October

Well, it's been a while since I've updated my blog. Here are some interesting things that have happened in October.

Being a Muslim country, there are strict rules regarding the sale of alcohol. Several Gulf countries ban it completely, but Bahrain, being the Las Vegas of the Middle East, can't really do that. They do face an interesting dilemma however, as Muslims are not supposed to purchase or consume alcohol. So what do you do when you have a liquor store that Muslims are not supposed to enter? You make a drive through! That way, they aren't technically entering the store to purchase alcohol. They simply drive up, place their order, and a store employee will bring the goods, conveniently concealed in a paper bag, right to the car. Problem solved!

Bahrain Marathon

Believe it or not, there is actually an annual marathon in Bahrain! They mark out a track in the desert and along the highway, starting and ending at the Formula 1 track. It's actually a relay event; teams enter with 16 members, who will each complete one leg of the marathon, approximately 3 km. It's been my desire to do this ever since I've gotten to Bahrain, and this is the first year I was able to. I joined a team about 3 weeks ago, which does not give much time for training! But I decided I would just to my best and have fun. I was assigned to run leg 14, a long straight stretch along the highway. I had been training at night, so I wasn't exactly prepared for the bright shining sun that blazed down on me at 1:30 in the afternoon! :) It quickly sapped my energy, so I wasn't able to achieve my goal time, but it was still a fun event. Here are a few pictures:

our medals :)

the end!

my training partner, Stephen, the model/runner

youth boys--Stenson and Jobert