Drive at your own risk

Driving in Bahrain is not for the weak or timid. You have drivers from all over the world with different rules all merging into one. Below are some general rules that have been posted on TripAdvisor for Bahrain. They are pretty dead on as to how things are here, except perhaps they should include a few truths, like stop signs. They are basically yield signs. You roll right up, look around, if no one is coming then you keep going. The turn lights here turn Red, then yellow then green. You need to be moving when it turns yellow or you will get honked at for being too slow. All in all, you really have to be an aggressive driver and watch everything around you at all times.

Here are some quick points:

  1. All cars must be legally registered and insured.

  2. All drivers must carry a driver's license (International driving license required for visitors).

  3. Wear your seat belts.

  4. Respect the speed limit.

  5. Do not cross any red lights.

  6. No drinking and driving. (The slightest smell of alcohol on your breath is enough to get you arrested)

  7. - So please assign a designated driver or call a cab. Don't ruin your vacation!

Thinking the above should say 'Obey the speed limit' not respect....because most do not adhere to the speed limit, and very few actually get a ticket for speeding.

Warnings

  1. Always use your signals to indicate where you are going to turn.

  2. Use "Danger" (a.k.a. Double Signal) to indicate immediate stopping or hazard ahead (such as an accident, or obstacle in the middle of the street.)

  3. Be cautious on weekends (Thursday night, Friday, and Saturday) as there are lots of crazy drivers (from neighboring countries) who are not familiar with the traffic laws, or worse - people who try to apply their own country's rules abroad!

  4. Keep a safe distance between yourself and the car in front of you.

  5. Don't force your way through or endanger others. If you've missed a turn or exit, just continue straight and ask for directions on how to get back (at a traffic light)

  6. Without being too racist/discriminant - watch out for Saudi drivers, taxis, 18-wheelers and the like. (These are renowned for being the worst drivers in Bahrain)

Headlights / Signal lights / Horns (Other uses)

You might be thinking, "other uses?" - yes. Driving is sometimes a social game. Full of requests, taunts, warnings, and thank yous.

 Aside from their main purpose, headlights have the following use:

  1. When signalling for a turn, if you see somebody flash you with the headlights (as in turning on the full beams real quick) - this is usually an indication that the other driver is allowing you to pass.

  2. If encountered with the same situation when you are driving on the left lane of a highway and the flash comes from the car that is behind you. This is usually a request to make way. The left lane is considered the "fast lane", with slower vehicles relegated to the middle and right lanes (the slower you are, the more to the right lane you should be). Expect to see a lot of heavy vehicles and old/slow cars on the right lane. You should give way, since relatively speaking you are slower than the incoming car that's behind you. However, do this in a careful manner by checking your mirrors and signalling to the right.

 Signal lights have the following use (other than signalling):

  1. If you are requesting that a person make way and he signals to the left (even though there is no turn in sight), understand that the other driver is telling you that he is holding this lane despite his relatively slow speed in order to make an eventual turn.

  2. After giving way or making room for somebody to change lanes, especially when the other driver wants to enter your lane - you may be briefly shown a "Danger"/Double signal. This is a sign of gratitude, a quick "thanks" if you will. Pay attention to the situation and whether it warranted such a gesture. If there was no courteous act committed, then there's probably a good reason to slam on the brakes!

 Horns have the following uses:

  1. Long horns are usually full warnings - so listen carefully and use them to warn other drivers.

  2. Short horn sounds can be considered as minor warnings (You are about to cross a perpendicular 2-way street and turn left into the second street, a driver may see the front of your car and give a slight warning to indicate that he is close.)

  3. If someone from oncoming traffic is given permission to turn (via headlights), you may be thanked using a short horn (and a wave of the hand).

  4. Taxis are known to honk at "potential" customers (then again, potential customer is anyone without a car/bike), so don't be alarmed if a short horn sounds when your driving or walking by.

  5. Repeated horn sounds - whether double (beep-beep), triple (beep-beep-beeeeeeeeep), or constant (no need to explain this one) can be associated with impatience. Sound is made to urge the people in front to move on. Double/Triple beeps are usually used at roundabouts and traffic lights if someone is taking too long to move. Constant repeated beeps are indicative of a traffic jam.

Roundabouts

Bahrain is starting to phase out most of the problematic roundabouts, as they have been a source of major accidents and traffic jams. Some of these are being replaced by 2/3/4-way intersections. However, there is no guarantee that all roundabouts will be eliminated.

 How to drive in roundabouts:

  1. Some countries give right of way to traffic entering the roundabout (like Beirut). Bahrain however, gives right of way to people INSIDE the roundabout. You will notice the "Give Way" traffic signs at all roundabouts.

  2. Certain roundabouts will have traffic lights placed at them. So even if there are no cars inside the roundabout, you cannot enter if the traffic light is red. Same goes for traffic lights INSIDE the roundabout.

  3. Pay attention to the ground arrows as most roundabouts connect 4 to 6 routes (in a 4-way roundabout, one is your route and the rest are considered exits)

  4. As a general guideline, if you want to turn right or head straight (12-6 o'clock / directional) hold the right lane.

  5. If you want to turn left or go back the way you came (6-12 o'clock / directional) hold the left lane.

  6. Middle lane is usually reserved for straight and left exits. (Applicable to 3-lane roads, 2-lanes only have left/right)

  7. If for some reason you miss your exit, DON'T PANIC. Make another round on the roundabout and attempt it the second time.

  8. WATCH OUT, for people on the right lane attempting to make a left when you're in the middle lane and trying to go straight. (refer to #7)

Looks can be deceiving...

When we first arrived in Bahrain, we spent our first week in a hotel which I was determined to get out of quickly. Two reasons, the first being we pay out of pocket and then get reimbursed and second, I wanted a place that was ours and to give the shipping company a final address. So while Stephen was off to work making the money, I set out in our rental car to find a place to live. Thankfully, I had a friend to tag along with me. I drove around calling all the numbers posted for rent to see what was available. I have since learned that if the sign is up permanently you might want to rethink signing a lease there. Just food for thought. We thought we wanted to stay in Juffair, the city in which the base is located, as it makes it easier to walk to base and you are close to American Alley (restaurants). So when Yvonne and I found this one flat, we thought it was perfect - remember the title of this blog? Looks can be deceiving well they are! It was on the 1st floor (which means 2nd in the US) as ground floor is the true 1st floor here. BUT there is an elevator so on those days you have too many groceries or you worked out and your legs ache too much - take the elevator built for one (at least it isn't the box of death - a story for later). I took Stephen back to the flat to see if he liked it or not. And again, it seemed absolutely perfect. Three bedrooms all en-suite, living room and dining room combined with a table to seat 10! The downside in the spacious kitchen was the European style electric stove - that alone should have told me NO! And I have since learned I will not settle for a small stove when I know there are much bigger and better out there. It was nice and quiet and close to base - a 20 minute walk, and the landlord agreed to leave or take out any furniture that we did not need or want once ours arrived.

The first night we were there I woke up to a strange sound. At first I thought a baby was crying, then after completely waking up I then realized what that all too familiar noise was - a ROOSTER CROWING! Did I mention it was 4 am??? Apparently, one thing they failed to mention was they had a rooster downstairs. You get used to it eventually, or at least you tell yourself you do, not sure I ever did. Then came the noises. Apparently when they built this flat they failed to properly insulate. You could hear everything from a pin drop to a chair being moved across the entire room (they did this several times a day).... it was unnerving! After having quite enough, I got our lease and looked it over AHA! There was a 30 day termination clause by either the landlord or us. All we had to do was give a 30 day notice and we were out of the contract. Hallelujah, we are out of here! Stephen told me to find a place and then we could give our notice, which I then expressed NO, give our notice and rest assured I WILL find us a place! We had time before our household goods were to arrive.

So I contacted two realtors because they only show you the ones they have agreements with and got to work. We realized that staying in Juffair was going to difficult if we wanted a villa. My want list was simple - a big oven, American washer and dryer, two master bedrooms, and a little garden. You see, we decided to go in with another family here and share a villa, getting more for our money. So I got busy and set up appointments. We looked at villas - all over the island and could not find one that suited everything on our list. One day I just so happened to be poking around on Facebook and found a post by a military family on base about a villa that was available. We made arrangements to drive out to see it that evening and fell in love! All bedrooms are en-suites (bathroom in the bedroom), two kitchens, big and spacious, a nice size pool and a garden area with a two car garage! Did I mention two kitchens?? If you know me or Celeste, we love to cook and bake - this house was perfect!

We have been living here now for two months and love it! It has two living areas and enough room for their furniture and ours. The laundry room is on the third floor but it isn't too bad. And everyone delivers to us, even our favorite little Turkish restaurant in A'ali at Ramli Mall. Even the drive to work is not terrible and we are only about 20 minutes away!

You know you've been in the Middle East too long when...

• You're not surprised to see a goat in the passenger seat or tied up to a post outside your flat building

• You think the uncut version of "Little House on the Prairie" is provocative 

• You need a sweater when it's 80 degrees Fahrenheit 

• Your idea of housework is leaving a list for the houseboy 

• You believe that speed limits are only advisory 

• You believe that the definition of a nanosecond is the time interval between the time the light turns green and the time that the guy behind you begins to blow his horn 

• You can't buy anything without asking for a discount 

• You expect all stores to stay open till midnight 

• You understand that 'wadi bashing' isn't a criminal act 

• You make left turns from the far right lane 

• You send friends a map instead of your address 

• You understand why huge 4x4’s must slow down to a snail's pace whilst crossing a speed bump yet hurtle through a wadi at 100 kph 

• You think that "Howareyou" is one word. So is "Mamsir" 

• You think it perfectly normal to have a picnic in the middle of a roundabout at 11 p.m. 

• You know exactly how much alcohol allowance you have left for the month 

• You have a moon phase predictor on your computer 

• You never say Saturday instead of Friday or Sunday instead of Saturday anymore 

• You accept that there is no point in asking why you are not allowed to do something 

• You expect queues to be 1 person deep and 40 people wide 

• You realize that the black and white stripes in the road are not a zebra crossing, just bait to get tourists into the firing line 

• You carry 12 passport size photos around with you just in case 

• You can tell the time by listening to the local mosque 

• You think its a good night if there are fewer than 10 men for every woman in a bar

• Phrases like 'potato peeler', 'dish washer', 'coffee maker' and 'fly swatter' are no longer household items but are actually job titles 

• You overtake a police car at 130KM/HRA 

• Problem with your car AC or horn is more serious to you than a problem with the brakes

 and yes they do this all the time!

Bahraini Farmers Market

When I told the guys that they needed to be up and ready to go by 8 AM on their day off, they looked a little puzzled, well Stephen actually scowled at me. I know what he was thinking, this is my one true day that I am able to sleep late and you are going to make me get up early! You see every Saturday from 8-noon there is a Farmers Market at the Gardens here in Bahrain where you can buy local fruits and vegetables. And if there is one thing that I love it is a Farmers Market, because you never know exactly what you will find! Living on an island, we rely heavily on imports and local produce is very limited unless you know where to look, and this is our chance to support the local farmers!

We were out of the house by 8:15 and on our way. We met our friends, Helen, Lance, Mollie, and her friend Mercia at the market and off we went for our early morning adventure. On one side of the venue there are food vendors - omelets, hash browns, samosas, and other yummy foods all made while you wait! Oh and did I mention? They also had my favorite tea! All of this for a mere 2 BD, which converted is $5.30 - breakfast for two! It was delicious!

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Seating was a little tricky, as we had one table with five chairs, so we took turns eating. Other families who were there had obviously done this before and brought blankets to sit on - must make note and do that next time!

Next, we were off to buy our veggies. Luckily I had brought my list, otherwise, I would have been so distracted by the abundance of items that I would have forgotten what I went there to buy.

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While most of the stands sold vegetables, fruits and herbs, some stands only sold fresh herbs. A few had actual potted herbs to buy. I bought basil, parsley, cilantro and mint plants. So far as of this writing, they are still alive, tho it may have to do with my gardener transferring them into a bigger pot for me and I quote, "little pot no good!"

Nothing beats the fresh smell of herbs!

The cauliflower shown here in this picture is 400 fils which is equivalent to $1.06 in the states. However, as always just because it has a price on it does not mean that is what you pay, you bargain for everything here!

They also sell fresh eggs - chicken, duck and quail eggs. We did not buy any eggs this trip. 

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There was a section of the market dedicated to local artists. Young and old were there painting and even had some of their paintings for sale. We did not have enough BD with us or we would have come home with one of the beautiful paintings. 

I cannot wait to go back this upcoming weekend for some fresh vegetables and perhaps this time we will take home a local painting!

Back in the Land of Sand

First I would like to apologize for the lack of updates. Last year I was working a lot at the video store and did not have a lot of down time to sit and write. I have posted our pictures from our vacation to Thailand last April. I have to say it is one of my favorite places! One of the most relaxing times I have had in a long while. The water was such a vibrant color of blue and just beautiful! One of my most favorite meals while we were there was Thai Basil Chicken made right on the beach! 

In June of last year, Stephen took a job with a different company and we left Bahrain. I went home to set up house in Texas and Stephen went to Afghanistan. His job there was for a year tour with an expected vacation around Christmas. However, the company he was working for lost the contract bid and we decided he would not stay, which meant instead of a vacation in December he would be transitioning to a new job. A long story short, he went back to work for his previous company in Bahrain. Stephen came home to Texas the weekend after Thanksgiving and right before the big ice storm that shut the state down for over a week. Craziness! We were able to spend time with family, although less than desired. Tuesday, before our departure, we had dinner with friends and family to celebrate Stephen's safe arrival home and our departure for Bahrain that upcoming Saturday. It was truly wonderful getting to spend that time together. We braved the cold and snow/ice on the roads and had dinner with Stephen's brother and 3 out of the 5 of our children in Benbrook. 

Getting out of Texas, however, almost did not happen. Ice and snow. For most places in America this would not be a problem, however, the Dallas/Fort Worth area is not equipped to handle this type of weather and basically shut the airport down. Although our flight had been canceled, we were able to switch airlines and get out of Texas. Because it took so long to de-ice the plane in Texas we were over two hours late and missed our connection in London.  Two security checks and three different counters, two buses and the train - we were ready for bed! Thankfully we made it safely as did our luggage, which surprised the heck out of me!

We have been settling in nicely in Bahrain, almost as if we never left. Stephen of course is busy with work and I have joined the FRG on base which I am enjoying thus far. We also get together with friends once a week for game night - where we all bring a dish and then play games together. It is quite nice! Our household goods have arrived and we have moved in to a fabulous villa which I will write about later this week.

Blessings,

The Goudy's

And we're back!

I cannot believe it has been since September since I have written. So much has taken place in the past six months, hopefully I will be able to squeeze it all in! I have tried to keep the recipes updated though not as frequent as I would have like and I am certain there new and exciting recipes for everyone to try in the upcoming weeks.

I hope everyone enjoys the new look of the site. I have updated our collage picture as well. My daughter informed me I needed to take Micah's picture off of it and so the decision to change the style took place as well. Why remove Micah you ask? Well, back in early to mid-October, we decided to go ahead and take Micah back to the States. My residence visa was not done and would not be finalized until December probably (yes as of this writing it is finally complete), which would mean that Micah's visa process would not be completed until around his birthday which is in February. And with him turning 18 and wanting to go back to the States at that time, we decided to go ahead and send him back now (October). And since our tourist visas were at the their max renewal, a surprise trip to the States we took! We talked to his sister who said that he could stay with her until he finished his schooling and could get signed up with the Air Force and shipped off to boot camp. He is doing well and only has one course left to complete and will graduate in the next month.

If you are wondering where Stephen was during this trip back home, he as always was the dutiful husband and stayed here in Bahrain working awaiting my return right before Thanksgiving. I had a wonderful time seeing our children and grandchildren but was definitely ready to get back home. Wow, that is a weird thing to type, ha!

Since then it has been quiet but we have been busy. Dinner with friends, movies, starting a new job at the video store (I get bored a lot during the day and it is something to do and I get to meet new people), starting a new job selling Pampered Chef products - need some new kitchen items? I am your girl!! We can do Facebook parties and you don't even have to clean your house!! We are also in the process of moving. Yes I know this will be third time in less than a year, but if you have known us for very long you know this is not really something new either. Our longest residence was in Azle - an amazing farm house on 74 acres! We decided that the villa is just really too large, 3 bedrooms (two of which stay closed), 3 bathrooms, a maids room that only holds boxes, laundry room and nice size kitchen. So we went looking a few weeks ago and found a nice flat with an AMERICAN size washer and dryer (very uncommon here), with housekeeping included and internet and cheaper! We move on the 15th. I will miss not being able to walk on base whenever I want and just walking over to the Hughes, our wonderful cookouts and hanging out around the fire-pit, however, life changes and this too we shall embrace!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday and I promise I will keep up my posting and not slack too much in the future!

I will also post pictures of the new place.

Love and blessings,

Deandra & Stephen

Recipe Monday!

I am calling it Recipe Monday! Every Monday I will post up some new recipes that we have tried out and were a hit with the guys or some old family recipes that friends have requested in the past.

This past week we tried a new Parmesan Chicken recipe which was delicious and I included my new homemade bread crumb recipe as well! We also bought some fresh shrimp so I found my shrimp scampi recipe and will definitely have to buy more next time as there were no leftovers for work the next day! The peach cobbler recipe is up for everyone to enjoy, so easy yet so yummy!

We are doing well here and it is starting to get cooler. Funny when high 90's is COOLER!

Enjoy your week!

Blessings,

Deandra

Tooling around in Bahrain

We rented a car this past weekend so we could run a few errands and buy a crock-pot! We have been looking for a crock-pot for a bit now, and finally, I found one at one of my favorite stores in the mall, Lakeland - anything and everything you need for cooking and then some! I even bought a silicone-icing bag and tips to play around with when icing my cupcakes. I have found several other items at the store that I like and will eventually have in my kitchen.

We have a hard time eating out and spending the money when it isn’t any better than what we could have done at home, but this time we decided to try a new restaurant at the mall called Vapiano’s and let me just say wow! The food is absolutely delectable! Vapiano’s makes their sauces and pasta fresh daily. When you arrive at the restaurant, there is a checkout stand where you receive a little card, similar to a credit card. Each person in your party receives a card, and then after choosing your desired entree, you go up to the appropriate station and order your food, the card is scanned and your order is recorded on the card for checkout.  They prepare each dish right in front of you while you wait. Stephen ordered a pepperoni pizza made with fresh tomatoes and basil. I ordered chicken in a garlic and cheese cream sauce served over campanelle pasta made with fresh Parmesan and basil. While I was waiting for my pasta, Stephen ordered us both a cappuccino, which is my new favorite drink, a coke and some water. Our lunch was very relaxed and after sharing both dishes, we were both extremely full.

Locating the central market here in Bahrain was on our agenda Friday as well. I know what you are thinking, ‘cool they have a Central Market just like ours’….well not exactly. First, let me just say getting to this particular place was quite an adventure. We had a map and tho it seemed to have pretty clear instructions on where to go, let’s just say it doesn’t account for roadblocks. So after coming upon our first road block, we asked the guards the best way to the market and they happily showed us which streets to take in order to make it to where we wanted to go. We had to go around the world in order to get there and were almost turned around due to a demonstration that apparently was fixing to take place (guards and police cars showing up and blocking off some roads), however, it forced us to go exactly the way we needed to. We found the market, finally and to give you an idea of what it is like, imagine a HUGE warehouse with rows and rows of vendors, some selling their vegetables literally out of a box, some have stands and even a few blocked off stores. Did I mention the smell? Lets just say a pig farm would smell like roses compared to this place. The wonderful part of this place is the prices. I bought a bunch of cilantro for literally ¼ of the price I would have paid on base and it has lasted twice as long so far. Oh and I found tangerines! I haven’t seen those in months! Base sells oranges but have not seen tangerines there. Lulu’s (the local Walmart-like grocery store here) probably has them but some of their prices for fruit are a little more pricier than I am willing to pay. The downside to this place is they only take BD (Bahrain’s form of currency) so we will have to go back when we have more cash on hand.

In the next couple of months, we will be renting a car (not looking to buy one right now) so that we can venture to more places and truly experience the island – that is something I look forward to. 

We now have a Facebook page which you can like and receive our latest adventures or you can also sign up via email. Every week I will be adding new recipes as well as photos and will keep Facebook up to date on these new additions.

Blessings,

Deandra

I shall call her “Grace”…

And grace shall be her name for the upward traversing of stairs remains her nemesis and the colliding with doors her bane…

Yup! You guessed it! Deandra fell UP the entry stairs of our villa and hit her hand on the door whilst trying to break her fall (poorly, I might add). The result being a knot on her knee, small flecks of shredded flip-flop scattered across the floor of our living room, and a broken bone in her right hand at the base of her pinky finger…

Imagine all the things she might normally do with said right hand… writing?!? Not a chance! Cooking?!? Still attainable with great care and patience… Washing dishes?!? No Way! Micah becomes the reluctant house slave with daily dish duty, weekly bathroom cleaning and his normal chores of sweeping, moping, and vacuuming. Did I mention he is also house- and pet-sitting for our neighbors, the Hughes’? LOL!

Too assuage your fears, Deandra is fine. The doctor says she must tape her pinky and ring-finger together for the next 3 weeks to allow the hand to heal. She is experiencing pain, but it is getting better. We also finally obtained the necessary medical supplies so that we can administer her B-12 shots!!! YAY!!!

Now for things to settle in and allow us to go to Italy!... It is still up in the air but maybe looking better? The prospect of Halloween in Naples and Thanksgiving in Sigonella is truly enticing!!! I fully realize that I will never look at pasta the same again, but I am fine with that! The opportunity to see living history that far pre-dates anything I have encountered in any definable measure is incredible. Granted I have seen glaciers that have been around for millennium… but I can’t truly assign an era of history to those massive chunks of moving ice… Being able to see remnants of the Roman Empire and historical sites that people have lived in and around since the days of the Bible and before… now THAT is incredible to contemplate!!

There is so much to look forward to just in the remainder of this year… After Italy, we get to plan for when Taylor and Reagan come to visit us here in Bahrain! That will be exciting and such a wonderful Christmas present from our young Marine! Unfortunately, Nathan is not yet eligible for vacation time or we would be trying to figure out how to get him out here too! That will have to wait until next year… along with Rota, Spain and Souda Bay, Greece and Singapore and Diego Garcia and Guam!!!

I think we will also look into a trip to Egypt to see the Pyramids and cruise down the Nile for a stretch! A co-worker is preparing to head out for that same trip in a couple of weeks! I am looking forward to hearing how it goes and what to look for and what to avoid!

In the meanwhile, it is daily living and nightly relaxing… I am enjoying the opportunity to see Deandra and Micah every day and watch movies together, or play games, and just be a semi-normal family even if it is in the Kingdom of Bahrain!

Peace, love, and shawarma!!!!

South of the Border in Bahrain

Mexican food, one of life’s main staples I miss about being away from Texas (along with my children/grandchildren). Last night we went out with a group of friends and tried one of the local “Mexican” restaurants. We walked in to Café Mexicana and right off, the ambiance was perfect and felt like the restaurants back home. There was Mexican music playing and later during the evening we were entertained by a live musician singing mostly country music while playing acoustical guitar. He did an excellent job with a hint of foreign flare that made it almost a game to identify the song the quickest. Margaritas were ordered with concerns as to authenticity (not bad but not great was the conclusion). Stephen had the carne asada, which was wonderful. I had the “Taco Fantastico”; the concept was a deconstructed taco that I got to assemble as I saw fit. It came with both beef and chicken and all the fixings (see picture). The beef and chicken was not your traditional flavors, they were stewed with tomatoes and, tho rather tasty, they both had an unexpected touch of sweetness to them. The evening was delightful and the restaurant, although not as authentic as I would have hoped, will definitely be one of the places to go when we have cravings for Mexican food. We rode with Josh (friend/coworker) since we still do not have a car (we will be renting one in the next month or so). When we exited the restaurant we found ourselves faced with one of the locals who had decided that he would wash the car parked on the street and expected us to pay him for it. He was quite insistent about this even though we never asked him to wash the car. Although it is very common for them to randomly solicit car washing services on the street, this was the first time I have seen them do it on their own and then expect you to pay, craziness!

We have Internet now at the house, which is quite wonderful. You do not realize how much you miss something or use it until it is not there. It sure makes life a lot easier and will help with Micah starting school soon. It definitely helps looking up new recipes! With all this time on my hands, I get the baking urge A LOT, which makes the boys happy. We now cook our own beans (no more out of the can – who knew how much better they tasted!), make our own Alfredo sauce, and some Chinese dishes, and definitely more baking – cupcakes, banana bread and of course the peach cobbler staple! I have made a page for recipes and will be adding those that I have tried and found that work – taste tested and approved! Make sure to check them out and let me know if you try them and how your family likes them =]

Stephen is scheduled to leave for Naples around Sep 22nd; however, we heard that it might be pushed back so I will keep you updated on that part of our journey. We also have heard that it may not happen, due to some work conflicts here in Bahrain. He is really looking forward to continuing the work that is to happen in Naples and the other work sites scheduled. If he goes, Micah and I will join him early October because Micah is pet-sitting for our friends, the Hughes, whom are scheduled to return the end of September. We are excited about this part of our journey – new places, new people, and different foods to try! So please pray for God to show us what he is to do here and accept whatever decision He makes for us – Thanks!

During our dinner the other night, we decided to try and get married in Bahrain to make the visa process easier – HAHA. I will let you know what comes of this. Well I am off to finish the cupcakes I made this morning – Chocolate Velvet (a.k.a. Red Velvet without the red…lol)!

Let's get physical

Do you have that song stuck in your head now? Haha, my day is complete! Stephen went this past Sunday to get his physical, which is required to complete the LMRA/visa process. I feel as though we have stepped back in time to when Internet was a rare privilege rather than a foregone conclusion of how you live. My postings have been silent due to not having Internet at the new place as we are still waiting on his visa and CPR card to be completed. Only with a CPR card can you actually go into a binding contract with a company, except when renting a villa or flat – for that just your word and signature and oh yes of course do not forget the monies. Therefore, to solve this dilemma we go to base, hang out, and use their free WiFi. We usually partake in Starbucks (which is half the cost as it is back home, although not always guaranteed to get it right, but cheaper nonetheless) or lunch while we ‘hang out’.

Micah has made some friends. He spends his mornings with me watching Gilmore Girls and then is off to base to use the computer, gym, play basketball or go rock climbing. He spends his evenings with friends yet again and typically, they can be found in the pool. I do believe he has spent more time with friends here than back in the states. The gym, rock climbing and the theater on base are free. I am very glad that we decided to move to the new villa, even if it was the more expensive choice as I do not worry about him walking to base or hanging out with his friends.

I spend my days doing laundry, only twice a week (a lot less when you only have three people at home) and catching up on movies, reading or watching shows that we have. We have watched all of our seasons of NCIS (need to buy more now lol), and the first season of Gilmore Girls and have sweet friends that let us borrow the 2nd season. I have tried Alias, but it has not really caught my attention enough to finish it. We do have better cable here – yay for Food Network, and a plethora of Olympic watching choices.

We have met a wonderful family, the Hughes. They have three children and we get along with them great. We have been invited over for barbecues and games – though Stephen was uninvited for our next game of ‘Scene It’ as he took all the awards this past Friday. I promised to leave him home the next time haha. It has been nice to meet some people that we enjoy hanging out with and get along so well. They are a veteran of the island and have a lot of knowledge for us – the do’s and don’ts and they also have a car and have graciously taken us along for shopping and a couple of outings. Not sure if we will buy a car, but renting one might be on the agenda soon – we shall see.  

Speaking of let’s get physical, I started a workout this week. Thanks to Celeste who invited me to go with her. We work out for an hour (me for 45 minutes since I am working up to it), head back for a shower and then get dinner started so it will be ready when Stephen gets home.  I have slept very well these past few nights and I look forward to the results in the future as well. Are you singing the song in your head still? I hope so that way I will not be alone (Stephen is humming it now so I at least I am in good company). Happy Saturday!

Weekend at Bernies.... I mean Bahrain

On my last post, I spoke of a BBQ that we were going to attend on Friday, well Stephen got another offer to a different co-workers house and we decided to go there instead. This was a small dinner party, our family, theirs and Stephen’s boss. The Hughes family have three children, two girls and one boy, ages ranging from 18-12. Their son is around the same age as Micah and they have many of the same interests. The kids had a great time, laughing the whole night. It was a delightful evening.

While we were there, we found out to my delight and Stephen’s chagrin that the villa next door is available.  It is right outside the base and in a family environment. It is a little more expensive than our flat currently; however, it has many pros as well. More room, in house washer and dryer, full size refrigerator, families all around and the architecture of the place is beautiful. We will find out tomorrow if they accept our offer (everything here is negotiable). I will post up pictures when they are available.

Saturday slept in and then ventured out to City Center Mall. Micah chose not to go and stayed at the flat. Stephen and I were able to purchase a few things that we needed at the flat – one of those being measuring cups. I have been searching for these all week. All I wanted was measuring cups, surely it wasn’t too much to ask, or so I thought, boy was I wrong, even the base did not have any. This whole past week I have been searching for measuring cups. Yay for the Home Center at the mall!! I love that store and so many others there. We then went and saw Snow White and the Huntsman. I had seen it but Stephen had not. Afterwards we went to Wafi Gourmet, authentic Lebanese food, where I branched out and ordered food I typically would not. We ordered fried zucchini with yogurt and garlic, thinking you dipped the fried zucchini in the yogurt dip, however, the fried zucchini was the dip and they gave you this soft and delectable bread that you dipped in the sauce. Our main course was chicken shawarma, which was scrumptious!

Tonight we went to Pizza Inn for dinner – love their pizza! Then the boys went to get a haircut in town while I came back to watch The Whole Ten Yards and have a glass (or two of wine) and relax. I will write later and let you know how the villa negotiations go.

PS - pictures at the moment will have to wait until we get our internet =[

Our adventure begins

Good morning or should I say good evening since it is technically your Monday evening and my Tuesday morning. Micah and I left the good ole USA Friday afternoon and arrived in London bright and early with virtually no hiccups. Somehow our seats were changed and we were not sitting together, however, they were able to get us relatively close to each other although not side by side. Our experience at the Heathrow Airport was painless. We did however have to go through security check in again which I found odd, but it was quick and although we arrived 45 minutes early to our gate for our Bahrain flight they were already BOARDING! We were hoping to get our seats together since we were several rows apart but that wasn't going to happen, so on the plane we went. Before we lifted off, I was able to move up a few rows and sit by myself. I had room for Micah but unfortunately he did not understand that and sat back where he was, though he did just fine. We arrived in to Bahrain early and luckily got through customs with no problems. Apparently others have had a bad experience but the gentleman who took care of us was rather nice! Stephen was there to pick us up and we took a taxi back to the flat (aka our apartment), freshened up a bit and were off walking to Ric's Bar and Grill. We do a lot of walking since we do not have a car here which will be good for us. Dinner was interesting. Ric's is owned by a sweet old Italian man and dinner that night was a Tex-Mex Buffet - HAHA! It was pretty good, though some one needs to tell them that refried beans aren't that runny (still good though). We were joined by two of Stephens colleagues and had a nice time for our first night in Bahrain.

Sunday is the beginning of the work week here and Stephen was off to work with Micah and myself fending for ourselves. We slept in and spent the remainder of the day watching movies and playing Starcraft. We went to the MegaMart (so not like Wal-Mart but bigger than the regular grocery store here) to get some much needed groceries and necessities. It was interesting to say the least as you have to get past labels and be adventurous in your choices. Buying American will cost you almost three times the price and surprisingly their products taste almost the same (I know, I know)! When you buy pastries or bread, it is all fresh and you better know that you are going to eat it soon or risk throwing it out and wasting it, and relatively cheap. We had Shawarma for dinner - absolutely wonderful and then had Marble Slab for dessert! I love American Alley lol

Monday I slept way too late, having had troubles falling asleep. Laundry and movies were on the agenda for today. We cooked in tonight and then Micah and I made a trip to the MegaMart on our own and did relatively well. Stephen had a long and exhausting day and we made it better by going to the pool. Did you know they chill the pool because it is soo hot here? OMG it was soo cold, but you got used to it after awhile. I decided to take an Excedrin PM to help me sleep and it did the trick!! I went right to sleep and slept all night. This morning I tried my new blow dryer as mine do not fit in the converters UGH! And now I have to find a curling iron.....pray for me LOL I will manage. It is just a bump in the road but really would like to find a happy medium in that department.

Well, it is time to go check the laundry and get this posted up. We have a barbecue dinner this Friday at one of Stephens colleagues place so I will write back then and let you know how it went! Have a great week

~deandra

PS - pictures to come when I have more patience for them to upload

Ooh-rah!

What a ride these last past few days have been. Wednesday, Micah, Buddy, Lauren, Reagan, her mother, and myself left bright and early for San Diego. You see our middle son, Taylor has been in boot camp for the Marines since March 19th. It has been a long three months, longer for him though I am sure. We left DFW airport and arrived in San Diego around 9 a.m., rented a car and went to Coronado Island to kill time before our hotel room was ready. We left Dallas with temperatures in the 80's-90's only to never get above high 60's in San Diego, needless to say some were a little cold lol.

We picked up Stephen and headed to the Meet and Greet for India Company Platoon at Coyote Cafe in Old Town San Diego. It was great getting to meet the other parents and families of the platoon members.

Thursday morning we arrived early to see Taylor in the Moto Run and to our surprise they were practicing for graduation and we got to see him up close and personal, though you still could not get close enough to touch him - we at least could see him and he knew we were there! Taylor made Guide of his Platoon - what an honor! His dad and I are so very proud of him. (that is Taylor holding the flag with the white gloves on)

After watching a video and listening to the Do's and Don’ts we were finally able to spend the afternoon with our Marine! I don’t think any of us every stopped smiling just from the sheer joy of being in his presence that afternoon. It was so good seeing him after all this time and what a transformation! He left a 19 year old boy and returned to us a Marine. We left him after feeding him at least three times that afternoon. It was amazing to see him eat - the amount he could fit in his mouth and the time it took him to eat it.

Friday was the big day! We left early to see the Color Ceremony, have breakfast and get our seats for graduation. It was a beautiful ceremony which started out with the San Diego Marine Corps Band and ended with the Guides handing off the platoon flags to the DIs. One of the most amazing moments is when Taylor and the other guides were called up front and honored for being Platoon Honor Guides, though a funny moment is when they tried to pronounce our city, Watauga Texas which came out as Wattatooga - I laughed through my tears!

After sitting Taylor down and talking to him about our new job and upcoming adventure, which he took very well considering, we spent the afternoon with our new Marine at the San Diego Zoo. Saturday, we took Stephen back to the airport and then went shopping for some new "civy" clothes and took him to his first movie in three months - The Avengers!

We left for DFW later that evening and finally arrived back home. Proud is an understatement. I leave with a mothers poem

I Give To You, My Son-

I held him as an infant; I hugged him as a boy

and through the years he has become my greatest pride and joy.

I love him more than I can say, 

his life more precious than my own,

but gone are the whims and notions of the little boy that I had known.

For the years have passed so quickly since the time it all began

and now he stands before me with the conviction of a man.

He wants to serve his country, he states aloud with pride

as I try to sort out the emotions that I'm feeling deep inside...

a union of the uncertain fear, which I cannot control

and the allegiance which lies deep within my patriotic soul.

I trust that my years of guidance will serve as a strong foundation

as he performs the duties requested from his beloved nation.

God please guide him as he travels to the places our soldiers have bled

and walk with him through pathways where those heroes' feet have tread.

Oh Sweet Land of Liberty, humbly I give to you, my son

praying you'll return him safely home when his work for you is done.

---Author unknown---

Rockin' Kingdom of Bahrain

Today (Sunday, a.k.a. Mother's Day) represents the first official day of 'work' in the island kingdom of Bahrain...

I was introduced to the official management structure persons of interest today with a lot of "this is the guy we have been waiting for" and "Pam (Drake) did a happy dance when we told her he was coming aboard" as well as "This is the VMware guru, Commvault guru, Microsoft Guru" and other such claims that I will be struggling to fulfill in the future...

Don't get me wrong... I love the praise but I have a much more practical (read extremely reserved) view of my skills than many of the people with whom I now work...

I am excited about working here and I have already seen things that need to change from a systems standpoint, but change comes slow in this type of environment and I am not going to rock the boat on day 1 or even day 100 without careful and reserved forewarning of potential risks.

I am very optimistic about the residence situation, however. I went with another new co-worker to review some available flats. I don't mind saying they look to be pretty comfortable and convenient to local facilities and easy walking distance to the base. The building is really nice, really new (We will be the first people to live in the unit we are getting), and super clean. We will have 24x7 access to a swimming pool (on the roof of the building) and fitness center on the floor below the pool.

I will be looking into a bicycle tomorrow to see if I can get a relatively inexpensive transportation option to minimize the time spent in the heat. We are not looking to buy a car here, even though gas is only $.78/gallon... YES.... that is less than 1 dollar... :)

The visa process began officially today... hopefully it will not take as long as some here are predicting... and that is just for MY visa... then the process begins to get Deandra and Micah family visas so they can legally be here as well...

I have not been able to see much of the city as of yet, considering the heat and my unwillingness to fork out the taxi fare to go exploring... I am thinking I will be more adventurous when I have a bicycle... and a compass... and a city map... and someone to help me find my way back when I get lost...

I have already been given shopping orders from my baby-girl... "Daddy... buy me some shoes..." lol... I love you Lauren!!! I will see what I can do!

I have also been told I can get really nice shirts made for about $15 each... I am going to explore this very soon and maybe even get my own Thawb and Keffiyeh (Traditional Arab men's clothing and head cover).

Mainly I will be looking for light-weight clothing that is conducive to the pervasive heat that is cooking up and will only get worse since "summer" is just getting started here

Happy Mother's Day!!!

And he's off!

Stephen left today for Bahrain. We had a little hiccup at the airport because his ticket is one-way and he doesn’t have his work visa yet so they said he might be refused entry DOH! Hopefully, he will bypass any unwanted issues and get in the country without any problems.

At the time of this posting, he has landed in Kuwait and will be awaiting his connecting flight to Bahrain. Hopefully, I will receive pictures of Juffair from him this weekend and I will post those as soon as I am able.

I am off to our niece's wedding in South Carolina! Congratulations to Nichole and Michael - can’t wait to see you guys and witness your wedding! Love you!

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