Two Crabs

In Praise Of: Ramadan in Bahrain

The second in a continuing series exploring expat life in Bahrain.

Bahrain, like most of the Muslim world, is currently celebrating the holy month of Ramadan. Mr. Crab has had previous brief experiences with Ramadan in Bosnia and Iraq, and Mrs. Crab previously worked in an East London school where the majority of pupils were Muslims. But Ramadan is a completely different experience when you are actually living and working in a Muslim country.

But first, a brief introduction of Ramadan from Wikipedia:

Ramadan is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking and sexual relations from dawn until sunset.^[1] Fasting is intended to teach Muslims about patience, humility, and spirituality. It is a time for Muslims to fast for the sake of God (Arabic: الله‎, trans: Allah) and to offer more prayer than usual. During Ramadan, Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds. As compared to the solar calendar, the dates of Ramadan vary, moving backwards about eleven days each year depending on the moon. Muslims believe Ramadan to be an auspicious month for the revelations of God to humankind, being the month in which the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.

Ramadan is a busy time for US Embassy Manama, especially for POL, ECON and PD sections. Representational duties include escorting VIPs to Ramadan events. The first event after sundown is iftar, when Muslim Bahrainis break their fast with a small meal amongst friends and family. This is followed by majalis, which are gender-segregated gatherings over tea, coffee, dates and sweets. Finally comes the gabhga, a huge buffet meal that starts around 9pm and can last well past 1am.

Mr. Crab has been burning the candle at both ends. On a recent event, I escorted a certain prominent Muslim-American imam who has been in the news everyday for the past month. We attended several majalis and gabghas, returning home at 3am. At most of the events I served as note-taker, but the main purpose of representational and Ramadan events is to see old friends and make new ones. I played dominoes with some Sheikhs, discussed current events and politics with business leaders, and met contacts for my portfolio, and smiled a lot for photographs. My photo has appeared in several Bahraini English and Arabic newspapers; as a former long-time journalist, it's a strange feeling being on this side of the story!  It's these after-hour functions are where real public diplomacy takes place.

Ramadan Kareem (Blessed Ramadan) is a beautiful holiday at night. Many houses and mosques are decorated in brightly colored lights and streamers. And just like Christmas, every mall and shop features Ramadan special offers, or sales. Last night was the halfway point of Ramadan known as Garangao, a traditional children's festival that's very much like Halloween. Children dress up in bright traditional dress, carry felt bags and go from house to house collecting sweets and coins. Ramadan culminates this year on Sept. 9, followed by a three-day festival called Eid Al-Fitr. Next year, Ramadan will be approximately Aug. 1-30.

During Ramadan, many Bahrainis switch night and day. They will "party" well into dawn hours, and sleep during the day. Most Bahrain government offices are only open at most 4 hours a day. Many small mom & pop shops are closed all day but reopen at night. Grocery stores and shopping malls are usually business as usual, and during Ramadan will stay open until 1am or later. There are even 2am movie screenings at the local cinemas!

For non-Muslim residents and visitors to Bahrain, there are some, shall we say, "inconveniences" that come with Ramadan. Everyone is also expected to dress more modestly -- no shorts for men, and no bare shoulders, cleavage or short skirts on women. Live or recorded music is also eighty-sixed in most places. The majority of restaurants are closed during daylight hours. All alcohol sales are banned, so for 30 days of Ramadan, Bahrain becomes a dry country. Most bars, nightclubs and liquour stores shut down completely, and their mainly-expat bartenders, waitresses, cooks and lounge singers fly home for vacation. There are some exceptions. If you can afford the BD200 ($530) per year membership fees, you can drink at private clubs such as The British Club or The Dilmun Club. There are also a handful of "speakeasys" that I won't mention for cultural sensitivity and security reasons. In recent years, Bahrain has become more conservative. Until fairly recently, it was not uncommon to find bars open in 5-star hotels.

One of the most controversial aspects of Ramadan in Bahrain is that these customs are legally enforced on both Muslims and non-Muslims alike. It is against the law in Bahrain to eat, drink or smoke in public during Ramadan. The simple act of sipping bottled water on a 115F degree day in the privacy of your car could land you with an expensive fine or a free trip to jail.

When in Rome.....

Ramadan Kareem!

Foreign Service vs. The Families

The following letter appeared in today's Dear Abby:

 

DEAR ABBY: Last year I decided to pursue a career as a foreign diplomat. My wife and I weighed the pros and cons and concluded that the opportunity was worth the separation from family and friends. I'm proud that I'll be able to provide the kind of life for my family that we have always wanted, and I'm set to begin training soon.

We have begun spreading the news, and most of our relatives and friends share our excitement. My wife's sister, "Lucinda," however, is furious. Her objections started with snide little "jabs" but have grown into a full-blown assault. She is accusing me of ruining her life and threatening to cut off all contact unless we reconsider. My wife is distraught from the badgering and I'm afraid their relationship is on the verge of collapse.

Should I bow to Lucinda's threats or follow our dream and risk being disowned by a member of the family? I'm afraid I have inadvertently ruined my wife's relationship with her sister. -- SECOND THOUGHTS IN MINNESOTA

DEAR SECOND THOUGHTS: Unless you want the remainder of your marriage and your career to be dictated by your wife's sister, do not back down. Lucinda appears to be an insecure, and possibly troubled, woman who is trying to control you and your wife through emotional blackmail. You have a bright -- not to mention fascinating -- future ahead of you. So follow your chosen path and do not allow your sister-in-law to continue to interfere. To fold now would only be the beginning of your problems.

  First, it sounds like the husband/wife authors of the Dear Abby letter are 100% in this journey together so I hope they don't allow this selfish sister's guilt trips to sway their decision.   But sadly, "Second Thoughts in Minnesota" is not the first Foreign Service officer who has had to deal with family backlash to their career decision.

I recently heard a sad story about an FS candidate who passed every test and hurdle, got his security and medical clearance, got placed on the register with a very high score, and that's when his wife FREAKED OUT. You see, the wife never believed her husband would get that far in the process, so she never raised objections until the offer was sitting in their laps. Wife wants no part of living overseas or being separated from family. Husband is gutted, and has to decide between lifelong dream job with unhappy wife, or happy wife and husband with lifelong feelings of resentment. Either way, the conclusion won't be pretty.

 The moral of this story is this: If you are considering a life and career in the Foreign Service, you MUST talk to your family and close friends about this BEFORE you begin the long candidacy process. The Foreign Service is not just a job, it's a way of life. Not everyone is cut out for the life of a globetrotting diplomat. Are your immediate household family members prepared to live abroad for the better part of the next 20 years? Are your family, friends, significant others in the States prepared for you to be gone for 2-3 years at a time, knowing they may not be able to visit you due to financial or security constraints? Are you prepared for guilt trips from grandparents, parents, siblings? These are the kinds of questions you need to ask before you even complete the online application form for the FSOT. If your spouse/partner/kids are not 100% on board, the Foreign Service is probably not for you.

 

In Praise Of: Friday Brunch

Editor's note: This is the first in a series of blog posts exploring the good, bad, unusual aspects of expat life in Bahrain!

 One of the weekend pleasures of life in Bahrain is Friday Brunch. This awesome local tradition is a great way to kick off the weekend. Nearly every 4 & 5 star hotel in Bahrain offers it's own version of the Bahrain Brunch, but they all have two things in common: all-you-can eat food, and all-you-can-drink champagne! Yes, you read that correctly: ALL. YOU. CAN. DRINK.   Next to beer, champagne is Mrs. Crab's favorite tipple. 

Last weekend, a new friend invited us to Friday Brunch at the Golden Tulip Hotel. The brunch costs 19 BD (Bahraini Dinars), or about $51 per person. Friday Brunch ain't cheap, so it's something people usually only do once a month. But we definitely got our money's worth. The Golden Tulip's brunch is famous for its seafood, including the local fish, Hammour. Mr. Crab personally ate one fish, two lobsters, several grilled shrimp, and countless oysters and other critters of the sea.  You meander through the rows and rows of fresh fish, pick your poison, hand it to one of the cooks and he takes it outside to throw on the grill. Mrs. Crab enjoyed a filet mignon, other yummy treats and TWO candy floss -- that's Cotton Candy for my fellow Americans!!  The brunch at the Tulip runs from 12:30pm to 4:30pm. It starts rather quietly but by 2pm as the champagne is flowing like a river, the Filipino Band is in full swing, women are dancing in the aisles and kids (and a few adults) are running around with face painting and balloon animals. And I'm told the Golden Tulip is actually pretty tame compared to the Diplomat Hotel's brunch (it's on our To Do list). 

After brunch, we headed over to an after-party at another local Irish bar (there are at least 5 Irish pubs in Bahrain), where another rock band was playing American cover tunes while Western expats and U.S. military personnel swayed and flirted around the dance floor. Unfortunately when you start drinking at noon, we were pretty knackered by 6pm and called it a day. So lesson learned for our next Friday Brunch: pace yourself! 

Every hotel brunch scene has it's own specialities and atmosphere. We're told the Diplomat is the party place, but the Movenpick supposedly has the best food on the island. We'll be testing those opinions for ourselves in the future. For a complete list and review of Bahrain Friday Brunches, check out this great article from Time Out Bahrain. 

Here's some more photos of Friday Brunch. 

Bahrain: A month of "firsts"

  From Mr. Crab:  We've been rather remiss about updating this blog lately. My job at the embassy has been very, very busy. And Mrs. Crab has been very, very busy setting up our new home and making friends.

As an Entry Level Officer, I am quite surprised at how much responsibility and trust I have been given.A few months ago, I couldn't imagine life after A-100. Now I'm putting to practice what we learned at the Foreign Service Institute.  In less than three weeks at post, I've represented the Embassy and United States Government and meetings and receptions. I've met with dignitaries, sheiks and Bahraini and American business leaders. This week, I wrote and disseminated my first diplomatic cable. 

Over the past 25 days, we've been setting into Bahrain, exploring our little island-nation.On weekends and occasionally after work, we've been sampling Bahrain's plethora of restaurants, bars, lounges and shopping malls, from JJ's bar to Bushido's. We've paid $25 per person to see "Inception" in a movie in a "VIP" cinema, smoked fruity tobacco in a shisha bar, got our satellite TV and Internet Wi-Max hooked up. We signed up for loyalty cards and restaurants and shops around town. Yesterday, we attended another great Bahrain tradition: Friday Brunch with all-you-can-drink champagne. Today, we bought a car...the first time we've owned an automobile in more than five years.  Over the next few months, we'll profile various cool places and faces in Bahrain.  

A few scenes from Bahrain:

   

Greetings from Bahrain!

So, it's been about 2 1/2 years since I began this road to the Foreign Service and now we've finally arrived at our first post: Manama, Bahrain.  Our last week in America was a complete blur, as we were so busy preparing the last few days.

On Wednesday we boarded the 11-hour flight from Washington to Kuwait, followed by a 90 minute layover, then a short flight hop to Bahrain. (And can I just say that United Business class ROCKS! Thank goodness for Mileage Plus frequent flyer miles.) 

Our first impression of Bahrain came from the gleaming, modern international airport. We were met at the airport by an awesome employee from the US Embassy known as LES (Locally-Engaged Staff; previously known as FSNs or Foreign Service Nationals), who whisked us through the customs and immigration paperwork and helped with our luggage. Outside, our incredible sponsor met us and then we were escorted to our new home.  For security reasons I can't really say much about it other than to say, we love our new house and neighborhood!

We've spent the past few days exploring our little island. So far we're pleasantly surprised at the amount of great restaurants, bars, pubs and shopping malls galore. Bahrain must have the most shopping malls per capita than any place on Earth, with name-brand American and European shops from H&M and Carrefour to Kenneth Cole and Virgin. And there's no shortage of familiar fast food chains including Hardees, McDonalds, Krispy Kreme, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, Little Caesars, Papa Johns and Chili's. Alcohol is mainly only sold in restaurants and bars that are attached to hotels, but the beer loving and resourceful Two Crabs have already discovered a few unsigned "off-license" liquor stores around the island. As for restaurants, the foodie Crabs highly recommend Casa Mexicana, which has a real Mexican chef and decent Mexican and Tex-Mex favorites. Also Sherlock Holmes pub at the Gulf Hotel is a nice pub with British pub grub and Guinness on tap.

 On Saturday we took the afternoon to do a bit of sightseeing. We drove about 45 minutes to the desert to see the infamous Tree of Life (above) and Oil Pump #1, where oil was first discovered in the Middle East in 1932, right here in Bahrain.  There is also an oil museum which unfortunately was closed on our visit. Driving in Bahrain takes some practice as people drive like crazy (but not as crazy as India) and there are hundreds of traffic circles (roundabouts); driving in Washington DC is great practice for Bahrain! 

We've also explored the grocery stores. Unlike our old grocery stores in London, the Bahrain grocery stores actually carry a good selection of American food and other groceries.  A few grocery stores also sell pork products in hidden "Sin Corners" in the back of the store. 

The most shocking surprise about Bahrain has been high cost of living.  It's an expensive place, way more expensive than Washington DC and only slightly less expensive than London.  Fresh fruit and veggies are especially pricey. A pound of fresh California red grapes is $11!!  And a pint of beer is about $6.  The only thing that's cheap here is gasoline (about 95 cents a gallon) and tobacco (about $18 for a carton of Marlboro Lights). 

Happy Birthday, America!  As my first official duty as a Foreign Service Officer, I'll be working at the Independence Day embassy party. Tomorrow is my first official full day on the job as an FSO. Wish me luck.

Happy Birthday, America!

A beacon of hope and freedom since July 4, 1776

Friendly Reminder: NDA!

Congratulations to everyone who passed the most recent round of the Foreign Service Officers Test (FSOT). HOWEVER, it's come to my attention that many new candidates are either unaware or simply choose to ignore the seriousness of the NDA: The Non-Disclosure Agreement.  Several people have either posted comments on my blog or sent me private e-mails that are in clear violation of the NDA.  Let me remind you that when you took the FSOT, you had to sign a mandatory document that promised you would not reveal the specific contents of the exam including specific questions, essay topics, etc., in any format whatsoever including blogs, posts, comments, e-mails, posts on the FS Yahoo boards, phone calls or even private conversations with your friends. The Department of State's Board of Examiners (BEX) takes violations very seriously. VIOLATIONS OF THE NDA CAN AND WILL RESULT IN THE TERMINATION OF YOUR FOREIGN SERVICE CANDIDACY.

Thank you for your attention. 

PS: Please note that the comments feature on my blog is now moderated. If you post a comment, it will not be visible until I personally read and approve every comment.

Bahrain or bust

  In a few short hours, we will be on a 15-hour flight bound for my first overseas post: Bahrain. I'm excited and nervous all at once. I'm leaving the college-like atmosphere and safety net of FSI (Foreign Service Institute) for my first REAL job as a Foreign Service Officer. I've already received my first assignment: I'll be working at the embassy's annual Independence Day party!

 The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of last-minute errands like getting our wills, changing addresses, root canals and Mr. Crab even had a tooth pulled. Good times. But the hardest part of this process has been the goodbyes. We've attended more than a few goodbye parties, happy hours, dinners. We spent last weekend in Houston to see my equally-wanderlust sister and family. I keep reminding myself that this is the end of one chapter, and the beginning of a new adventure. By this time next year, I will already be bidding for my second tour!  

See you on the flip side...