Shaikh Isa at the Beach

How about another entry idea for The Isa Campaign?

Imagine this great bit of the Shaikh Isa period:  photos of him sitting in his little chair under a large umbrella on the beach in front of the palace in the summer, his gold phone sitting on a tray, holding his binoculars in front of his eyes to gawk at the European and American women in their teeny, tiny bikinis playing in the waters of the Persian Gulf. No Bahraini women, no locals, for Heaven's sake. Forbidden. Caucasian, okay.

Next up, servants bring to the ladies who've made themselves comfortable under beach umbrellas (and to their families, if the ladies brought their children) individual trays of tiny slices of Sara Lee cakes, usually banana cake with icing, almost cold, probably sliced while near frozen, and bottles of cold Pepsi and Fanta sodas with moisture beads rolling down them. Cold soda and cake, gifts from the Amir. Some of the ladies got watches and some, pearls. The Amir got his kicks.

I was so impressed with the spectacle the first time that I saw it as a 16 year-old girl in her own not-so-tiny two-piece swimsuit. American cake.