Social Bahraini Butterflies

I begged Pinky for a pet. With apartment living, our options were limited. I suggested a great dane - they're lazy. Pinky didn't think we could train it to pee on the patio. I was in one of the open air markets last month, and there were thousands of birds. Parakeets by the hundreds of course, pet pigions, chickens, you name it. Then I saw it - a grey parrot. I'm not sure if you are familiar with the bird, but it's usually sold for thousands of dollars, live to be like 60 years old, and they are the smartest birds on the planet. There it was - in the same cage as a rooster no less. I wanted it badly. Then Pinky reminded me that it probably already speaks Arabic. It could be telling our guests to screw off, and we would never know. So the parrot was out (for now).

As a consolation prize - I got Clark and Randy. Clark Griswold and Randy Rhoades to be exact.

They came with four fish that we called 'The Crew' but after one missed feeding, the aquarium got mutinous, and two fish were eaten. It's a fight for survival in there. The turtles are only about an inch and a half long, but they provide for endless entertainment. 

Now I know it seems like that this is about to be the saddest blog post ever, where we tell you that our only friends are turtles, but that's not the case. We do actually interact on a regular basis with some of the most fun-loving goofballs I know. 

Elevator pictures are always taken on the way out, not the way back at night.  Sleeping people aren't photogenic. 

The ex-pat community is strong here, and our group of friends shows as much. It's not unlikely to find a group of 15 people, none of whom are from the same country, but all of whom are best friends. Looking around at a gathering is like going on the "It's a Small World Ride" at disney land. The guy with the shaved head in the picture above is my boss, and he's the only person I know who is actually born and raised in Bahrain. The rest of us are a modge-podge of random countries and origins, making for colorful pictures and amazing dinner parties.

Pinky was very excited for the crepe party

Real French crepes!

I think it's time to say a little more about what we actually do here in Bahrain. If you follow Pinky or myself on facebook, then I know it might seem like it's all beaches and boating. It's not. There are dance parties as well. :) Very organized parties actually. The social scene here in Bahrain is largely run by event promotion companies. Most of the big name clubs will throw big events, with themes and big name DJs (house music is big here).

Next time I'll wear high heels, don't judge my dancing shoes. 

Like I said, boating also plays a major role in the weekend plans. My favorite boating destination is Jerada. It's a sandbar in the middle of the sea, that only is above water while the tide is low, making it a disappearing island. While the timing is tricky, our boat caption knows it well, and it is an adventure every time. 

Pinky has grown quite close to these boys. QUITE close. :)

Work hard, play hard is our general motto here. Pinky is often in Saudi working incredibly hard and I... well I also do some work, but working on the inter-webs means never being tied to a location, so I think I have the better end of the deal.

The weekend office

All in all, we've met some incredible people, and we have been truly lucky with the friends we have made. Sometimes in life you just click with people, which is exactly what happened here.