Back from Blogging Oblivion

It has been two months since this blog has been updated, and almost twice as long since I have written anything.  A lot has happened in the last four months: 

• We visited America in all its glory.  Frog jumping contests, children's museums, family pets, and of course, family. 
• I spent 1 month away in Bahrain while Alison and the kids remained in the US.  It was good to have time to get lots of stuff done, but I also missed them.  
• Gabe may have an allergy to gluten and/or dairy.  Uff.  Breads and Dairy products?  Poor kid. 
• Eva is being potty trained!  I'll spare you the details. 
• The Packers lost to the Seahawks on a horrible call 
• My parents have a foreign exchange student from - wait for it... - Bahrain!  Alison and I have had the chance to meet her familiy here, which has been a lot of fun. 

Away to Chicago

Alison and I left the kids with my parents for three days and headed to the Windy City (named for its long winded politicians, not for excess amounts of wind).  We walked around downtown, at Chicago style pizza, visited a few museums, went for bike rides, took tours, and visited the U505 submarine.  As the nerds we are, we even visited a couple bookshops and I found a book on Bahrain from the 1980's!  I am still working my way through it. 

We have moved!

One of the perks of being the Principal is moving into the house reserved for the Principal.  It's actually a duplex, and we occupy the second floor.  The first floor is occupied by the pastor of the National Evangelical Church and his family.  They have already been wonderful neighbors, and their four teenage/adult children living at home provide ample baby-sitting opportunities. 

The house provides more room for our family and, most significantly, a yard!  The kids love being outside.  We are within walking distance of quite a bit, and I am within walking distance of the school.  This cuts my commute down by an hour.   There are a lot of small things I need to come to the school for, so it is nice that I can pop over for an hour if I need to without taking up my entire day. 

On Being Principal

I have learned more in the last three months than I anticipated.  I have learned about how air conditioners and electrical wiring work, set ups of industrial fire alarms, labor law, organizational design and a plethora of other things.   And of course, when someone comes to me, I can no longer pass the buck if I don't want to deal with it.  I have had to learn better time management, to prioritize, and to slow down a bit.  I may have some ideas, but changing institutions takes time - even if everyone inside wants to change with you.  Fortunately, I have a great staff.  Everyone is hard working and dedicated, and I am encouraged every day by the work that they do.  

When in Rome....

The longer I live here, the more Bahraini I become.  I've decided that the eating schedule my Bahraini friends follow is fantastic: 

• Breakfast:  10am-11am
• Lunch: 3pm-4pm 
• Dinner:  8pm-9pm

On Tuesday, we experienced this eating schedule.  We had breakfast with friends at Fudruckers at 10, and by the time we got home it was time to put the kids down for the afternoon nap.  We then went to someone else's house for lunch (we weren't actually expecting lunch, but a great spread was brought out after we arrived!)  So we munched on lunch while chatting.  I was content for the day, and had a light snack in the evening. 

Not only that, but it is traditional to give kids money during Eid.  so as we left, our friends (at both breakfast and lunch!) stuck a couple of dinars in Eva and Gabe's pockets!  They are still too little to understand what money is (thank goodness), but we've got a few ideas for things that they would both enjoy.   

Going to the Beach

You think we'd go to the beach more often since we live on an island.  But we don't.  Today was Eva's first day in the ocean and she seemed to enjoy it.  It was the perfect day - a strong breeze, just warm enough in the sun, just cool enough in the shade.  The thing that stuck out the most to me was the silence.  It's a ways down on the island, and there's really nothing south of the beach for cars to go to.  It was very peaceful.  We couldn't believe we hadn't done it before! Anyways, here are some pictures (if you are viewing this on Facebook, you may need to go directly to my blog to view the pictures).

Following People I've Never Talked To: Observations of Non-Verbal Communication

Directions in Bahrain are difficult, and I've written about it before.  I was taking our car to a garage on the recommendation of a friend, and when I called the mechanic, he told me to meet him near the Gulf Air club.  I knew where that was, and was happy to meet him there.  As I pulled up and started to park in front of the club, I saw a car parked across the street with two men inside.  Before I had even stopped the car, they flashed their lights at me, I gave them a wave, and they pulled out.  I just followed them.

The oddity of it occurred to me as we followed the men the last mile to the garage.  We both just assumed we'd met the right people and went on with our business.  When we pulled up to the garage, then we got out, introduced ourselves and shook hands.  But it was just a knowing glance that confirmed I was the follower and he was the followee. 

So much is communicated non verbally, and I've noticed it other times.  I've seen men talk across a street, yelling just one or two words, giving hand gestures, but seeming to speak volumes to each other.  After a few back-and-forths, they all seem satisfied and will go on their way.  If I do catch the words they use, the words themselves are so ambiguous that an outsider - like myself - has absolutely no clue what's being discussed.  I've been trying to think of any sort of similar thing I've seen in the states, but nothing comes to mind.  

Sand Storm

I don't think we've experienced a true sand storm in Bahrain.  The closest I've come is a sand/dust storm my first year here.  During that one, I had to close my eyes while outside or particles of would get in them.  Its kind of like being at the beach on a windy day, except visibility is down to less than a couple meters and if you leave your windows open absolutely everything gets covered in a fine layer of dust.

However, this last weekend, we did get the tail end of a sand-storm coming off the Arabian peninsula.  I was sent this video taken on Friday (I think) by some guys in Kuwait.  It's quite an amazing and dramatic video.

This picture was also posted on the NASA website earlier this week.  You can see the sand blowing off the UAE into the Persian (Arabian?) Gulf.

Reflections on Valleys in Troubled Times

Because of this week's unrest, we weren't able to have church at our normal place today with everyone, so our church met in various places around Bahrain in people's homes.  Our flat was one of the gathering spots, and we had a couple people come.  It was a good time of worship, reading scripture and praying.  


The Valleys  We looked at a few verses from the Bible about the valleys - the difficult spots in our lives - and our response to those.  One of those verses came from Joshua 7:26 - "Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor [trouble] ever since."  This verse ends the story of Achan, who stole gold that was intended to be given to God.  The valley itself was named the "Valley of Trouble" as a reminder of what happened to God's people that day. 


Hosea's Take Fast forward to Hosea's time, a prophet who prophesied during the Northern Kingdom of Israel's troubled times.  They had turned away from God.  They were worshiping idols.  God is calling them back, and all of chapter 2 of Hosea is God's warning of punishment for deserting God, but a promise from God that He will allure them:

¹⁴"Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
   and bring her into the wilderness,
   and speak tenderly to her.
¹⁵And there I will give her her vineyards
   and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth,
   as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.

We also looked at Psalm 23:1-4

¹The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
²He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
³He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
   for his name’s sake.
⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
   I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
   your rod and your staff,
   they comfort me.

There are lots of applications that we could take from these passages, but we made a couple of observations and applications, particularly in light of our current situation in Bahrain.

Our Responsibility  There are two things we picked out from Psalm 23.  First, we don't hide from Valleys.  We shouldn't be paralyzed.  We shouldn't rush through them.  We are to walk through them.  And as we walk through them, our Shepherd walks with us. Second, we fear no evil.  Why?  Because our Father is with us.  Of course, Psalm 23 does not promise to be delivered from the Valley - only that God's rod and staff will be a comfort to us.

When Are We Done?  The Coombridges, who were with us today, did an across-Europe bike trip this summer.  As they went over hills and through valleys, they sometimes just thought they needed to make it over the hill to get out of a valley.  When they got to the top of the valley, they found that there was still more to go.  Often we can't see the end.  But God  promises that there is hope.

Dependence on Christ  The Valley of Achor became the door of hope that God brought his people through.  What hope do we have in this situation?  At the very least - and most important - we have the hope of Christ.  Whatever happens in this world, whatever happens in Bahrain, this valley pushes us to depend on Christ.  Scripture never promises that children of God will have an easy life.  In fact, God promises trouble.  But whatever trouble we face, our hope is Christ.

One of the songs we sang was Matt Redman's "You Never Let Go".  A very powerful song.  Enjoy.

Relfections in Psalm 91

(A guest post from Alison - who I wish would write more guests posts and become a regular poster).

Psalm 91

¹ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
   will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
   my God, in whom I trust.”

 ³ Surely he will save you
   from the fowler’s snare
   and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
   and under his wings you will find refuge;
   his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
   nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
   nor the plague that destroys at midday.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
   ten thousand at your right hand,
   but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
   and see the punishment of the wicked.
 ⁹ If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
   and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
   no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
   you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
 ¹⁴ “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
   I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
   I will be with him in trouble,
   I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
   and show him my salvation.”

This week has been filled with a lot of uncertainty in Bahrain.  Earlier, Josh and I sat down together to pray for the village behind our flat and afterwards we read this Psalm together.  This psalm has been meaningful me in many different situations and stages of life, and no less today. 

On days when terrors by night and arrows by day seem a little closer to home than usual, what a comfort to know that God is still absolute monarch over all the happenings of people.  I don’t interpret this psalm to mean that God will always spare me from every discomfort, disease, or even death.  But I do find refuge in the fact that God sees all the perils that come near me, and that no stone is allowed to dash against my foot but that an impenetrable God has allowed it to according to His good will. 

I am also reminded in this psalm of the Jesus, the great King who rules with all authority and power over kings of this world.  How his deliverance from the destruction of sin is complete and unending for those who make him their refuge.  I’m grateful in knowing that by calling on his name, he satisfies me with eternal life and shows me his salvation. 

Thoughts on the Protests: News Sources

It has been 11 days since the first protests started on February 13.  A lot has happened.  Lots of new experiences, emotions and decisions that have to be made.  I've been reading "1776" by David McCullough recently, a book about George Washington's first year leading his army in the American Revolution.  I've been a little taken aback in how I've responded to some of the events - things I never would have responded to before. So I thought I'd put together some of the thoughts I've had over the last week and a half.  This first one is specifically about where we've been getting our news from.

My Facebook news feed is literally my news feed:  Things happen and change so fast - and the mainstream media doesn't keep up.  I found that CNN, the BBC and the NY Times were always about 12-18 hours behind.  Therefore, to check the news, I first went to Facebook and checked status updates, and the pictures and links that people posted.  It was on Facebook that I learned about the tanks rolling towards the Pearl Roundabout - about an hour after it actually happened (someone had uploaded it to YouTube).  Eventually, Al Jazeera (out of Qatar) started a live blog that was pretty up to date (though they've since shut that down and focused their reporting on Libya)

Even though the military has pulled out, there have been large demonstrations (both pro-government and pro-reform) and so I often check Facebook to see if/when protests are happening.  Even tonight, before we went to the mall for a coffee and a stroll, I posted a status update asking if anyone had any pertinent information on traffic and protests.  Not 5 minutes after I posted, I received a call from a friend who updated me on the security report he gets from his company.

I still check the news networks, though I find their articles a little tedious (often the first paragraph or two is the "new" news, and the rest is background).  They are great if you don't live here, but since I do, much of the background information is kind of like me picking up a book and the book starting out with the ABC's.  Its also been interesting to see how they portray the island. Here are some of the things I've noticed:

1. Pearl Roundabout:  The BBC, NY Times and CNN just can't get away from calling it the Pearl "Square".  It's not a square in the sense that it's a natural place where people congregate.  It's a big roundabout with a monument in the middle.  Until the last week and a half, I've never seen more than three or four people standing there.  I'm trying to decide if they still don't know its not a square, they now now after making a mistake but don't want to look stupid, call it a square to make the connection to Tahir Square (in Egypt), or have decided that it is now functioning like a square.  
2. Population:  News sources are still saying that Bahrain has a population of about 750,000-800,000.  Those reporters are still getting their information from the out-of-date CIA world fact book.  In the last year or so, the government has admitted that there are about 1.1 million people here, and only 500,000-600,000 are Bahrainis (a sore point for many as there his a relatively high unemployment rate among young men). 

I imagine that a lot of the observations about outside news organizations are commonly found in any situation. People in Egypt and Libya are undoubtedly thinking similar things.  And I think that the reporting is a necessary way to break down a very complex situation into pieces that are easily digestible (I have found CNN's similarly formatted reporting of the Wisconsin demonstrations particularly helpful).  Really, correcting the reporters makes me feel intellectual. 

Bahrain Protests - Videos

Lots of joy last night as the army and police pulled out of the Pearl Roundabout and the protesters moved back in.  The Crown Prince, Shaikh Salman, gave two interviews yesterday, one to Bahrain TV and the other to CNN.   By all accounts, things are fairly peaceful in the roundabout, with stories of protesters serving tea and breakfast to police who are there.  I don't know if that particular story is true, but quite a few friends from church went down to the roundabout and said that things are jubilant.  We will probably swing by today before doing some grocery shopping.

Praise God:

• Peace has returned to the Pearl Roundabout
• The Crown Prince has taken a humble stance and started engaging in dialog 

Please Pray:

• That the situation would remain peaceful 
• That meaningful dialog would take place between the government and the protesters 

CNN Interview with Nic Robertson

Bahrain TV Interview

Pray for Bahrain

Our church has set up a Pray for Bahrain website.  On this site you can do 3 things:

• Post a prayer on the site's blog.
• Volunteer to sign up for a time slot to pray
• find links to up to date information about what's happening in Bahrain. 

If you are inclined to sign up, please visit the site.

pray4bahrain.weebly.com

Update on the Bahrain Protests

If you follow this blog, it means that you are probably aware of the protests and demonstrations in Bahrain.  In case you are wondering, Alison, Eva and I are doing fine.  If you weren't wondering... well, now you know.  Most of the demonstrations have been away from our normal stomping grounds, and we are avoiding areas where demonstrators are gathering.

If you are aware that things are getting a little heated in Bahrain, it probably means you have a news source. However, I'll give you another one.  I currently have a blog feed that automatically gives me any online news article that mentions "Bahrain".  You can view a search on Google news for "Bahrain" here.  Most of the articles are about the protests, and there are a lot of good articles.

Christmas and Easter Irony

One of my favorite comic strips is "Non Sequitur".  The characters are witty, the humor is biting and the author likes poking fun at the absurdities of society.  Today's strip is as follows:

Ok, so I get the joke.  Two players playing for competing holidays spending time together.  But the irony is, the holidays actually do go together.  It's not just in secret in the off-season that they 'canoodle', but by their nature they are inseparable.

The problem is that the holidays that were once cornerstones of the Christian identity in the United States have become secularized and commercialized.  This is true particularly in Bahrain.  Stores catering to westerners stock up on Santa figurines and Easter egg decorating kits.  The holidays have a very secular flavor.

But the two holidays are inherently intertwined.  Christmas, you see, is the holiday in which we celebrate God coming to earth, in the form of Jesus.  The primary purpose of Jesus coming was to atone for our sins, to provide an avenue to wash away our shame and make it possible to has a real relationship with God.  That process happened during the death and resurrection of Jesus - Easter.  Without Christmas, we cannot have Easter.  And without Easter, Christmas is meaningless.

Elections in Bahrain

If you've met me before, you know that I like politics.  I'm a bit of a news junkie and like to watch cable news when we're in the states.  And this year in Bahrain are the elections for the lower parliament.  According to Bahrain's constitution, there is a lower parliament that is elected (similar to the house of representatives) and another "house" that is appointed by the king.

This will be my second election cycle in Bahrain - the first being the very first year that I moved out here.  That year I was able to visit some of the election tents.  Candidates will often set up tents in the constituencies that they are running in that serve tea, have lots of couches and music playing.  People will come and hang out and get to know the candidate.  To be honest - when we went, I'm not sure how many were people were 'voters being courted' and how many were people who were a part of the campaign (though its probably a blurry line anyways).

Elections will be on October 23, and I'm interested following it (regardless of how little I will actually know).  I'm also interested in seeing if I can find an election tent in our area.  I always enjoy talking with politicians and hearing their views and how they are interested in helping the people around them.  Here are some of the similarities and differences (and other random pieces of information):

1. One of the big differences is that the "campaign season" is only from the middle of September till the elections on October 23.  To be honest, I'm not sure that US presidential candidates need what is essentially two years to build up their campaigns.   Don't get me wrong - its an important office.  But it seems a little blown out of proportion. 
2. The age to be eligible to vote is 20 years, not 18.  Not a huge difference, but I like useless information. 
3. Other voting requirements:  must either 1) be a Bahraini nationalized citizen 2) permanent resident with a GCC (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar or Oman) passport or 3) own land (which, if you're not Bahraini, is very difficult if you're not fairly wealthy). 
4. I think you have to be 30 in order to run, and you have to be approved by the election commission (not sure what those requirements are). 
5. These are only the third set of elections.  2002 was the first time that Bahrain elected the parliament. 

If I'm able to visit an election tent, I'll see if I can take some pictures and post evidence of my indoctrination!

Watching the World Cup

While its unfortunate that the US has been eliminated from the World Cup, I can still enjoy good soccer (football)! Watching the World Cup is no easy task. You have to have expensive satellite or a fast internet connection (which is also expensive).  However, people here adapt!  Many coffee shops show the games.  Even the theaters are showing the games!  I watched the first US game at a cinema.

However, one of the most exciting venues is at the mall.  Last night I went with a friend to catch the last half of the England/Germany game.  One of the cell phone operators is sponsoring World Cup showings.  You can see the area below where people can pay to sit.  And it was sold out (or so I was told when asked).  Of course, one doesn't have to pay to watch the game - which is what we (and many others) did.

Don't let the above fool you.  This was at half time.  When the game was showing, the center was packed and the outside was full with people standing and watching the game. 

Here's a glimpse from the ground (still outside the VIP area).  This is where we watched most of the game from.

People lined the railings on the 2nd and 3rd floor to catch the game.  You can also see that there were smaller tv's in the VIP area, where people could watch. 

While it wasn't as comfortable as watching from home or in a theater, it was a lot of fun watching with this many people.  No matter who scored a goal, the crowd cheered.  I think its about as good as it can get without actually being at the game.  I'm not sure I'll make it to any more mall games before we vamoose to the States, but it won't be for lack of desire!

A (Persian) Bahraini Wedding: Part 2 (Men and Women Together [Josh's Perspective])

If you missed the first post, you can click on this link to read about Alison's experience at the women's only portion of the wedding celebration (and if you think the title is too long... well - there's lots of nuance to be communicated!). 

One of the things that Alison mentioned in the previous post was the make-up.  Here's a great (though slightly more exuberant) example of the make-up. You can see more examples at this website.

Also, I wanted to share this quote with you.  A comment a Bahraini friend left on facebook regarding the last post:

300 people? thats it? maybe i should invite you to a wedding from my mom's side of the family. its normally mixed men and women from the beginning. 8 pm till about 5 am. dinner and breakfast. not a lot of people are covered, a lot of people are drunk, and girls and boys on the dance floor. about 1000 to 1500 people. 

 Its good to note that there are a wide variety of people in Bahrain - from the very conservative (which is what westerners typically think of) to the more liberal.  So while my descriptions are interesting and exotic, please don't take this as a 100% cross-section of Bahraini society!

And now - Part II (read part 1 here)

After Alison came home to feed Eva, we headed out around 11:30 pm back to the wedding.  When we arrived, Alison headed into the hall where the women were, and I went into another door, wandering around until I found something that looked like the men's gathering.  Fortunately, some former students saw me and brought me into where the men were sitting.

The room had about 20 or 30 men inside, presumably most family of the bride and/or groom.  Most stared at me awkwardly as I obviously wasn't a part of the family!  A familiar face found me (brother of the groom) and he graciously offered me his seat and we started chatting.  The women were in the main hall, so I asked him if he'd been in there.  I thought maybe, since he was family, he was allowed.  But he responded, "If I were to go in there, they'd kill me!"  I got the sense he was only half joking.  You see, many of the women would be uncovered, and it would be considered shameful for him to see those women - particularly the bride.

After about 10 minutes, the father of the groom came in to tell the men it was time for them to go in.  The men slowly started to move towards the door as the father enthusiastically encouraged/pushed us out and into the main hall.  As the men entered, many of the women came up to escort them in.  I'm not sure, but I got the sense that the women were family members - sisters, wives, cousins, etc.  It seemed similar to the entrance of the wedding party in a western wedding, where all attention is focused on them.  And there I was, standing awkwardly in the middle of everything!  I'm sure people were wondering who the weird American was standing in the middle of the family as they were entering!

Timidly I waited, unsure of what to do, or where to go.  Most of the tables were occupied by women.  And though some of the men told me that it was alright to go sit with my wife, I wasn't convinced that it would have been completely culturally appropriate.  Fortunately, Alison saved the day and came up to me, and we walked together where the bride and groom were sitting.

They were seated at the front of the hall, with elaborate decorations behind them.  No one was sitting directly next to them, but a large square area was blocked off around them, of which they were at the head.  This square area had chairs around the outside, and hard wood floors in the middle. 

We were ushered up to the front by the father of the groom, and we got in line behind 30 other people.  We waited to give congratulations to the bride and groom and have our picture taken with them (if I ever get the picture, I'll post it here).  After we finished that, I went to sit in the much smaller mens section, and Alison returned to the womens section. 

I sat next to one of my former students (the brother of the groom), and we chatted for a little bit, before it was time to hit up the buffet.  And what a buffet it was - fantastic arabic/persian/indian food.  I really do love the food in this country.   We all took generous portions, and headed back to our seats to chow down (and get indigestion due to eating at 12 midnight!).  As we ate, here area  few things we observed:

• The mother of the groom went up with 1/2 dinar bills (worth about $1 each) and 'sprinkled' them over the bride and groom.  The children rushed around to collect the money that had fallen on the floor. 
• the center of the square (of which the bride and groom were the head) was a dance area, and a variety of people were dancing.  Old, young, men, women - it was a lot of fun to watch the old men dance with the younger girls (though I think they were all family)! 
• The bride and groom cut the cake and ate it, but few people payed attention.  However, it was all caught on video by the professional videographers! 
• The bride and groom spent most of their time getting their picture taken with various people, and very little time socializing.  Honestly, they looked exhausted (which was confirmed to us when we saw them later that next week!) 
• The music was LOUD.  It was apparently Arabic.  Or Persian.  The people I talked to weren't quite sure.

After a while, I looked behind me (my table was near the front), I saw that many people had left.  I asked one of the guys near me what was next and he said that it was pretty much over!  While I described some of the activities above, about 3/4 of the people were just sitting and eating. 

So, at 1am, it was time to leave!  Alison had made her way over near where I was sitting and we decided that it was time to head home.  On our way out, we said our goodbyes to friends, thank-yous to the groom's parents (who had invited us in the first place) and congratulations to the bride and groom (who apparently didn't make it out for another hour or two!)

I think what struck me was how similar it was to even our own wedding!  Or at least the reception portion of it.  A cake was cut, most people just ate, people dressed in new dresses and sharp suites.  One of the things that was missing, comparatively at least, was the marriage ceremony itself (though I'll write about that another time). 

A (Persian) Bahraini Wedding: Part 1 (Men and Women Separate)

Last Thursday, Alison and I had the opportunity to go to the wedding of one of the brother of a former student.   We have been to weddings before, but never a PERSIAN Bahraini wedding. Essentially, the wedding is broken into two parts:  men and women separate, then everyone comes together.

Cultural Side Note:  Bahrain is not homogeneously Arab.  Rather, there are people of Gulf Arab descent, people of Persian descent, and then people who are ORIGINAL Bahrainis (locally known as bah-RAH-ni).  Of course, as time goes on the three cultures continue to mix, but it’s not uncommon for Bahrainis to identify with one of those three groups.

This particular wedding started at 8pm, which means that to be on time, one must arrive no earlier than 9pm.  Alison, and our friend Melissa, went together in elegant dresses, but covered in black abayas (without a hijab - the head covering), and arrived at a very fashionable and comfortable 9:30 pm.  I'll let Alison talk about what she experienced here:

The hall was decorated beautifully, similar to any other night reception in the US with decorated round tables and a center dance floor.  The place was filled with blaring Arabic/Persian/Indian(?) music.  And I mean blaring.  It really made it difficult to converse with the person sitting next to you at the table, forget about the person across the table. 

This left only one occupation for the night, people watching.  And this was THE BEST place to watch people.  We all had arrived in abayas, but as soon as we were in the privacy of the hall (away from men), the abayas came off.  And the women were extravagant.  More women than not had attended a salon that day to get their hair and makeup done.  I admit I like going to Arab events, because the makeup is so ornately done.

The dresses were also fantastic.  When I first went to the malls in Bahrain, I would wonder at the abundance of  scandalous and expensive couture dress stores, when it seemed like all I ever saw women wear were abayas.  It’s at the weddings they get DECKED OUT.  This still kind of confused me as to why women would spend (I’m estimating) and average of $200-400 for make-up, hair and dress on an event that no man will see her in. 

I learned however, that weddings are often the places that mothers and sisters will pick out a girl for their respective sons and brothers.  So oftentimes single girls go, knowing that someone might be looking to pick out their future daughter-in-law!

After about 2 hours of time with the ladies, the bride finally comes in.  I have never been to a wedding in the states where a bride is as adorned as at an Arabic wedding.  Her eyelashes were AT LEAST a half an inch long, and I have never knew hair could get that big.  In talking with friends, a bride will typically stay 8-9 hours at a salon getting done up, and the salon packages start at $250.  Just for an evening!  One time I showed some Arab friends my wedding pictures, and they wondered why I didn’t have any make-up on (which I did).  I think it was the equivalent for them of showing up for a wedding with jeans and a t-shirt.

This bridal display only lasts about 15 minutes, before all of that lovely hair, and the top of her dress is covered gently in a white wedding-style abaya and hijab by the girl's family.  This cues everyone else in the room to cover as well.  Then the men are allowed to come in.  It was then that I realized that a wedding is really about the women.  There were probably a total of 300 people there, and maybe 50 of them were men.

As for me - I was at home with Eva.  There was a small gathering for the men, but it was mostly close family.   At about 10:30pm, Alison came home - covered in her black abaya - to feed Eva.  With that finished, we drank a little bit of coffee and headed back to the wedding (leaving Eva with a sitter of course).

In a few days, I'll post the next bit of our wedding experience!

Sometimes Close is What Makes You Happy

The other day a restaurant menu was left on our door.  Or on our windsheild - I'm not sure.  It was for a new restaurant that advetised delivery.  We don't often do delivery (even though EVERY restaurant delivers), and I particularly don't enjoy calling because of the language barrier.  Its sometimes all we can do to communicate with people when we're with them.  Phone conversations can turn futile.  However, we hadn't eaten dinner and didn't feel like making dinner, so we decided to order in.

I called the restaurant and it took a few tries to establish that I wanted delivery.  Once we did, I stumbled my way through ordering the following

• Onion Rings
• Chicken Tikka
• Beef Tikka 
• Hummous (with bread). 

There was confusion at every point, and I don't think I clearly established what size of each of these I wanted.  But we all ended that portion with feigned confidence, and then attempted to determine where the food should be delivered.  That one seemed even less successful... My friend gave up on that one pretty quick and handed me over to someone that could clearly and accurately find out my address.

After about half an hour (pretty speedy by most standards we've found), the doorbell rung and our food had arrived.  I asked him how much, and he said BD1.6 ($4).  Pretty good!  But I still hadn't seen what was inside.  Alison and I sat down and started pulling our food out, and we found:

• Onion Rings (check) 
• Chicken Tikka (check) 
• Hammour Filet (Hammour is fish - which sounds like Hummous, I guess) 

No beef tikka.  I guess he thought that I had changed my mind from Beef to Chicken.  No problem - what we did get was more food than I thought, so we ended up full with food that tasted good.  Sometimes close is what makes you happy.

Arab American Country Music

If there's anything that could be categorized as ethnically American (for much of American culture is the result of the melting pot or tossed salad - whichever metaphor you prefer), the closest might be country music.  So when I was sent an advertisement from a friend about arab-american Kareem Salama performing country music in Bahrain, I was a little skeptical.  If I had said that I was going to perform ethnic Bahraini music, there would be much skepticism there as well!

However, one doesn't get much chance to hear country music live in Bahrain.  So tonight we went to see Kareem Salama perform live at Seef Mall.  And it was really good.  When we got to the mall we found the band of four setting up the sound equipment - I went over to ask if they were going to start on time ("on time" is relative here).  The guy was very friendly, and we quickly began chatting.  Soon the other band members came over, including Kareem Salama.  And boy was I suprised.

He looks arab (duh), and I was (subconsciously, I guess) expecting a Gulf accent.  So I was a little taken aback when a midwestern accent with a slight southern drawl came out of his mouth.  His ethnic background is Eygptian, but he was born and raised in Oklahoma, being surrounded by what he characterizes as a mix of western and southern.  It doesn't get more country than that.  In fact, he has an engineering degree and a law degree from University of Iowa.

Soon the band had to get back on stage to begin playing.  They played for about an hour and Alison and I really enjoyed their music.  The music was fun and the words were engaging.  Enough, in fact, that I've bought the two songs available on itunes (its only $1.98).  We stayed for the hour long set they did, and I was so excited about all of it that I decided to write a blog.

Some of the music is explicitly dealing with the issues facing an Arab American in a climate that has some fear and concern about Arabs living in America.  Some of the music is just "normal" country music.  One of the current songs has an available music video available on youtube, which I've put below.  You can also see some of the media coverage of the band on foxnews.com and cnn.com.

Giving Away The Baby

People think Eva is cute.  I mean, she IS cute, so I'm not all that surprised when we get lots of smiles from strangers. We get the most smiles at the mall.  When we go to the mall, Alison sets me down at a coffee shop with Eva.  I read, Eva coos in her stroller and Alison walks around and does window shopping.  After a while, Eva gets bored and I need to take her out of the seat.  Or I want to hold her and I need to take her out of the stroller (no one is ever sure which it is) and we play a little bit.  That gets the most smiles. 

On Friday after church, we headed over to a used book sale - a charity event for one of the churches (used book sales are our Achilles heel).  As we browsed through the books, one of the women came over and asked if she could help - by holding Eva for me.  I was just find holding her myself, but I know that she's just so darn irresistible.  So some random woman took her, and pretty soon all the other women (all of them Indian) were standing around cooing. 

This type of thing is not uncommon here.  Some friends of ours who have small children have had similar experiences.  Once, while sitting at a restaurant with their infant, a random Bahraini woman came up and complimented them on their child and proceeded to pick up the child and walk away.  Not far - across the restaurant to her family.  After a little bit, their kid was brought back.  

That hasn't happened to us yet - but I fully expect it to.  Eva only gets cuter as time goes on. 

He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed! Easter in Bahrain

Its Easter weekend in Bahrain, and as a friend informed me, one of the first times in a long time that the western celebration of Easter and the eastern orthodox celebration of Easter fall on the same weekend.  So what does Easter look like here?

Good Friday - the day of Jesus' death - is our normal church day.  Our church, Saar Fellowship, had its regular service on Friday morning.  It was a normal, solemn Good Friday service, with the exception of communion. 

Usually, communion (bread and wine - the symbol of Jesus' broken body and blood shed for us) is handed out on communion plates by ushers.  Instead, they passed out nails.  In the center of the auditorium was a cross about 4 feet high.  As individuals chose (we weren't dismissed by rows or anything), people went to the cross and hammered their nail into the cross - a symbol that WE, through our sin and shameful behavior, made it necessary for Christ to die for our sin and shame. After hammering the nail, people could go to either side to take communion. The congregation sang one more song

Today, Sunday, is a work day for everyone.  Most people do not take the day off, but churches here are prepared to accommodate!  A conglomeration of churches holds a sunrise service for people to attend before work.  This year, Alison and I met some people in our small group met an apartment at 6am - read the story of how Jesus rose from the dead, claiming victory over our sin and punishment, and then shared a meal together.  Some people went off to work in the morning, while others (including myself) have the day off. 

Later in the day, we went to some friends' house for an Easter celebration!  There were almost 30 kids there, so they gathered them around and told the Easter using different pieces.  We all shared a meal together and then the kids went out back for an Easter egg hunt.  Eva even participated by doing a little hunt herself!  (Of course, eggs are not part of the Resurrection story and Jesus.  I'm not really sure how they got in there, but its what we do, and its a good time, anyway!)

"Look! I found an egg!"

From Evangeline

"I gotta carry it home, and find out what's inside."

From Evangeline

"Hmm... kind of empty.  Need to find some more."

From Evangeline

"Look how many I found!  I need to get some more!"

From Evangeline

"Gotta eat the candy before my daddy does!"

From Evangeline