Naval Base Salary

Appointed today with a representative of the US Naval Service which has has a large presence here in the Gulf. Indeed, the staff of His Highness Obama's Navy appear to be the largest servicemen I have ever encountered. We trust that our national security here is not dependent upon submarines as very few of our esteemed allies would seem able to squeeze through their hatches. In the name of Allah what do they squeeze down their eminent hatches?

Notwithstanding, Randy is as laid back as one would hope and very friendly, despite a scrubby beard and a constant worrying flashing from the Bluetooth device squashed in his ear. I breathe deeply, faced with the middle-aged man's gadget of choice coupled with one of the USA's finest given names. Randy wants to invest, and is keen to do business. We agree to keep in touch, and I ask him for details of all the personnel on the base. I think the device in his ear has made him deaf, for he offered no such information.

I repair to the Dome coffee shop, maintaining my need for European pegs upon which I may hang my hat. The staff are wonderfully Filipino/a and bark greetings as I enter. There seems to be a problem with deafness in this part of the world as everyone talks as loudly as possible. I sip English tea and read the local papers. The ruling family spends much of its time receiving cousins, who appear to be Ministers of some discipline or other, or otherwise at the airport welcoming returning cousins from successful visits overseas. There is also the small matter of a football match against Saudi tonight, with no quarter expected. Preciously, the island needs a boosting result as it is up against those giants of international football, the Socceroos, in an Asian group qualifier next week. Spendid that South Africa 2010 will host such accomplished teams at the expense of a few European ne'er-do-wells.

Abdul calls me with a request for my resume.

He says that the King Fahd airport is in need of a Head of Finance and Legal Affairs. I begin to explain that my qualifications hardly address such magnificent skills when he interrupts me with the munificent salary details, and the indebtedness into which His Majesty's Administration would be placed should I offer my services. I resolve my internal conflict and email him directly. Should there be any fires to be fought I am confident in the thousand abilities of my Arabian Major Robert Gregory.

'Soldier, scholar, horseman, he', wrote Yeats of his great friend. There is something about this particular Arab that offers much of this.

I don't just throw this together, you know!