I finally stepped out of the airport, breathed the fresh air and looked up at big, blue African skies. Three seconds later I lowered my gaze and was surrounded. This wasn’t unexpected because I’m a very charming man apparently, and people are naturally drawn to charming men such as myself, usually outside airports for some reason. Small children, teenagers, Continue reading
The world is a scary place. That’s what I keep hearing anyway, and right now, the omnipresent threat to my personal safety, freedom, employment, and pretty much everything that’s important appears to be escalating into a terrifying crescendo. This tends to happen every four years, before US presidential elections. Luckily, a handful of elderly Americans are Continue reading
It may not shock to hear that life in the Middle east is a touch different to that in the west. We all know the place is an apocalyptic Mad Max-esque war zone, overrun with crazed, hyper-violent religious extremists. We’ve all seen the news. The Arab world is a dangerously volatile, geopolitical mess. Well… that’s Continue reading
Elections and voting are relatively new concepts in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (the only country actually named after the family who owns rules it). Municipal elections did take place however in 2005 and again in 2011 after an eighteen-month postponement to allow for discussion on whether women should be able to vote (it was decided that Continue reading
I knew before relocating to the Sultanate of Oman that this is one of the hottest, driest places on Earth. I’d spent a few years in the Australian outback, and wasn’t concerned about extreme heat. I hadn’t anticipated accompanying extremes of humidity though, or that the “real feel” (adjusted) temperatures would reach 60°C (140°F). How can it get so Continue reading