LIVING IN BAHRAIN

WHEN AND WHY

Lived in Bahrain for all of 1981 and the second half of 1982

½ of 5th grade, ½ of 6th grade, ½ of 7th grade at the Bahrain School

My father was a UNDP technical specialist on urban and regional planning

GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATOLOGY

Bahrain is an island in the Arabian (Persian) Gulf 274 sq miles

Emirate (monarchy) under the Al-Khalifas

Arid desert land Summer

temperatures > 100F

Winter temperatures ~ 50F at night

LANGUAGE

Arabic words are written right-to-left

ح ج ث ت ب أس ز ر ذ د خع ظ ط ض ص شم ل كـ ق ف غ

ي و هـ ن

Arabic numbers are written left-to-right

٠ ١ ٢ ٣ ٤٥ ٦ ٧ ٨ ٩

إميل ى

جون

٢٠٠٩

يميل ى

ريبيكا

ARABIC WORDS YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU KNEW

amīr al-bihār commander of the seas al-jabr, the restoring of missing parts. ḥashshāshīn, those who use hashish  shah māt, the king is dead qutun jarrah, large earthen vase naranj, a fruit

admiral algebra assassain checkmate cotton jar  orange

HANDY ARABIC PHRASES

Hello: as-salam alaykum Hello (response): wa alaykum e-salam Goodbye (person leaving): ma'a salama Good morning: sabaH ala-kheir Good morning (response): sabaH an-noor Good afternoon: masa' al-kheir Good afternoon: masa’ an-noor Thank you: shukran You’re welcome: afwan Tomorrow : bukra*

ARCHITECTURE

CONSTRUCTION – THEN AND NOW

LITERATURE

Omar Khayyam – poetry The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,

Moves on: nor all your Piety nor WitShall lure it back to cancel half a Line,Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it.

The Book of One Thousand and One Nights (14th century) Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves Aladdin’s Wonderful Lamp The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor

CULTURE

Many norms based on the Bedouin hospitality rules.

Gift-giving Meals/tea Taboos : right hand/left hand, women’s dress,

showing bottom of shoe

RELIGION

Islam influences much of day-to-day life System of law Friday is the holy day -- Saturday –

Wednesday week Pray 5 times per day, facing Mecca Once in lifetime, hajj to Mecca Ramadan – no food/drink sunrise to sunset

for a month

TRADITIONAL GARB

THINGS TO DO

Shopping “Souk”

Diving/Snorkeling Fresh water springs

Eating out… KFC/BR Hangin’ with my homies

Portuguese construction families

Korean construction families American and British

military/diplomatic families Local well-to-do families

No Wii or Xbox, but…

QUESTIONS?