For Christmas we decided to give the girls a quick trip to Dubai...John is really busy at work right now so it was uncertain if he would be able to take a vacation. He got the 21st through the 24th off so we got 6 plane tickets, hotel reservations, and a safari excursion!
The night before we were to leave I was checking our bank account when I saw a very large debit out of our account. John was already asleep and I woke him to ask if he bought something for that amount and he said that he had not. I immediately called the bank to dispute it! Our bank at home is awesome...they got the forms ready to get our money back and our attorney went and signed the papers and we had our money back the next day. Sounds simple right??? Well....it took hours of calls and as you know, that can be crazy with the time difference and bad phones and internet. By the time I got it sorted out it was about 2:30-3:00a.m. and I had to be up by 5:00a.m. Also, the girls were still awake...soooo none of us got any sleep before we left.
We got to Bahrain at 10:30a.m., took a cab to the hotel (cabs are super cheap), checked in, and went shopping! Our hotel was by Mall of the Emirates so we started there. The malls are similar to the malls in Bahrain only a bit bigger. They have similar stores with the addition of some American stores like American Eagle, Hollister, Aeropostale, and Bloomingdales.
There are almost no women in abayas! No men really drool over my children in the malls like they do here in the malls. They have tons of Christmas decorations and Christmas music playing....loved it!
The second day we had a desert safari scheduled for that evening and we got kind of a late start so we split up and spent the few hours we had shopping and eating. Madeline was complaining about the prospect of the desert safari all afternoon as she did not want to go on it. The thought of spending six hours in the desert did not sound fun to her.
Our driver, Abraham, came to our hotel in a 4x4 Land Cruiser and took us out to the desert where we met up with a dozen or so other vehicles. After Abraham let the air out of the tires he started up a CD and we went one by one up the hills. It was SCARY and FUN and SCARY...did I mention SCARY?!?! It was a blast! It was scarier than a roller coaster ride. No kidding. It felt like the vehicle was going to tip over more than once. One time another Landcruiser got so close I thought they were going to hit us. The girls were holding on for dear life. Sarah had a very large bottle of water between her legs and she squeezed so hard the lid popped off and spilled all over her. She then had to hold it so it wouldn't spill which meant she couldn't hold on.....good times! We ended at the top and got out in the sand to cool off the engine and watch the sunset. We then went in to the Dubai Desert Reservation Reserve to a bedouin village and had BBQ, belly dancing, henna, some weird male dancer, camel rides, etc. It was so much fun! That was the BEST part of our trip.
The last day we spent at the souks and then at the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. While impressive to look at and think of, the actual "excursion" was a bit lackluster. You pay $25 a person to go to the observation deck on the 124th floor and take pictures. Pretty cool but not sure it's worth $25 a person!
All in all...even with the huge blisters from walking and shopping so much...we LOVED Dubai...especially after having lived in Bahrain for the last 4 months...it is so much nicer!
So we get back from Dubai and are in the passport control lines when we hear this Bahraini woman screaming very very loudly (they remind me of cajun women...lol). It was so loud and such a spectacle that it was borderline scary. She was screaming and wailing at three young arab men...she even started hitting them in the face. The police couldn't do anything. They just stood and watched it play out. It was so surreal. When I got to the passport guy I asked him what was going on and he said that they had said something to her daughter. WELCOME BACK TO BAHRAIN. It is such a strange society...very very immature. Back to women wearing abayas and men oogling my children and all women....MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE DESERT!
All in all, this has been such a blessed year! God has given us so much...we have just begun this new adventure but we never forget our friends and family...especially at Christmas. As we form new family traditions we still mourn for those traditions from the past...we miss our Christmas Eve service at FBC with grandaddy...coming home to open the presents with the grandparents...waking on Christmas morning while Jan, Jerl and Susan come and watch the girls open their gifts...going back to the in-laws for blueberry muffins and breakfast tacos...watching Elf and A Christmas Story...eating Grandaddy's Christmas dinner off of the Lenox holly plates...napping on the floor in front of the fire. We miss our old traditions but we know that life changes and we are embracing our new traditions.
Merry Christmas to you all...
Friday, December 24, 2010
Christmas 2010 in Bahrain
It has been four months since I have seen my daughter! She is finally here. Sarah got here on the 16th of December and Alison got here on the 17th! I was so excited! Unfortunately for them they had great difficulties readjusting their internal clocks. They slept during the day and stayed up all night.
The hard part of them coming here to Bahrain as opposed to going home to Texas is that I feel like I should be doing something with them every day....there isn't THAT much to do in Bahrain. At home we would be laying around watching television, eating, and they would be visiting friends....but here we are looking for things to do that everyone will enjoy.
We visited the souks. That was all right, but Alison hates that kind of aggressive sales. She just can't do it...she doesn't like to haggle either...she gets that from me. Sarah got some really nice stuff from one of the vendors in Gold City. We didn't stay long because Alison was ready to go...they are kind of scary if you have never been. We drove to the beach at Zallaq and took pictures and Sarah and Maddie waded in the Gulf. It was a pretty day! We drove by the base and by the Bahrain School in Juffair. Of course we went to Seef and City Center. We drove by our old apartment hotel in Seef. We went to the camel farm and got to see two baby camels...one was 4 days old and one was 5 days old. Sarah got to sit on a camel. There are a lot of flies and it stinks...no one else wanted to sit on them. I think the camel farm is pretty cool....Sheikh Mohammed opened it because with the prevalence of automobiles as transportation the camel has become scarce here. When the Bahrainis were a bedouin society they counted on the camels. The sheikh seeks to preserve the camel. It is free to visit the farm.
We took Sarah and Alison to Adhari Park. It is an arab amusement park...I don't think I have ever seen any other Westerners there...ever. There is a ride there called the Japan Coast and it would NOT make it as a ride in the USA...as a matter of fact...almost NONE of those rides would be allowed in the US. There is obviously no OSHA here. The Japan Coast spins you around and bounces you up and down while you are sitting in a seat with no seatbelt. It is quite frightening for a parent to watch!
We also went to see a movie at Saar Cinema and went and painted at Cafe Ceramique. That was fun!
Our first few days were just spent adjusting their sleep patterns and touring the town. We left for Dubai on the 21st for our Christmas break....that is the big gift we gave the girls this year.
The hard part of them coming here to Bahrain as opposed to going home to Texas is that I feel like I should be doing something with them every day....there isn't THAT much to do in Bahrain. At home we would be laying around watching television, eating, and they would be visiting friends....but here we are looking for things to do that everyone will enjoy.
We visited the souks. That was all right, but Alison hates that kind of aggressive sales. She just can't do it...she doesn't like to haggle either...she gets that from me. Sarah got some really nice stuff from one of the vendors in Gold City. We didn't stay long because Alison was ready to go...they are kind of scary if you have never been. We drove to the beach at Zallaq and took pictures and Sarah and Maddie waded in the Gulf. It was a pretty day! We drove by the base and by the Bahrain School in Juffair. Of course we went to Seef and City Center. We drove by our old apartment hotel in Seef. We went to the camel farm and got to see two baby camels...one was 4 days old and one was 5 days old. Sarah got to sit on a camel. There are a lot of flies and it stinks...no one else wanted to sit on them. I think the camel farm is pretty cool....Sheikh Mohammed opened it because with the prevalence of automobiles as transportation the camel has become scarce here. When the Bahrainis were a bedouin society they counted on the camels. The sheikh seeks to preserve the camel. It is free to visit the farm.
We took Sarah and Alison to Adhari Park. It is an arab amusement park...I don't think I have ever seen any other Westerners there...ever. There is a ride there called the Japan Coast and it would NOT make it as a ride in the USA...as a matter of fact...almost NONE of those rides would be allowed in the US. There is obviously no OSHA here. The Japan Coast spins you around and bounces you up and down while you are sitting in a seat with no seatbelt. It is quite frightening for a parent to watch!
We also went to see a movie at Saar Cinema and went and painted at Cafe Ceramique. That was fun!
Our first few days were just spent adjusting their sleep patterns and touring the town. We left for Dubai on the 21st for our Christmas break....that is the big gift we gave the girls this year.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Thanksgiving Blues
Well, our first real holiday has come and gone in the Kingdom....I have to admit that for the first time since September I have been homesick. The Friday after Thanksgiving I woke up desperately missing my sister and my daughter. Susan and Alison went to Louisiana for Thanksgiving to be with my family...I thank Aunt Susan for going with Ali to make her first Thanksgiving without us filled with both sides of the family.
Deanna and Big Al went shopping on Black Friday without me. I have never read a Facebook post that made my heart sink more. I miss both of them so much and the thought of them together shopping was as comforting as it was heart wrenching. It is only about 2 weeks until Alison and Sarah get here for Christmas and I cannot wait! Alison is doing so well at A&M...she has adjusted better than ANYONE can imagine for someone whose family moved away to the Middle East the week before she went off to college! She has embraced life there and we are so incredibly proud of her! I cannot describe how much my heart aches for her at the same time that it swells with pride for the way that she has handled herself....
All that being said, we had such an amazing Thanksgiving with some friends here in Bahrain...the Daniels family. The funniest thing is that we met them here in Bahrain, but the husband worked as an Accounting Manager in Sweeny for 5 years and they lived in Pearland and we never met! They are a great family that invited us to share in their family dinner. The best part about the dinner was that she cooked almost ALL of it! It was sooooo delicious and they really are a lovely family. Their daughter Taelor is one of Janie's friends from school...love her! God has truly blessed me with some awesome friends here and I am thankful for that!
This week in our Beth Moore Bible Study we learned about how God prunes us...he does it through his Word and through trials. We learned that He prefers to prune us through scripture, but that it is a necessity to allow us to go through trials as well. Since I have done that study with our group it has been NOTHING but pruning through trials! I am so thankful that they are insignificant trials in the grand scheme of life, but they test my patience none the less. So my prayer is that I would do and saying NOTHING this week unless it glorifies God. Even when the Budget Rent-a-Car people are unreasonable or the Menatelecom people are WRONG and annoying or the maids and the watchman don't do their job....in all I pray that my words and actions serve as a witness to the lost people that I am coming in to contact with in each situation....which is easily 99.5% of all the people involved in my "trials" this week. Unfortunately my prayer needs to extend to my home as well because, although I am being successful at acting "right" in public, at home I seem to have mini-meltdowns when it all piles up. So I am left wondering, "Am I supposed to be learning from dealing with the lost world around me or reacting properly so as to model the right behavior to my children???" I guess the obvious answer is "BOTH"....ouch.
I miss and love all of my friends and family at home. The girls got their Halloween goodie bags from Uncle Janice in the mail (isn't she awesome) and we got to talk to Uncle Brownie and Uncle Janice last week. John Ed picked up the phone when I called and said, "WHAT'S WRONG????!!!" Goofy Man! The girls were just calling to thank them and I was calling to thank them for watching out for my baby since we left. God could NOT have put a better family in our lives!
This weekend we reminisced about what our past traditions (we miss you Grandaddy and Nona) while embracing the new adventure and traditions we are making in a new country with a new extended family. I know that God has us where we are supposed to be...I just pray that we continue on the path that we have been set on....for WHATEVER reason....
Can't wait for Alison to get here. We are going to take a quick trip to Dubai on the 29th of December...treating Alison to a Christmas present that she will love more than anything....A SHOPPING TRIP TO THE SHOPPING CAPITOL OF THE WORLD!
Deanna and Big Al went shopping on Black Friday without me. I have never read a Facebook post that made my heart sink more. I miss both of them so much and the thought of them together shopping was as comforting as it was heart wrenching. It is only about 2 weeks until Alison and Sarah get here for Christmas and I cannot wait! Alison is doing so well at A&M...she has adjusted better than ANYONE can imagine for someone whose family moved away to the Middle East the week before she went off to college! She has embraced life there and we are so incredibly proud of her! I cannot describe how much my heart aches for her at the same time that it swells with pride for the way that she has handled herself....
All that being said, we had such an amazing Thanksgiving with some friends here in Bahrain...the Daniels family. The funniest thing is that we met them here in Bahrain, but the husband worked as an Accounting Manager in Sweeny for 5 years and they lived in Pearland and we never met! They are a great family that invited us to share in their family dinner. The best part about the dinner was that she cooked almost ALL of it! It was sooooo delicious and they really are a lovely family. Their daughter Taelor is one of Janie's friends from school...love her! God has truly blessed me with some awesome friends here and I am thankful for that!
This week in our Beth Moore Bible Study we learned about how God prunes us...he does it through his Word and through trials. We learned that He prefers to prune us through scripture, but that it is a necessity to allow us to go through trials as well. Since I have done that study with our group it has been NOTHING but pruning through trials! I am so thankful that they are insignificant trials in the grand scheme of life, but they test my patience none the less. So my prayer is that I would do and saying NOTHING this week unless it glorifies God. Even when the Budget Rent-a-Car people are unreasonable or the Menatelecom people are WRONG and annoying or the maids and the watchman don't do their job....in all I pray that my words and actions serve as a witness to the lost people that I am coming in to contact with in each situation....which is easily 99.5% of all the people involved in my "trials" this week. Unfortunately my prayer needs to extend to my home as well because, although I am being successful at acting "right" in public, at home I seem to have mini-meltdowns when it all piles up. So I am left wondering, "Am I supposed to be learning from dealing with the lost world around me or reacting properly so as to model the right behavior to my children???" I guess the obvious answer is "BOTH"....ouch.
I miss and love all of my friends and family at home. The girls got their Halloween goodie bags from Uncle Janice in the mail (isn't she awesome) and we got to talk to Uncle Brownie and Uncle Janice last week. John Ed picked up the phone when I called and said, "WHAT'S WRONG????!!!" Goofy Man! The girls were just calling to thank them and I was calling to thank them for watching out for my baby since we left. God could NOT have put a better family in our lives!
This weekend we reminisced about what our past traditions (we miss you Grandaddy and Nona) while embracing the new adventure and traditions we are making in a new country with a new extended family. I know that God has us where we are supposed to be...I just pray that we continue on the path that we have been set on....for WHATEVER reason....
Can't wait for Alison to get here. We are going to take a quick trip to Dubai on the 29th of December...treating Alison to a Christmas present that she will love more than anything....A SHOPPING TRIP TO THE SHOPPING CAPITOL OF THE WORLD!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Random Observations
There are some random observations that are completely unrelated but I keep forgetting to write them down....so I am going to try and remember all the things I have been making note of....
The "open door" and "close door" buttons on the elevator really work here...unlike in American where when you push those buttons it does nothing. Here if you push the button to close the doors it does. And if you get caught in the doors while they are closing they don't pop back open like they do in America! It shuts on you and it hurts...bad.
When you go over 120 KMH there is a light that flashes on your speedometer...some cars even simultaneously beep!
Most stations on our cable do not have commercials. Fox News uses Fox Extras to fill the space. It is weird because things will end or begin at random times instead of on the half hour and hour.
They have weird three-pronged electrical outlets, but most of the stuff you buy has the European plug so you have to buy dozens of adaptors.
There is a hierarchy here in Bahrain...it is: Bahranis, Westerners, Women, Indians. There are three different prices for things as well. There is a Bahrani price, a western price and an indian price...it's unfair, but it is what it is....
American pork is banned here...not really sure why, but they say it has something to do with our outbreak of the "swine flu" in America last year? That may be a rumor...
Gas stations are full-serve here. It was weird going to Germany and having to get out to pump our own gas...I will miss this if we ever move away from here.....
The movie theaters are awesome. When you buy tickets you pick your seats just like you would at a concert. I love that because everyone can sit together...if you go in to the movie after it has started an attendant takes you to your seat with a flashlight.
Almost all the bathrooms come with a sprayer that looks just like a kitchen sink sprayer only it is attached to the wall...they usually have bedets too, but they almost always have the sprayer.
The drinking age is 18, but they don't ever card anyone.
The weekends here are Friday and Saturday. The first day of the week is Sunday.
Church is on Friday. I have had trouble getting used to that one!
Everything is or can be delivered. You may never have to leave your home again. I can't stress everything enough....groceries, food, laundry, etc. They even have mobile spas so that you can get your mani/pedi without leaving home. If it isn't delivered then you can pull up outside the establishment you wish to purchase from and honk. An indian will come to your car and you can tell him what you want and he will get it.
The king sized bed here is not the same size as home. It is almost as wide, but it is very short. John's legs almost hang off the end AND our sheets don't fit. It is the same with queen sized beds...they look like fulls and the sheets don't fit.
People just throw trash out the windows of their cars. They don't care.
Overpasses are called flyovers.
Poppy seeds are banned.
You're not supposed to drink the water...I don't know why, but I am not going to try it...
That is all I can think of right now....
The "open door" and "close door" buttons on the elevator really work here...unlike in American where when you push those buttons it does nothing. Here if you push the button to close the doors it does. And if you get caught in the doors while they are closing they don't pop back open like they do in America! It shuts on you and it hurts...bad.
When you go over 120 KMH there is a light that flashes on your speedometer...some cars even simultaneously beep!
Most stations on our cable do not have commercials. Fox News uses Fox Extras to fill the space. It is weird because things will end or begin at random times instead of on the half hour and hour.
They have weird three-pronged electrical outlets, but most of the stuff you buy has the European plug so you have to buy dozens of adaptors.
There is a hierarchy here in Bahrain...it is: Bahranis, Westerners, Women, Indians. There are three different prices for things as well. There is a Bahrani price, a western price and an indian price...it's unfair, but it is what it is....
American pork is banned here...not really sure why, but they say it has something to do with our outbreak of the "swine flu" in America last year? That may be a rumor...
Gas stations are full-serve here. It was weird going to Germany and having to get out to pump our own gas...I will miss this if we ever move away from here.....
The movie theaters are awesome. When you buy tickets you pick your seats just like you would at a concert. I love that because everyone can sit together...if you go in to the movie after it has started an attendant takes you to your seat with a flashlight.
Almost all the bathrooms come with a sprayer that looks just like a kitchen sink sprayer only it is attached to the wall...they usually have bedets too, but they almost always have the sprayer.
The drinking age is 18, but they don't ever card anyone.
The weekends here are Friday and Saturday. The first day of the week is Sunday.
Church is on Friday. I have had trouble getting used to that one!
Everything is or can be delivered. You may never have to leave your home again. I can't stress everything enough....groceries, food, laundry, etc. They even have mobile spas so that you can get your mani/pedi without leaving home. If it isn't delivered then you can pull up outside the establishment you wish to purchase from and honk. An indian will come to your car and you can tell him what you want and he will get it.
The king sized bed here is not the same size as home. It is almost as wide, but it is very short. John's legs almost hang off the end AND our sheets don't fit. It is the same with queen sized beds...they look like fulls and the sheets don't fit.
People just throw trash out the windows of their cars. They don't care.
Overpasses are called flyovers.
Poppy seeds are banned.
You're not supposed to drink the water...I don't know why, but I am not going to try it...
That is all I can think of right now....
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Germany, Luxembourg and Volleyball...
It has been a while since my last post...almost a month! We have just been living life and doing the day to day things that we do in the states...only at a much slower pace. It's weird, everything here is at a slower pace except for the driving! The culture here seems to be slower than America....it takes longer to eat, they take a "siesta" every afternoon, no one seems to be in a real hurry....unless you are on the roads! They drive like CRAZY people and will risk the lives of many just to get ONE CAR ahead of where they are! Also, if you are waiting in line for ANYTHING inevitably an arab will walk up from the back of the line to the front and cut right in....the funniest part is that no one does anything to stop it! And they wait on them!!! I always figure that I am one of few lights in this country and I don't want to ruin it by yelling at someone who cuts in line...lol! It's my small contribution...lol
We have finally bough a car! A guy that works for CPChem and his wife are moving to Saudi Arabia permanently and their car was for sale. We wanted to buy something used and we wanted to buy it from someone we knew and God just hooked us up! :) It is a silver Lexus RX350 with virtually no miles on it and it has been taken very good care of by the owners. Mike and Cindy are moving somewhere around the 20th, so we are in a rental until then! Ugh...and we got a new rental this week...and it is SMAAAALLL! I am having difficulty getting used to the sensitivity of the brakes...as the girls so graciously tell me every 5 minutes! I will be glad to be back in an SUV and out of a small car...especially with all the crazy drivers around here.
We just got back from a week in Germany on Sunday! I am sure that most of you have seen our pictures of Germany on Facebook, but I will post them again here just in case you haven't.
We went for the DoDDs European Tournament. It was three days of all volleyball! The girls were so sore. They did really well for their situation. Even though we are part of the DoDDs(Department of Defense Dependents School) system, we are at a major disadvantage. As far as my understanding goes....in order for us to qualify to play in that league we have to only have as much coaching/playing time as all the rest of the European DoD schools. It is volleyball season in Europe, but unfortunately for us, our season does not start until February. In order to be able to still play our Island League season AND the DoDDs League we can only practice so long....soooo, even though we practiced as a team for a little over a month, we have not played a match/game as a team. That is a HUGE disadvantage for us since the other teams have played 7-10 matches and maybe even some tournaments. For having never played together as a team the girls did REMARKABLY well. They played 7 different teams best 2 out of 3. They only won one game, but they brought every single game to within 3-5 points. They even have girls on the team that have never played volleyball before. Because our school is so small, we have a smaller pool to choose from...it was difficult getting enough girls to fill the spots. Regardless of their losing, it was a lot of fun! We got to meet a lot of new people from Italy, Germany, England, etc.
John, Madeline, and I went a day early because the tickets were over a thousand dollars cheaper...that was a no brainer...and it gave us time to sightsee in Frankfurt. We all went to Ramstein on Wednesday and because there were no games until Thursday John, Madeline, and I took a really quick trip to Luxembourg. It was only an hour and a half drive. Unfortunately it was cold and rainy, but we still got to see a good bit of the country...it is tiny so it didn't take long. Everything closes at 6:00 p.m. so we didn't get to shop...which was probably a good thing for our pocketbook.
We all boarded the charter bus at 7:00a.m. Thursday to be taken to Vogelweh (a smaller base by Ramstein) for our first game at 8:30a.m. The girls played 4 matches that day...from 8:30-5:30 they played 9 games. That is a LOT of playing for girls who haven't had their first match yet. They were tired and hungry by the time we left the gym for the hotel! The next day we had to do it all over again....This time they only had to play 6 or 7 games so we finished at around 3:00p.m.
We got to go to the commissary both days and I was like a kid in a candy store. There are a few things that you cannot get in Bahrain that are plentiful in the U.S., but I wasn't aware of them until I got here. Had I known that you couldn't get them I would have sent them in my air shipment. Most of the stuff that you cannot get here we can do without or find a local replacement for....one of the things I have not been able to find a replacement for is canned green chiles. I can find fresh green chiles and green chile sauce (that is so hot it burns a whole in your stomach) but no canned green chiles. I got 10 cans of green chiles at the commissary along with 10 cans of Rotel (there are substitues for Rotel in Bahrain, but no replacements for Rotel...lol). Green chile chicken soup for dinner this weekend! WOOHOO! It is difficult to find Tostitos, but we can find substitues...so queso is also on the menu this weekend!
The other thing that I cannot get in Bahrain because they are banned is poppy seeds. I make this awesome poppy seed chicken casserole and I have not been able to find poppy seeds...obviously. So I also got 2 jars of poppy seeds. Did I also mention that the prices are about 10% cheaper at the commissary than the military would pay in the U.S.? Which means that the prices for us were 55% cheaper!!!! We were in heaven. We even got a bag of REAL DORITOS! Of course the volleyball girls snacked on them so they didn't make it home to Bahrain...lol!
The last day of the tournament was the championships for all three divisions and they were held at Ramstein AFB. The bus took us there and, as we passed the PX, all of our mouths dropped open...it was as big as a mall with an actual food court and stores! It was like an oasis...a mecca for Americans in the Middle East. Clothing and food is so expensive in Bahrain that when you CAN get American items, it is almost price prohibitive. For instance, the coach purses at the PX were about 10% less than what you would pay in the US...so one that I was looking at was $218...in Bahrain it would be more like $400. The backpack Madeline asked for for Christmas was $398 in the PX and is more like $600+ here...needless to say, she is not getting it for Christmas. I looked like an old lady with my purchases as I went to the pharmacy aisle and stocked up on Omeprazole, Pepcid AC, Geritol vitamins, and other various sundries that you CANNOT get in Bahrain. I brought what I thought would be enough, but we have only been here two and a half months and we are almost out of all the stuff I brought. Ugh.
The girls that went on the trip for the most part were just amazing kids. There were 7 Americans, 2 Canadians, 1 Chilean, 1 Indian, and 1 Bahraini. It was a nice mixture of cultures....they are all such good kids too...there was a team from an American International School in England that was staying at the same hotel and they were loud, obnoxious, and they destroyed hotel property in their rooms...our girls were mature and well-behaved. Our coach and athletic director, Coach Sherer and Mr. Herrera, did a great job at organizing and chaperoning the girls. They even had a 2 hour study hall where some girls had to take their tests from school. Both of them are very young, but very impressive with their control over the girls and the situation. It was very organized.
This is one of the perks of living overseas and going to a DoD school. This is the kind of thing that we took in to account when we were making the tough decision to take the job here or not. I am so glad today that we did because things just get better and better here. The girls have amazing friends and amazing opportunities to learn about different cultures, travel, and just broaden their view on the world. This has been an experience that they will never forget and will change who they are and what they become.
God has blessed us beyond our wildest beliefs! There aren't enough words to describe how thankful I am for his blessings.
We are counting down the days until Sarah and ALISON come for Christmas! We cannot wait. We are going to shop and shop and hopefully take a side trip to Dubai for New Years.
We have finally bough a car! A guy that works for CPChem and his wife are moving to Saudi Arabia permanently and their car was for sale. We wanted to buy something used and we wanted to buy it from someone we knew and God just hooked us up! :) It is a silver Lexus RX350 with virtually no miles on it and it has been taken very good care of by the owners. Mike and Cindy are moving somewhere around the 20th, so we are in a rental until then! Ugh...and we got a new rental this week...and it is SMAAAALLL! I am having difficulty getting used to the sensitivity of the brakes...as the girls so graciously tell me every 5 minutes! I will be glad to be back in an SUV and out of a small car...especially with all the crazy drivers around here.
We just got back from a week in Germany on Sunday! I am sure that most of you have seen our pictures of Germany on Facebook, but I will post them again here just in case you haven't.
We went for the DoDDs European Tournament. It was three days of all volleyball! The girls were so sore. They did really well for their situation. Even though we are part of the DoDDs(Department of Defense Dependents School) system, we are at a major disadvantage. As far as my understanding goes....in order for us to qualify to play in that league we have to only have as much coaching/playing time as all the rest of the European DoD schools. It is volleyball season in Europe, but unfortunately for us, our season does not start until February. In order to be able to still play our Island League season AND the DoDDs League we can only practice so long....soooo, even though we practiced as a team for a little over a month, we have not played a match/game as a team. That is a HUGE disadvantage for us since the other teams have played 7-10 matches and maybe even some tournaments. For having never played together as a team the girls did REMARKABLY well. They played 7 different teams best 2 out of 3. They only won one game, but they brought every single game to within 3-5 points. They even have girls on the team that have never played volleyball before. Because our school is so small, we have a smaller pool to choose from...it was difficult getting enough girls to fill the spots. Regardless of their losing, it was a lot of fun! We got to meet a lot of new people from Italy, Germany, England, etc.
John, Madeline, and I went a day early because the tickets were over a thousand dollars cheaper...that was a no brainer...and it gave us time to sightsee in Frankfurt. We all went to Ramstein on Wednesday and because there were no games until Thursday John, Madeline, and I took a really quick trip to Luxembourg. It was only an hour and a half drive. Unfortunately it was cold and rainy, but we still got to see a good bit of the country...it is tiny so it didn't take long. Everything closes at 6:00 p.m. so we didn't get to shop...which was probably a good thing for our pocketbook.
We all boarded the charter bus at 7:00a.m. Thursday to be taken to Vogelweh (a smaller base by Ramstein) for our first game at 8:30a.m. The girls played 4 matches that day...from 8:30-5:30 they played 9 games. That is a LOT of playing for girls who haven't had their first match yet. They were tired and hungry by the time we left the gym for the hotel! The next day we had to do it all over again....This time they only had to play 6 or 7 games so we finished at around 3:00p.m.
We got to go to the commissary both days and I was like a kid in a candy store. There are a few things that you cannot get in Bahrain that are plentiful in the U.S., but I wasn't aware of them until I got here. Had I known that you couldn't get them I would have sent them in my air shipment. Most of the stuff that you cannot get here we can do without or find a local replacement for....one of the things I have not been able to find a replacement for is canned green chiles. I can find fresh green chiles and green chile sauce (that is so hot it burns a whole in your stomach) but no canned green chiles. I got 10 cans of green chiles at the commissary along with 10 cans of Rotel (there are substitues for Rotel in Bahrain, but no replacements for Rotel...lol). Green chile chicken soup for dinner this weekend! WOOHOO! It is difficult to find Tostitos, but we can find substitues...so queso is also on the menu this weekend!
The other thing that I cannot get in Bahrain because they are banned is poppy seeds. I make this awesome poppy seed chicken casserole and I have not been able to find poppy seeds...obviously. So I also got 2 jars of poppy seeds. Did I also mention that the prices are about 10% cheaper at the commissary than the military would pay in the U.S.? Which means that the prices for us were 55% cheaper!!!! We were in heaven. We even got a bag of REAL DORITOS! Of course the volleyball girls snacked on them so they didn't make it home to Bahrain...lol!
The last day of the tournament was the championships for all three divisions and they were held at Ramstein AFB. The bus took us there and, as we passed the PX, all of our mouths dropped open...it was as big as a mall with an actual food court and stores! It was like an oasis...a mecca for Americans in the Middle East. Clothing and food is so expensive in Bahrain that when you CAN get American items, it is almost price prohibitive. For instance, the coach purses at the PX were about 10% less than what you would pay in the US...so one that I was looking at was $218...in Bahrain it would be more like $400. The backpack Madeline asked for for Christmas was $398 in the PX and is more like $600+ here...needless to say, she is not getting it for Christmas. I looked like an old lady with my purchases as I went to the pharmacy aisle and stocked up on Omeprazole, Pepcid AC, Geritol vitamins, and other various sundries that you CANNOT get in Bahrain. I brought what I thought would be enough, but we have only been here two and a half months and we are almost out of all the stuff I brought. Ugh.
The girls that went on the trip for the most part were just amazing kids. There were 7 Americans, 2 Canadians, 1 Chilean, 1 Indian, and 1 Bahraini. It was a nice mixture of cultures....they are all such good kids too...there was a team from an American International School in England that was staying at the same hotel and they were loud, obnoxious, and they destroyed hotel property in their rooms...our girls were mature and well-behaved. Our coach and athletic director, Coach Sherer and Mr. Herrera, did a great job at organizing and chaperoning the girls. They even had a 2 hour study hall where some girls had to take their tests from school. Both of them are very young, but very impressive with their control over the girls and the situation. It was very organized.
This is one of the perks of living overseas and going to a DoD school. This is the kind of thing that we took in to account when we were making the tough decision to take the job here or not. I am so glad today that we did because things just get better and better here. The girls have amazing friends and amazing opportunities to learn about different cultures, travel, and just broaden their view on the world. This has been an experience that they will never forget and will change who they are and what they become.
God has blessed us beyond our wildest beliefs! There aren't enough words to describe how thankful I am for his blessings.
We are counting down the days until Sarah and ALISON come for Christmas! We cannot wait. We are going to shop and shop and hopefully take a side trip to Dubai for New Years.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
All Around Bahrain...
So it has been a while since my last update. It isn't that it has been quiet but that we are kind of busy with life and stuff. My first 4 weeks I spent pining for home and missing my friends and family while trying to adjust and help the girls adjust. The last three weeks I have just been enjoying my life here.
John comes home every Wednesday night and leaves on Saturday and/or Sunday morning at 5:00 a.m. depending on the week. Saudi Arabia's weekend is Thursday and Friday and Bahrain's weekend is Friday and Saturday so we get to spend all day Thursday together while the girls are in school. Last week we drove all around Bahrain with the camera, came home and went swimming in the pool, and the got the girls from school. It was such a fun day.
Janie made the varsity volleyball team. They are getting ready to go to a tournament in Germany at the beginning of November. John, Maddie, and I are planning on going as well...hopefully we will get to do some sightseeing as well.
Many of you know that our transition to the Middle East was NOT easy. We missed our friends and family, endured weeks of drama, John was stuck in Saudi for weeks without being able to come home...it was just not fun. We have started to adjust more and more. Janie and Maddie have both made a lot of good friends. Janie resisted embracing life here and had a rough start emotionally and physically (she has been sick for weeks), but in the last few weeks she has become a new kid. I am just so proud of her and how she has handled her situation. Her character is amazing and I hope to be a little like her when I grow up. LOL. Maddie made friends quickly when we got here. She is such a funny, smart and beautiful girl.
We miss Alison every minute of every day, but she tells me she is doing well. She seems to have adjusted well to life on her own at A&M. I still have guilt for leaving her, but she is so smart and resilient...I just love her! She is going to visit my family in Louisiana this month...so she has a new found freedom as well.
I have made new friends as well. I joined the American Women's Association and have met tons of dynamic and interesting people. We joined a church, Saar Fellowship, and really like the new Pastor and Associate Pastor. I joined a Beth Moore bible study that my friend, Lisa Bengal, teaches on Sunday mornings. I joined a book club and a bunco group through the AWA. I have a great group of women, mostly OXY wives, that I do stuff with daily. And, those of you who know me and my family will understand this next statement, "I have found my Uncle Janice here in Bahrain." Her name is Diane and she is JUST like Uncle Janice. She knows where everything is...she comes over to help me decide where to put furniture, she listens to me cry about my kiddos, she gives great advice, she lends me stuff I need immediately and can't get, she IS Uncle Janice only she is "Uncle Diane." I have even told her all about Uncle Janice and I think she is honored by her new title "Uncle Janice Bahrain." LOL!
I miss Uncle Janice DESPERATELY as do the girls. Madeline says at least a couple of times a week how much she misses her. I know she is in the States taking care of Alison and I am so incredibly thankful for that.
The 8 hour time difference is killing me in regards to communication with my friends and family. I have not talked to Amy P. in weeks. At first I didn't call because the transition was so difficult that all I would have done was cry on the phone and not been able to talk...as proven by my ONE conversation with my brother-in-law where all I did was cry....Now I don't call because of the time difference. I can't seem to stay awake long enough to call at a decent hour. I did get to skype with Alison and Susan last weekend and that was awesome. I miss big Al soooo much!
Alison and Sarah are coming at Christmas and we are counting the days! Can't wait to see them both! We plan to take a quick trip to Dubai for Christmas....a quick little vacation to explore and shop!
Time to go and attempt to call Amy P...this blog post made me miss her even more! TTFN!
John comes home every Wednesday night and leaves on Saturday and/or Sunday morning at 5:00 a.m. depending on the week. Saudi Arabia's weekend is Thursday and Friday and Bahrain's weekend is Friday and Saturday so we get to spend all day Thursday together while the girls are in school. Last week we drove all around Bahrain with the camera, came home and went swimming in the pool, and the got the girls from school. It was such a fun day.
Janie made the varsity volleyball team. They are getting ready to go to a tournament in Germany at the beginning of November. John, Maddie, and I are planning on going as well...hopefully we will get to do some sightseeing as well.
Many of you know that our transition to the Middle East was NOT easy. We missed our friends and family, endured weeks of drama, John was stuck in Saudi for weeks without being able to come home...it was just not fun. We have started to adjust more and more. Janie and Maddie have both made a lot of good friends. Janie resisted embracing life here and had a rough start emotionally and physically (she has been sick for weeks), but in the last few weeks she has become a new kid. I am just so proud of her and how she has handled her situation. Her character is amazing and I hope to be a little like her when I grow up. LOL. Maddie made friends quickly when we got here. She is such a funny, smart and beautiful girl.
We miss Alison every minute of every day, but she tells me she is doing well. She seems to have adjusted well to life on her own at A&M. I still have guilt for leaving her, but she is so smart and resilient...I just love her! She is going to visit my family in Louisiana this month...so she has a new found freedom as well.
I have made new friends as well. I joined the American Women's Association and have met tons of dynamic and interesting people. We joined a church, Saar Fellowship, and really like the new Pastor and Associate Pastor. I joined a Beth Moore bible study that my friend, Lisa Bengal, teaches on Sunday mornings. I joined a book club and a bunco group through the AWA. I have a great group of women, mostly OXY wives, that I do stuff with daily. And, those of you who know me and my family will understand this next statement, "I have found my Uncle Janice here in Bahrain." Her name is Diane and she is JUST like Uncle Janice. She knows where everything is...she comes over to help me decide where to put furniture, she listens to me cry about my kiddos, she gives great advice, she lends me stuff I need immediately and can't get, she IS Uncle Janice only she is "Uncle Diane." I have even told her all about Uncle Janice and I think she is honored by her new title "Uncle Janice Bahrain." LOL!
I miss Uncle Janice DESPERATELY as do the girls. Madeline says at least a couple of times a week how much she misses her. I know she is in the States taking care of Alison and I am so incredibly thankful for that.
The 8 hour time difference is killing me in regards to communication with my friends and family. I have not talked to Amy P. in weeks. At first I didn't call because the transition was so difficult that all I would have done was cry on the phone and not been able to talk...as proven by my ONE conversation with my brother-in-law where all I did was cry....Now I don't call because of the time difference. I can't seem to stay awake long enough to call at a decent hour. I did get to skype with Alison and Susan last weekend and that was awesome. I miss big Al soooo much!
Alison and Sarah are coming at Christmas and we are counting the days! Can't wait to see them both! We plan to take a quick trip to Dubai for Christmas....a quick little vacation to explore and shop!
Time to go and attempt to call Amy P...this blog post made me miss her even more! TTFN!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Our First Official Bomb Threat
Well we survived our first official bomb threat....sort of. I'm pretty sure that I had already picked Madeline up from school by the time it happened and Janie was out running on the track for volleyball practice. The threat had to do with the buses...the kids were taken off at the school and the buses were taken off the compound. All of the roads (there is really only one main road and a sort of back road) were closed and the Bahrain riot police were out in force. By the time I got there to pick Janie up an hour later the roads had been opened. I walked in the school to let a friends daughter know that her mom was coming to pick her up and I expected to find chaos. Instead it was just business as usual...except for the fact that kids were using the phone to call their parents to come and get them. No one seemed upset or worried. Things were going along as usual. So weird. If there had been a legitimate bomb threat in Sweeny can you IMAGINE the CHAOS! Big John and his crew, the Keystone Cops, the drug dogs, Mr. Brooks all with their panties in a wad.
The first night we went to the school for a function it was surreal. We walked in and there were Naval personnel everywhere with their machine guns (or whatever they carry). At first it took some getting used to but then it was kind of comforting. The only reason they were out and armed is because the event was open to other schools so they had unknown families on campus.
So all in all it was pretty uneventful. I hope it doesn't become a usual occurence though.
The first night we went to the school for a function it was surreal. We walked in and there were Naval personnel everywhere with their machine guns (or whatever they carry). At first it took some getting used to but then it was kind of comforting. The only reason they were out and armed is because the event was open to other schools so they had unknown families on campus.
So all in all it was pretty uneventful. I hope it doesn't become a usual occurence though.
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