Oh sweet rain

Awesome rain! Though some countries wouldn't think so. The weather right now is amazing, and I hope it remains this way but not to the extent of a flood. A slight drizzle for a while would definitely calm the nerves, and perhaps heavy showers every once in a while.

Right now, I hear reports that the situation in Saudi Arabia is horrible, and I hope everything gets better soon, as I wouldn't want to see my car floatin' around the hood.


Few days ago before the raining began, I saw a post on Facebook that said the following, whether it was true or not I did not know:

"The U.S. Navy in Bahrain declares state of emergency for Bahrain, Qatar, eastern Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

البحرية الامريكية في البحرين تعلن حالة الطوارئ للبحرين وقطر وشرق السعودية والكويت والامارات نتيجة دخول حالة تعتبر من اقوى الحالات خلال 30 سنة الماضية

The case is considered one of the strongest cases for the past 30 years, and it warns their marine on these above countries from the wave of torrential rains too. It will begin on the morning of Sunday, November 17th and will continue until Thursday, 21 November, where it will rain for 3 days, continuously on these countries. and the U.S. Navy analyzed that this case is a strong low weather is coming from the north and the source is from the Caspian Sea in northern Iran, and there are logistical support strong moisture tropical immense sourced from the Indian Ocean with moisture from the huge basin Arabian Gulf, at the confluence of humidity stream from the north with the current humidity from the middle and a humidity stream from the south will create a state of instability layers of the upper atmosphere on the northern, central and east and west of the Arab Gulf states. Cause of this weather forecast, the emergence of Altocumulus with huge pull Alsopersel black clouds which gives lightning and severe thunderstorms, which could turn the day into Dark. This gives a very heavy rain accompanied by large grains of hails. and the possibility of emergence sea Hurricane water with sea view and warn sailors from the Navy not to go to the sea throughout the next week as well as not to risk in the wild (Deseret) and low places as a result of those heavy rains too.

Issued by the U.S. Navy
Friday. November 15, 2013

تحذر البحرية هذه الدول من ترقب موجة امطار غزيرة جدا ابتدأ من صباح يوم الاحد 17 نوفمبر وتستمر حتى يوم الخميس 21 نوفمبر الجاري حيث تستمر الامطار 3 ايام بشكل متواصل على هذه الدول وتحلل البحرية الامريكية ان هذه الحالة عبارة عن منخفض جوي قوي قادم من الشمال ومصدره بحر قزوين في شمال ايران وهناك دعم لوجستي قوي من رطوبة استوائية هائلة مصدرها المحيط الهندي مع رطوبة هائلة من حوض الخليج العربي وعند التقاء تيار رطب من الشمال مع تيار رطب من الوسط وتيار رطب من الجنوب سيخلق حالة من عدم الاستقرار بطبقات الجو العليا على شمال ووسط وشرق وغرب دول الخليج العربي وتسبب الحالة الجوية بظهور سحب ركامية ضخمة مع سحب السوبرسيل السوداء والتي تعطي صواعق وعواصف رعدية شديدة مما قد يتحول النهار الى ضلام وهذا يعطي امطار غزيرة جدا مصحوبة بحبات برد كبيرة ولايستبعد ظهور اعاصير مائية بعرض البحر وتحذر البحرية البحارة من عدم ارتداء البحر طوال الاسبوع القادم وكذلك عدم المجازفة في البراري والاماكن المنخفضة نتيجة توقع سيول من جراء الامطار الغزيرة جدا.

صادر عن البحرية الامريكية بيوم الجمعة
15"

The pictures above are what I took inside and around the Ministry of Education.

Here is an article written about how climate change is affecting particularly the Gulf. I'm not sure if this is new to several Gulf countries but from what I remember, it did flood to this extent say four years ago.


There is also another article by GDN 4 days ago that talks of a "storm". And while I was searching for news on past floods, I came across another article by GDN for 2011:

"ALMOST an inch of rain soaked Bahrain throughout Tuesday and into yesterday, causing misery for residents and shopkeepers still coming to terms with the downpour 24 hours later.

At the height of flooding water was said to be almost knee-deep in some places, with at least one major highway experiencing tailbacks hours after the rains stopped, due to the absence of a storm water drainage system."

Reminds me of Manila when I visited this August, ankle-deep.

My Watcher 3 years ago: I steal my Watcher's ideas

So somewhere in my first year, we had to read Watcher at the Gates by Gail Godwin. I have no memory whatsoever about what this was so I read it again. Reading my old piece on what characteristics my Watcher had, I realize there is a slight or maybe significant difference to what characteristics my Watcher has now. So following this old entry, I will be posting another entry of the latter. For now, here is an insight to the type of Watcher I had back in 2010.

L'Orange - The Mad Writer
Just Art, no connection to this entry teehee
http://thefindmag.com/downloads/stream-lorange-the-mad-writer/

After reading “The Watcher at the Gate” by Gail Godwin, I have to be honest as to say I have no idea what the writer is talking about. First I tried to comprehend the very actions the writer set forth in his piece by different watchers. By this I came to understand that maybe, at least maybe he might be speaking about the very thing that makes us write or at least ‘how’ we write. Here is my attempt in describing my watcher:

I have a very talented watcher. But this watcher does not have the ability to let words flow continuously for a long period of time. My watcher, at least that’s how I see it, probably does not know that I exist therefore I have no problem with it. My only dilemma would be I cannot control what sentences would form for my watcher likes to write about many things.

My watcher is independent of itself but not its mind for I can always see it. I see what my watcher imagines and fantasizes and creates and I simply write it down. It is as though I steal my watcher’s ideas.

There is not much to say about my watcher for my watcher is unique and in itself inhibits unique abilities and imagination. Its mind is not always open for it takes days and days to sleep therefore the minute my watcher opens its eyes, I have to be well prepared and record every single moment of thought or it will be lost forever for my watcher does not repeat what it thinks.

I am a mere vessel where my watcher resides in me. I am simply the plain writer who records every single thought the watcher who lives within thinks of. I am the book keeper.

Going Insane, insanity workout, a diary for the alternative lifestyle: A new turn in my Life

I began this workout called Insanity on Sunday November 10, and I read online that it's a good idea to keep a blog. I did however have a journal anyway to record every day's workout, and I decided to post them online on a weekly basis. It's a "If I don't get to post the whole thing everyday, THEY'LL KNOW" sort of thing. So something like a boost. Eh. We'll see how far I get.

Day 1: Horrible pain. I actually started at 3 AM on Day 2 but I'm considering it Day 1. I had horrible cramps but it subsided before I started. I sweat like crazy. I had to stop midway and grab some water. My head hurts a bit. My shirt is soaked. I wasn't wearing soaks and shoes, I was doing it in one of the rooms at home. My head hurts ugh. It's emotional. It makes you feel like shit but also motivates you to break through. Thinking of results of the last day. I WANT this.

Day 2: I enjoyed the exercises today. I couldn't keep up AT ALL. I was shocked. At some point, I felt like I was going to be sick. It's like the saying "you are what you eat" took a literal turn. I sweat a lot, and switched on the AC, and I still sweat, which is could; just means it wasn't just hot. I did today at home again at Day 3 around 2 AM. I'm hoping to get the next day earlier on, at the gym preferably. Need to lift some weights. I also noticed that I gained 2 kilos since I first started gym-ing, which is like in Septemeber. It's alright, I bought some goodies to watch what I eat. Two more months!

Day 3: Today, only finished with Day 2 and I woke up with the worst case of body coordination. Everything hurt. My calfs, my feet, my back, my wrists, my hands, my neck, everything. I felt it all day. Though I still ate what I usually eat, with some sort of moderation, I felt like I should cut down just a bit. Not a lot, since I don't want to create a huge shift in balance once I go back to regular training after this program. It's all about creating a consistent pattern - lifelong. Though it's only Day 3 workout, it already feels like it will get easier. I did skip on some routines just because I can't move my body at all. But it feels like it would get better.

Day 4: Today feels much better than yesterday. Maybe it's just my body getting used to it. However, I had the weirdest change in my weight, it kept going up and down. I decided to stop checking my weight and just wait it out till the fit test day. So I went to the gym and used their work out space. It's pretty cool, very free and wide. Today's exercise was cardio recovery. Lots of breathing space but it wore out my legs that I couldn't do any of the one leg stand poses for more than a second. I was all shaky. That is all.

Day 5: I woke up pretty late today, around 1 pm. I thought yesterday's workout was not bad but my body felt like an out of date machine. I could feel aches everywhere. They weren't cramps. They were aches. Todays pure cardio exercise was not as scary as I thought it would be but there were "several" routines that I just couldn't get past the second count. Sweat sweat sweat ... perhaps mixed with a bit of tears. No, just sweat.

Day 6: I slept early yesterday, before 1 AM, in attempts to wake up early today. I did wake up at 7 and again at 9. But I just couldn't get out of bed. It's very tiring, I feel heavy. I managed to get up at around 12. I felt ashamed. However, I was very anxious to get back to working out again. I could feel my body itching to work out. To my surprise, when I did begin the routine "Plyometric Cardio Circuit", which is the same as Day 2, halfway through I found myself doubting my ability to finish this program. I just felt so tired. Tired and heavy. But I tried pushing myself. Though I couldn't finish some routines completely, I tired pulling in a couple of counts. I finished through today and tomorrow's break which I guess is good. Let's hope Day 8, a new week, is a better week.

Day 7: Rest day felt great. Didn't have much aches. Or maybe I do but I had a wonderful time on rest day.

Book fair at the old NYIT campus, last day Thursday Nov 21, 500 Fils and up

For all the crazy bookaholics out there roaming the the expensive bookstores of Bahrain just casually browsing around, here is a fair you'd might want to visit. Though I don't know what types of books they are selling, I wouldn't miss the opportunity to check it out. It already started on Sunday and will end this Thursday, November 21. Heard about this from a friend and off The Bookcase's Facebook page.

If you remember where NYIT's old campus was, it's held right there. It's only now called the Multinational School, just by Block 338 restaurant.

Hurry hurry.

Address: Multinational School, Avenue 338, off Dilumn Avenue, Adliya.

SUV driver stops to let kids pass, Aali

So while leaving Ramli Mall today, I waited at the roundabout for my turn and noticed that a Toyota probably Land Cruiser just stopped at the roundabout. On the roundabout were four little boys (maybe around 11 - 12 year old) who seem to have just gotten back from school. It was a bit unsettling because cars were rushing and the boys didn't know whether to cross or not. This guy or lady in the car just stopped while making its turn, not sudden, just safe enough for the back cars to brake on time. The kids were hesitant as to whether they should cross and finally with the driver asking to cross, they did.

This. Was intense.

Thumbs up to the driver.

My passage-trip from Cairo to Amman, by Ferry: Spring Break April 2013, AB Maritime

This could be part of my Spring break chronicles as an undergraduate student. Spring break 2013 began in April and I think we left for this (budgeted) journey on the 24th. This is how I described it as a caption for one of my Facebook pictures:

"Bus at 11 pm from Cairo, arrives at 6 am in Nuweiba, ferry leaves at 6 pm, arrives in Aqaba at 9 pm Jordan time, we catch a bus to the bus station and wait for an hour, instead we take a cab to Amman and reach at 5 am.
- Spring Break 2013."

The AB Maritime ferry
Courtesy of a friend N.O.

Yup, that's how we reached Amman all the way from Cairo. We booked our bus tickets (which I think were around 90 Egyptian Pounds) from Cairo to Nuweiba a few days before, along with the ferry tickets from AB Maritime (Can't remember the price, maybe US$ 100 one way).

It was myself and two other friends, all different nationalities. The bus was to leave at 11 PM. There were maybe around five or eight other passengers on the bus so that gave us enough room to sleep. And we finally reached say around 6 AM in Nuweiba, one of Egypt's cities in the East coast. Now why we took the early bus was because they, at the ferry office, told us we had to be there before 12 noon. If you've never been to Nuweiba, then you won't understand our condition. It was like one of those villages where you can't just sit anywhere, just like in those movies, and I'm glad it was morning.

We were looking for places were we could rest our aching bodies but it was very difficult, and the "security" at the ferry docks said the gate would open a little before 12. We keep asking around for places we could stay at and someone mentioned a Hilton (I think) which was close by. A Hilton?! Okay, we go walking there, it's like walking through a desert, nothing on either sides except for creepy old houses and the blasting heat. It's funny how we see mirages and assume the place is near but it just .. isn't. And finally cave in to a taxi that happens to pass by to drop us to the hotel. No worries, we only paid 5 pounds.

So we reach there in our not so glamorous outfits and walk into this place .. this place filled with old white folks in swim suits! Imagine walking from village to resort. So we ask about room prices and they were just out of our budget and take the breakfast meal, which is open buffet. I think it was around 200 pounds per person. But that's okay! We were hungry and we know how to work with open buffets. Keep in mind it was like maybe around 7 AM. Oh and I forgot to mention I had to submit two essays, so I was "working" during our trip. The receptionist also mentioned that we were only allowed to stay at the restaurant and not go to the beach side ... okay ..

---

After we've fed ourselves well, my friends were just too sleepy. Both of them went to the pool side and slept on those sunbathing chairs, talk about making the best of what you have. And while they were sleeping it off, I had to work on one of my essay and I was worried at the same time, because I'm a bit of a "don't break the law" sort of person. Just a bit before 12, they rise from their majestic somber, and proceed to get ready. Oh, we made use of the bathrooms alright. (I actually woke them up suddenly, one of them got pissed at me)

So we leave to the ferry docks. We pass through x-Rays and stay at the waiting room, which looked like a slaughter house for cows. You must understand that the people who were there were not .. middle class. Not that it bothers me, it's just, you sort of draw attention to yourself when you're no longer in places you usually go to.

And we wait, and wait, and wait, and wait. That's all we ever did. Until it was finally almost 6 PM! And we get to board the fabulous ship that exceeded our expectations (no sarcasm here). It was really clean. It was smooth and took maybe around two hours to reach despite the warnings from fellow friends that it would take forever.

Not much pictures during this passage because of the crap we had to go through. So when we reach Aqaba at around 9 PM, they ask one of our friends to follow them to an office outside the ferry (passport stuff). And we wait at the docks. We wait and wait and wait. We get our bags and our friend's who just left. We then follow the crowd (with no sight of our friend) to an office after walking through what looked like a scene of the docks from GTA.

Hallelujah, we find our friend on the top floor of a shabby security building. We then proceed to go through corridors and x-Rays, like how airports operate. And then finally, the backdoor where buses and taxis wait for us. Just US. There were maybe only one more group. The funny thing is, though the ferry was packed with people, only foreigners which were a group of maybe 20 were taken through this security process. And we couldn't find them either because they probably took a different door or booked a tourist service which take care of them.

My friend (same passport person) walks towards a cab and make an agreement. Just as we were following the driver, another taxi drives past us fast, stops and gets out to argue with our driver. So we freak, cancel and hop on the empty bus we find because it was public. Just three of us where in. This was almost 11 PM. Yes, it took us that long. And the bus finally decides to leave. And we were glad. Because the way from the port to a city in Aqaba was so empty. I don't know if we would ever be lucky to find a cab while walking to the main road from the port.

We reach a bus station in the city and feel better surrounded by people. The bus waits and waits and waits. It's around 12 and still doesn't move. It's waiting for people to fill it up, but even the people become restless. So maybe around 1 AM, the same friend looks for a taxi service (they call them that) that would only move once filled with four passengers. He agreed to 12 Jordanian Dinars each but no no, that's not how it works. Of course he'll ask for more later 915 each). So we were like F this, we're taking a cab to Amman. And we did. It was a long ride, three of us and one strange passenger in the front. Some of us doze off from time to time. And we finally reach the house of our Jordanian friend at around 5 AM. Yes, we reached.

We finally reached. Then showered and slept.

Jackass driving, take 3

Yesterday, while at the traffic light near Salmaniya (Sana on my left, that furniture place straight ahead), witnessed stupidity. While it was the turn for the cars on my right to go straight ahead (Green lights), a car on the opposite side clearly thought he should take a leap of faith that day. He took a turn while the cars on my side began to proceed. If they haven't slowed down, they would have hit the side where I saw a little girl sitting, obviously with no seat belts. That mofo was lucky.

And while driving in a converging lane, I clearly having the front advantage already past the convergence, tada! a wild pickup appears to my side. The driver decides to go as fast he (it was a guy) can in attempt to be just ONE car ahead ... in a not-so-busy day ...