Halpin at Large

December 20, 2007

Happy holidays!

CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti -- Not much time to write today as I'm in training all day and am on a quickie lunch break. However, I couldn't wait another minute to mention the mother of all care packages to be addressed to arrive here at Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa Public Affairs.

I've received a handful of truly awesome care packages since I've been here, but this truly left everyone in the neighboring offices as stunned as mine. I should first mention that some of the wonderful care packages that have arrived here addressed to me and others were sent by Solano Magazine and a group called Treats for Troops, a soroptomist group over in Manteca -- and were truly fantastic.

However, in a very roundabout way, my name was given to a group called... Read more »

Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 in Halpin at Large | Permalink | Comments

December 14, 2007

A funny thing about cell phones

CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti -- The 50+ mosquito bites I received all around my ankles during my last blogging adventure have almost all healed. They would have healed earlier, but the amount of itch created by them was too tempting for my discipline-o-meter, so a couple times I scratched the bejeezus out of them for some immediate relief.

The shoot with Al-Jazeera English went off without a hitch the next day, and all was well with the world as we returned to lovely Camp Lemonier without incident a day later than planned and with only minor intestinal discomfort from eating at the lodge, our 'home' of two days.

I had learned a lot from the Al-Jazeera crew and hadn't expected such a cultural exchange to take place between us. All three were from Nairobi, Kenya, so... Read more »

Posted on Friday, December 14, 2007 in Halpin at Large | Permalink | Comments

December 3, 2007

TADJOURAH, Djibouti -- Finally, my first blog entry. And it only took eight months to finally sit still and jot something down. I've been meaning to start for some time, but there's always more to add to 'the story' and then the sheer amount of time needed to say all the things I want to say becomes too intimidating to bother. So you must wonder then what finally happened to cause me to start so late in the game.

Basically, I'm on a mission right now that has hit several bumps in the road. I don't mean in the overall deployment (that is another story altogether). For the next couple of days, my mission is to assist, along with several others, three journalists from Al-Jazeera English. Things had been going splendidly until this afternoon.

Our small convoy... Read more »

Posted on Monday, December 3, 2007 in Halpin at Large | Permalink | Comments

December 20, 2007 Happy holidays! CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti -- Not much time to write today as I'm in training all day and am on a quickie lunch break. However, I couldn't wait another minute to mention the mother of all care packages to be addressed to arrive here at Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa Public Affairs. I've received a handful of truly awesome care packages since I've been here, but this truly left everyone in the neighboring offices as stunned as mine. I should first mention that some of the wonderful care packages that have arrived here addressed to me and others were sent by Solano Magazine and a group called Treats for Troops, a soroptomist group over in Manteca -- and were truly fantastic. However, in a very roundabout way, my name was given to a group called... Read more » Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 in Halpin at Large \| Permalink \| Comments

December 14, 2007 A funny thing about cell phones CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti -- The 50+ mosquito bites I received all around my ankles during my last blogging adventure have almost all healed. They would have healed earlier, but the amount of itch created by them was too tempting for my discipline-o-meter, so a couple times I scratched the bejeezus out of them for some immediate relief. The shoot with Al-Jazeera English went off without a hitch the next day, and all was well with the world as we returned to lovely Camp Lemonier without incident a day later than planned and with only minor intestinal discomfort from eating at the lodge, our 'home' of two days. I had learned a lot from the Al-Jazeera crew and hadn't expected such a cultural exchange to take place between us. All three were from Nairobi, Kenya, so... Read more » Posted on Friday, December 14, 2007 in Halpin at Large \| Permalink \| Comments

December 3, 2007 Halpin at Large TADJOURAH, Djibouti -- Finally, my first blog entry. And it only took eight months to finally sit still and jot something down. I've been meaning to start for some time, but there's always more to add to 'the story' and then the sheer amount of time needed to say all the things I want to say becomes too intimidating to bother. So you must wonder then what finally happened to cause me to start so late in the game. Basically, I'm on a mission right now that has hit several bumps in the road. I don't mean in the overall deployment (that is another story altogether). For the next couple of days, my mission is to assist, along with several others, three journalists from Al-Jazeera English. Things had been going splendidly until this afternoon. Our small convoy... Read more » Posted on Monday, December 3, 2007 in Halpin at Large \| Permalink \| Comments