The Frigid Winter of Bahrain

Suffering
I know all of you in the states are scoffing.  You think my blood has thinned.  You think that I can no longer handle the long, bitter winters of the midwest.  Well, I submit to you that surviving winter in Bahrain is more difficult than surviving winter in Minnesota.

1.  When the temperature gets below 55 degrees, there is no heat to turn on.  Anywhere.  Not in cars.  Not in the houses.  Not anywhere.  I know all of you turn on the heat when it gets below 65 degrees. 

2.  For 10 months out of the year, I sweat when I go outside.  Maybe its my own fault for not remembering to purchase warm clothing, but ties just don't work well as scarves. 

3.  When I get up in the morning, there is no hot air vent blasting out the blanket of joy I so dearly remember growing up.  No - there is only 50 degree air waiting for me after I get out of the shower. 

4.  Eva flips and flops in her bed while sleeping more than a [insert your loathed political party] during campaign season.  This is, we believe, the reason she wakes up at 5:30 am, cold after having thrown the covers off, to climb into bed with us.  

I challenge any of you "suffering" in your houses with central heating and fire places to come to Bahrain and brave our cold weather.  I challenge you to endure teaching and holding white-board markers all day with no way to warm your hands.  And if you take up our challenge, please bring some triscuits.

Winter Thobe Collection
You may recognize the traditional white robe called a "thobe", that many arab men wear.  During the winter, many men will wear darker colored thobes.  I'm not sure if its simply a fashion deal, or if the material is heavier.  But you know its winter in Bahrain when the dark thobes are sported.  The thobes below are particularly stylish - apparently they are from a designer in Saudi Arabia.