How’s life in Bahrain so far?

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Life

Bahrain So Far

Overdue is probably an understatement for how I feel about the topic in this post. On that imaginary blog to-do list for a while, but it’s been hard sitting down and writing. Not for any terrible reasons though!

I’ve been in Bahrain now for around four months. Four months since I up-sticks and moved a few thousand miles from the one home I’ve only ever known – England. And I don’t regret it for a moment.

How’s life in Bahrain, four months in?

Al Fateh Mosque

It’s marginally different. For one thing, I work from home now. I think I can feel some pangs of jealousy from some readers out there! Working from home is interesting. I mean it’s great because I work UK hours, so actually start and finish later. But having the discipline to not just sit on the sofa and “work” can be trying at times. Doing well so far!

Watch out for Mother Fudgers on the Road

Driving in Bahrain...

Driving is a bit taxing here. Back in England I enjoyed driving. So much so, that it wasn’t rare that I’d come home from work and occasionally take the car out for a drive in the evening. Driving here is a whole other ball game. You just have to be very hyper aware of what other drivers are doing around you. Yes, people drive like lunatics at incredible speeds while on the phone and browsing their Instagram feed (Not even joking about that one.). Just learn to look out for them, and you’re fine. Still getting used to it. My solution? Drive incredibly defensively. And check your mirrors like your life depends on it! Because in actual fact, it does.

Things will get done when they get done

The lifestyle here is different. There’s definitely a laid back feel to it. Which can be frustrating for when you just want to get shit done. But it’s a nice change from England.

One thing I really, really like about Bahrain is that it is constantly on the go. Fancy a coffee at midnight? Yes, you’ll find somewhere that’ll be open for that. Heading out for dinner at 10:30pm. Sure, the kitchen’s still open. It never stops.

On top of it never stopping, everything is so bloody close because BAHRAIN IS A TINY TINY PLACE. You’re never far from anything. I’m closer to some of the best Chinese and Thai food I’ve ever had, here in Bahrain than I was when I was in England. Crazy thought.

Let’s go to the mall, today!

Mall Life

While it may be hotter than the surface of the sun a lot of the time, options for “doing things” during the day can feel a bit limited, as you’re restricted to indoor entertainment. But there are some really good options. I’ve already raved about how cheap the cinema is in Bahrain compared to London. (Though we’ve actually not been in a while as films tend to get censored and cut here, sadly. So film choices to be seen in the cinema are chosen wisely.). Bowling is also incredibly cheap. 8BHD (About Β£13) for 2 rounds of bowling for 2 people. Not a bad way to spend a few hours.

Or you can just people watch with a coffee in hand at one of the many, many malls. So many malls. And the so many coffee shops.

Hey, it’s not so hot anymore

Looking forward to the weather cooling down. Well, when I say cooling down, it’s now on average around 35 degrees C during the day rather than around 40!

We can finally have a few barbecues on the roof. We’ve already starting go-karting again. However, it is still pretty hot for go-karting, even at around 9 in the evening. Wearing the full driving kit is HOT.

I’d like to go visit Bahrain Fort again, except actually walk around it. Again, something that’s better when the weather’s cooler. Also, hit up Al Dar Islands and maybe The Lost Paradise of Dilmun. Funny that we’re waiting for cooler weather before we hit the beach and a water park.

So what do YOU do in Bahrain?

Mostly, it’s eating. We go out to eat a lot. A lot of that is probably due to the fact that OH and my schedules don’t really match up – I work from home during the day and he works nights. So we make the most of the weekends. And it’s not just dinner or lunch, eating out for breakfast is probably one of my favourite things. (Alongside OH’s pancakes, of course.)

Favourite places to eat out

  1. Saffron by Jena for breakfast. Incredibly Bahraini breakfasts. INCREDIBLE.
  2. David’s Stir Fry – some of the best Chinese food I have ever had.
  3. La Vinoteca Barcelona – Spanish tapas/wine bar with some fab wines and really, really good tapas. Avoid the paella though.
  4. Monsoon and Thailand Restaurant are my favourite for some solid Thai food.
  5. Mooyah for a burger any time. Their bean burgers are magical. Meat ones too!
  6. Mumbai Spice does the best Bombay Sandwich I’ve ever tasted. To be fair it’s the only one.
  7. Coral Bay has some excellent Middle Eastern food.
  8. Clay Oven is a bit of a divey Indian place, but they have beer! Not tried the food yet.
  9. Gusto has some of the best pizzas I have ever had. And some excellent Italian food. But their pizzas are insane.

… Other than eating?

Well, everything I said above. Go-karting, squash, bowling, consuming TV and films at home, occasional board game nights in with some good food and drinks. The kind of thing you do with your friends, wherever you are.

Oh and one last thing…

The sunsets and sunrises in Bahrain are absolutely stunning. Some of the prettiest I have seen. Almost makes up for missing out on the lovely, misty autumn weather in England.

So all in all, I am enjoying life in Bahrain! Like I said before, it’s not that much different to my life in England. I work, I shop, do chores go out. But now, I get to share my life with my OH.

15 Comments

    • It’s that you just don’t know what maybe might be censored. Which is annoying. For the most part violence is not censored, I believe. But if there’s a film that’s rated 15 in the UK, it’s going to be censored. Any slightly sexual content or alcohol or drug use I think.

  1. Wow, such a cool post. Really glad you took time to give an update. The pictures look amazing. I also think I loved it because that’s a part of the world I’m so unfamiliar with. Definitely seems like there would be some adjustments. On the flipside it also seems like there would be some real joys to living there.

    • A couple of years ago, if you asked me where is Bahrain and pointed to a globe, I wouldn’t have been able to pinpoint it – definitely not a part of the world I was familiar with. But getting more familiar now πŸ˜€ Finding it a unique sort of place.

  2. Wow, it sounds super fascinating, Jaina. I know I’ll probably never step foot in Bahrain, so it’s nice to get this inside view from one of the residents there. I think I’d totally dig all the going out to eat and bowling, although I think I’d be disappointed by the censorship too.

    I’ve been working from home the past few months, too, since I moved states in the US! I agree that sometimes you have to work at not spending too much time sitting down or on the couch, ha.

    Sounds like you’re having an amazing time! The sunset pictures are gorgeous.

    • Sunsets here can be absolutely stunning. I love it.

      Working from home takes a special sort of person I think! It’s not easy, that’s for sure. Well, sometimes. Sometimes it’s great being roll out of bed and be at work in 5 minutes πŸ˜‰

  3. A while back I did working from home as well(translating). I agree the self-discipline thing can be trying at times, especially for someone like me who loves music πŸ˜‰ Keeping track of the length of breaks is tough at home. Glad you are doing well so far!

  4. Bahrain looks pretty awesome, especially the fort you linked to. Seems like it would be a cool place to visit. Late night food + coffee would be a huge plus, too.

    I’m also someone who works from home, and I definitely get where you’re coming from. Thankfully I have a specific amount of hours I need to work each week so I am forced to stay on task, but sometimes it’s so tempting to just take a nap or something instead. πŸ™‚

    Glad to hear you are enjoying your new home!

    • I really, really want to go to the fort again. There are a couple more on the island, one a lot further inland on a hill. The island’s so flat, you can see so much from up there. Beautiful spot.

      Yeah, I’ve got set working hours per day and have to be around. Also, if I slacked off, I wouldn’t get any work done and that’d suck!

  5. Late night coffe grab sounds like my kind of heaven – just maybe not the driving to get it though! πŸ˜‰

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