can I decide another day?: Adventures w/ Teh Bear. Part 5.

So, last time we ended on having to fix the car battery another day.. And I was so put off by the potential "experience" of having to get my car jumped and finding a mechanic that was open on a Saturday, that I just saved the adventure for Sunday morning before we went to bed. We've stayed on a "night shift" schedule while Teh Bear is here. Mostly so there is minimal adjustment when he gets back home, and because I'm actually on night shift this month and hopefully next month.

Before we went to bed the day of Go Karts, I called the spa where I usually get my massages and set up an appointment at 7pm for us. We'd have to set an alarm, and walk there (since the car was out of commission), but it would be Teh Bear's first professional massage, so it was worth it. They called me at 6:15p, which of course woke me up 10 minutes before the alarm went off, to ask if we were still coming to the appointment.. I wanted to scream at them, MADAM (because they call everyone Madam/Sir), IF I WASN'T COMING I WOULDN'T HAVE BOOKED AN APPOINTMENT LESS THAN 12 HOURS AGO. Instead, I mumbled yes and stewed in anger until the alarm went off, which miraculously didn't wake Teh Bear.

(image)

He sleeps, literally, like a bear. Nothing wakes him up. Not his snoring. Not his talking/grumbling in his sleep. Not my phone ringing. Not text messages in the middle of the night/day. Not the alarm. What does wake Teh Bear? Me rolling him over and quietly saying, its time to get up. But he doesn't wake up to any other noise!?!?! I'm so freakin' jealous. I want to sleep like a normal person!

hehehe (image)

Luckily, I live in a pretty awesome location, so the walk to Sherry Spa only took 5-7 minutes max, and we didn't even really get sweaty. When we arrived, we got our "where do you want to be massaged" forms, and then they asked if it was okay if we got our massages in the facial area because they were doing renovations on the normal massage room.

There is no photo of Sherry Spa to be found. Maybe I'll remedy this.

Let me back track about 10 hours. 9am. I called Sherry Spa and asked for a couples massage at 7pm. They said no problem.
Me: Wait! The other day I had an appointment scheduled and it had to be cancelled because renovations. Are they done?
Phone lady: Yes, madam.
M: Ok, good. 7p.
PL: 7pm, tonight, madam.
M: Tonight? *asking Teh Bear: is tonight ok?
tB: *grumble
PL: Madam?
M: Tonight. 7pm. See you then.
PL: Thank you, madam.
M: *in my head, call me madam again, and I'll KEEL you.

So now, we're doing massages in the facial room because of renovations? W.T.F.? Teh Bear told me it was no big deal, and while he was right, I was still extremely irritated. I had purposely asked this question. But, in the end, the massages were great, the price was unbeatable, everyone was satisfied, and the facial room isn't really that much different than the massage room, except the tables are collapsible, meaning that the masseuse can't crawl on the table and use their knees on my back, which has happened, and was more amazing than it sounds.

(Pizzabella)

After massages, we walked to Pizzabella, because Teh Bear has a thing about trying pizza in all the different places he goes, which he apparently did in Denver a few weeks ago. Pizzabella is my go to pizza place. Mostly because when I order a mushroom pizza, they say Pizza al Fungi, I say yes, they say 45 minutes to an hour and they arrive in about 25. That is the convenience of living across the street. Teh Bear didn't have negative things to say about the pizza, so I figured it was a success, since he continued eating it.

After food and massages, it was definitely nap time, which is my favorite thing to do when I'm not working. Pretty sure I've taken a nap every single day I've been on vacation, no jk.

So maybe I should own some of these?
(image)

Around 730a, I decided it was time to start the "fix Kaar" adventure. I was pretty sure it was going to be incredibly painful trying to find someone with jumper cables to jump my car. Side note: I was pretty sure I owned jumper cables. But the problem with living with someone is that often your belongings get confused. I have never owned jumper cables. Teh BFF has jumper cables. I even remember that they were, at one point, in a clear plastic container. They are in a round package. They are not located in my trunk, although I was willing them to be.

I couldn't find my doorman, so I went to ask the mall security if they had jumper cables. That guy told me to wait on a patrol car to come around. SERIOUSLY?!?! Who the hell knows when that will be? He disappeared. He reappeared. My doorman then also appeared at the corner of my building when we went outside and I asked him if they had jumper cables. No. Magically, another doorman appeared. He said one moment, and went into the market and asked the people that work there if anyone had jumper cables. SOMEONE DID, HALLELUJAH. Only 15 minutes had passed. Holy hell. Thank you, Jesus.

The dude with the cables pulled his car around to mine. Teh Kaar didn't want to start at first. 3 tries went by and I was getting disheartened. By this point, there were at least 4 men standing around, Teh Bear, my 2 doormen, 1 mall security guard, 1 parking security guard, the market employee in his car, and another employee from the market. After turning off the AC and taking my stereo face off (since I can't ever figure out how to turn the damn thing off) and waiting a few moments, Teh Kaar finally starting purring again, precious life returned.

I thanked everyone, profusely. Nothing like reviving a dead car to get a girl to be grateful. Teh Bear and I stopped at an ATM then headed to the auto mechanic area. I pulled up to the first garage, he tested the battery, said that it was the problem, as Teh Bear had predicted, and promptly changed it for me, charged me 30BD, and we were on our way. WOOT. It was right at 830. I had definitely anticipated at least 2 hours for the battery adventure, minimum. Thank Allah that wasn't the case.

And this is why I'm hesitant to buy
a backpack camera case. Those are
sexy sweat lines.

Since Teh Bear and I were already out, and he hadn't been to the souq yet, I decided it would be a good time. Sadly, I didn't prewarn him of this, so I'm not sure he wore the appropriate shoes, but he was a trooper nonetheless. We walked around for an hour and a halfish. Just shooting photos, dodging beggars (carrying a DSLR camera around your neck doesn't help you "blend in"), and getting super sweaty, almost Go Kart's sweaty.

We stopped and got juice at one of the juice stands, and also picked up the traditional garb for Teh Bear's next halloween costume, which I've already deemed is called Jihad Brother, I just didn't tell him that yet. Mostly because I came up with it while we were in the shop (where the guy super ripped us off, and I let him because the smell of his armpits was so noxious that I just wanted the transaction to end or vomit), and didn't think it was appropriate to tell Teh Bear that he was wearing his jihad clothes while we were in an Arabic man's shop, too soon? Possibly.

After the souq it was time for bed. Well, a shower then bed. The 3rd shower in a day, which is a very Bahrain thing. Oddly enough, it was the clearest day I think we've had since summer ascended on us (oh yes, ascended, like the firey pits of hell are actually rising high enough to be at sea level, creating summer). The financial center and the world trade center were completely clear, and there was a pretty decent breeze. When standing in the shade, with the breeze, it was almost pleasant, considering one was covered in sweat, which made the breeze even better.

Random tidbit. Text messages at my 4am (actually 4p) from the VILLAPEOPLE doesn't amuse me, no matter how close your name is to the Village People. When you wake me up, I want to KEEL you. Especially when I can't go back to sleep afterwards. Assholes. I want the sleeping habits of Teh Bear, seriously.

And for your viewing pleasure: the souq. Or as Teh Bear likes to compare, an American flea market with Arabs.