The end of the year is always a time when Bahrain is at its best. The weather is delightful – crisp and cold with occasional rain showers – and every corner you turn is lit up with white and red lights draped over buildings and trees. Over the years, Bahrain has finessed an elevated festival atmosphere and this year we have Manama Days and Muharraq Nights that bracket the Kingdom’s historic moments beautifully.
But how many of us set out to explore these aspects of Bahrain, even when it is spruced up, decorated and handed to us on a platter? Rushing through Manama Suq to buy something or visit a specific spot is one thing. It is what gives meaning and a living dimension to the space. However, a leisurely stroll to soak up the history and charm of the place is another thing altogether and it underpins our respect and love for these places.
Yet, when we visit other countries, we book guided tours of cobbled streets and even pop-up farmer markets to get a more intimate look at the ‘local’ culture and history! A friend said that she felt she knew all about the suq since she went there often on errands. However, when she actually went on a walking tour with guests from abroad, she was surprised at how much of the history of Manama she was unaware of.
In many ways, then, our relationship with Bahrain is like our understanding of our home. You think you know every room and every nook but look closely and there are bound to be aspects you were unaware of. Oh, nothing as dramatic as a secret basement or a hidden room, but – bet you didn’t know your college age kid was a collector of those vintage cosplay props under the bed? And every home has that spare drawer full of mystery plugs and wires that connect to nothing. And your neighbourhood holds so many historic secrets that yield only to a detailed exploration – just like Bahrain does.
Around this time of the year, we old-timers usually make that resolution yet again to learn a bit more Arabic that the ‘Sab’a-al-Khair’ and ‘Asif, ana ma atkalim al-Arabiya’ which means “Sorry, I don’t understand Arabic”. The linguistic barrier is something that doctors, nurses and teachers seem to cross easily since the effectiveness of their work depends on a granular understanding of the problems posed to them. The rest of us muddle along very well because Bahrainis are simply so good at expressing themselves in English – and even in eloquent Hindi!
What I believe we need to do is get out of our cultural ghettos and express our love for Bahrain by immersing ourselves in the national history, its heritage and cultural nuances. Only if we become stakeholders in continuing the narrative of Bahrain can we repay the generosity of this lovely country to us all.
Most expats here are lucky to feel so much at home in Bahrain. Travelling back from India recently on Gulf Air, I was cheerily greeted by a Bahraini cabin crew member who said, “You have left your home-country but welcome home to Bahrain – this too is your home!”
And that neatly sums up what we all feel about Bahrain!
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