on other days of the week as well.  Monday is also pretty non-descript, except for the fact that it's the day before UAE Tuesday, and so the cycle begins again.

All in all, the food is actually pretty good here.  I miss the niceties of real silverware and real dishes and cafeteria style dining is, well, cafeteria style.  But, there is certainly no reason to go hungry, and going to the gym becomes somewhat of a necessity to keep up with the caloric intake (especially when you factor in all of the goodies from home).

P.S.  KBR also does the laundry here and one of my bags has gone MIA - follow the blog closely to learn the whereabouts of the missing linens...