There is no relief in sight. The heat will be with us for at least 3 more months. I'd like to say that we are adapting nicely, but then I'd be lying. There is no adapting to this kind of heat. To top things off, Ramadan started this week. American Military people & their families were offered a 1-hour brief on Ramadan & what we were required to do. In a nut shell, we are not allowed to drink, eat, smoke....even chew gum in public from sunrise until sunset. If caught doing any of these things we could be arrested and/or fined. Men are required to wear long pants & long sleeve shirts. Women are to wear clothing past their knees and elbows. On a positive note, we are allowed to wear open-toe shoes. Yes!!!!! Scott has been training me to always find something positive rather than to keep complaining. So there, I did! All restaurants, even Starbucks are closed until the evening. Only 27 more days to go, but who's counting? I'm just being positive.Scott worked 7-day weeks the last 3-weeks. I've had nothing to really share with you all because we've done NOTHING! We've had a few adventures during that time, I guess. The car battery just died one day. The adventure was in getting it changed. Poor Scott had to rid
e his bike to and from work a few days. He was a sweaty mess. There also seems to be a fly problem here in Bahrain, so I ordered these fly traps (that stink) on-line to try and get rid of them. It actually works really well. Unfortunately, though, it does have a stinky odor. We decided the odor is better than the flies. As usual, Benny was right by Scott's side, helping him set-up the fly trap. I ended up in the emergency room with a really bad urinary tract infection. I ignored the symptoms all week until it turned into this really bad infection. I could barely stand-up. The ER experience was truly an adventure. My doctor was Iraqi. Naturally, I was a bit worried he wasn't too thrilled to help an American, but he was actually really good. A few things seemed odd, but all in all I was pleased. I don't want to go back, though!
e his bike to and from work a few days. He was a sweaty mess. There also seems to be a fly problem here in Bahrain, so I ordered these fly traps (that stink) on-line to try and get rid of them. It actually works really well. Unfortunately, though, it does have a stinky odor. We decided the odor is better than the flies. As usual, Benny was right by Scott's side, helping him set-up the fly trap. I ended up in the emergency room with a really bad urinary tract infection. I ignored the symptoms all week until it turned into this really bad infection. I could barely stand-up. The ER experience was truly an adventure. My doctor was Iraqi. Naturally, I was a bit worried he wasn't too thrilled to help an American, but he was actually really good. A few things seemed odd, but all in all I was pleased. I don't want to go back, though! Today was the only day off Scott has had in about a month. It started off great. Then....half the house lost electricity. I called Kasim. He eventually found out that some construction workers shut off the electricity to our block for, "one hour." Three hours later, we still had no electricity. My biggest concern was the food in the fridge. Scott ran to a store and bought a long extension cord. We plugged it into an outlet that worked and voila problem solved. Comfortable that we saved our food, we went to City Centre Mall, the biggest mall here, 
to shop for some lightweight pants for Scott & to get some groceries at the mega store, Carrefour. All the lightweight pants were sold out! We have a suspicion they were bought up by all the Americans. There must have been a mad rush the last week or so before Ramadan started. This mall is great. It has every store you can imagine...American, European, & local. Some store names crack us up, though. I'm always amazed to see the lingerie stores here. This country emphasizes & encourages wearing the hijab, yet you walk in the mall & there are these "sexy" window displays. It's all very hypocritical to me. So much of what I see here, I find ironic, fake, & full of hypocrisy. Your eyes aren't truly open to it all until you're living in the middle of it & seeing it firsthand. Anyhow, we came back home about 2-hours later to find we had no electricity at all
. The whole house was dead. No air conditioning & then there was the food! I called Kasim again. He rode his bike around and then came back to tell me that the construction guys told him it would be, "one hour maybe two." I thought we would suffocate. Poor Scott ran to the base and bought 10 bags of ice. We put them in the fridge & freezer to try and save what we could. Sure enough an hour later all the electricity came back. I'm now typing away with my favorite sweater on. Scott keeps it chilly in here. One week we lose water, the next we lose electricity. It all seems so random to me.
to shop for some lightweight pants for Scott & to get some groceries at the mega store, Carrefour. All the lightweight pants were sold out! We have a suspicion they were bought up by all the Americans. There must have been a mad rush the last week or so before Ramadan started. This mall is great. It has every store you can imagine...American, European, & local. Some store names crack us up, though. I'm always amazed to see the lingerie stores here. This country emphasizes & encourages wearing the hijab, yet you walk in the mall & there are these "sexy" window displays. It's all very hypocritical to me. So much of what I see here, I find ironic, fake, & full of hypocrisy. Your eyes aren't truly open to it all until you're living in the middle of it & seeing it firsthand. Anyhow, we came back home about 2-hours later to find we had no electricity at all
. The whole house was dead. No air conditioning & then there was the food! I called Kasim again. He rode his bike around and then came back to tell me that the construction guys told him it would be, "one hour maybe two." I thought we would suffocate. Poor Scott ran to the base and bought 10 bags of ice. We put them in the fridge & freezer to try and save what we could. Sure enough an hour later all the electricity came back. I'm now typing away with my favorite sweater on. Scott keeps it chilly in here. One week we lose water, the next we lose electricity. It all seems so random to me.One thing I love about shopping at Carrefour is the nuts & spices section. They have 
these huge sacks of fresh nuts & spices. You tell the guy how many scoops to give you. He weighs it & puts the price sticker on it & you're off. Our favorite thing to buy are the lemon almonds. They are so good! We will miss them when we leave. I sent my parents & Scott's parents a bag to try and they love them. Initially, you think lemon almonds? That sounds weird. Once you eat them you're addicted. We also love the fish section. They have all the freshly caught fish displayed on ice. You choose what you want and the guy wraps it up for you. We bought some amazing salmon & grilled it for lunch today. It just melted in your mouth. I always buy a big container of spicy/lemony vegetables, usually carrots, cauliflower, jicama along with pickle chunks and green & black olives, from the cheese & special foods counter. I love this. In Arabic, we call it "torshi." Scott doesn't care for it. It may be an acquired taste. I grew-up eating it so it's yummy to me. I always get the one from Egypt. It is the best. They have a Syrian mix as well as a Bahraini mix. I don't care for either of those. Unfortunately, today, they were out of the Egyptian mix. When sharing my disappointment with the guy working the counter, I found out he was Egyptian & he found out I spoke Arabic. It was nice to use my Arabic. I don't get to use it that often. Most people 
I deal with are Indian, Pakistani, or Filipino. We all speak in English. Anyhow, once this guy found out that my parents grew-up in Egypt & that my dad was Lebanese, he took back this cheese I asked for and gave me another one. He told me the new one he gave me was fresher. It really is all about who you know that will get you what you need. Scott & I cracked-up over this. It was also hysterical that as he was talking to me he was clutching his heart the whole time.
these huge sacks of fresh nuts & spices. You tell the guy how many scoops to give you. He weighs it & puts the price sticker on it & you're off. Our favorite thing to buy are the lemon almonds. They are so good! We will miss them when we leave. I sent my parents & Scott's parents a bag to try and they love them. Initially, you think lemon almonds? That sounds weird. Once you eat them you're addicted. We also love the fish section. They have all the freshly caught fish displayed on ice. You choose what you want and the guy wraps it up for you. We bought some amazing salmon & grilled it for lunch today. It just melted in your mouth. I always buy a big container of spicy/lemony vegetables, usually carrots, cauliflower, jicama along with pickle chunks and green & black olives, from the cheese & special foods counter. I love this. In Arabic, we call it "torshi." Scott doesn't care for it. It may be an acquired taste. I grew-up eating it so it's yummy to me. I always get the one from Egypt. It is the best. They have a Syrian mix as well as a Bahraini mix. I don't care for either of those. Unfortunately, today, they were out of the Egyptian mix. When sharing my disappointment with the guy working the counter, I found out he was Egyptian & he found out I spoke Arabic. It was nice to use my Arabic. I don't get to use it that often. Most people 
I deal with are Indian, Pakistani, or Filipino. We all speak in English. Anyhow, once this guy found out that my parents grew-up in Egypt & that my dad was Lebanese, he took back this cheese I asked for and gave me another one. He told me the new one he gave me was fresher. It really is all about who you know that will get you what you need. Scott & I cracked-up over this. It was also hysterical that as he was talking to me he was clutching his heart the whole time.Our maid, Mary, comes 5-days a week. She and Benny have this secret love affair. 
She has been coming to work around 6:30am the last few weeks since it's so hot. When Benny sees her, he is beside himself with happiness. She comes in and says hi to Benny immediately and is then on the floor rubbing his belly and giving him love messages. There is continual giggling the entire time she is here. I'll be upstairs & hear her giggling and hear Benny running around. I have no clue what they are doing. All I know is that she is supposed to work for 2-hours...I pay her for 2-hours......but she's here for close to 3-hours everyday. I can't help but wonder how Benny will deal with not seeing Mary when we leave & how will I deal without having Mary 5-days a week when we leave? It's been such a nice luxury. Oh well.
She has been coming to work around 6:30am the last few weeks since it's so hot. When Benny sees her, he is beside himself with happiness. She comes in and says hi to Benny immediately and is then on the floor rubbing his belly and giving him love messages. There is continual giggling the entire time she is here. I'll be upstairs & hear her giggling and hear Benny running around. I have no clue what they are doing. All I know is that she is supposed to work for 2-hours...I pay her for 2-hours......but she's here for close to 3-hours everyday. I can't help but wonder how Benny will deal with not seeing Mary when we leave & how will I deal without having Mary 5-days a week when we leave? It's been such a nice luxury. Oh well.Ten months down, fourteen to go!
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