Ramadan Feast!

Lets Talk Food In Bahrain during Ramadan:

Lets Start with Desserts: Custards and figs galore. You May Not get to eat all day but when you do You eat! We sat around for at least 2 hours eating and laughing! I swear you would think these folks where Italian.. Just as likly to find a dark hair in the food

Meats and cheeses lamb, goat beef.. so much it was unbelievable. There was mint lemon water spices I never Heard of and I never asked questions I just tried it.. I also was never disappointed with the food.

Coffee was great with warm milk. Desserts and I had to have 1 last lamb chop before we left.

I highly Doubt Hip Hop Lives Here

American Alley

We went downtown to see some culture- because of Ramadan almost everything was closed until 6:30.

We hit the beach

Carole touched the water

Water slide in Parking Garage

The Mall: I love the Ramadan Lanterns

More Pastries- its only open for to go orders

Gun Shaped Soap: For the infidel you need to remove

Best Sellers: theres a Saddam Book.. Bin Laden Book and yes there is Hitler

BOMB SQUAD

I found out allot about myself. If I was in the military this is a job I would want even though it is mega dangerous. I dont Consider myself a huge edreanaline junkie- but I could go for this... If I was smart enough

Explosive ordnance disposal specialist Soldiers are the Army’s preeminent tactical and technical explosives experts. They are warriors who are properly trained, equipped and integrated to attack, defeat and exploit unexploded ordnance, improvised explosive devices and weapons of mass destruction.

Getting Ready To Suit me up

Explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) specialists are the mix of the best tactical and technical training the Army and civilian academia can provide. They are prepared to perform missions in support of Army units worldwide, across all operational environments. They put their lives on the line making insane calculations and solving problems as they work. They are one of the only branches that is told to use common sense..

Those who want to serve must first take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery and pass.

Job training for an explosive ordnance disposal specialist requires 10 weeks Basic Combat Training and 39 weeks of Advanced Individual training at Fort Lee, VA. AKA Bomb Shcool.

There are a ton of Layers and BLAKE is showing us

You need to be very educated to do this job- Math, Chemistry, Robotics are just the tip of the ice burg.

We got to see the robots and learned men and women have different controls for the robot- Men like twisty paddles and women like joysticks... I'm Serious- This was researched but I or any pervert could have told you that!

Apply the Diaper- to protect the jewels as well and stopping me from crapin myself

Watch out a bomb is about to go off... A Dirty Bomb

The BLAST Suit:

• cushioning the spine and head in case the wearer is knocked over by a blast..
• thermal heat protection so you dont get burned in a blast
• freedom of motion to work efficiently- Not to bad for all the Padding
• rapid removal in case something goes wrong.
• defogger performance to prevent the helmet visor from clouding

The chest guard is curved to protect your face and ricochet the debris

It Takes BLAKE 3-5min to put on the suit.. me 25min and needed help

Quick Release

TADA!!

These are unsung Heros who can save allot of lives in one day. I really loved the Hurt Locker and still feel its slightly what these guys are like- though they all denied it.

What an amazing tour! The Bomb Squad was really amazing and there was allot I couldn't show.. I hope you understand as a reader- allot of what we see wouldn't be good as public knowledge.

Qatar: Ramadon

Ramadan, the holy month of Muslims and the ninth month of Islamic calendar is the month of fasting for the Muslims. Ramadan is said to be the month of Allah The Newest members of The Avengers: Carole Montgomery and Elaine Boosler Hardest working man in Qatar: Tony Americans not only follow the rules publicly here out of respect... It is law! You can be arrested even if your not Muslim for breaking the rules of Ramadan.. Thankfully we are on base and this doesn't get applied here. Ramadan involves fasting during the daytime, saying no to food, drink, smoking and sexual activities. The importance of fasting during Ramadan is clearly known to the Muslims as it is said that: He who fasts during Ramadan with faith and prays (Confession is much easier);  during the night in Ramadan with faith and seeks his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven. During Ramadan Muslims have meal twice a day. One before the sunrise and one after the sunset. The meal before sunrise is called the suhoor meal and the meal after the sunset is called the Iftar meal. Muslims fast during the daytime. During Ramadan Muslims spend most of their time in remembering Allah by reciting Ramadan Dua and visiting mosque. Apart from the five daily prayers they also recite Taraweeh prayer, and on Lailatul Qadr, also called as the night of power, when Muslims spend their entire night praying to Allah. Ramadan Routine: Exemptions from Ramadan Being a Muslim it is a duty to carry out Ramadan fast, as it is one of the pillars of Islam, which every Muslim must follow. Also Ramadan is said to be the holy month for Muslims as several believes are associated with it. somehow, some of the conditions exempt some Muslims from Ramadan fast like:  Children below twelve years. Muslims who are physically and mentally challenged. Senior Muslim citizen. Muslims who travel for long distances. Pregnant women and nursing mothers. Women who are menstruating. Comander Call: We May Have scared the comander- his son sounder like me at age 6 At The commander call we found out Robert Deniro comes here every year and meets every soldier.. I respect the hell out of him even more now. I wish I could make that kind of Inpact on people! The nicest people always work with the Commander! Sargent is the Man! He had us Rolling at lunch about eating weird food Traditional Practices During Ramadan Having meal twice a day, one before the sunrise and one after the sunsets. Visit Mosque as many number of times any Muslim can visit. Read the entire Quran during the month of Ramadan. Cook delicious food during Ramadan and after Ramadan.  Its very hot so we kept our activity low- Commander call, Bowling, swimming and enjoying the cold rooms with internet and books. The Gang at Commander Call Yea Its That hot- they will blow up.. Some of the famous food items of Ramadan are:  Fig and lemon chicken Nutritional lentil soup Moroccan soup Beef meatballs Tomato sauce Fresh fig cake Rich semolina cookies With this Menu and rules: Muslims sound like Italians with less violence at diner. The Show After Commander Call After Ramadan, Eid-Ul-Fitr Eid-Ul-Fitr means time to break the fast. Its time to enjoy and spread happiness and wish all near and dear ones by greeting Eid Mubarak.Eid is the time to relax. Muslims generally wear new clothes on this day. It’s the day of children as they receive a lot of gifts and perks from their relatives. So its kind of like Muslim Christmas, lent and Easter all rolled into one month.

Qatar: where the hell am I?

Getting Coffee: on Ramadon

 Its Ramadon Here in The Middle East and well... I guess everywhere. I'll have to do allot of research on this. We were warned after we left Dubai the rest of the Aribic world if very strict.. We can even drink, eat or smoke in public or we could be fined or arrested. We are heading into Qatar- I dont even know what that is!?!

Qatar has the world's highest per capita GDP and proven reserves of oil and natural gas, Qatar tops the list of the World's richest countries by Forbes.  Qatar has the second-highest human development in the Arab World after the United Arab Emirates. 

 Qatars land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its territory surrounded by the Persian Gulf. A strait of the Persian Gulf separates Qatar from the nearby island state of Bahrain. Which I have written about and will again this trip.

Qatar became independent in 1971, and has become one of the region's wealthiest states due to its enormous oil and natural gas revenues and the location of U.S. Central Command’s Forward Headquarters and the Combined Air Operations Center.

5 mile Mall- its really 5 miles long- the could fit 3 mile island as the fountain.

We will be in Camp As Saliyah located somewhere in the area. We were told Its a weird time here because they are switching  the old soldiers and bringing in new guys- so we wont be the only newbies on base.

Our guides are amazing and made us feel like home even though its about 116 degrees.

With a small citizen population of less than 300,000 people, the Qatar workforce comprises expatriates from other Arab nations (20% of population), the Indian subcontinent (India , Nepal , Pakistan , Sri Lanka), Southeast Asia (Philippines), and other countries.

Traditional Arabic Louisiana style sauce at dinner

 People of the Qatar Peninsula dates as far back as 50,000 years when small groups of inhabitants built coastal towns and pearl collected.

In 1991, Qatar played a big role in the Persian Gulf War, particularly during the Battle of Khafji in which Qatari tanks rolled through the streets of the town providing fire support for Saudi Arabian National Guard units which were fighting against units of the Iraqi Army they are part of TEM AMERICA... F*ck Yeah!.

Qatar is great for the citezens and sociopolitical liberalization, including the endorsement of women's suffrage, drafting a new constitution, and the launch of Al Jazeera.

Our rooms remind me of MSNBC Lock up.

In December 2010, Qatar was selected to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and will be the first country in the Middle East to host the tournament. I hate to say it but I feelbad for the players unless they dome the game and then dome the country as well.

 The "DORMS" are pretty cool- they took the shipping containers that was what we shipped the materials to build the base in became the rooms in a 2 story ware house that is extreamly well air conditioned.. Thank God.

Pretty Environmentally sound

and cool looking

Talking to the guys They actually love being here- so when someone tells you the boys aren't happy, they are wrong. We have the greatest military filled with the best and the bravest.

 We went to check out where we were playing the next two days- Oasis and the Top Off Club. I can't wait. I've been wondering around the last day and talking to soldiers. They are so excited for a show and love just chatting. These guys are great I hope the show can make them really appreciate how much we appreciated them!

Alcohol consumption is legal in Qatar, with many restrictions. Luxury hotels are allowed to sell alcohol to their adult non-Muslim customers. Foreign nationals may obtain a permit to purchase alcohol for personal consumption. 

Guinness In an Irish pub with some soldiers in Qatar and Topped off with Cuban Cigars.. NICE

South east Asia: DAY 2

To put the heat in perspective- its so hot the air comes to your body to cool down... our 98.6 degree bodies are 30 degrees cooler that the air.. so there is a reverse condensation sensation thing going on.

Master Sarg. Jenn cracking wise with Carole

Up early hit the GYM and went pool side. There was allot of soldiers who had the day off and just living it up at the pool. I started talking to a pilot and he was telling me about the day to day life of being married with kids and being deployed on the other side of the planet. I am never allowed to complain about life on the road! He had an amazing outlook on everything and seemed super happy with his life but we both said- Its all we know how to do..





You have to marry a strong women who understands that and raise your kids to also understand the life we chose. These military peeps not only sacrifice every day with the war- their home lives are tough as well. Bless these guys for  doing what they do and bless the faithful spouses who support these heros.

Sometimes you just got to vouge

We took a tour of an airstrip.. sorry no photos and cant really explain anything we saw... i mean we saw nothing.. thats my story and Im sticking to it.

We hung out with our buddys from last night again tonight- even though it is so hot here i will really miss it. The friends we met will remain friends for life.

Jenn was also telling me about her son and fiancee who is also military. Relationships really matter and can really keep someone-especially a soldier- strong.

At the show it cooled down to a chilly 112. The crowd wasn't drenched in sweat like last nights 130 temp.The show was great,

You Know this is trouble

On our tour of the airstrip we got to talk to a mechanic who really opened my eyes about how much these airplanes mean to the guys.
They will actually take some time if a plane they work on goes down. He explained its like loosing a dog- its your best friend and worst enemy at the same time

Water blatter- 2 options of water.. hot and hotter

I get so excited to do this, I love working with AFE and seeing, meeting and hanging with such great people.
We have a 5am call for tomorrow- off to Qutar- I hope to be able to say more tomorrow.

National Mom Carole Montgomery

Day 1: somewhere in South East Asia

thats not snow- that humidity

The flight from NYC to Abu Dhabi was brutal- I tried staying up all day so I could sleep on the flight (we had a night flight). That didn't really work out. I had a middle seat and felt like i was being tortured by sleep deprivation, shoulders tucked head back and trying not to piss off my neighbors.







 I did finally fall asleep and we did arrive safe but very tired. The Airline we flew was great- I'm just a big dude to have a middle seat. I also realized I may have pulled a dick move- Its Ramadan, we are flying a Muslim airline and I packed a Cuban sandwich from my favorite place in NYC.. Havana Cafe.. A Cuban sandwich is Pulled Pork and ham with a pickle and mustard... not a Muslims favorite dish. I meant no disrespect so I enjoyed my sandwich quietly and quickly


.

Lone sodier painting a wall..

A couple soldiers picked us up and off to the base! It was dark and we didn't get to see much of a view. We have a member of AFE joining us her name is Susan and she seems lovely.
Ate, Gym and went right to bed. I know I don't look like a gym guy but being on a flight that long your blood starts to feel like jello- gotta loosen it up.

The re enlist a flahg every week in honor of a safe week or fallen people

h

With Mathew McConeghieg   

Today I feel like I'm back to doing what I love- we walked around the base and had breakfast, met the PR folks and are ready to head out for today's adventure. Its close to or over 130 degrees and we went to an area with no photography and me some great guys. I'm looking forward to the shows- everyone has been fun to be around.
The shows were amazing and we grabbed food at the dfc



The show was amazing- yes even at 130 degrees these people still partied.. I drank tequila and shared stories after the show with some of the coolest guys in one of the hottest areas of the world.
I was sweating in areas I didn't even know I had.. God bless these guys and gals who do this everyday and do jobs I wouldn't be able to do even in cooler weather. Our military is #1 for a reason!

Ode to comedy: wrote while flying to the middle east

The microphone is like a sacred extension of my personality. I am trying to be a showman, real, almost possessed- riding the jokes and stories like a horse, pointing in a direction letting the horse (audience) and myself split the work.
A comic can only go so far alone. Every night begins a new journey, finding our way along with an audience. I want to forget the night, more then with just jokes but with stories, but this depends on their willingness to be spell bound.
The show becomes a journey. When you make peace with the audience you become the audience. Finding the audience and your words to become one, attempting to go somewhere new, trying to do something different.
Find it together, reflecting what is going on around us, sharing our fears, insecurities together. The audience wants to feel they are a part of whats going on on stage..



Love cannot save you from your fate, which is up to you. I think the audience is a communal celebration- we are together even after the show is over- there is a feeling you take with you whether you are a performer or audience member- a glow, if it is done right a tainted sadness if you go to far. We walked to the edge took a look over to see what was over there. I prefer not to go over but just peek and imagine.
It could make a difference, even if the message in the show was "to be happy and love each other", because you never know when you are giving your last performance.