B757200ER
Bummer your wife does not want to go. I used to fly out of Bahrain, I was single at the time, but spent allot of time down south in DXB as well. Life for married couples was excellent; heck, you even get your own area in a restaurant. In DXB and Bahrain there are heaps of activities, about a half million other ex-pats, and nice beaches that a So-Cal girl would even like (much safer then Hermosa or Venice to boot). We have guy's from ANZ that have gone and all are pretty happy with their decision. Many westerners I meet have this ingrained perception of the gulf which is unfortunately, and unfairly incorrect. That said, spouses sometimes can't erase that preconceived notion from their mind and end up having an easy time looking for and finding all those bad things about the place, and end up depressed and unhappy. Not good for the marriage. Most families I have known that have left have said the kids hated going in the first place, but really hated it when they had to leave.