Hello All,
After a very busy December, I am back in Bahrain.
After my trip to UAE, I (re) packed my bags and headed by to the US for a Christmas break. Jodi did a FANTASTIC job decorating the house. It was like a winter wonderland (minus the snow).
There were a few things that need to be taken care of around the house but I actually got a lot of rest and relaxation on my R&R trip. The weather was a little spotty with a few days of low(er) temps and rain. There were a couple of things I could have done outside if the weather was a little better but I am sure they will be waiting for me when I get back, lol.
Sarah was in town for my first week back home and celebrated Christmas with us. Even though she is Jewish, she is down with any holiday that involves gifts! She and Chase had a great time catching up and playing together. Jodi and I are blessed to have such wonderful kids!
They both got some really nice gifts. I was excited that Sarah wanted a bow and arrow set for the holidays. I ordered a compound bow for her which included a few arrows. I was surprised at the quality of the bow for the reasonable amount I paid for it. Sarah did very well right out of the box. After a few sessions, she was hitting the target with every arrow. In fact, it is so cool, I was thinking about getting an adult sized bow myself! I hope she sticks with it. It was a lot of fun shooting with her.
What really surprised me was the fact that I didn't get sick while I was home. Seems like a pretty bad flu season. Chase and Jodi both had a touch of something which I was sure I was going to get. Reminds me of the Christmas when we were all really sick on Christmas day a few years ago.
So, I am back to work. It didn't take long to get caught up because nothing really happened while I was gone. The pace of activity slows to a crawl as most military types around the world take a lot of time off at the end of the year...well deserved time off.
I am off to Cairo again next week. Didn't think I would have to make this trip but there is no one else to cover it. I have already seen the pyramids so I will have to see what else Egypt has to offer
Until then,
Michael
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Friday, December 14, 2012
See the world's largest Persian carpet...check
See the world's largest chandelier...check.
Hello All,
Made some progress on my "things to see before I die" bucket list by seeing the world's largest Persian carpet and the world's largest chandelier. Of note, I check both boxes making only one stop...The Sheikh Zayed Mosque, better known as Grand Mosque of Abu Dhabi.
The rug weighs 75,000 lbs, took 1200 weavers almost 2 years to complete, has over 2.2 BILLION hand made knots, and reportedly cost $8.5 million. Size? 60,546 sq ft. This carpet is bigger then a football field which measures 57,600 sq ft (including end zones). Pretty impressive.
The claim of the world's largest chandelier could not be verified using the internet but...measures over 33 feet in diameter and 45 feet in height. It appears to be the "third largest chandelier" in the world. It too was impressive but "see the world's third largest chandelier" is not on my list.
Turns out that the world's largest chandelier is in Doha, Qatar and measures 41 feet wide and 19 feet tall. Don't have any trips to Doha on the calendar but people from the command go there on a fairly regular basis. I'll see if I can jump on one of those trips.
Abu Dhabi was pretty nice and much bigger then Muscat, Oman. It is a big modern looking city with lots of hussle and bustle. Abu Dhabi is the location of UAE's central government so there are lots of government agencies located in the city. They attract a fair number of tourist but I think Dubai has the edge with the vacation seeking types.
The hotel, The Beach Rotana, was very nice and one of two approved by the US embassy. It was also connected to a 3 story mall.
We met every day at the UAE Armed Forces Officers' Club. This is a bit misleading because the AFOC is really a very big hotel/conference center complete with gyms, pools, sports fields, pistol range and restaurants.
The best part of the day was lunch. The cafeteria, if you could call it that, was AWESOME! It featured an international buffet with soup, salad, and desert bar. Other stations featured Asian (including sushi), tradition Arab fare, Indian section, and a European section. All the food was delicious. I limited myself to small portions but when you sample 20 small portions, you end up pretty full. I couldn't stop because everything was so good. I tasted few things I never had before but stuck with the sushi, duck, lamb, and beef for the most part.
I have a funny story about locking myself out on the balcony of my room one morning. I'll save that for when I see you.
Until then,
Michael
Hello All,
Made some progress on my "things to see before I die" bucket list by seeing the world's largest Persian carpet and the world's largest chandelier. Of note, I check both boxes making only one stop...The Sheikh Zayed Mosque, better known as Grand Mosque of Abu Dhabi.
The rug weighs 75,000 lbs, took 1200 weavers almost 2 years to complete, has over 2.2 BILLION hand made knots, and reportedly cost $8.5 million. Size? 60,546 sq ft. This carpet is bigger then a football field which measures 57,600 sq ft (including end zones). Pretty impressive.
The claim of the world's largest chandelier could not be verified using the internet but...measures over 33 feet in diameter and 45 feet in height. It appears to be the "third largest chandelier" in the world. It too was impressive but "see the world's third largest chandelier" is not on my list.
Turns out that the world's largest chandelier is in Doha, Qatar and measures 41 feet wide and 19 feet tall. Don't have any trips to Doha on the calendar but people from the command go there on a fairly regular basis. I'll see if I can jump on one of those trips.
Abu Dhabi was pretty nice and much bigger then Muscat, Oman. It is a big modern looking city with lots of hussle and bustle. Abu Dhabi is the location of UAE's central government so there are lots of government agencies located in the city. They attract a fair number of tourist but I think Dubai has the edge with the vacation seeking types.
The hotel, The Beach Rotana, was very nice and one of two approved by the US embassy. It was also connected to a 3 story mall.
We met every day at the UAE Armed Forces Officers' Club. This is a bit misleading because the AFOC is really a very big hotel/conference center complete with gyms, pools, sports fields, pistol range and restaurants.
The best part of the day was lunch. The cafeteria, if you could call it that, was AWESOME! It featured an international buffet with soup, salad, and desert bar. Other stations featured Asian (including sushi), tradition Arab fare, Indian section, and a European section. All the food was delicious. I limited myself to small portions but when you sample 20 small portions, you end up pretty full. I couldn't stop because everything was so good. I tasted few things I never had before but stuck with the sushi, duck, lamb, and beef for the most part.
I have a funny story about locking myself out on the balcony of my room one morning. I'll save that for when I see you.
Until then,
Michael
Friday, December 7, 2012
1 trip down, 2 to go.
Hello All,
Returned from my trip to Muscat, Oman, a couple of days ago and now packing for a week long conference in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Muscat was great. It was THE cleanest city I have every visited. The place really sparkled...and I don't use the world "sparkled" often. It was a very modern looking city and seemed pretty moderate. It was very different then other cities I have visited in the Middle East. It is actually some place I would consider going to for a vacation.
Tomorrow, I am off to Abu Dhabi. I have never been there so I am interested to see what it is all about. It too is suppose to be very nice. I will update you when I get back.
Once I return from UAE, I will be in Bahrain for a few days and then flying across the pond to send a couple of weeks back in NC. I am really looking forward to being home for Christmas! I know Jodi has a "honey do" list waiting for me but I am not one to sit on a lounge chair reading so that is fine. She has worked long and hard decorating and I can't wait to see the place. The kids will have a great Christmas. We were all apart last year as I was in Djibouti.
That is about it from here. Today marks the day that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor...71 years ago. Pls take a moment to remember the Americans that were killed that day during an unprovoked attack in HI at 12:55 EST.
Michael
Returned from my trip to Muscat, Oman, a couple of days ago and now packing for a week long conference in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Muscat was great. It was THE cleanest city I have every visited. The place really sparkled...and I don't use the world "sparkled" often. It was a very modern looking city and seemed pretty moderate. It was very different then other cities I have visited in the Middle East. It is actually some place I would consider going to for a vacation.
Tomorrow, I am off to Abu Dhabi. I have never been there so I am interested to see what it is all about. It too is suppose to be very nice. I will update you when I get back.
Once I return from UAE, I will be in Bahrain for a few days and then flying across the pond to send a couple of weeks back in NC. I am really looking forward to being home for Christmas! I know Jodi has a "honey do" list waiting for me but I am not one to sit on a lounge chair reading so that is fine. She has worked long and hard decorating and I can't wait to see the place. The kids will have a great Christmas. We were all apart last year as I was in Djibouti.
That is about it from here. Today marks the day that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor...71 years ago. Pls take a moment to remember the Americans that were killed that day during an unprovoked attack in HI at 12:55 EST.
Michael
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Seven days.
Hello All,
Seven days. That is how many days I am projected to be in Bahrain during the month of December.
The month starts off with a trip to Muscat, the capital city of Oman, for a few days. I have never been there and those who have, say it is pretty nice.
I will be back in Bahrain for the weekend and then off to Abu Dhabi, UAE. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are said to be the crown jewels of the Middle East. Factoid...Dubai is home to the world's largest mall. It has over 1200 shops and 5.4 MILLION sqft of retail space. I am not going to Dubai so I will not get to see the world's largest mall. Too bad since it is on my "places to see before I die" list, much like "see the world's tallest steeple" which I did in 2009. Well, maybe some other trip will take me to Dubai.
Back to Bahrain after UAE. Do laundry. Leave for US for two weeks of R&R. It will be great to be home for Christmas. Jodi has been working harder then Santa's elves getting the house decorated and i know it will look great. Both kids will be with us for the week holiday festivities. It sure is a great time of year.
Three trips in December equals 2 new stamps in my passport. Not bad.
The travel doesn't stop in January as I will be off to Cairo again during the later part of the month. Since I have already been to the Great Pyramids of Giza, I will have to find other old stuff to see.
Not much to report here otherwise. Things are slowing down a bit as they always during during the period between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. This happens every year all over the Marine Corps and, I assume, will all the military's branches. Well, I guess that is ok. Everyone could use a breather.
Hope all is well in whatever part of the world you find yourselves.
Michael
Seven days. That is how many days I am projected to be in Bahrain during the month of December.
The month starts off with a trip to Muscat, the capital city of Oman, for a few days. I have never been there and those who have, say it is pretty nice.
I will be back in Bahrain for the weekend and then off to Abu Dhabi, UAE. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are said to be the crown jewels of the Middle East. Factoid...Dubai is home to the world's largest mall. It has over 1200 shops and 5.4 MILLION sqft of retail space. I am not going to Dubai so I will not get to see the world's largest mall. Too bad since it is on my "places to see before I die" list, much like "see the world's tallest steeple" which I did in 2009. Well, maybe some other trip will take me to Dubai.
Back to Bahrain after UAE. Do laundry. Leave for US for two weeks of R&R. It will be great to be home for Christmas. Jodi has been working harder then Santa's elves getting the house decorated and i know it will look great. Both kids will be with us for the week holiday festivities. It sure is a great time of year.
Three trips in December equals 2 new stamps in my passport. Not bad.
The travel doesn't stop in January as I will be off to Cairo again during the later part of the month. Since I have already been to the Great Pyramids of Giza, I will have to find other old stuff to see.
Not much to report here otherwise. Things are slowing down a bit as they always during during the period between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. This happens every year all over the Marine Corps and, I assume, will all the military's branches. Well, I guess that is ok. Everyone could use a breather.
Hope all is well in whatever part of the world you find yourselves.
Michael
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
It's official
x2.
Hello everyone,
Well it's official, x2.
First, Bahrain is the least interesting place I have every spent a significant amount of time in. The diving sucks and there is really nothing to see. I struggle to fill the two days a week I have off. I tend to batten down the hatches Wed-Sun and not venture out much. If I HAVE to, I will get out on Fri or Sat morning.
The problem with Wed-Sun is that we tend to get a lot of visitors from an adjacent country who treat where I live like a play ground. The people in question are arrogant with a "me first" attitude. Muslims from other place then where these people are from say the same thing; that they have a sense of entitlement and that they are better then Arabs from other countries. It will be tough to grind out another 5 mos here. I would never come back to the Middle East and don't like it here at all. I'll just stick to my routine which mostly includes work and a simple after hours life style.
The second thing that is official is that the box of "Cohiba" cigars I bought a couple of months ago are counterfeits. I had some reservations when I first saw them but a little research tells me that this box of cigars fails on all 15 indicators of authentic Cuban cigars. Lesson learned (again!), if it seems to good to be true in IS to good to be true.
Well, at least I know that the Cubans I bought in Egypt are the real deal.
Thanksgiving is coming up. I have an awful lot to be thankful for but will probably spend a quite day by myself in my flat. I will be thinking of you all!
Cheers,
Michael
Hello everyone,
Well it's official, x2.
First, Bahrain is the least interesting place I have every spent a significant amount of time in. The diving sucks and there is really nothing to see. I struggle to fill the two days a week I have off. I tend to batten down the hatches Wed-Sun and not venture out much. If I HAVE to, I will get out on Fri or Sat morning.
The problem with Wed-Sun is that we tend to get a lot of visitors from an adjacent country who treat where I live like a play ground. The people in question are arrogant with a "me first" attitude. Muslims from other place then where these people are from say the same thing; that they have a sense of entitlement and that they are better then Arabs from other countries. It will be tough to grind out another 5 mos here. I would never come back to the Middle East and don't like it here at all. I'll just stick to my routine which mostly includes work and a simple after hours life style.
The second thing that is official is that the box of "Cohiba" cigars I bought a couple of months ago are counterfeits. I had some reservations when I first saw them but a little research tells me that this box of cigars fails on all 15 indicators of authentic Cuban cigars. Lesson learned (again!), if it seems to good to be true in IS to good to be true.
Well, at least I know that the Cubans I bought in Egypt are the real deal.
Thanksgiving is coming up. I have an awful lot to be thankful for but will probably spend a quite day by myself in my flat. I will be thinking of you all!
Cheers,
Michael
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Happy 237th!
Hello All,
Time again for the annual trifecta.
Today, 10 Nov, is the birthday of my beloved United States Marine Corps. 237 years ago, the Marine Corps was founded and we promptly started recruiting at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, PA. I think the signing bonus back then was a free beer.
Here in Bahrain, we had our traditional birthday celebration, the Marine Corps Ball. As far as MC balls go, it was decent. A little over priced as always but nice to get together with the gang on a social basis. I don't have my Dress Blues here so I wore the suit I had made a few months ago.
I think me and Uncle Ed are the only US Marines in the family. Be sure to tell him "happy birthday". He will probably pretend he doesn't know what you are talking about but he does and he will appreciate you mentioning it to him.
It is also Veterans' Day weekend. This is a time when we remember all the veterans out there who made sacrifices (some of them the ultimate sacrifice) so that the rest of society could live under the umbrella of freedom that comes with being an American citizen.
My family has a rich history of military service with members of every generation raising their right hand and swearing to protect and defend the constitution of the United States. I think everyone of us knows a veteran. This is the weekend to reach out to them and thank them for their service.
So, to all the vets out there... thank you for all that you have done. You can probably look back and remember so tough times. You made it through them and you made a difference.
And the third element of this trifecta week? My birthday. Hard to believe that I will be 47. My generation is now "our parents' age". Remember when you were a kid and you parents were 40? It seemed pretty old at the time. It doesn't feel that old now that I am in my 40s, lol! Time marches on.
Not much lined up for Nov. I will be going to Oman at the end of the month. I have never been there so it will be another new stamp in my passport.
That it for now. Have a great week.
Michael
Time again for the annual trifecta.
Today, 10 Nov, is the birthday of my beloved United States Marine Corps. 237 years ago, the Marine Corps was founded and we promptly started recruiting at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, PA. I think the signing bonus back then was a free beer.
Here in Bahrain, we had our traditional birthday celebration, the Marine Corps Ball. As far as MC balls go, it was decent. A little over priced as always but nice to get together with the gang on a social basis. I don't have my Dress Blues here so I wore the suit I had made a few months ago.
I think me and Uncle Ed are the only US Marines in the family. Be sure to tell him "happy birthday". He will probably pretend he doesn't know what you are talking about but he does and he will appreciate you mentioning it to him.
It is also Veterans' Day weekend. This is a time when we remember all the veterans out there who made sacrifices (some of them the ultimate sacrifice) so that the rest of society could live under the umbrella of freedom that comes with being an American citizen.
My family has a rich history of military service with members of every generation raising their right hand and swearing to protect and defend the constitution of the United States. I think everyone of us knows a veteran. This is the weekend to reach out to them and thank them for their service.
So, to all the vets out there... thank you for all that you have done. You can probably look back and remember so tough times. You made it through them and you made a difference.
And the third element of this trifecta week? My birthday. Hard to believe that I will be 47. My generation is now "our parents' age". Remember when you were a kid and you parents were 40? It seemed pretty old at the time. It doesn't feel that old now that I am in my 40s, lol! Time marches on.
Not much lined up for Nov. I will be going to Oman at the end of the month. I have never been there so it will be another new stamp in my passport.
That it for now. Have a great week.
Michael
Sunday, November 4, 2012
So, what's new in Bahrain?
Hell all,
In short, nothing. So, if you are pressed for time you can stop reading now, LOL!
This was my first week back after my travels to Egypt, so catching up was the main effort for me at work.
It is hard to believe it is Nov already and I have passed the halfway point of my time here. I can certainly understand why people take the 2 weeks of R&R around their mid-tour window. I was lucky to be home in Sept but ready for a break. Well, 7 more weeks or so and I will be home for Christmas. After that, only 4 months left.
Historically, we are approaching period when things slow down for the those in the military. We have 2 long weekends in Nov and the Marine Corps Birthday Ball. Once Thanksgiving is over, everyone has the end of the year holidays in sight. With so many people taking time off for Chirstmas, it is hard to get much done for those who are in the office during that time.
I don't have any travel planned for Nov but will be in the United Arab Emirates the second week of Dec just before I travel back to the states. I've never been to the UAE so it will be a new stamp in my passport.
Well, like I said...not much to report from here so I suppose I will close before it gets down to me telling you what I had for desert yesterday.
Cheers,
Michael
In short, nothing. So, if you are pressed for time you can stop reading now, LOL!
This was my first week back after my travels to Egypt, so catching up was the main effort for me at work.
It is hard to believe it is Nov already and I have passed the halfway point of my time here. I can certainly understand why people take the 2 weeks of R&R around their mid-tour window. I was lucky to be home in Sept but ready for a break. Well, 7 more weeks or so and I will be home for Christmas. After that, only 4 months left.
Historically, we are approaching period when things slow down for the those in the military. We have 2 long weekends in Nov and the Marine Corps Birthday Ball. Once Thanksgiving is over, everyone has the end of the year holidays in sight. With so many people taking time off for Chirstmas, it is hard to get much done for those who are in the office during that time.
I don't have any travel planned for Nov but will be in the United Arab Emirates the second week of Dec just before I travel back to the states. I've never been to the UAE so it will be a new stamp in my passport.
January is also shaping up to be busy with a couple of weeks of travel. I will head back to Egypt and maybe back to UAE.
After years of my friends pestering me to get a Facebook acct, I created one around the time I left for Bahrain. I must say, it IS a great way to stay in touch with everyone and have even reconnected with some people I have not heard from in over 25 years. Thankfully, I don't have any friends who feel compelled to share with everyone that they had an Eskimo Pie for desert or something ridiculous like that.
Cheers,
Michael
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