Bahrain Blog - New Home Edition

We are pleased to report that we are in and settled in the new villa. A bungalow! I am sitting here at 6am on the patio by the pool enjoying outdoor breakfast. It really is beautiful. the high humidity has all but gone and winter is almost upon us. It now cools down to about 23 degrees at night and reaches only 32 - 35 during the day. Perfect. although it will cool a bit yet and the locals will need to get their woolies looked out and the heaters dusted off.

Just to help you imagine my position I am sitting on one of the seats in the picture below enjoying breakfast and blogging. The garden furniture is not yet here, in fact we haven't even managed to get it ordered yet. Must get around to that soon.

The pool is obviously much smaller than the last one but it's exclusively ours. You can managed about 5 or 6 strokes across the diagonal before turning! I suppose turning is just as good exercise as swimming. I hope so anyway. I have been in every day but Sheila will almost certainly not be in it until next year some time. Unheated pools cool rapidly and it is now on the chilly side. Not like the North Sea at Arbroath you undersdtand but chilly compared to a bath. I wouldnt describe it as "take your breath away cold" but it is admittedly on the cold side of perfect. I will continue to swim every day until I decide its too cold for me too. watch this space.

I will post some more pictures of the house as I get them taken. Might get a chance to take some today after Mary has been! We have managed to get everything into some kind of order so a final clean up should see a photo opportunity. I got some of the master bedroom but havent uploaded them from the camera yet.

OK time marches on and there will be no money to maintain this house if I don't get to work so I'll wish you a short and unseasonably warm winter.
David

Busy weekend

It seems like no time at all since I was excitedly looking forward to the Bahrain Open and now it was a week ago! This weekend sees an action-packed time in the Spittal calendar. Sheila was out with the girls last night so is still tucked up in bed. I am about to get ready for the weekly golf  competition. Its sone oriental prizes this week because its the Taiwan Cup. I have actually seen the prizes because I am now on the Handicaps and Competitions Committee because one of the members had to leave the island with his work suddenly. Anyway, the prizes look nice so we'll wait and see what happens.

After that its back to Budaiya to continue moving the small items of furniture and other belongings from one house to the other. The furniture van is due tomorrow (Saturday) to move the big stuff and then we will be moved. I promise to get the camera out and let you see what the new gaff looks like.

OK showertime, be seein' ya.
David

The final result - nearly

Well as expected I didn't win the open but I was definitely not disgraced. It was won by Andrew marshall a European Tour professional with a score of 6 under par (about 15 shots better than the second placed person). It was the worst wind I have ever had to play in on both days. Hurricane just about sums it up. I am not exactly sure where I finished because they haven't published the gross scores, only the scores after handicaps were subtracted. I was 10th in the handicap list but that doesnt count. I was probably somewhere between 11th and 15th when handicaps are ignored. I did not win the car but I did win a Mizuno 5 wood and a golf glove. It was a side prize for the best net score on day 2 for someone otherwise not in the prize list so that was a little consolation prize. I am very pleased with my performance and looking forward to the next one in March

Last night also saw us wave Nicola off at the airport. Like Ashley, she too was very lucky with the weather! That only leaves us to start packing for the move next weekend. We should get the keys today or tomorrow. I'll publish some pictures soon.
David

Bahrain Open Day 1 Report

Well let me start by saying it was blowing a hooligan. I have never played in wind so strong. It was a nightmare on Awali Street. The par is 70 and I took 84 blows to get around. 14 over par! Not too good I hear you scoff, well actually I am tied for 15th place with that score which is pretty respectable in my eyes. I am only three strokes behind the tenth prize so all to play for tomorrow. Some people did manage good scores and the best was a 1 under by Andrew Marshall a European Tour Pro. That is simply awesome play in a hurricane and sand storm. I thought my legs were being sand papered.

I didnt win the car but then nobody did so I have another chance tomorrow. We'll see what that brings. Watch this space.

Meanwhile Sheila and Nicola went for lunch with Karen at the Ritz Carlton. I get Ritz crackers and they get Ritz Carlton. It's an ill divided world. Sheila did all the driving and navigation without a hitch.
David

Bahrain Open

Well tomorrow is the first day of the Bahrain Open. The day when I get to pit my wits against Bahrain's best and a few others forbye. The second round is on Saturday and it's played in reverse order, duffers first, good players out last. I am hoping I don't have too early a Tee time on Saturday. There's a car on offer for a hole in one at the sixth hole. A bit trickier than last weeks motor bike at the 12th and that wasn't won. Anyway, in for a Dinar in for a car as they say. I just hope I record a score that offers some degree of respectability. I am treating this as a dress rehearsal for the next Open in March (remember this one is really last March's open that was postponed due to the unrest at the time). I am teeing it up at 9am so fingers crossed. Let's hope the weather will be fine!!!!

This is Nicola's last weekend so we are planning to dine out tomorrow evening although Sheila and Nicola are going out for lunch with karen so might not be up for a large dinner too. We might just have to make it scrambled eggs on toast. Today was "Think Pink" day so we were all in the pink. I had my super duper pink tie on. Rather dashing I thought.

Sunday is Mole day where the chemistry staff celebrate the mole. A mole is a number used to represent a lot of atoms. Rather than saying we have 602,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 atoms its much easier to say there is 1 Mole of atoms. If you have twice that many you have 2 moles. Easy really, get it? Its called Avogadro's number. We have our mole day T shirts to wear so I'll try to get a picture of Sheila and I resplendent in the mole gear.

OK time I was getting some much needed beauty sleep. i am not sure how well I will sleep because as usual "I'm toooo excited!" Wish me luck!
David

Vroom Vroom

OK, OK so it didn't quite go as I had planned. I had it pictured clearly in my mind, I didn't rush the shot, I took my time, prepared well and hoiked one up the right hand side missing the brown by a margin, never mind the hole. It was what might have been described by a cricket commentator as a wide!

I managed to score a scratch 74 (Net 68), to come in third in the first handicap division. The winner overall (from division 3 the high handicap division) had a net 60 eleven, yes eleven shots better than his handicap. Its about time there was a stewards enquiry. Come on ELEVEN shots better. I would have had to shoot scratch 5 under par to even draw with that. Its not sour grapes, honest! The winner almost always comes from the highest handicap divisions. They are supposed to be the duffers.

I did manage to pick up 50 US dollars in prize money although goodness only knows what I'll do with those. It's hardly worth cashing in I fear. The sponsor was an American company and all prizes were in USD.

Cheers for now, I'll just have to wait for next year to get my bike (which wasn't won - unsurprisingly)

David

Time flies

It is a well known fact that time flies when you are enjoying yourself and I must say this week has flown in. Nicola is with us and has already been here for nearly a week. She has been in school a couple of days working with the little people in Kindergarten. I think she found it amazing. Not that the children are significantly different, nor that the activities they do are any different but that when it comes to tidying up ... that's where it is very different. Nicola asked one of the regular staff which of the cloths she should use to wipe up (they are all colour coded in Scotland you know ... blue for the paint table ... yellow for the snack table and so on). The regular teacher smiled and said, "no no, the cleaners come in and do that". Apparently the little mites have an army of cleaners who come in and wash the paint pots and tidy up all of the mess. It's always more fun making mess when someone else is cleaning up. Anyway, i think she enjoyed her visit.


Today is the day I pick up the keys for my new Harley Davidson motor bike. I am not exactly sure which model I am getting but Sheila says she hopes it is one with the big comfy seats on the back or she wont be on it. I think it will be great fun whizzing about in the hot air ... I can't wait. I have just one little job to do before I get delivery, that is I have to hole my tee shot at the twelvth hole today. I have never had a hole in one before at least not one that counts. I holed in one at the fifth at Glenrothes once but it was in the winter time when we were on a temporary green and tee and it wasn't in a competition. It was witnessed though! Anyway, today's the day. I have visualised the shot many times so nothing can go wrong. I know you'll all be anxious to hear how I got on so I'll post a picture of the bike as soon as I get it home.

Just a couple of weeks now until we get the keys for the new pad. We have been looking at outdoor furniture for eating out by the poolside. We are really looking forward to that. As usual we are finding it a bit difficult to choose the stuff. I have no idea how we have come to be still married after all this time. We have completely different ideas on what we like. I suppose it boils down to my regular utterance of the phrase "OK we'll go for the one you like dear, after all it is clearly the best, and good value too".I sometimes get to choose, at least I THINK I sometimes get to choose!

OK there's work to be done so I better go now. Remember to pop back soon for a full description of my hole in one shot to be played later today.
David

Absolutely gutted!

I can't believe it. I watched the rugby today and England got beat. I am so distraught that I might just have to watch it again to make sure when they re-run it. I thought England were so unfortunate, they played really well and France were so lucky. It is such a shame. I thought they were going to win the cup too. Never mind .... better luck next time. I am surprised you couldn't hear me cheering from Scotland.

Viva la France
David

Weekly News

Another week is over and its the weekend again.I am listening to Radio Scotland on my digital radio and it feels like home, except when I look out of the window. The weather was very windy a couple of days ago and it appears to have blown the hot humid air away and left behind hot dry air. It has "cooled" down to about 35 degrees. Today at the golf it was absolutely beautiful. It was the first round of the knockout championship today. Do you recall I said I had to give away 13 shots. Always a difficult task, you remember I said that. Well it was indeed a difficult task but I did in fact manage to win so I am through to the next round. I played 17 holes in two over par and managed to win 2 up with 1 to play. The guy then birdied the 18th (although the game was over by then). It was a pretty close shave. i suppose that should always be the case in in a handicap competition. Every match should end all square if the handicaps are correct.

We had a pretty ordinary week excpet that Sheila is now a year older. She is the same as me for the next few months. The "cooler" weather should suit Nicola if it lasts. We have made arrangements for her to meet the skating coach here and she is to visit the school nursery. All-in-all a busman's holiday.

Next week is one of the big prize competitions at the club. Believe it or not there is a brand new Harley Davidson motor bike on offer next week for a hole in one at the 12th hole. Its a par three about 200 yards long. That will be interesting although I am usually struggling to get it on the brown (green) never mind in the hole. Still I will give it my best shot. There are lots of prizes but to get one you have to (a) win and (b) be at the presentation at night. If you are not there you don't get your prize so it's worth hanging around. Guess what Nicola will be doing next Friday night.

OK enough for now
David

The Perfect Solution

Last week I was at the Middle East oil exhibition with some physics students looking at physicsy things. As usual there were loads of free gifts being dished out and I managed to get my hands on, amongst other things, two USB memory sticks. Very useful I hear you say. Very, I say.

The special thing about these memory sticks was that they came in small metal tins with a little window in the lid and the tins were two different sizes. Now I don't expect the women readers to understand but all men will be thinking, wow, how useful is that. Two little tins with windows in the lid, they'll come in handy. The excitement starts to build as you try to envisage what might go in there. If nothing else they will make a welcome addition to the "man drawer".

Anyway, women being women and Sheila being as woman as they come states that there is no usefulness in such an item and suggests the bin. Aghast I reply, "no way, they'll be handy for something". She says, "if you haven't found a GOOD use for them before we move they are in the bin".

OK challenge set, I KNOW I will find a good use before then. I made a few tentative suggestions all of which were poo pooed and then, I am very proud to announce, I found the perfect solution. It was so good I decided I had to share it with you all and I took a picture for posterity. You'll see the perfect solution below

What goes in the big tin?

The little tin!!!!
PERFECT!!

Must get ready for work now, contented and happy, the tins are safe. Better ideas may be submitted on the back of a BD20 note.
David

Holiday Over

Well that's Ashley's holiday over. We deposited her at the airport late last night and as I type she should be soon arriving in Amsterdam. We really enjoyed having her here and can now start looking forward to Nicola's visit. Who's next? We visited the Grand Mosque yesterday. It is a pretty impressive building and is surprisingly modest inside. You really expect large religous buidlings to be very lavishly decorated but it is spectacular in an understated sort of way. The chandelier is the only really ornate thing. We had a guided tour and it was a good experience.

Friday's golf went reasonably well. I scored 78 which is pretty good for most but one too many for me. Handicap increased by 0.1. Next week is the first round of the knockout singles. I have been drawn against a 19 handicapper so I will have to give him 13 shots. Let's hope he plays like a 19 handicapper because that's a lot of shots to give away. I will have to be on top form. Its now only three weeks to the re-scheduled Bahrain Open. Sort of like the British Open only on a smaller scale! Amateurs and professionals together in the draw. The professionals who play are not tour professionals but club pros from around the Middle East and sometimes friends of our club pro who come here from UK. Should be good fun. Two rounds, one on the Friday and one on the Saturday. Friday is an all in draw and Saturday the play is in reverse order. Worst score from Friday plays first and best plays last. Let's hope I dont have too early a tee time on Saturday!!!!

OK is back to work again today. We need to start thinking about our move of villa and get prepared for that. We can start to pack up all the little things. It's almost unbelieveable how much stuff you can accumulate in a year!

Cheers for now
David and Sheila