It's amazing how many prostitutes are here in Bahrain! They are everywhere! There are even hotels that are off limits to the military because they are pretty much whore houses. They are at every restraraunt/bar/club you go into and they are easily identifiable. There are the more classy ones that where expensive clothing and jewelry, the real trashy looking ones, the he/shes, and everything in between.
We were in a club called F1 and they were everywhere just waiting to pounce. We usually see 2 or 3 when we are out, either walking on the street or inside the establishment we are at. At F1 club there had to have been at least 30. Probably more. I ran into a few in the bathroom and they like to hang out in the men's bathroom too. They proposition the men while they are taking a leak I guess.
It was funny to watch the interactions between them and their potential customers. There really are 3 types of potential customers. There's Jeremy, who is a potential customer to them but is someone who is not interested at all. But he is hot so he has to constantly swat them away, despite the fact that he has a ring on his finger and his wife is right there with him. Then there is the guy that is kinda shy, uncertain of himself, but REALLY lonely. He is ashamed of what he is about to do but...yep, he's gunna do it. Then there are the people who have no shame and being in a place like this is like being a kid in a giant candy store. Apparently this candy store can be pretty cheap too.
Most of them are Chinese or Filipino and you see a lot of them with older men. In fact, a lot of the people working "service" jobs are Filipinos. They make good money here and send it home to their families.
Anyways, I haven't posted anything for a while since there hasn't been a lot going on here besides the protesting. I thought this would be a good story. There is still some protesting going on here but the "state of emergency" has been lifted and most of the families that left during voluntary evacuations have returned. The curfew that the base had for us has also been lifted so their has been a lot of partying going on the last 2 weeks or so. Most of the Saudi troops have left and there are only a few tanks left that we can see. The Pearl Roundabout where all the protesting was taken place is completely destroyed and they are putting in a huge intersection (4 way I think). It's kind of sad because that was the country's symbol. It is on their currency. So, it is pretty quiet now. There is still some protests taking place but no violence. We'll see how long it continues to be peaceful since there aren't any Saudi troops here to keep the order. We are completely safe as long as we don't go into the areas of protests. We aren't allowed to. It's the country's own civil war and has nothing to do with us. That's all for now. Hopefully I will have some more good stories to share soon!
Saturday, 4 June 2011
Friday, 18 February 2011
Work!
I got the job at the Child Development Center on base and started working 2 weeks ago! I am a flex employee which is basically part time and when they need me. Right now they really need people so me and the other 3 people that were hired have been working 40 hours.
The CDC is basically a daycare, pre-school, and after school program. It is on base and is there to serve the families. There is an infant room, pre-toddler room, and pre-school room on the first floor. On the second floor there is a teen center and area for the school-age children which is 6-12yrs. The teen center is affiliated with programs like the Boy's and Girl's Club of America and 4H.
I was hired to work in the Teen Center since they really needed someone there with experience working with teens. The Teen Coordinator has been running it by herself for a year since they opened last year. Since that program is an after school program then it is only open from 3-530 so during the day I have been working in the various rooms. I love the infant room of course! All last week I was assigned to pre-school and that was hectic. We had 17 three and four year olds and four toddler's all together with just 2 of us and they were all running around like they had eaten a bowl of sugar! We were outside on the playground and kids were hanging from the play structure, others were throwing sand everywhere but in the sand box, some girls were coloring themselves with sidewalk chalk, a bunch were playing chase the monster, and one kid was on a rampage of hitting, kicking, and pushing everyone around him. Oh, and one kid kept going to the water cooler, drinking a little from his cup then he would throw his cup through the gate into the courtyard. I was not happy with that situation to say the least!
When the SAC (school age care) kids don't have school then I spend the day with them and then tend to teens if any come in.I have been spending the mornings in pre-school then the SAC kids come in after school so at 3 we pick them up at the front gate of the base and spend the rest of the day with them. School got canceled on Thursday so I got to spend the day with the SAC kids instead of being in pre-school which was a nice break. We went to a movie on base then just played around in the classroom. They have a mini pool table, table hockey, and a bunch of game stuff for the wii and play station, computers, legos, and dramatic play area where they can play dress up and stuff. The teen side has a full size pool table, ping pong, full size air hockey, computers, music room, and wii and play station too. When the kids come in we do snack first then power hour which allows them to do homework. The get a lot of free play but we also do at least one structured activity. It is not suppose to be like school but because it is a funded program we have to provide homework time and have to do "clubs" that address athletics, health, life skills, academics, and one other area so everyday we have an activity that is in one of those areas. The teen program is not a funded program so they don't really have requirements except they have to be affiliated with 4H and BGCA. We do have to offer the activities in the categories but they are not required to participate.
Most of the people that work there are dependents but there are a few locals as well. I like it there though I don't necessarily like the "Creative Curriculum" that they use. Which basically means that he children learn though play which is awesome but I don't think there is enough structure or discipline options, probably the reason why some 3 and 4 year-olds don't even know their colors yet. I guess some parents have pulled their kids out in the past because they felt the same way. I guess I am just use to working in facilities that have a lot of structure. I'm sure things would run a lot smoother if there was enough staff but right now there is just not enough of us. They have hired a few more people so hopefully that will help.
I like everyone I work with and I am glad that I am working with kids. Hopefully they can utilize me in some other ways besides just the classrooms. I have a lot of experience and a lot of ideas that I think would be helpful to them.
The CDC is basically a daycare, pre-school, and after school program. It is on base and is there to serve the families. There is an infant room, pre-toddler room, and pre-school room on the first floor. On the second floor there is a teen center and area for the school-age children which is 6-12yrs. The teen center is affiliated with programs like the Boy's and Girl's Club of America and 4H.
I was hired to work in the Teen Center since they really needed someone there with experience working with teens. The Teen Coordinator has been running it by herself for a year since they opened last year. Since that program is an after school program then it is only open from 3-530 so during the day I have been working in the various rooms. I love the infant room of course! All last week I was assigned to pre-school and that was hectic. We had 17 three and four year olds and four toddler's all together with just 2 of us and they were all running around like they had eaten a bowl of sugar! We were outside on the playground and kids were hanging from the play structure, others were throwing sand everywhere but in the sand box, some girls were coloring themselves with sidewalk chalk, a bunch were playing chase the monster, and one kid was on a rampage of hitting, kicking, and pushing everyone around him. Oh, and one kid kept going to the water cooler, drinking a little from his cup then he would throw his cup through the gate into the courtyard. I was not happy with that situation to say the least!
When the SAC (school age care) kids don't have school then I spend the day with them and then tend to teens if any come in.I have been spending the mornings in pre-school then the SAC kids come in after school so at 3 we pick them up at the front gate of the base and spend the rest of the day with them. School got canceled on Thursday so I got to spend the day with the SAC kids instead of being in pre-school which was a nice break. We went to a movie on base then just played around in the classroom. They have a mini pool table, table hockey, and a bunch of game stuff for the wii and play station, computers, legos, and dramatic play area where they can play dress up and stuff. The teen side has a full size pool table, ping pong, full size air hockey, computers, music room, and wii and play station too. When the kids come in we do snack first then power hour which allows them to do homework. The get a lot of free play but we also do at least one structured activity. It is not suppose to be like school but because it is a funded program we have to provide homework time and have to do "clubs" that address athletics, health, life skills, academics, and one other area so everyday we have an activity that is in one of those areas. The teen program is not a funded program so they don't really have requirements except they have to be affiliated with 4H and BGCA. We do have to offer the activities in the categories but they are not required to participate.
Most of the people that work there are dependents but there are a few locals as well. I like it there though I don't necessarily like the "Creative Curriculum" that they use. Which basically means that he children learn though play which is awesome but I don't think there is enough structure or discipline options, probably the reason why some 3 and 4 year-olds don't even know their colors yet. I guess some parents have pulled their kids out in the past because they felt the same way. I guess I am just use to working in facilities that have a lot of structure. I'm sure things would run a lot smoother if there was enough staff but right now there is just not enough of us. They have hired a few more people so hopefully that will help.
I like everyone I work with and I am glad that I am working with kids. Hopefully they can utilize me in some other ways besides just the classrooms. I have a lot of experience and a lot of ideas that I think would be helpful to them.
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
Different...
Though it is pretty "Americanized" over here, there are still a lot of things that are different. Toilets are different. No, they don't swirl the opposite direction! There are no handles. Just buttons, either on the top of the lid or on the wall above the toilet. There are 2 buttons and I haven't figured out why yet and have yet to ask someone about them. On our toilets at home one button has a circle and the other has a circle that is half shaded. I wondered if that meant it did a half flush. I've pushed both and there seems no difference.
The stop lights are different. There is a red, yellow, and green light but they are arrows. When you wait at a stop light it changes from red to yellow then green just like it does when it changes from green to yellow to red. People are definitely in a hurry around here and use their horns every chance they get so if you are not mov'n on the yellow then you get honked at! Don't bother stopping at stop signs either unless a car is coming because you may get rear ended. Also, there are a lot of round-abouts here. A few of them are pretty big and intimidating. There was an information book we got when we arrived that has helpful hints regarding the roundabouts but I did not find it helpful. It tries to explain the "right of way" and how to use the roundabouts using the hands of a clock.
A lot of hotels around here also rent flats or they are old hotels they converted to flats. Ours is like that. We have one maintenance guy that was nice enough to explain how to use the European washer/dryer we have. We also have one cleaning guy that comes on Sunday's and Wednesday's. He changes the sheets, dusts, cleans the floors, bathrooms, kitchen, etc. Not a deep cleaning but it's nice to have. Jeremy and I clean up after ourselves pretty well so when he comes to our place it's a pretty fast and easy job. I didn't expect him to do dishes but he does! It's not often I have dishes in the sink but one day I did I noticed they were all clean when I went into the kitchen. I'm always here when he cleans and just sit in the living room on my computer. If I am drinking out of a glass and it's empty or just finished lunch he picks up the dishes/trash. It's kind of weird but nice. He is a nice guy...I think. He doesn't speak very good english and unfortunately he leaves a horrible odor behind. We also have 24hr security. There is always a person at the front desk and if it is a male they stand up when I come out of the elevator. If I am carrying anything then they will open the door for me. We also have a guy that washes the car every night or every other night for 15bd a month (about $40). By morning it is covered in dust but it is nice to not have it build up.
Speaking of washing cars, everywhere you go there is someone there asking to wash your car. It's kind of like one of those guys on the street that want to wash your window shield. They are at restaurants, the malls, and hang around the dirt parking lots. They usually ask for about 3bd. Some will take 1 and others want 5 since ours is a large car. Some will even do the inside if you want. When they approach and ask you if you want a car wash they usually have some story to tell if you don't want it or don't want to give them enough bd. It's usually "my sister or mother is sick". It can get annoying but it's also pretty convenient. We had the car done the other night while we were eating at Bennigan's.
We really don't see any homeless anywhere and if we did they wouldn't be pushing a shopping cart! You have to put 100 fill (coin) into the slot thingy connected to the cart to get a cart. When you return the cart you get it back. I guess it's a pretty good system because you never see people walking down the street with a cart.
The bathtubs an sinks are huge but the kitchen sink is tiny and has no garbage disposal. That sucks! I hate throwing food in the trash.
Things are different here but luckily nothing has been too difficult to adjust to yet. Bottled water is only 25 cents, huge malls everywhere, movie theaters with Krispie Kreme and frozen yogurt, Cinnabon and Dairy Queen delivers, and blonds are treated as if their hair is made of gold...I can live like this for a while!
The stop lights are different. There is a red, yellow, and green light but they are arrows. When you wait at a stop light it changes from red to yellow then green just like it does when it changes from green to yellow to red. People are definitely in a hurry around here and use their horns every chance they get so if you are not mov'n on the yellow then you get honked at! Don't bother stopping at stop signs either unless a car is coming because you may get rear ended. Also, there are a lot of round-abouts here. A few of them are pretty big and intimidating. There was an information book we got when we arrived that has helpful hints regarding the roundabouts but I did not find it helpful. It tries to explain the "right of way" and how to use the roundabouts using the hands of a clock.
A lot of hotels around here also rent flats or they are old hotels they converted to flats. Ours is like that. We have one maintenance guy that was nice enough to explain how to use the European washer/dryer we have. We also have one cleaning guy that comes on Sunday's and Wednesday's. He changes the sheets, dusts, cleans the floors, bathrooms, kitchen, etc. Not a deep cleaning but it's nice to have. Jeremy and I clean up after ourselves pretty well so when he comes to our place it's a pretty fast and easy job. I didn't expect him to do dishes but he does! It's not often I have dishes in the sink but one day I did I noticed they were all clean when I went into the kitchen. I'm always here when he cleans and just sit in the living room on my computer. If I am drinking out of a glass and it's empty or just finished lunch he picks up the dishes/trash. It's kind of weird but nice. He is a nice guy...I think. He doesn't speak very good english and unfortunately he leaves a horrible odor behind. We also have 24hr security. There is always a person at the front desk and if it is a male they stand up when I come out of the elevator. If I am carrying anything then they will open the door for me. We also have a guy that washes the car every night or every other night for 15bd a month (about $40). By morning it is covered in dust but it is nice to not have it build up.
Speaking of washing cars, everywhere you go there is someone there asking to wash your car. It's kind of like one of those guys on the street that want to wash your window shield. They are at restaurants, the malls, and hang around the dirt parking lots. They usually ask for about 3bd. Some will take 1 and others want 5 since ours is a large car. Some will even do the inside if you want. When they approach and ask you if you want a car wash they usually have some story to tell if you don't want it or don't want to give them enough bd. It's usually "my sister or mother is sick". It can get annoying but it's also pretty convenient. We had the car done the other night while we were eating at Bennigan's.
We really don't see any homeless anywhere and if we did they wouldn't be pushing a shopping cart! You have to put 100 fill (coin) into the slot thingy connected to the cart to get a cart. When you return the cart you get it back. I guess it's a pretty good system because you never see people walking down the street with a cart.
The bathtubs an sinks are huge but the kitchen sink is tiny and has no garbage disposal. That sucks! I hate throwing food in the trash.
Things are different here but luckily nothing has been too difficult to adjust to yet. Bottled water is only 25 cents, huge malls everywhere, movie theaters with Krispie Kreme and frozen yogurt, Cinnabon and Dairy Queen delivers, and blonds are treated as if their hair is made of gold...I can live like this for a while!
Thursday, 6 January 2011
Holiday's In The Kingdom
Though Jeremy has spent many holiday's away from his family, this was the first time I had ever spent Christmas away from my family. We'd already been here two weeks and it was time to celebrate Thanksgiving. The base offered a nice lunch and dinner buffet for everyone and their families. The decorations were beautiful. Tons of fruit were hand carved into elaborate displays like birds, turkey, flowers, and many other things. We signed up to serve but there were too many people so were unable to. We had a little lunch then had a nice traditional Thanksgiving at one of the Chiefs' houses (the one Jer is taking over for). It was great food and nice to meet some new people.
Base was decorated for Christmas and there was a lighting of the tree ceremony which I missed because I was sick with a cold. It was beautiful to look at at night. The main walkway was lined with lights and lighted displays, snowmen, Santa, reindeer, etc. Though most locals are Muslim, there is a population of Christians here. 10 years ago when Jer was here you wouldn't see Christmas trees, decorations, or lights anywhere except specialty stores that sell it. Over the years the locals have become more and more tolerant and cater to the large western population. Most hotels and restaurants had a Christmas tree and some decorations. Waiters/waitresses would wear Santa or reindeer hats and wish us a Merry Christmas. Most people in the states don't even do that anymore, it's usually "Happy Holidays". A lot of places even had Christmas music playing. A couple of the hotels even decorated the outside with lights. It was nice. Made it feel more like home and more like Christmas. Christmas in San Diego anyways since it is still so warm here for winter.
We again signed up to serve Christmas dinner on base and this time we were able to do it. Willie, Jer, and I served for two hours then were able to enjoy some of the food ourselves. They had all the traditional foods and some live music. It was a pretty low key affair for us this year. Our shipment arrived on Christmas and we were able to skype with my parents and sister. We were later able to skype with Jer's parents and sister and brother-in-law who were spending Christmas in Oregon.
Living out of a suitcase for the last few months was getting old so when all of our stuff arrived it was like getting a lot of Christmas presents! We didn't set up a tree or any decorations but we did get some nice gifts. Jer got a PS3 from me and he got me a bike which I got to go pick out myself. We also got a Bose system for our new place. We got a lot of nice things from family as well a lot of Christmas cards and letters.
New Years Eve we decided to go out to a club called Buffalo's. We met up with Willie and his boss and one of his friends. A lot of the clubs/bars offered a flat fee of 20-30BD for unlimited drinks or drinks and food. All of the places have live bands that sing popular American music. Buffalo's was doing a Moulan Rouge theme so instead of being dressed in cowboy attire everyone was dressed in corsets and such. It was nice to have unlimited drinks but the line to get a drink was a nightmare. Not sure it was worth the money. It was a nice evening though and nice to ring in the new year with some great people.
We are planning to make it home for Christmas next year but it will depend on a lot of things. Jer's job is very demanding and it is an expensive trip but if we can make it happen we will. We are looking forward to what 2011 will bring and I look forward to sharing it with you all!
Base was decorated for Christmas and there was a lighting of the tree ceremony which I missed because I was sick with a cold. It was beautiful to look at at night. The main walkway was lined with lights and lighted displays, snowmen, Santa, reindeer, etc. Though most locals are Muslim, there is a population of Christians here. 10 years ago when Jer was here you wouldn't see Christmas trees, decorations, or lights anywhere except specialty stores that sell it. Over the years the locals have become more and more tolerant and cater to the large western population. Most hotels and restaurants had a Christmas tree and some decorations. Waiters/waitresses would wear Santa or reindeer hats and wish us a Merry Christmas. Most people in the states don't even do that anymore, it's usually "Happy Holidays". A lot of places even had Christmas music playing. A couple of the hotels even decorated the outside with lights. It was nice. Made it feel more like home and more like Christmas. Christmas in San Diego anyways since it is still so warm here for winter.
We again signed up to serve Christmas dinner on base and this time we were able to do it. Willie, Jer, and I served for two hours then were able to enjoy some of the food ourselves. They had all the traditional foods and some live music. It was a pretty low key affair for us this year. Our shipment arrived on Christmas and we were able to skype with my parents and sister. We were later able to skype with Jer's parents and sister and brother-in-law who were spending Christmas in Oregon.
Living out of a suitcase for the last few months was getting old so when all of our stuff arrived it was like getting a lot of Christmas presents! We didn't set up a tree or any decorations but we did get some nice gifts. Jer got a PS3 from me and he got me a bike which I got to go pick out myself. We also got a Bose system for our new place. We got a lot of nice things from family as well a lot of Christmas cards and letters.
New Years Eve we decided to go out to a club called Buffalo's. We met up with Willie and his boss and one of his friends. A lot of the clubs/bars offered a flat fee of 20-30BD for unlimited drinks or drinks and food. All of the places have live bands that sing popular American music. Buffalo's was doing a Moulan Rouge theme so instead of being dressed in cowboy attire everyone was dressed in corsets and such. It was nice to have unlimited drinks but the line to get a drink was a nightmare. Not sure it was worth the money. It was a nice evening though and nice to ring in the new year with some great people.
We are planning to make it home for Christmas next year but it will depend on a lot of things. Jer's job is very demanding and it is an expensive trip but if we can make it happen we will. We are looking forward to what 2011 will bring and I look forward to sharing it with you all!
Tuesday, 21 December 2010
Interesting tid-bits
There are no seat covers in any bathroom here. Not even on base:( They have bidets (pronounced biday) which is basically a low mounted toilet looking thing with a faucet or a sprayer to wash your "parts" after you go to the bathroom. Most bathrooms out in town have toilet paper but a few don't and just have a bidet. The hotel we are in has one in each bathroom and so does the apartment we will be moving into. I decided to test it once out of curiosity and it was so powerful I thought it ripped me a new one! I'm not a fan.
All the mosques have large speakers on the outside of the buildings so everyone can hear prayer at prayer time which is 3 times a day, sunrise, afternoon, and sunset. If you are outside you can hear it of course but it's not that loud when you are inside unless you live right next to a mosque. We were at City Center Mall last week which is the biggest mall here, eating dinner when it was prayer time and it was blasted over the intercoms. It didn't bother me but startled me when it first came on. Everyone just went about their business. There are prayer rooms in most public places, even the mall, for people who want to pray. I felt like I should have at least put my fork down and stop eating to observe like people do at baseball games during the National Anthem but like I said everyone just goes about their business.
I think it is weird that when we go out at night to a club or a bar security only checks the males. They usually have a little metal detector wand, but only stop males. Females can walk right in. I don't really see the point of that since the man can just hand off his weapon to his woman once inside. I understand that they treat women a little differently and that is fine with me but I don't see how just checking the males makes it more secure. Maybe the female crime rate is so low that they just don't believe a female would do such a thing. Just something I think about.
There are stray dogs and cats everywhere we go. They usually live out in the dirt fields, which are everywhere in Juffair. Juffair is full of apartment towers, hotels, restaurants, and dirt fields. There is construction everywhere so eventually there will probably not be any dirt fields left. One day you will move into a nice apartment tower with a view and a month later the view is obstructed by another tower. Anyways, when we walk at night we have to beware of stray dogs more than anything. One night we walked by a garbage bin and one jumped out. If we are taking a short cut through a dirt field Jer is able to spot them pretty quickly and will make noise to keep them away. So far we haven't run into a pack which is good because Jer say's that is dangerous. They can get aggressive. It's not like a ton of dogs and cats are roaming around everywhere but they are out there. If there is too many then the police come out and shoot them. We haven't experienced that yet. In fact you never hear gun shots, ambulances, or firetrucks. I have heard one siren in the 6 weeks we have been here. I guess Jer experienced this when he lived here before. There was a large pack and the police just pulled up and started shooting them. Apparently they are not good shots. Not something I want to experience. Though the dogs are sick and aggressive it is still sad.
We had our first sand storm last week. The temp has dropped about 10 degrees so that means it's been in the 70's! It was really windy for about 3 days. I walked to base to have lunch with Jer one day and it was really windy but clear. By the time we left base it looked like a fog had rolled in but it was sand. Even though it was dark outside I wore my sunglasses to protect my eyes. Luckily it only lasted a couple of days.
We have been to the movies twice at City Center Mall. I love the movie theater here. The actual theater is pretty typical of most, large with stadium seating. There is assigned seating though. You pick your seat when you buy the ticket. It costs 6BD for the two of us which is $15.60 so a little cheaper than the states. The best part is all the food choices! They don't just have one counter with the typical stuff. There is a large counter that has stuff like popcorn, candy, and a lot of the standard stuff. But then there is also counters for Krispy Kreme, Fresh Berry (which is a knock off of Pink Berry), a counter with pizza cones (pizza in the shape of an ice cream cone), and other stuff like nachos, and a few other counters that we haven't checked out yet. I wish they would have the commercials that tell you not to talk or use a cell phone because when we were there the other night a group of girls kept talking and giggling and along with a few other people, were texting. Most of the movies being played are American movies and they have a few choices that are not. I don't know if they are Arabic or not. The movies are mostly current. I think they get them a little later than when they come out in the states but not too much later. All in english but with Arabic subtitles.
It's definitely interesting living in another country. Even though it is so westernized here there is still a lot to get use to. Like the conversion to celsius and kilometers. It's been nice being in a hotel with daily maid service and stuff but I am ready for our new place. I'm actually looking forward to cooking again too. Not because I really like to cook but mostly because we need to be eating healthier. It's hard to do that when we go out or eat take out every night. We will be in our new place on the 23rd and I can't wait!
All the mosques have large speakers on the outside of the buildings so everyone can hear prayer at prayer time which is 3 times a day, sunrise, afternoon, and sunset. If you are outside you can hear it of course but it's not that loud when you are inside unless you live right next to a mosque. We were at City Center Mall last week which is the biggest mall here, eating dinner when it was prayer time and it was blasted over the intercoms. It didn't bother me but startled me when it first came on. Everyone just went about their business. There are prayer rooms in most public places, even the mall, for people who want to pray. I felt like I should have at least put my fork down and stop eating to observe like people do at baseball games during the National Anthem but like I said everyone just goes about their business.
I think it is weird that when we go out at night to a club or a bar security only checks the males. They usually have a little metal detector wand, but only stop males. Females can walk right in. I don't really see the point of that since the man can just hand off his weapon to his woman once inside. I understand that they treat women a little differently and that is fine with me but I don't see how just checking the males makes it more secure. Maybe the female crime rate is so low that they just don't believe a female would do such a thing. Just something I think about.
There are stray dogs and cats everywhere we go. They usually live out in the dirt fields, which are everywhere in Juffair. Juffair is full of apartment towers, hotels, restaurants, and dirt fields. There is construction everywhere so eventually there will probably not be any dirt fields left. One day you will move into a nice apartment tower with a view and a month later the view is obstructed by another tower. Anyways, when we walk at night we have to beware of stray dogs more than anything. One night we walked by a garbage bin and one jumped out. If we are taking a short cut through a dirt field Jer is able to spot them pretty quickly and will make noise to keep them away. So far we haven't run into a pack which is good because Jer say's that is dangerous. They can get aggressive. It's not like a ton of dogs and cats are roaming around everywhere but they are out there. If there is too many then the police come out and shoot them. We haven't experienced that yet. In fact you never hear gun shots, ambulances, or firetrucks. I have heard one siren in the 6 weeks we have been here. I guess Jer experienced this when he lived here before. There was a large pack and the police just pulled up and started shooting them. Apparently they are not good shots. Not something I want to experience. Though the dogs are sick and aggressive it is still sad.
We had our first sand storm last week. The temp has dropped about 10 degrees so that means it's been in the 70's! It was really windy for about 3 days. I walked to base to have lunch with Jer one day and it was really windy but clear. By the time we left base it looked like a fog had rolled in but it was sand. Even though it was dark outside I wore my sunglasses to protect my eyes. Luckily it only lasted a couple of days.
We have been to the movies twice at City Center Mall. I love the movie theater here. The actual theater is pretty typical of most, large with stadium seating. There is assigned seating though. You pick your seat when you buy the ticket. It costs 6BD for the two of us which is $15.60 so a little cheaper than the states. The best part is all the food choices! They don't just have one counter with the typical stuff. There is a large counter that has stuff like popcorn, candy, and a lot of the standard stuff. But then there is also counters for Krispy Kreme, Fresh Berry (which is a knock off of Pink Berry), a counter with pizza cones (pizza in the shape of an ice cream cone), and other stuff like nachos, and a few other counters that we haven't checked out yet. I wish they would have the commercials that tell you not to talk or use a cell phone because when we were there the other night a group of girls kept talking and giggling and along with a few other people, were texting. Most of the movies being played are American movies and they have a few choices that are not. I don't know if they are Arabic or not. The movies are mostly current. I think they get them a little later than when they come out in the states but not too much later. All in english but with Arabic subtitles.
It's definitely interesting living in another country. Even though it is so westernized here there is still a lot to get use to. Like the conversion to celsius and kilometers. It's been nice being in a hotel with daily maid service and stuff but I am ready for our new place. I'm actually looking forward to cooking again too. Not because I really like to cook but mostly because we need to be eating healthier. It's hard to do that when we go out or eat take out every night. We will be in our new place on the 23rd and I can't wait!
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
Out and About
My first taxi ride here was quite interesting. Jer, Willie, and I took a taxi to this great steakhouse the first week we were here. We climbed into this cab that had a black and white checkered paint job on the outside and on the inside the cabbie was rock'n to some really old folksy, country music. Sounded a bit like Kenny Rodgers but I'm pretty sure it was some kind of very original, traditional country! Very funny considering the guy was in traditional dress wearing a thobe (long white linen robe) and a ghutra (head covering). This guy had what I call the picnic ghutra because it is red and white checkered. Some men wear this one and others wear just plain white.
Luckily most taxi's are metered now. When Jer was here last time most of them weren't and you just negotiated the price. That would not work out so well for me since I am horrible with accents. I have yet to take a taxi here on my own out of fear of offending someone because I can't understand them. Case and point, I ordered delivery for us the other night and was really surprised that we actually got the food. I just answered yes to everything and apparently it was the right answer!
Music changes from taxi to taxi and not all men where a thobe. It's not the law here to dress like that it's the Muslim culture and individuals choose how strictly they follow. The same is for the women with the exception of being at the Mosque. Women have to cover their hair. Some men don't treat women that well so you can request to have a female taxi driver. I have not run into any problems with men treating me poorly yet but it happens and has happened to some of the military wives.
There are a lot of malls here and they are huge! The City Center Mall is the newest mall and is 3 or 4 stories with a huge movie theater, a little kids theme park with arcades, bowling, and a few rides, and there is an indoor water park! Most of the stores are American or European. We went into this huge toy store that had life size stuffed animals like an elephant, giraffe, and a dragon. There was also a store in the mall that was kind of like a Walmart or a huge Big Lots. It reminded me of being in San Diego when the intercom came on and the person gave the announcement in arabic then english. In San Diego it was english then spanish. Sometimes it doesn't feel like I'm in another country since even the billboards are in english with arabic written beneath.
We began looking for a flat or a villa the second week we were here. We had an agent take us around. At first we thought we might want a villa which is basically a really big house. Most villas we looked at were at least 5 bedrooms. Most places come furnished and decorated like a palace. The available villas in our price range were a little too far from base for us and nothing was in walking distance so we decided we wanted to stay in Juffair. In Juffair, everything is within walking distance, restaurants, bars, base, and Willie. We looked at a few 3 highs which are 3 story apartment buildings. One apartment per floor. American's can only occupy 25% of any building over 3 stories. This is a rule for the military and it's for safety. We looked at some towers as well. We only found one that was more updated, clean, 3 bedroom, and in our price range. We found one that was brand new that we loved but it was already at 25%. We got lucky with the one we settled on because at first it was at 27% (they had gotten two waiver's to allow the extra) so three people had to be moving out in order for us to get it. Luckily 3 happen to be moving out. So we will be living at the Palm Royal! 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, roof top pool, billiards/game room, movie theater room, gym, sauna & steam room, and maid service twice a week! The great thing is that we can negotiate what we want and don't want in the apartment. Luckily everything was pretty new and clean so we only asked for a few changes. Rent is pretty comparable to living in San Diego but the difference is you get more space and electricity, cable, internet, water, etc. is all included. We plan to move in around the 23rd or 24th of December.
Overall it's been quite an interesting month since our arrival. I've had a horrible cold this last week and haven't been able to do anything, which has worked out okay since Jer has been working really late and is beat by the time he comes home. We were warned when we first arrived that his days would be long. I'm looking forward to getting into our new place and getting into a routine. There is a lot more to see and do here and I look forward to sharing it will you all!
Luckily most taxi's are metered now. When Jer was here last time most of them weren't and you just negotiated the price. That would not work out so well for me since I am horrible with accents. I have yet to take a taxi here on my own out of fear of offending someone because I can't understand them. Case and point, I ordered delivery for us the other night and was really surprised that we actually got the food. I just answered yes to everything and apparently it was the right answer!
Music changes from taxi to taxi and not all men where a thobe. It's not the law here to dress like that it's the Muslim culture and individuals choose how strictly they follow. The same is for the women with the exception of being at the Mosque. Women have to cover their hair. Some men don't treat women that well so you can request to have a female taxi driver. I have not run into any problems with men treating me poorly yet but it happens and has happened to some of the military wives.
There are a lot of malls here and they are huge! The City Center Mall is the newest mall and is 3 or 4 stories with a huge movie theater, a little kids theme park with arcades, bowling, and a few rides, and there is an indoor water park! Most of the stores are American or European. We went into this huge toy store that had life size stuffed animals like an elephant, giraffe, and a dragon. There was also a store in the mall that was kind of like a Walmart or a huge Big Lots. It reminded me of being in San Diego when the intercom came on and the person gave the announcement in arabic then english. In San Diego it was english then spanish. Sometimes it doesn't feel like I'm in another country since even the billboards are in english with arabic written beneath.
We began looking for a flat or a villa the second week we were here. We had an agent take us around. At first we thought we might want a villa which is basically a really big house. Most villas we looked at were at least 5 bedrooms. Most places come furnished and decorated like a palace. The available villas in our price range were a little too far from base for us and nothing was in walking distance so we decided we wanted to stay in Juffair. In Juffair, everything is within walking distance, restaurants, bars, base, and Willie. We looked at a few 3 highs which are 3 story apartment buildings. One apartment per floor. American's can only occupy 25% of any building over 3 stories. This is a rule for the military and it's for safety. We looked at some towers as well. We only found one that was more updated, clean, 3 bedroom, and in our price range. We found one that was brand new that we loved but it was already at 25%. We got lucky with the one we settled on because at first it was at 27% (they had gotten two waiver's to allow the extra) so three people had to be moving out in order for us to get it. Luckily 3 happen to be moving out. So we will be living at the Palm Royal! 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, roof top pool, billiards/game room, movie theater room, gym, sauna & steam room, and maid service twice a week! The great thing is that we can negotiate what we want and don't want in the apartment. Luckily everything was pretty new and clean so we only asked for a few changes. Rent is pretty comparable to living in San Diego but the difference is you get more space and electricity, cable, internet, water, etc. is all included. We plan to move in around the 23rd or 24th of December.
Overall it's been quite an interesting month since our arrival. I've had a horrible cold this last week and haven't been able to do anything, which has worked out okay since Jer has been working really late and is beat by the time he comes home. We were warned when we first arrived that his days would be long. I'm looking forward to getting into our new place and getting into a routine. There is a lot more to see and do here and I look forward to sharing it will you all!
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
Adjusting
Adjusting. A lot of adjusting since we arrived. Adjusting to the time change, weather, living out of a suitcase, ordering in or eating out every meal, men in white dresses that really like to stare at blonds, maid-service everyday and people addressing us as sir and ma'am, dinar (currency), and dirt...everywhere!
People keep telling me it is very safe here. Not really any violent crime. Protesting in certain parts of the city but we are suppose to stay away from those areas and they are clearly marked. No drive by's, kidnapping, burglary, etc. Despite the staring and honking everywhere I go I feel pretty safe. If the taxi's drive by you when you are walking they honk to see if you want them to stop for you. Cars that are not taxi's honk when they drive by us and Jer say's it's because I'm a hot blond chick. Flattering I guess! The first night we were here we met Willie at Dublin's bar. It was a Thursday night which means that all the Saudi's were in town to get liquored up since it is illegal in their country. They come here to drink, pick up women, and drive around drunk so we have to always watch out for them. Anyways, we were just leaving the bar when a really drunk Saudi came up to Willie and said "hello, my friend"! By the way, Willie did not know this guy at all. He shook his hand then attempted to do the whole European thing of a kiss on each cheek. They guy said "no, no like this my friend" and bumped his nose to Willie's nose. He then shook my hand which is not common for a man to do here or anywhere in the Middle East, and proceeded to "nose bump" me too. Followed by a wave and a "you can come with me". At this point, his escort, bodyguard, babysitter, whom ever it was apologized and walked him away from us. Jer was in the bathroom at the time.
We spent a few days doing indoctrination at the base. They gave us brief after brief about things like, security, housing, the culture, schools, transportation, sites, base rules, jobs, and many many other things. The third day we went on a tour to the Grand Mosque, Porteguese Fort, and the Bahrain National Museum. We also ate lunch at a place called The Veranda. They served authentic Arabic food. Very similar to Indian food or some Greek food like humas, rice, and lamb. The food and the mosque were my favorite. At the mosque the women had to be covered in the Abaya which is the black cloak and the head scarf. We did not have to cover our faces, hands, or feet. That is not a requirement of any women. It is a personal choice. It is their culture to wear these outfits but it is not a requirement like it is in some middle eastern countries. The men wear white in the hot months and change to black in the cold months. Women wear black because it is more conservative and covers all the "hills and valley's" as I like to say. It was funny that the guy giving the cultural brief got really embarrassed trying to explain why women wear black. He was trying to find an appropriate way to say breasts but he just kept fumbling his words. According to the law here I can wear whatever I want but because I am here representing the military we are required to be respectful of their culture. For me that means no tank tops, short skirts, or short shorts. That is about it. I can wear a tank as long as I have something to cover my shoulders and shorts and skirts can't be more than 2 inches above the knee. No big deal although sometimes I really just want to wear a tank top without something over it!
There are huge buildings, skyscrapers everywhere.In between is just a lot of dirt though and construction everywhere. They just dump loads and loads of sand into the water and build something on top of it. The main roads are decent. Not a lot of pot holes or anything but the streets in between the buildings, the side streets, are pretty much dirt roads and dirt fields. The Xterra will be handy since we can cut across the dirt roads and fields. Not really any laws regarding stuff like that. There are speed limits and they have a 0 tolerance for drunk driving. Not sure they quite enforce that when the Saudi's come to town. Cars are more like mobile jungle gyms here. We have pulled up next to cars where there are 3 kids under the age of 5 jumping and playing in the back seat, no seat belts, car seats, or boosters, and mother's will hold there infants and toddlers in there lap in the front. Apparently, parents will even hold them in their lap while driving. Haven't seen that yet. Just in a picture during one of the briefs. Driver's are CRAZY here and have not respect for road rules! Also, no pedestrian crosswalks. There are places to cross but there is no yielding to pedestrians and no crossing lights. We always have to be paying attention.
The weather has been great. About 82 everyday which isn't bad unless we are walking. Which we are. We pretty much walk everywhere we go. It's about 15 minutes to the base from the hotel and the same to Willies. Then we have a ton of restaurants and bars that are near us. The base is not that big but they have some good eats like A&W, Taco Bell, pizza, sandwich place, Asian cuisine, a buffet, and then another buffet that has a different cuisine on different days of the week. Oh, and a Baskin Robbins, coffee place that serves Starbucks, and a fruit place that I think juices! There is a small grocery and NEX as well. We use American currency on base and Dinar everywhere else. A block away from the base is "American Alley" which is a strip of American restaurants like Chillis, Burger King, Hardee's (Carl's Jr.), Subway, Starbucks, Macaroni Grill, Dairy Queen, McDonald's, so on and so on and they all deliver!! Gratuity is always included in the bill so tipping is not expected though most people do it.
We are going on our second week here and getting adjusted to the time difference. I've been falling asleep before 11 every night, even 10! For those of you that know me that is extremely rare! I've been sleeping pretty well and I hope it lasts. We just started the process of looking for a flat so I look forward to sharing that experience. Living in a hotel is nice but nothing like having your own place!
People keep telling me it is very safe here. Not really any violent crime. Protesting in certain parts of the city but we are suppose to stay away from those areas and they are clearly marked. No drive by's, kidnapping, burglary, etc. Despite the staring and honking everywhere I go I feel pretty safe. If the taxi's drive by you when you are walking they honk to see if you want them to stop for you. Cars that are not taxi's honk when they drive by us and Jer say's it's because I'm a hot blond chick. Flattering I guess! The first night we were here we met Willie at Dublin's bar. It was a Thursday night which means that all the Saudi's were in town to get liquored up since it is illegal in their country. They come here to drink, pick up women, and drive around drunk so we have to always watch out for them. Anyways, we were just leaving the bar when a really drunk Saudi came up to Willie and said "hello, my friend"! By the way, Willie did not know this guy at all. He shook his hand then attempted to do the whole European thing of a kiss on each cheek. They guy said "no, no like this my friend" and bumped his nose to Willie's nose. He then shook my hand which is not common for a man to do here or anywhere in the Middle East, and proceeded to "nose bump" me too. Followed by a wave and a "you can come with me". At this point, his escort, bodyguard, babysitter, whom ever it was apologized and walked him away from us. Jer was in the bathroom at the time.
We spent a few days doing indoctrination at the base. They gave us brief after brief about things like, security, housing, the culture, schools, transportation, sites, base rules, jobs, and many many other things. The third day we went on a tour to the Grand Mosque, Porteguese Fort, and the Bahrain National Museum. We also ate lunch at a place called The Veranda. They served authentic Arabic food. Very similar to Indian food or some Greek food like humas, rice, and lamb. The food and the mosque were my favorite. At the mosque the women had to be covered in the Abaya which is the black cloak and the head scarf. We did not have to cover our faces, hands, or feet. That is not a requirement of any women. It is a personal choice. It is their culture to wear these outfits but it is not a requirement like it is in some middle eastern countries. The men wear white in the hot months and change to black in the cold months. Women wear black because it is more conservative and covers all the "hills and valley's" as I like to say. It was funny that the guy giving the cultural brief got really embarrassed trying to explain why women wear black. He was trying to find an appropriate way to say breasts but he just kept fumbling his words. According to the law here I can wear whatever I want but because I am here representing the military we are required to be respectful of their culture. For me that means no tank tops, short skirts, or short shorts. That is about it. I can wear a tank as long as I have something to cover my shoulders and shorts and skirts can't be more than 2 inches above the knee. No big deal although sometimes I really just want to wear a tank top without something over it!
There are huge buildings, skyscrapers everywhere.In between is just a lot of dirt though and construction everywhere. They just dump loads and loads of sand into the water and build something on top of it. The main roads are decent. Not a lot of pot holes or anything but the streets in between the buildings, the side streets, are pretty much dirt roads and dirt fields. The Xterra will be handy since we can cut across the dirt roads and fields. Not really any laws regarding stuff like that. There are speed limits and they have a 0 tolerance for drunk driving. Not sure they quite enforce that when the Saudi's come to town. Cars are more like mobile jungle gyms here. We have pulled up next to cars where there are 3 kids under the age of 5 jumping and playing in the back seat, no seat belts, car seats, or boosters, and mother's will hold there infants and toddlers in there lap in the front. Apparently, parents will even hold them in their lap while driving. Haven't seen that yet. Just in a picture during one of the briefs. Driver's are CRAZY here and have not respect for road rules! Also, no pedestrian crosswalks. There are places to cross but there is no yielding to pedestrians and no crossing lights. We always have to be paying attention.
The weather has been great. About 82 everyday which isn't bad unless we are walking. Which we are. We pretty much walk everywhere we go. It's about 15 minutes to the base from the hotel and the same to Willies. Then we have a ton of restaurants and bars that are near us. The base is not that big but they have some good eats like A&W, Taco Bell, pizza, sandwich place, Asian cuisine, a buffet, and then another buffet that has a different cuisine on different days of the week. Oh, and a Baskin Robbins, coffee place that serves Starbucks, and a fruit place that I think juices! There is a small grocery and NEX as well. We use American currency on base and Dinar everywhere else. A block away from the base is "American Alley" which is a strip of American restaurants like Chillis, Burger King, Hardee's (Carl's Jr.), Subway, Starbucks, Macaroni Grill, Dairy Queen, McDonald's, so on and so on and they all deliver!! Gratuity is always included in the bill so tipping is not expected though most people do it.
We are going on our second week here and getting adjusted to the time difference. I've been falling asleep before 11 every night, even 10! For those of you that know me that is extremely rare! I've been sleeping pretty well and I hope it lasts. We just started the process of looking for a flat so I look forward to sharing that experience. Living in a hotel is nice but nothing like having your own place!
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