More of my mundane life...

Sami Bey and Jack-O-Lantern looking positively ghoulish...

Angie-baby and I at the pottery shack near Dumistan

"What's this", we ask ourselves...

'BBQ' near Dumistan 5 minutes later...

front row seat...

ho hum...

Plan B initiated to drive home

There's something about the wind, today.  There's something about the steady light to moderate breeze that;s been blowing this past week. Something is brewing. Yesterday was THE day, I realize this morning as I lay in bed with my beloved coffee that's been exquisitely french pressed.  Poured to perfection with just the right amount of organic rice milk (yes, I can buy that stuff here, and cheap).

What I realize is that yesterday was the first day that I have not had the air conditioner on AT ALL in the house!  Unbelievable. This is monumental, and worth sharing as I'm not an air con type, but it is absolutely essential here unless you want to fry your eyeballs out... I did, though, have to use the air con in my car driving to work, but that will come to pass as well in due time.

Speaking of work, Angie-baby found a new short-cut through our hood to by-pass the dreaded Riffa Clocktower Roundabout! Since 2 entrances into A`ali from Wali al Ahd Highway have been police  barricaded for as long as I've been here, there is no alternative but to get stuck in traffic jam during morning rush hour (lucky I don't have to be commuting at this time this year though). Nevertheless, it is always difficult to just wait it out in traffic while others decide to use the shoulder lane, or drive in the dirt until that is barricaded and then squeeze into traffic as they so think they are important and entitled enough to do here... Another reason I cuss continuously when behind the wheel here.  Traffic really is bad, and 3/4 of the drivers on the road really are shitty drivers as well... These 2 elements fused together creates a speedball of frustration that shoots through one's veins and wrecks havoc on my zen space. Not a good trip...

I have to say I've missed writing posts in bed on Friday mornings with coffee.  It seems my only moments in time that I am in that 'space' to want to write.  First of all, it's been pretty hot until now, which makes it difficult to lay around in bed since the air con needs to be on and that noise... The noise coming out of the cold box is a deterrent to that 'space' that needs to be created.  Also, I've been trying to not drink coffee on mornings I don't work... I figure I don't need the kickstart on those days so I'm trying something new- green tea, or just going without any hot beverage.  Meh...

My night runs have turned into late evening runs too!  Another reason to celebrate the days since fall equinox.  Last night was the best yet- 7km.  I did 2 km of walking in there, but it felt great. I'm still working on more interesting running music podcasts out there so if anyone has some link for me, please send it my way.  This past week I've been listening to some jazz tracks podcast that is pretty great and has no interruptions. Last night's mix was super funky.  My fav album of The Supreme Beings of Leisure was mixed into a smooth groove and it brought me to 'that space' where everything was just so fine and I was flying by (probably not 'flying' by, but I was flying high on endorphins)!

The cross-island relay is coming up next weekend (on Halloween morning). I'm not on a team yet as there is always last minute changes and one can find a spot.  I'm ready for it, as long as it's not a downhill stretch...

My new running shoes I got in DC this summer (Saucony's- who knew?) have really been essential to my increased pleasure during my runs.  I guess I wasn't exactly cut out for minimal shoes and I do need some more support for my lower back.  Anyway, I'm happy that I spend the money to have someone look at how I run and access my ability and combine it with my limitations (lower back shit). Haha, the appointment even convinced my dear friend Selin to buy a pair as well :)  Selin I hope you are loving your shoes!!!

Today is Diwali festivities inside the Hindu temple in the souk.  I've received permission from Mr. Sharad, one of the admin, to attend along with 4 other friends.  I'm pretty excited!  I've been in the temple before on occasion, but never for a festival evening.

I think I'm also missing the colorful Kathmandu.  Yes, I went to Nepal during my blogging hiatus.  I had nearly a week off for Eid so hopped on a cheap flight and found myself nestled on the foot of the Himalayas. Now, Kathmandu is a polluted city and nearly all the population wears the requisite fabric face mask in an effort to stamp out some of that pollution from clogging up their nostrils... But the people!  The people are so friendly and wear such colorful, beautiful garb- both men and women.  I really enjoyed people watching there.  I was so enamored with the national garb that I purchased quite a few 'Corta's' or dresses.  I will put up a separate post of pictures from Nepal soon.

I generally don't talk a lot about work on my blog for a variety of reasons, but so far the year has been pretty successful.  I am doing a study on attitudes of professional development here in the Kingdom so excited to conduct some research again and get into that, other 'space' in academia.  I've just heard word that an ELF midyear conference is definitely coming up and likely held again in either Morocco or Jordan so this is good news.  TESOL Arabia is also coming up in March, so a bit of work/play is in store for me elsewhere on the globe.  Midyear break?  Turkey.  It's a no-brainer.  Miss the shit outta that country, as screwed up as the govt is... I'm hoping for snow and rain- heh heh my friends there are probably recoiling at the thought reading this!

Thinking about work inevitably brings me to thoughts on- what next?  I'm plotting as I type for Plan A (yes yes yes yes yes), Plan B (okay), Plan C (solid C), Plan D (decent ), Plan E, (alright), Plan F (jobless). That's about how the ducks are stacking up at this time!  All plans involve a move, along with Shaika Spot and Sami Bey.  Most all involve sticking 'near the region', yet one involves a short stay in Amerika... Other plans will likely arise.  I mean, I don't like to discriminate, and I like the idea of remaining fluid and flexible.

All Hallow's Eve/All Saint's Day/ Day of the Dead!!! Yes, my favorite American pagan holiday, Halloween,  is coming around the corner.  It's also fixing to be a jam-packed holiday weekend (Ashura is celebrated on Sunday/Monday here) as there is the cross-island run, Halloween night, and then a boat trip to camp out on Hawar Island. I'm hoping for some excellent snorkeling and decent temperatures (not above 85• please).

This is another long weekend as al Hijri is on Sunday (the Islamic New Year). Saturday will mark the new Muslim Hijri year 1436 AH, so Sunday will be a holiday. According to the Hijri calendar, there are 354 days in a year. Traditionally, the first day of each month begins at sunset at the first sighting of the crescent moon- hilal. The first Islamic year was AD 622, in which started the migration of Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Medina ("the Hijra"). This concludes my basic knowledge of the Islamic calendar.

Okay, it's 11am now and I'm hungry.  I can't drink any more coffee.  I can't continue to sequester myself away any longer in the sanctuary of my cool, dark bedroom. I'm up...

What time is it anyway? It's time to leave the Islands and head back to the Middle East. That's what time it is...

5 hour flight from Maui-LAX
4 hour layover
6 hour flight from LAX-DC
8 hour layover
13 hour flight from DC-Kuwait City
1 hour layover
1 hour flight from Kuwait City-Bahrain
11 time zones passed and 13 hours ahead of Hawaii...

I slipped back into the country rather easily, except that my flight from DC to Kuwait was delayed 3 hours due to the starter not working for the right engine, so I couldn't pick up my car when I got to Bahrain because it was after 11pm.  Hopped into a taxi and headed to StarVilla, where Sheika Spot and Sami Bey had been summering with the other kitties and Spanky, the silly dog. What to do? It's 1 am and not a creature is stirring in Sar it seems.  The night air was thick and still, trying to suffocate me. I saw my reflection in the pool. THE POOL! Moments later I was splashing around in glee. An unexpected Bewitching Hour skinny-dipping session.  The water felt so cool to my sun-kissed skin. After a summer back home in Hawaii this felt so normal, yet I felt a bit exposed.  The only animals watching were the neighborhood cats high up on their perches. The impending jet-lag somehow buffered my sudden coquettish-ness... No one was around but myself eavesdropping onto the nightly chatter of insects and animals.  A nice way to re-enter Bahrain I suppose.

The kitties. Oh those naughty kitties. They were so animated when I saw them.  I spotted Sami Bey first.  He was on the stairs looking down at the mysterious creature that somehow seemed a familiar scent I suppose. Shaika immediately started talking to me, as she does. Sami Bey stood around in silent wonder, as he does.  He looked like he was plotting something positively dastardly, as he is prone to do... Somehow I managed to doze off at a fairly decent hour- meaning that the sun hadn't yet risen...

Twas not a lengthy slumber though.  The forces that be in the pantheon of jet-lag gods/goddesses made sure I was up in no time.  The sun had already risen, yet was still behind the villa so I, rather modestly, donned my bikini and jumped back in the pool.  One by one, all the villa kitties came out to greet me. I must have been lazing in the Ez-boy pool chair for a few hours before any Homo Sapiens' came out to greet me.

Now in full jet-lag mode, Starrberry Delight and I shared a cuppa joe and caught up on our summer shenanigans.  She bike toured through parts of Ireland and France and I, well you all already know what I was up to... Sarahkins decided we should all meet up for lunch for our ongoing "Ladies Who Lunch" lunch series.  Quick thinking on her part as I knew I was going down soon into the never never land of jet-lag lethargy. Driving around left me observing familiar sights as if I remembered them from a parallel universe that I was once absorbed in.  I know it has only been 2 months since I left Bahrain, but it was always like a dream- living here in the Middle East. It was like a dream that wasn't mine, but became mine.

Soon enough, I had my car, packed the kitties and headed off home.  Home, of course, hadn't been aired out for 2 months.  Home was full of dust and pent up angry heat. Thank goodness I remembered to change the sheets and cover up my bed before I left because I made a mad dash to my bed- my headquarters here in the Middle East :) My bed is like my island within an island.  It is my lifeboat when I need saving. As well, the air conditioner in the bedroom is the most powerful one in my apartment so there's that...

The kitties were busy remembering their lives here.  They were searching around for lost toys and smelling new developments since we all departed in July. It was all I could do to unpack and slightly clean up the place. This consisted of taking Clorox wipes and going around all the floors with them attached to my slippers. Not the most impressive cleaning job, but it gets the job done with minimal impact on my agitated frame of mind. Feeling fairly impressed with myself, I simply laid on the couch underneath the air conditioner and gulped the 1 bottle of water and 1 bottle of Gatorade that I managed to leave behind knowing that I would probably not be able to grab more when I returned in September... Smarty pants I am.

Three days later and minimal jet-lag lingering effects, I can say that the impact of jet-lag is lessened considerably when one does not partake in adult beverages on the airplane.  I experimented with this hypothesis when I left Bahrain, and sure enough, when I reached Hawaii I wasn't in too bad of shape. Last year... Last year I  managed to drink copious amounts of libations both on the plane and in the airport during my long layovers... Last year I spent 5 days on Katie-girl's couch watching 3 seasons of Game of Thrones while nursing my jet-lag.  So, my hypothesis is correct- always a ego-boosting feeling indeed! I managed to get to work within 35 hours after touching down on Bahraini soil :) Winning.

I'm almost 'normal' (wouldn't that be something) with my sleeping schedule.  I pass out at 9pm, walk up at 2am and it is now 7am and will pass out again right now until about 10am, and then race to work.  Good thing this week is just a 'filler' week with nothing much required of us except light conversation and re-acquainting ourselves with course materials, etc.

Bad Girl

I've been a very bad girl.  I have not been keeping up with my blogging, and I have no good excuse as to why.  Perhaps it's this weather... Honestly, some days I just stay inside and camp out underneath my air conditioner.  It all started about 2 months ago, innocently enough.  I started to notice that I didn't have cold water when I forgot to turn the water heater on 1/2hour before I took a shower... Then I remembered, when it gets hot, you keep your shut your hot water off and just use the cold water (which is warm by comparison of HOT)

About 3 weeks ago I decided it was time to move the furniture around in my living room- which is like a palace in itself.  Mainly because I wanted my loafing couch (yes, I do a bit of that here) to be directly underneath the air con.  As well, it's become too hot to run really.  Sometimes I run late at night, but it doesn't happen a lot honestly. So, I delved back into my yoga space.  Now I have a cool yoga space in the middle of my living room and all the furniture are on the sidelines!

The kitties have taken to the new layout quite nicely.  They have become especially attached to the yoga mats... For some reason, they love to lay on them- most especially when I am practicing... Often I come home to bits and pieces of yellow yoga mat all over the living room too. This is a new development.  I don't see how they can eat my yoga mat when I buy them perfectly good and expensive kitty kibble.  They must remember the phase they went through eating up the bathroom rugs. That is mostly Mistress Shaika Spot that endorses that activity with enthusiasm.  Master Sami Bey is just the 'monkey see, monkey do' type and goes right along with the mayhem.

I should have been blogging up to now because I've been doing a lot of interesting things.  Now I can't remember what it all was though so I will just leave you with some pictures as proof that I indeed have more pastimes than loafing.

Lemme set the scene for y`all: Saturday morning. In bed. With coffee. It's hot. Really, really hot. The air con is on. It's 9:15 am.  It's still very, very dark in my cave...

 Shaika Spot is turning into quite the strangely beautiful Dilmun kitty kat.  She is an awesome creature and I learn so much from her- mostly how to be wreckless and just go for it...

 She's looking very coquettish here. Don't trust this look...

 Lounge Lizards.  Here they both are deeply involved in their favorite 'pastime.'  Brings me to a story about my students: I ask them, "What is your favorite pastime?" Most of them reply that it is sleeping... Anyway, the kitties look fabulous doing it- don't you think? 

 Master Sami Bey is seriously easy on the eye.  He's an Adonis, an Adonis without balls that is... So, he's a bit humbled by all THAT.  He's adjusting quite nicely without them and one day, hopefully, will really become a lap cat.  He is already on his way.  He does like to cuddle up to me when I am practicing my yoga.  He really likes to attack my feet at this time as well.  So he's a bit of a yo-yo personality.  He could also be a serial killer...

 This is my gym here on the left. It's called Al Areen Spa. It's pure luxury.  I sometimes go there, and when I do it's usually straight to the pool...

 Here is a cemetary in A`ali at the main archaeological site there- the Royal Burial Mounds.  I take all visitors here first usually as it's in my hood. I love this place.  I love to walk the earth here.  I love the feeling that I am somehow connected to this place- to Dilmun of ancient times.  The Dilmun of the epic of Gilgamesh and Enki, etc. 

 Beautiful Arabic architecture here in A`ali.  Again, I really feel at home in my little village here.  It is a Shia village. 

 This building always fascinates me.  The striking colors, the graffiti, the pottery studios.  Oh yes, A`ali is famous on the island for the potters and their studios.  Another favorite place of mine to take visitors, and usually walk away with more pottery myself... Will be a bit difficult to get this stuff (presents peeps!) back to America I suppose...

 Here's a picture of me holding up the walls at the archaeological site with my favorite building in the background. 

 I took Shamika there as well. 

 Here is a kiln that, I believe, is still in use.  When you visit the pottery studios there, often the guys will take you around back and inside their workshops to check out the behind-the-scenes scenes.  These scenes usually consist of family members in various stages of artistic endeavors.  Everybody is so nice and friendly.

 Here is another one of those scenes.  Gwen and I were given a royal tour and found kitties!!! Mama kitty was busy cleaning up the crew.  I just went back here with my sister about 2 weeks ago and mama kitty is... wait for it... pregnant again!  Alas...

 Sometimes I try to do Arabic homework. Master Sami Bey usually takes this opportunity to cuddle with me, or with my book.  I tire of this affectionate behavior NEVER so generally give up studying Arabic quite early on... It's all because of Sami Bey that I cannot become fluent in Arabic!

 There are plenty of opportunities to polish myself up and go to embassy functions.  Here I am with my thrift store crop jacket covering my Dolce and Gabbana LBD and my Upper East Side (thank you NYC) thrift store Christian Dior kitten heels.  I do clean up nicely actually :)

 Shamika and I went cruising one day in search of a beach.  I believe I wrote about this, but here are the pictures.  We were so happy.  Fancy that that a New Yorker would fine me, an island girl, a beach... Well, I suppose NYC is an island as well so it takes one to know one!

 More lounging. It's just like riding a bicycle- you never forget how to relax on the beach.  This is probably the thing I miss most about living in Turkey- all the magnificent beaches you go to in summer.  Obviously I miss this with Hawaii as, so far in my travels, nothing beats Hawaiian beaches- NOTHING...

 Okay, this picture is outta order, but I don't feel like re-organizing it so we are back in A`ali village. I just liked this metal box...

 Back to the beach!  Shamika kicking it with her cool, casual vibe.  We've got quite the bohemian little set-up going on here on this day. The girl has loads of energy.  What a gem and I hope to see her in NYC this summer when I'm in DC in August and do a little side trip to the city that never sleeps...

 Yea, it'll do...

 So, all these pictures are of Amwaj.  It is an expensive part of the island to live on.  Good thing I have no problem freeloading onto their backyard beaches...

 Shiny, happy girls with a bronze glow (it will turn bronze after the redness fades- really)...

 Back to A`ali again, but this time with a bonafide purpose that doesn't involve buying pottery!  The Danish archaeologists called me up wanting me to get some measurements that they needed for a talk back home so I of course complied.  Dug out the compass, mechanical pencil and found myself a crew member and off we went!

 We measured the steps to this site that I am standing on.  We had around 11 measurements to take.  We were all alone among these ancient walls. 

 Sometimes I get to lounge at this villa and in this pool!  Starlight's place is really fun and homey to visit.  She has an international community of kitties that she has rescued, and is the godmother of both Shaika Spot and Master Sami Bey.  She actually bottle-bed Sami Bey- I watched her do it.  I tried to help but damn he was a tiny tot... I never knew that you had to stimulate their butts to make them poop when the mother gives up on trying... heh heh. Poop mistress... lol

 Spanky is the lone canine among all the felines that cohabitate at Starlight's villa.  He's a big boy.  A big goofy dog.  It's nice to know big, goofy dogs. 

 Back to A`ali...

 Imma just say that I don't know what's going on here.  I found the graffiti stencil really interesting though.  I'll tell y`all about it sometime...

 I'm not sure if I showed pictured of the Formula One (F1)  races that happen every year here in Bahrain.  We got free tickets thanks to a gentle man... Here I am assuming quite the compromising position that one never wants to be in here in the Middle East...

 Posers...

 The F1luxury boxes or central command... Our seats were to the left of this, at the really hairy curve.  We got to see a car flip over.  Freaky, yet thrilling...

 Here is said gentle man with the tickets. Sir Anthony worked the event.  He's awesome. 

 We do celebrations over here- all of them.  Here is some of the extended family over here.  This is our international Easter celebration.

 Many countries and nationalities are represented in our extended family melting pot.  Keith and Shamika talking tech talk.

Shamika and Benny chatting themselves us after a fantastic dinner.

We also do birthday celebrations.  Kamal cutting his own cake.



The crew all happy post dessert 

 Abdullah all happy after eating birthday cake.

 Saying goodbye to Benny- who works with my sister in Saudi Arabia.

Lynnette, our hostess, makes sure all party-goers go home with swag. We never leave empty-handed!



Okay, that takes you all up through April.  I'm burnt out on pictures so imma stop here and continue on next time with Oman and go from there. It's time to make some breakfast and then go to the thrift store and see what's in store for me there as it's been 2+ weeks since visiting!

over and out,

HollyMissBerry

Girl Thunder, Boy Wonder- aka Shaika Spot and Sami Bey

Transformation time.  My intentions with this transcend my life as well as the current weather that has hit the Kingdom.  Yes folks, it's warm over here.  I mean, really warm.  With 2 weeks left of 'winter' still, I don't hold high hopes for a mild spring...

I've known this has been coming as the signs were all too obvious: I have not run in the mid-morning or mid-afternoon for 2 weeks now (never mind I've had out of town company and haven't felt like running during those hours).  Two nights in a row now I haven't had as much as a sarong for cover while sleeping.  This morning I had to *gasp* turn the fan on in the bedroom while drinking my coffee and perusing the morning news. Yesterday, while driving through downtown MADNESS, I had to turn on the air con- on low only though. I wouldn't allow myself to increase the setting- that is reserved for April, May, June... Each month I will allow myself to increase 1 setting only... I hate air con.

Lastly, I've been observing the Lounge Lizards for the past 2 days- Shaika Spot and Sami Bey, formerly known as Girl Thunder and Boy Wonder up until 2 days ago when the weather started heating up.  Now they look like medicinal leeches sucking up the blood from the couch...Very cute, irresistible leeches mind you. Soon enough I'll, apparently, have to leave the house with the air con on for the critters.

Other modified behaviors of theirs consist of sleeping on the tile floors, as well as sleeping in the bathroom sink.  Shaika Spot is already obsessed with water and jumps onto the tub to watch.  Sami Bey, following suit, became interested too.  He, not being as agile as his step-sister, can be clumsy and fall into the shower occasionally- while it's on!  He's becoming a bit of a water-boy though, thus making his older step-sister Shaika Spot quite proud.

Okay shutting down shop now so... bye