Fond Memories

I never realized how dirty I was until I got clean in Dubai. Indeed, my hair really isn't like straw and squeaks when clean. My face and body... clean. I brushed my teeth using the water from the faucet. The carpets and walls and BATHROOM... all clean. There truly is a story behind each of these pictures.

#1: View from the balcony of my room. That would be the Persian Gulf you are looking at. Never imagined the waters of the Persian Gulf being so very crystal clean and a perfect temperature... all with sandy beaches. Sadly, I saw more than one woman in full black covering (to include her eyes) accompanying her husband and children who were all in beachwear. Of course, she was the one carrying all the beach gear while they played their way to their beach "spot". During the heat of the day, I retreated from the beach back to my clean room to read a wonderful novel my cousin Lynda sent to me... still reading it in Afghanistan.

#2: You're probably picking up that I like camels. Caught this picture of a local entrepeneur who gave camel rides on the beach. No, I did not take one. Saving that adventure for my next trip in February to Jordan. Yes, you'll probably see more camels then.

#3: Sunset on the beach in front of the hotel. Self-Explanatory.

#4: Needless to say, this one has a story behind it and yes, I'm going to share it with you... you don't have to read it. Anyway, one of my Army Colonel buddies over here had a bet with his buds that he could get a picture of a woman in a burka having a cocktail... he asked me to help him win that bet. So, I borrowed a burka (what you see me wearing) and had Jim take this picture. An afterthought: fill the bathtub with water for a wet burka contest picture with glass of wine. Tried finding one of them "umbrella" drinks for the picture, but they're not at all available in Dubai so had to settle for the wine. Needless to say, it did the trick and my Army buddy was thrilled... I'm now known here as "The Burka Babe". Something unexpected did happen to me during this charade. When I jokingly put the burka on, I was actually quite traumatized by it... something I just didn't expect. I'm not in the least claustrophobic and nor do I fear ever having to wear one of these for real, but just couldn't stand to have it on me. The experience is really hard to explain. My level of empathy for the many women over here who wear these has grown exponentially. I have decided to buy a burka before I depart Afghanistan to have my many friends/family back home experience this for yourselves. It is just awful beyond imagination.

Well, no more Dubai stories and I'm back in Afghanistan now. But hope to have many new adventures to share, nothing too exciting though.

Big blog hug goes out to my Girlfriend Michelle and her son Brendan for being such loyal readers and sender of breakfast coffee, clothes for the poor, and candy for my office. But mostly, just for being who you are.

Once again, your comments/feedback are most gratefully appreciated.