getting out and about

11/1/08, 6:40 pm BT
Well, finally I’ve gotten to see a bit of the country beyond my hotel room block!
Picture this: three women in a small car, one Lebanese (citizen of Bahrain for 9 years), one Philippino (citizen of Bahrain for 6 months, but staying four years), and one American (non-citizen), barreling around the “suburbs” looking for Bapco (petroleum company, associated with Chevron), honking to adjacent drivers at every light or roundabout, asking for directions. Such was part of my afternoon. And I LOVED it!!! After finally getting my money situation straightened out (wow, what a hassle – better forgotten!), I went back to the hotel, ran through two weight lifting circuits, sat out at the pool to roast one side for exactly 20 minutes (the max I am allowing per day after my recent pre-cancer scare – that’s SKIN cancer scare, for those of you who were keeping up with all my medical issues of late!) and showered quickly. Then braved the sun and heat (and according to the locals, extreme distance – took me about 45 minutes with sauntering and picture-taking… no big deal to me) to walk to the Bahrain Exhibition and Convention Center for the American Women’s Association Craft fair. Yes, I was going to a craft fair here!
Unfortunately, after all the fish parts I walked over when I went through the backside of the central Market, and after all the traffic at the crossovers, and after waving away all the cab drivers who honked to me, trying to entice me to ride rather than walk, THE SHOW WASN’T THERE!!!!
Several other women were wandering around, looking. The security people at the last day of the (huge!) Gulf Property Association Conference were not at ALL helpful, telling us the craft thing was in the next building… Well, long story short: I hooked up with Aida (the Lebanese woman), as we tried to figure it out. Another woman was less friendly. Then we hooked up with Ginny (the woman from Manila), who had the phone # of the director. Aida’s phone, Ginny’s number… and we all piled into Aida’s car for a trip halfway down the island to the Bapco “compound,” where the fair was being held. What a ride; what great conversation. What things I learned. What beautiful items! (I think I spent my entire gift allowance in one fell swoop!)
Some of the items of note or interest: they both attend Catholic mass. They are both here because of husband’s jobs (one in finance, one in manufacturing engineering for drill parts for oil companies). I was almost (but not quite!) convinced to come back and teach here as a tutor (you can’t believe how long the wait list is for an English tutor, at 25 B.D./hour (that’s about $67/hour). No property tax, no income tax, no sales tax… And, best of all, Aida got her hospitality degree at BU! Lived on Mass Ave, and then in Quincy. And her brother lives in Boston, teaches at BU’s dental school, and has a full-time dental practice there. She is going to give me something to bring home for him – just to freak him out. (Oh, and Ginny’s daughter ALMOST completed the circle – she is in college getting a degree in hospitality and hotel management… but in Manila, not at BU!)

Okay, everybody hold hands, and start singing: “it’s a small world after all….”