The girl has a mini skirt....and isn't afraid to use it.

My plane landed around 9PM on Saturday, 24 July 2010.  I had been flying/sitting in an airport for almost 24 anxious hours.  After having traveled for so long, all I wanted to see was the person who got me into this world-traveling mess: my boyfriend, Capt America.  Now, Capt America really is a Captain, but not for the Avengers, rather for the US Air Force and he had been stationed at the Naval Base in Al Manama, Bahrain.  I told him I was adventurous and wanted to have an adventure.....I was in for a surprise.

Squatting
When we found out we were moving to Bahrain, we did our homework, or so we thought.  We learned Bahrain was a tourist country; they were progressive Muslims; they liked their alcohol (but only at hotels); I would be able to wield by mini skirts; they spoke English.  I was sold.  My first rude awakening came after being reunited with my love; I had to pee.  Navigating into a confusing bathroom, I was confronted with a hole in the ground.  Was there a mistake?  I wasn't supposed to go to the bathroom in that, was I?  I checked the other stalls, much to the amusement of a snickering 8yr old girl in there with me. Yes.  They really did expect me to squat.  After having mastered that event, I felt like I was already an Arabic world professional.  Turns out, most bathrooms aren't truly like that here in Bahrain.  I think they put those squatters there just to weed out the weak.

It's getting hot in here........

Before I left everyone said, I hope you sure do like it hot.  Yes, I realized that it would be hot, but I didn't know just how hot it really would be.  Arriving to Bahrain late at night, I didn't realize just how hot it would feel.  At 9PM it was 99 degrees with about 80% humidity.  Good thing I'm not really big on makeup or we would have a serious problem.  For the next week, the low would be around 100, highs edging dangerously close to 120.  Although we Georgians pride ourselves for being able to withstand incredible heat waves, I was not prepared for that.  As I unpacked my suitcase, I left my bathing suits in their little bag: All my visions of laying out on our roof top deck were quickly squashed with the oppressive wall of heat that I was encountered with once I opened the door.