Hello All,
Hard to believe I will have only 10 days left once I return from Jordan.
As a tradition, I close out with likes and dislikes. I don't want to leave on a sour note so I will cover my "dislikes" first.
1. Weekends: I dread weekends. We get thousands of Saudis descending on the city. They are rude, have a sense of entitlement, have no respect for the fact people live here, and come here to do all the things they can't do in Saudi Arabia which is often contrary to the religion they practice. We have a saying in the US which is "what happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas. They have there own saying: "Allah can't see across the causeway" which is the 12 mile long bridge which connects Saudi Arabia to Bahrain. Even other non-Saudi Muslims don't like them.
2. Traffic: Traffic is always bad and made worse by our "visitors". Not only is traffic bad, a high percentage of people are very dangerous drivers. Rules of the road? Simple...do what ever you want. Left hand turn from the far right lane? No problem. In a hurry (like everyone else)? Don't bother waiting your turn in the left hand turn only lane. Just drive to the front of the line and force your way in. Stop at a stop sign? Optional. Take up two parking spots? Sure, screw you...I have my parking spot. Stop on coming traffic because you want to make a left hand turn before the light changes? Why not...I got what I wanted, you will just have to wait on me.
3. Construction: Construction is going on everywhere. Roads and high-rises being build everywhere. The road construction only adds to the traffic problem and I have no idea who is going to live in all the high-rise apartments being built. There just doesn't seem to be a current shortage so I assume there will be plenty of vacancies. The best part of this construction is that it takes place 6 days a week and starts when the sun comes up. Currently, that means the noise starts at 5:30 am and lasts until dusk.
4. The "Middle Eastern" culture: To sum it up...it is getting very tiresome. I look forward to the day when the world no longer depends on oil. Everyone in this region can go back to being goat and camel herders like they were 100 years ago. It will not happen in my lifetime...but it will happen.
5. Tire fires and tear gas: You can't keep a popular civilian uprising suppressed forever. Revolutions have happened throughout history in every part of the world; didn't we have one in America a while back? It will happen here and in other surrounding counties where it has not happened already. Of course, the only people with guns is the government. I can think of a few other countries like that.
6. Dubbed "the least interesting place I have ever been": I have been to a lot of places. This is the least interesting place I have ever spent a significant amount of time in. Not much to do and even less to see. Their Tourism Ministry has its work cut out for it. At least they have a Formula 1 race every year...not that anyone who lives here cares.
7. Diving: The water is colder then you would think it would be, visibility is terrible, and there is nothing to see. What a waste of time.
8. Food prices: All food is more expensive here. In the grocery store, things are slightly to significantly more expensive. In a restaurant, expect to pay double of what you would pay in the US.
Next week: "Likes"!
Until then,
Michael
Friday, April 12, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
The final countdown...
Hey Whoever is left, lol!
Well...less then a month left of my 1 year tour in Bahrain. One trip to Jordan left then on that freedom bird home!
As always, not much going on here. Just biding my time and eager to get home to my family.
Next week, I will do a recap of my time here with a like/dislike of my time here.
I have a lot of thoughts about that but there should not be many surprises.
Until next week....
Michael
Well...less then a month left of my 1 year tour in Bahrain. One trip to Jordan left then on that freedom bird home!
As always, not much going on here. Just biding my time and eager to get home to my family.
Next week, I will do a recap of my time here with a like/dislike of my time here.
I have a lot of thoughts about that but there should not be many surprises.
Until next week....
Michael
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Where am I? Cellblock C?
Hello Everyone,
Have not posted in a month to my surprise. That can only mean one thing...not much going on.
This weekend was a little hyped up. Showed up to work on Thursday morning and got to wondering...where the hell in everyone. Went to see the Watch Officer in the Command Operations Center and found out we were instructed Wed evening to not come into work on Thurs. Wish they made more of an effort to tell me!
This weekend is the 2 year anniversary of Shite protesters being routed from the "Pearl Roundabout" where the Kingdom crushed a large group of counter-government protesters. Forces from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) came in and dropped the hammer. (GCC is just the surrounding Gulf countries. I think that they have an agreement to send forces from their respective countries to any country on the council which has uprising.)
The monument at the Pearl Roundabout was demolished and the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) has a very tight ring of security around it as it represents the anti-governement movement. We had an MOI but we call it the Dept of Homeland Security, which sounds more pleasant. Wonder if they will have the same power some day.
To go one step further, my command thought it "was a good idea" for everyone to stay in their flats over the weekend. I don't usually go out much on the weekend but don't like the idea of being ordered not to leave.
Was this in response from warning from the Embassy? No. Was this policy established by the Base CO? No. Did the Navy, commanded by a 3 star Admiral, establish this same policy? No? It was just someone's "good idea"
The worse part was that there was not warning that this "good idea" would be implemented. So, I was trapped in my flat with whatever was there Thurs morning, included "new" but slower internet. Those two days stuck in my apartment convinced me I would not do well in prison.
At any rate, there are protest every weekend to include the burning of tires and MOI using tear gas and this weekend was no different.
On another note, I should be leaving the first week of May which means I have less then 2 months left. Not sure what I am doing next but looking forward to being back in the states. Time went fast for me but this has been a long deployment.
Until next time (whenever that is)!
Have not posted in a month to my surprise. That can only mean one thing...not much going on.
This weekend was a little hyped up. Showed up to work on Thursday morning and got to wondering...where the hell in everyone. Went to see the Watch Officer in the Command Operations Center and found out we were instructed Wed evening to not come into work on Thurs. Wish they made more of an effort to tell me!
This weekend is the 2 year anniversary of Shite protesters being routed from the "Pearl Roundabout" where the Kingdom crushed a large group of counter-government protesters. Forces from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) came in and dropped the hammer. (GCC is just the surrounding Gulf countries. I think that they have an agreement to send forces from their respective countries to any country on the council which has uprising.)
The monument at the Pearl Roundabout was demolished and the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) has a very tight ring of security around it as it represents the anti-governement movement. We had an MOI but we call it the Dept of Homeland Security, which sounds more pleasant. Wonder if they will have the same power some day.
To go one step further, my command thought it "was a good idea" for everyone to stay in their flats over the weekend. I don't usually go out much on the weekend but don't like the idea of being ordered not to leave.
Was this in response from warning from the Embassy? No. Was this policy established by the Base CO? No. Did the Navy, commanded by a 3 star Admiral, establish this same policy? No? It was just someone's "good idea"
The worse part was that there was not warning that this "good idea" would be implemented. So, I was trapped in my flat with whatever was there Thurs morning, included "new" but slower internet. Those two days stuck in my apartment convinced me I would not do well in prison.
At any rate, there are protest every weekend to include the burning of tires and MOI using tear gas and this weekend was no different.
On another note, I should be leaving the first week of May which means I have less then 2 months left. Not sure what I am doing next but looking forward to being back in the states. Time went fast for me but this has been a long deployment.
Until next time (whenever that is)!
Sunday, February 17, 2013
2 Cites, 2 Years, 2 Anniversaries....
Hello All,
Haven't posted lately because unless I travel, there really isn't anything to report. I go to work, come home, go to gym, go to bed...repeat. I have previously called Bahrain the least interesting place I have ever spend a significant amount of time in.
At any rate, I was lucky (?) enough to be witness to the 2 year anniversary of anti-government uprising in 2 different countries. As you recall, I had lunch near Tahrir Square, where all the protest in Cairo take place, just 9 hours before the 2 year anniversary of the uprising that still continues today.
Yesterday was the 2 year anniversary of the anti-government uprising that have been taking place in Manama, Bahrain. We got plenty of updates on where the protests were taking place and steer
Haven't posted lately because unless I travel, there really isn't anything to report. I go to work, come home, go to gym, go to bed...repeat. I have previously called Bahrain the least interesting place I have ever spend a significant amount of time in.
At any rate, I was lucky (?) enough to be witness to the 2 year anniversary of anti-government uprising in 2 different countries. As you recall, I had lunch near Tahrir Square, where all the protest in Cairo take place, just 9 hours before the 2 year anniversary of the uprising that still continues today.
Yesterday was the 2 year anniversary of the anti-government uprising that have been taking place in Manama, Bahrain. We got plenty of updates on where the protests were taking place and steer
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Cairo...there and back again.
Hello All,
I just finished my second (and last) trip to Cairo.
The trip got off to a pretty questionable start. I was cutting it close getting to the airport. I loaded my luggage and turned the key...nothing. The battery was dead. It was too late to call the rental car company so I just locked it up and took a cab.
Once at the airport, I had a second challenge to overcome. It turns out that the American Embassy in Bahrain would not process my paperwork for an Egyptian visa because I had less then 6 months remaining on my Bahrain visa. I was told this information just a few days before I was scheduled to leave and there was not enough time to get the extension and the Egyptian visa entered into my official US Government passport, which I am suppose to use when traveling on official US Gov business.
I could use my blue tourist passport but my red US Gov passport has my Bahrain visa in it which would be required to leave the country. We are not suppose to use two different passports when traveling and it would really piss off the embassy if they knew. So to get my ticket in Bahrain, I used my blue passport. To go through Bahrain customs, I used my red passport. To enter and leave Egypt, I used my blue passport. And...to enter Bahrain, I used my red passport.
I was a little worried the authorities at the airport would figure it out and at any minute, 2 Arabs in suits would come up behind me, grab me by both my arms, take to a windowless room somewhere, and proceed to slap me around until I confessed. Thankfully, this never happened.
A Major I work with was meeting me in Egypt for the conference but left the week prior to conduct a pre-deployment site survey. His wife lives here and she was flying on the same flight to spent the week in Cairo with him and he asked me to look after her while we were traveling.
This created the third challenge of the day as she evidently did not get a "culture brief" from her husband. Unfortunately, she was showing a little to much flesh for the region. Taking into account the Muslim culture and the internal strife of Egypt, wise travelers wear pants, long shirts, and long sleeves...loose, modest fitting clothing.
While waiting in line with her in order to go through customs, I couldn't help but notice that people around us were constantly pointing towards us and whispering amongst themselves. Thankfully, no one confronted us because of her manner of dress.
Here's a little travel tip for anyone headed out to this region...don't dress like a bum or prostitute.
The conference itself was uneventful and we continue to "kick the can down the road". The first time I was there was a lot more fun.
Had some free time at the end of the conference so me, my co-worker, and his wife headed out to the pyramids again. The tour company managed to arrange for the same tour guide and driver we had last time to take us out again. Our tour guide, a 32 yo, or so, Egyptian woman named Mera, told us that we were her first repeat customers. We were happy to find out that since our last visit in Oct, she had gotten married and was pregnant. This is probably a big relief for her family. In Muslim countries, a daughter who is not married by 30 becomes a big family crisis. So, that is a monkey off their back.
It was nice to see the pyramids again but they lost a little bit of that "wow" factor the second time around. There seemed to be fewer people there this time so it was easier to get pictures without people in them. I suspect tourism was down the week we were there as the day before we left was the 2 year anniversary of the revolution. If you are planning a trip to Egypt, you probably would not go that particular week.
We also went to a place called Khan el-Khalili. This is a well known market place that caters tourist located in the Islamic district of Cairo and dates back to 1392. There have been some attacks there over the years but it seemed like business as usual when we were there.
Mera told us that Tahrir Square which is also known as "Martyr Square" and is the location of all the protest you see on TV. Our guide told us that when security forces start chasing the protesters, the protesters often retreat to the Mosques surrounding Khan el-Khalili. If being chased by the police, you can make the journey from Tahrir Square to Khan el-Khalili in about 15 minutes. The Imam (religious leader) at each mosque would never allow police or soldier in the mosque and the police would never consider entering so it seems like a pretty good plan to hole up there.
As I mentioned, we left the day before the 2nd anniversary of the revolution. I saw on the news that 8 demonstrators were killed the following day. I hope that the most populated country in Africa can get this all sorted out soon.
I just finished my second (and last) trip to Cairo.
The trip got off to a pretty questionable start. I was cutting it close getting to the airport. I loaded my luggage and turned the key...nothing. The battery was dead. It was too late to call the rental car company so I just locked it up and took a cab.
Once at the airport, I had a second challenge to overcome. It turns out that the American Embassy in Bahrain would not process my paperwork for an Egyptian visa because I had less then 6 months remaining on my Bahrain visa. I was told this information just a few days before I was scheduled to leave and there was not enough time to get the extension and the Egyptian visa entered into my official US Government passport, which I am suppose to use when traveling on official US Gov business.
I could use my blue tourist passport but my red US Gov passport has my Bahrain visa in it which would be required to leave the country. We are not suppose to use two different passports when traveling and it would really piss off the embassy if they knew. So to get my ticket in Bahrain, I used my blue passport. To go through Bahrain customs, I used my red passport. To enter and leave Egypt, I used my blue passport. And...to enter Bahrain, I used my red passport.
I was a little worried the authorities at the airport would figure it out and at any minute, 2 Arabs in suits would come up behind me, grab me by both my arms, take to a windowless room somewhere, and proceed to slap me around until I confessed. Thankfully, this never happened.
A Major I work with was meeting me in Egypt for the conference but left the week prior to conduct a pre-deployment site survey. His wife lives here and she was flying on the same flight to spent the week in Cairo with him and he asked me to look after her while we were traveling.
This created the third challenge of the day as she evidently did not get a "culture brief" from her husband. Unfortunately, she was showing a little to much flesh for the region. Taking into account the Muslim culture and the internal strife of Egypt, wise travelers wear pants, long shirts, and long sleeves...loose, modest fitting clothing.
While waiting in line with her in order to go through customs, I couldn't help but notice that people around us were constantly pointing towards us and whispering amongst themselves. Thankfully, no one confronted us because of her manner of dress.
Here's a little travel tip for anyone headed out to this region...don't dress like a bum or prostitute.
The conference itself was uneventful and we continue to "kick the can down the road". The first time I was there was a lot more fun.
Had some free time at the end of the conference so me, my co-worker, and his wife headed out to the pyramids again. The tour company managed to arrange for the same tour guide and driver we had last time to take us out again. Our tour guide, a 32 yo, or so, Egyptian woman named Mera, told us that we were her first repeat customers. We were happy to find out that since our last visit in Oct, she had gotten married and was pregnant. This is probably a big relief for her family. In Muslim countries, a daughter who is not married by 30 becomes a big family crisis. So, that is a monkey off their back.
It was nice to see the pyramids again but they lost a little bit of that "wow" factor the second time around. There seemed to be fewer people there this time so it was easier to get pictures without people in them. I suspect tourism was down the week we were there as the day before we left was the 2 year anniversary of the revolution. If you are planning a trip to Egypt, you probably would not go that particular week.
We also went to a place called Khan el-Khalili. This is a well known market place that caters tourist located in the Islamic district of Cairo and dates back to 1392. There have been some attacks there over the years but it seemed like business as usual when we were there.
Mera told us that Tahrir Square which is also known as "Martyr Square" and is the location of all the protest you see on TV. Our guide told us that when security forces start chasing the protesters, the protesters often retreat to the Mosques surrounding Khan el-Khalili. If being chased by the police, you can make the journey from Tahrir Square to Khan el-Khalili in about 15 minutes. The Imam (religious leader) at each mosque would never allow police or soldier in the mosque and the police would never consider entering so it seems like a pretty good plan to hole up there.
As I mentioned, we left the day before the 2nd anniversary of the revolution. I saw on the news that 8 demonstrators were killed the following day. I hope that the most populated country in Africa can get this all sorted out soon.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Happy New Year!
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
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
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
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