See the green 'A' pin? That's where I'm staying. It's an area called Juffair, the same area where the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet is located.
I moved to Bahrain around two weeks ago after an extended stay in the U.S. The 'extended' part made it pretty difficult to say goodbye to family and friends and loved ones. I am really blessed to have had that unexpected time with them. But, I am finally in the Middle East, working as a journalist, and hoping to achieve what I set out to do in the first place.
That being said, I didn't exactly hit the ground running the first day I got here. It seems there is a bit of an "island mentality" in Bahrain. The sun is always shining, there's usually a breeze (sometimes a pretty strong one), and people are relaxed and kind.
I don't know that I will even experience culture shock here; it's not much of an adjustment. Every American comfort can be found - the restaurants, the shopping malls, churches, transportation, etc. I've eaten Chili's more times here than I ever did in the U.S. Let's just say London was way more of a shock for me.
People don't always believe me when I tell them the Middle East and the South can be very similar. Both of the cultures revolve around religion, hospitality, generosity, respect, family and relationships... the list goes on. The role of women in the Middle East is controversial, but it is also a hot topic in the South.
I had a funny conversation yesterday. A Bahraini friend was concerned about a friend of hers, about how many and the types of photos the friend posts on Facebook of herself. It started as a "bless her heart" discussion, then evolved into the "doesn't she know better?" form of gossip. I can't count how many times I've had the same conversation with my best friends.
Plenty of girls in the South go to college to find husbands (I'm not suggesting this is right or wrong, but I prefer for the purpose of education). Even with an education, there's still the expectation, and desire by most Southern girls, I believe, to settle down eventually and raise a family.
Like the South, there are some Bahraini girls who marry as soon as they are of age. There are also many girls in Bahrain who are highly educated and have very successful careers, but still value their role as a future wife and mother. Then, there are some are more progressive minded girls, who are married to their career. I'm not trying to strictly categorize these things, because obviously there's a lot more to women and individuals, but purely as a comparison, I find it interesting.
Hospitality is huge in the Middle East. For every Bahraini you meet, you are assured that you are welcome into their home at any time, to stay, to live, to eat, to whatever. People take care of me here without my asking. If anything, I'm awkward because I'm trying to figure out exactly how to give it back, like with my friend Sumaya, who has treated me to everything and shown me around and introduced me to all of her friends. I am beyond grateful. My poor colleague Hussein, who is Lebanese, is learning to split the check with me for lunch, because it's not in his nature to let anyone else pay for meals.
Bahrain is one of the more open countries in the Middle East, though. The nightlife is more present than anything I'm used to (of course, nothing beats the Square). Saudis and Western workers in Saudi come over on the weekends to enjoy more freedom than they would have at home.
There are two liquor stores in the country, and one is on the U.S. Naval base. That might sound crazy, but I can think of strings of dry counties in Arkansas and Mississippi where you drive pretty far to get liquor. Although, for my Ole Miss friends, I have yet to check out the cold beer situation here. I'll keep you posted.
I dress more conservatively here than I do in the heat of the Mississippi summer, but I do not feel restricted. If anything, my rule of thumb is 'wear what you would wear to church or to meet someone's parents/grandparents.' You won't be scolded for showing just above your knee or part of your shoulders, but a tank top and mini skirt would be pushing the limits. Obviously, it's best to be dress more conservatively here, but if I want to wear a summer dress, I can.
I think this is perhaps because there are so many different people here. A significant portion of the population (I believe it's around half, but I'm not positive) are foreign workers, so you see all sorts of dress. It has been very interesting to see what draws people to Bahrain.
...which brings me to church life. There is a live and active Christian community in Bahrain, which includes people from all over. There are 18 churches (Catholic and protestant), I believe, registered in Bahrain. I was impressed, considering Bahrain's official religion is Islam and the islands make up an area of 293 square miles. Mississippi's area is 48,434 square miles. The church I've visited has an American pastor from Michigan, and I enjoy his sermons so far. I'm still a little nostalgic for Ronnie Floyd's sermons, so I've subscribed to his podcasts (thanks for making them free, Dr. Floyd!).
Because the island is small but many nationalities are present, I've found that preconceived notions of types of people run wild. It is harmless, but I find it funny. When I say 'Mississippi,' some people know exactly where I'm talking about, along with the state's storied past, but others respond with, "I have a cousin in Boston. Is that nearby?"(I'm not saying they're dumb; I'm sure plenty of Americans would probably ask the same). My particularly favorite misunderstanding is my British colleague's impression of cheerleaders, since he found out I had been one. He frequently asks, "Don't they just date all of the football players?". Since I'm a Christian, I've been asked if I'm in the ministry, if I'm teaching school... I've also been told, "you must have been raised Southern Baptist which means you're very conservative and you're automatically pro-life." That was an awkward conversation.
When people find out I studied Arabic, they assume I'm in the military or CIA, or just want to attract a rich prince.
Since I work for a television network and I'm female and blonde, many people think I'm a reporter. But I think that's because they might not know that there are other jobs outside of reporting. I was also told by Bahrainis that I look like Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson, and I don't know if that's good or bad (I'm thinking bald Britney and fat Jessica). Either way, I don't think Bahrainis see too many blondes in general.
My brother Will asked me what type of pets people have. At that point, I hadn't seen many animals. But thankfully, the area where I'll be living seems very pet friendly. I saw several women outside walking their dogs, which just makes me wish I could bring mine to live with me. I don't know how much they would appreciate the sand, though.
As for the reason why I'm here, because of my Arabic, I am working on getting accustomed to the Bahraini dialect, as well as brushing up on my own. A few months in Jackson, Mississippi wasn't the best for my confidence in speaking. But, people here are very willing to help and appreciate it when people want to learn their language.
I will post again soon, and next time I promise to include pictures. Everyone take care until then!
