Monday:
Woke at 11 am and drove to Vibe Media, a company that helps boost brands through photography and film, around 2:30 and had some rum with the co-founder Ali M. Then the co-founder Hassan and friend Ali Q. went with me to get my oil changed for 17 dinars ($46). We drove and walked around, then went to Honey’s Restaurant near Manama Souq for dinner. A snack of tea and falafel was had hours later on the street before watching a wedding procession of cars honking and lights flashing down Shebab Avenue.
Tuesday:
I was able to walk dogs, braid my hair, and drive to City Centre Mall by 11 am. Did some browsing before meeting with Reika, Lisa, and Lindy (their husbands work on the ship next to Caleb’s) for lunch at Vapiano (a German restaurant that serves Italian) where you use a charge card to create a tab for your meal and then pay the total when you’re done with drinks, sides, or dessert. The first two ladies went grocery shopping, Lindy went home to write emails, and I was off to bra shop – found three.
I drove to SkyBar (a rooftop venue with empty hot tubs, curtained booths, and a large pool) to join Lisa and Reika for a sunset that we missed, and then got wine to go with our grape-mint sheesha. At 7 pm they headed to Royal Thai restaurant in the Gulf Hotel and I walked around Adliya (a Bohemian neighborhood) and Bin Salman Park– outside the gate because they were closed.
Wednesday:
Picked up Lorelei at 11 am for the wives’ group lunch at Le Chocolat, a French café and bakery. We were joined by Yanell and her son Lucas, Veronica, Erin and Christy, Reika, Nikki and her daughter Adliya, and Jess and her son Everett. I ordered a caprese sandwich on brown bread that came with fries, a salad, and a chai tea. Lorelei bought some cake and we went to the base so I could check mail.
Her husband, Chris, called that he was off work, so I waited with her until he got there and then went home. I drove to Dome Cafe at 6:30 pm and ordered a large white mocha. I was joined by Mel and we went upstairs for the Bahrain Minglers Meetup and were quickly joined by two, three, then five more people. I met a French guy with a name hard to pronounce (hence the helpful bracelet he was wearing) and Mel’s girlfriends, Julie and Kate who loves to laugh.
TheJessicaness 