RECENT EVENTS & TRENDS IN OUR WORLD

Or - The Lost Ambulance, 12 YR. Old Driver, Seat Baggies and BLT's
Recently I was sitting at the intersection outside our compound - 2 lane road, in the right lane with a car beside me. Traffic stops and an ambulance comes screaming through the intersection in the opposite direction. The siren doesn't fade away. Minute or so later I realize the ambulance is BEHIND me. I gingerly pull forward (my light is still red, lots of traffic going through the intersection) into the intersection giving the ambulance space to get through, without getting myself hit. Look over in the ambulance - guy in the passenger seat has a map spread out and is consulting with the driver - THEY ARE LOST! (Not a big surprise in a country where few streets have names, and even fewer have street signs. Telling anyone how to get somewhere entails using phrases like: "you know Rainbow/Sports/Oryx/Drive Thru Mosque Roundabout?" "it's behind Landmark Mall" "then go offroad" "take a left at Cholestorol Corner" "do a u-turn at the light")

Andy and Grant were driving to Boy Scouts the other night and were almost hit, head on, by a young kid (male, Qatari, estimated age 12) DRIVING a Land Cruiser. On a residental street so no one was going too fast, thank goodness.

Big trend here is to put plastic baggies on the seats, headrests and sun visors of your Land Cruiser. You would think this would be hot, sticky and uncomfortable, but the Qataris have very little skin showing (vitamin D deficiency - rickets - is a problem here). Sure hope that is heat resistant plastic. Temps are in the high 90's everyday now. We'll see if this trend lasts the summer.

Got some bacon - real bacon! Have lots of cherry tomatoes in my little backyard. Had a great BLT last night. Yum!

Flying back to the US on 15 June - can't wait!