Southern Governorate

Since tomorrow starts the weekend here in the Middle East, today was the last day I could go down and get a visa extension. It was only a 30 min walk from my buddies condo, so I took off about 9 am. Found the place no problem, but the guard turned me away because I had shorts on. "You must put on long pants." I wandered around the area for about 30 minutes, but finally found a little shop still open, that had what I needed. Only cost me about $8 for a light pair of sweat pants, blue, that look fine. Then I get back over to the visa office, had to stand on the street for about 10 min, then quick temp check, then into an A/C tent. Next guard asks what I wanted, told him visa extension. He says ok, do you have a form. No . . . OK, let me get you one. So fill out the form, wait another 10 min, he waves me forward, and tells me to go down there and turn right. I go straight into an immigration clerk. I was anticipating an interrogation . . . what are you doing here, why do you want to stay, where are you staying, on on on and on . . . but no, the only question he asks me is . . . wait for it . . . cash or card? Hahahahaha. So now I have another two weeks in Bahrain, to watch the world implode, or unwrap itself from the COVID-19 scare. I am very lucky that I have a hash buddy here, that will let me stay. Also, after over 5 months of wandering around in shorts, I finally have a long pair of pants again, just in case. I hope everyone out there is happy, healthy, and sane of mind. :o)Lue lisää