Home and Holiday - Pt 1

I have now lived in Bahrain longer than any other place I've lived with the exception of growing up in Wisconsin. As Alison and I prepared to leave Bahrain for the US this summer, we realized that we felt like we were leaving home to go on vacation, and that it no longer felt like we were going HOME.  That's not to say that we haven't had a good time in the States or that we don't like being in the US.

To be honest, there are some things that will always be refreshing when we come back to the home culture.  The more that I move between the US and Bahrain, the more I find that I appreciate about both sides.  Here are 10 things that I've found different, confused by or just plain liked about each place.

1.  Movie Theater Seating:  I went to Inception with Alison and my brothers the other day, and I always forget that, in the US, I can pick where I want to sit when I enter the auditorium!  Theaters in Bahrain have assigned seating, and you pick your seat on the chart when you purchase your ticket.  So every summer when I watch a movie in the states, I get blank stares from my fellow patrons when I ask where we're supposed to sit.

But I also like having assigned seats in Bahrain.  This is particularly useful when the theater is busy (as it often is).  I can then  strategically pick my seat before hand:  in a corner, on an aisle, or with a single seat between me and the next person (because you know no one is going to pick that one seat between two people).

2.  Traffic:  Its amazing that I haven't gotten any traffic tickets this summer.  Particularly in the small town of Aledo, Ill.  In Bahrain I'm used to just going around anyone/anything that is currently in my way, and having roads be suggested routes rather than hard and fast boundaries.  Part of that is due to the high congestion on the roads.

However, I do appreciate more predictable roadways, slowly meandering through small towns and countryside roads and being able to drive with the windows down.

3.  Chipotle:  Someone needs to open a Chipotle in Bahrain.  I would eat there often.  An Olive Garden would be nice, too.

4.  Caribou Coffee:  While the number of Caribous are growing in the States, I'm never far from one in Bahrain.  Thank you Bahraini investment company for buying out Caribou!

5.  Seasons:  I like my Stateside summers, but the winters in Bahrain are a delight!

To Be Continued Tomorrow!