food and food March 29, 2008
Posted by Aella in Bahrain, Food, India, Manama.3 comments
Remind me not to order Indian food from restaurant Bangkok again…. Drowned in youghurt (and I mean drowned), no distinct flavours and useless garlic nan… yes useless food. Wanted to order from Korma which I really like but I couldn’t find the menu nor the number so I thought I give Bangkok at try. Korma is really good though. Good service, great food and good pricing.
Went to Dome today for my first Bahraini bloggers meeting. It was sweet to see the faces behind the texts. All really witty and easy going people. Now, two of them ordered food with bacon and damn the bacon there looks gooood. I will have to go back to eat some breakfast there. The smell of it just killed me.
I’m tired.
I need to go and buy food for the kids lunch boxes.
I don’t want to.
I want to sleep.
Uh.
Please someone do my shopping.
Frivolous Friday March 28, 2008
Posted by Aella in Bahrain, Bahrain Daily, Culture, Manama.6 comments
I woke up at seven this yesterday morning. My plan was to have a really loooong sleep since my daughters are at their fathers house but my body is so used to waking up early that there was no use in trying to sleep. I went to al Jazeera and bought some fresh bread and some other things, went back home, had brekkie and went back to sleep around ten. Now my plan was to go somewhere and get a slight tan today. I woke up around 13.15 and started stressing a little thinking it was cloudy outside. It wasn’t. I had an invitation to join some people at the Mövenpick pool but declined. I wanted (as boring as it may sound) to just lay by the roof top pool at our office with a book and just chill. No people, no noise, no one checking anyone out. Drove to the office and to my disappointment the door to roof was locked and the caretaker has the day off. Really sucky of him to lock it. Will have to beat him severly him tomorrow.
I ended up just going for a drive and drove to my fav place in Manama – the shores of Seef. I just love being there.
I parked the car, took my shoes off and started walking in the sand towards the water. Tiny crab in shells had been left by the tide and was desperately looking for water, digging into the sand with their little cone like shells. I picked up a few, let them crawl in my hand then drop them into the water. They quickly started running on the bottom of the sea celebrating being into the water again. I looked around only to realise that there were hundreds of them in the same situation… I’m sure they will survive..*looking away, feeling guilty*
I started walking into the water. It was warm and clear. I so wish I could have swam there but it’s just not appropriate. As I was walking around for some time I suddenly felt a sharp buzz in my left foot and I let out a cry. I had stepped onto something that did not approve of my weight trying to crush it. I felt a sharp sting in my foot and was pretty startled wondering what it could have been. The pain subsided after some time.
After some time a car pulled up close to mine and a Bahraini family of four started making their way down towards me. The mother and father were carrying children the same age my girls. Around the ages of one and two. Their children where bare except for the eldest wearing a nappy. The mother was covered from head to toe in black and her pretty face was shining as they let their children walk in the water. They played with them and splashed water onto their faces, much to the amusement of the children. What a sweet scene I thought as I stood from a distance leaning on a boat (not in the water – in the sand).
Then suddenly..
I see the man hurling something into the sea…
I squint towards the sun drenched, wavy sea to see what it is..
The nappy…
Just like that. They gathered their things and left. The nappy floating lonely in the sea.
It really made my jaw drop. I can’t understand how these people think. Do they have less brain capacity than others? They drive to the sea because they want to share this experience with their children only to litter the very same place they came to enjoy. I have one word for people like this. Pigs. I was on the phone for quite some time when I was walking in the sea so unfortunately I could not take pictures of the young camels and their keepers that passed by (I didn’t have the camera with me and my other phone battery died). The young ones did not move in the typical bumpy way that is associated with camels but in a graceful and light trot. A grand scene indeed.
Sick in the head R us March 28, 2008
Posted by Aella in Culture, Links, Saudi Arabia, Saudi culture, Whack.9 comments
Are these people sick or sick or sick? I know it’s an old article and nothing unusual but it still both upsets me and surprises me that the Saudis let these animals roam around arresting people. I wonder where in our religion it says that they can tell a woman to undress (sick fucks you are – u just wanted a glimpse to save for your evening session).
Really, really upsetting. And to think that they are telling her she will go to hell.
Dudes! You have the grand stand in hell!
“A 37-year-old American businesswoman and married mother of three is seeking justice after she was thrown in jail by Saudi Arabia’s religious police for sitting with a male colleague at a Starbucks coffee shop in Riyadh.
Yara, who does not want her last name published for fear of retribution, was bruised and crying when she was freed from a day in prison after she was strip-searched, threatened and forced to sign false confessions by the Kingdom’s “Mutaween” police.
Her story offers a rare first-hand glimpse of the discrimination faced by women living in Saudi Arabia. In her first interview with the foreign press, Yara told The Times that she would remain in Saudi Arabia to challenge its harsh enforcement of conservative Islam rather than return to America.
“If I want to make a difference I have to stick around. If I leave they win. I can’t just surrender to the terrorist acts of these people,” said Yara, who moved to Jeddah eight years ago with her husband, a prominent businessman.
Her ordeal began with a routine visit to the new Riyadh offices of her finance company, where she is a managing partner.
The electricity temporarily cut out, so Yara and her colleagues — who are all men — went to a nearby Starbucks to use its wireless internet. She sat in a curtained booth with her business partner in the café’s “family” area, the only seats where men and women are allowed to mix.
Educational toppings March 25, 2008
Posted by Aella in Bahrain, Life.7 comments
“Please change A’s yogurt, she likes Al Marai yogurt. Please also change her cake to chocolate”
That was the note in my two year old daughters nursery bag the other day. I didn’t know whether to laugh or get pissed off. Chose both. Since when did my daughter know what different brands are? Since when do I give my kids whatever they point at? And since when did it become a norm to eat chocolate cake every bloody day? This is not how I am raising my kids and I don’t even approve of the idiotic idea that they are actually required to bring a piece of cake every day. Is that what they call a snack? Look around you… There are obese kids all over the place and these are the habits they are taught at a the tender age of two? It’s sickening that an institution that is supposed to raise kids and educate them seems to think it is normal to eat crap like this every day.
Can I have lard with that please miss!
A while back I received a news letter from my sons school. Some of the elementary kids had been on a school trip. Did they go to a museum and learned about the heritage of Bahrain perhaps? No. Did they go anywhere and learned anything of use? No. Where did they go one may ask?
They went to bloody Pizza Hut and had the honour of touring the kitchen and put their “favorite” topping on pizzas… Now how retarded does that sound on a scale? Sure it can be interesting to see what is going on in a kitchen but whatever happened to learning something useful? We went to nuclear plants, museums and farms not to bleeding McDonalds..
Kids these days eat way too much crap so perhaps the school thought they were doing the kids a favour by being able to imagine what Fernandez does in the kitchen after they have made the order….no or uh, what? I don’t get it. I just don’t get it.
Since I am on the topic of education… My son has been going to “international schools” since 2003 and what are they learning there in terms of social science? Do they learn about the region they reside in perhaps? Eh, hell no. He has studied the American States and their wars one gazillion times, learnt everything about the system in the states and I don’t know what. Ok, it is not a local school but what the hell is this all about? Are the kids supposed to be totally ignorant of the culture they are living in? About the history of the region?
Is the world becoming a dumber place as I am writing? Yes, I think so indeed.
Down boy, down! March 24, 2008
Posted by Aella in Bahrain, Life.add a comment
Had some things I wanted to write about but since our internet is down again I haven’t had time hmm hmm. My mind is blanc. I am sitting here with a list of things to do, most of them are ticked off but still feeling a little blanc.
S as in Saudi has been added to Bahrain Blogs Aggregator. It’s quite nice to be able to see the latest post of the bloggers there.
Hmm hmm blanc, blanc, blanc…..
Bless Bahrain March 19, 2008
Posted by Aella in Bahrain, Life, Manama.8 comments
The last few days I been in contact with quite a few Bahrainis and all I can say is that they are the kindest people I have ever met. They are polite, educated, funny and friendly. There is no pretend and they are really down to earth which I appreciate. I hope this mentality will stay but I am worried it will change as Bahrain is changing with all the things that are going on here.. I feel somehow that all this reclaiming of land and all the construction that is going on is not beneficial for the local population and it saddens me. I know there are local companies involved but how much should us foreigners be allowed to change this country? What do the average Bahraini think about it? I asked a few and they don’t seem to agree with it and also feels saddened by the rapid change of their country. What will Bahrain look like in five years I wonder and will the charm of the people and the land have disappeared ?
It hit me yesterday that I have now been here non stop since August last year and I still don’t feel the need to get out for a break even though this place is tiny. There has been a lot do and I am getting quite busy at work these days. I am really enjoying all aspects of my job (well except perhaps that I feel that I am small a part of the above mentioned change of the country). Even the part where I am so tired that I fall asleep at nine at night :P. Feels good to be able to fall asleep and not wake up because I am restless or not tired enough. Hamdulillah.
Driving is great and I am enjoying every minute of the freedom it has provided me with. Will have to get a rental soon so I guess I should start having a look around as to what I need and want. The car I am driving now is consuming way too much petrol for someone who needs to drive as much as I have to. Something smaller yet not too small will be what I am looking for. I am totally clueless when it comes to cars and not sure if I even care to learn (but uh I soo should).
IKEA in Bahrain March 13, 2008
Posted by Aella in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia.14 comments
. And to hear that IKEA won’t open in Dhahran until August, well that sucks.. I should go to Kuwait or somewhere hmm sigh…aaaahaaaa Bahrain I’m back! March 11, 2008
Posted by Aella in Bahrain, Life.3 comments
Yesterday I passed my driiiiivviing test and I am now the proud owner of a Bahraini driving license :)! And yes you do have to take a test here and it’s not like the one in Lebanon aaah anyway I’m so damn happy!!!! Went out for a drive last night and damn it was a good kick!
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!
so this is Christmas (don’t ask me why) March 6, 2008
Posted by Aella in Bahrain, Life.3 comments
I felt so content as I laid in my bed this morning. Didn’t feel any stress or the need for anything or anyone. Just peace. Such a beautiful feeling.
S as in Saudi 