More randomness

"Arabian" Gulf - The tensions here between the shia and sunnis which have led to the shia demonstrations are purported to be backed by Iran, which is Persia.  Therefore, what we refer to in the US as the Persian Gulf is generally, and preferably, called the Arabian Gulf here.  I kept hearing people talk about the Arabian Gulf but had never heard of it and finally just asked.

I feel like I have been here forever.  It is hard to believe that it has only been a month.  Am I homesick?  Hell yeah!  But I am not missing sleep.  I am, however, missing my kid and the beasts!

There are very few intersections here.  Sometimes you must drive 4-5 blocks to turn left.  Thing is, you are allowed to make a u-turn and come back to the location you wanted to access. 

Every expat must have a physical to ensure that they are healthy and not coming to Bahrain for free medical care.  That means that EVERYONE must get this exam.  Because I am a westerner, I was moved to the head of the lines.  It was embarrassing but I was very grateful.  Imagine several hundred people crammed into a very small space, many with no knowledge of hygiene or access to it, and...you get the picture.  I feel bad for the people that are waiting there for hours...at the same time...you get the picture. 

PATIENCE...is not a virtue here as much as it is a necessity.

Most people, when finding out I am an American...even the Americans I have met, are surprised that I am a businessman here.  There are plenty of 'westerners' but they are mainly British, Euro, or Australian.  Very few Americans that aren't associated with the base, that I have found.

As a man, I NEVER reach for a woman's hand when meeting her.  If they do not reach out we do not shake hands.  Some men won't shake a woman's hand either.  It is their custom so I abide by it.

I am getting used to this weather...sitting on the balcony listening to the awful music from the water park nearby...it is 99 degrees and I am comfortable...me...man who loves COLD.  Slight breeze and all is good.  It has been close to 110 all week so 99 is like autumn.  Can't wait for the next two months, 120+ degrees AND humid.  SCARY!  First Cap'n n Coke went down smoothly...having another.  The ice in beverages outsiode melts within minutes.  Gotta drink fast.

Officially a member of the Royal Golf Club.  Me...a country clubber...it makes me laugh a little.  What would my dad think?  "Way to go?" or "WTF?"

Meetings here can be interesting.  For isntance, today there were 3 of us.  One native Bahraini, one Indian, and me...American.  All trying to communicate in English.  Between the accents, word choices, and different pronunciations, it really is amazing we can understand each  other.  I am preparing a post that is purely about the differences in how we talk about things...not just words like lift rather than elevator, but entire phrases...it shall be stupendous!

Dust finally settled...you can see the skyline again!

Ramadan is coming.  I will have a full post...or more...explaining it to all of you.  It is the height of their holidays. 

Call to prayer...I can hear it.

It is Wednesday...that means it is 'Friday' in Saudi Arabia.  Since Bahrain has liberal laws regarding alcohol, they come in droves on their weekend.  There is a hotel right across the street with a rtoof top pool.  They will be there all day tomorrow and Friday.

I finally upgraded my vehicle today.  I traded the POS Lancer for a very nice 2012 Honda CRV AWD!  Way nice vehicle.  Insurance, maintenance, etc $500/month leased...a little high but they were asking $600 so I got them to come down.  Negotiations are very keen here.  I have reduced the costs on almost everything I get...big ticket items at least.  It is pricey to live here...no doubt.

Enough for today...more randomness another day...cheers folks!

Dubai

I was in Dubai for business today, taking care of some banking for our branch in the free zone area.  I was in and out in one day but saw some of the sites.  The Burj Khalifa is the world's tallest building and is located near the world's largest mall...sorry MOA.  Dubai, along with Abu Dhabi, are two of the seven emirates of United Arab Emirates.  Dubai is a wonderful place, very urban and upscale.  5 years ago it was the center of commercial real estate.  Hopefull we get more opportunities to expand here...I wouldn't mind coming here a lot.  It is a cheap and short plane ride ($200 dollars for a one day turn around on two days notice).  Plus it has some very wonderful resorts on the gulf.  I will be back for a long weekend...or several!  Actually, Oman, Istanbul, Thailand, the Maldives and Beirut are also on my radar so maybe just once for fun and then the other places too.

Burj Khalifa...world's tallest...and very spectacular.

It was very dusty so this photo is a little hard to make out.  But, for perspective, Burj Khalifa in the background with area buildings...mostly 40+ stories...it really does stand out!

Cleaning crew washing windows.  I counted 12 coming down the side of the buiding...impressive.

A main thoroughfare...great architecture...very clean city...and surprisingly GREEN!

Mmmm...Indian food...all vegetarian.  Most of the dishes are Jainist...a sect that is extremely vegan...they won't even eat onions because they are the root of the plant and to eat them means to kill the plant.  Very tasty and colorful spread!  The bill for two was less than $15.

Royal Golf Club

Playing golf is one of my favorite passtimes (OK, favorite passtime).  There are two courses here in Bahrain.  One is a desert track where you carry a mat with you and place your ball on it for each shot.  The other was designed by Colin Montgomery and has actual grass.  Guess which one I played today.  Next week I plan to join.  There is also a 9 hole par three course called the 'Wee Monty'.  Therefore, I am christening the regulation course the...wait for it...'Full Monty'.

Beer and golf...feeling like home more each day!

Two of the people I played 9 holes with.  Jeff and Sarah.  Jeff is from Detroit and a lions fan.  Sarah is...well...dang it, I travel 7,000 miles and meet Sarah...a PACKERS fan...I just can't seem to get away from these people.  Look closely at her shirt.  That ugly green and yellow 'g' was the first thing I saw.  All we needed was a bears fan and we would have had the entire NFC North covered.  Both are stationed here with the Navy for the next three months.

Sarah, Jeff and D.  All Navy personnel and all nice people.

I don't know if you can really see this green, but it has about nine breaks to it.  Putting is a real challenge here.

Golf in the Middle East just wouldn't feelright without an oil rig and active pipeline.

Cell towers disguised as palm trees.  In Arizona, they are disguised as saguaro cactus.

Date Tree

Nothing really to note...I just thought this photo turned out cool.

Beasts and Monsters

A picture is worth a thousand words...in this case, a thousand wags...very glad they are so safe and content!

Lorelei, thank you so much!

Random Thoughts and Observations

I heard my first call to prayer the other night.  It was a very harmoniously sounding chant.  We have them everyday in the mall (we also have a mosque) but I haven't heard it.

Getting internet sites from the US is difficult.  For instance, Netflix will not allow me to rent movies because it doesn't go out of the US.  Anyone knoe how to access a US server so I can get movies?

There is so much dust in the air that the roof of the building accross the street looks the same color as the gravel of the reclaimed area.  It is so hazy that it looks like smoke in the air.

Westerners get a lot of attention here.  It is a little weird coming from the US and be treated so darmatically.  I went to a grocery store (think K-mart with food) and got some almonds.  Two weeks later I went to get more and the guy who had only seen me once started packing the almonds for me before I asked.  This is not unusual.  The coffee clerk remembers me, the car park attendant remembers me, the security officer remembers me.  It is a strange feeling to be treated so differently.  There is also a very distinct stratification of natioalities here.  Westerners rank very highly, especially Americans and Brits (which accounts for the treatment I have been receiving).  Not that we do not have the same thing back home, but here it is more overt.  In some ways the way it is here is more honest.  This is especially true of the Indian work force here.  The caste system is firmly in place.  Most of my top level managers are Indian while at the same time most of the laborers are also Indian.  But there is a significant class distinction.  The Filipinos run all the shops or work at the mall.  Bangladeshis are mainly the outdoor labor force.

I found an organic food store and the manager has special ordered some frozen blueberries for me.  He even called to let me know they are arriving and when I can pick them up.  They are a super food so eat lots of them!  Very healthy for you and high in anti-oxidants.  Finding a place where I could oredr these was a happy day for me!

I went to  the Brit Club the other night...took a taxi for good reason.  When time to leave, no taxis in sight.  The manager sent me home with their driver.  He was a shia, the group that is having the demonstrations, but he spoke very well of how he feels the gov't is really making strides to ensure all Bahrainis are fairly treated.  It gives a person hope.  The irony was that the highway going in the opposite direction was completely shut down due to a burning road block.  There really isn't any confrontations, just these mini acts of sabotage.  Regardless, most of the people here, sunii and shia, hope these demonstrations go away.  It really is a pleasant country and I have no concerns for safety.

I miss the beasts...they are in my dreams almost every night.  My sister, who is watching them, calls hers monsters.  So, when she sends me email, the subject line is beasts and monsters.  Very catchy.

I had to read the instruction manual for the washing machine...yes, a guy needing to read the instructions.  Let me tell you, washing clothes is a BIG hassle here.  You must manually program EACH cycle.  AND, the machine only holds about 3 towels...OR 10 shirts...OR...three pairs of jeans.  Then it gets really fun, no dryer.  Everything needs to be hung on a rack.  The only good news is that things dry very quickly here.

You don't drink the water here.  It is potable, but desalinated and nasty tasting.  You have water delivered.  The cost is around $3 per 5 gallon jug and they bring it weekly.

I have yet to see a movie here, but there are three theaters all within walking distance that show most of the Hollywood hits as they come out.  They also show hits from Bollywood.  The Indian expatriate community in Bahrain is almost 40% of the population.  They have some economic clout.

All the TV stations, except Arabic, are subtitled in Arabic.

Driving is a challenge.  Cars will drive over the center line until the decide which lane they want.  Even the traffic signs say "Pick a Lane"  and I am not jokng.  That is verbatim what the signs say.

If the police see you talking on the phone while driving they will pull you over and make you pay a fine.  The fine is $13 so everyone still talks on the phone.  I do know someone who was caught.

There is a nice breeze today so it doesn't feel so hot.  The problem is, it makes you forget how hot it really is so keep drinking water!

That's it for now...more random thoughts and observations later.

Peace! 



More Miscellaneous

A date tree about to explode with its fruit.  Almost every palm tree is nearing perfect ripeness.  I am not sure if they pick these for consumption or not.  You can find them in any supwer market.

A view of my building.  My unit is on the opposite side.  I am on reclaimed land.  The coast has moved abpout a half mile from where it had been.  From my balcony I can watch them reclaiming land every day.  Mostly, it sits vacant waiting for the market to boom again.

Mike's Farewell from Manama

Mike was my predeccesor in the ME.  A great guy and the staff will miss him.  This was his going away bash at an Indian restaurant on Budaiya Road.  I remember how hard it was to leave so many good friends and colleagues...that sensation was sinking in that evening for him as well.  Sorry that some of the photos are awful, I was using my iphone and it didn't like the lighting conditions.



Staff.

Mike posing with the female staff.

Ali and me.  Ali was very helpful getting me my visa and all pertinent documents.  He is truuly a genuine nice person...as are all the Bahrainis I have met so far!!

Mike receiving gifts.

ABM Send Off

Greg Wohlforth and Marnie O'Byrne of ABM gave me a marvelous send off as well.  They have both been fantastic friends and business associates over the years.  Marnie prepared a very funny board showing my face on several memorable Minnesota bodies from throughout the years.  Thanks both of you!

The funny board from Marnie...me liking it.



Me and Marnie...what a great person she is!

Marnie, me and Greg...Greg is my golf pal.  We played almost every Saturday that we could for almost six years.  What a fun ride!

The ol' Hines gang.  Russ, me, Pam, Mike, and Fridog!  All Class A people.

David...what are you doing?

110 degrees and HUMID! And getting HOTTER!

The work day is done.  I am sitting on my balcony 'trying' to acclimate myself to the heat.  It is over 100 in the shade but my Captain/Diet Coke is keeping me cool...ok, it's not keeping me cool, but it is keeping me happy  There is so must dust and haze from the humidity I can barely see 5 miles.

I am playing the Royal Golf Club on Saturday.  If I like it, I may join.  The temp is going to reach 115 by then.  Hopefully I will survive.  They are comping my round in hopes that I will join.

I am off to the British Club this evening to meet with a colleague.  He is a member so I will be allowed access.  It is a remnant of the colonial days but updated of course.  A lot of expats go there but locals do too.  It is a great networking place.

I found the liquor store...Budweiser is $35 per case...for BUD!  The good stuff was $50.  Fortunately I found another store that has free delivery and they have Corona for $30.  I got 5 bottles of wine and three bottles of hard stuff and it set me back $175.  I need to find someone with access to the US naval base here.  The good news is that the stores deliver.  The bad news is that Bahrain goes DRY the entire month of Ramadan (approx 7-20 to 8-20), so I need to stock up soon.

More photos over the weekend...Cheers!

We Are All Alike

We are all alike.  If you don't believe that, here is the proof.  Just go to any shopping mall in the world.  Just like in America you will find Starbucks, pretzels, movie theaters and even these things below.

Instead of Snoopy characters in MN or cows in Chicago, Bahrain goes with the local fare and has decorated camels.  It was a nice touch and many of them were beautifully designed.

Need more proof that we are alike?  Here it is!  You can't escape Paris Hilton even here.

Mohammed Al Wazzan

In Bahrain, a foreign company must be owned by a local.  Mohammed Al Wazzan is the 'owner' of our local office.  He is a gracious and delightful man.  Over the past week, he has met us for dinner, lunch, invited us to his nephew's wedding reception, and brought us to his seaside villa (like a cabin for my MN friends or cottage for my cheesehead friends).  He also introduced me to some of his friends; a factory owner, the head surgeon in all Bahrain (who is also shia) and a government employee who works directly for the royal family while at the sea.



Dinner at Cico's Itlaian restaurant...very tasty.  l-r (Azaz A, our financial manager, Mohammed, Mike A., my predeccesor, me, and Markus, my boss and head of operatyions for EMEA (Eur, Mid East, Africa).

l-r: Mohammed, Markus, and me at Mohammed's nephew's wedding reception.  Markus and I were extremely delighted to be invited to such a family event.  The men and women celebrate separately.  We met many of Mohammed's family here.

The Apartment

Finding a place to live was a challenge.  This is the one I selected.  It is on the 24th floor overlooking the skyline and 'lagoon'.  I am sitting on the balcony as I write this.  It is &PM and the sun has been down for about an hour.  It sets early here in the summer but rises at 4AM.

Just signed the lease...what a relief.

View from the bedroom...the sun rises on this side of the building so it is full daylight at 4AM.

Night view.  I hope to get a better photo.  This one doesn't due justice to the view.

The living room out to the balcony.

The balcony.

Here is the better view, still doesn't do it justice.

Micellaneous

This is not the moon.  It is a direct photo of the sun at 8AM.  The dust was so thick you could sgtare directly at the sun.

One evening when I returned to the hotel room a nice spread of fruits and nuts and chocolates awaited me.  It was a great dinner!

There are two golf options in Bahrain:  1) Awali golf course where you carry a mat with you and hit from that while literally playing in the gravel of the desert; and 2) The Royal Golf Club designed by Colin Montgomery.  Below are some of the photos of the course.  It is a nice layout and they even have lights on the back nine because the sun goes down so early in the summer months.  I will likely join once the extreme heat of summer is over.  It has been 105+ here all week.

The club house.  It has three very well regarded restaurants.

The piperline in the lower half of the photo is the oil line to the refinery.  It is treated as any type of nature preserve.  You may retrieve your ball and drop without a penalty.

The view from the 18th tee.  Even though it is the middle of the desert, on the right is a water hazzard the entire length of the hole.

On-going Demonstrations

This is the smoke from a tire fire in the Souqq.  It is a shopping district in Manama.  They are almost daily occurences but typically are little more than 100-200 people who are dispersed within an hour.  The main impact is generally to taffic and little else.  

Week 1

Today marks my first full week in Manama.  I had been mispronouncing its name.  It is 'mah NAH mah'.  It has been a very hectic week.  Meetings take up most of my day.  So far, everyone has been great.  The people here are really and genuinely friendly.  The staff is made up mostly of Bahrainis and Indians but there several others from Jordan, Pakistan, and Palestine.  The first three days were thick with dust.  It was like fog for the entire time.  You couldn't see more than a mile.  The weather has been over 100 degrees every day but the humidity has remained low...thankfully.  That will change soon.  Because we are south of the Tropic of Cancer, the sun is actually north of us during the day.  Because of that, the sun rises at about 4AM but sets at about 6PM.  The nice thing is that we get 12 hours of sunlight or more daily.  Take that January!

I am awaiting my CPR...not sure of the acronym...which is my resident card.  Before I can get that I need to find housing so I have a permanent residence.  I have settled on an apartment in a high rise with sea and skyline views just a few miles from the office.  It is on the 24th floor and I can see the property from the windows and spacious balcony.  I had been to several areas.  One of them was literally a block away from where all of the protests ahd been a year ago.  Driving through the police checkpoint with the machine guns and shotguns was a little off-putting.  I decided against that area.  My office is also on the 24th floor and looks back at my apartment.  It has a fantastic fitness center and enormous pool.  Pictures to follow after I move in.  Hopefully I will move in early next week so I may leave the hotel.  Part of the hassle is getting my back account set up.  I was provided a PRO who is helping me with all of these items to help get me settled.  It is hard to imagine what a task this would be without him.

I tried to post a video to the blog showing all of the turbines working at the same time.  It is quite spectacular.  They generator several hundred kW daily.  You can see the blades of the propellors from the elevator lobby and they are enormous.

The first few days were torturous.  I was only sleeping a few hours at a time.  Finally, Tuesday night I was able to sleep through the night.  It was a combination nerves, jet lag, anxiety and insomnia.  Things are better now.

The work week is Sunday through Thursday.  By the time most of you back home are starting your week, I have completed my first two days.  The hours are Su-W 8-4 and Th 8-3.  It's a sweet gig if you can get it.  Unfortunately, I doubt I will be able to work only those hours and get everything accomplished.  With over two hundred tenants and a major renovation coupled with needing to learn the history of the property, my hours are likely to be much greater.

I am trying to join the Ritz Carlton sports club, but the waiting list is 2 years out.  My PRO has connections so that may work out for me afterall.  It is only a mile or so from the apartment and has a HUGE lagoon, beach, fitness center, and marina.  It is like a tropical paradise.  I REALLY hope my connections have the right connections.  It is very expensive, but with so limited green space, it would be energizing and worth the cost.  Regardless, tomorrow I will go to the Royal Golf Club where I am meeting the membership director.  Either way I will have options for my freetime.

I finally drove for the first time yesterday.  It was a scary situation.  Others will just pull in front of you, cut you off, stop dead to drop people off, and pedestrians, with very few sidewalks, just walk the streets in front of you.  On top of that, there are all of these small delivery motorcycles that squeeze in wherever they can.  They are hard to see.  I fear hitting someone.

I really miss my kid and my dogs and all of you.  I hope all is well in Minneapolis or whereever you may be reading this.

Next week I hope to include more photos to go along with this update.  If I have time, I plan to update this prior to that.  In the meantime, here is a photo of my office.  It has a spectacular view.

Office view to the east.  The windows on the north were too dirty to include but they are in process of getting cleaned.  The dust here is so heavy that the windows are constantly being washed.



My future home in the distance.  It is only 1 year old.  The best part is that it is on the southside of the building so I don't get the summer sun and the balcony is shaded all day.  My unit is approximately half way up.  There are only 8 units per floor so it is very spacious.

Greg and Jenny

Thanks for sushi at Nami!  Great to see you guys!

Made It

I arrived at the hotel at midnight.  Customs was a breeze.  It took about 45 minutes to deplane, get through customs, and get to the hotel.  Netflix doesn't work here...that isn't good.  It eook me several attempts to figure out how to turn off the Arabic browser language so I could make posts.  It is now noon...about 4:30 back home.  Time to start this adventure!