World-Wide-Matel

John:
We have a son that just got over to AKASHAT - you had indicated that you were there once. Do you happen to ahve any pictures of the area? His mother and I would like to see what it looks like.

Thanks so much.
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I have those pictures I posted in the recent posts re Akashat and the phosphate mine there. Please read those entries. Other pictures url:
http://johnsonmatel.com/2008_September/Akashat_Sept_17/SAV.jpg
http://johnsonmatel.com/2008_September/Akashat_Sept_17/ballsack.jpg
http://johnsonmatel.com/2008_September/Akashat_Sept_17/brief.jpg
http://johnsonmatel.com/2008_September/Akashat_Sept_17/distance.jpg
http://johnsonmatel.com/2008_September/Akashat_Sept_17/flat.jpg
http://johnsonmatel.com/2008_September/Akashat_Sept_17/road.jpg
http://johnsonmatel.com/2008_September/Akashat_Sept_17/helo.jpg
http://johnsonmatel.com/2008_September/Akashat_Sept_17/trainstation.jpg

Akashat has a good climate (for Iraq) and is a fairly peaceful area.

Dear Sir, I've enjoyed your blog for many months now. Would it be possible to ask you some basic questions regarding rural Qaim district for a research project i am doing? If that is possible, please suggest an email address that I can send them to. Thanks very juc hfor writing your wonderful blog, cheers, Mike Knights, Iraq Research Fellow.
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Send notes to johnmatel@yahoo.com

ROFL loved the Stupid blog do you live near SH?

Thank you for the post on Iraq I will be back :)
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my forest land is near South Hill. I live in N. Virginia

John, are you sure John Wayne had an Indian summer in the movie"Shootist" ? I remember a "false spring".
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You are right that he called it false spring (or I thought he said FALL spring). But it was Indian summer in a different name.

Jake: Thanks for visiting us and "featuring'" our little Arizona area in your blog. Also, I enjoyed reading about your mother (my aunt). Since I'm older than you I remember her well. It was constantly great fun to be with her. I was one of the card players. It was a type of gin rummy. Besides the German-English that you wrote about, the most dreaded phrase from a card player was "Ich Haba". Which meant they were going out and you were stuck with a hand full of points. Thanks for the memory, and come back to see us again.
Your cousin, Elise

Hi John,
Thank you so much for sharing this with us and also for the wonderful reception at the Embassy yesterday with our students.
They are all excited about this trip!