Bahrain life

I am slowly starting to feel normal here, and then things change. I was getting used to our hotel and then we moved into a house and are now we are living in a big house with all our camping gear and our bikes.  

I am adjusting to all this as much as possible, but to watch my kids adjust quickly is amazing. They are great kids.  We are trying to show them a lot of our new culture as possible.  Some parts they like, and some parts are a little overwhelming.

My kids are not used to being a minority and they are one here. They are often surrounded by people in head dresses, thoub and abayas. Like all of us, they think new stuff is a little scary.  It is uncomfortable to be in a situation that is unfamiliar.

It is interesting to watch them learn how to deal with being uncomfortable and we as parents try to model the correct way to be respectful and to learn as much as possible.  It reminds me that it is good to expose them to different cultures and life outside their comfort zone.

We went to a Bahrain Cultural Exhibit that was assembled at the Arad Fort.  It was held at night and had all sorts of local foods, displays on how they make things, and local music. It was outside of their comfort zone, but after a little bit of coaxing, they relaxed into it and learned a lot.

It was very windy, and more than a little dusty.  This is the sun on the way to the festival, it was not very bright, but looked cool through the sand in the air.

This picture is the Arad Fort, and how they light it up at night.

 This is the traditional Dhow boat used for fishing, pearl diving and transport.  (the dots on the picture is the sand in front of the lens)

 Model Boat Building

 Traditional crafts for sale.

 A somewhat decent picture of us in the blowing sand.

 The food, this is a fried dough with garlic and hot peppers, it was very good.

 This is them baking bread inside a very cool wood oven, the bread is on the sides.  Then they spread cheese or Nutella on it.  It was very good.

 The four women are weaving the thread and the one woman makes stitches to attach it to the edge of the garment. The sewer in me was fascinated by this process.

 They had mats and pillows on the floor for a puppet show.  You can guess how they got used before the show.