An Appetite

Posted on July 3, 2014 by TheJessicaness
American Alley, as seen from the pool

American Alley, as seen from the pool of Almoayyed Plaza

I woke up hungry this morning and waited for the dogs to get up so I could walk them. Piggy was hungry too and told the chair on the other side of the table just as much. I was going to feed them at 6:30 before I went to breakfast but Sparky wouldn’t get down from the chair. I read some more and then went to eat ten minutes early. The door to the kitchen wasn’t open yet and the croissant bin looked just like I left it yesterday. I grabbed one to-go and ate a bowl of corn flakes.

Almoayyed Plaza pool

Almoayyed Plaza pool

Caleb and the Johns

Caleb and the Johns

I brought a boiled egg back to the room and it did wonders for Sparky’s appetite, but made Piggy miss out on her portion of the yolk. I walked them at 9 and again at 11. I published two posts and Caleb texted me at 2pm to come get him. I was taking the Juffair exit when I was passed by a suburban – perhaps that’s what the wide exit lane is for. I met him at the corner, where I drop him off in the mornings, and he tells me that he got invited up to Coleman’s room, so I park the car and we walk into Almoayyed Plaza apartments – the side door, not the large one for the Dome Cafe.

walking to the sunset view near Alosra

walking to the sunset view near Alosra

John opens the door for us as we exit the elevator and offers me a beer – a Red Stripe. He shows me pictures of his new girlfriend and we talk while watching parts of Oblivion with the volume too low to hear. Then his roommate John walks in to add to the conversation. When the movie ends we head up to the next floor where the sauna and outdoor pool are located. Even though the water is in the sun it calls me with its coolness to jump in, but I resist. As we leave we pass their water cooler and gym. I wouldn’t mind living here for a while. We also got to see their washer/dryer machine sitting between the toilet and tub.

my new shoes! and each brick was individually cut and laid

my new shoes! and each brick was individually cut and laid

We go home, instead of in the pool with Coleman who is already changed and putting on flip-flops. I will finish reading The Man in the Red Underpants while Caleb takes a nap. I leave the house at 5:30 to head to the beach near Alosra to watch the sunset. My closing the door wakes Caleb, who walks the dogs, and then runs to join me – with his water to celebrate Iftar. We start out on the rocks, then walk to the beach by the dried out boat, collect some shells, sit on the wall with the ants, stand for a while, and then head back to the sidewalk.

a sign near construction

a sign near construction

I had intended to go back to the rocks, but the sun was setting so quickly that we enjoyed taking some pictures through the trees. I drop my camera off in the house and we bring Garmin with us to see what its Bahrain map looks like. Caleb turns it off and tells me there are only about five roads on it, but I want to use it to map coördinates making it easier for me to get places while he is at work, on duty, or underway. Or I can plug my phone into the car and attempt to use the map at red lights and traffic jams adding to the excitement of the road.

the path to Alosra

the path to Alosra

We are driving to the BIECC (Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre) for the WooW (no idea what it stands for) Expo that has 90 booths selling abayas, jewelry, shoes, bags, coffee sets, make-up, and more abayas. I see a few things I might bother to try on and buy, but some booths are still setting up. Maybe we will come back later and see if we can’t get a good deal on a dress or two – they had some odd things – odd as in I’d love to wear them.

steps to or from...

to the left – steps to or from… 

the boat, rocks, tower-in-progress

to the right – the boat, rocks, tower-in-progress

The event didn’t start till 7pm, giving people time for Iftar before shopping, and the place was getting busy as we were leaving. We are forced to go the wrong way down a one-way as it’s the only way out through the one side of the gate that invited head-on collisions from people turning to get in. We made it out and Caleb decided on I Am Thai for dinner on American Alley. We parked at the dirt lot and walked down the street where we were called to from guys on bikes with bags hanging from the handle bars offering sunglasses, watches, etc. It’s too hot here to sell those items from a coat like they do in the movies.

faces at the beach

faces at the beach

We order dinner downstairs – pad Thai and pineapple fried rice – both without the chicken or shrimp options. So the ladies ask, “100% veggie?” and I say yes and then quickly correct myself that they can use fish sauce, just no chunks. They ask about eggs and quickly get to making our order with two Thai teas as we head upstairs to the dining area – what a great use of space. We order a two-pepper spicy level out of three and the chilli oil was sweet along with the tray of four sauces we were given – soy sauce, soy concentrate, sweet chilli sauce, and a sweet/spicy sauce.

the reason we came

the reason we came

the reason he stayed

the reason he stayed

I give Caleb the water from my bottle so I can take the rest of the tea to go. We walk down the stairs and across the street are the Johns with a guy named Pitts. They’re out enjoying TCBY and are going back to the room to smoke cigarettes and cigars. We walk with them and once in the car I joke about how cool it would be if the guys first name was Armon, Arm for short – Arm Pitts. I think it would be hilarious, unless he smelled that way too.

the sun through the trees

the sun through the trees

a purplish view

a purplish hue 

On the way home I’m in the second turn lane and get cut off by a car so that he can make a u-turn – absolutely ridiculous, but I wonder out loud to Caleb how we can pretend to be surprised. We make it home a few minutes before 10pm without accident and take the dogs out. We are on our way back to the room when we see a guy in the distance with his large poodle-pit mix looking dog without a leash on. It would be different if the dog were under control, but he had to pull it out of the street, so we crossed over and took a short detour back to the room.

abaya - lingerie version

abaya – lingerie version

I had told Caleb earlier how I wanted to participate in Ramadan for at least a day and experience their feelings. I’ve tried fasting in the States before – whether for diet or religion, etc. I only last until late lunch before I have to eat something. I’ve tried just skipping breakfast or just having juice and Caleb knows I get cranky. He suggests that we start with the not eating and continue drinking water, but I assure him it won’t be on a day that we are out being busy, but it’s funny because that’s when we can’t drink in public so we volunteer ourselves up for fasting.

rose decorated tea and coffee set

rose decorated tea and coffee set

furniture for sale

furniture to buy or eat at, tis the question

I finally cracked open the Quran, five days in to Ramadan, and read part of the introduction before Caleb’s tired face reminded me that it was 11:30pm. I let him know that even though my alarm will be going off at 5:15 he’s ok to sleep in because breakfast isn’t served until 7am and everything is on holiday hours on Friday, but I do want to get out of the house, so I can use the time in the morning to narrow down some of our options. And we’ve agreed to go easy because of the lack of food and water that will be available… when in Rome do as the Muslims do.

two Thai iced teas, yes please!

two Thai iced teas, yes please!

Posted in Animals, Books, Events, Food, Friends, Media, People, Photography, Places, Plants, Water | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Head Throb Wednesday Morning

Posted on July 2, 2014 by TheJessicaness
thirsty bird on base races the sun in water collection

thirsty bird on base races the sun in water collection

I woke up, skull still pounding, grimaced my way to the car and then on to base. I read for a while in the Freedom Souq and then passed out on a bench in front of housing – using my purse as a pillow and my sunglasses as something to leave a dent in my forehead. The door opened, people rushed in, the lights began to flash on and off, and I was again told that there was no termination letter. While I sit in the booth, and others wait in the lobby, a guy sits in a woman’s cubicle to use her lotion on his feet – our tax dollars at work.

I debate whether coming back next week will be in my benefit or not. Caleb worries too that we may have to look for yet another place. There are still plenty along the canal, but this process can be tiresome and I think I will soon be bored with it – unless it’s this big issue and we have to extend to stay in the hotel and people in charge have to get involved, but I’m guessing by then our things will be here and I will be anxious to have some of it back – to read, to wear, to run on, to look at.

a marble snail staying at The Dragon Hotel

a marble snail staying at The Dragon Hotel

Two guys come in, one with a clipboard, while the houseboy is cleaning. They are gone soon enough. I notice that only the three pillows we sleep with have been made on the bed. This is a small excitement. There is another full size one and two decorative pillows under the bedside table on Caleb’s side. I came in with the mindset that we need not wash as often – like the conservative mindset of hotels in the States – in clean urban settings, not deserts full of dirt that begins to cover your floors, and chairs, and get under your pillow somehow – thanks dogs.

I thought we would have the guys in here once a week – that’s still more often than most people change their sheets and towels and mop their floors, but it’s every three days. It would probably be every day, especially while I was gone, if it wasn’t for Sparky’s vicious bark – and he just doesn’t stop until he’s put into a closed room and told to shut up while they clean. I think I need to put them in the bathroom next time so they can change the sheets in there that haven’t been seen in two weeks.

Ramadan outfit - ankle-length chain-strap dress with long-sleeve shirt rolled up still covering elbows

Ramadan outfit – ankle-length chain-strap dress with long-sleeve shirt rolled up covering elbows

Meanwhile, I’m trying a Bario pomegranate flavoured non-alcoholic malt beverage. I was looking forward to the carbonation, but it’s not as much fun as an Izze like I had hoped for.

Usually Caleb is available to do laundry here, but now he’s back at work and having duty every three days – today being one of them, so I’m stuck to do it myself. I put our sweaty attire in the machine along with the stinky, covered in hairs, dog blankets so they can lay around looking pitiful while their source of comfort and warmth gets washed. I had a PBJ today on soft bread. It gets hard later in the day if left in a napkin since breakfast.

I’m able to publish two posts by 5:30pm, in time to get the dogs ready for the evening walk to watch the sunset on the water at the beach near Alosra. They were tired before we got there and it didn’t help that a dog was on his beach, personal property nearby and all, and the beach is made of rocks the size of the dogs. I didn’t bother pulling my camera out of my bag. I took a quick cell picture and returned to the sidewalk.

hazy sunset

hazy sunset

The sun looked great even through the clouds and the shade made a big difference in the amount of tongue hanging out of puppy faces. We passed a dog and their tiredness was all an act. They were full of energy. I can’t wait to get their leashes back so I don’t have to worry about nylon rope hurting my hands. I return them to the room so they can lay on the floor in front of the door while I go back outside to get a picture of the sun. In just that moment it went from bright in the clouds to barely noticeable and half behind the building.

Lucky for me I have 23 months or so to capture the sun for every minute of the day, so I go back inside and get on my ‘swimsuit’ – Caleb’s swim shorts and black Adidas climalite shirt. I wore the white one last time and the water makes it see-through… like I should’ve forgotten that. There was a lady and her daughter in the pool and they were climbing out when I got there. I swam some laps, if you can call it that. I think I did a better job of not drowning.

Sparky on the rocks

Sparky on the rocks

While I was swimming I realised that not only was the restaurant closed, but all the booze bottles were taken off the shelf. It makes sense not to have temptation staring you in the face for the month that you can’t partake. It makes Caleb wonder how locals can smoke when they have to go a month without, but they don’t – only 14 hours a day for a month.

When I got out I remembered that I didn’t leave the towels by the door – one to put wet clothes on and the other to wrap around me. I thought 23 degrees (73 fahrenheit) was cold after hours of cooling off, but I was in for a chilly surprise when I walked in dripping wet. When we first moved in I think the thermostat was set on 22. I’ve persuaded Caleb to turn it up to 23 in the bedrooms and 24 in the rest of the place. You can get sick with over 30 degree temperature fluctuations constantly – or at least your nose can run and you can get headaches. I want to avoid that.

speed bumps on the sidewalk so they can't be avoided

speed bumps on the sidewalk so they can’t be avoided

Out of the shower, and with my ten minutes of exercise done for the day, I choose to reward myself with a homemade girl scout cookie beverage – crème de menthe, crème de cocoa, and milk. When Ramadan started I thought it would be a good reason to abstain from alcohol, especially while Caleb is doing so, but one thing leads to another it seems. I just have to remember to not let this become a habit. And I need to get rid of the Smirnoff vodka. It doesn’t agree with me anymore.

I check Facebook and email and get ahold of my dad at work, but he’s soon on his way to the barber to get his lovely hippy bangs trimmed back to boss status. He calls me on the ride over. It’s nice to not feel so far away, but also that I’m not forgotten over the 3,800 miles of Atlantic Ocean, plus 5,400 miles of land with more water in-between. He goes back to work as I go to sleep.

Posted in Animals, Family, Food, Media, Military, Photography, Water | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

A Day of Shopping

Posted on July 1, 2014 by TheJessicaness
labeled light on base

labeled light on base

Caleb took Sparky out because he was up, and with Piggy still asleep we left. I opened my door and Caleb leaned in with lips puckered, “We can’t kiss outside.” He said it will be nice to be stationed anywhere else where we can kiss and hold hands again in public. He waits by the roundabout for the duty van as I go to the Freedom Souq to read for an hour and drink an apple/mango smoothie for $3.75 before getting cold and going to wait outside of housing for them to open.

Some of Caleb’s guys show up and ask me about all the places we turned down – like the one with the pool in the living room – because it was small, in an apartment, and the owner didn’t want dogs. “Do they bark?” Well, they don’t meow, I thought. I got called back and they are not able to get me another pre-contract. I will try again this afternoon before picking up Caleb, otherwise I have to go back tomorrow – and either way, I’m making the trip to base.

the cute, but too small, shirt

the cute, but too small, shirt

I find a short-sleeve shiny red shirt for Caleb on sale and a light blue long-sleeve one. Upstairs I try on a dressing room full of shirts and dresses and come out with one each. I look for more shirts and pants for Caleb, but they’re either too big or too pricey – $100 or more. I look for bras and they have two for $10, but none in my size, so I settle for a handful of panties. These two items are sweat collectors and need lots of washing.

That took up a good hour and a half of my day and I went downstairs to buy dog food, hair conditioner, and something to mix with the vodka that Caleb bought. Booze has to be in a black bag, but I can then put it in the one I brought – clear or book bag – don’t understand that at all, but I will be sure to bring the black one back next time.

sign in the liquor store

sign in the liquor store

I knew by now the dogs would have swollen bladders and empty stomachs. I walked and fed them, and ate some leftover cheese and crackers from last night. I checked the NEX receipt and noticed that I was given the wrong discount on the shirt I bought. I should’ve noticed something when 30% was less than 25% so I will have to go back for the $3.00 difference.

I went to Alosra for water and something to flavor it with. I was surprised when I shouldn’t have been about the vacant deli – all the machines and food taken out and off of everything. I walked up and down every aisle. I got cheese, canned veggies, and soup, bananas, tea bags, two carbonated drinks to try, guacamole, mini-loaf of bread (to fit in the fridge so it won’t mold so quickly), and treats for the dogs. It’s nice knowing that I will have fruit, veggies, beans, boiled eggs, and pastries in the morning. It’s less that I have to shop for and fresh food here costs so much more than I’m used to .

non-caloric chocolate is as real as unicorns that don't poo rainbows

non-caloric chocolate is as real as unicorns that don’t poo rainbows

I was making my way to the register when I saw the guy stocking water and realized I missed the most important item I had come for, but then couldn’t remember where the bulk water was. He pointed it out to me – between the dog treats and carbonated drinks. Thanks. I helped bag my own groceries so I could reuse the bags I brought with me. We’ve thrown so many away, yet there are still lots under the sink. I use some of the bigger ones to bring our plastic bottles to the base to recycle.

IMG_1852

Caleb in the chair

 

IMG_1854

still looks handsome though

 

I relax at home for an hour or two and then Caleb texts me. I go by the NEX to fix the discount situation and it gets explained to me that I was given two discounts – that’s one expensive shirt. I meet Caleb upstairs so he can het his hair cut. The guy doesn’t do a good job, physically or aesthetically. We go downstairs to the ITT office to ask about the banner for WooW Expo I saw outside of the base, but they know nothing about it. Luckily, there isn’t too much traffic behind us and I have time to snap a photo so I can look up the event happening the 3rd-5th at the Convention Center.

240oz tea is $6.38, soda is $4.57

240oz tea is $6.38, soda is $4.57

We sit at the table, after walking and playing with dogs, ready to blog and read, but I have a headache so we make dinner – cheese tortellini with hot salsa and watch Every Which Way but Loose. I make a vodka, Kahlua, and coconut milk drink, but that doesn’t seem to help either. I’m probably dehydrated and alcohol is not the answer. I look up the event, the WooW Expo for women, as Caleb tries on the shirts I bought him. Of course, the red one is too small. I try sitting at the table again, but end up going to bed – it’s 8:30.

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A Day Out with Kim

Posted on June 30, 2014 by TheJessicaness
escort badge for NSA Bahrain

escort badge for Naval Support Activity Bahrain

I might’ve gone to sleep late last night, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me from the new schedule I’m trying to keep. I didn’t have to worry about sleeping through my alarm. I woke up three minutes before it. And I was excited. I realised the ‘it takes two weeks to make a habit’ thing is true. Even though we went through jet lag I set my alarm for the same time every morning and am now waking up on my own.

I will have some Cheerios to keep my stomach from yelling at me while I publish another post and finish labelling the pictures from earlier in the trip. Done with that I can shower, talk with Linda (woman living in villa we are looking at), go to breakfast, and write about Ramadan and culture while waiting on Kim to show up.

She introduces me to her friend in the front seat and I sit in the back with Bailey (her grandson from her first marriage). He loves the heat and swimming versus back home in Missouri. We drive to base. I go to housing and they go to the NEX. I turn in my unwanted pre-contract and am told to come back tomorrow; they need 24 hours for processing. I meet them at a table drinking coffees. I’m bought a water for 25 cents and a bean burrito from Taco Bell and have two chocolate chip cookies while we chat.

cool effect on the sunset ride home

cool effect on the sunset ride home

Kim and I check our mail around the corner. I have three slips in my box and she has none. One of the boxes isn’t mine and it makes carrying the other two easier. They are light which helps too. I take a picture of one of the escort badges as we walk back to the car. At the house, at 1:30, I open the boxes to find a steering wheel cover (don’t know what happened to my rainbow one) for our car that isn’t here yet, a shaving brush holder that Caleb has needed since Christmas, and a Kindle – so that Caleb can read Dr. Seuss and Sherlock Holmes.

Caleb texts me at 3:50 that he’s getting off work, but I don’t see him until 4:30 – after waiting in the car in the shade near base and then waiting in the roundabout. We were going to buy dog food, but got invited for surprise pizza with Kim. I thought it was the name of the place, but it’s a menu item at Al Mudeef, a little corner restaurant, near Lulu’s in Hidd. There’s a place that sells juice and sandwiches next door, a grocery store, and men selling fish across the street.

I thought we were going to eat there, but the one table was taken. They sell pizza, salad, desserts – like a Middle Eastern Papa John’s. Our order didn’t take long and I thought we were on our way to Kim’s, but she wanted some grandma/grandson time before the kid left back to the States. I don’t blame her and thank her for inviting us to try something new.

Al Mudeef surprise pizza

Al Mudeef surprise pizza

She drops us off at the hotel and I go to the front desk to ask for a DVD player so we can watch Slumdog Millionaire when Kim brings the movie by. I wonder if this is the service people pay for in other fancy hotels (the ones we usually can’t afford). Twenty minutes later a DVD player is brought to our room and the man hooks it up for us and doesn’t leave until he’s sure it and the remote work.

Kim has two copies and it’s what her and Bailey, who’s never seen it, will also be watching during dinner. The lesson I gained from the movie is that we are all born immature, and regardless of where we were raised or the traumas we experienced, it is still up to us to do the right thing when given the chance – which in this film is love, learn, and share.

The pizza is more of a pastry, like two calzones together, with sesame seeds on top. It’s pre-cut and I can see cheese, green vegetables, and brown chunks. I figure it’s meat – the surprise is to guess what kind, but my first bite makes me think of mushrooms, so I keep eating. Then I start to taste the meat, and amongst all that dead flesh, I find a delicious tomato piece and all hope is not lost. I will eat more slices chasing the taste of that red vegetable that I don’t find.

Afterward dinner and the movie I was going to order food for dogs, but got sidetracked downloading books to Caleb’s Kindle so he can have some reading material. I stopped after I realised I was adding things I would like to read, though the Kindle doesn’t have to be just for underways and duty days; it can be for travel days too.

Some lyrics I found online:

I like big books and I cannot lie. You other readers can’t deny; when a book walks in with a good plot base and a big spine in your face you get sprung! Wanna get out your notepads ’cause you noticed that book was dense.

Deep in the book I’m reading, I’m hooked and I can’t stop speeding, through Baby I wanna get that literature, and Instagram that picture. My teachers try to train me but that book you’ve got makes me so brainy!

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My Thoughts on Ramadan

Posted on June 30, 2014 by TheJessicaness

Ramadan was the hottest month in Islāmic history. It was a time of less food and water, so during their fasting it’s not just for starving or dehydration, it’s a time of contemplation and reflection, of spiritual growth, and commitment. It’s also a time for a lot of prayers, plenty of reading, and perhaps some long naps to last the day. This Ramadan has 14 hours of daylight so that time can be spent sleeping, reading the Quran (I have one translated into English), and exploring the country in its more quiet state.

A website suggests that if you read 20 pages a day, of the 604, you should just about finish during the month. I’ve got two smaller introductory books that I’m going to read – Quran: A Short Journey, and The Man in the Red Underpants. I will use this time to learn more about this culture that I’ve been invited to stay in. There was an article about the Ramadan brief given at Indoc on base and it turned into a total racist comment party, so I quit reading. I would like to say that Bahrain allows us to stay here and so it’s kind of us to follow some simple rules while we are guests.

If we want the same thing in the States than we should close our borders, pick a religion (since we were based on freedom of), become fluent in two languages (most Americans I know are monolingual), and commit to something besides hatred and hamburgers. I agree that we shouldn’t have to stop saying Under God or Merry Christmas, those are our traditions, but when you travel and see a melting pot of people who each follow something different it makes it difficult to keep up with which holiday it may be for them. It seems it would be easier to say Happy Holidays.

While in Bahrain during the holiday month it is kind to wish everyone here, celebrating or not, a “Ramadan Kareem” for they too are not eating, drinking, smoking, playing music, or having sex during the daylight hours – at least not where their neighbors can hear. They too are putting up with the extreme heat and the shortened work hours when trying to get settled into a country or keep a business running.

These people live differently here. That’s what makes them unique and worth getting to know. Let’s not forget that as we take our country for granted – the land of the free to make decisions (preferably to stop hating – not just in the Gatorade gangster sense, but in every meaning of the word) and supposedly the home of the brave (where other countries citizens escape to make something of themselves) while the locals sit behind their football, Budweiser, and Oprah and hope that all the foreigners will go away – thanks, Obama!

But what people fail to realize is that they too were once foreigners – Africans, Jews, Germans, Chinese – and some were held in prisoner camps against their will by other white people. Racism isn’t just a color issue, it’s a lack of education and a willingness to learn. I know if the Earth’s time was scaled down to 24 hours we are in the last 12 seconds of development. We have a long way to go towards equal rights for work, gay marriages, women’s rights around the world. Other countries are starving, don’t have clean water, and don’t enforce safety regulations. I know the readers of my blog aren’t of this mindset, but I want to put this out there for the chance that someone might read it and get inspired to share it, be inspired by it, and maybe even act on it.

You don’t have to leave the States to learn this. You don’t even have to leave your state, but you do need to leave your hometown. You need to find a memorial, a tree, a mountain, a desert, a museum, artefacts in your neighbor’s field (with their permission) and you need to learn about the people who lived there – as far back as history will allow. You need to realize that there were Indians, Africans, Spaniards, Russians, explorers, scientists, pioneers, homesteaders, and people rushing for gold on that land. It doesn’t look the same anymore. Time changes all things and I hope to gain some knowledge and insight into this culture by learning some of their language and ways of life while I’m here.

Posted in Books, Education, History, Holidays, Inspiration, Media, People, Places, Things, Travel | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment