In The Neighborhood - NEC and AMH

It has been a while since I've consistently written, so here's a quick update.  I'm now the principal at Al Raja School, where Alison and I have been involved since we first met.  There are lots of fantastic perks, but one of them is that we have moved into the house designated for the principal - more pictures later. 

The house is in the center of Manama, which means a completely new neighborhood (actually, it's the neighborhood that Alison lived in when she first moved here, so its a bit of a homecoming for us).  Traffic is heavier, but there is lots within walking distance. 

One of my favorite landmarks is just across the street from us - the American Mission Hospital (AMH) and the National Evangelical Church (NEC).  Both of those institutions are sister institutions of Al Raja School.  All three were started by Reformed Church of America missionaries in the late 1800's or early 1900's.  Al Raja was started in 1899, the church in 1906, and the hospital in 1902.  They all leave a legacy that is respected by Bahrainis and expatriates. 

A panoramic shot of the church (center left) and the hospital (right).  Our house is on the far, far left, behind the trees.

The hospital is special to us as it is the place that both of our children were born.  When you enter the lobby of the hospital, the walls are filled with pictures of doctors and patients from across the century - including members of the royal family that were born at the hospital.  

Entrance to the hospital.  The brown structures are "mushrabiyyas", traditional Bahraini  architecture.  Most likely, they were intended to keep out the harsh, summer sun while still letting the breeze through. 

The pedestrian bridge that connects the two main hospital buildings.  Eva likes to watch the cars  from the bridge. 

The church is also special to us because we still retain a lot of friendships from there.  Alison attended the NEC when she first arrived, until I stole her away to Saar Fellowship, where we currently attend.  Beyond the personal links, there are a variety of language congregations. 

This tower with the clock has been a fixture of Manama for over a century, and is recognizable to many people. 

We are excited to continue our involvement - however small - with both of these communities, and consider it an honor to be here. 

Happy National Day!

December 16th is National Day in Bahrain.  Around Bahrain, trees and buildings are decorated with red and white lights.  On December 13th, we celebrated national day at school with a festival that celebrated Bahrain's culture, heritage, and history.  Little kids played traditional games, painted pottery, ate traditional food and came dressed in traditional clothes.  They even had a play that showcased a traditional wedding!  The older kids went on field trips around Bahrain to places that showcased Bahrain's culture and contribution to the world.  All in all, it was a wonderful day.

Bahrain was a British protectorate from 1820 till 1971, when the British pulled out of the Middle East in general.  On August 15th, 1971, Bahrain gained independence from the British, and on December 16th, 1971, Bahrain formalized its structure as the State of Bahrain, with the formal ascension of Sheikh Isa (the current King's father) as the Emir of Bahrain.

So for your listening and viewing pleasure, I present to you the national anthem of Bahrain.

Arabic	Transliteration	Translation
بحريننا	Baḥraynunā	Our Bahrain
مليكنا	Malīkunā	Our King
رمز الوئام	Ramzu l-wi’ām	A symbol of harmony
دستورها عالي المكانة والمقام	Dustūruhā ‘ālī 'l-makānati wa-l-maqām	Its constitution is high in the place and the position
ميثاقها نهج الشريعة والعروبة والقيم	Mītāquhā nahgu s-sarī‘ati wa-l-‘urūbati wa-l-qiyam	Its charter is the way of (method of) Shari'a, Arabism, and the values
عاشت مملكة البحرين	‘Āshat mamlakatu al-Baḥrayn	Long live the Kingdom of Bahrain!
بلد الكرام	Baladu 'l-kirām	Country of nobles,
مهد السلام	Mahdu 's-salām	Cradle of peace,
دستورها عالي المكانة والمقام	Dustūruhā ‘ālī 'l-makānati wa-l-maqām	Its constitution is high in the place and the position
ميثاقها نهج الشريعة والعروبة والقيم	Mītāquhā nahgu s-sarī‘ati wa-l-‘urūbati wa-l-qiyam	Its charter is the way of (method of) Shari'a, Arabism, and the values
عاشت مملكة البحرين	‘Āshat mamlakatu al-Baḥrayn	Long live the Kingdom of Bahrain!

Ashura 2012

You may hear that there are different sects of Muslims - Sunni and Shia.  This last week was the Ashura holiday that Shia Muslims participate in.  During this holiday, they remember the deaths of Hussain and Ali, the son and grandson of Mohammed.  They were killed in the Battle of Karbala, which took place in Iraq.  This is a 10 day long ritual that happens every year.  The last two days - the 9th and 10th of Muharram - are usually days off for most schools, businesses and government offices. 

This year we experienced it a little more closely.  As the week goes on, more and more people participate in the rituals in the Manama center, which is right next two where we now live.  (oh yeah, we've moved!  I'll post pictures another time).  Because people from all over Bahrain, and other Gulf countries, come to Manama center to participate, we end up being in lock-down mode.  Which means there are so many cars that we have difficulty driving out.  And if we do, there's no guarantee that someone won't park in front of our garage entrance while we're away. 

Since we live so close, I've been able to visit the Ashura activities a couple of times over the last week and show my New Zealand and American friends around (I've been down before, so I have a general sense of what is going on, and where things are at).  Even though it is a more sombre event, people are quite welcoming towards us.  

Some key experiences of Ashura: 

• Families (and by family I mean hoards of cousins, aunts, uncles, etc) will stay in a familiy house in Manama and prepare food and snacks that people can freely take.  We sampled tea, various dates, falafal and other treats. 
• Aza'a:  the men will march while hitting themselves (sometimes lightly, some times not) and listening to someone recite various aspects of the story of Hussain and Ali.
• Art:  the Islamic Art Society of Bahrain hosts an art gallery every year with art depicting various scenes from the Battle of Karbala.

Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures, but I will certainly take my camera next year and share with a little more color. 

Thanksgiving 2012

One of my favorite memories growing up - and one of the things I miss most about being away from the US - is thanksgiving at my aunt and uncle's house.  My mom's side of the family would gather, and a hoard of us boys would romp, wrestle, and ruckus for three days (my poor cousin, Alice, was the lone girl among 11 boys).  However, we are not deprived of Thanksgiving thrills! There are enough Americans around to make an evening of it.

Last year, we had a pretty big thanksgiving with lots of friends hosted by us and a neighbor.  Alison did a lot of the cooking and prep, and was pretty exhausted afterwards.  Earlier this year, she vowed that she would not host thanksgiving this year.  As November neared, she softened and was ready to host thanksgiving for our family and some of the American teachers from school.  Add a few people here, a few people there and, bang - 27 people for Thanksgiving.  So much for a small, intimate meal!

However, we were not disappointed on several fronts.

• First, our neighbors graciously agreed to host, lifting one of the biggest burdens from Alison (and myself, but mostly Alison).  
• Second, many people were willing to help out with food.  Alison cooked (baked?  I don't know the difference) the turkeys, along with home made cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes.  
• Third, our hosts, Jim and Beth, asked everyone to say one thing they were thankful for.  It was encouraging to hear from so many people.  
• Fourth, Alison made a pumpkin pie and an apple pie.  We still have leftovers in the fridge.  
• Fifth, I was able to watch the Lions game.  We never watched football on Thanksgiving growing up, but watching football made me feel American.  It's good to have that from time to time. 

Coincidentally, Thanksgiving weekend occurs the same weekend as the Shia Muslim time of Ashura, so we also have a four day weekend, having Sunday and Monday off. 

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.