Elite Suites Manama

Not much - just waiting at the airport for the flight! Bahrain was both nicer and more boring than I thought, the weather is a lot more forgiving but it's not worth more than about 3 days exploration tops.. Unless you like to get really nittygritty :P

... and also not having any male family members with us [women are not allowed to cross solo, nor are they allowed to drive in Saudi!], we didn't even bother to attempt to cross the real border to go into Damman [although I wanted to..], so Saudi exploration will have to wait until I'm married :P [I have no brothers and my dad would much rather go anywhere else but a hot desert!]

... of Dubai. There were two interesting buildings - the World Trading Centre, which has 3 wind turbines in the middle of it that produce its power, and a pair of buildings I dont remember the name of that's shaped like two quarter-pikes [skate ramps]!

Our driver then took us to some random palace grounds thingy - basically, it's where the king keeps all of his camels. And there were LOADS of the buggers! We got to go in and stroke one of the baby camels, who at 3 ...

... with one guy who was buy himself.  We all introduced ourselves (I finally learned the southerner's name---Mike).  The new guy was a navy officer of 17 years named Dave---he was 34 but looked about 24.  He was heading home for his grandma's funeral.  Beers were around $7 US.

We chatted until it was time for Mike's plane-he went to board and I went back to the transfers desk.  I got down there and there wasn't too much info to be had-I joked around it bit with the transfer staff ...

... less than 3)---everything was on paper and the guy was placing copies all over the place, adding things, and stapling. It was now past 9 and the taxi still wasn't here. While checking out, the admin from the local company called and said they were sending someone to pick me up. We cancelled the taxi, but this meant that I would probably get to the plant even later. Had to wait another 15-20 ...

... on the move to improve!" "Proud to serve our nation - thanks for your cooperation!" S - Skype. We can make unlimited calls to the US for $5/month. Brilliant -- except that it some weeks it works, some it doesn't. T - Thursday night. The Saudi work week is Saturday - Wednesday. The Bahrain work week is Sunday - Thursday. These two factors make Thursday night the night to go out in Bahrain; Saudis cross the causeway in droves and every restaurant and club is packed. U - US Embassy. We ...

... the BBQ whilst I stayed indoors doing food prep and table setting. Who's a clever girl? We had a lovely feast. We then went to visit a friend of Paullie's - Yvonne Trueman. She dabbles in reflexology and massage, among other things, and gave Kath a lovely treatment. Kath was most pleased. Yvonne is an amazing woman! She's travelled extensively and does Charity work all over the world. Originally from London, she's been living in Bahrain for 30 ...

... claiming there country is the "Las Vegas of the Middle East" And finally, one more note, the title "How I Spent Mr. Clinton's Money" is in reference to the Clinton Foundation Scholarship I received to attend AUD. Clinton has long been tight with the Sheikh of Dubai and often comes here to make speeches. The Sheikh himself owns AUD (just as he owns virtually everything in Dubai) So in a gesture of good will and a way of ...

... in Bahrain, while a refugee from Iraq thanked me for my nations attempt to "rescue" his country. It was surreal. Whether or not I agree with what we have done, or are currently doing was immaterial. The fact was that this guy was thanking ME for giving him a chance at life. From the very halting conversation we had, combined with the mix of charades, I think he was the only survivor of his family and he was working in Dubai on a construction sight. I don't know what he was ...