First Impressions

What a great first few days we've had here!  So far (and mind you, we are three days in at this point), this transition has been wildly easy.  This is almost entirely due to the fact that my wonderful Rocky has been in Bahrain for months already and has done a wonderful job setting everything up, easing so many of my worries leading up to the move and making my first days here QUITE relaxing.  :) So THANK YOU, my dear Rocky.  <3

Our travel was easy.  Long, but easy.  Good flights, one layover in Turkey (during which I did NOT get to experience the amazing Turkish Airlines lounge (but thanks for the recommendation, Jeremy and Hilary!)), babies crying the whole way from Istanbul to Bahrain, but whatever.  I was almost too tired to care.  Almost. Derek gave step by step directions for what to expect in the Bahrain airport, so we were all set.  We met Derek outside of arrivals and stepped out into the sauna that is my new home.

For 2:00 a.m. and 21 hours of travel, I say not bad.  ;)

Let's document and discuss my first impressions of Bahrain, then.  I'm curious to see how these impressions will be validated or dismissed over time.  Basically, the three items that I have talked about leading up to this trip were the weather, culture, and safety.  

So yeah - the heat.  It's not pleasant here in the summer.  My pale German/Irish skin feels like it is frying when exposed to the sun, so I try not to do that at all.  I just cover up when it's sunny, and it is always sunny.  Right now it's in the noon hour and the temps are 100 F, with a heat index of 131 F with the humidity.  They say humidity, but if you have felt Washington, DC, humidity at all, this is not humid.  This pales in comparison.  The heat index does tell the true story, though, that this is not a dry heat.  There is definitely humidity that keeps this place feeling somewhere between a sauna and a steam room.  WHEW!

I say it's not as humid as DC, but this is the temp at 10:30 p.m.  I may eat my words.

Culturally, I think that Bahrain is unique as compared with other Middle Eastern countries.  It really is an island of half Bahrani people, half ex-patriots from Britain, India, and the US.  When taken into consideration, then, I am immediately different from half of the women here in that I do not wear an abaya or hijab (I found this article most helpful in understanding Muslim women's wear).  But I do not stand out as compared to the other half of the population.  It probably helps that we live near the US Naval Base and consulate, too, so my first impressions have a heavy dose of Western culture taken into consideration. 

 Al-Fateh Grand Mosque (near our home)

View of Manama from our neighborhood

Which brings us to the safety in Bahrain.  I feel totally fine here.  It's an urban area, so I have my city-girl wits about me, but besides that, I do not feel concerned for my/our safety at all.  When we first arrived, it was 2:00 a.m. on a weekend night, so there was a large police presence on the streets; again - no different than any urban area.  In all of my reading ahead of arriving, crime rates were reportedly low and I believe that.  We'll see how more experiences shape this belief, as we have not yet been out and about much, but I am (of course!) optimistic.  

First impression remains the same as my attitude coming into this: we're going to learn a lot, sweat a lot, and have one amazing year.