STOMP in Bahrain

You'd be surprised at what might cause cultural miscues. Take, for instance, my recent attendance of a concert here in Bahrain.

I went to Stomp with a flipping herd of my closest, dearest friends. If you don't know what stomp is, then you should go to your kitchen right now, lift your trashcan up, drop it, and vooala. You have yourself a broadway musical. Its like a two hour game of "does this make noise? Yes? THEN LETS KEEP MAKING IT!" Then charge people exorbitant amounts of money, because - lets face it - they can make a broom sound much better than I can.

Anyway, part of the show was seven people using brooms. These brooms were used to sweep dust off the stage in a syncopated manner - right into the audience. Ha ha. So funny.

But that's not what was so jaw - dropping. If you've ever visited an Arab function, you will have noticed that they ALL have a VIP section at the front. Its usually royal family members, members of the government or others who have weaseled their way into power.

And they got dust swept into their eyes.

People stateside pay lots of money to have someone dump junk - paint, goop, whale slobber - on them during a show. But not here. An awkward silence followed the scene. Some people didn't know whether to laugh or to hide from the possible onslaught of Bahrain special forces, who might put their own version of stomp on.

Fortunately, nothing of the sort happened. The show must go on, I guess.