Living In Bahrain
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Transcript of Living In Bahrain
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?