My aunt lives in the Bahrain.....

Apparently living in Bahrain is something to boast about...at least to my four year old niece, Syd.  According to my sister-in-law, Mel, Syd has been telling complete strangers that I live in Bahrain. In fact, her preschool teacher told Mel that Syd was making up stories about her Aunt Jess that lived in "the Bahrain."  Well, everyone. It is true..I live in the Bahrain.  When I heard this, it made me wonder: Is it something to boast about living here?  I guess it is!  Before I came out here everyone told me how this was a once in a life time experience.  When else in my life would I get to live in the Middle East?  Well, I'm here and I need to learn to not take it for granted.

I'm always trying to come up with words to describe Bahrain, but I can never fully express myself.  The one word that I keep coming back to is: interesting.  How is it interesting? Well, let me give you a few examples:
- It really is like the movies: women wear burqas and men wear thoubs (or man-dress as I refer to it).
- Everyone speaks English (for the most part) .
- I get lost because there are never street signs here.
- Those lovely houses you see in pictures, I swear they are made out of legos...hopefully we will never have an earthquake.
- I thought I would be going to the local markets for my vegetables...puh-leez. Only if I wanted a salad with a side of dysentery.
- The water in the Gulf is soooo beautiful....until you find out what they dump in the water (really...you don't want to know).
- Stink eye and stink lip....you better perfect it here with the amount of dirty looks that are going to be slung your way!
- I am honestly Casper the Friendly American Ghost.  The lady at the MAC counter said: I have never put make-up on someone so pale.
- I have no clue how many different animals make up the meat in a "Mixed Grill."
- Yes, they do serve camel here. No, I do not want to try.
- I did not honestly believe that that many uni-brows could survive in one place without everything spontaneously combusting.
- Censorship is king here!
- I have a maid...enough said.
- If I see another dish made with dates, I'm going to puke!
- A man can have up to four wives at a time. Now before all the guys get excited at the idea...think of all the nagging and cat fights and money you'd have to spend!
- Everything is the color of sand: the houses, the roads, the cars......
- The list could go on and on.....Todo, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore!