Yesterday was supposed to be a day spent at a basketball tournament in which Shawn was playing. He played two games on Friday and his team won one and lost one. It was a double elimination tournament, so he was scheduled to play games all day Saturday. Unfortunately, his team lost their first game.
We had already planned on having a babysitter (our nanny Theresa) all day to watch the kids so I could have a day off and go watch Shawn play. Since she was already planning on coming, we decided to make the most of it and we went out together. It was a nice time to feel almost like an adult again (without having to sing along to Veggie Tales or read "Clifford the Big Red Dog" for the umpteenth time). We went to see the movie "Next" with Nicholas Cage and Julianne Moore. It was surprisingly entertaining and we enjoyed it.
After that, we went to the Manama Souq for some shopping. The Souq is full of life and activity, as well as people trying to sell you all sorts of things. Whenever the shop owners see us coming, they immediately start yelling at us in whatever English they know to try to get us to come closer to their shops. Sometimes they tell us what they have; "genuine, fake watches" someone yelled yesterday to us. Shawn said, "Isn't that kind of an oxymoron?" Sometimes they just yell, "onedinaronedinaronedinar one dinar!" over and over to try to get our attention. They always try to sell us really hokey tourist-y stuff like cheap abayas or the headscarves that some Arab men wear.
We had already planned on having a babysitter (our nanny Theresa) all day to watch the kids so I could have a day off and go watch Shawn play. Since she was already planning on coming, we decided to make the most of it and we went out together. It was a nice time to feel almost like an adult again (without having to sing along to Veggie Tales or read "Clifford the Big Red Dog" for the umpteenth time). We went to see the movie "Next" with Nicholas Cage and Julianne Moore. It was surprisingly entertaining and we enjoyed it.
After that, we went to the Manama Souq for some shopping. The Souq is full of life and activity, as well as people trying to sell you all sorts of things. Whenever the shop owners see us coming, they immediately start yelling at us in whatever English they know to try to get us to come closer to their shops. Sometimes they tell us what they have; "genuine, fake watches" someone yelled yesterday to us. Shawn said, "Isn't that kind of an oxymoron?" Sometimes they just yell, "onedinaronedinaronedinar one dinar!" over and over to try to get our attention. They always try to sell us really hokey tourist-y stuff like cheap abayas or the headscarves that some Arab men wear.
In the Souq, you can buy all sorts of things. They have electronics, clothing, textiles, spices, chocolates and sweets, perfumes, souvenirs, and all sorts of other things. The Souq also houses shops which provide specialized services like tailoring and jewelers. Part of the reason we went to the Souq is because we needed spare keys made for our car and the Souq is one of the few places you can have keys made. Another interesting feature of the Souq is that there will be several shops of the same type all in a row throughout the Souq. For instance, the key-making shop we went into has several key shops all around it. And, if the shop you happen to enter does not have what you are looking for, they will often good-naturedly point you to a shop nearby that does. Keep in mind that some of these shops are no more than 10 feet wide and 10 or 20 feet deep. At night, the Souq is especially crowded and exciting to visit. People are everywhere!
After our visit to the Souq, we came home and spent some time with the kids. After we put them to bed, we watched yet another Nicholas Cage movie called "World Trade Center." If you have not seen this movie, I recommend it. But make sure you have plenty of tissues nearby because it is probably the most tear-jerking movie I have ever seen. Shawn and I were bawling and afterwards we both had headaches because we kept trying to hold back tears repeatedly. It is a very sad, inspiring and moving movie.
Augusta "Weepy" Cherri
After our visit to the Souq, we came home and spent some time with the kids. After we put them to bed, we watched yet another Nicholas Cage movie called "World Trade Center." If you have not seen this movie, I recommend it. But make sure you have plenty of tissues nearby because it is probably the most tear-jerking movie I have ever seen. Shawn and I were bawling and afterwards we both had headaches because we kept trying to hold back tears repeatedly. It is a very sad, inspiring and moving movie.
Augusta "Weepy" Cherri
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