Desks, mirrors, and vampires

It was a tough day today. I had to let my sales manager go. He slipped out early…I think to go to his next gig, so I had to call him back into the office. I had never had to fire anyone before so I wasn’t really sure how to do it. Although I have been fired so many times you’d think I’d be an expert, but this was just the first time on the other side of the desk. I confronted the sales manager on his second position. He denied. Just like he denied something the previous day which I showed him irrefutable proof.

That just got me to think. When you catch someone in a lie, even with proof, why don’t they ever say…”That’s right, you got me…I lied.” Does anyone ever fess up to that? I’ve lied in my day, but when I’m caught I confess. Yet some people go to the grave in their denials. I guess if you tell yourself something for too long, even you start believing it. Its amazing how the mind can play tricks on you. Someone can take a 10% truth and fill in the other 90% with the lie, and then ultimately start believing the 90% to be the truth. I think it has something to do with that verse in Proverbs “A man’s ways is justified in his own mind but God weighs the heart.” We all can justify our actions. Even our lies, but if the lies go on unchecked, I think we run the danger of even deceiving ourselves not being able to differentiate between fiction and reality. A friend said it best once, “You run the risk of believing your own press.” Once you start going down that road of deceiving yourself, its hard to turn back, especially if people along side of you believe your lies to be true. Eventually you become self-unaware. This is an advantage I have with my talk with God everyday. I look in the mirror. This forces me to self-actualize or to be self-aware. If Im not honest with myself, its almost impossible to look myself in the eye in the mirror. Does anyone else have this problem? Last month I sinned in my walk. I won’t get into what I did. But I noticed I ventured far from the mirror. I didn’t want to face myself. Once I made myself right with God, I could look in the mirror again. I wasn’t ashamed of myself any longer. Its such an amazing metaphor, the mirror. When there is evil inside of me (in the form of sin) I don’t want to face myself. I can either, make myself right with God, or deceive myself. So I always want to choose to make myself right. That got me thinking about Dracula or vampires. They are thought to be the personification of evil. Isn’t it interesting according to the fable/story that they can’t see their own reflection in the mirror? Why because evil can’t look upon itself or chooses not to see itself? OK…just interesting things to ponder. I hope I didn’t make the sales manager out to be the personification of evil…that certainly wasn’t my intent. I really like the guy. The reason why this day was so hard is that I hated to see him leave. I wish there could have been some other way around this.

A little later, I conducted my second video interview in Arabic. This time was a little tougher as he didn’t speak hardly any English. So that was a further challenge. I wanted to shoot B-roll footage of him working his shop. He makes custom doors. I wanted him to walk around and observe his employees. He had about 50 Indians working for him in his shop. But I must have mis-communicated. He stood side by side with his employees, sanding doors, cutting wood with the table saw, getting sawdust all over his nice 3-piece suit. He was so accommodating and trying to give me what I wanted. I didn’t have the heart to tell him I just wanted him observing. I did get some pretty good material out of it however. It was great leading by example stuff.

I finished out my day with a dinner with my new friend Stan. Stan is a little older than I. I met him at church. He’s new to Bahrain so I figured he’d want to have dinner with a new friend. He’s got three kids in college and his wife will be joining him over here in two weeks. It’s a really interesting way to avoid the empty nest. He had lived in Oman for four years prior to Bahrain. It was just really nice to connect with a fellow Christian from California. Being with other like-minded believers sure does strengthen your faith.

The drummers in Spinal Tap

Well it was a day I was worried about, but it turns out my concerns were for naught. I love making movies. I was intimidated about the language situation. I knew I would have to make an all-Arabic speaking video one of these days. The day was today. So I conducted my first all Arabic interview. Fortunately the interview subject was fluent in English, so I could ask the questions in English. He responded in Arabic. This is where my actor training really paid off. I could tell it was a great interview even though I have no idea what he said. His body language, posture, smile, inflection all exuded confidence. That really is more important than the words. This guy’s name was Hani Mandal, so I remembered it by Howie Mandell. He ran this woodworking crafting company. He invented these machines that would carve these really artistic designs in woodwork. Some of the pieces he made were stunning. I went into the wood workshop. The smell of the woodworking took me back to the smells of my grandfather when I was with him in his shop. Even from a small boy to when I was a grown man, the smells and the reaction was the same. One thing about my grandfather is that when he was alive he never really aged. He always looked old and bald, even when he was in his 40’s. At least that is my recollection of him. Its amazing how sensory memories and trigger emotional responses. The smell of the cut wood took me back to Pop. OK…my mother is probably tearing up now so I’ll move on. So here I am in his workshop chatting with Hani. Hani went to college at the University of Houston then did his Master’s of finance at DePaul in Chicago. He was more comfortable speaking in English than he was in Arabic. The people that worked for him were Indians. They all got a kick out of us taping them while they worked. I have to remember that being on video is a big deal to some people, especially these laborers. I’ve been around it for so long I’ve forgotten how enamored I used to be when I saw myself on the screen. I need to remember that magic. Its important to some people. Im quite blessed that I get to experience all these neat things and meet some people I would have never had the opportunity to meet if I worked a regular 9-5 job.

I got back to the office and was busy doing subtitles for the short film on the Seaports. Subtitles are soooooo tedious. I wanted to do them myself. Since I wrote the script, there is a certain rhythm that you get into with subtitles. It doesn’t look like it…but it’s a little bit of an art how you break it up and tell the story. Im fortunate in that I’ve been able to come up with a system in place to efficiently produce projects in Arabic almost as easily as English. Again, I was very concerned about that before I came over.

I had some disheartening news today. I caught my sales manager in a lie. He denied, denied, denied, until I showed him the proof. Then he got quiet. But that wasn’t the main issue. I told him earlier…I don’t care how much time you spend in the office just as long as you produce. So if you are out on sales calls all day, that’s fine with me. Well he has been out of the office..but no production as of yet. He’s been here three months. Then Reji, my trusted friend, informed me that he had a friend that let him know that the Sales manager was moonlighting. Ah…everything became crystal clear then. The two days he was sick earlier in the week without a doctor’s note. Not being around any afternoon. How did I miss this? I guess I feel somewhat blessed that I found out as early as I did. Why is it that salesmen fall into this trap? I’ve known a couple to do this moonlighting cover up thing. I think it comes down to greed and a lack of honesty. They say whatever they need to say to get the sale. Im really not that upset. Something inside my spirit told me when we hired him not to trust him. I ignored that small voice. I guess I should have listened. So you see even when God speaks clearly to me…sometimes I miss it. So this will be the fourth sales manager come and gone since I’ve been at KSDi in 10 months. No wonder we are having cash flow issues. We just can’t seem to get anyone to produce in that position. We are doing great work, so its not a question of quality at all. It was interesting, last week I ran into a competitor who just so happened to be shooting at the same place (the first oil well in Bahrain) at the same time as I was there. The sales manager had previously worked for this guy. I asked him what he thought of him. He answered succinctly…”Waste of Time.” That was last week. How prophetic he was. Now I have to go try to hire my fifth sales manger. These guys are dropping faster than the drummers for Spinal Tap.

Lazy Day

Not much to write about today. I stayed up late last night watching movies. Then I slept in late. I kind of wasted the entire day away. Well wasted might be too severe of a word. I didn’t get out much. I have all the delivery places on speed dial, so there wasn’t much of a need to go out. I couldn’t get food anyway…so the only way was really to stay in. Saturdays were meant for lounging around and recharging the batteries. So I feel fully loaded to head into the next week.

I did make it out for a bit today. I had a squash match set up with a new friend named Austin. I was a little worried because he had my phone number but I didn’t have his. I haven’t been able to receive incoming calls all week. I wasn’t sure how I was going to connect with him. It has been a bit frustrating. I went to the my cell phone dealer they said it was a problem with the sim card…so they gave me a new sim card. Same problem, I could make outgoing calls and texts…just couldn’t get any coming in all week. So then they said it was my phone. I unlocked my iphone…which essentially means I reprogrammed it to work over here, and still the same problem. So it obviously wasn’t my phone. When people call me they tell me its like my phone is off. Voice mail on cell phones is very rare here. In the U.S. if you miss a call…you generally don’t return unless they leave a message. If you miss a call here…its just like leaving a voice mail. So I have no idea who personally and professionally tried to reach me this week, unless they told me they tried like a few of my friends/associates have. So I was worried about how I was going to meet up with Austin. So Austin called me and it was the first call to go through to me all week. Figure that. I was happy. It got me out of the flat. We went and played a very competitive match. He’s a young guy from Manchester. He’s out here on a two year contract. He does underwater (scuba) construction. He works on oil rigs in the ocean primarily. It seems like a really cool but difficult job. He’s a real nice guy, I think I might have added another friend.

It’s strange for me and friends out here. I have so many good friends…but I have very few great friends. I number the great friends at about two out here…The Music Man and the Iraqi as great friends. I don’t think guys need the “best” friend as much as women do. I believe that guys are just as content to have their best friend be their spouse. I know that was what it was like for me when I was married. I think that is what I miss the most. Having the intimacy of a best friend. That will come again soon. Im just a bit anxious…again. God is placing me in some very neat ministry opportunities. Its not like Im out beating people over the head with my Bible. All I have to do is show I care about a person and they just seem to open up. Its cool the way that works.

Naps, Sunset Kayak rides, and Iftar buffets

A nice relaxing day off started with getting up early to go to church. Im starting to really get to know people in this church. There aren’t a lot of singles that go, so I’m in the minority. There are lots of families. Seeing all the little children run around just makes me miss mine all the more.

Im starting to get serious about the squash playing. Darren and I are pretty evenly matched, but when I play the Finn or his compatriots I always lose. So I know a good craftsman never blames his tools…still it wouldn’t hurt to stay competitive in the equipment racket (pun intended). So I got a top of the line squash racquet (its only $75) but I had it restrung to professional grade. I can’t wait to play again to try it out. I do not like losing. Its interesting the work out regimes Im doing. Kayaking is mostly arms, Squash is mostly legs. Both really take a lot of energy exertion. Im supposed to play a new guy from the UK tomorrow. One of the guys I went to dinner with last night works with the American Embassy. That means he can get on the navy base. I think Im the only American in Bahrain that can’t get on the navy base. The base is incredible, the workout facilities are first class and they have two racquetball courts. I think I mentioned it before, that it’s the largest US navy base outside of the U.S. I wish they would sell memberships. But I can get on with him if he signs me in. So we’re supposed to play racquetball later this week.

I took a two hour nap before I went on a sunset kayak ride. So all in all a relaxing day. I was invited to attend a birthday dinner for a dear friend of mine. It was out at Amwaj Islands, the place where I’m supposed to move come October. This place was gorgeous. They constructed an outdoor tent for the Iftar buffet. There were about 40 of us, many of my close friends. There was no alcohol involved so I really enjoyed the conversation this time. One guy I sitting across from I had met the previous night at Mo’s Pajama party. Mo has these big bashes where tons of people come. There must have been over 100 last night. I think they come because it’s the one of the very few places they can get alcohol during Ramadan. So it was a pajama themed party..which was kind of fun. I didn’t drink and most of the other people there just were absolutely blitzed. I just don’t see the appeal in that. So it was funny, as I was talking to the guy, I had complete recollection of him, his job, and his life…but it was like he was meeting me for the very first time.

So that brings up an interesting query. I do consider myself to a be a missionary out here…so what am I doing going to these wild parties? I kind of think that Jesus would be going to these parties…but not partaking. Which is what Im trying to do. Jesus didn’t surround himself with the religious scholars and the intellectual elite. He surrounded himself with the seeming dregs of society, the prostitutes, tax collectors, simple uneducated fisherman. He went to where he was needed most, and I think that is what Im called to do. To be in the world but not of the world. I watched a pretty cool video that inspired me about the need for missions work. It was forwarded to me, I thought you might like to take a look as well: http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=c999ad735a62a52d92aa

After the dinner party, everyone was heading back to Mo’s for the after-party drinks and such. I politely excused myself. I always use the excuse of having to go write the blog. But I just didn’t want to watch more people drink themselves silly. Once a week…or once a month is enough. Sleep is much more appealing to me.

scoring

What overall nice day it was from start to finish. I went to bed early. Since Im fasting I know my energy levels are going to be down. So I wanted to be plenty rested. I can’t remember the last time I got 8 hours sleep on a weekday. So I was glad to have it. I went into work and started scoring the short film I just completed. Normally the music selection and mixing takes 2-3 days. Im very particular about the type of music I use and I have to hear it in order to feel if it fits. So sometimes its like finding a needle in a haystack. But today I scored and mixed the piece in 3 hours. I think it’s a combination of me getting more efficient and God blessing my efforts. I called Saji, my brilliant editor in to look at it. He was amazed at one of the edit moves I did. He wanted to know my secret how I did it. I was happy that I impressed him. I really respect his work.

After work I went to play my good friend Darren squash. I bought a new racquet at the urging of my Finnish friend. I always refer to people by the country they are from. I don’t think that is racist since I love everybody. But I wanted to give you readers a flavor for the international life that is here in Bahrain. I love playing squash with Darren. Its so aerobic. There were times in the games that Darren and I were absolutely gassed. We are pretty evenly matched and we spend most of our extra energy congratulating the other on the great shots each of us make. When Darren and I play its almost like those chipmunks from looney tunes…After you…no I insists…after you…No I couldn’t possibly…. Its such great and fun exercise.

After the game I went out to dinner with a bunch a Germans and a Lebanese guy. I didn’t eat and they were all questioning why. That’s a tough one to answer because I don’t want to sound too pious when I say Im fasting not for Ramadan but for my own religious purposes. I think I came across ok. The Germans are a group of social scientists that have come down to track the old pearl divers and interview them before they die. At one time half the island of Bahrain was involved with the pearl diving trade. It generated about 10 million per year at the height of the trade in the 1920’s. That trade slowly disappeared with the discovery of oil in 1932, the global depression and the introduction of the Japanese cultured pearl. By the way, Bahrain was the first country in the Middle East to discover oil. The Brits discovered it. They then went to Saudi Arabia and tried to find it for another 8 years. They finally gave up. Less than a year later and American team came in and found the largest oil reserve in the world. Just imagine how the economic focus would have shifted if the Brits stayed just a few more months. What was formed was the Arab-American Oil Company or Aramco, where I worked in 2005. The American economy would be a lot different without that discovery of oil. That is one of the reasons why the Gulf Wars happened. America rightly or wrongly were trying to protect their financial interests in the region. If Saddam in 1990 would have went into Kuwait unchallenged. The next stop would have been Saudi Arabia since they have no major military….he probably would have taken over Bahrain too. So without American intervention…the world and global economy would be vastly different without those wars.

After the dinner…which was fascinating…I went to a house party. There must have been 100 people there, many of my close friends. House parties are the only place to go with the clubs being closed for Ramadan. Most people were tipsy/drunk and I choose not to drink. Still it was fun seeing my friends.

Not exactly what i wanted to hear

Woke up a bit early to do a shoot. Im really being particular about the shots Im choosing for this video. Its so nice to be able to be in this position. Most of the time, Im working with so little footage, there isn’t much of a choice. Now Im well stocked with choices. I wanted to reshoot a scene at the Bahraini Fort (the one that is 1500 years old.) I wanted to get it at high tide. It makes a difference. So high tide was at 8:01 this morning. I figured since I was out there so early, might as well throw my kayak in the water while Im there. So this was a new place to kayak. The water was so calm. I really prefer it that way. Although when the water is rough, it’s a better workout. But this was serene for me. The water was quite shallow all the way out. Since I was in a new area I stayed close to the shore. The water ranged in depth from 4-10 feet, absolutely crystal clear. You can see the bottom of the sea from up to 40 feet out here. The water is a aqua green, something you might see in virgin islands or west indies. Since this is an island, I don’t think Bahrainis appreciate how beautiful the beach and the water are, since they are surrounded by it. Growing up in San Francisco, I never appreciated it because it was right there. Now that Im away when I go back, I appreciate it more. It was like that for my friends in Taiwan too. I marveled at the spectacular beauty but for them it was normal. Bahrain could make a lot of money in the tourism department. They already do quite well with the Saudi’s coming over to spend their money. Curiously enough there are also a lot of German tourists that come down on cruises. Hopefully as I rise in prominence here in Bahrain, I’ll have more of the ear of the powers at be and can help influence. We are already finding favor with the Government as they are relying upon us to produce more and more of their projects. I really like being in that position. This is such a great country, I just want more people to know about it. Remember I was scared to come to the Middle East back in 2005 and I had already traveled the world and was well educated. If I have those mis-conceptions about this place what about the others who haven’t traveled as much and might be a little less educated? Im here to help teach in several different ways.

I finished the video portion of the short History of Bahrain Seaports project. Now I have to find music and add graphics. I told you my graphics/animation super wiz is getting married in India next week…so I’ll have to wait for him to finish it. That can be a little frustrating. Originally he asked to leave for 10 days, now that has turned into 28. He is such a valuable employee, I don’t want to do anything punitive. I have to take a step back and realize that even though he is greatly needed, his personal life is so much more important than just a job. I have to keep that in perspective.

With Ramadan in full swing a lot of my friends (that like to club) are going a little stir crazy. So there are bunches and bunches of house parties planned this weekend. While I don’t like clubbing and don’t like drinking, I like house parties because you can have conversations and be social. At first I was all into being “seen” at these parties and getting the pics posted on facebook. Now Im not really concerned with that anymore. Im at peace and secure so I don’t need the popularity or accolades via facebook friends.

Im in a little bit of a spiritual rut. I’ve been trying to deepen my spiritual walk and its been two steps forward one step back. While nothing really bad has happened I want to get to the place of spiritual intimacy I was at when I first arrived. I guess in every Christian’s life, the fire must be continually stoked. So I was having a conversation with God about how to get that passion and intimacy back. I didn’t like what I heard. Im supposed to fast. Now fasting does serve a distinct purpose but Its difficult. I know the Jesus compels his followers to fast in secret and not be boastful like the Pharisees, but I felt like I should share it with you. If only to keep myself honest. There have been several times I’ve embarked upon three day fasts only to convince myself by day 2 that maybe God is telling me 2 would be sufficient. Its easy to compromise and justify when you’re hungry. I always feel so let down if I give in and eat before my targeted time. So I’m going for a 48 hour fast this time. Not like the Muslims with the sun up fast. So I have to plan ahead a little. I lose a lot of energy when I fast, so I need to schedule my sleep more. I also planned it around the weekend, so I can lounge and relax during it. The first 24 hours are always the hardest. But once you get over that first hump its all downhill. As a diabetic, I have to juggle it a little more to make sure my blood sugars remain constant. Oh by the way…the first meal after you do fast…is amazingly good…no matter what you have to eat.

Can't think of a clever title tonight

I had a really nice day at work today. I am focusing my efforts writing and directing a project. That is my true passion and when I can do only that, Im in heaven. I realize that my duties as being General Manager has me doing a lot of different things. While Im good at the administrative and managerial aspects, my true love has always been creativity. This is why Im so fulfilled working on this project. I can spend a great amount of detail work on it. For example, I’ve been working on a nine minute video full time for about a 1 week. Im not even half-way done yet. Im really being meticulous. Today I worked for 8 hours and only covered about two minutes worth of video. I have 10 hours of footage at my disposal and I’ll I need to do is cover 9 minutes. I really enjoy being in a position where I can focus on the detail. Im really looking forward to going into work tomorrow to finish it up.

My cell phone suddenly stopped working this past weekend. You don’t realize how much you rely upon the cell phone till you don’t have it anymore. I can make outgoing phone calls and texts…but I can’t receive anything incoming, no calls or texts. So instead of looking at my phone and thinking why hasn’t anyone called me and asked me to dinner…I can now delude myself and think Wow…so many friends of mine must be upset because they can’t get through to me to ask me to go to dinner ;o) It’s a glass half-full thing. Still I need to get it fixed right away as Im starting to miss business calls.

During Ramadan alcohol cannot be sold. That’s why the week before Ramadan there was a mad rush as everyone was trying to stock up. Another aspect is that all the clubs are closed for the month as well. That actually is a good thing for me. I live right across the street from one of the most popular clubs on the island, a place called Cocoon Lounge. At first I thought it would be really cool live across from a hip place. That lasted all of 1 night. The second night I was here I noticed that the bars close at 2. Usually the people that stumble out of these clubs are three sheets to the wind. They are very noisy and sometimes argumentative with someone. I’ve seen a few fights. But what is more peculiar is they inebriated ones think its really cool to screech their tires and spin out. Or to impress the girls they like to scream and honk their horns. I’m not sure if it’s a turn on to girls to do this, but it sure does wake me up a lot. I would imagine my place would be akin to living in New York City since Juffair is surrounded by High Rise apartments. What I like about Juffair is that I am walking distance to about 15 American style restaurants right around the block from me. I went to one tonight that I haven’t been to in a few months. The owner greeted me…welcome back sir, its been a few months. I started feeling bad after that. The service was great and the people are so friendly.

I know I’ve said this before but I need to say it often because of the misperception. Arabs are beautiful people. They are so kind and generous. If you make the first move to be friendly they will really open up. But seldom does the Arab make the first move to be friendly. Plus most every male Arab I’ve met has some sort of facial hair. That has a tendency to make people look intimidating. If you combine that with the media’s perception you have an negative image that can be difficult to overcome. The thing Im finding with Arabs is that they are extreme. They are either extremely religious or swing the absolute other way. They are extremely friendly to you…or very cross if you do something they perceive to be harmful. What I have seen over here is the extreme good side. Im sure the bad sides exist as they do in all societies, but perhaps Im being protected from that.

It's the humidity

Well I wanted to try out the kayak in the heat again. But this time I went in the morning. I didn’t push myself too hard. I only went out for 40 minutes. It was only 110 degrees which isn’t brutal..but the humidity was 70% that is what will do you in. When I am in the water, I don’t really notice the humidity since Im usually drenched in sweat. But it is taking its toll energy wise. I have to work up to it like I work up to most things. I do love the kayak as you hear me go on an on about it. You wouldn’t think it was great exercise but it is. It works the arms, abs, but, even the legs. Its like running for your arms. But what I like the most about it is the meditative part. It really relaxes me. I get about ½ way out, I stop drift and listen to God. That’s my prayer closet way out there. I do take a litre of water with me. I know it’s a public place but there is no one around when I do. I still don’t understand how the Muslims go without water in the heat of the day like this. Im getting thirsty just writing about it.

We had to go back to the big shipping port for a few pick up shots. Syd our main contact there was thrilled with the video that we produced for his department. He said I thought the rough cut was good, and then the finished product was even better. Its always nice to have your work accepted and complimented like that. We are starting to have a reputation within the government circles as the “go to” company for the videos. We already have a reputation within the royal family. I like the rep we are getting. Im very proud of it.

The port was very busy. We went to the top of the observation tower roof. This put us at about 200 meters or so high. We had a spectacular view of the entire port and bay. It was quite majestic. But it was hot!!! Khalifa always suggests I don’t shoot during this weather, but when you have a 5 week deadline, you don’t have the luxury of waiting for the good weather to pass. One thing about the late summer wit the heat, I’m afraid it will be a pro-longed summer. But still…this is the Middle East. What did I expect.

I made it back to the office and we have even more proposals go out today. We have the potential to be incredibly busy this month. Its been frustrating because my phone here won’t receive incoming calls or texts. I can make outgoing calls and texts, but a bunch of friends and associates let me know Im missing calls. This is quite inconvienient for the business. So I went to the phone company to get it fixed, but they can’t find the problem. They replaced my sim card, still it didn’t work. This is kind of a hassle work wise. I really didn’t anticipate being so busy during Ramadan, but I’ll take it. I do enjoy my work.

I have so many friends out of town and my Muslim friends told me they couldn’t come to the Positive living group tonight, so I decided to cancel it for a week. I don’t want people to feel an obligation. I just want it to be a blessing for them. Still…it’s a little bit of a lonely Monday night.

Fasting

I ordered my breakfast in before I went to work today. I also packed a lunch. I had leftovers from the Macaroni Grill last night. This thing is workable, it just takes minor adjustments. As an astute reader commented last night, they fine you $250 if you get caught drinking, eating, or even chewing gum (Im told) in public. There is a lot of pressure. Its amazing the influence they put on this. Parking tickets cost about $20, littering $25, Speeding or traffic violations around $50, Having a drink during Ramadan $250, Adjusting and respecting a different culture…Priceless. Ok…I had to throw that last part in. But just looking at the price figures shows how much emphasis they place on religious values.

I think I like Ramadan. On my way home from work at 6:00 there was absolutely hardly any traffic. A 45-60 min. ride was done in 15 min. Its like the streets were deserted. I can imagine all the Muslims looking at their watches. With fork in other hand waiting…waiting….waiting…then boom. The feast is on. So everyone was off the road and into the restaurants waiting for the horn to sound (no there is no horn) and then they could be off to the races. They call them Iftar buffets which is the meal that breaks the fast. There is sooooo much food placed out on these buffets. Its truly as sight to behold. What I like about this time…is it all about the family and celebrating the family and religious values. By law, the hours of work for Muslims are also different. They are only supposed to work 6 hours a day instead of the regular 8-10 hours. At our company meeting today, I was counting how many Muslims we had working for us, I counted three. Then Khalifa laughed and raised his hand and said what about me? Oh yeah…four. We all had a laugh about that. We have four Muslims working for our company and 8 Christians, go figure that in an Islamic country. The other four I think are Hindus. Since hindus believe in reincarnation, and if they live good they come back as something better…or worse if they live bad. So I asked if they wind up to be Americans in their next life is that a curse or a blessing? I’ve never got a straight answer on that one.

Some Muslims are very passionate about their faith others are not. But they all consider themselves Muslims, but some are practicing Muslims, some are non-practicing. Most are practicing Muslims especially during Ramadan. I think it’s the Christian equivalent of the people that attend church on Christmas and Easter…Most of the Muslims that I met, participate in the Ramadan fast. So from sun up to sun down, no cigarettes, food, or drink. I was talking to a client today and he was forgetting something. He said…you’ll have to forgive me…I’m fasting. So that is the fall back I think, Im fasting covers a lot of mistakes if you make them. Now fasting is difficult. I remember when I do my fasts, usually the 1-2 or 3 day variety, I get very weak and not a lot of energy. Im not sure if that has to do with my diabetes or just the result of fasting. Its interesting…whenever I do fast, my blood sugar numbers are usually perfect. I think that is one way of God honoring my sacrifice. Fasting is so vital for the Christian walk but so few people actually participate in it. If you want to hear from God…you fast. Denying physical needs is just like opening up your ears to heaven. God’s voice just becomes louder and more recognizable. I don’t think churches encourage or teach people how to fast enough. When Jesus was explaining the fasting to his disciples he said “When you fast…” Not if you fast. So there was an expectation for his followers to do the fast regularly and it wasn’t conveyed as optional. He also said, do the fast in secret, don’t showboat. Sometimes during fasts there is a little bit of showboating. But I respect the commitment and unity that the Muslims have in their quest. Again, I wish there was something that Christians could do to emulate this. Some people give things up for lent…or make resolutions but it doesn’t have the same impact.

I had a great time after work playing Squash with Mr. Texas. This is the first time I’ve really been able to get together with him since his wedding plans fell apart. He was relieved that it happened when it did….still it was tough for him to take. I can’t imagine how tough that must be for him. We had three great games and we were both so winded afterwards. We played at the British Club, then went for a swim afterwards to cool down. Then had a great dinner poolside in the warm Arabic night. It was around 85 degrees…but not too miserable. It was just an overall good day.

Ramadan Kareem

The cannons went off at 6 PM last night signaling the start of Ramadan. So that meant I couldn’t do my regular breakfast routine this morning. It will be an adjustment. Its amazing as a society how nearly a continent of people can all be so unified in a religious act of discipline. Now whether you follow Islam or not, you have to respect their unity and singularity of purpose. I wish that Christians had that kind of unity on that broad of a scale. A unity where there would be more of a expectation to live your life according to Biblical precepts. Its seems like in the U.S. it’s the opposite. There is more of expectation to NOT live your life according to Biblical precepts. Maybe that is fueled by the media. I believe at one time the U.S. had more societal pressure to do so. Back 50 years ago (in the salad days…or the good ole days) in the U.S. there was an expectation to stay married, to stay faithful, for kids to avoid partying, to avoid drugs. If you deviated from that norm you were often shunned in society. In just 50 years look how much has changed in the U.S. Is the U.S. better for it? When I walk the malls in Houston, and I peak inside at stores like Abercrombie and Fitch, and the fashion that is being marketed to teenagers, it almost makes me sick to my stomach. Maybe Im just a conservative dad with a teenage daughter or is our society seriously in trouble?

What is interesting from a sociological perspective that the rest of the world seems to idolize Americans and the American way of life. There is great respect and envy for the freedoms with America has. Now I believe that America is the greatest country in the world and Im as patriotic as they come. But what are we offering the world in terms of morality and what is acceptable culturally? So while most of America is down on the Muslims with their seeming rigidity. We should look at what they do right. There is no pornography here…very very very few teenage pregnancies, drug and alcohol abuse almost non-existent, hardly any crime and the people are genuinely very kind and friendly. So you have to ask yourself with those results are the great freedoms that America has to offer working? Now Im in a unique situation in Bahrain where there is a more freedom here than most other Arab countries. We can worship whomever, and whatever we want. Other Arab countries are more restrictive. I think we should as a society study the other cultures in the world and figure out what works and what doesn’t work. We can’t just say our way is right and your way is wrong. If we open up a dialogue we can figure out each other and learn from each other. That is what Im trying to do in this blog, and what I try to do for my Monday night group. I have just as many Muslim readers as I do Christian readers. Hopefully, I’ll be able to use the media to spread the message even further. I just wish that Christians had something besides Christmas and Easter to galvanize us all together. We can learn something from the Muslims.

I tried to challenge myself today. I went Kayaking in the heat of the day, at 12:00. I wanted to see how far I could push myself. I realized that maybe I wasn’t too wise. I had plenty of liquids. How hot was it? Well my block of ice (I freeze my bottled water) was thawed and warm in about 20 minutes. I made it all the way to Muharraq (about 30 min. one way) which is across the bay. Yet on the way back, I was exhausted. I didn’t think I was going to make it back. I had to paddle then stop for 5 minute increments. The heat was really taking its toll on my energy level. It wasn’t dangerous…but it probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do. It was neat, there weren’t a lot of other boats on the water (go figure it was 110 with 65% humidity) but there were American Navy patrol boats. Seeing the boat drive by and waving to the Navy guy brought a certain amount of patriotism. I was proud to be an American connecting with them in that way. So the other arabs knew to stay out during the intense heat (though it might have had something to do with Ramadan as well). Next time I’ll be more careful.

A good day...even on the weekend

Today was a very good day for me. This is important since it’s a weekend and I sometimes dread the alone time. Today was different. They didn’t call Ramadan…so the moon wasn’t spotted. That gives me an extra day of daytime eating. You see during Ramadan all the stores and restaurants are closed during the day. Since I don’t really choose to cook it would impact me. So I bought a whole bunch of sandwich stuff. But I just found out that certain Western restaurants while closed during the day, will still be open for delivery only. So I’ll be able to eat and drink, Im just not supposed to do it in front of Muslims. So that was a relief. It will just be a big four weeks of adjustment. Ramadan is a celebrated time for Muslims. During the daytime they all seem to be miserable…then it is so festive at night. . Its really quite a dichotomy. At night, it’s a great family celebration. Think either Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner for 28 straight days. Buffets are very popular this time of year All the clubs and liquor stores are closed during Ramadan. There are only a few places on the island that serve alcohol at night…and those are usually packed with drunken Brits. I know that’s a stereotype…but the Brits and pubs are kind of inseperable. More on that in another blog.

I went to church and God really spoke to me. I was feeling a little bit down and second guessing myself and God really met me I guess there have been a few people questioning/criticizing when I talk about having spiritual gifts like the Word of Knowledge for example. So I kind of let that sink into my spirit a bit and even started to doubt myself. I guess it’s a little like the Israelites. They saw miracle after miracle and still they doubted. So at church today our regular pastor was not there and there was a fill in guy who hasn’t preached that often before (if you catch my meaning) but still God spoke to me. He can use any vehicle/person to speak. Today’s message was about spiritual gifts and how the body can use them. There was time near the end of the service where they passed the microphone around for people to share. I had not shared with the main congregation before…just the teens. So I felt led to grab the microphone and echo what the speaker had shared. I told them what God wants most of us is relationship. Too often people think of God is a Santa Claus..Give me this…give me that…deliver me from this… God wants to speak to us…the trick is we have to learn how to listen. I really felt the Holy Spirit guiding me and giving the exact words to say. Im not sure who…but I felt someone needed to hear it.

Afterwards I went out to lunch with the Music Man. He’s really my best friend on the island. He had been in the states for nearly two months. It was nice to have him back. The Music Man is my accountability partner. We try to keep each other straight. He tells me the tough things from a spiritual perspective…and I do the same. Proverbs 27:17 “As Iron sharpens Iron so one man sharpens another.” We all need that one person in our life to help keep us straight. Usually that person is our spouse. When that influential person is not your spouse (and you are married) and is not driving you to a deeper spiritual walk, watch out!!! The music man is the guy that sharpens me. Like my wise friend Wayne once told me. “Show me who your friends are…I’ll show you what your destiny is.” Joel Osteen says it from the pulpit every week. Be careful who your friends are because they’ll tear you apart from God faster than anything. I think Im quite passionate about this…because my marriage was adversely affected because of the friends which X kept towards the end of our marriage. The right or wrong friends can really alter your moral latitude. So be very careful which types of people you let into your inner circle. I was in a men’s group at a church. There was this very famous published author who happened to be the pastor of a very large church in Southern California. Someone asked him about parenting. He thought long and hard…and answered…be very attentive on the friends that your children keep. I think we all need to be careful about our friends.

I went for a long Kayak ride. It’s kind of nice. People are so friendly. The boaters like to take a lot of pictures of me while I’m out there. Plus the people on the shore always tend to smile and wave when I paddle back in. Im not really sure. Maybe its because of the novelty.

I am completely addicted to Prison Break season 2. Im having my mother rush out season 3 and 4. I had several nice phone calls with friends and now wrapping up a great day. All my friends are coming back this week from summer vacation. I don’t feel so lonely anymore.

A good day...even on the weekend

Today was a very good day for me. This is important since it’s a weekend and I sometimes dread the alone time. Today was different. They didn’t call Ramadan…so the moon wasn’t spotted. That gives me an extra day of daytime eating. You see during Ramadan all the stores and restaurants are closed during the day. Since I don’t really choose to cook it would impact me. So I bought a whole bunch of sandwich stuff. But I just found out that certain Western restaurants while closed during the day, will still be open for delivery only. So I’ll be able to eat and drink, Im just not supposed to do it in front of Muslims. So that was a relief. It will just be a big four weeks of adjustment. Ramadan is a celebrated time for Muslims. During the daytime they all seem to be miserable…then it is so festive at night. . Its really quite a dichotomy. At night, it’s a great family celebration. Think either Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner for 28 straight days. Buffets are very popular this time of year All the clubs and liquor stores are closed during Ramadan. There are only a few places on the island that serve alcohol at night…and those are usually packed with drunken Brits. I know that’s a stereotype…but the Brits and pubs are kind of inseperable. More on that in another blog.

I went to church and God really spoke to me. I was feeling a little bit down and second guessing myself and God really met me I guess there have been a few people questioning/criticizing when I talk about having spiritual gifts like the Word of Knowledge for example. So I kind of let that sink into my spirit a bit and even started to doubt myself. I guess it’s a little like the Israelites. They saw miracle after miracle and still they doubted. So at church today our regular pastor was not there and there was a fill in guy who hasn’t preached that often before (if you catch my meaning) but still God spoke to me. He can use any vehicle/person to speak. Today’s message was about spiritual gifts and how the body can use them. There was time near the end of the service where they passed the microphone around for people to share. I had not shared with the main congregation before…just the teens. So I felt led to grab the microphone and echo what the speaker had shared. I told them what God wants most of us is relationship. Too often people think of God is a Santa Claus..Give me this…give me that…deliver me from this… God wants to speak to us…the trick is we have to learn how to listen. I really felt the Holy Spirit guiding me and giving the exact words to say. Im not sure who…but I felt someone needed to hear it.

Afterwards I went out to lunch with the Music Man. He’s really my best friend on the island. He had been in the states for nearly two months. It was nice to have him back. The Music Man is my accountability partner. We try to keep each other straight. He tells me the tough things from a spiritual perspective…and I do the same. Proverbs 27:17 “As Iron sharpens Iron so one man sharpens another.” We all need that one person in our life to help keep us straight. Usually that person is our spouse. When that influential person is not your spouse (and you are married) and is not driving you to a deeper spiritual walk, watch out!!! The music man is the guy that sharpens me. Like my wise friend Wayne once told me. “Show me who your friends are…I’ll show you what your destiny is.” Joel Osteen says it from the pulpit every week. Be careful who your friends are because they’ll tear you apart from God faster than anything. I think Im quite passionate about this…because my marriage was adversely affected because of the friends which X kept towards the end of our marriage. The right or wrong friends can really alter your moral latitude. So be very careful which types of people you let into your inner circle. I was in a men’s group at a church. There was this very famous published author who happened to be the pastor of a very large church in Southern California. Someone asked him about parenting. He thought long and hard…and answered…be very attentive on the friends that your children keep. I think we all need to be careful about our friends.

I went for a long Kayak ride. It’s kind of nice. People are so friendly. The boaters like to take a lot of pictures of me while I’m out there. Plus the people on the shore always tend to smile and wave when I paddle back in. Im not really sure. Maybe its because of the novelty.

I am completely addicted to Prison Break season 2. Im having my mother rush out season 3 and 4. I had several nice phone calls with friends and now wrapping up a great day. All my friends are coming back this week from summer vacation. I don’t feel so lonely anymore.

Waiting on Ramadan

We had another shoot today. This time I learned my lesson and brought plenty of water. Still we started at 8 and I was drenched by 8:15. Now Im not complaining about my living conditions, Im just trying to paint you a picture of what it is like over here. For 8 months a year the weather is ideal. So I can take four months of pretty dang hot. As long as I mentally prepare for it ahead of hand, I can handle it. But I want you to think about this. I was without water for about 90 minutes yesterday and I nearly had a heat stroke. Ramadan is just around the corner. I read in the paper today that the panel for the Center for Islamic studies for yadda yadda yadda will convene today to determine the timings of Ramadan. That consists of a bunch of guys looking up and trying to see the moon. If they see the moon…its Ramadan. Now this will take some adjusting. What I feel bad for are the laborers. Here they are only making $250 a month and they have to toil in that amazing hot sun without drinking any water. There are a lot of laborers out here, Pakistani’s, Indians, Burmese, Thai, Sri Lankans, so this affects a lot of people. Some company’s adjust the work hours for the laborers to be from 4am to 12:00 then from 6:00p-10:00. A lot of these guys work 10-12 hours a day in the sun 6 days a week. All for $250 a month that they send most of it back home to their families. Imagine how bad the economies must be in their home countries to endure that kind of separation and hardship for such little money. Imagine if one of them could go to the U.S. If they got a minimum wage paying job in the U.S. they would be making 10 times their salary they’d be making here. It helps you put it into perspective. So those immigrants making minimum wage in the U.S. are working very hard and are appreciative of everything that the U.S. has to offer. So next time you want to talk down to a person who doesn’t know English too well, cut them some slack. So even with the recessions…Americans have it better than most of the rest of the world.

I was shooting at some handicraft stores today. They make traditional Arabic crafts, like basketweaving, pottery, fabric making, ship building, etc… They were all so cooperative in letting us tape. That just wouldn’t happen in Los Angeles. We’d have to get a permit and wind up paying the participants, getting them to sign release forms etc…its such a hassle. Its just easier to produce here.

Oh…I forgot to tell you the drama…because Manu asked me to keep it quiet. Manu you might remember is our brilliant animation artist. He needed to take two weeks off and he wanted me to keep it quiet. He was planning on going back to India to get engaged, maybe married. The problem was his hopeful bride’s parents wouldn’t give their permission. They don’t understand graphic design and media and weren’t sure that he would be able to give their daughter a proper life. Remember most marriages in India are arranged. So Manu was planning on going back to kidnap (his words) (with her consent of course) his bride and they’d elope back to Bahrain. He texted me earlier this week asking for 4 more days as there were complications. I was worried about him. Reji came into tell me today that Manu is indeed getting married and the bride’s parents relented and are now blessing the wedding. Im so happy for Manu. There is drama right there. There is so much more than love that is factored into weddings out here. Is that wrong? Well lets have the statistics decide. More than 50% of marriages in the U.S. end in divorce whereas the number in India is more like 10-15%. Maybe we should start considering more than just love. You see in India…they know it’s a commitment and they stick with it…for better or worse. In the U.S. happiness is more of a right. If you’re not happy in your marriage, bail, you might get lucky the second or third go around. It’s a shame that the stigma of divorce has been eroded in our society. Im saying all this as I look in the mirror at myself.

Divorce sucks…I miss my kids.

BREAKING NEWS -The Middle East is hot

I think I was in denial. I kept telling people how much the weather of the Middle East does not bother me. Well…I felt it today in a big way. It seems like Summer hit overnight. The humidity cloud dropped on Tuesday and its transformed the way this island feels. I had a shoot today so we were out. At 7:00 AM it was 110 degrees with 70% humidity. I got out of my car, and within about 30 seconds I was absolutely drenched with sweat. Its like I was walking around with a wet blanket on my shoulders. It was a strange feeling. We were at an old fort. The camera that we brought with us wasn’t working because of the humidity. My cameraperson did not bring a back up camera. So there we were at a location 1 hour from the office at 7:00 AM with no back up plan. That is the frustrating thing with some of the employees…they just don’t think pro-actively. So we lost two hours.

We went to the next location which was another really cool old fort. It was built around the 5^th Century A.D. and restored about 1000 years later. There was a lot of history there. So we were climbing around on this artifact getting great footage when I realized I wasn’t properly hydrated. I didn’t bring water with me, like I should have for my crew. This was the first production I was on in the extreme heat and I just didn’t plan well. We were out in the middle of nowhere and there weren’t any cold stores nearby. So I just wanted to finish the shoot then take a break at the office. So I tried to push through. We were already two hours behind and I didn’t want to lose time as we have real deadlines looming. Please keep in mind Im a total wimp, because I was so miserable and I didn’t have to lug the camera and the tri-pod around. My crew must have been feeling it much worse than I was. There was one shot I was very nervous about. Nishad, our cameraman was on top of the highest point of the fort wall. He was doing a pan of the fort, the problem was his back foot was only inches from the edge. It was about 50 meters straight down. I couldn’t look, but he seemed fine with it. I felt like I was a bad producer allowing him to place in himself in harm’s way like that but he assured me he was fine.

At the end of the shoot, not only was I drenched, but feeling very lightheaded. I think my body was overheating. I had to rush out and stop at the first cold store to get a litre of water. I’ll know next time to plan ahead. I got back to the office and proclaimed “Who scheduled the shoot on a day like today?…that person should be fired.” They thought that was funny since the person was me. It took me about 45 minutes in the air conditioned office and drinking nearly the litre of water before I felt better. That was an intense experience. I had Armand our photographer take a lot of pictures, so I’ll post them a little later this week.

One thing about me, I tend to get anxious when Im not in control of a situation. This happened when I was driving out to the afternoon shoot. I didn’t know exactly where I was going, thus not completely in control. I am usually so anal about charging my phone overnight, but this time I didn’t. I only had two bars of power left. So I have a GPS on my phone and I typed in the address for the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life is this massive tree that is out in the middle of nowhere. It must be fed from water from an underground spring. So I’m trying to follow the directions and I hit the car in front of me. It was stupid, and totally my fault. I scrambled to get the insurance paperwork out of the car. This is the first accident albeit incredibly minor that I have been in since I was 16. The guy, who was a well-dressed Indian, hopped out of his car. He looked at his bumper and the dent, and said oh…it looks like only bumper to bumper damage…no need to call police. I said…um OK. He hopped back in his car. As I was thinking about what just happened, either the dent in the rear of his car was already there and not caused by me…or he was an illegal employee (alien) and was afraid a call to the police would get him deported. Either way…I didn’t have to handle the hassle of insurance, and police reports. I didn’t know whether to feel blessed or guilty about that.

We shot the rest of the day out at the beach and the first oil well in Bahrain which is now a monument. Bahrain was the first country in the Middle East to discover oil in 1931. I bet you didn’t know that. We are out shooting again tomorrow…this time I’ll bring water.

Believing in Jesus

So much happened yesterday with our discussions about Islam and Christianity in the positive living group. I was able to mull it over and dwell on it a little more today. I have been continually asking God to allow me to see the truth. Bear in mind, growing up in the Assemblies of God that was a very rigid faith system. Our way is right…the best way…and every other path is second best or just plain wrong. I think every denomination and religion thinks like this. It has something to do with human nature. So this is how I was raised. I was heavily indoctrinated. But my worldview started changing once I saw the rest of the world and met others of differing faiths. Now it is clear to me that God sent me here to NOT convert Muslims. That is not my primary objective. Instead I am to reach out to ex-pats (foreigners) and other people that God will place in my path.

So the primary difference between Islam and Christianity is Christ. Christians believe that Christ is part of the trinity with the Holy Spirit and is God. Its interesting when Jesus was walking the earth, they didn’t call themselves Christians. Jesus didn’t say, Hey join Christianity. Christian is a derisive term that the Romans gave the followers of Christ around the 4^th century B.C. Plus to the Muslim world, Christian means simply non-muslim. What Jesus was advocating while he was here was “The Way” “I am the way, the truth, the life, no man comes to Father but by me.” So Jesus was teaching a way to live and believe and not necessarily wanting to start a religion, I believe. Remember he took on organized religion with the Pharisees and Sadducees. I think Jesus was here promotion relationship…not necessarily religion. God wants a relationship with us, a personal one. That is what Jesus was advocating I believe. I keep saying I believe because these are my opinions as I delve into what I believe truth is. Truth is a tricky thing, because we all sin, and we all justify our actions. So therefore truth can be subjectively altered in our minds. The key is being objective when going after truth. That is what I’ve tried to be since I’ve been here, objective. God is revealing Himself to me as I seek after Him.

So I say all that, to say Im sure that there are some Christians back in the U.S. that might disagree with some of my theology. My faith is turning out to be a process and I feel called to share that process with you through the blog and others I might meet. So the question I’ve asked many Believers in Christ here, are Muslims going to heaven? That is such a loaded question and they always hesitate to answer. Most of the people respond…its not our place to judge. I believe that to be true as well. But still I want to seek out the truth.

What did they call “Christians” before Christ…I wonder? Many did believe in God and had a relationship with him. How did those Believers get saved? Some believe that Christ went to a place after he died for three days to convert the “Believers” that lived before his time. The Bible tends to back that up with evidence. Oh…you either believe in all of the Bible or none of it…you can’t just believe in some of it.

Ok…my Muslim friends, we both believe in the God of Abraham, Noah, Moses, Adam, and Jesus. My Muslim friends believe whole-heartedly in Jesus…but just as a great prophet…not as the son of God. They also believe that he didn’t die on a cross…but was whisked to heaven without dying and a disciple died in Jesus’ place instead. Now…Im not advocating those beliefs…im just reporting them to give you a better understanding of Islam. They also believe that Christ will return “the second coming” and take Muslims to heaven with Him. They believe Jesus as a man will come back with the Prophet Mohammed and battle Satan in a great war which God will be victorious. There are soooo many similarities between Christians and Muslims with again the one definite difference being the deity of Christ.

So here’s the $128,000 question…I’d love to have you scholars answer in a well thought out and objective comment on the blog. The verse most everyone is familiar with John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him, will not perish but have everlasting life.” So if Muslims believe in Christ…but just as a man…is that enough to get them into heaven? Must they believe in Christ as a diety or just plain believe in Christ the mortal? This is the truth of which Im searching. But its not my calling to judge Muslims nor convert them at this point in my life. I am here to preach the gospel through my lifestyle and through my words. This is how I believe…its up to the Holy Spirit to prompt the changing of hearts.