Travel tales from our members?

How about sharing some travel tales from our members - I've shared a few from OZ and Ciderman from NZ - I recall we have members from Spain and some who have lived in the Middle East and Africa - all sounds exciting - I had three years in HK and can expand on that?

Any takers?

GTB
After I left high school, I attended the ELAM school of art part time as my enthusiasm for photography reared. There was also some good experiences at my first job at the Government Tourist Bureau in Auckland who contracted on short term basis famous photographers like Marti Freidlander and Brian Brake, but in between these very occasional times I worked in the office and at times as courier on tourist buses. 

Whenever a cruise ship came into Auckland it meant very early wake ups to travel out on the pilot boat before the cruise ship had passed Rangitoto Island. There were tours to arrange, tourists to be smiled at and a lot of hectic organisation. The ship today was the Orsova, packed with Americans eager to get ashore and look around during their one day in port. By the time the ship was alongside about 30 coaches were full , at least on paper, and getting their cargoes of people ashore was running smoothly. Most were off to Rotorua to see the thermal pools, the geysers and the Maori guides who would show them through Whakarewarewa and the Maori village. 
Half way through the day would be lunch pre-arranged , usually at a large facility that could handle up to 300 at a time. One such was the Orange Hall at Matamata and our section of 10 buses arrived at the car park just as the entire staff walked out of a fight with management over wages. Everything was ready to go and after a brief managerial conference all the Tourist Bureau staff who were couriers on the buses became waitresses or kitchen staff. A frantic hour saw all the visitors fed and as the coffee was being consumed, the hungry workers sought to grab something to eat for themselves. The desserts were a choice between fruit salad and ice cream or poached pears with chocolate sauce. It was only then that it was discovered that we had been serving pears with gravy, and not a single complaint! They must have thought it was a local dish!

Let me set the scene before you read on. It is 1990 and I ha been working in Bahrain for 5 years as the Manager of Engineering in a large new aluminium rolling mill. I went out there to project manage its installation and was asked to stay on to manage its engineering resources and to train Bahrainis into senior roles.

My late wife Rita was with me and we used to send regular monthly newsletters to friends and family. In addition I used to send an annual greeting at the year end in verse. I found the 1990 one on my computer and it was a trip down memory lane to read it. I can't believe I used to send out this trivia - but there you are.

You will recall that Iraq had invaded Kuwait and we were girding our loins for war. Sensible expats had departed - but us muggins stayed on. Stiff upper lip and all that





DECEMBER 1990

 

I hope you’re not averse, to news conveyed in rhyme

With stories of Bahrain, and how we spend our time

With Chistmas and new year gone, 1990 now behind

We look forward to a nice new year, and hope it will be kind

 

1990 was an awful year, at least that’s our perception

A new problem hit us every month, it seems without exception

Why troubles should so concentrate, is really quite a mystery

On balance we are pleased to see, 1990 is now history

 

But time is irreversible, and we must all go on

And hope for better days, with joy and lots of sun

Which Bahrain guarantees, the life out here is fine

Currently disrupted, by Sod ‘em Hussain the swine

 

Christmas was a hectic time, many parties, drink and food

We are pleased to get it over, we’re no longer in the mood

For socialising every day, late night hours to keep

Our dieting in tatters, and losing lots of sleep

 

I had to work on Christmas day, but not Rita she decided

My staff with kids, I gave them leave. So cover I provided

For the factory was busy, the Bahrainis went to work

They don’t believe in Christmas, and so they miss the perk

 

This year Christmas presents were limited because

We both declared a truce and banished Santa Claus

What do you get a spouse who has everything they need

It’s just a waste of money, a sop to human greed

 

Our Christmas main attraction, was all the cards and letters

Such contact from our friends, nothing could be better

The lounge bedecked with cards, which we thought really great.

To remind us of the friendships that we appreciate

 

Holidays are in our minds, when to go and where

Somewhere quiet and scenic, within our budget fare

Like India or Australia, or maybe way out West

The list is almost endless, from which to chose the best.

 

We put off taking holidays, in case the war begins

Because if we are away, we might not get back in

If is is a long war we might find it quite expensive

For we’ve sold house in England, that’s why we’re feeling pensive

 

We always had intentions to visit  California, Singapore

Thailand, mainland China, we’ve done them all and more,

the next one we must visit is Australia down under

I hope we like it when we go, If not – an expensive blunder


India and we would like to see, and travel round that land

Though the Indian guys I work with sat it aint too grand

With poverty and squalor, mixed with better sights

And increasing urban violence, it fair gives one the frights

 

But if you restrict your holidays to safe and quiet places

Where on Earth can you go? Where is this safe oasis

Your professional UK hooligan, infests all places outside Dover

They are far to thick to realise World war two is over

 

The Gulf crisis is our background, as you know it’s still the same

The situation’s one big bore, a drawn out waiting game

We wish our chaps military would be instructed to get cracking with the war

And turn Iraq into a land, much flatter than before

 

Bahrain is slowly sinking, from the weight of military might

All the ships and aeroplanes is really quite a sight

The harbours always busy, the air bases as well

The armed forces practice day and night to give Iraqis hell

 

Each day we see huge convoys pouring from the port

More men with their inventories, it seems they’ll not go short

An unsinkable aircraft carrier is the island of Bahrain

A veritable fortress – it will not be the same again

 

The longer lasts the waiting, the tougher it will be

For Kuwaitis here are not well liked and losing sympathy

The other Arab people are as fickle as before,

they fear the Yanks are here to stay and their excuse to stay is war.

 

Our Embassy have advised us to send wives and kids away

It’s nothing new, it’s the same advice they’ve given every day

With Jan 15 now imminent, lots of Brits have gone

But bugger that we are staying, we will tell you more anon.

 

Some Bahrain shops are doing well, they profit from the crisis

With servicemen all buying things, all at higher prices

The taxi drivers wear a smile, with customers galore

With no meters in their taxis, they couldn’t want for more

 

The dollar’s common currency, flowing freely round Bahrain

The shops accept it happily, the pound is just the same

Bahrain gold is popular with armed forces personnel

It’s thought it is great value, but they buy other things as well

 

The stores keep running out of food, which isn’t very nice

Though we’ve stocked up the shortages have bit us once or twice

This week it’s beef and vegetables included on the list

But booze is still available, so we can still get….tipsy.

 

The problem is that fewer general cargo ships that stop

Ana all the extra military who must eat quite a lot

If we were to fill the freezers and then there came a war

We might then lose the power supply and be as bad off as before


The Bahrain public services were introduced by Britain

When Bahrain was a protectorate and they thought our systems fitting

But the locals have developed it, multi layers they have added

It creates a lot of jobs, but the systems over-padded

 

The local public bodies at inefficiency come first

The red tape and the bulsh’ are bureaucracy at worst

To pay a bill or tax a car or clarify a simple queery

Is a long frustrating ordeal, it really makes you weary

 

In Bahrain queues are rare because no-one takes their turn

Instead the art of push and shove is something that you learn

A trick some locals use is the never take a bath

The smell keeps others yards away and clears for them a path

 

The weathers getting cooler, we’re expecting early rains

The roads can get quite flooded because there isn’t any drains

It doesn’t rain too often, perhaps 10 days per annum

But it most surely keeps your feet cool, on other days we fan ‘em

 

It’s actually quite bad today it’s positively freezing

It’s dropped as low as 20C no wonder we are sneezing

Our outside pool will be unused, until the next quarter

Our exercise is now brisk walks not swimming in cold water

 

Our gardens now are looking great with flowers by the score

We are lucky with our new gardener, it’s much better than before

The hibiscus shrubs are gorgeous and bougainvillea prolific

The border plants are beautiful to see it is terrific.

 

Early in December, we went to see a play

Produced by Derek Nimmo whose playhouse tours this way

Approximately 6 times a year to which we always go

On the opening gala night our evening dress to show.

 

It starred Gerald Harper in an amusing comedy

He’s better known to square eyed buffs as Hadleigh on TV

Also Adam Adamant so the programme stated

But we can’t remember that far back – he’s obviously dated

 

We now own a second car our garage is complete

With one Toyota Cressida now added to our fleet

It replaces my Hyundai Stella – a dreadful auto car

The other car’s a Mazda 3, a nippy little star

 

I hope you are enjoying, this awful poetry

At least it rhymes occasionally and comes to you FOR FREE

The fact that I’m not perfect, is just another rumour

Its one I have been spreading to test your sense of humour

 

Rita’s now a killer or should we say her car

There’s one cat less in Bahrain now, crushed t’ween tyre and tar

The poor gals feeling guilty, I cannot see quite why

There’s not a mark upon the car – and thus no need to cry

 

The cat he sat there grinning – a pussy with no fear

He side-stepped the front wheel and got run over by the rear

It was a sorry accident – it made poor Rita blub

To know she’s now a member of the Bahrain Flat Cat Club

 

The inspiration’s flagging and time is dashing by

This poetry gets worser as my news runs dry

It’s time to stop computing by this poor old bard

So from both of us we send to you OUR WARM NEW YEAR REGARDS

nice one alan - co-incidentally my dear old dad used to write family history in poem and I still have them all somewhere - very interesting!

That's an interesting idea Alan. I've never tried that probably because I'm too lazy, but it's a nice context.