Belated Pictures of Craig and Ayumi's Going Away and the Singing Construction Worker

Tony and I purchased this cake in Bahrain and took it out to RT for Craig and Ayumi's going away (I would post more photos but they aren't loading) which provided us with a rather amusing interlude.

Me: I'd like to have (points) that cake with a message on it if I could.
Extraordinarily polite filipino sales assistant: Yes ma'am what message would you like
Me: How about I write it down for you (Writes 'Bugger Off')
Extraordinarily polite filipino sales assistant: Bugger Off Ma'am?
Me: Yes Bugger off
Extraordinarily polite filipino sales assistant: Oh, BUGGER OFF!
me: Yes, Bugger off
(Group of American ladies sitting at morning tea behind me looking slightly flustered)
Extraordinarily polite filipino sales assistant:: I'll just do that ma'am now)
Voices from kitchen: a lot of tagalog then... 'Bugger Off' ...Bugger Off! (laughing)
Extraordinarily polite filipino sales assistant: (Producing Cake) Here you go ma'am is this ok? Bugger off!
Me: Yes that's just fine thanks
Cashier: Good choice of cake ma'am, very meaningful message, Bugger Off, come again (magestic plastic smile)

Oh and there's a construction guy in the building next door who gets to work at 5am every morning without fail and belts out Bollywood show tunes. He actually sung Dhoom Machale this morning AT my building while banging out the beat on some poor unfortunate piece of iron. I would throw a shoe at him if I could stop pissing myself laughing. Its turning into a tradition that I get up and have a coffee, see Tony off and listen to his lasted musical spectacular. I think I'll be slightly sad when the building next to us is finished...

GOOD DRIVER!

So I went over to Saudi the other day to catch up with the girls and the highlight of my day was one particular taxi driver. (You know you can never get enough of these stories).

When we picked up the cab at Rashid Mall in Khobar the guy gave us a big smile and said GOOD DRIVER, and a pretty fair price to go to Dhahran Mall so we jumped in and found to our delight the added always welcome option of 'seat belts'.

So

In between running red lights, going the wrong way down major highways, Taking back roads sideways and yelling at some young Saudi boys on Motorbikes in arabic, he turned to us frequently and said with his winning smile 'GOOD DRIVER', 'GOOD DRIVER.'

Its a mark of our sheer jadedness in all things Saudi driving that we got out of the cab at the end, shrugged and wandered off into the mall.

In retrospect... I think he was serious

I've Been Blocked and the Mail system of the apocalypse

So I tried to log on to my blog the other week and found out that it had been blocked by the Bahraini vice and virtue squad, or whatever they are, by accident. A few weeks later however I am back and able to report that I am now not really banned if I get into my blog from the back way. GAH

So to update... well a number of fascinating things have happened over the last few weeks not the least of which was trying to send a parcel through Bahraini post.

For starters no where in bahrain sells boxes, so I thought... 'why not try that nice supermarket and get one from there' so I did. Wrapping it up nicely, taping over all labels in masking tape and clearly writing on the address.

Me: I'd like to send this to Australia please
Mr Mail Man: No
Me: No? No... why?
Mr Mail Man: No
Me: Is it the box?
Mr Mail Man: No it is not the box, it is the colour of the box. Your parcel must be white.
Me: 'Slaps head thinking gee aren't I a wally' Ok so if I colour this in white paper it should be ok?
Mr Mail Man: Maybe... Maybe it could be ok... let me check with my supervisor... (15 minute interlude) No... next customer please.
Me: (DEEEEEEEEEEEEEP RELAXATION GEORGE DEEEEEP RELAXATION)

a few days later

Me: I'd like to send this to Australia please
Cranky the Mail Man: No, we are closing now (15 minutes early) come back tomorrow
Me: GAH

So... the only box I could find after a number of visits that fit regulation size was a beer carton which I covered in black plastic, white printer paper and ten tons of cellophane.

Tony: I'd like to send this to Australia please
Indifferent the Mail Man(15 minutes... after scratching his nose...talking to his boss about lunch and answering his phone) Oh, ok.
Tony: How much?
Indifferent: hmmm (looks pensive... pulls number out of arse) 12 bd.
Tony: ok
Indifferent: You have forms to fill out sir
Tony: (45 minutes later) there is that all?...
Indifferent: well yes, but your return to sender address has not been waterproofed by your reel of cellophane... this might be a problem
George: (Walking in on the scene) AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Indifferent: But I think maybe it could be ok today (running away out back)

needless to say after a month of failed attempts our parcel got sent and no one was maimed in the process. Although I do have a slight twitch when I walk past a post office