Saw this sign the other day and had to laugh.Seems the locals don't like a lot about wayward western culture, but clearly no-one can resist a Big Mac.
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
Thursday, 21 May 2009
Exam technique
Poor Olivia is exhausted. She has been sitting SATs tests all week. It all seems a bit harsh for six year olds.
As a concerned and interested parent, I passed on a few pearls of exam technique wisdom to her. "Make sure you read the questions" I cautioned. "Don't rush. And try to answer everything. If there is no answer, they can't give you a mark."
Olivia has clearly taken this advice to heart. Yesterday was the English comprehension assessment and she could answer all but one question.
"But," she told me proudly,"I didn't leave it blank."
"Well done!" I said. "You took a guess then?"
"No," she replied. "I wrote: I am sorry, I just do not know the answer."
Sunday, 17 May 2009
Camels
The King of Bahrain has a hobby - camel breeding. He keeps the camels on a farm near the girls' school. He currently has over 400. As we had a friend in town over the weekend, we went to visit them.
According to Olivia, camels:
1. Smell.
2. Have bad teeth.
3. Are really grumpy.
She was persuaded to pat this week old baby though.
More Enid
This is Enid.She is definitely a she and is about 5 weeks old.
She is eating well and being loved to death by both the girls.
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
Beware of overspending......
A Saudi judge has told a seminar on domestic violence that it is OK for a man to slap his wife for lavish spending.
According to the judge, if a wife buys an expensive abaya with money given to her by her husband and if the husband smacks her on the face as a reaction to her action, she deserves that punishment.
I knew there was a reason I don't show Ian the credit card bills.
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Divine intervention and Enid
We spent Friday afternoon at the Yacht Club where the girls collected crabs in a bucket and then begged to be allowed to take them home as pets.
They were persuaded to return them to the sea, but the whole pet debate was reignited as a result - my stance has always been that we travel too much to have a pet. Truth be told, I'm just not that much of an animal lover.
Isabelle spent the journey home wishing, wishing, wishing for a dog. Olivia wanted a cat, dog, hamster - anything which could be negotiated really.
On our return home, a moment of divine intervention. A little black bundle of fur shot into the garage, mieowed loudly and refused to leave.
And so Enid (after Ms Blyton) came into our lives. At least we think she's a she. If not, Olivia has chosen the name Bernard (?!)
She's off to the vet tomorrow for a once over and gender confirmation.
They were persuaded to return them to the sea, but the whole pet debate was reignited as a result - my stance has always been that we travel too much to have a pet. Truth be told, I'm just not that much of an animal lover.
Isabelle spent the journey home wishing, wishing, wishing for a dog. Olivia wanted a cat, dog, hamster - anything which could be negotiated really.
On our return home, a moment of divine intervention. A little black bundle of fur shot into the garage, mieowed loudly and refused to leave.
And so Enid (after Ms Blyton) came into our lives. At least we think she's a she. If not, Olivia has chosen the name Bernard (?!)
She's off to the vet tomorrow for a once over and gender confirmation.
Thursday, 7 May 2009
Alcohol ban
Tuesday was a bad day for boozers.
The Kingdom's MPs have voted unanimously in favour of a proposed blanket ban on alcohol. Under the proposal, bars and restaurants will be banned from serving alcohol. Hotel guests may only be served alcohol in their rooms.
We will still be allowed to drink at home, but will only be able to buy booze from specially licensed home delivery companies.
Hotel and restaurant owners are in uproar. The Adliya area, where we live, houses many of the Kingdom's top restaurants and has recently undergone a massive facelift. It'll all be a complete waste of money if no-one uses the restaurants any more.
Nearly a quarter of the country's working population is apparently employed in the hospitality industry, so the ban, if imposed, will have massive repurcussions. Foreign investment will also be affected with what many now see as as the increasing "Islamicism" of the country.
One leading Bahraini businessman was quoted as saying that although Bahrain was an Islamic country, it was also part of the global village and should not impose Islamic views on all. "It's all about mutual respect", he said.
The MPs have other ideas. According to them , alcohol is fuelling the vice trade and turning the whole country into a brothel. A quote from one of them: "We will accept failure in the economy if alcohol is banned..."
They may have to.
The proposal must now go to the Cabinet, which has the power to reject it. It remains to be seen whether or not they will.
In the meantime, I'm off for a glass of vino ...........CHEERS!
The Kingdom's MPs have voted unanimously in favour of a proposed blanket ban on alcohol. Under the proposal, bars and restaurants will be banned from serving alcohol. Hotel guests may only be served alcohol in their rooms.
We will still be allowed to drink at home, but will only be able to buy booze from specially licensed home delivery companies.
Hotel and restaurant owners are in uproar. The Adliya area, where we live, houses many of the Kingdom's top restaurants and has recently undergone a massive facelift. It'll all be a complete waste of money if no-one uses the restaurants any more.
Nearly a quarter of the country's working population is apparently employed in the hospitality industry, so the ban, if imposed, will have massive repurcussions. Foreign investment will also be affected with what many now see as as the increasing "Islamicism" of the country.
One leading Bahraini businessman was quoted as saying that although Bahrain was an Islamic country, it was also part of the global village and should not impose Islamic views on all. "It's all about mutual respect", he said.
The MPs have other ideas. According to them , alcohol is fuelling the vice trade and turning the whole country into a brothel. A quote from one of them: "We will accept failure in the economy if alcohol is banned..."
They may have to.
The proposal must now go to the Cabinet, which has the power to reject it. It remains to be seen whether or not they will.
In the meantime, I'm off for a glass of vino ...........CHEERS!
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
Chastity Saudi style
Saudi Arabia's top cleric has called on Saudi girls to remain chaste in the face of liberals who want to westernise Saudi lifestyles.
"They want her to be unveiled, moving about and travelling on her own, getting involved in relationships with whoever she wants and calling whoever she wants to start up friendships with whoever she wants" the Grand Mufti was quoted as saying.
Anyone interested in an account of how young women in Saudi manage to get over such repressive restrictions should pick up a copy of the novel "Girls of Riyadh" by Rajaa Alsanea. It's certainly an illuminating read.
"They want her to be unveiled, moving about and travelling on her own, getting involved in relationships with whoever she wants and calling whoever she wants to start up friendships with whoever she wants" the Grand Mufti was quoted as saying.
Anyone interested in an account of how young women in Saudi manage to get over such repressive restrictions should pick up a copy of the novel "Girls of Riyadh" by Rajaa Alsanea. It's certainly an illuminating read.
Swine flu fever
There has been much press coverage here, as elsewhere, of swine flu.
Special checks have been set up at the airport. The pharmacies have reported a run on Tamiflu and face masks, although many women have fully covered faces anyway. Locals are being encouraged not to kiss when they greet each other, as is the custom between men. The Government has set up a hotline to update people on developments.
Luckily there are as yet no reported cases. And all of the measures taken seem sensible.
However, the illness is also being used by some to reignite the issue of whether sales of pork should be allowed in the Kingdom.
Muslims do not eat pork for religious reasons. At present, pork and products containing pork (it's amazing how many items do) are on sale in most major supermarkets, but in a separate room, hidden from view. A bit like x-rated magazines in a newsagent.
Pork imports are currently banned due to swine flu and once again there are calls in the papers for a permanent ban.
Stocks are running down. We are having a bbq at the weekend so I hot-footed it down to the supermarket today to stock up on snags. Who knows how long it will be before we can get more?
And so we face the prospect of future barbies with no wine, no beer and no snags. Now that's just not cricket.
Special checks have been set up at the airport. The pharmacies have reported a run on Tamiflu and face masks, although many women have fully covered faces anyway. Locals are being encouraged not to kiss when they greet each other, as is the custom between men. The Government has set up a hotline to update people on developments.
Luckily there are as yet no reported cases. And all of the measures taken seem sensible.
However, the illness is also being used by some to reignite the issue of whether sales of pork should be allowed in the Kingdom.
Muslims do not eat pork for religious reasons. At present, pork and products containing pork (it's amazing how many items do) are on sale in most major supermarkets, but in a separate room, hidden from view. A bit like x-rated magazines in a newsagent.
Pork imports are currently banned due to swine flu and once again there are calls in the papers for a permanent ban.
Stocks are running down. We are having a bbq at the weekend so I hot-footed it down to the supermarket today to stock up on snags. Who knows how long it will be before we can get more?
And so we face the prospect of future barbies with no wine, no beer and no snags. Now that's just not cricket.
Friday, 1 May 2009
ANZAC Day
April 25th, last Saturday, was ANZAC Day. It's probably Australia's most important national occasion. Originally it marked the anniversary of the landings by the ANZAC forces at Gallipoli in World War I. Today, it is a day of national remembrance for all Australian and New Zealand soldiers killed in action.
The rules are as follows: two coins are placed on a flat board (a kip or paddle). A recruit from the increasingly inebriated crowd is called to be the spinner. Bets are taken on showings of 2 heads or 2 tails. The spinner then flips the coins, which must spin above the spinner's head and must land inside the special two-up ring. The caller calls (or in our case yells raucously) and money changes hands. A true-blue Aussie experience in the Middle East!
We all went to the memorial service organised by the Australian Association of Bahrain. In all, there were about a hundred attendees - a huge turnout, although the offer of free bacon and egg butties and BD 200 (about GBP 400) behind the bar after the service could have had something to do with it.
The rules are as follows: two coins are placed on a flat board (a kip or paddle). A recruit from the increasingly inebriated crowd is called to be the spinner. Bets are taken on showings of 2 heads or 2 tails. The spinner then flips the coins, which must spin above the spinner's head and must land inside the special two-up ring. The caller calls (or in our case yells raucously) and money changes hands. A true-blue Aussie experience in the Middle East!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
