First, Galloway has this to say:
Galloway: 'The Violence Will Go On'
George Galloway has spoken out in support
of Lebanon, saying he believes Hizbollah is justified in attacking Israel. The
Respect MP also lambasted media coverage of the war and said the UN resolution
means nothing.
here's the link: http://news.sky.com/skynews/video/videoplayer/0,,31200-galloway_060806,00.html
I had an interesting comment on one of my blogs earlier... saying that it seems like, from what they've read on my blog, that I regret moving to the Middle East and that I regret marrying my husband, as well as other things. These are not his exact words, but close. Anyway... it's interesting to see how ppl take other ppl's words... especially when someone feels such sadness over what's happening in the world today.... and feels, sometimes, alone... I sometimes don't know what to say or how to react to people in this part of the world and to what's going on and to America's involvement or support of Israel... but I've said that before.
Being in the ME and seeing things from a different point of view - which happened immediately - I have to sit back and think about this... think about how I can say things. Do I miss the U.S.? Yes, most definitely I do. Do I wish we lived there... yes, there are days that I wish we lived there... but that's the part of me that wants everything at my fingertips - and especially since ALL of my family is there - anyone who didn't miss that/family would make me wonder. And seeing that Americans are very spoiled, it's really no wonder that I miss life in the U.S. I think it's getting easier as time passes and as more things open up here in Bahrain, but I do miss the U.S., but hey, I miss a lot of things that I took for granted - like the rain, wildlife, clouds, and grocery stores. I also miss Target like you wouldn't believe and Whole Foods. But.. we always want what we don't have, right?
Do I regret marrying my husband?!! NO. I do not regret marrying my husband... I wonder if they think this because he's an Arab male. Or because I work and live amongst Arabs and have had feelings that aren't always the most positive... I don't know. But, I will say this... Bahrain may not be the best place on earth to live, but I am happy that I am here and w/ my husband. If he weren't here, no, I wouldn't live here.... but that's just me. There are prob lots of ppl that could say the same about the U.S., believe me... it's not heaven on earth. Without going on and sounding desperate to show the love I have inside - and, basically, that just ISN'T my way.... I will say a few more things about my relationship. There's a lot of things that could have been different if I didn't want to marry him or be w/ him. I could have stayed in the U.S. since he came here before me... but that isn't what I wanted. And since the Iraq war broke out right after he came here and all flights were cancelled to the ME, it could have been really easy for me to go on w/ life as I knew it. But, my life with him and my life here in Bahrain was meant to be... I do truly believe that. I believe he is my soul mate and I love him desperately... and plan to stay here w/ him for all eternity or at least until they drop a bomb on us or nuke the whole country! ;) Kidding! yeah, that was prob unneeded, but I JUST COULDN'T help myself.
I thought I was showing my feelings and being upfront w/ how things are sometimes (altho I don't go overboard w/ it) in my previous post about the way I feel at work and such... and I did not mean for it to sound like I regret things. But ppl will read what they want to read in someone's words. I've had this happen before. I sometimes say things and then wish I hadn't or even have a change of heart and mind and will even go the other way w/ my thoughts, words and feelings... I can remember one time when I made a comment on Bahrain & Beyond's blog and it was taken the wrong way (actually, what I wrote weren't even my words but something someone else said to me, to be honest, and I said the words trying to make a point - but it was taken the wrong way, but hey... I probably said things the wrong way) and it turned into a major dispute/disagreement/argument.... and a couple of friends/bloggers, The Moody Minstrel & Saba, were involved. Phew... it's amazing how that turned out and it's all good now! :)
ANYWAY.... sometimes the things ppl say really get me to thinking. Techz told me that I should post about the good things that happen in this country and the Middle East. I agree... so, here's my first post to this - even tho it may not 'really' fit the bill. It at least shows a different way of looking at things that many Americans may not see.... so here's to my American friends.
21 comments:
Cheers! *clink*
Well, I have to say I'm glad you got married and came here, Bahrain is most fortunate to have someone like you living here :)
I'm not sure how someone took your comments to mean you arent happy here or wish you hadnt married your husband, I for one gathered that you're one of those people who seem to have understood Bahrain/the ME and seem to take the difference and culture here well.
Every non-bahraini missed their homeland, its just how we humans are, eventually the urge grows faint, but it never goes away.
Keep blogging the good bits, people need to be told about them, its all around but many dont see ;)
and here's to you and yours too!
"The Pure Race" does not live in Bahrain, nor does it occur anywhere in the world.
So if you feel that this is your home now, and this is your new life, and you are going to have a go at it, then excellent and more power to the both of you.
The first apostle of Islam said that (and I liberally paraphrase) "home is where you hang you hat" and it doesn't have to be the country you are born in. And I take that as gospel, if you find yourself in a country that you feel comfortable in, even if you don't hold that country's passport, then to me at least, you ARE a member of that country, regardless of what the locals say or feel.
So be true to yourself, and don't EVER shirk from constructively criticizing where you live. It is your God given right to make your environment better, so if you bend a few noses while you're at it, so much the better.
So from a Bahraini, let me officially welcome you with open arms in our midst. May this be a comfortable and fulfilling abode to you and your husband.
If not, then what the heck, the world beckons!
Hey tooner ! :)
As a frequent visitor to your blog, I have never got any vibes of you regretting being here nor that you regret marrying your husband ! Like you, I believed in soul mates and it's only the lucky ones who get to find theirs! YOU & YOUR HUSBAND ARE LUCKY ;) :)
Anyway about stuff which you miss, I miss lots of things from my time in the UK (Alosra Supermarket helps me cope :P) and the same goes to Bahrain when I go on courses abroad, I am sure that within time you'll get to miss stuff you got used to here in Bahrain when you visit the US.
And about the guy who miss interpreted your post, I think it all goes down to people perceptions of others thoughts, ideas and way of life. Sadly this is one of the negatives of blogging ! Remember that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger ! ;) :)
PS. you are not alone ! after your husband obviously, remember that you have people (us) who share the same views with you !
Hope this is comforting, for I for one is having lots to say to you hence the muddled up comment ! :) (I need to go to the British council for a lesson or two in writing!) :P
All of you have made me feel MOST welcome! :)
Thank you!!
Wow...I don't get that kind of support from the Japanese living and working around me! Consider yourself blessed!
I do indeed consider myself blessed. It's not often that you find ppl so accepting... but I will say this, Arabs are very much like this. They'll open their hearts and houses to someone in an instant. I've heard this many times over and I'm starting to see just how true it is.
tooners: I believe that was my comment:) I obviously read incorreclty into what you were saying and I do apologize if I offended you in any way. I'm glad you've found a good man for yourself and I'm happy you're happy in Bahrain.
I didn't say what I said because I feel any hatred towards Arabs. I know plenty of them in Israel and have a few friends amongst them. They're mostly nice, candid, bright folks, especially the university crowd whom I'm closest to.
When I said Allah was an "unknown entity" on my blog I simply made a crude error. I believe in God though I don't consider myself religious per say and I know that Allah is the Muslim equivalent of God. Thank you for commenting on my blog and may you and your husband be blessed.
Cheers, Greg.
I'm new to your blog and I have to say after reading this post you are very courageous. It's not so much about where you moved as that you moved. That's a big step. How long have you been there.
I think it was John Lennon who popularised the mystic's words:
Wherever you go, there you are.
Nuff said.
No, it's never that simple, it's true, but it does not reveal the way we feel about where we are. Once you have lived in more than one place, your heart and mind are continually pulling you one way or another.
For example, it is a struggle to find a job here in London, and I am sure that if I went to some obscure museum in middle America, they might take me on. But is that what I want?
I like London, and yes, like you, I miss the easy life I had in Houston.
Just this morning on MSN I was reading about the top ten breakfast cafes in 19 US cities. As I clicked on Houston, I thought "I bet Empire Cafe is there" - I've had yummy omelettes there - and sure enough, it was. Then to see the familiar street names, I had a very quiet moment and even considered going back. But when I left Tx, I was only too glad to come back to London. And no one I know wants me to give up on it.
Wherever you go, there you are...
Oh darn, I forgot to mention George Galloway.
He is a shamed figure here. Already controversial before he entered the Big Brother house, after the nation watched him behaving like a cat with a cross-dressing fellow housemate, he may never be able to recover his already patchy reputation.
Cor, I sound like a journalist...
Anyway, he's not in the IRA, he's Scottish, Socialist, and MP for an area of London which is home to many Muslims.
His wife is Muslim.
He was even questioned by a US Senate committee regarding a UN oil for food scam.
No rain? No clouds? No grocery stores? I would miss these things very much too. It's good that you are happy where you are at and although there are many things you miss about your homeland that you are able to appreciate your new country.
"Galloway is a shamed figure here...He was even questioned by a US Senate committee regarding a UN oil for food scam."
HAHAHA yeah he was QUESTIONED by them and i think they regretted it after what they got in answer to their questions, see for yourself here!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=HrdFFCnYtbk
Wow! I might've paid money to see that!
I often ask my friends from places like the Gulf (Bahrain included) and Scandinavia how their people could have lived in such extreme places for so long...I secretly think there's massive stores of gold or something like that in those places and that's why people live there.
I guess you live in Bahrain for love, and that's much more wholesome than staying for a secret stash of gold ;P
so to you tooners, I say, keep living the dream
Patrick - Whatever the outcome, whenever someone gets into a scandal, it's never the same.
olivia, yes, whenever someone gets into a scandal, it's never the same. i think of mel gibson immediately when i read this. i doubt seriously if his life will ever be the same! and john lennon's words are very true and i feel them. i, like you, have moments where i long for something in the states - a good place that we used to eat - or even just driving down a certain road... but, then i feel better and go on.
greg, yes, you made the comment :) but no worries, i just wanted to let you know and anyone else who thinks it secretly but doesn't say it that i don't regret any of my decisions. there are times when i get down and such or miss home, but then, like i said, all gets better. i think it's a natural feeling to have, honestly. i'd wonder about myself if i didn't miss it. you know?! and thanks for clearing up about "God"... I wasn't really sure if Jews believed in God or not. May I ask, is the word "Jews" considered 'politically correct'?
unbalanced, thanks for stopping by. :) i've been living in bahrain for 3 1/2 yrs now. and yes, it was a HUGE step, but i'm glad i did it.
jane, we have grocery stores but they're nothing like in the states... i miss that on occasion... especially when i want to make something and cant find the ingredients here - that can be frustrating. and yeah, there aren't a lot of clouds... but you know, the other day we were driving back home from work and there were the most beautiful clouds outside... it was if God was telling me... "ok... here ya go!". :) i do miss the rain a lot though... i so love the rain.
andrew, thanks for stopping by my blog! and thanks for your comments.
oh yeah... i like this george galloway guy. i think it's pretty darn cool that he's standing up and speaking his mind. didn't realize he wasn't part of the IRA... but i should have since i knew it was a scottish accent. obviously, sometimes i don't think. ;) but, i also can understand, seeing that his wife is muslim, why he's speaking out and being so vocal. i didn't have such strong feelings about things until moving here. i had never seen the type of footage that they show here ever before... and it was terrible to see such blood and dead bodies and the killing. so, even tho his reputation has been tarnished, i do stand behind what he's doing and wish more ppl would follow in those footsteps.
and hey patrickmatthews, thanks for the link. i'd not seen that footage and i loved it.
I am going to write a lot of things... forgive me if my thoughts don't connect from one to the other.
I have been greatly disturbed. Amartya Sen writes, it is good to be disturbed -- cause we will then fulfil our civil responsibility of reclaiming our right in our society.
Anyway...
Greg Palast has written a nice piece on Galloway.
Galloway The Smoking Gun
If Murdoch thought Galloway was a threat to the neocon interests, he wouldn't have had Galloway interviewed.
These sort of interviews, theatrical nonsense, are only to divert the attention from the reality. Galloway provided that comic-relief. Galloway 's noise were all a bit too empty. Is his voice as loud as that of a Mandela or a Gandhi?
It is all about Oil, it is all about more money and more power. The war was a very profitable business -- Oil producing nations made more than 5 billion in additional revenue through the war.
Real Voice
I believe that Men have failed the religions they made.
Women were never given the right to make religions or the power to run it :-))
The other day, when I went to a certain government building wearing a T-shirt and Jeans, (I wasn't wearing the winter-clothing: suit and a tie and a condom) -- the Arab gentleman was very rude to me. He shooed me away -- the same way I have seen Indian labourers treated.
Maybe he thought I am also - yet another cheap Indian coolie -- who is ready to bbq-ed in some Labour camp.
The colour of my skin told him I am from the land of Mahatma Gandhi. My attire told him -- I don't belong to the blue collar class of Indians.
It is another matter that I am educated enough to be a journalist.
Without proper democracy, no society is going to change one bit. One of the reasons why the US is a sad country is because the democracy in that country is a big circus.
Like it or not, in India we vote and we count them too. For a poor country, which was abused by the colonial Brits for 300 years, we have done very well in the 59 years after independence.
I read somewhere in your blog/comments about how warm Arabs are. There are always good people and bad people. But the true test of a society is in its democractic values. My grandpa told me once -- to understand how good a society is, look at the status women have in that society.
I have a truly wonderful friend in Silly Bahraini Girl... She can surely write in more detail about how liberated women are.
The way housemaids are terrorised in Bahrain... I just cannot see Bahrain as a civilised society. The state stands impotent and the society a mute spectator to it.
There is poverty in Bahrain as well. I was shocked to see shanty towns and people living in such abject poverty in Bahrain. Poverty is gross violation of human rights.
Bahrainis celebrated the Victory in Lebanon, of course Oil profits soared in the 32 days and there was money to burn.... when many of the poor in Bahrain have no proper homes to live in -- how could anyone celebrate?
Maybe my understanding of the situation is wrong. If I am wrong, do correct me.
Home is where love is. Tooners: Wish you two a lot of happiness and lots of love.
tooners: thanks for understanding:) and yeah..."Jews" is completely p.c. Even though I, personally am not completely what you'd call politically correct I appreciate your wanting to be. That's very nice of you. Thanks!
sans, you're right about everything you write about. for me to write about how arabs are warm ppl... well, i believe the ppl i have met thru *blogging* (with whom i'm referring and i should have been more obvious about that) are very different that the ppl you find on the street. i have met a lot of ppl who have been very open and welcoming to me, but the ppl in the blogging world have been the nicest. there's a LOT of things that are not good here in bahrain. i could write all day about things like that but it causes such turmoil inside of me and right now, i don't need it.
honestly, i hardly read the GDN nowadays because of all the negativity. yes, it's a part of life here in bahrain but i get so sick of ppl saying that they're changing things but you never see the results. talk is cheap.
so, i'm trying to concentrate on the positives surrounding my life... which can be difficult at times because i tend to get very aggravated w/ things here... which is probably why i don't post as often as i used to. it's easier for me to be negative, as much as i hate to admit it.
i agree w/ what you posted about being able to tell a lot about a society based upon how women are treated. isn't that the truth! behold... bahrain.
yes, silly bahraini girl is a great writer and says so many things that i'd love to say but don't. in the past, i've gotten myself into trouble by saying too many negative things... so i'm trying to play nice w/ a little bit of naughtiness thrown in for good measure - every now and then! ;) i don't think i could be me if i weren't mean at least a few times a week. ;) ;)
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