Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow

Google Headquarters In Seattle, Washington Summer 2011

I have to say it is much more fun being a technology engineer than a banker.  Last summer we visited Google’s Seattle HQ as Mojo’s friend (of course) is a Managing Director there.

Susan, Ace and Mark loved the black board walls and chalked their names in the reception area.  We ate lunch in the employee dining room serving dishes for carnivores to vegans to junk food addicts.  We investigated the 24/7 snack area stocked with sodas and fresh baked cookies and a whole candy store of gummy bears, ice cream, tootsie rolls and bubble gum.  There was also fruit for those who indulged in such things.

The highlight was the game room.  It was equipped with bean bag chairs, video games, electric guitars, a pool table and air hockey.  After Mark crashed the electric scooter into the pinball machine and did not get kicked out, the children decided right then and there when they grow up they want to work at Google.

The engineers have had a little creative fun this holiday.

Do a Google Search on Let It Snow, wait a minute and see what happens.

Mojo Goes to the Dojo

The Dragon Aura of Bruce Lee

I decided to channel my inner Bruce Lee after my karate green-belt daughter began wearing my shoes last summer.  BTW Bruce Lee was also a Dragon.

I announced my resolution to Mojo.  Afraid the women in the family might use their katas to relieve him of his wallet, he determined it was in his best interest to polish up his blocking techniques.  When the three of us showed up for class, Futureshape’s founder Debbie Al Asfoor was so pleased.

“This is fantastic.  You will never regret studying karate.  It helps you in all areas of life,” she said.

Then Sensei Amr let us into the studio.   For months I watched Sensei Amr teach the children.  He was demanding but he also gave them a brilliant smile when they did well.  But I wasn’t a child.

It only took about a half hour of lesson for me to learn karate was harder than it looked.   When I concentrated on my arms, my legs became weak.  If I focused on my kicks, my arms flapped around.  My thumb stood out sideways.  I tried to keep my balance as I moved my weight from foot to foot.  Although we only practiced the basic joden, chuden and age uki hand blocks and the mae geri kick, I was sweating by the session’s half hour break.

What I figured out was despite attending spinning, weight training, circuit training, yoga, and pilates, my body was not integrated.  I worked out body parts.

During weight lifting class I could be caught watching MTV.  In karate my full attention was needed or else someone would come along and swipe my leg out from under me.  My entire core, through my hips and thighs then down to my feet needed to be activated.

My cat kept coming to mind.  Sasha would crouch on the picnic table.  Then she gathered all her energy and sprang four feet into the air to land on the playhouse roof.   When stalking a bird, her hind quarters bunched up, muscles quaking under the tension, before she dashed.

Sasha instinctively practiced karate.  So I became Sasha.

I got into position and held it. Then using all my body’s energy I blocked and kicked.  Sensei Amr’s hand flashed and boom! – my body was as lifeless as a dead cat on Sar Avenue.

It was a lesson.  Time to change how I worked out.

I concentrated.  As I pumped my biceps, I tensed my core and thighs, imaging Sensei Amr trying to knock out my knees.  I curled my stomach muscles when I did crunches.  By engaging my entire body, without running, I sweated during my workouts.  Because I focused my attention, it only took a month for my strength, especially in my back and thighs, to increase.  As Debbie promised karate changed my life.

Don’t get me wrong I have a long way to go before I can levitate like Sasha.  After participating in one of Susan’s classes, I gladly took Sensei Amr’s suggestion to attend the 4:45 white-belt class.   I knew if these guys got too tough with me, I could tell their moms.

My Karate Class - Don't Mess With Them

And Mojo?   He’s gone missing from the Dojo.  Says he “has business”.

Classes are three times a week – Saturday, Monday and Wednesday.  The Bahrain Karate Association Dojo is in the Garden City Compound behind the Awal Dairy on Budaiya Highway.

If Only I Could Be Like Samantha

Samantha and Darren York on Bewitched 1968

Getting “dressed” is not my favorite thing. If only I could be like Samantha the suburban housewife on Bewitched who snapped her fingers to work her magic.

I know I should be more current and wish to be Alex from Wizards of Waverly Place, but UNICEF ambassador, eco-clothes designer, singer Selena Gomez I am not.  And Justin Bieber could learn from Mojo.

Mojo one of the Rabbits in my life.

My Husband Mojo

I am quite certain that unlike Selena Gomez, I study the clock to figure out what is the last possible minute before I must get ready.

While my mind is distracted trying to create a matching ensemble, like unappreciated children, my makeup likes to gang up on me.

Usually my mascara is the rebel. The later I am, the more likely I sneeze as soon as I apply the mascara; or the wand flips onto my new dress; or I get a dot of black on my finger and smear it on my check; or I jab myself in the eye and I must put in a fresh contact lens and wipe off the black tears dripping down my face.

The other day I was in too much of a hurry to bother with the lighted mirror.  I squinted into my makeup bag, pulled out a pencil and finished applying color to my eyebrows.  The pencil glided over my brows so nicely.  As I surveyed the end result, I thought, My – what dark eyebrows you have my dear.

I zoomed in closer.

My eyebrows were Slate Grey.

My eyeliner and eyebrow pencil have joined in the fun and pulled a “Parent Trap” on me.

Note to Self:  Be thankful you still have eyebrows and eyelashes.  Accept your mortal powers and give yourself an extra 15-minutes to get ready.

Wanna Be My Chammak Challo?

Ra.One at a theater near you

Ra.One now playing in 5 of the 7 cinemas in Bahrain.

If you missed the dance number for this sci-fi action comedy romance click here!

Shahrukh Khan & Kareena Kapoor in Chammak Challo Attire

Sedusa At Sheik Mohammed’s Camel Farm

Sheik Mohammed's Camel Farm In Janaibiyah

It’s nice when visitors come to town because we take in the local sites.  Inevitably it means more pictures of camels.

Sheik Mohammed was the King’s late Uncle.  Sheik Mohammed maintained the only herd of camels left on the island.  Construction continues as the camels are multiplying.

Famous Medusa Camel

The famous Medusa camel is known to turn adolescent boys into stone.  We did not have a boy with us so did not know whether this was true.

When I visited the farm a few months ago, this guy was one of the camel keepers.

His shirt says "I am still a virgin. Please give me a chance."

My friend and I wondered whether his advertising brought him any success.

A couple weeks later we read a story in our local paper about a man working at the camel farm being arrested for having sex with a pregnant camel and causing her to abort.  The eyewitness claimed it was true and the man was thrown in jail.

When I visited last week I didn’t see the man in the pink shirt.  We think the camels must have been turning him to stone.  Per the manager, there is a camel who is now known as Sedusa.

The Inappropriate Far Side

The Far Side Gallery 3 by Gary Larson

My writer friend Julia Stuart was leaving Bahrain.  She set out bags of used books for my friends and I to browse through.

“Look here’s an old Far Side,” I exclaimed.  “I’m sorry everyone.   I must take this one for my kids.”

Gary Larson may have retired before my kids were born, but his humor did not.  All three giggled as they read it.

On the third evening, my 10-year old son Ace knocked on my bedroom door.  “Come in,” I said.

He was carrying the book and solemnly handed it over to me.

“I don’t think this book is appropriate,” he told me.

“What?  I heard you laughing.  It doesn’t have any bad words.  It is about talking animals and spacemen.”

“That’s what I mean appropriate for girls who like animals, you know – Susan.”  He said referring to his older sister.

“Why isn’t it appropriate for Susan?” I asked completely befuddled.

“You know –  Cows smoking.  Bears with guns.”

My Mojo Floweth Over

Mojo one of the Rabbits in my life.

MOJO

I was really disturbed yesterday to listen to the Yahoo entertainment commentator say nasty things about Cher not being able to cry at Chaz Bono’s dance recital because of her cosmetic surgery.

First, she looks Fan ROCKIN tastic. Second, she is a Diva and if she didn’t look eternally young you would criticize her for that.  Third don’t make fun of my friend.

Yes Cher and I are friends, well – that is – we both know Mojo.

Mojo is my husband.  And there are two reasons I married him.

1 – He remembers everything and acts as my life’s walking encyclopedia.  Sometimes if he gets a little tipsy he reveals too much from the “X” pages where people don’t usually go and I kick him under the table.

2- He has LESS than 6 degrees of separation with everyone.  And that includes Cher.

Everyone else 6 degrees of Separation

Everybody but Mojo

A couple years ago, Mojo walked straight through the First Class Lounge in the Bahrain airport to his favorite quiet corner.  He was a bit irritated to see a slim woman in boots and a cowboy hat and her friend sitting in his spot.  He sat near them and pulled out his laptop.

Within seconds he recognized the voice and turned around and asked.

“What are you doing here?”

It was Cher.  She was returning from a trip to Kathmandu.  Her flight was diverted to Bahrain because the Bangkok airport had been bombed and was closed.

“I am on my way to Germany to see a friend,” she told Mojo.  “But they can’t tell me whether or not I will fly out tonight.  Can you recommend a place to stay if we get stuck here?”

“You are welcome to stay at our house.  My wife would love to host you.  I am going out of town,” he offered pulling out his mobile and dialing the house.  Please Eva pick up he thought.

I heard the phone ringing but it was about midnight.  Who would be calling besides my husband?

“Eva I’m at the airport.  There are some stranded passengers here and I was hoping you could have them stay at the house.”  Before I could protest about all the things I needed to do, he handed the phone over to Cher.

“Hello” was all she said.

“Is this really Cher?” I nearly screamed but restrained myself like any self respecting (Los) Angeleno.

We chatted for about a half an hour.  She told me about trying to sell her house in Malibu, Vegas, Katmandu, vacationing in Santa Barbara and I invited her and her assistant to stay with us.

“Is there anything to do in Bahrain?  Should I try to stay here for a couple of days?”

Cher at Caesars PalaceCher’s name in lights at Caesar’s Palace, Believe, singing Shoop Shoop Shoop in Mermaids, getting an Oscar, Moonstruck, her farewell tour all went through my mind.  I compared those images with the Gulf Hotel ballroom and hesitated two seconds too long before springing into my “Bahrain is so interesting” speech.

Cher promised she would give me a call if she ended up staying.  “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me” she promised.   She flew onto Germany that night.

Cher’s new movie Burlesque made over $100 million.  The other day Cher tweeted her Rimpoche arrived from Kathmandu.    And Mojo said she has a great ass.

Thank You.

Besides a two minute video clip on Yahoo every other day, what do you have ugly, chubby man?

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