Caleb’s First Day Back to Work

Posted on June 22, 2014 by TheJessicaness
2nd floor, rock wall in background

2nd floor, rock wall in background

My alarm goes off at 5:15, I look in the mirror, Caleb is in the other bathroom, and I hop in the shower. He tells me good morning as he shaves. I make sure we both have water, the bags of bottles to recycle, and my book to read while I wait for the housing office to open. I let the dogs downstairs to pee and carry Piggy back. I put on sunscreen, grab my hat, and we are out the door a few minutes past 5:30.

We park in the dirt lot and the buses are already filling with the first group of guys they will take to the other base. We kiss goodbye as I hear the XO telling other officers how she moved into her place but didn’t like the dingy couch and old bed, referencing her grandma’s house. I happen to like all my grandma’s houses and/or apartments. It was easy for her to find a place because she was here for two months during Christmas with her husband and had a two-week start on us. She also gets a government car while she’s here – there are perks to getting a degree and joining the navy.

an interesting read

an interesting read

I go upstairs in the Freedom Souq and find a comfy chair to sit in for the next hour and read Humboldt’s Cosmos. Breakfast is an apple bran bagel with apple cinnamon cream cheese. I decide to eat it under the shade near the housing office and am quickly met with others sitting nearby. I realize I’m first in line. The order won’t stand true once the door opens 45 minutes later, but I’m still the first in the door and to the counter. I’m called back and asked for an address card that I don’t have – some official piece of paper that verifies the address and name of the owner.

I give the lady the address we’re interested in to put in the computer and she can’t find it. That means that no other military person has stayed there yet and the landlord is going to have to jump through hoops so we can. The navy requires a fire extinguisher, gas detector, fire blanket, etc. Some of the things required aren’t even mandatory in the States, but I guess we all shouldn’t model our safety procedures after a country that lets a two-year old bounce around in the front of a car between his mother’s lap and the dash.

my Whataburger shirt, a chain restaurant founded in Texas

my Whataburger shirt, a chain restaurant founded in Texas

She tells me to let the landlord fill out the paper and come back July 2nd when I have another appointment for someone to look over all the required documents I’ll have collected. Then they will have to send someone out to inspect the place and then there will be more paperwork. I don’t mind the delay as it gives us more time in the hotel to save up for our deposit that will be needed when we sign the lease.

From there I go to the NEX to get some more Ramadan appropriate clothing. I find two ankle-long skirts with slips to the knees. I find an elastic-top dress and pick out twenty shirts to try on over the top. I settle on a sheer short sleeve even though I liked a more dressy open one it had a ruffled butt. I don’t think I need to be drawing attention to that, and it looked weird to me. I paid for that and then went back by housing to check on the next housing brief for Caleb so that he can tell the guys at work that are still arriving.

trying to buy this sweet ride I found outside base

someone’s rusty ride outside the base

I get back to the little black car and have trouble opening the door. I put the key in the ignition and stand outside while I wait for the car to cool down below burning. It still hurts to touch the steering wheel when I get in. Luckily Caleb has desert protective gear on order for when our car arrives. I had thought about going by Lulu’s on the way home, but Diana texted me that I could meet with the landlord today. I told her noon.

This is my first time driving alone in Bahrain. I was concerned about construction and traffic coming home from base and Caleb said I could be his chaperone to limit the stress on him. I heard some things aren’t done with quality here, but they sure don’t rebuild roads slowly. There’s an intersection that used to have the left lane closed and now it’s the right. I thought that would leave days or weeks of having to merge with people who don’t care about their cars, but one side is done in two weeks, so it will be a short time before the other side is finished.

pg.1 pre-lease contract

pg.1 pre-lease contract

At home the dogs are sleeping on the couch. No accidents have occurred and they are happy to see me so they can poop and finally get some breakfast. That made me think about the buffet but it’s already past 10am. I will let my clothes air out while I wait on Diana to arrive. I can refill my water and the dogs’ too.

Diana gets here at noon and takes me over to meet Muhammad, the property manager, so that we can finish negotiations while she goes to Carlsbad and La Jolla and Sea World this Friday for a week. She mentions getting the garden done and he says he will have to talk to the landlord. Diana wants to make sure the dogs have a small patch of grass to call their own. They ask what else I need. Water cooler – nope. That’s BD30. Internet – nope, but you can have cable with the TV you don’t have. Oh, we aren’t supplying you with furniture like other semi-furnished places. We’re only giving you a fridge, stove, and some curtains.

topf half of pg.2 pre-lease contract

top half of pg.2 pre-lease contract

I smiled my way through the rest of the conversation. Gave Muhammad the paper for the landlord to fill out and sign and got a ride home. Now I’m debating going to base to get another pre-contract for the other place to ensure we have a place to live. We might’ve gotten more amenities, but he saw that the electric paid by landlord yearly went up. I don’t know the annual rate but I know Caleb and I always use less than our neighbours, but they have to abide by the paperwork. I want this to be a fun process and if it was just Caleb and I it wouldn’t matter so much where we lived, but having the dogs limits the places we’re allowed and that’s convenient to walk them.

I eat some hobnobs and pass out on the couch until housekeeping rings the bell. I tell them no thank you and lay back down until Caleb texts me that he’s getting off work. In the dirt lot an attendant asks if I would like the car washed. When I say no he smears his fingers through the dust to prove that it’s dirty and needs a wash. I notice some guys from Caleb’s crew and wait along the wall in the shade with them talking about finding a place and visiting the Tree of Life. Their bus is going to be another 20 minutes and I’m told Caleb will come from the other side of base so I go through security to wait in the shade under fans.

bottom half of pg.2 pre-lease contract

bottom half of pg.2 pre-lease contract

I talk to another guy that Caleb works with and he’s having just as hard a time getting what he wants. He wants a roommate and the realtor is showing them five-bedroom places – too big for their budget. Caleb finally shows up. I tell him how today went and we walk to the housing office together. We will get the two-bedroom – the first place we saw. It might be small, but it comes with furnishings, amenities, water access, grass, and sidewalks. We will negotiate to get a fence put in so that Piggy doesn’t accidentally go swimming. We will have them empty out one bedroom and put all our stuff there.

We get called back and the lady tells us that we can only have one contract out at a time. Well, looks like I have lots of texting and meetings to do to get things going in the right direction again. We are walking the dogs and I start thinking about the place with the extended living room that would give us more space for all our stuff. Maybe I can set up this contract but look around with another realtor or two and make sure we’ve seen all our options. We’re going to be living in the place for at least a year and a half and I want to make sure it’s comfy for all of us – not having boxes stacked in the bedroom or along the stairs because we couldn’t find a place to unpack them.

a scene from John Carter

a scene from John Carter

Dinner is Ramen with eggs, brie, and tomato. Tonight’s movie is John Carter, a story about a man who gets sent to Mars – not as sci-fi as you would think, but there are aliens in it. I tell housekeeping to come back in the morning, so as to not interrupt our dinner. They might be on a schedule, but I don’t know what it is yet. They’ve come by between us leaving after breakfast and coming back from base, around 10:30am, 1:30pm, and 6:30pm. The lobby is open 24 hours which means constant valet, housekeeping, and room service.

There’s room enough here for us to live, but the weekend raves keep Caleb up. His Senior Chief said we should join the party. Not only is it past curfew, but I’m sure that’s asking for trouble. They do keep someone by the pool at all times – someone to fish out the drunks and squeegee water to help prevent falls. We don’t need to be present when their soccer team loses or maybe even when they win. Or maybe we do. I want to go to a live game to experience the culture and feel the excitement of so many sports fans that follow their teams around the world.

Posted in Animals, Food, Media, Military, People | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A Walk Around Arad Fort

Posted on June 21, 2014 by TheJessicaness
Caleb and Piggy

Caleb and Piggy

The alarm goes off, Sparky wants to go out, Caleb and Piggy are still cuddling in bed together. I put his leash on, open the door, and am greeted by a giant roach on his back and a tissue nearby as something to help him on his feet again. I’m so involved in this that when the employee with the mop comes over to knock him into the parking lot I’m surprised. The roach must’ve been too far gone to care, but when I look up I see that I’m being watched by five guys – and they are entertained.

Muharraq across the water

Muharraq across the water

I laugh it off as one of them yells, “NO, NO!” (because of my attack dogs). I point towards the stairs trying to ease his stress and once Sparky is out of view they want to know what he is, they try pronouncing dog, I will have to translate that for later conversations. Then they want to know where I’m from, and the yeller wants me to feel his pounding heart. I was told in indoc that my dogs could be stolen but it won’t be from these guys who make heart shapes with their fingers when I tell them I’m from the States.

Arad Fort

Arad Fort

I say nothing more, walk Sparky, and just smile at the attendants on the way back to my room. Perhaps an abaya is a good idea to get sooner than later, especially for when Caleb has underways, and I will just let the dogs into the backyard at night. I feel bad for Bahrain that gets such a bad reputation on the news, but so do a lot of places in the States. If that’s all any stateside person knew about the States they might not want to visit there either.

reflection of Muharraq

reflection of Muharraq

A lot of locals don’t appreciate the Saudis coming over, getting drunk, and driving like crazy regardless. But MWR has a cultural tour today to see camels of the royal family and drive the Saudi Causeway. Even Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan have their beauty to be seen – if you can look past the violence or be allowed in their country to do so. I look forward to going into the great desert that is Saudi Arabia to see their lifestyle for myself.

Arad

Arad

I play ball with Sparky while waiting for the other two to wake. Then I get to tell Caleb how my morning has gone before he takes Piggy out. Sparky will sit by the door and await their return. Then it’s time for us to go to the forts of Muharraq. We arrive at Arad Fort before 8am and notice another car waiting. We walk down the path between the fort wall and the water and Caleb looks up their hours. They don’t open until 9am. We decide to try the other fort – Abu Mahir – located at the tip of Muharraq. It takes us six minutes to drive there, detour included, to see an active coast guard base with a metal door at the entrance.

boats in the bay

boats in the bay

Maybe we can go back when we have a base pass or maybe we could ask to walk on base. There is a fishing port/city using its beaches next door. We will just drive back and wait in the car or the shade next to the shrimp remains and water bottles, but when we get there the gate is open. I park on the outside of it and we walk in to look at the outside, but it seems they are open early as a man near the information room is waving us towards him.

an egret over the water

an egret over the water

The entry fee is BD1 per person and then he walks over, past the man doing repairs, and unlocks the gate to to the fort to let us in. He will sit outside while we walk around inside. I don’t know how well the fort worked but it looks well built with a moat and nose angled holes for the people inside to shoot out of. There are some rooms and modern stairs. Caleb is cautious to walk along the upper wall and I show him that the rocks are sturdy, it’s the old wooden beams he should be weary of. I’m sure they would snap under a cat’s weight.

mirrored trash art

mirrored trash art

Back at the entrance to the fort I ask about the other buildings inside the walls and the man says yes. We walk over and open random doors to find shelves, beds, and lights inside. One has a car that was cut perfectly in half. I don’t know what these were used for. I had guessed camel stalls at first, but now with the two locked ones that we saw it could be a storage facility. Also in the outer fort walls are a few old boats. Caleb tells me some of what he knows about them – where the captain sleeps and where the crew poops.

entering the fort

entering the fort

We were there for only 25 minutes, but it felt like two hours. I was short of breath going up the stairs and was anxious to get back in the A/C of the car and finish my bottle of water. From here I was ready to go home and rest a while but Caleb reminded me that we needed dog food. We went by Alosra Market but Pet Arabia was closed. We noticed the aviary on the way in – unlike last time when we walked there. It’a a large dome cage full of doves, pigeons, and other gray birds. We went to Lulu’s thinking that a bigger store would have more options. We were wrong. The small store sells five varieties and the multi-storied shopping complex sells Pedigree.

new stairs, old walls

new stairs, old walls

I want to try places out in town. I like the experience but Caleb says we should go to base so we are sure to get dog food and he needs some drops for his contact lens. As we’re walking on base we see a mother holding her son’s hand with her labia hanging out. We are curious if base security will turn her around but they only make faces at each other. Once inside we realize we need more water, some more cooking veggies to go with all the carbs at home, and some eggs.

getting a different view on the 500-year old wall

getting a different view from the 500-year old wall

We are at the register waiting on another guy to finish checking out. The first twenty cases of soda he bought weren’t enough. He has to use all but a dollar of the $150 in 1s and 5s that he was given before going to buy the booze. He says we are healthier than him but I don’t feel that way with all the cans and boxes on the conveyor belt. I will leave Caleb at the roundabout and go to the car with the eggs to come back and pick him up with all the groceries. I trip over a rock in the parking lot and an image of me wearing broken eggs flashes in my mind as I catch my footing, wait at the light to u-turn, then wait for the van to pull past Caleb so I can park beside him.

Caleb's view from the ledge

Caleb’s view from the ledge

Caleb mentions dinner and I think about lunch. I can’t believe it’s only 10:40am in the morning. I feel like it’s 3 o’clock. He tells me the heat will do that, but I am getting better at dealing with the heat as it continually increases as the peak of summer arrives. He will walk the dogs while I put away the food. I feel bad upon his return as Piggy hasn’t quite memorised her walking path yet so she is more than ready to stop while Sparky is more energetic and ready to bounce from shade to shade.

more buildings inside the outer fort walls

more buildings inside the outer fort walls

Both are on the floor tired from the small trip outside. I’m looking through the brochures we got. The MWR one says that the Arad Fort is open on Saturday from 9 to 6 and the fee is 200 fils. The fort’s brochure says it’s closed on Saturday, perhaps that’s why we got charged so much. Oh well, we got to learn a bit about the history of Bahrain. The fort was built by Arabs in the 15th century, captured by the Portuguese, and then seized by the Omanis. Maybe one day we will be able to attend one of the cultural events or shows there.

behind door 2: slumber party setup

behind door 2: slumber party setup

We flip through some channels, mainly 2, 4, and 19 – some are TV shows and others movies. We watch The Chaperone – dad gets out of prison and turns his life around – while I sip on the martini in a 6-inch tall glass Caleb made me. We snack on cheese and crackers. We are waiting for it to cool off so we can take the dogs out and go swimming, but like everyone else that sits in front of a TV long enough their lives will get sucked into it and hours of time will disappear. We take the dogs to the second bridge and back, we don’t eat dinner, and Caleb goes to bed. I prep for his first day tomorrow, he’s already taken a shower, and then I join him.

another row of stables, barracks, storage, and shops

another row of stables, barracks, storage, and shops

Posted in Animals, Food, Forts, History, Media, Military, Photography | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Our Second Weekend Starts

Posted on June 20, 2014 by TheJessicaness
driving the Hyundai i10

Caleb captures me driving the Hyundai i10

Last night we went to bed at 9pm. I got some good sleep before Miley Cyrus came blasting through our window at 3am. Let me clarify – it was her song Wrecking Ball, not her pulling off some Kool-Aid Man stunt. When my alarm went off this morning and I took Sparky out, with Caleb and Piggy still cuddling in bed, there was a car parked on the stairs and three guys dancing and stumbling their way across the parking lot to their car.

ASU - Applied Science University

ASU – Applied Science University – by Caleb

When Sparky and I walked in the other two woke up and we all went outside together. Some of the staff was leaving too. It will be nice to have our own place away from the clubs so that it’s safer to walk to the beach to watch the sunrise and not have to worry about being mistaken for stairs – though here it’s legal to use the sidewalk as a parking space. Last night was the first time we weren’t able to park in the lot up the ramp and our car seems fine this morning after a night in the sand.

gas factory

gas factory, southern Bahrain

Another carb-filled breakfast to energize us for the day. I look at the listings of things to do and a lot is closed on Friday (the local Sunday) so we decide to drive to the Tree of Life. It will take us about an hour to get there. We stop at the BAPCO (Bahrain Petroleum Co.) in Muharraq to get BD1 of gas. Given the option I choose jayyid (91 octane) over the 95 octane mumtaz that’s offered by base next to diesel. Caleb navigates us to King Hamad Highway where I can follow the signs to our destination. We pass the Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) center with pipe lines above ground looking like train tracks with support beams keeping them off the ground.

no camping beyond this sign

no camping beyond this sign on gas company property

I turn right, at 8:30, before Google maps has planned and we go with it. The road starts out paved but curves away from the tree so I take the rocky looking road that is part damaged and dangerous for small cars and part sand dunes that small cars can get stuck in. Caleb suggests that I keep my foot steadily on the gas instead of slamming on it to speed us out of there like I did. We make our way around to the regular road and just park – instead of driving a little further and parking more near the main entrance. At the tree we learn that the ruins at the base used to be houses and a family planted a seed, put some water on it, and then disappeared, but the tree is still here.

a new-to-me sign

a new-to-me sign on the way to the Tree of Life

The security official tells us about the large display around the site with metal plaques on the wall showing other old trees from around the world. He tells us we can come back at night to see the place lit up. It’s a large mesquite tree with pieces of wood holding up some of the branches to keep them from getting buried in sand. My favorite part was watching the tiny birds (size of hummingbirds) fly among the branches. If they were any bigger the amount of water they would require would be too much. There are some guys there posing all over the tree – touching, leaning, standing, sitting. Another family shows up and the heat of the day is arriving. They leave with child in hand and carrying the kid’s shoes.

a branch of the Tree of Life

a branch of the Tree of Life – by Caleb

We head southeast from the tree to get a look at the outside of the Sheik Isa Air Base and catch a glimpse of the water on the other side. It seems longer because the road curves beside it. Next, we go left at a round-about towards Durrat Al-Bahrain – the fancy little shapes in the water that resemble fish and shrimp. There are large houses seen in the distance from the guard shack and this is the furthest south that we can go – unless we make friends with one of the residents and take the smaller road all the way to the tip.

Caleb caught me admiring the tree

Caleb caught me admiring the tree

Leading up to the shack is a winding road surrounding by greenery – palm trees, bushes, and grass, at a level to keep the view of the desert out. We get to see the gardener turn a bush from natural growth into a square of uniform design. From here we can only head north. Our next plan is to go to Um Al Naasan – the large island between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The road to get there must be yellow on the map because there is a lot of graffiti on the walls, but there are also a lot of people selling produce from the back of their truck. I want to stop and get a large watermelon, but there is some pre-sliced offered for breakfast every morning.

the ruins nearby - by Caleb

the ruins nearby – by Caleb

We make it to the last exit and Caleb decides we should turn around. No need to chance getting stuck or in another accident without our passports (while they get our one-year visas) and no CPR card because we need a visa to do that. I’m just happy getting this close to Saudi Arabia. I can wait at least another two weeks for our visas and I still need to go shopping for proper attire over there and let Caleb in the driver’s seat. I’m not concerned with making it to the main land yet, but I was looking forward to seeing the main island, Um Al Naasan, possibly Jiddah, and the Middle Island.

a close-up of the greenery

a close-up of the greenery

We could just turn around and get back on King Fahd Causeway, but I take a left instead towards Flamingo Gardens wondering if the king had some ordered for others to see. Another left turn and it’s either a private residence or an animal resort. We turn right and down the road get to pass the guard sitting on the other side of the large gate – big enough to fit eight of our tiny cars through. We drive a little farther and even though the gate is open (where we could walk in or possibly drive) we turn around to be met with a customs SUV waiting in the road.

looking up

looking up

I pause as I wonder if I’ve gone too far or if they tracked us down from turning around from a security checkpoint earlier. It said there was construction ahead, and possibly not much else, so we turned around instead of bothering with it. Maybe next time. The customs car flashes its lights at me and then waves us around. I almost went too far right but laughed it off as we drove back to the causeway.

gotta keep it together

gotta keep it together

From there we had shopping for swimwear, being touristy at Arad Fort, and going home to walk dogs on the list. Caleb directs us to Seef Mall – a two-story shopping plaza where we arrive at 10:30. The top floor is mostly food – Stickhouse, Spud, and Auntie Anne’s with no jalapeño bagels. We walk into a few clothing stores downstairs and I find my first traditional swimsuit. It has a long top (mid-thigh) with a hood giving you the ability to cover just your head or your face too and long pants to match. I thought about getting one – full purple or orange top with black pants – but I don’t see me wearing the hood.

a tree hat - Caleb's idea

a tree hat – Caleb’s idea

These large shopping centres are all about entertaining kids with a large ball pit, riding large stuffed animals on wheels, and a large bubble to walk around in available at this one. We finish looking around and stop by Stickhouse – gelato on sticks – to get me a mango, kiwi, something stack before we go. The top flavour was like a cherry or other berry with the skin sticking in my teeth. It was delicious. I’m quick to finish it as we get in the car. I’m surprised the heat didn’t have it running down my arm, but it was handed to me with frost on it – colder to last longer. 

the wall of trees

the wall of tree plaques

With no swim trunks luck here we head to base where Caleb has no problem finding two pairs on sale. I tried looking out in town, but the tops are made for smaller women. Then I tried to find bottoms and the sizes are different making it time-consuming in the trial (fitting) room. There are no options on base – maybe some sleepwear or workout gear, until we notice a sales rack in the hall that has two one-pieces. I don’t feel like fighting with the other women to get a look at them. Caleb says I can wear his shorts, but maybe I will brave the booty shorts at the pool – the same pool where women wear tiny bikinis.

the tree

the tree

Now it’s around 1pm and Caleb wants to know if I still want to go to Arad Fort. Not really, I want to go home and cool off. We can go to the fort tomorrow in the cool of the morning – 90 degrees. We will play the take your clothes off and lay on the cold marble floor and make fart noises with your sweaty back game when we are done walking the dogs. Caleb wins of course, but we both had fun cooling off.

north from Darrat Al Bahrain

north from Durrat Al-Bahrain

We have a late lunch of butternut squash raviolis with black truffle oil after I have my dessert from the other day – crème brûlée with lemon grass and a sliced strawberry on top. Definitely better fresh but still good. Caleb makes tea from the four packets of Lipton provided. He fills the water boiler (what I thought was a coffee pot) and has to quickly unplug it before it bubbles over. We throw in the packets and let it cool so that Caleb can reuse one of our tall water bottles and have iced tea later.

somewhere along the route

somewhere along the route to Saudi

Caleb promised the dogs some sausage earlier in the week and we finally remembered this morning. He brought back two pieces and split one before we left and one after they ate lunch. It’s a good way to reward them for not crapping in the hotel – something that’s happened at least three times since we’ve been here – damn jet lag. While we sit here listening to the party outside Caleb shares something he read in the Weekender: Because every week deserves a happy ending. Issue 71. Some guy in the UK has a hot wing challenge: eat ten and win 100 British pounds. Twenty people have tried, some have left in an ambulance, and the maximum number eaten so far is two. Seems dumb to me but it gets Caleb thinking about dinner.

driving through town

driving through town

It doesn’t help that I’m looking through the What’s Up? June edition of MWR Bahrain and the thick booklet they gave us full of restaurant, museum, and shopping ideas. I’m naming random restaurants and Caleb wants pasta, but remembers that I wanted to try the noodle place. We think it would be cool to have it delivered so Caleb calls the Noodle House – a restaurant in the Seef area that tells us The Dragon is too far. Caleb tries to call the correct place – Noodle Factory in the Lagoon, but can’t find a menu.

Flamingo Gardens

Flamingo Gardens

It’s another party night and as we drive over giving up our parking spot I think about how we could’ve walked there and back. We park in front of the parking lot where the road curves in and walk into the plaza. Last time we were there were just employees. Tonight the place is packed with men surrounded by women. Caleb wonders how many are wives, daughters, mothers, and nannies as it seems everyone is out for the holiday.

top half of a burkini

top half of a burkini

We are greeted and seated at the Noodle Factory at 5:45 and choose all but one of their veggie options – the spring rolls with sauce, the Cantonese noodles, and the wok-fried veggies. The other side dish was eggplant. We are also given four dipping sauces – sweet chilli, soy sauce, a chunky orange sauce, and sriracha peppers in oil – our favorite. I’m feeling festive and order a green dragon. It’s a cocktail – just a juice drink with crunchy seeds, a lemon slice, and mint garnish – no alcohol. Caleb checks us in via Foursquare and is rewarded with a buy-one-get-one drink special so I order a jungle nectar too. It’s bright orange and hides the crunchy seeds inside.

cars, trains, and sweets at Seef Mall

a car, train, and sweet stand at Seef Mall

The food was good, nothing fancy. Our waiter is glad to hear it’s our first time and hopes we will be coming back. He hands us a survey of service for a chance to win BD125, and a delivery menu for next time. I enjoy the relaxing walk back to the car. I’m worried about finding parking, but on approach we notice a spot, one that is taken as we turn up the ramp. Just as quickly I reverse to let two cars out giving me a choice of spots though the valet guy was pointing for me to park the Hot Wheels I’m driving under the stairs.

something fishy about this mall

something fishy about this mall

With the car parked, and the leftovers put away, we settle on the couch for another movie night. I look forward to getting household goods so that we have more activities to rely on – like running, reading, and knitting. I will do my blogging during the day while Caleb is at work unless I’m hanging out with other wives. Tonight’s film is Just My Luck with Lindsey Lohan. She’s lucky until she kisses a guy and then the drama ensues.

a green dragon at Noodle Factory

a green dragon at Noodle Factory

When Caleb gave me that look as if to ask ‘are we really watching this?’ I should’ve changed it to a more educational channel like Discovery that plays Inventions that Shook the World or maybe the animal channel, but the movie did its job keeping us up until 9pm. I think the jet lag is over now that we are all sleeping through the night, but we need to get on a more definite schedule of eating and going to sleep. Perhaps tomorrow we can walk the dogs at 7pm, get sweaty without trying, and then go for a swim.

spring roll cigar, anyone?

spring roll cigar, anyone?

Posted in Education, Food, History, Photography, Places, Plants | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

House Hunting at the Police Station

Posted on June 19, 2014 by TheJessicaness
house

mansion in Hidd

The video never downloaded last night before I decided to go to bed around 9:30. Sparky woke me up at 5am this morning, but instead of staying up I went back to sleep until 7am and then we went to breakfast where I filled up on rye bread with butter and strawberry jelly. We were on our way out the door to go to base when our houseboy appeared with cart in tow. He asked if he could clean and was thrilled when we said yes. We quickly put the dogs in the other bedroom and took off.

We went to the housing office to get a pre-lease agreement but you have to fill it out there on a walk-in basis and we didn’t have time to wait because we had an appointment set up with a real estate agent at 10am. I talked to Caleb’s XO while he waited in line to find that out. I’m surprised when we get back to the room to find that the dishes are done. Caleb wonders if we would’ve left our laundry in there if they would’ve done that too.

Myra gets here at 10am and takes us to Busaiteen where we see a villa and a flat. I was already thinking no in my head as we drove through all the construction over the dirt roads – no water, no grass, no sidewalks. Then we go inside the large door with room for dust to blow in under to the large kitchen with a tiny stove. The rest of the place was nice and had large showers and an outdoor pool and a garage long enough for three cars.

section of Muju Restaurant

section of Muju Restaurant

The same guy owns the flat next door. Up one flight of stairs into a three-bedroom place with mirrored closets, a large kitchen, a long hallway, and a room with a pool (lights and bubbles included) and a personal air conditioner in the stuffy room. There are transformers included and a security system with a little camera that lets us see who is at the door so we can choose to answer it from our living room. It may be nice, but I don’t want to live in an apartment and the owner is concerned about the noise of our dogs with having neighbors.

Next Myra takes us to Hidd to view a woman’s mansion – the five bedrooms are too much for her now with her son living in Qatar with her four-year old grandson. We are overly impressed with everything – the two living rooms, the size of the bedrooms, jacuzzi tubs, and chandeliers. The kitchen has a fridge with prep counter space and the stove in another room further from the living space of the house. I can’t believe she’s willing to rent this to us for BD1,041.

The last place on today’s agenda will be the ladies villa and she needs to go to unlock it. She is wearing the equivalent of a bathrobe-abaya. She explains that it’s easier to put on when someone comes by – electrician, future renters – for when she doesn’t have enough time to properly don her abaya and hijab, but she somehow does that and beats us to her villa which is walking distance to Lulu’s Hypermarket.

eating French fries with chopsticks

eating French fries with chopsticks

I removed my shoes at her house, but she lets me know it’s no problem not to here because they are cleaning the place. There are patches of grass in the front yard and colourful walls inside with beautiful furnishings. Upstairs are three large bedrooms and she tells us that internet, cable, water, electric, and other things will be included in the rent. Outside is a temperature controlled pool and though it may be short it’s about 12-15 feet deep – great for floating around, but not for swimming laps or using a stand-up paddle board.

I was just about sold on the place, but Caleb reminds me that even though we may not swim often, living in Floating City will give us the option – and he wants a jet ski. He also reminds me that in Amwaj there are sidewalks, street lights, and women biking, rollerblading, and walking their dogs alone. It’s safer, greener, and has more water options. Diane texts me to let me know that someone else is interested in the place we want, but we will keep this place open as an option in case the other place gets rented before we can get all the paperwork needed.

Myra drops us off at The Dragon at noon and Caleb suggests Muju for lunch so we can try their fries. They are having a catered event for the Naval Security Force, but have plenty of tables available to accommodate us. We order two flat waters and Caleb has to send his bubbly water back – still closed in the bottle of course. I’m quick to break the seal on mine because I’m thirsty but I forget that they open it for you and fill your glass a third of the way which I drink and refill. We order the fries, a rainbow maki roll, and a crunchy California maki roll. Caleb orders me a monkey bite – a black Russian with banana liqueur. I’m hesitant but he assures me it’s only one drink. It arrives in a tiny shot glass and I take it in sips.

fried on the left, Caleb's on the right

fried on the left, Caleb’s on the right

We get the fries first and eat them with our chopsticks. We have ketchup and soy sauce to dip them in and mixed is even better. They taste like American fries and now I know why Caleb got the recommendation. Even the ginger on the crunchy roll is fried. I eat that one where the meat is on the inside covered in rice, seaweed, and avocado. I let Caleb eat the other one. He’s ready to go when the waitress brings the dessert menu. We don’t usually do dessert at lunch and rarely at dinner, but I had a look and wanted to try the crème brûlée with lemon grass. We ordered it and after a few minutes realised how full we were and got it to-go (or take away).

We put the dessert in the fridge and are going to go back to base for the pre-lease agreement and a command muster at 3pm. We leave the gate under construction for Amwaj, the light turns green, and I drive through the intersection. There is a large truck in the other lane and a car cuts over into our lane with only one other vehicle in front of us. I expected him to keep going so when he parked I slammed on the brakes, but our light car didn’t stop until it plowed into the back of his KIA Sorento and knocked his tire loose so that it too could hit our car.

I reached for my phone to get a picture of his license plate thinking that he would just drive away. The driver gets out of his car, a local, and checks that his rear door shuts properly and looks at the tiny dent in his bumper, then walks over to the car to begin screaming at me for what I did to his car. Caleb, in the calmest voice he can muster, asks the guy to kindly step away from me and wait by his own vehicle. A security truck goes by and turns around to park behind us. Caleb calls the police and they want to talk to the other guy. Caleb hands his cell over to the other driver now sitting in his car.

lighting at Muju Restaurant

lighting at Muju Restaurant

He told us to call the police because he had already called his servant who was now parking in front of him. The station told us that if our car was drivable we should drive there for processing. We followed the guy and his erratic driving and swerving to change lanes. I kept my distance – as the security guy warned me to do with the broken hood of the car – and soon enough we saw the tall white Muharraq police station in the distance.

We pulled up to the gate and said we were with the guy in front of us. They pointed to the right and we parked beside him. Inside, we go to the left to the check-in desk where we are asked multiple times for a CPR card that we don’t have. I hand him my Florida’s drivers license, he asks for the order of my name, puts some more information into the computer, asks for a phone number, and then tells us to sit in the chairs across the lobby and wait.

As soon as we sit down I think about the alcohol and the brief where we were told that they will take blood. I figure I will get my first DUI in another country and we will be living in the hotel making payments to the government and for the rental car. We are called to a door and the local loses his temper and the officer asks him to calm down and I walk away. Caleb tells him to stop yelling at his wife. I’m hoping that this works in our favor. I can just imagine how I may have been treated had I been alone.

the damage

the damage

We are told to wait some more and I go to the bathroom at the end of the hall. There are two stalls – one with a door on hinges and a sliding handicap door. I choose the one with hinges and am greeted with a toilet and a hose, no paper. I join Caleb back in the lobby and we go outside to see the damage of the two vehicles and one officer asks each of us what happened. I’m standing away from them as I calmly say that he cut us off and stopped.

We go into a room and the officer and local sit down to make a drawing of the accident while Caleb watches. Then another officer is invited over to point to the guilty party on paper. I smile on the inside when I see the reaction of the local slamming his fist on the table. His servant smiles as the guy leaves. We go between the two officers to finish filling out paperwork, trying to get ahold of the rental company for missing paperwork, then pay BD6 for processing that we can get back from the rental company when we drop the car off. We are told we are good to go, it was not our fault, and the car will be taken care of.

We make it to the sandlot outside of base and the attendants that help you park and offer to clean your car ask if they can fix ours. I laugh as I imagine them with a hammer making the best of it. I decline and Caleb says they take it to a shop and bring you the receipt. We make it to the brief on time and Senior brings up our accident. We show him the police report (written in Arabic except for my name) and he jokes with us. The XO sees the scribbles on the bumpers and jokes about the dents. They’re glad we’re ok and Senior says we should yield to all, but the XO says don’t give them the space – glad we can all agree.

the police report

the police report

We go by the Inn & Suites to make copies and then to the rental company. The attendant doesn’t show much emotion about the car. He asks if we need copies, gets the Hyundai i10 cooling off, and we are good to go. Outside is a small black car waiting on us. We get in and the guy is at the window telling me to be careful with the key because it’s the only one they have. The spare is being repaired from the harsh treatment of the last driver. I’m so grateful that today went as it did and that I can go back to the room and relax.

I text the two realtors to let them know that we didn’t get the paperwork and that we’ll have to wait until Sunday. We learned at the muster that our 45 days won’t start until Caleb checks onto the boat which won’t be for another week. This means we get two weeks of extra money, but I don’t know if we will be in a hotel for two months, though I don’t mind staying until our stuff gets here, and so many landlords are willing to give us everything we need including dishes, sheets, and a separate washer and dryer (American style) instead of the one machine (European style).

Back at the hotel the NSF catered event is in full swing pool-party mode with bottles and glasses lining the edge and employees cleaning up all the spilled water to help avoid falls – even though there is a kid running by with a doll in their arms. I wanted to post a picture of the car to Facebook but internet was slow. I’m hoping as all the partygoers go home the connection will speed up – then I could even get some blogging done. I’m able to upload the photo and Caleb and I settle down to watch The Nanny Diaries – not our usual film preference, but we’re still working on staying awake.

Hyundai i10 gear shift

Hyundai i10 gear shift

Posted in Food, Government, Media, Military, People | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Cultural Tour of Bahrain, Part 2

Posted on June 18, 2014 by TheJessicaness
the entrance to Bahrain Fort

the entrance to Bahrain Fort

We pour our water and as soon as Ali says food I’m the first in line. I’m grateful for this only because I get the opportunity to take a picture of the design on the hummus before dipping the large spoon into it. From there I’m quick to fill my plate and get out of the way of all the other hungry patrons. I add tabbouleh, olive salad, fresh veggies, spring rolls, pickled mango, and a piece of breaded fish (unknowingly) to my plate. I eat the fish with the mango to help with both flavors – more to tame the mango and spice up the bland fish.

along the fort's upper, outer wall

along the fort’s upper, outer wall

Some people bring their dessert with them, but with my patience I return with cherry flan, a three-tiered chocolate cake with a banana layer, fresh fruit with delicious mango, and the first serving of fresh made ice cream with bananas and chocolate. We are scheduled to be here until 1:15 and everyone is done eating 20 minutes before that. We drink some more water and use the large bottles provided on the table to refill our own bottles.

one of the girls took our picture

one of the girls took our picture

As people sit and converse the staff comes by to collect plates and I notice that so many of them are covered in food – whole spring rolls and cucumber slices. I would think that as adults we would be more able to judge the amount of food we can intake at one sitting, but perhaps in this culture it’s ok to throw away so much of your host’s food. I have to remember we are only at a restaurant and that they may be used to this.

food

artful hummus 

I use this time to go to the bathroom – partly because I have to go, but also because I want a picture of the sign. After doing so I notice some small figurines in the hall, but the chef thinks I’m a girl going to the men’s room (and I probably would have) so I go the other way to find the proper room. They have candies for sell and thick wooden doors on the stalls. When I’m done in there I go back to the men’s hallway on the other side of the restaurant to get a picture of the figurines. I get a text from Caleb to hurry back – dessert is being served.

restaurant decoration

restaurant decoration

What really gets me with the public manners of others is when they pass around the date and coffee – an inch tall cup filled partially with a local brew. I ate my date first and its sweetness helped with the wood pulp taste of my dessert drink. I looked around to see what others thought and happened to glance at a girl squinting her eyes, sticking out her tongue, and pulling her head back showing absolute disgust. I have my dad to thank that I’m more prepared for these moments. I hope that by the end of the college girls’ ten-week visit here they are better at hiding these emotions for the future sake of the jobs they are seeking and for the viewing pleasure of other diners.

for the boys

for the boys

Time to go to our last stop on today’s itinerary – Bahrain National Museum. I can tell we are arriving by the large art sculptures outside the walls on the lawn. The entrance fee is BD1 – a great deal for the amount of things to see inside. We start listening to Ali in the Hall of Graves about the babies buried in ceramic pots and decide to go off on our own taking interest in the pottery and spears. The Dilmun Hall shows us artefacts from excavations – pottery, arrowheads, jewelry, and pearls. Outside has sculptures and a view that is also impressive. I love the mix of historical and modern.

Dilmun Burials

in Hall of Graves

In the Customs and Traditions Hall we see coin mints, a wedding dress, hair products, kids learning the Qur’an, and group gold embroidery. Upstairs in the Crafts and Trades Hall we see a model fishing boat, a large ground loom, and the largest oysters I’ve ever seen. Caleb replies, “Where do you think large pearls come from?” We see sandal and spice merchants, a barber mid-shave, and a blacksmith burning something in a hall that resembles a souq.

in Dilmun Hall

in Dilmun Hall

The next exhibit room is Tylos (Greek name for Bahrain) and Islam Hall. Here we see pottery, weapons, and coins influenced under the Persian Empire from the 6th to 3rd century BC. Throughout Caleb’s visits to this island it has gone from the State of Bahrain to the Kingdom of Bahrain in 2011. Being a writer myself I’m always impressed to see written words that have survived weather and politics and time. That’s what we find in the Documents and Manuscripts Hall – a complaint letter from India about the importing of pearls, a decree of 1941 regarding the renting of properties, and a proclamation on slavery in 1937.

outdoor sculpture at National Museum

outdoor sculpture at National Museum

There was also a ruler board made of cardboard and strings used for making lines on pages, a wall showing the growth of the Arabic language, and a corner filled with pearl-covered Qur’an’s with matching boxes to store them in – beautiful, historical, local, and something to be proud of. Downstairs the floor is covered in a map of the island of Bahrain. On the walls are explanations to match the raised exhibits in the middle of the room with push lights that show you other sites of interest on the island via a scale model.

fiber arts and wood working

in Customs and Traditions Hall

We saw some people gathered by the exit but noticed we weren’t leaving yet so we wandered into the Visible Differences exhibit full of paintings, pictures, fiber arts, the use of lights and razor blades, and other visions of what makes art. There are two floors, but after seeing the first one we need to check on the group and one of the museum attendants hands us a free book explaining the art. We see the mom holding one child and hear the other and go back in to visit the second floor. I’m so glad we are able to see this as it’s a temporary exhibit which means it will be worth it to come back every three months when they change it.

boat

in Crafts and Trades Hall

We head towards the group where they are filling out evaluation forms for our tour guide and waiting on their buddies to join them. I enjoyed Ali’s wisdom and his frequent sayings: basically, and all these things. We used this opportunity to step inside the Recreational Purpose exhibit – dedicated by the Ministry of Culture to the naming of Manama as Capital of Arab Tourism 2013 by the Arab League. They took six photographers from out of the country and five locals and set them free to get their interpretation of the country – finding a different way to advertise what this place has to offer – a comfy chair by the ocean, a dusty mountain, a covered car in a dirt lot, the wooden fence popular around construction sites, and farmers with roses as heads – not all realist, but all interesting.

floor map

map of Bahrain with Points of Interest exhibits

This is our last time today getting on the bus with tall steps and padded seat covers. I don’t know what material I expected and they weren’t given the chance to get hot. The driver gets to stay on the bus with the air running while parked in the shade. His lunch was brought to him. We are dropped back off where we were picked up. Part of me is ready to jump in the car and go home, but I remember we have to get a pre-lease from the housing office on base. We walk there to find out that they closed at 2pm today and it’s not yet 3:30 – which would be ok if they closed at 4pm.

art

in Visible Differences by Ana Karina Lema

Caleb has me roll the windows down until the car cools somewhat. We are in the outer turn lane (may not be marked that way, but that’s how it’s used) and when the light turns green this SUV attempts to merge into me. He almost goes straight when he thinks I am, but is quick to turn when he realizes I’m not fighting his right for direction, but I won’t be pushed out of my spot. If you want in my lane you need to get in front or behind me – not beside me. We have a Maserati drive beside us on the on ramp so I speed up to go around him, then let him tailgate me down the road, and get over to let him pass before we turn.

in Visible Differences by Claudia Casarino

in Visible Differences by Claudia Casarino

Bahrain is building a new residents/visitors gate to Amwaj and two lanes have been reduced to one. I’m fine with merging with the drivers that were already in the other lane, but watching them come up beside me just to cut me off doesn’t work – even if they are security they know what they’re doing. In the parking lot is a GMC Denali, shiny and white, but with the front of the car and back of the mirrors covered in an orangish-brown spray paint dirt. The license plate is KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and it’s a protective coat (easily washes off with water) to protect from the rocks they will be speeding over to get here.

in Visible Differences by Juman Al Nimri

in Visible Differences by Juman Al Nimri

We get inside with ten minutes to walk the dogs or so I think. We were suppose to meet with Myra at 4pm. I have Caleb text her because I have no service. She tells him that she texted me at 2pm to confirm and when I didn’t she cancelled. She replies that she can pick us up at 10am tomorrow. We shall see. Took the dogs for a walk. Diana, the realtor, told us that she walks her dogs every night around the island about 6km which is 3.7 miles. Caleb thought we might be able to do that. I told him we would start and either finish carrying the dogs around or turn back when they were ready. The dogs’ tongues fell out 20 minutes into it, about halfway across Najmah, and we realised that even though it’s dark out at 7pm that doesn’t mean it’s not still 91 degrees, but it does mean the sidewalk is cool enough for the dogs to walk on and soon I can walk to Amy’s who lives on Tala.

rose

in Recreational Purpose – the roses

Peeling clothes off is necessary once inside and so is refilling the dogs’ empty water bowl which is probably a sixth the size of theirs that is being shipped over. You know you’re in the desert when you can turn on the cold water and it’s still hot, but it feels good to wash off the sweat of the day, to realize I’m slowly combating jet lag, and to come into the living room and see the dogs passed out on the couch. The internet is still slow so there will be no blogging tonight. I could feel bummed, but I will save that feeling until we get a place of our own. Right now I’m sharing a connection with at least 30 other users and Bahrain either doesn’t have many internet cables or these guys are downloading some long films. It seems there won’t be any reading either as my eyes begin to grow heavy. I’m just waiting on The Real Housewives of Disney to download so I can watch it and then go to bed.

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