The Bahrain Posts - Numero Uno
I feel there will be a lot of reminiscing about Bahrain in the coming weeks. I really really miss it already and it's impossible to pay homage to an experience like the one I've had in one short post so it's going to have to be a series.
The Top 10 things I dislike about Bahrain:
10. The legalisation process for NGOs. One word: "insha'allah". The pain, the searing pain. May God help us.
9. Snotty white expats. Stop complaining, it's a great country, go and get drunk in BJs/JJs like your other stupid friends.
8. Some people's attitudes to foreign workers. They are not your servants, they are also people and you are not better than them because you are Khaleeji or because you are rich.
7. English-language media. The GDN is a fairly primitive tabloid riddled with spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, pro-government bias and very limited opinion pieces. There are 6 Arabic language papers. Lift your game and learn from the UAE.
6. Bahrainisation. A short-term fix to a long-term problem.
5. Roadwork. Please. You are killing me. Why block a busy intersection at 9am on a Sunday morning? Why? WHY? Why block all of Juffair for months? WHYYYYY?
4. The education system, it really needs more than one dimension.
3. The pace of construction, that library was supposed to be finished soon after I ARRIVED and it's still not done :(
2. Saudis (and Kuwaitis and Qataris) invading on the weekends, GO HOME.
1. The speedbumps, they are never painted and your car goes flying randomly.
The Top 20 things I love about Bahrain:
20. Ba7rain Fort. Big, imposing, cool and lit up at night.
19. The cars. Maaaaaaaaaaaan. I wont even list them. Just, the cars.
18. Thobe and '3itra/Shma'3... it looks, cool... just dont wear it too freakin tight :P *cough* Saudis *Cough*
17. Al Bare7 Gallery with the cool little cafe and very nice gallery with different exhibitions and things, wish I went there more.
16. Seef Mall. Not the greatest mall in the world but a great place to people watch and chill, sometimes.
15. Cheap cigarettes. Where else can you get top quality US/Euro smokes for 600 fils (1.2€)? Well the Gulf. Have to quit smoking now though cos cant afford it in Australia of course.
14. Watching football at the Qahwa, with shisha and everybody cheering.
13. Beirout Coffee Shop... I miss Altav, A7med, 3Aboud and the rest. Top quality 3ainab Fa5er shisha for 600 fils (1.2€) and Laimun Na3na juice for 300 fils (0.6€). And I miss playing tricks, even if I wasnt that good at it.
12. The best shisha and ma3asil in the world. Tafa7tain, 3inab fa5er, you name it, we got it.
11. Tikka and Kabab from Jahan Grills. Whether you eat it in the park, on the roof, in the apartment or in your car, it's good.
10. The Adliya party strip where you can see Lamborghinis, girls in miniskirts and thobed men flashing cash. Specifically:
9. La Ventana. An oasis of cool with paintings on the walls, the hairy eared owner giving us free cake and the best damn sandwiches on the island.
8. Costa Coffee. Free wifi, comfortable seating and the staff are just the friendliest people around really, it's a pity so many people treat them like crap.
7. Lebanese Oven shawarma with EXTRA MINT. I miss you '3azi, my Syrian shawarma friend, you always gave me extra mint even when i didnt ask and said Shu A5bar to me like i was your brother after greeting me in the carpark with a big big smile on your moustachioed face.
6. Mandhi @ Mo7ammed Noor. The food, the people, the experience. Enough said.
5. Jan Burger. The best burgers I have ever eaten in any of the countries I've travelled to and they only cost 800 fils (1.6€)
4. Being a lazy bastard and driving up to just about anywhere, honking your horn and getting service. Thank you to the many Cold Store owners that met my demands with a smile.
3. Ramadhan. Enough said. For more information, check my posts about it in September last year.
2. Hearing the call to prayer at many different times during the day.
1. The people. Some of the most amazing, warm, intelligent, friendly, open-minded, high potential people in the world. Bahrain should be proud of its intellectual product. Whether we were talking about religion, politics, cars, movies, books, AIESEC or just random shit, those conversations will always stay in my heart.
The Top 10 things I dislike about Bahrain:
10. The legalisation process for NGOs. One word: "insha'allah". The pain, the searing pain. May God help us.
9. Snotty white expats. Stop complaining, it's a great country, go and get drunk in BJs/JJs like your other stupid friends.
8. Some people's attitudes to foreign workers. They are not your servants, they are also people and you are not better than them because you are Khaleeji or because you are rich.
7. English-language media. The GDN is a fairly primitive tabloid riddled with spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, pro-government bias and very limited opinion pieces. There are 6 Arabic language papers. Lift your game and learn from the UAE.
6. Bahrainisation. A short-term fix to a long-term problem.
5. Roadwork. Please. You are killing me. Why block a busy intersection at 9am on a Sunday morning? Why? WHY? Why block all of Juffair for months? WHYYYYY?
4. The education system, it really needs more than one dimension.
3. The pace of construction, that library was supposed to be finished soon after I ARRIVED and it's still not done :(
2. Saudis (and Kuwaitis and Qataris) invading on the weekends, GO HOME.
1. The speedbumps, they are never painted and your car goes flying randomly.
The Top 20 things I love about Bahrain:
20. Ba7rain Fort. Big, imposing, cool and lit up at night.
19. The cars. Maaaaaaaaaaaan. I wont even list them. Just, the cars.
18. Thobe and '3itra/Shma'3... it looks, cool... just dont wear it too freakin tight :P *cough* Saudis *Cough*
17. Al Bare7 Gallery with the cool little cafe and very nice gallery with different exhibitions and things, wish I went there more.
16. Seef Mall. Not the greatest mall in the world but a great place to people watch and chill, sometimes.
15. Cheap cigarettes. Where else can you get top quality US/Euro smokes for 600 fils (1.2€)? Well the Gulf. Have to quit smoking now though cos cant afford it in Australia of course.
14. Watching football at the Qahwa, with shisha and everybody cheering.
13. Beirout Coffee Shop... I miss Altav, A7med, 3Aboud and the rest. Top quality 3ainab Fa5er shisha for 600 fils (1.2€) and Laimun Na3na juice for 300 fils (0.6€). And I miss playing tricks, even if I wasnt that good at it.
12. The best shisha and ma3asil in the world. Tafa7tain, 3inab fa5er, you name it, we got it.
11. Tikka and Kabab from Jahan Grills. Whether you eat it in the park, on the roof, in the apartment or in your car, it's good.
10. The Adliya party strip where you can see Lamborghinis, girls in miniskirts and thobed men flashing cash. Specifically:
9. La Ventana. An oasis of cool with paintings on the walls, the hairy eared owner giving us free cake and the best damn sandwiches on the island.
8. Costa Coffee. Free wifi, comfortable seating and the staff are just the friendliest people around really, it's a pity so many people treat them like crap.
7. Lebanese Oven shawarma with EXTRA MINT. I miss you '3azi, my Syrian shawarma friend, you always gave me extra mint even when i didnt ask and said Shu A5bar to me like i was your brother after greeting me in the carpark with a big big smile on your moustachioed face.
6. Mandhi @ Mo7ammed Noor. The food, the people, the experience. Enough said.
5. Jan Burger. The best burgers I have ever eaten in any of the countries I've travelled to and they only cost 800 fils (1.6€)
4. Being a lazy bastard and driving up to just about anywhere, honking your horn and getting service. Thank you to the many Cold Store owners that met my demands with a smile.
3. Ramadhan. Enough said. For more information, check my posts about it in September last year.
2. Hearing the call to prayer at many different times during the day.
1. The people. Some of the most amazing, warm, intelligent, friendly, open-minded, high potential people in the world. Bahrain should be proud of its intellectual product. Whether we were talking about religion, politics, cars, movies, books, AIESEC or just random shit, those conversations will always stay in my heart.
Labels: bahrain
posted by LX at 8:32 AM
6 Comments:
Oh dear... You start writing those Arabic words with numbers in them. You're an Arab!!
Yeah yeah, I know they're supposed to distinguish different sounds and all, but still, the fact that you've adopted them is impressive! :D
haha if that makes me an Arab then guilty as charged! :D
almost half your top 20 involves food or restaurants.
well what can i say, i love food! and bahrain has good food! Do you deny me this pleasure? :P
y just one point about them people and alot about our food? its true that most of our foreign work force does make our food but still! one sentence isnt enough to tell people how great i am (did i say I? i meant we) jk
tc, missing our fights
would love it if you wrote more about the people...
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