How do you come across a Blog?

I was thinking the other day, difficult and dangerous I know, about how people must find blogs. Is it through search engines or the dreaded 'Next Blog' button? I know I tend to use that and end up on more sites that are not English based than onto sites I can read. I find it quite frustrating trying to find blogs that are of interest and where I like the comments made etc. In fact, I have only come across 2 and one of those has now closed down (sorry Mahmood.tv I loved your Blog site based in Bahrain)! The other one is Adelaide Green Porridge Cafe by a Scot living in Australia.

I check the blogs every day and try the next blog button, hoping I will find something interesting. Usually nothing of interest has cropped up.

I have also tried Google with the keyword Blogs and then a subject that interests me. Again I have been more frustrated than enlightened. With the number of blogs that are around you would think that it would be easier to find one that could be of interest. Mind you, as I seem to have little success with my little effort here, maybe I am as bad as the rest, with nothing here to interest people of even make them stop by for a read occasionally. OK you don't leave comments but at least the visitors counter slowly keeps increasing with visits from all over the world.

Byeeeeeee

Hello Riyadh.

I've just been looking at the Cluster Map and noticed that I have had a visitor from what looks like Riyadh. Ahlan Wasahlan.

I spent 2 years working in Riyadh for an insurance company called United Commercial Agancies. I don't know if they are still going, it has been 28 years since I left. They used to be on Airport Road (that is to the old airport, not the new King Fahad one. Mind you, after all this time that can no longer be classed as new!!(grin).

I then spent 8 years in Bahrain working as a Loss Adjuster and travelled the area extensively. That company (Robins Davies Middle East S.A.R.L) is no longer in Bahrain, but they were good days and I occasionally hanker after going back. It will not be the same, I can tell that from Google Earth and by following the blog called Mahmood's Den. (see the link to that on the right).

The one constant thing is change (getting a bit deep there!!).

Byeeeee

Flash Earth

I have just added a link to Flash Earth, it's a system that uses several satellite imaging systems to look at the earth. It uses Google Earth (and others) and the imaging is quite good. At least in the areas I looked at , my house (which has lost 2 trees, and gained a conservatory since the photo was taken) and where I used to live in Bahrain. The quality over Bahrain was quite good and I easily tracked down where I used to live and where I used to work. It has been some 20 years since I left and it is interesting to see how much land reclamation there has been and how many 'open sand parking lots' are now buildings or covered parking lots.

I even looked at Riyadh and Jeddah and mainly found my bearings from the airports. If I visited now I would definitely get lost. Both cities have expanded greatly.

Byeeee

Friends Past

I am a little saddened today. Just before Christmas I received a Christmas card from a long time friend. It used to be a couple (Tony and Teddy). Well now it is just Teddy. They have split up after many many years married. I liked them both and whilst our paths had not crossed for many years I still thought of them as friends.

OK nobody has died but I feel upset for Teddy. I spoke to her on the telephone and she still has her sense of humour but is a little bitter (and understandably so). I will not go into the reasons and what happened - that is not for me. I just wish to express my sorrow at their parting.

I met them in Bahrain through an amateur dramatics group called the Manama Players. Ah the good old days. We became good friends and even after they came back to the UK I would visit them. They even stayed in my house for several months, whilst I was working in Bahrain.

Byeeeee.

Bahrain

You may have wondered why I have put a link to a Bahraini blog site on the left. Well, I used to live in Bahrain and spent 8 wonderful years there returning to the UK in December 1986. In fact, in a few days it will be exactly 20 years since I left. Well, I still miss the place. The work was hard, but then so was the social life!!! I made many good friends there and I still miss the lovely waters off the coast. I used to co-own a ski boat and we would go water skiing or have a picnic on some of the smaller islands near to the Yacht Club.

I was browsing some blogs last night and decided to do a search on Bahrain and came across several sites. One had some pictures, including a trip out on a boat and seeing the colour of the water brought it all back. Ah happy days.

Mind you, in 20 years it has changed an awful lot. They had started land reclamation before I left but now there is masses of extra land on which they are building all sorts. I would like to go back for a visit but can't afford/justify it yet.

One thing to remember though is that it gets HOT and very HUMID there in the summer, but the spring and autumn were delightful. Winter even felt a bit chilly (well compared to the 42 degrees centigrade in the summer, when it falls to 10 degrees it feels cold (grin).

It would rain occasionally in the spring but most of the time it was dry. Not like here in Scotland where it is occasionally dry and rains most of the time!!.

The blog on the left is a fairly political site at the moment (they have just had elections there and some of the practices seem a bit dodgy). This guy certainly does not hold back, but he also has links to a lot of photographs and that is what I like looking at, seeing what has changed and what has not. I may add a few more links as and when I find them.

Byeeeee