Friday, April 29, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Easter in Bahrain!
I was not sure until the day before how I was going to spend my Easter in Bahrain. I was feeling a little homesick when I thought about missing church, the youth Easter breakfast and the big lunch surrounded family. In the end there was certainly no time to be homesick as the day flew by and I ended up being busy, busy, busy. I did know I was going to church which was at 5:30am. It was in the parking lot of the NEC (National Evangelical Church) and members of all the different congregations were there, so there was a huge turn out of people. It was amazing. Everyone got a boxed breakfast after the service...it's the thought that counts.
I was spontaneously invited to join friends Victoria, Vinolia, her husband and sons for Indian breakfast at a restaurant. Of course I went for the experience, although I had no idea what to order. They took care of that for me and got me a plate of a variety of dishes. I can certainly say it was interesting...and not what I would expect of breakfast food. I had a lot of fun though. Back at my flat after that, I had a few hours to rest and digest before heading out again. I drove with Peter and Kathy to a restaurant that was reserved by a member of the Arabic congregation. So, my Easter lunch was spent with members of the Arabic Congregation eating a variety of Middle Eastern foods. I had a great time eating and socializing. I have been to a lot of churches since I arrived and the Arabic congregation has been the most welcoming and friendly. I enjoy hanging out with them.
I was back at my flat for about an hour before heading out again. I went to another church service at 6:30pm. My friend Victoria (another teacher) was participating in a dance number during the service, so I went to support and watch her. Alas, I had to leave a little early...had to get back to Skype with the family. So, I ended my Easter Skyping with the family. I got to talk and see everyone and that made me extremely happy. It was a good day. Christ is Risen!
I was spontaneously invited to join friends Victoria, Vinolia, her husband and sons for Indian breakfast at a restaurant. Of course I went for the experience, although I had no idea what to order. They took care of that for me and got me a plate of a variety of dishes. I can certainly say it was interesting...and not what I would expect of breakfast food. I had a lot of fun though. Back at my flat after that, I had a few hours to rest and digest before heading out again. I drove with Peter and Kathy to a restaurant that was reserved by a member of the Arabic congregation. So, my Easter lunch was spent with members of the Arabic Congregation eating a variety of Middle Eastern foods. I had a great time eating and socializing. I have been to a lot of churches since I arrived and the Arabic congregation has been the most welcoming and friendly. I enjoy hanging out with them.
I was back at my flat for about an hour before heading out again. I went to another church service at 6:30pm. My friend Victoria (another teacher) was participating in a dance number during the service, so I went to support and watch her. Alas, I had to leave a little early...had to get back to Skype with the family. So, I ended my Easter Skyping with the family. I got to talk and see everyone and that made me extremely happy. It was a good day. Christ is Risen!
The Rest of Spring/Easter Break!
After a busy first weekend off of school, I lounged around the house not doing much on Palm Sunday. It was weird not going to church and waving a palm branch...especially since there are palm trees everywhere here :) The rest of the week I kept very busy however. There were two trips to the Manama Suq. One was to do more jewelry shopping and the other was to do just general shopping for tacky and local souvenirs- gifts for the people back home. Both outings were fun though and despite being haggled with every step by shopkeepers, the whole atmosphere is one I love. Takes me back to the days when I would walk through the Old City in Jerusalem.
I can also now say I have been to the beach and officially swam in the water of the Gulf. It has been a joke from the beginning how a country that is an island, has no beaches. Well they have maybe three or so and I can now say I was at one. One could say the water was cold, but as a Minnesota who has swam in cold lakes...it was nothing. Time off would not be complete without a few trips to the mall...or in my case several malls. For being a small country, Bahrain has around eight big shopping malls. Obviously some do better business than others, but I find it amusing how they are literally right next door to each other. My favorite stop is of course H&M, where some purchases have been made.
One morning I got up at 6:30 to go to the park with my friend Mariam and her four-year-old twin boys. She takes them at that time and I figured why not tag along? I could nap later. It was a park I wanted to visit and walk around though, so it was another thing I could check off my to-do list. Besides we went to get donuts afterwards at this donut place called "Hole in One." It was actually a really good donut. That same day I stopped by the Craft Centre in Salmaniya. The crafts there are handmade by local women. I found a few things to purchase. I also found time that same day to do some Indian dress/outfit shopping. My niece will look adorable, in the ensemble I picked out for her, including bangles and shoes. It will be a nice surprise for her. Another teacher from school drove me to one of the two liquor stores on the island. They are hidden, but there. Needless to say I spent a little more than I normally would on wine, but hey...now when I have those bad teaching days and need a glass of wine, I know that I will be able to have one at my flat :)
Of course I also found time to do laundry over the break and clean my flat. The necessary evils of life. One of the days I had a picnic with friends in the park. We ordered lunch (mixed grill, hummus, tabouleh etc.) from a Lebanese restaurant and enjoyed it outdoors. While the days are getting warmer, you can still enjoy the outdoors as long as you are in the shade and do not stay outside too long. It has been the low 90s and for me I have not thought it is that hot. Of course we are talking about a crazy Bergman who goes to Florida in August...the hottest month. I do not mind heat at all.
After unsuccessfully finding the camel farm the weekend before, we were successful the second time. It was a huge place with camels everywhere. Not that I have never seen a camel before, but it has certainly been many years. I still remember fondly the camel that used to graze in front of our house in Jerusalem. When you get used to that every day, after fifteen years of not seeing one on a regular basis, seems extremely weird. I went with friends to Al-Areen Wildlife Park again. I did not mind because I had so much fun there the first time. Some of the animals that had been asleep or hiding before, were now visible.
It was definitely a busy break and flew by, like I knew it would. It was back to school on Monday and back to a routine. No more sleeping in and staying up late. There is no school next Sunday as it is Labour Day. It will be nice having a long weekend, but it's a shame that it is not later on in the school year. That is the last day off until school ends around June 27th. Talk about the long haul...
I can also now say I have been to the beach and officially swam in the water of the Gulf. It has been a joke from the beginning how a country that is an island, has no beaches. Well they have maybe three or so and I can now say I was at one. One could say the water was cold, but as a Minnesota who has swam in cold lakes...it was nothing. Time off would not be complete without a few trips to the mall...or in my case several malls. For being a small country, Bahrain has around eight big shopping malls. Obviously some do better business than others, but I find it amusing how they are literally right next door to each other. My favorite stop is of course H&M, where some purchases have been made.
One morning I got up at 6:30 to go to the park with my friend Mariam and her four-year-old twin boys. She takes them at that time and I figured why not tag along? I could nap later. It was a park I wanted to visit and walk around though, so it was another thing I could check off my to-do list. Besides we went to get donuts afterwards at this donut place called "Hole in One." It was actually a really good donut. That same day I stopped by the Craft Centre in Salmaniya. The crafts there are handmade by local women. I found a few things to purchase. I also found time that same day to do some Indian dress/outfit shopping. My niece will look adorable, in the ensemble I picked out for her, including bangles and shoes. It will be a nice surprise for her. Another teacher from school drove me to one of the two liquor stores on the island. They are hidden, but there. Needless to say I spent a little more than I normally would on wine, but hey...now when I have those bad teaching days and need a glass of wine, I know that I will be able to have one at my flat :)
Of course I also found time to do laundry over the break and clean my flat. The necessary evils of life. One of the days I had a picnic with friends in the park. We ordered lunch (mixed grill, hummus, tabouleh etc.) from a Lebanese restaurant and enjoyed it outdoors. While the days are getting warmer, you can still enjoy the outdoors as long as you are in the shade and do not stay outside too long. It has been the low 90s and for me I have not thought it is that hot. Of course we are talking about a crazy Bergman who goes to Florida in August...the hottest month. I do not mind heat at all.
After unsuccessfully finding the camel farm the weekend before, we were successful the second time. It was a huge place with camels everywhere. Not that I have never seen a camel before, but it has certainly been many years. I still remember fondly the camel that used to graze in front of our house in Jerusalem. When you get used to that every day, after fifteen years of not seeing one on a regular basis, seems extremely weird. I went with friends to Al-Areen Wildlife Park again. I did not mind because I had so much fun there the first time. Some of the animals that had been asleep or hiding before, were now visible.
It was definitely a busy break and flew by, like I knew it would. It was back to school on Monday and back to a routine. No more sleeping in and staying up late. There is no school next Sunday as it is Labour Day. It will be nice having a long weekend, but it's a shame that it is not later on in the school year. That is the last day off until school ends around June 27th. Talk about the long haul...
Saturday, April 16, 2011
First Two Days of Break and Busy, Busy, Busy!
I know it is really just a weekend, but if the rest of my week continues with the busyness of these last two days, then Easter Break will really fly by. On Friday, I headed to Old Muharraq and in the rain (yes rain) managed to walk a round a little and see some sites. Old Muharraq is another island just east of Manama. It is where the airport is located. Anyway, as I said it was raining yesterday and just not a light drizzle for ten or s minutes, like it had been doing earlier in the week. No, this was a typical rainy day, that left me with the chills...even though it was still probably 80 degrees or so. I am not complaining though as it has not rained like that since I arrived and it actually had that fresh rain smell.
Muharraq has some of the oldest residential properties in Bahrain and the narrow streets add to the quaintness. The first stop was Siyadi House, which belonged to a pearl merchant in the 19th century. I am proud to say that one of my students is a Siyadi descendant. He could not give me a special tour though, as the main portion of the house is now a mosque. I took some pictures from the outside though and the building is very unique and artistic. Not to far from that is the Shaik Isa House. Shaik Isa was the King's great-great-grandfather and was ruler from 1869 to 1932...which was the longest reign of a Bahrain ruler. I know you all care about these facts :) The home was huge with many courtyards and rooms. It is a good example of 19th century architecture with intricate wall carvings everywhere. Of course I took a lot of pictures. There was also a windtower, which is how air used to circulate throughout buildings to cool things off. Call it the first air-conditioning system if you will. What day of sightseeing would be complete without a stop at Dairy Queen? Of course as a true Minnesotan, I would never let a little rain stop me from having a blizzard. Heck a blizzard cannot stop me from having a blizzard.
Today was another busy day and the sun was shining. The first stop was the Barbar Temples ruins. It is basically just that...ruins. The excavation which was started in 1954 is still going on today. It is three temples that were built on top of one another during the Dilmun Era, during the third and second century BC. Of course it was a bunch of ruins (rocks and stones) in the middle of what is now a residential area, but still it was worth the visit. I have always had an interest in archaeology....after all anthropology was declared major number two (or was it three) back in the day :) The goal after that was to find the Saar Ruins, but we gave up on that after not being able to find them. Another day perhaps. Instead we went to the Al Budaiya Botanical Gardens. It was a beautiful place to walk around and see plants and flowers from all around the world. At one time the Governor of Britain's wife would always bring something back from her travels...thus creating the gardens. Unfortunately, did not see too much from North America....oh well. Today' s outing concluded with grocery shopping, which needed to be done. I do not like grocery shopping here anymore than I like doing it in the States. Anyway, I do not have anything planned yet for tomorrow, but that will most likely change. Not that I would mind sleeping in a day or two :)
Muharraq has some of the oldest residential properties in Bahrain and the narrow streets add to the quaintness. The first stop was Siyadi House, which belonged to a pearl merchant in the 19th century. I am proud to say that one of my students is a Siyadi descendant. He could not give me a special tour though, as the main portion of the house is now a mosque. I took some pictures from the outside though and the building is very unique and artistic. Not to far from that is the Shaik Isa House. Shaik Isa was the King's great-great-grandfather and was ruler from 1869 to 1932...which was the longest reign of a Bahrain ruler. I know you all care about these facts :) The home was huge with many courtyards and rooms. It is a good example of 19th century architecture with intricate wall carvings everywhere. Of course I took a lot of pictures. There was also a windtower, which is how air used to circulate throughout buildings to cool things off. Call it the first air-conditioning system if you will. What day of sightseeing would be complete without a stop at Dairy Queen? Of course as a true Minnesotan, I would never let a little rain stop me from having a blizzard. Heck a blizzard cannot stop me from having a blizzard.
Today was another busy day and the sun was shining. The first stop was the Barbar Temples ruins. It is basically just that...ruins. The excavation which was started in 1954 is still going on today. It is three temples that were built on top of one another during the Dilmun Era, during the third and second century BC. Of course it was a bunch of ruins (rocks and stones) in the middle of what is now a residential area, but still it was worth the visit. I have always had an interest in archaeology....after all anthropology was declared major number two (or was it three) back in the day :) The goal after that was to find the Saar Ruins, but we gave up on that after not being able to find them. Another day perhaps. Instead we went to the Al Budaiya Botanical Gardens. It was a beautiful place to walk around and see plants and flowers from all around the world. At one time the Governor of Britain's wife would always bring something back from her travels...thus creating the gardens. Unfortunately, did not see too much from North America....oh well. Today' s outing concluded with grocery shopping, which needed to be done. I do not like grocery shopping here anymore than I like doing it in the States. Anyway, I do not have anything planned yet for tomorrow, but that will most likely change. Not that I would mind sleeping in a day or two :)
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The Grand Mosque and Food, Food, Food!
There are only two more days left of the school week and then it is Spring Break time, or as it is actually called here, Easter Break. I am not travelling anywhere as there is still so much to see in Bahrain and many of my friends will be in town, so there are lots of people to hang out with. Besides vacations always fly by anyway. Before I know it, I will be back at school with the long haul to the end of the school year. Literally in that there is only one other day off after between Easter Break and the end of school, which is June 28th....and that day is May 1st, so it's pretty close to break anyway. The students are getting restless and I know they are just as ready for time off as I am.
I had a cold last week, which resulted in no voice (although that partially had to do with all the yelling I did at my students). I learned after the first time I went to London, to always travel with Nyquil as countries always have different types of cold medicine and they have never worked. After breaking into the Nyquil I got sleep and felt much better. I had to get better because the weekend had arrived and there were more places to go and explore. On Friday I went with my friend Mariam and her family to a birthday party. I kind of felt like a party crasher, but was very welcomed and had a lot of fun. There was so much delicious food. The husband is a chef and created this feast of all kinds of food, from American to Middle Eastern to Indian. Of course I ate way too much, but I always love it when I am not cooking for myself, especially since my culinary skills are hardly even basic. Although I am trying to be more adventurous in the kitchen. If anyone has any EASY recipes that do not require a lot of ingredients, please pass them on to me :)
On Saturday the main stop was the Grand Mosque. It is the biggest mosque in Bahrain and can accommodate up to 7,000 worshippers. It is also opened to non-Muslims who can get a tour. Of course to get inside and have the tour, I had to put on an Abaya, which is the traditional long robe/gown that Muslim women wear. There was a whole closet to choose from and I thought since I have to wear one, I am going to wear a fancier one. Of course the head had to be covered also. Pictures were taken which I will post, although try not to notice how non-flattering they are. Of course I am wearing clothing underneath, but still :) I only had to wear it for fifteen minutes, but that was enough to think I was going to pass out from heat exhaustion. I have a new admiration for the women who have to wear it. It was truly an experience. After touring the mosque, which was beautiful, the highlight still ended up being the Abaya. After the mosque tour, it was to the mall for lunch. Marina Mall (one of many) has this delicious and reasonably priced buffet. The food is Middle Eastern and Indian and of course delicious. What I find amusing is that the buffet is located in the mall food court. Again, I ate too much, but I just love ethnic food. And for sure we know I am not going to be cooking any of that :)
After school this week I have been going for walks. I am feeling safe and comfortable doing it and it is nice to get out and enjoy the weather. It has reached the 90s several days and of course I love it. Many people think it is too hot to walk, but I grab my water bottle and go. I feel I need to do something other then just hang out in my flat after a day of teaching. Stores are open though and people are out on the streets again shopping and walking. It is nice to see that....a return to some normalcy. Tonight I walked with Victoria (another teacher who lives across the hall from me) to the post office and the Dairy Queen. She is from India and had never been to DQ. I felt it was my duty to introduce her to the blizzard. On the walk home it started drizzling, but in a way it was nice and refreshing. It has not really rained since I arrived, so it was a little unexpected. That pretty much sums up life since I last wrote. Hope you are all well. More soon :)
I had a cold last week, which resulted in no voice (although that partially had to do with all the yelling I did at my students). I learned after the first time I went to London, to always travel with Nyquil as countries always have different types of cold medicine and they have never worked. After breaking into the Nyquil I got sleep and felt much better. I had to get better because the weekend had arrived and there were more places to go and explore. On Friday I went with my friend Mariam and her family to a birthday party. I kind of felt like a party crasher, but was very welcomed and had a lot of fun. There was so much delicious food. The husband is a chef and created this feast of all kinds of food, from American to Middle Eastern to Indian. Of course I ate way too much, but I always love it when I am not cooking for myself, especially since my culinary skills are hardly even basic. Although I am trying to be more adventurous in the kitchen. If anyone has any EASY recipes that do not require a lot of ingredients, please pass them on to me :)
On Saturday the main stop was the Grand Mosque. It is the biggest mosque in Bahrain and can accommodate up to 7,000 worshippers. It is also opened to non-Muslims who can get a tour. Of course to get inside and have the tour, I had to put on an Abaya, which is the traditional long robe/gown that Muslim women wear. There was a whole closet to choose from and I thought since I have to wear one, I am going to wear a fancier one. Of course the head had to be covered also. Pictures were taken which I will post, although try not to notice how non-flattering they are. Of course I am wearing clothing underneath, but still :) I only had to wear it for fifteen minutes, but that was enough to think I was going to pass out from heat exhaustion. I have a new admiration for the women who have to wear it. It was truly an experience. After touring the mosque, which was beautiful, the highlight still ended up being the Abaya. After the mosque tour, it was to the mall for lunch. Marina Mall (one of many) has this delicious and reasonably priced buffet. The food is Middle Eastern and Indian and of course delicious. What I find amusing is that the buffet is located in the mall food court. Again, I ate too much, but I just love ethnic food. And for sure we know I am not going to be cooking any of that :)
After school this week I have been going for walks. I am feeling safe and comfortable doing it and it is nice to get out and enjoy the weather. It has reached the 90s several days and of course I love it. Many people think it is too hot to walk, but I grab my water bottle and go. I feel I need to do something other then just hang out in my flat after a day of teaching. Stores are open though and people are out on the streets again shopping and walking. It is nice to see that....a return to some normalcy. Tonight I walked with Victoria (another teacher who lives across the hall from me) to the post office and the Dairy Queen. She is from India and had never been to DQ. I felt it was my duty to introduce her to the blizzard. On the walk home it started drizzling, but in a way it was nice and refreshing. It has not really rained since I arrived, so it was a little unexpected. That pretty much sums up life since I last wrote. Hope you are all well. More soon :)
Monday, April 4, 2011
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