I got my first blog award!

Assalamu'alaikum all,

So thanks to BluePearl...I received my first blog award and completely didn't realize it!  I was awarded the following award:

So I really don't know how these blog awards work...but thank you so much BluePearl!!  It made me feel so special :).

Aside from that...today I had an interesting day.  My husband left for Lyon, France yesterday morning.  He is doing some sort of project and the model that they are referring to is located in Lyon.  His company just flew him out there to attend a training session to learn about the program and how to start it in Bahrain.  It's very cool.  Anyways, when he first found out he would be flying to France...he was going to take me with him and try to get his company to pay for my ticket.  It didn't work out and his company bumped his flight up two days earlier and didn't even notify him until the day of the flight.  It was way too late to get me a ticket by then....everything was way over our budget.  He was just telling me how beautiful it is, how much I would have loved it, and how he wishes I was there with him.  Oh well, Alhamdulillah.  Everything happens for a reason. 

I'm trying to get used to this constant traveling my husband will be doing at his new job.  I have to admit that I hate the feeling.  I start to think horrible things.  I really do believe that it is all triggered by the crap we watch on TV.  I just make du'a that Allah (swt) protects my husband and keeps evil far away from him.  I have a crazy imagination.  I just start to think a woman might seduce him or something crazy like that.  I know my husband is a good Islamic man with a high set of morals.  He's always making me better and he tries to bring me along everywhere with him.  It's just that I also start to think that things like that can happen to anybody.  You hear of the most religious people having affairs or doing crappy things no one ever expected from them.  I just keep reminding myself to trust my husband and most importantly make du'a and trust Allah (swt).

My husband's co-worker (Ben) that I mentioned in the previous post is still here.  He is supposed to leave for a flight to England today and I've been waiting for the past 4 hours for him to get out of here.  He's still here, though!  I guess he has a late flight or something.  He's really nice and everything...but when he is here...I stayed locked in the bedroom. 

I'm kind of going backwards...but earlier today I went to the Seef Mall.  I ate McDonald's.  It sucks because I don't enjoy fast food like I did when I was a little kid.  Every bite felt like I was putting garbage into my mouth.  The only thing I truly enjoy is the french fries.  It sucks...but that was my only option really.  Everything else was also fast food and the restaurants are just too expensive.  Plus...I feel so weird eating by myself at a restaurant. 

The highlight of the trip was that I bought myself a copy of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.  I've decided I'm going to go back and read or re-read classic novels I took for granted when I was younger.  Well, the lady at the bookstore told me I could choose a free book from a pile.  She let me take one even though you had to spend 5 Barhaini Dirhams and I had only spent 1.4.  That act of kindness really put a smile on my face for the whole day.  I can't believe how that really put me in a good mood for most of the day, Subhanallah.

Anyways...my husband comes back tomorrow night so Insha'Allah something to look forward to!

Bahrain

Assalamu'alaikum,

I'm in Bahrain now with my husband.  That picture is a photo I took from the balcony of our Ritz Carlton Hotel Apartment courtesy of his company.  It's a beautiful hotel and a country with picture-perfect aqua colored water.  We took a stroll along an unofficial beach and it was beautiful, but there were rocks as you got closer to the gulf and we weren't able to get our feet wet.  It's around 70 degrees here...so I'm sure the water is cold anyways.

I haven't really been able to see much.  What's kind of sad about these countries is that the main attractions are malls.  The malls have all the designer stores and American/European stores already know nothing new or special.  Yes...the malls are built to fit into the cosmopolitan lifestyle of these people...but really?  Where are the museums?  Where is the art?  It's really not much.

The only other cool thing that I really want to do is go dolphin/manatee watching.  It costs around $30/adult to go out on a boat.  I'm not sure if this is the season...but I'm hoping we'll be able to give the company a call this weekend.

I've been pretty much cooped up in the hotel room.  My husband had already warned me that during the week he wouldn't be able to take me out to see much.  He goes to work around 8 a.m. and doesn't come home until 9:30/10 p.m.  It's okay.  I try to keep myself busy during the day and I'm just happy I get to see him...even if it's just for a few hours, Alhamdulillah.  It's much better than being stuck at his aunt's house back in Dubai.

Aside from that, I didn't really do much today.  I went to meet him for lunch.  When I got there...he had already bought me a sandwich and told me he wouldn't be able to sit with me because he has a meeting.  So I went to the mall (of course!) located next door to his office building and ate by myself.  I was watching the Bahraini (at least that's what I think they were) women/girls.  I can't seem to understand their hijab style.  Today...I saw the weirdest one.  It looks like they have a beehive underneath their hijabs!  I'm not even joking.  I don't understand why they think it looks attractive.  I really found it quite amusing...though I wonder if they think I look funny.

The only other eventful thing to happen to me today was my husband's co-worker reaching the apartment early (my husband didn't warn me) and he almost walked in on me without my hijab.  Let me explain.  The hotel apartment we are staying in has three bedrooms.  Each bedroom is like a hotel room fully equipped with all the necessities and each with its own bathroom.  One of my husband's co-workers working on the same project as him here in Bahrain is a British guy named Ben.  He is staying in one of the other two bedrooms.  There is a common area in the hotel room.  The common area includes a full kitchen, a bar, a study area, living room, and dining area.  Today, I spent the entire day in front of my laptop and the TV. in the living room.  My husband is supposed to send me an e-mail warning me if Ben leaves work early and is going to beat him home so I can go into our room or make sure I have my hijab on.  Nonetheless, I decided whenever I would go into the common area even though no one is home...I'd just put my hijab around my neck to be on the safe side.  Alhamdulillah!  I heard the door unlocking and I quickly threw on my hijab.  Phewf!!  Alhamdulillah!  He made me so nervous.  Then he actually came over to me and was talking to me...telling me about the facilities.  It was very awkward.  I managed well, though, Alhamdulillah.

Now I'm back in our room with the door locked waiting for my hubby to come home and take me out.