Is this Home?

Well, maybe not yet. But after returning from Turkey, a few incidents may have marked a bit of a turning point.

As I was driving around the first day back, I felt a sense of familiarity. It was rather strange to have a familiar feel in a place that is as far away from home as Diraz - my little town in Bahrain. As I drove down Budaiya highway and noticed all the small shops and other random things that I had never noticed I'd noticed before.

Today, as I was waiting at the bus stop with my groceries, a woman (who was also waiting for the bus) started asking me directions. She needed to find a fax machine. Amazingly, I knew where to find one. And not only that, but how to get there, which bus to take, and how to find the 'taxis' (pick up trucks, really) for her to get back home. I was a bit surprised at how much information I'd amassed - a tribute to the fact that, yes, I do actually live here. I am not merely a tourist.

In other news - we have exams all this week and next. Which means that the kids come to school at 7:30, take one test till 9:30, and then leave. And then we have the rest of the day to do whatever we want. I do some work... but lets be honest. Its been an easy week. And all of next week will be like this as well. That means I feel less guilty about playing soccer at the neighborhood field and maybe even watching a movie or two.