Two Crabs

2012: The year (so far) in review

 

 First, apologies for not blogging in a while.  It's been a crazy, whirlwind couple of months. For starters, we moved!  Due to security concerns, we had to move from our lovely old house into a smaller but very modern apartment building in the heart of downtown Manama.  We're leaving Bahrain to return to Washington this summer.  We currently have HHE (House-Hold Effects) boxes piled in our spare room, just waiting for our orders to be cut so we can start sending our stuff home to DC.  By the time this tour of duty is over, we will have moved five times in three years, to the point that we have elevated moving to an art form!  Too many Foreign Service folks haul too much junk around the world.  Becoming a minimalist makes life a lot easier as one moves from post to post!  

 

 

 In January, we took a week of Annual Leave (AL) for a ski trip to our favorite resort in Europe, St. Johann in Tirol, Austria.  I swear we will retire there one day!  Mrs. Crab won't admit it, but Mr. Crab is a better skier than Mrs. Crab. :o)  We also spent a day in Munich, another one of my favorite destinations and one of my top 3 "Dream Posts" in the world.  A touristy but fun must-see attraction in Munich is the famous (infamous) Hofbrauhaus: 

The other announcement that I have forgotten to mention is that Mrs. Crab is now an official employee of the Department of State! She is assigned to Embassy Manama as an EFM (Eligible Family Member) employee, working as a CLO - or Community Liasion Officer.  CLOs are responsible for maintaining high morale at post by assisting newcomers in adjusting to Post, providing information and referrals, and planning and functions. As a professional party planner now, Mrs. Crab and her colleagues have organized such events as a Halloween and Christmas parties, a family day-trip to Saudi Arabia (photo below), and a Hawaii-themed Aloha backyard party (photo below)!  CLOs can also assist with finding work opportunities for EFMs.  In difficult situations, CLOs are also responsible for helping coordinate evacuation of employees and families. If the opportunity arises, we highly recommend pursuing a CLO position. 

HELP ME HELP YOU:  I'm looking for blog topic ideas. What would you like to know about Life in the Foreign Service? Post a comment and I'll try to spread our "institutional knowledge," as we say in the FS!  

 THIS is Saudi Arabia!  Taken at the ARAMCO complex in Dhahran, KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), about a 45 minute drive from Manama, Bahrain:

 

 

 

10 Years Later: Lest We Forget

 

 

Where were you on 9/11?  For my generation, it is undoubtedly the one moment in time that will collectively bind us together for the rest of our lives.

Ten years ago today, I was standing in front of the Pentagon.  Ten years. But it might as well have been yesterday.  The sights, sounds and smells are still burned in my mind as if it were yesterday: a giant black column of smoke billowing from the Pentagon following the crash of American Airlines Flight #77.  The sound of absolute silence, followed by thousands of screaming people running from the world's largest office building. The smell of burning jet fuel. The tears and prayers of a woman as she is carried out by her colleagues.  An Army officer stumbling towards, covered in white dust, breathless as he recounted how the ceiling caved in on him as he sat at his desk. A total of 2,977 victims were killed on 9/11, incuding 125 at the Pentagon and 59 on American Airlines flight #77. 

Less than a month after the attacks, I found myself aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, covering the U.S. bombing campaign on Afghanistan as an embedded journalist.  

Ten years later, we remind the world that we are still here.  Despite two wars, several terrorist attemps, and often divisive and heated domestic politics, we are still here. At the end of the day, we are all Americans. Today we remind the terrorists and their sympathizers that they failed. The United States of America remains, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

 

Photo: The World Trade Center, as photographed by Mr. Crab during a high school class trip to New York City. 

It's a crabs-eat-crabs world

The Two Crabs are back from vacation in Washington, Baltimore and Rehoboth Beach.  It was Mrs. Crab's first time back in the states in 13 months. A good time was had by all!  I'm not normally one to get homesick, but on this trip Mr. Crab was really feeling it and looking forward to moving back to DC for nearly a year between assignments!  

 

The THREE Crabs

And then there were three

 Nearly 11 years ago, Mr. Crab married Mrs. Crab, and with her came two cats.  Mr. Crab was not especially fond of cats, but he was very fond of Mrs. Crab!  So he accepted the cats, and that's the way they became the Brady Bunch.  The girl cat hated me, the boy cat became daddy's boy. Sadly, just before we moved to London in 2005, both cats passed away and went off to the big pet farm in the sky. Devestated, the Two Crabs vowed they would never have a pet again.

But time heals all wounds. In 2010 we moved to Bahrain, which, like many developing countries, has its fair share of stray animals. Here, it's cats. They are everywhere, like the uniquitous grey squirrel in Virginia. Most of the cats here are just nasty, mean, scrawny vermin, fighting or mating loudly at all hours of the day & night, tearing through the rubbish bins and stealing food stright off your picnic table. But, in July, we noticed one special little kitten, a white ball of fur with unusual black markings. For several months, he would come by our house with his nasty mother, begging for scraps. Mrs. Crab took to feeding mom and baby, and she even named the neighborhood strays. There was Hipster (cat with three working legs), Ginger Mutant (giant red cat), Daphnie (mom cat, from the Russell Brand song "Riding Daphnie). And then there was Habibi, Arabic masculine for "beloved" or "sweetheart." 

Habibi, the little white and black kitten, was bold. He would come up to our front stoop, getting closer and closer until he was feeding from Mrs. Crab's hands. In October, he was comfortable enough that he would walk into our front door and explore the living room before darting out into the night. Then, on Christmas Day, Habibi walked into the house and fell asleep, and made it his home. Habibi adopted us!

Adopting a stray cat in Bahrain was a learning process.  Owning a pet is not as common in Bahrain as it is in the United States, so the options are limited when it comes to vets, pet supplies, kennels, etc.  We first tried taking Habibi to the vet at the U.S. Navy base. Unfortunately Habibi had a panic attack and pretty much destroyed the vet office and scratched the heck out of everyone (you can take the cat out of the street but can't take the street out of the cat).  A few weeks later we discovered Dr. Nonie Coutts Veterinary.  We took Habibi and they immediately put him at ease. Habibi had his flea issues, worms and shots taken care of.  When we took a week ski trip in Europe, we left Habibi with Nonie Coutts, who boarded him and, yes, neutered him. (Note of TMI: Unlike in the U.S. where the entire nuts are removed, here they just remove the inside bits and keep his sack. So instead of grape-sized nads, now he has raisin nuts!)

Some other great resources for pets in Bahrain include the Navy base commissary, which carries many U.S. brands of pet food and toys; and Pet Arabia, a new shop that carries a wide range of pet supplies including Habib's new kitty condo, laser pointers and other things to keep your cat busy. Mrs. Crab is single-handedly keeping them in business! 

We also learned that Habibi is a rare breed of cat that is only found in Bahrain: the Dilmun Cat. The Dilmun (ancient name of Bahrain) has even been the topic of a scientific study. Apparently, cat afficianados in some parts of the world pay good money for a Dilmun cat!  According to one cat breed website,

"The Bahraini Dilmun cat is a rare breed, originating from the island of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf. Most Dilmun cats live feral on the island and over the years have adapted to the extreme summer temperatures with short fur, large ears and a tendency to sleep during the day and become active in the evening. They are oriental looking, sleek, spotted cats and come in a variety of colours. Much like the Bengal the Dilmun is fond of water."

Unlike most cats, Habibi loves water and often sticks his head under running faucets...or in the toilet. Habibi's favorite pastimes are watching birds, chasing bugs and laser pointers, hiding inside shopping bags, boxes and dry cleaner bags, and snuggling in Mrs. Crab's leg nook.  

In the coming months, we will begin the process of making Habibi a "U.S. citizen", filling out the appropriate paperwork so we can bring him with us when we move back to the States next year.  For now, Habibi is looking forward to his first birthday: July 4!  We're actually not sure of his exact birthday, but that's pretty close and memorable date! 

 

In praise of: Al Dar Island

A continuing series exploring expat life in Bahrain.

When I was first assigned to Bahrain, my CDO left me a hand-written note in my welcome packet, raving about all the "beautiful beaches" in Bahrain. After three months in Bahrain, we're still asking: What beaches? 

Bahrain is an island....an island with few beaches. Around the coast, the land simply ends in a pile of rocks and drops off into the Persian Gulf (aka Arabian Gulf). Most of the sandy beaches that did once exist have sadly been destroyed by land reclaimation projects, or fenced off as private property for beachfront homes, or for hotel beaches that are only accessible to guests. There are only two free public beaches in Bahrain, and they are not recommended. 

Thankfully for us beach bums, there's Al Dar Island -- a crescent-shaped, tiny spit of sand located about 10km off the east coast of Bahrain. On Saturday, the Two Crabs & friends packed our beach towels and sun block and headed to Sitra fishing port. There, you pay 10BD ($26.50) admission fee and hop on the water taxi for the short ride across the straits, past several oil refineries and factories to the island.  The island has been recently renovated with all new facilities including a locker room with showers and changing rooms, a small lighthouse that contains restrooms, a resident donkey named Bup, and a small restaurant/bar serving up grilled kebabs, fresh fish, Caribbean cocktails and super-friendly staff.  You can also rent paddle boats and jetskis or go on a pearl diving or dolphin watching trips. But the real attraction is the small but tidy beach with lounge chairs and umbrellas. The beige sand is soft and inviting, dropping into a cove filled with small fish and kelp forests. But be careful: the current is surprisingly strong; if you're not a good swimmer, you might find yourself half-way to Iran! Admission to Al Dar is strictly limited to only 150 people per day, so it never feels overly-crowded.

There are lots of new activites and attractions planned for the future. During our visit, half the island was closed for the construction of several beach bungalows that will soon be available for rent.  Solar panels and windmills will soon provide green power for the island.  Al Dar will also be hosting monthly beach parties with DJs and dancing. It may not be St. John USVI, but if you're in Bahrain, Al Dar it's definately worth a day trip.

A few more scenes from Al Dar:

 

In Praise Of: Ramadan in Bahrain

The second in a continuing series exploring expat life in Bahrain.

Bahrain, like most of the Muslim world, is currently celebrating the holy month of Ramadan. Mr. Crab has had previous brief experiences with Ramadan in Bosnia and Iraq, and Mrs. Crab previously worked in an East London school where the majority of pupils were Muslims. But Ramadan is a completely different experience when you are actually living and working in a Muslim country.

But first, a brief introduction of Ramadan from Wikipedia:

Ramadan is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking and sexual relations from dawn until sunset.^[1] Fasting is intended to teach Muslims about patience, humility, and spirituality. It is a time for Muslims to fast for the sake of God (Arabic: الله‎, trans: Allah) and to offer more prayer than usual. During Ramadan, Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds. As compared to the solar calendar, the dates of Ramadan vary, moving backwards about eleven days each year depending on the moon. Muslims believe Ramadan to be an auspicious month for the revelations of God to humankind, being the month in which the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.

Ramadan is a busy time for US Embassy Manama, especially for POL, ECON and PD sections. Representational duties include escorting VIPs to Ramadan events. The first event after sundown is iftar, when Muslim Bahrainis break their fast with a small meal amongst friends and family. This is followed by majalis, which are gender-segregated gatherings over tea, coffee, dates and sweets. Finally comes the gabhga, a huge buffet meal that starts around 9pm and can last well past 1am.

Mr. Crab has been burning the candle at both ends. On a recent event, I escorted a certain prominent Muslim-American imam who has been in the news everyday for the past month. We attended several majalis and gabghas, returning home at 3am. At most of the events I served as note-taker, but the main purpose of representational and Ramadan events is to see old friends and make new ones. I played dominoes with some Sheikhs, discussed current events and politics with business leaders, and met contacts for my portfolio, and smiled a lot for photographs. My photo has appeared in several Bahraini English and Arabic newspapers; as a former long-time journalist, it's a strange feeling being on this side of the story!  It's these after-hour functions are where real public diplomacy takes place.

Ramadan Kareem (Blessed Ramadan) is a beautiful holiday at night. Many houses and mosques are decorated in brightly colored lights and streamers. And just like Christmas, every mall and shop features Ramadan special offers, or sales. Last night was the halfway point of Ramadan known as Garangao, a traditional children's festival that's very much like Halloween. Children dress up in bright traditional dress, carry felt bags and go from house to house collecting sweets and coins.

During Ramadan, many Bahrainis switch night and day. They will "party" well into dawn hours, and sleep during the day. Most Bahrain government offices are only open at most 4 hours a day. Many small mom & pop shops are closed all day but reopen at night. Grocery stores and shopping malls are usually business as usual, and during Ramadan will stay open until 1am or later. There are even 2am movie screenings at the local cinemas!

For non-Muslim residents and visitors to Bahrain, there are some changes that come with Ramadan. The majority of restaurants are closed during daylight hours. All alcohol sales are banned, so for 30 days of Ramadan, Bahrain becomes a dry country. Everyone is also expected to dress more modestly.

Ramadan culminates this year on or about Sept. 9, followed by a three-day festival called Eid Al-Fitr. Next year, Ramadan will be approximately Aug. 1-30.

Ramadan Kareem!

In Praise Of: Friday Brunch

Editor's note: This is the first in a series of blog posts exploring the good, bad, unusual aspects of expat life in Bahrain!

 One of the weekend pleasures of life in Bahrain is Friday Brunch. This awesome local tradition is a great way to kick off the weekend. Nearly every 4 & 5 star hotel in Bahrain offers it's own version of the Bahrain Brunch, but they all have two things in common: all-you-can eat food, and all-you-can-drink champagne... 

Last weekend, a new friend invited us to Friday Brunch at the Golden Tulip Hotel. The brunch costs 19 BD (Bahraini Dinars), or about $51 per person. Friday Brunch ain't cheap, so it's something people usually only do once a month. But we definitely got our money's worth. The Golden Tulip's brunch is famous for its seafood, including the local fish, Hammour. Mr. Crab personally ate one fish, two lobsters, several grilled shrimp, and countless oysters and other critters of the sea.  You meander through the rows and rows of fresh fish, pick your poison, hand it to one of the cooks and he takes it outside to throw on the grill. Mrs. Crab enjoyed a filet mignon, other yummy treats and TWO candy floss -- that's Cotton Candy for my fellow Americans!!  The brunch at the Tulip runs from 12:30pm to 4:30pm. It starts rather quietly but by 2pm as the champagne is flowing like a river, the Filipino Band is in full swing, women are dancing in the aisles and kids (and a few adults) are running around with face painting and balloon animals. And I'm told the Golden Tulip is actually pretty tame compared to the Diplomat Hotel's brunch (it's on our To Do list). 

Every hotel brunch scene has it's own specialities and atmosphere. We're told the Diplomat is the party place, but the Movenpick supposedly has the best food on the island. We'll be testing those opinions for ourselves in the future. For a complete list and review of Bahrain Friday Brunches, check out this great article from Time Out Bahrain. 

Here's some more photos of Friday Brunch. 

Greetings from Bahrain!

So, it's been about 2 1/2 years since I began this road to the Foreign Service and now we've finally arrived at our first post: Manama, Bahrain.  Our last week in America was a complete blur, as we were so busy preparing the last few days.

On Wednesday we boarded the 11-hour flight from Washington to Kuwait, followed by a 90 minute layover, then a short flight hop to Bahrain. (And can I just say that United Business class ROCKS! Thank goodness for Mileage Plus frequent flyer miles.) 

Our first impression of Bahrain came from the gleaming, modern international airport. We were met at the airport by an awesome employee from the US Embassy known as LES (Locally-Engaged Staff; previously known as FSNs or Foreign Service Nationals), who whisked us through the customs and immigration paperwork and helped with our luggage. Outside, our incredible sponsor met us and then we were escorted to our new home.  For security reasons I can't really say much about it other than to say, we love our new house and neighborhood!

We've spent the past few days exploring our little island. So far we're pleasantly surprised at the amount of great restaurants, bars, pubs and shopping malls galore. Bahrain must have the most shopping malls per capita than any place on Earth, with name-brand American and European shops from H&M and Carrefour to Kenneth Cole and Virgin. And there's no shortage of familiar fast food chains including Hardees, McDonalds, Krispy Kreme, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, Little Caesars, Papa Johns and Chili's. Alcohol is mainly only sold in restaurants and bars that are attached to hotels, but the beer loving and resourceful Two Crabs have already discovered a few unsigned "off-license" liquor stores around the island. As for restaurants, the foodie Crabs highly recommend Casa Mexicana, which has a real Mexican chef and decent Mexican and Tex-Mex favorites. Also Sherlock Holmes pub at the Gulf Hotel is a nice pub with British pub grub and Guinness on tap.

 On Saturday we took the afternoon to do a bit of sightseeing. We drove about 45 minutes to the desert to see the infamous Tree of Life (above) and Oil Pump #1, where oil was first discovered in the Middle East in 1932, right here in Bahrain.  There is also an oil museum which unfortunately was closed on our visit. Driving in Bahrain takes some practice as people drive like crazy (but not as crazy as India) and there are hundreds of traffic circles (roundabouts); driving in Washington DC is great practice for Bahrain! 

We've also explored the grocery stores. Unlike our old grocery stores in London, the Bahrain grocery stores actually carry a good selection of American food and other groceries.  A few grocery stores also sell pork products in hidden "Sin Corners" in the back of the store. 

The most shocking surprise about Bahrain has been high cost of living.  It's an expensive place, way more expensive than Washington DC and only slightly less expensive than London.  Fresh fruit and veggies are especially pricey. A pound of fresh California red grapes is $11!!  And a pint of beer is about $6.  The only thing that's cheap here is gasoline (about 95 cents a gallon) and tobacco (about $18 for a carton of Marlboro Lights). 

Happy Birthday, America!  As my first official duty as a Foreign Service Officer, I'll be working at the Independence Day embassy party. Tomorrow is my first official full day on the job as an FSO. Wish me luck.

US vs. UK health care

 There's been a lot of debate in the news lately about President Obama's plan to overhaul the American health care system. Democrats say the system is a mess and must be redesigned. Millions of Americans can't afford or aren't eligible for basic health care. Republicans say Obama's plan for universal health care is "socialized medicine" and would destroy the system.

Quite frankly, I don't understand the Republican arguments. The Republican argument is that somehow "universal health care" translates to socialism, or that universal health care somehow means Americans will lose their current insurance company/doctor/health care provider. Hey GOP, get this through your head: You CHOOSE! (We all know 'choice' is a hard word fro GOP to muster). But here's how it works:  If you're happy with your current insurance company, you can keep it. If you want to switch to the government plan, then that's good too. Besides, Republicans conveniently forget that we already have a form of universal health care...it's called Medicare/Medicaid or Veterans Health Administration.

Whether you're Republican or Democrat, I think we can ALL agree that something needs to be done. Americans should NOT be going bankrupt because they need health care, or forced to chose between buying medicine or buying food.

The Two Crabs are American expats who have lived in the UK since 2005. I've written a few posts defending Britain's National Health Service (NHS). Sure it has its problems. It's not perfect. But in the UK, we have a CHOICE. You can either be on NHS, or you can pay out-of-pocket for private health insurance just like Americans do. Contrary to public opinion, NHS is not completely free. The cost comes out of your taxes and National Insurance contributions, but it's still much cheaper than American health insurance.  As a self-employed person, I pay about £150 pounds a year in National Insurance contributions...less than $250 for a full year of unlimited coverage.

Let me give you a basic, black & white example of UK vs. US health care systems:

Mr. Crab takes cholesterol-lowering statins (Zocor, aka Simvastatin). Today, I went to the doctor to get a check-up and results of a recent blood test. I got a same-day appointment, waited 5 minutes in the waiting room before I saw the doctor. I was in and out of the office in 15 minutes. When I left the office, I walked straight out the front door, bypassing the receptionist. That's because in the UK, if you have NHS health care, you DO NOT PAY anything to see a doctor. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero.

Next, I walked down the street to the Boots pharmacy to fill a 90-day supply of 10mg Simvastatin. I waited 15 minutes for the refill, then paid £7.20, or about $11.97 (low-income NHS patients pay nothing).  When I got home, I went online to Drugstore.com to compare US prices. If I had no insurance, the same supply of Zocor would cost $249.99!  The generic version of the drug is much cheaper at $49.97, but that's still about $38 more than we pay in the UK for the exact same drug. 

Quite frankly, I'm gobsmacked. There is NO excuse or argument for why Americans should have to pay 3x or 20x more than Brits for life-saving drugs.

Sure NHS isn't perfect. It's great for everyday stuff like physicals, prescription drugs, and minor ailments like cold or swine flu. But as some of my friends can attest, NHS has much to be desired if you need a specialist doctor or non-emergency surgery; the wait-time for surgery can be months, a year or longer. 

NHS is not perfect. But choosing NO health care over universal health care, I'll take the universal health care any day. 

Remembering 9/11

This morning, I hung an American flag out the window of our London flat. It's an annual vigil I've followed since the morning of September 11, 2001.

Where were you on 9/11?  For our generation, it is undoubtedly the one moment in time that will collectively bind us together for the rest of our lives.

Eighty-one percent of all Americans say the 9/11 attacks were the most significant historical event in their lifetimes, according to a new Zogby poll. It's even higher for those of us who were physically closer to the attacks: 90% of East Coast residents agree with that statement, compared to 75% on the West Coast of the United States of America.

For our parents, it was the death of President Kennedy. For their parents, it was Pearl Harbor.  And for the rest of our lives, we will continue to quiz new friends and colleagues about their whereabouts on that morning in September.

Sometimes the stories are funny, like the person who did not find out about the attacks until several days later because they were on a camping trip. Or the friend who was called at 5am in Calfornia and told not to report to work, went back to sleep and was oblivious to the reason for the office closure until they woke up later that afternoon. Sometimes they are sad. Sometimes there is a personal connection. Sometimes they are lies, like the U.S. soldier I once interviewed in Afghanistan who told me of his "best friend" who died in the World Trade Center (the "friend" was not on the list of casualties). There is no right or wrong answer.  But they are all fascinating stories that provide a glimpse into our collective memory.

I (Mr. Crab) was at the Pentagon parking lot when the plane hit the south side of the building. The fireball and mushroom cloud over the Pentagon, the smell of burning jet fuel, the screams and prayers of a woman carried by her colleagues, the Army officer stumbling out with dust and blood covering his crisp uniform -- these images are still burned in my mind.

Six years on, the memory of 9/11 still seems like yesterday to me. And that's one memory I wish i could forget.