So Long, Farewell

No, that's not fireworks. This is night driving in Bahrain. I thought the photo is appropriate, as I am leaving tonight for home. This will probably be my last post on Bahrain Day by Day. I have kept my blog since arriving in Feb. I missed one day without a new post.
To all my friends and family, we'll keep in touch through conventional means of communication, such as e:mail, snail mail, and telephone. Thank you all for your comments and encouragement on the blog. Good night, for now.

Price of Gas

I'm getting ready to go home for the summer. Collecting a few gifts for family and friends, packing my bags. Wish I could include a couple of gallons of gas for everyone. Here in Bahrain we can fill up our car for about $12.00.

The two choices of petrol grades are Jayyid for Regular, and Mumtaz for Premium. It always amazes me that the gas station attendant must know at least three languages to pump gas!

Pet Souk

A section of the Isa Town Souk has a lot of birds for sale. It's a busy, noisy place on the weekend. Here a couple of boys are handling a small hawk.

There were quite a few parrots perched for sale.

Besides the birds we saw a goat, a monkey, and these bunnies (sitting on top of a cage of chickens).

There was also a Peacock walking around. Check out this short video for the
sound!

A'Ali Village Pottery

Years ago we lived in A'ali Village. The A'Ali pottery is one of the national crafts. The small factory is built on and around old stone mounds believed to be the original communal kilns.

Today we took a look at the old pottery site.

The pottery is still made in the traditional way on a kick wheel where the man's legs are in the hole below the throwing wheel.

Brings back memories of Ceramics 101 at Interlochen!

Here is a short video.

Rain in Bahrain

It is late in the season for us to get rain in Bahrain, but it was predicted, and we have had a couple of overcast days. Today it happened.
One way I could tell that it had rained, were the spots in the dust on our balcony, when I hung out our wash to dry.

It looks like it was wash day for some one else who drives this truck!

Bahrain Friends

Over the years we have made several great friends here in Bahrain. Some of these friends, of many different nationalities, have left Bahrain, and we visit them, or keep in touch by e:mail. Some of these friends are Bahraini, and I hope we will keep in touch with them, too.

Our good friend, Hussein, is the shop keeper, where we bought most of our household items to furnish and embellish our home here in Bahrain....a secondhand shop called Star Auction!

What a funny guy!

And now I'd like to introduce Little Hussein, "Ali" Who was born 2 weeks ago.

Another funny little guy? Congratulations, Mom and Dad.

Portuguese Fort

The Portuguese Fort is probably the most famous Tourist attraction in Bahrain, and has been for 30 years. Fifteen to twenty years ago there was an active French team of archaeologists at the site for several seasons. I believe they discovered many of the items that are now on display in the National Museum. Since that time the Portuguese part of the fort has been restored to show the towers and walls (of the moat), as they once were. The Portuguese conquered Bahrain in 1522, and were a presence until about 1600.

More recently they have excavated just outside the fort walls, and discovered at least two sites, which may have been villages from a much earlier date.

On the Road

Below is one of the "Gas and Pray" stops on the Road to Riyadh. That's a Petrol station and a roadside Walmart. Usually, there is mosque next door.

To Muharraq Again

A few years ago, a new bridge to Muharraq was built. Here is a view of that bridge, from the Manama corniche. Once you get to Muharraq, by any of the three bridges, it is interesting to explore the old suq and there are interesting photo ops are everywhere. The merchants are friendly and accommodating to the camera.

Below is a unique shop! Can you guess what they sell? It turns out it is a "Letter Writer".

Below, these men are leaving the coffee shop.

Potpourri

From my photo files this is one of my favorites:

Saar Archaeological Dig

Several years ago, one of my volunteer activities was to help the British team of archaeologists at one of the sites here in Bahrain. Today, I saw a new signpost pointing to the dig. (It had not been marked before, and you had to drive cross-country, no paved road to get to it.) I followed the signs, and when I got there found a team of Bahrainis working the site.

This site is in the middle of the island. They have uncovered what seems to be a complete village, and they estimate that it is 2,000 - 4,000 years old. They found a few "gems" here, such as Dilmun seals, and pearls. There were many pottery pieces. they identified what they think was the community oven, and located the place of worship.

When I was helping, there were 4-6 of us who would come early in the morning and sit under this tree with buckets of water, and have a production line of washing pottery shards. From rough rinse, to brushing with a toothbrush. Amazing to be touching something that was used by women several thousands of years ago.

Aboriginal Art Exhibit

This afternoon I went to another of the advertised Spring cultural events in Bahrain. I have been trying to find La Fontaine for a couple of years!. This is a restored 150 year old house on the edge of the Suq, in an area I am not familiar, that has contemporary art, a restaurant, and a spa. I did find it, with the help of the receptionist giving me directions. As you can see the building itself is worth visiting. Below is the interior courtyard.

The exhibition of Aboriginal Art was displayed in this unique gallery space.

The works of art continue the oldest living art tradition in the world.

Whirling Dervishes

Last night I went to the concert of Turkish Sufi Music. This included the Whirling Dervishes. Their dance is one of the most enduring and exquisite ceremonies of spirituality. The repetitious music is a chant and prayerlike. The dance is not frenzied, but rhythmic and methodical. It is a drama of faith.

Each man stands on one foot and uses the other foot to push himself around. The "skirts" look weighted at the hem, and their orbit must help each man feel where the next dancer is, because they each stayed within their own space, with their eyes closed.

Sufism, which combines mysticism and a way of life, cannot be separated from poetry and music. What could be more appropriate to help us along this mysterious voyage than the pure sound of the Ney? Hope you can hear the Oboe-like instrument in the video.

Muharraq

Muharraq is an old town in Bahrain, on it's second largest island. A lot of the shops that you find in Muharraq have not changed in about 50 years. Below is an herbalist. This is the old "drug store", with bottles of ingredients lined up on the shelves.

We found an interesting music shop, selling a couple of different types of drums.

Besides selling musical instruments, they also sell "Saudi" sandals.

Traditional Houses in the Suq

Today, I went to get my hair cut at the Sheraton Center (same salon I have used for 20+ years) and went into the Suq to see some of my favorite old houses. Above you can see the balcony on one of the old houses. This one has not been restored. Below you can see one house that has been beautifully restored, with carved and painted balcony and doors.

I'd love to see the interior of this one!

Magical tour of a Japanese Garden

I attended this multi-media show this morning. Here is the Newspaper review:

"A SERIES of interactive visual theatre performances begins today with a performance entitled the Japanese Garden, at the Salman Culture Centre, Hoora.

The show is being presented by Italy's award winning Teatro di Piazza o d'Occasione's visual theatre company and the Teatro Metastasio Stabile della Toscana.

It will feature the Children's Cheering Carpet, which is a specially designed platform, where performers' movements trigger sensors embedded on the surface to create beautiful digital images and sounds projected from above.

The performers will take the spectators through an amazing journey discovering the precious elements that make up a Japanese garden, say organisers.

Members of the audience will also be invited to participate and experience the story of how a Japanese garden is born."

I found the show well choreographed and presented. The children participated very well.


Please try this website for a short video.

http://www.hkiac.gov.hk/2007/graphics/en/prog/movie/56/popup.html?carpet.swf

Tree of Life

One of the longest standing "tourist" attractions in Bahrain is "The Tree of Life". This is a lonetree in the middle of the island which is supposed to be several thousand years old. It's alwaysremarkable to see, as it does not seem to be near any water source, but there must have beensome water under the ground there to get it started.



Oops, I almost got the tree growing out of Allison's head!

Mah Jongg

g
There is a flourishing group of Mah Jongg players in Bahrain! I was invited to play with them this morning. There were nine of us, so we had three tables going. I appreciate their patience with me, as I am rusty from not playing for several months. Plus, they play a very different version (International) . No jokers! No hands with flowers in them. If you have a flower in your hand, you may pick up an additional tile from the end of the wall. The hands that the players have to choose from are different, as well. In stead of doing the Charleston in the beginning, they start right off with the tiles you are dealt. If at the end of picking from all four walls, no one has Mahjed, then the four jokers are brought in, and they play a Gulag hand, where they exchange (without revealing) tiles. Wow. A lot for this old mind to learn.

I enjoyed meeting all the ladies. I need to learn the new language..."wishing & fishing" is called out, when you are looking for only two more tiles to make your Mahj, and "fishing" when you are looking for your last tile to Mahj. Did I get that right? So, till our next "twittering".....mixing the tiles, I'll be looking forward to playing again.

Bahrain National Museum

This afternoon I spent a pleasant few hours at the National Museum of Bahrain. The special exhibition was of Masks. The masks were from South America and Mexico, the Far East, including Guinea, Korea, China and Japan. Several were from different parts of Africa, and a few from Canada and Alaska. It is amazing to see the differences and similarities. Most were made from wood, but some from basketry and feathers.

Since they did not allow photo taking in the exhibit, they constructed huge blocks in the lobby area, which were covered with posters of the masks. Here is a taste of what I saw.


Below you can see the set up in the lobby. the blocks are not touching each other. They had marked "Viewing Point" on the floor where you had a good vantage to see the blocks in line to make a complete picture.

What can I say????

Could this be a source of the Housing problems? Picture a little guy, with his hands up, saying to his dissatisfied customer: "Don't blame me, we are just living up to our name."

Happy Easter

A few years ago, I helped with a flower display at St. Christopher's (Anglican) Church. Several teams of men and women worked with plants and flowers in almost every corner of the Sanctuary, to depict the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Here is the Alter and the two communion rails (covered with gauze) to symbolize the Tomb.

We used succulents, and local "oats" in baskets, stones and broken pots to keep an arid feel. We also found a couple of olive branches, which we set out as trees.

One of the other groups did this arrangement, and see how each grouping worked well together.