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
Friday, December 7, 2012
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
Sunday, October 28, 2012
So, what was Egypt like?
Hello All,
In a single word, great!
It was an easy 3 hour flight (I was upgraded to business class) and we were met at the airport by the transportation company hired to shuttle everyone to the hotel.
I could not believe how crazy traffic on the highways and streets were! I saw cars triple parked and cars running 5 wide on the three lane highways. Whatever money that was spent painting lane dividing dashed lines was wasted. All and all, think of New York city with twice the number of people on the streets, 4x and many cars, and 8x the chaos.
We stayed at the JW Marriott which is like an upgraded and much nicer Marriott hotel. It had a resort fell to it with tennis courts, golf course, nice gym, plenty of restaurants, an indoor pool, outdoor pool, wave pool, and kids water park. Before everyone starts think that this might constitute "fraud, waste, and abuse" of government funds, it was the only place the embassy would authorize us to stay and we got a very reasonable US government rate. I must say, the security was very, very good with barriers, working dogs, robust security force, metal detectors at the hotel entrance, and x-ray machines for all the bags being brought in.
The conference itself (for Exercise BRIGHT STAR) went smooth and we made a lot of progress with our Egyptian partners as well as representatives from other nations which are going to take part in the exercise. We were a little short handed because some of the American planners didn't show up. I was pressed into service as the working group lead for SOF (Special Operations Forces).
The conference ended Tuesday but we were not flying out until Thursday. It was important to my command that all 5 of us from Bahrain traveled together and that is the earliest we could get 5 seats on the same flight. It is a big holiday this weekend and a lot of people are traveling (think along the lines of traveling in the US around Christmas) so we had a free day while awaiting travel.
What did we do with this free time? Went to the pyramids, of course!
We hired a vehicle, driver, and guide for the day, all for the sum of $25. It was a great deal and I could not believe how inexpensive it was. When you consider that a doctor here makes $1000 a month, that sum probably seemed reasonable to the tour company.
The first place we toured was the National Museum. This is the museum downtown where all the best Egyptian artifacts are displayed. The place looked like it had not been updated since 1950 but they did have a lot of interesting things on display including a whole floor dedicated to items that belonged to King Tut. The center piece of the museum had to be the mask of King Tut's mummy. This is the mask you always see in pictures. It a work or art made out of solid gold and weights 25 lbs. It dates back to 1323 BC (3500 years old) and is priceless, needless to say.
We also went inside the biggest pyramid and climbed up a very steep, 3 1/2 foot tall shaft and into the chamber were the mummy of King Kufu was laid to rest.
In a single word, great!
It was an easy 3 hour flight (I was upgraded to business class) and we were met at the airport by the transportation company hired to shuttle everyone to the hotel.
I could not believe how crazy traffic on the highways and streets were! I saw cars triple parked and cars running 5 wide on the three lane highways. Whatever money that was spent painting lane dividing dashed lines was wasted. All and all, think of New York city with twice the number of people on the streets, 4x and many cars, and 8x the chaos.
We stayed at the JW Marriott which is like an upgraded and much nicer Marriott hotel. It had a resort fell to it with tennis courts, golf course, nice gym, plenty of restaurants, an indoor pool, outdoor pool, wave pool, and kids water park. Before everyone starts think that this might constitute "fraud, waste, and abuse" of government funds, it was the only place the embassy would authorize us to stay and we got a very reasonable US government rate. I must say, the security was very, very good with barriers, working dogs, robust security force, metal detectors at the hotel entrance, and x-ray machines for all the bags being brought in.
The conference itself (for Exercise BRIGHT STAR) went smooth and we made a lot of progress with our Egyptian partners as well as representatives from other nations which are going to take part in the exercise. We were a little short handed because some of the American planners didn't show up. I was pressed into service as the working group lead for SOF (Special Operations Forces).
The conference ended Tuesday but we were not flying out until Thursday. It was important to my command that all 5 of us from Bahrain traveled together and that is the earliest we could get 5 seats on the same flight. It is a big holiday this weekend and a lot of people are traveling (think along the lines of traveling in the US around Christmas) so we had a free day while awaiting travel.
What did we do with this free time? Went to the pyramids, of course!
We hired a vehicle, driver, and guide for the day, all for the sum of $25. It was a great deal and I could not believe how inexpensive it was. When you consider that a doctor here makes $1000 a month, that sum probably seemed reasonable to the tour company. 
The first place we toured was the National Museum. This is the museum downtown where all the best Egyptian artifacts are displayed. The place looked like it had not been updated since 1950 but they did have a lot of interesting things on display including a whole floor dedicated to items that belonged to King Tut. The center piece of the museum had to be the mask of King Tut's mummy. This is the mask you always see in pictures. It a work or art made out of solid gold and weights 25 lbs. It dates back to 1323 BC (3500 years old) and is priceless, needless to say.
After our visit to the museum, we were off to the pyramids. I can tell you that pictures do not do the Pyramids of Giza justice. They are really something special. The guide told us that no, aliens did not build the pyramids but it was a very dedicated effort by tens of thousands of works (I don't think they were union guys!). Can't imagine how many men it would take to move those 3 ton blocks of granite.
We also went inside the biggest pyramid and climbed up a very steep, 3 1/2 foot tall shaft and into the chamber were the mummy of King Kufu was laid to rest.
The final stop was a short distance away to see the world's largest monolithic statue. It is 260' long and taller then a 6 story building. It was really something to see in person.
One other interesting thing I saw in Cairo (a very polluted and dirty city) was the headquarter of former president Mubarak, which is right next to the National Museum. It was interesting because during the revolution in Jan 2012, it was set on fire. The current government has prohibited it demolition or even cleaning it up. It is to serve as a reminder of Mubarak's dictatorship and a symbol of the revolution.
In a nutshell, I was very happy to see Egypt
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Hi Ho, Hi Ho....
It's off to Cairo I go.
Hello everyone,
Jodi update: Jodi continues to a little better everyday. She tends to over do it at times which the doctor warned against. She hasn't had any addition complications since her first week when so fluid was accumulating in the area that the tumor occupied. So, per my post last week, she is out of the woods for the time being.
As for me, pretty busy week at work. We have a lot of activity planned for the upcoming 6-12 months which means lots of planning going on now. Things have quieted down a lot in the region so there was no need to cancel my trip to Cairo.
Don't know how much time I will have for sight seeing but the pyramids are less then 30 minutes from the hotel. It would be a shame to go to Egypt and not see them as I don't fore see vacationing there, much to the dismay of their tourism board.
Speaking of tourism, I was telling Jodi that there are so many great things to see in the US, we should spend our money keeping OUR countries tourism industry move forward. Jodi wants to see the QE II in Long Beach, CA, and I would like to see Laguna Seca Raceway in norther CA. Maybe during a race weekend, what do you say, Honey? Laguna Seca in the vicinity of San Fran where I would also like to spend a weekend.
Of course, one of our first trips will be a long over due journey to see Jodi's grandmother in KY. Think we probably owe the kids some sort of fun trip what with as much as I have been gone. This would hardly be "compensation" but it is always nice to take them someplace where they can enjoy the benefits of just being a kid.
That is about all there is to report from here. By the time I get back from Egypt, I will be at my 6 month mark of my assignment.
Happy birthday to all the US Navy sailors and former sailors out there! The USN was founded a month before the USMC and this is their birthday weekend (13 Oct). So, a thanks goes out to my Uncle Tim who served in the USN as a young man, to my Dad who was in the USN Reserves and to my sister Michele who served on active duty.
Until I see you...
Michael
Hello everyone,
Jodi update: Jodi continues to a little better everyday. She tends to over do it at times which the doctor warned against. She hasn't had any addition complications since her first week when so fluid was accumulating in the area that the tumor occupied. So, per my post last week, she is out of the woods for the time being.
As for me, pretty busy week at work. We have a lot of activity planned for the upcoming 6-12 months which means lots of planning going on now. Things have quieted down a lot in the region so there was no need to cancel my trip to Cairo.
Don't know how much time I will have for sight seeing but the pyramids are less then 30 minutes from the hotel. It would be a shame to go to Egypt and not see them as I don't fore see vacationing there, much to the dismay of their tourism board.
Speaking of tourism, I was telling Jodi that there are so many great things to see in the US, we should spend our money keeping OUR countries tourism industry move forward. Jodi wants to see the QE II in Long Beach, CA, and I would like to see Laguna Seca Raceway in norther CA. Maybe during a race weekend, what do you say, Honey? Laguna Seca in the vicinity of San Fran where I would also like to spend a weekend.
Of course, one of our first trips will be a long over due journey to see Jodi's grandmother in KY. Think we probably owe the kids some sort of fun trip what with as much as I have been gone. This would hardly be "compensation" but it is always nice to take them someplace where they can enjoy the benefits of just being a kid.
That is about all there is to report from here. By the time I get back from Egypt, I will be at my 6 month mark of my assignment.
Happy birthday to all the US Navy sailors and former sailors out there! The USN was founded a month before the USMC and this is their birthday weekend (13 Oct). So, a thanks goes out to my Uncle Tim who served in the USN as a young man, to my Dad who was in the USN Reserves and to my sister Michele who served on active duty.
Until I see you...
Michael
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