A Past Letter Home

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Dammam, Saudi Arabia
December 9, 1988

Dear Dad,

I suppose I owe you a letter. I guess that little Christmas Newsletter would not count as a personal note. As I think I scribbled on the back, I shall be leaving Dammam soon. I am going to take up teaching for the Bahraini Defense Force in January. All this is coming about very quickly. (And I haven't signed their contract yet.)

But in a matter of several short weeks, I am flying to Bahrain (a twenty minute flight). This occurs on Wednesday December 28th after I get through with work. How's that for working up to the last minute? Actually, my official contract expired today. The navy uses the Hijra (Moslem) calendar which is 11 days shorter than our Gregorian one. But I gave my thirty day notice on December first, and offered to work the additional two weeks. That thousand dollars will buy a video deck, TV and assorted apartment furnishings. And the time frame worked out well, as it will give me a bit more than a week between jobs.

In Bahrain, I won't be living on military quarters. Instead, they give a monthly housing allowance. So, this will be only the second time in my life that I've hunted for my own dwelling. I am rather excited about the idea of getting out into the "real world" again. These military contracts in Saudi do not offer you the chance to make any of your own decisions. Transportation, food, housing and even spare-time activities are limited to the military's whims. But soon, I'll be forced into the cold reality of self determination.

The pay in Bahrain is about $400/month less than I am earning here. But money is not my most pressing concern now that I've paid every debt. I am more interested in professional advancement and job satisfaction, neither of which are possible at this Navy institute. You might not believe how screwed up things can be here. In the last year class sizes have doubled, and staff has halved. The supervisor is a super weirdo and mentally unbalanced. And my teaching duties have been mainly an attempt to keep tired cadets awake throughout the morning. It has its moments of fun, but it's a whole lot less enjoyable than a year ago.

Bahrain is considered the "Pearl of the Gulf" for a number of reasons. They have a much more open society there. Passport and immigration laws are not as strict and one can enter and leave as often as one wishes. Christian churches are prevalent and attended. There is no prohibition on things such a liquor, pork, or movie theaters. Women even drive cars, travel unveiled, and hold down jobs. I am looking forward to escaping from this crazy job situation to enter a place where life is less controlled.

I don't know my address yet, but I will send it along as soon as I do know it. In case of emergency, I suppose I could be contracted at the Bahrain offices of General Dynamics. You could dial overseas direct to: (966) 530-023 or (966) 530-024. Remember the day starts and finishes eight hours earlier than it does for you. And Thursday and Fridays are our weekends here.

I hope things are O.K. for you. Have you had the chance to play with the snow plow yet. Winter should be coming along nicely now and the wood stove might need stoking right now! If you find the need to write, my mail will be forwarded to Bahrain for several months, so don't use that as an excuse. Behave and stay well.

Your son,

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