tire burning

One of the ways that people protest here is by setting up a blockade of tires across a highway or other heavily traveled road and then dousing them with lighter fluid and setting them on fire. We've seen plumes of dark smoke and heard about the chaos they caused, but hadn't come across them ourselves until this morning, on our way to church. 

Freeway onramp -- we were one of the first ones to come up on it. We're the fourth car back from the tires. The barrier stretches across the highway and the onramp for cars heading our direction. The cars coming the other way have a clear path. We could tell it was newly lit because the backup hadn't really stacked up yet and because the smoke was still light gray. They set it while we were all stopped at the stoplight before entering the freeway.

As the tires get going, the smoke turns black and thick.

Now I had been kind of nervous about getting stuck behind the wall of flaming tires, but in real life, it was more interesting and entertaining than scary. The perpetrators wait for a gap in traffic, then throw out the tires, light them and run off. Our favorite part was seeing this Bahraini man casually walk around to the back of his car, pull out two long poles that he obviously kept in the back for such occasions and hand them off to some younger guys who used them to rolls the burning tires off to the shoulder to clear the lanes so traffic could continue.  

Another amateur photographer, taking in the scene as a guy with one of the poles tries to clear tires blocking the highway part of the fire. 

 

The cops quickly showed up with fire extinguishers, but by then we were on our way.

As you can tell, the kids were entertained and not scared at all. I thought it would be scary, but it wasn't. Especially since everyone was so matter-of-fact about it all, as if they clear the roads every day (some of them probably do).

Josh went home after church and found the photos of our burning on Twitter. They usually set the fires, run and hide so they can videotape or photograph the incident and then upload it to Twitter.

Photo credit: Tire burners

Bounty

Today I harvested all these vegetables from my garden. Tonight I write and post this from my iphone from the restaurant at the mall while I wait for Josh to place our order for pizza and pasta at the counter. I will come home to a mostly clean house thanks to Josie who comes and cleans 5 days a week and I will crawl between soft sheets and sleep in a very comfortable bed. Ignore all my shallow complaints about the heat, moving, and whiny kids: 2012 has been a stellar year.

on the beach

One of the things I've complained about Bahrain is the lack of beaches here. How do you have an island without a beach? We went to the closest thing today -- an area of the island that has been created out of "reclaimed land." Meaning, it used to be underwater until they built it up with sand and fill to make Bahrain bigger. Since it's manmade, there's a small manmade stretch of beach where the kids and the dog can run. The sky is dark and we're all bundled up in the photos because it was in the 60s and rainy/sprinkling -- really, really fun. 

 

 

The kids brought their soccer ball and played soccer -- the dog played for both sides.

 

The water wasn't very cold. Not like the Pacific Ocean where it's so cold the bones in your feet start to ache and your toes go numb. 

 

 

These two thought it was plenty cold, but Josh pointed out it was warmer than the water in our swimming pool (which we don't use in the winter because it's too cold, so that's not saying much). 

 

Our dog is an amazing runner. He's faster than I can possibly describe. There was a big pelican looking bird down at the water's edge and he took off chasing it down the coast like he was never coming back. The amazing part was he kept pace with it for a good 30 seconds until the bird realized he needed to fly up and away in order to escape since he couldn't outpace him by flying along the ground. 

Micah doesn't come when we call him when he's off leash (too busy tracking all the wonderful smells, digging up rotting fish, and he really hasn't gotten the hang of obedience training, even when he's not distracted), but we let him run because there wasn't really anywhere for him to go and because Josh felt like if he did run away, then it was meant to be. 

I'm not worried about losing him -- he doesn't leave me alone long enough to get lost. 

 

happy dog, happy kids, happy post-Christmas family

Panic

I do this every year:
I'm happy and content with our minimalist Christmas until Christmas Eve hits and everyone starts posting photos of kids in new pajamas, stacks of presents under the tree, and SantaWatch with cookies and reindeer food. Suddenly, our holiday seems meager and plain and unimportant and I start feeling guilty: My kids are going to grow up and have Christmases of excess to make up for not having presents under the tree. They'll go back to school and everyone will have loads of new clothes and electronics and the boys won't have anything new to show off. Their future spouse/therapist is going to think I'm a horrible mother. Ackkk! I'm making a huge mistake.

Good thing that by then it's too late to do anything about it or I'd be like the mom in Christmas With the Kranks who tries to pull together a full Christmas extravaganza at 4pm on Christmas Eve. Instead, last night I sorted through all the December candy that my kids have collected (Halloween through Christmas is one big trail of candy these days -- it drives me crazy) and I took all of the candy canes, chocolates and gum and dropped them in the stockings to give them some added weight. If I can get all of the extra sugar out of my house before New Year's I'll be happy. I also added coupons for knitting lessons (they've all been begging me to teach them since I've been teaching a friend to knit once a week) and a coupon for a kindle book for each. It assuaged my guilt a bit.

This morning we slept in, had omelets and hot chocolate for breakfast, read the Christmas story out of Luke 2 and then opened a few things that the kids had made or purchased for each other at the school Christmas store. Some coffee, bubbles, gum, a winter themed rubix cube, and a few snack foods were opened and then we gave them an Xbox game that I had Josh pick up yesterday (see! Holiday guilt!) that they played for the rest of the morning. Wipeout 3 for Kinect is hilarious to watch. Running, jumping, ducking and avatars getting bounced around on Big Red Balls is what Christmas is all about, right?

Ready for Christmas Lunch on base

She picked out this outfit all by herself -- gray leggings, purple shoes, pink tutu, layered shirts and flower hair clips.

Josh laughs at how she's frilly one minute and a bruiser the next

After the kids were tired out we went to Christmas Day lunch on base where they had a lunch buffet for all service members and their families. This afternoon we'll rest and then open stockings in the evening and watch a Christmas movie together. Last night we put on The Santa Clause -- tonight Carter is voting for Santa Clause 2, Calvin wants A Christmas Story and Caleb probably wants something that nobody else in the family wants to watch. Then he'll cry and pout until he starts to enjoy the movie that we actually decide to watch and then he'll apologize when it's over and say he really liked it after all. It happens every time.

The most interesting thing about Christmas at our house is that every year looks different, very different, because we keep moving around, shedding stuff, and acquiring new kids along the way. Next year will be the first time in 4 years where we'll be doing Christmas in the same place. Unless we go home for Christmas (probably not), or travel over Christmas (a possibility), or get evacuated again (I've learned to never rule that one out). Until then, Merry Christmas from Bahrain!

 

Merry Christmas!

I wasn't going to put this on my blog, and was intending to put this together as a Word document to email to my family, but it turns out I can't remember how to do that efficiently any longer and it's easier for me to add images and links in this format.

Four years ago, I saw this video on YouTube and it changed the way I thought about Christmas. My family (both immediate and extended) has humored me by doing Christmas a little differently ever since:


Since I'm not a great gift giver anyway, the focus on giving to those in need instead of each other really appealed to me. Each year we give the kids a sum of money and they pick out "gifts" for each other from a charitable giving catalogue like Samaritan's Purse or Heifer International using the money we would have spent otherwise.

This year we didn't buy any gifts. For anybody. BUT, because our extended family is willing to forgo presents in exchange for this type of present, we were able to give more than ever before. THANK YOU Mom, Dad, Carrie, Wendy, Kristy, Patrick, Jeremy, Darin, Eli, Jack, Faith, Mom, Dad, Ginger, Amy, Shane, Mia, Noah, Jacob, Mason, Calvin, Carter, Caleb, and Camille. And Merry Christmas. Because of you we were able to buy:

50 pairs of shoes through Soles 4 Souls (thanks for the idea Mia!)
2 gift baskets of food for sponsored families and 2 staff gifts through Amazima, an organization in Uganda that serves both the orphaned and the poor in Uganda.
financial help for iSanctuary, a non-profit organization that helps girls who have been rescued from human trafficking in India and Orange County, CA (we're proud of what you do, Wendy!)
And from the Samaritan's Purse catalogue, the boys chose these items:

Shoes and clothes for one child

An emergency relief package for a family (food, medical supplies, tarp, etc)

30 fruit tree seedling

farming tools, seeds, and instruction for 2 families to begin farming

1/3 of the cost of a well for fresh water for a community

enough fish to stock 2 fish ponds

help for one child in crisis

1 mosquito net

a water filter for a family to provide permanent fresh water for their household

3 blankets

hot meals for a child for a week

milk for 3 children for a week

I hope you all like your "presents" this year and don't feel ripped off as if we donated to The Human Fund in your name. We love you and wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Joy to the World,
Robin, Josh, Calvin, Carter, Caleb, and Camille

Oman in pictures, part 1

We are having a very laid-back Christmas this year. We aren't exchanging gifts, but instead are giving money to some of our favorite organizations so they can give gifts to people in need. Since I'm not doing last minute Christmas shopping/wrapping/scrambling, I have time to upload some photos from our trip to Oman.   

There were something like 8 different decorated trees in the Oman airport. This was particularly ironic because just a few days before the Navy base cancelled the Nativity portion of the base Christmas celebration. The people opposed to it (an atheist organization in the states) said they were concerned about the safety of American citizens living in a Muslim country and that a Christian celebration might anger the Bahraini people. These people have obviously never been to the Middle East. If they bothered to look into it, they would see that Muslims agree the birthday of Jesus is something to be celebrated because they believe he was a great prophet. Muslims understand Christians. They don't understand atheists. 

Waiting to board the flight

 

I don't know where she gets these poses from, but it cracks me up. It's not like we get America's Next Top Model over here (unfortunately).

Off we go! (Carter wearing the faux-Beats that Josh picked up in Saudi)

Gross. Blowing spit bubbles. 

We made it to the hotel and had this fabulous gift basket waiting for us from one of our friends!

The Hyatt Muscat is a beautiful hotel. Way classier than we are.

I tell her to "smile!" and she strikes a pose instead.

We brought rain with us from Bahrain! (it was sprinkling as we walked down to the beach, you just can't see it in the photos.)

Our favorite stretch of beach and walking path.

Which way to awesome?

Happy to be back in Oman -- even if it's colder than it ever was when we lived here.

Room with a view of the stormy seas

In 30 years she'll be wishing she didn't frown so much. (Like grandmother, like mother, like daughter)

not exactly lost in translation

It's been a while since I've done one of these, but Josh and I had to go buy gag gifts today for a White Elephant party, so we went to a local store that was sure to have a lot to choose from.

When I think of getting clean in the shower, "Funky Farm" is not what I want to smell like.

Eau de Cow?

 On a gift bag -- OK, this one is an actual translation funny. The rest are just oddities.

Nice wooden box for sale. What could be inside?

Nothing. $129.99 worth of nothing.

It's a little concerning to me that her name is "SINdy, the Fairy Princess."

A shirt for that group of people who ARE willing to take it anymore

This is for real. Not "Extra Virgin Olive Oil" type of Virgin, but Josh translated the Arabic and it is a soap for virgins. I'm wondering who exactly is going to be satisfied with the results?

So you know it's not a fluke -- Touch Me! Please brand has a rose scented version

Right next to the virginity soap -- also Touch Me! Please brand. Mixed messages?

White Elephant gift search successful! (split personality perfumes and soap)