September 24, 2004
the very heart of Arab army soil
Despite our skin colour, there are major, major differences between me and an American. One major difference is that my country has never declared war on anyone. Canada is one of the most peaceful nations on earth. Doesn’t mean we’re wimps of course. We have very well trained, smart soldiers and Canada uses these soldiers as peace keeping units working for the UN and in occasional assistance of other countries who are members of NATO only if they deem it as a just cause.
Another difference between me and an American is that even though I grew up in an oil rich province of Alberta, I have absolutely no interest the oil fields of Iraq – BECAUSE I have enough of my own oil in my own backyard to worry about. An American who grows up in the oil rich state of Texas for example seems to still have a major interest in the oil fields of Iraq. Why? Greed? Power? I don’t know, but I will say this: in this point of interest in other nations’ wealth there is a major difference between Canadians and Americans actions globally. Canadians have enough, Americans seem to want everybody elses' stuff.
I will now teach Emirati technician/soldiers how to fix airplanes. I will teach them all about what I know about airplanes. In my view, airplanes have never been weapons. Rather, complex machines that have one unique and captivating ability to lift themselves off the ground, only to slip mellifluously through the variance in pressures of the air enveloping their wings, and daring gravity to hold them back one second longer than it should on solid ground – holding them back from melting into suspension by the magic fluid that draws them there: air. And this is my passion, I love doing this. I love to talk about airplanes in technical depth and about the deep “reason” for their ability, to anyone, for any length of time.
But I am a little bit nervous about this job for a couple of reasons. One is that even though I’m not an American, I look very similar to one & I’m treading on the very heart of Arab army soil in a time when American expats are being beheaded in Iraq, a time when American expats are being murdered at their places of work in Saudi Arabia, a time when American and British expats are being forced out of their places of work by criminals who engage in acts of terror in the name of their god, allah, and in the named of holy war. Two, I’m nervous because I have white skin and I stand out like a beacon of light over here. So I go to work on Saturday with a case of the jitters, an seriously considering carrying personal protection in the form of a Glock, a heckler and Koch, or perhaps even an effective at short range light machine gun of Russian make. Can foreigners carry over here? Must find out for sure. Perhaps I can make an earnest enough case for it to authorities, in the face of the present situation. Perhaps I can get more trained in the army, how to shoot accurately at close range, under the pressure of haveing to protect my family, while being nervous, that kind of thing. Perhaps I should take up karate, boxing, kickboxing, maitai fighting, Russian free-fighting, with serious, serious intent. Just to ward off the potential of any misguided attempts, as it were. But even then how will I keep my family safe? If I have a gun or two in the house, on my person, at the ready, 24-7, how will that protect my family, really? If I know how to fight and neutralize one nocturnal intruder at a time, no matter how big and tough, how will that protect my family, really?
Hopefully, being recognised as Canadian will do the trick. Dang, the sensationalism of terrorism makes it difficult for the average work-a-day stiff, doesn’t it.
Another difference between me and an American is that even though I grew up in an oil rich province of Alberta, I have absolutely no interest the oil fields of Iraq – BECAUSE I have enough of my own oil in my own backyard to worry about. An American who grows up in the oil rich state of Texas for example seems to still have a major interest in the oil fields of Iraq. Why? Greed? Power? I don’t know, but I will say this: in this point of interest in other nations’ wealth there is a major difference between Canadians and Americans actions globally. Canadians have enough, Americans seem to want everybody elses' stuff.
I will now teach Emirati technician/soldiers how to fix airplanes. I will teach them all about what I know about airplanes. In my view, airplanes have never been weapons. Rather, complex machines that have one unique and captivating ability to lift themselves off the ground, only to slip mellifluously through the variance in pressures of the air enveloping their wings, and daring gravity to hold them back one second longer than it should on solid ground – holding them back from melting into suspension by the magic fluid that draws them there: air. And this is my passion, I love doing this. I love to talk about airplanes in technical depth and about the deep “reason” for their ability, to anyone, for any length of time.
But I am a little bit nervous about this job for a couple of reasons. One is that even though I’m not an American, I look very similar to one & I’m treading on the very heart of Arab army soil in a time when American expats are being beheaded in Iraq, a time when American expats are being murdered at their places of work in Saudi Arabia, a time when American and British expats are being forced out of their places of work by criminals who engage in acts of terror in the name of their god, allah, and in the named of holy war. Two, I’m nervous because I have white skin and I stand out like a beacon of light over here. So I go to work on Saturday with a case of the jitters, an seriously considering carrying personal protection in the form of a Glock, a heckler and Koch, or perhaps even an effective at short range light machine gun of Russian make. Can foreigners carry over here? Must find out for sure. Perhaps I can make an earnest enough case for it to authorities, in the face of the present situation. Perhaps I can get more trained in the army, how to shoot accurately at close range, under the pressure of haveing to protect my family, while being nervous, that kind of thing. Perhaps I should take up karate, boxing, kickboxing, maitai fighting, Russian free-fighting, with serious, serious intent. Just to ward off the potential of any misguided attempts, as it were. But even then how will I keep my family safe? If I have a gun or two in the house, on my person, at the ready, 24-7, how will that protect my family, really? If I know how to fight and neutralize one nocturnal intruder at a time, no matter how big and tough, how will that protect my family, really?
Hopefully, being recognised as Canadian will do the trick. Dang, the sensationalism of terrorism makes it difficult for the average work-a-day stiff, doesn’t it.
