h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

LL. Good to know you are around when I am: ie at night. Bob lov you
, Bob is good, whatevever

Hello Anne,

I'm often up early and also I'm GMT+3 hours, so if I'm up early morning here, it's still probably the middle of the night/very early morning where you are.

Who's Bob?

16:15 here at the moment.

All the best,

Lapis

Currently 3am where I am, do I take it you are in Middle East somewhere? I do like having someone hanging about at (my) night when I can't sleep (which is often). I usually work a lot of nights (when am well enough to work), & class myself as an owl when normal, so am often up when I shouldn't be.
Otherwise, appreciate your support, I feel I've turned the corner - next step is to go home & visit family, then get my arse back to work, where I can hopefuly make a difference

Yes Anne,

I work in the Eastern Province of Saudi, then every weekend (Wednesday afternoon to Saturday EARLY morning in Manama Bahrain.)
Just nice to see another soul on h2g2 at the same time as I often visit.

Take care,

Lapis

good to bump into you again, I'm mainly up at stupid-o-clock GMT as I often suffer from insomnia. Therefore, I'm sometimes awake when you are after a long night, sometimes I have gone to sleep.

Oh for a decent regime ( not necessarily on the night or day shift, but some kind of continuity would be good).

Anyway, good to see you again

Anne

Yes, tossing and turning with a restless brain can be annoying and knackering can't it!

Sometimes (and only sometimes), I find a cup of camomile tea can help me nod off.

Anyway, I'm off over the causeway to Bahrain tomorrow morning (11:50 here) for my weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hurraahhhhhhhhhhhhetc(not available here in Saudi)

It only takes 50 minutes to get there and I always like the break.

Hope you manage to get some decent sleep.

Lapis

Morning LL, hope this finds you well.

Just the usual insomnia here, woke up at 6pm yesterday evening - not good.

Any news where you are? I like to hear about other cultures/customs, so anything is welcome. Music ?different, or is there access to western music fairly easily (other than internet)? Does it differ with which part of the country you visit? Apologies if this sounds ignorant, but I haven't been to your part of the world, and want to learn a bit more.



Anne

Hello Anne,

well where I work in Saudi it's a conservative Islamic country which is really big, but obviously contains large areas of uninhabitied desert. You can't legally buy alcohol, pork and anything connected with naughty naughty sex! Women aren't allowed to drive and it's viewed by many outsiders (some insiders too!) as a fairly repressive place which IS very slowly reforming and catching up to the 21st century.
Now, you may be thinking, why on earth I live and work in such a place? Well I live on the University campus of where I teach so it's like a little enclosed world from the outside and is more relaxed.
Because I'm on the east cost and only a 10 minute drive away from the causeway which takes you (about 27km) over the sea to nearby Bahrain which is also an Arabic country, but is so different from Saudi that I go there every weekend to see friends and relax. Pork and alcohol are freely available in shops, women are allowed to drive etc, it's a much friendlier place than Saudi.
Shopping malls have popped up everywhere and there are Carrefours, BHS, etc. So you can get most things here which you can back in the UK.
It takes me approximately one hour from the uni to my Bahrain flat, that's why you'll sometimes see me say hello from Manama (capital of Bahrain) and some times from Saudi.
The summer arrived last week and the top temperatures have been 51C+ here in Saudi, so thank godness airconditioning is pretty well almost everywhere you go.
My working week is from Saturday (started today) to Wednesday lunchtime when I go to Bahrain for 3 nights and come back early Saturday morning.

Hi Lapis,

Bahrain sounds a lot more westernised than Saudi (& a lot more fun). BHS did make me laugh though, just sounds so incongruous somehow .

What do you teach at uni? did you teach here, if so,is it very different?

Your working hours sound OK, but it must interrupt the 'weekend', although if the hours are permanent, I suppose it is relatively easy to have the 'weekend' from Wed night. That is something that I tend to do as I work all sorts of shifts with no set days off. Luckily, some friends do a similar thing, so meet ups are usually no problem.

Heat & me don't tend to get on - as Billy Connelly said, my natural skin colour is pale blue. Here, it reached 25c, & I was absolutely puggled after walking to town & back. Also, I burn in about 20 mins in these temps, so I really don't envy you the heat there (melted) At least you have a sea breeze - all the better to burn you with

,

Anne

Hello Anne,

I'm on my office hour break (0900-0950) then I'm off to teach my last 2 English lessons and finish at 1150. I'd normally hop into a taxi and then go straight to Bahrain, but today is the graduation ceremony so I'll go to that and go to Bahrain at 2230 tonight. I should get there around half 11.
Yes, having my weekend from Wednesday night to early Saturday morning was weird at first, but you get used to it. Anyway, there'll be some colds waiting in the fridge when I get there and tomorrow morning I just may get a from a supermarket to have with salad at lunchtime.
Yes it is incredibly hot here now and I burn easily, but I don't lie on a beach and slowly cook myself (always thought that was boring anyway as well as inviting skin cancer).
Sometimes I go to the beach at night with some friends and we have a BBQ++oretc and swim then, the water's nice and you don't get sunburn!
Well, next class is in 15 minutes so I must be off.

Cold beers, BBQ on the beach at night, sounds superb. I'm not jealous in the least. City heat is a bit oppressive compared to seaside heat, there's nothing better than wondering along a beach at dusk with the dogs.

Anyway, have a great weekend, enjoy. I may not be around for a while (you'll be relieved to know) as have now got some kick-ass sleeping tablets to try to break this insomnia. Woo-hoo!

See you later

Anne

OK Anne,

no need for jealousy, my life here isn't all idyllic Bounty Bar living. Take care with those anti-insomnia tabs! Don't use them more than neccessary

From a hot sunny Manama Thursday morning.

Lapis Lazuli- I'm sorry I came across as if I'm jealous, but I'm honestly not. I wish I had you're 'freedom' to go where you want to go, but your restrictions sound not so good.

My episodes with the anti-insomnia tabs have worked, usually I sleep in normal patterns, but when I come off night shift, that is more difficult to revert to days, although I wish it wasn't.

Hope you are doing well, & enjoying you're teaching, Best wishes,

anne

Hello Anne,

good to hear you're having some success with the anti insomnia tabs. I don't know how I'd cope having to come off night shifts and re-adjust to a different sleep regime, it can't be easy I'm sure.
Some folk though can put their head down and drop off at any time: I'm jealous of them!
Great weather here now summer's gone, and I'm off to Bahrain tomorrow at 11:50am. As usual, I'm looking forward to it.
Anyway drop me a line whenever you feel like it.
Till then, take care.
Lapis

Hope you have a good time, enjoy See you when you get back, have a drink for me

anne

Lapis - wherever you are- have a good one! Have a great New Year- I wish you all the best in 2010

Yours, anne

Many thanks Anne,

those are my sentiments to you too!

Lapis