Let's talk!

Bahrain's much vaunted National Dialogue has begun. After weeks of build up and a concerted poster campaign around the island, more than 300 participants have registered to take part in talks which it is hoped will help the kingdom move on from the troubles of February and March.

Political societies, human rights activists, women and children's societies, professional societies and NGOs are among those taking part and will over the next weeks debate more than 180 topics under four broad themes - the political system, the economy, social issues and human rights. The talks, which will take place three times a week, will bring together all spectrums of society under one roof to discuss the kingdom's future. The King has even held special meetings with the expatriate community to canvass their views on change and a website has been set up to keep the public informed of progress (http://www.nd.bh/en/). Many here believe Bahrain has been badly misrepresented in the western press over the last months and are hoping the dialogue will help to change this. The king has also announced an independent inquiry into the riots in consultation with the UN Commissioner for Human Rights.

Al Wefaq, the main opposition party, decided at the last moment to join the Dialogue "for the sake of Bahrain", although it has expressed reservations as to what can be achieved. Of the other opposition parties, some are participating, some are not and there were opposition protests over the weekend and more are planned for this weekend.

The talks are to take place without preconditions as to what can and cannot be raised and the sessions will include sensitive issues such as the handling of state assets, compensation for psychological damage in the recent unrest and human rights issues. After each session is concluded, provided consensus has been reached, the outcome will be sent to the King.

Only time will tell how difficult it will be to reach consensus on the topics under discussion and whether any changes implemented as a result of the talks will be enough to allow the country to heal. Here's a comforting thought though: should things get too heated and blood pressures rise, Bahrain will be well-placed to cope for it has just officially entered the Guinness World Records for the most blood pressure readings taken in 8 hours - 3,252, in case you were wondering. Regular readers of this blog will know Bahrain has had several aborted record attempts in recent years, so I'm pleased to announce it has finally made it into the record books.

The Gallery: Love that Lippy!

It's week 63 of The Gallery and the theme set by Tara over at Sticky Fingers is 3 Word Gallery: one picture, three little words. I've titled mine: Love that Lippy!

This photo was taken the other afternoon when Olivia invited her best friend over for a play. After an hour of tearing round the garden, they became suspiciously quiet. The bathroom door was shut...something was afoot. They emerged some time later to reveal the results of a "make-up your friend's face blindfolded" session.

I've noted down the idea for her next birthday party; it's cheaper than an entertainer!

Expat Women: Confessions

I first lived abroad at 18 and have spent only eight of the last 25 years in my home country. I've lived in Germany, Australia, Belgium and Bahrain, have married someone from the other side of the world, gave birth to both my daughters abroad, and have put my career on hold to become the perfect trailing spouse. And while expat life has undoubtedly been both exciting and rewarding, it brings its own pressures and dilemmas which sometimes only another expats can understand.

The recently published Expat Women: Confessions - 50 Answers to Your Real Life Questions About Living Abroad is an anthology of issues raised over the years on the popular confessions page of the Expat Women website: an agony aunt column for expat women where they can post dilemmas anonymously and have them answered by experts.

Compiled by Andrea Martins (one of the founders of Expat Women) and Victoria Hepworth, both seasoned expats, the book is an A-Z of real-life problems encountered by expats from all over the world and gives objective and pragmatic advice on how to handle them as well as an extensive reference list of useful books and websites. And I was surprised how many of the confessions could have been written by me over the years: frustrations as a trailing spouse; homesick new mother abroad; intercultural couples; and third culture children, to name but a few.

Written in an accessible and chatty style, the book is an easy read and ideal to dip into when confronted by a problem. All too often, expat women have to work through complex personal and practical issues to which family and friends at home simply can't relate. Now we have a handbook to turn to.

I was contacted by Suzanne Scatliffe at Expat Women and asked to review this book. I received a free copy of the e-book. A sample of the book is available for download on the Expat Women website and the book can be purchased from Amazon.

A week is a long time in F1

"Back on track: F1 October 30" ran the headline in Saturday's Gulf Daily News, the main English language newspaper in Bahrain. The paper ran lengthy articles thanking the FIA for their decision to reinstate the Grand Prix and saying how it would help the economy, particularly the tourism sector, bounce back from the damage caused by the unrest. The community newspaper, GulfWeekly, has been running a campaign to garner readers' support to reinstate the race. "We did it!" proclaimed yesterday's headline.

Press conferences were held at the Sakhir race circuit where executives told of their delight at the decision and proudly kick-started a 150 day countdown to the event. The Grand Prix, they said, is a source of national pride and an event that transcends politics.

Yet even as celebrations were taking place here, it seems all was not well behind the scenes at the FIA. Teams and drivers were unhappy at the decision to reschedule the race and yesterday Bernie Ecclestone said he believed the race would not go ahead because of the situation here - anti-government protesters had called for a day of rage on the race date - and opposition from teams.

After the euphoria of last week, Bahrain's business leaders have branded the decision shameful and claim it smacks of hypocrisy. The three month State of Emergency has been lifted - although there are still numerous checkpoints, they are now manned by community police and Bahrain's National Guard as opposed to GCC forces - and a national dialogue will start next month to boost reforms within the Kingdom. The Crown Prince has been in the UK and is now in the US holding talks with President Obama. He has emphasised the country's commitment to reform, no matter how difficult the process may be.

Whatever your view on the situation in Bahrain, the decision not to hold the F1 will be a massive blow to an already hard-hit hospitality industry here as well as a huge disappointment to the many F1 fans in Bahrain. Maybe next year...

The Gallery: My Backyard in the Desert

When we moved into our house about 15 months ago, the garden was an overgrown shambles. Our Indian gardener, Joy, has worked wonders in the intervening months, pruning, seeding and planting and we now have a lush lawn for the kids to play on and plants galore for me to enjoy.

The frangipani trees and bougainvillea are in blossom at the moment and in the evenings, the scent of the jasmine fills the air. It's hard to believe sometimes that we live on a desert island.

The Knife Sharpener

One of my memories of childhood is the ritual of the Sunday roast. Mum would spend all afternoon preparing it - roast beef, at least two veg, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, gravy, the lot. Delicious smells would pervade the house and we would gather in the dining room around 6pm for a proper family meal. Dad would always carve and was extremely fussy about having a super-sharp carving knife. Each week he would stand at the head of the table, carving knife in one hand and steel in the other, and make a great play of sharpening the knife. It was something he insisted on, along with smartly polished shoes (I've still never found anyone who can buff school shoes to quite such a sheen as Dad) and good table manners.

Ever since I've left home, Dad has always complained about the bluntness of the knives in my kitchen. One year, he even bought me an expensive carving knife and steel set, but I think he is the only one who has ever used the steel.

Since living in Bahrain though, my knives are so sharp that I regularly slice my fingers when cutting fruit and veg. This is all thanks to Anil, a nice knife-sharpener gentleman from Andhra Pradesh.

Once a month, Anil settles himself down on my terrace, opens an ancient-looking wooden box and sets to work on all my knives and scissors until they are razor sharp. Of course, some of them don't really need sharpening every month, but Anil told me once that on top of his living expenses, he has to pay his Bahraini sponsor nearly GBP 1,500 for his work visa: that's an awful lot of knives.

On his last visit, he was so happy as he was heading home for the first time in over 2 years to see his wife and four young children, to whom he sends money each month. Bahrain is full of expats like Anil, separated from their families, sometimes for years, because of a lack of jobs in their homelands. I can't imagine how hard it must be not being around to see your children grow up. I hope he has a wonderful holiday and until he returns at the end of the summer, I'll just have to dust off Dad's steel.

Turkish Delights

"If one had but a single glance to give the world, one should gaze on Istanbul,"Alphonse de Lamartine, the French poet and politician once wrote. The only problem is choosing in which direction to cast your gaze, for Istanbul is packed with architectural eye-candy and glorious views on every side. From the multitude of minarets punctuating the skyline and the glistening waters of the Bosphorus; from the hustle and bustle of the Grand Bazaar to the quiet of the tulip-filled courtyard gardens of the beautiful old mansions, Istanbul is a delight. And we were lucky enough to spend a few days there over Easter.

Aya Sofya

First Christian church (King Richard worshipped there en route to the Crusades), then mosque and now museum. Magnificent architecture and stunning mosaics.

The Blue Mosque

Built in 17th century to rival the nearby Aya Sofya (from where the first photo is taken), this vast mosque dominates the skyline of Sultanahmet.

The Basilica Cistern

Enormous underground cistern built by the Emperor Justinianus. Keep an eye out for the heads of Medusa.

Topkapi Palace

Mehmet the Conqueror starting building this magnificent palace over looking the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus shortly after he defeated the Byzantine emperor in 1453. It was inhabited by subsequent sultans until the 19th century. The highlight is definitely the Harem, not only because it is so much less crowded than the rest of the complex (because of the additional entrance fee) but also because the tour gives a real insight into a life which for us Westerners has always been shrouded in mystery.

Of course we had to explain some of the more technical vocab to the kids - What is a concubine? Why is this called the Black Eunuch's Mosque? - but Olivia got up to speed pretty quickly. Here's an extract from her diary:

"Dear Diary

Today I went to the Sultan's palace. We went into his wardrobe and looked at his clothes. When my Dad saw the Sultan's trousers he said, "The Sultans must have had big bottoms". After that we went into the Treasury room and looked at the Sultan's thrones, plates and jewellery. Next we had a drink and a look at where the royal family lived. There I found out something VERY WIERD. That thing was that some of the boys had their eunuch cut off so they couldn't have sex..."

The Grand Bazaar

Bosphorus cruise

Beautiful views of the City, palaces and summer houses on the way to the Black Sea.

Streetlife