Farewell……. & A Final Question For Suicide Bombers

As many of you will already know, my time to leave the Middle East has arrived and so it is with mixed feelings that I write this, my last Blog posting.

In many ways, I am looking forward to returning to the UK, however there are many things that I will miss about the Middle East.

I am delighted that many of my preconceptions about the Middle East have been shattered by my experiences here and I feel that in my short time here that I have come to understand this region and its people better.

Don't get me wrong, there are still many things I really hate about this country as I've mentioned in this Blog in the Past. But as for the future for Saudi Arabia, I am generally very optimistic. There is no doubt that Saudi Arabia is at the start of a period of great change. Influences of the West and other cultures are everywhere to see from the fast food outlets, television and music to the cars they drive and the clothes they wear.

For the first time normal everyday Arab’s are experiencing different cultures and they seem to like it. Yes, the old religious intolerances still exist and will be around for many years to come, but society here, guided by the King is slowly changing. Many ex-pats who have been here for the last 15 years cannot believe how much the country has been allowed to change in the last few years.

That said, I am ever aware that much power in this country still lies with the Clerics and the Hardliners. Things can change in this part of the world very quickly and I am fearful that Iran will be the fly in the ointment. Everyone in the Middle East, especially the Arabs, are shit scared what Iran will do.

It is entirely possible that the road of change could quickly regress into one of greater introspection and isolation, although personally I think that the country has already experienced to much change for the better to turn 180’.

I am encouraged by comments made by made Jordanians, Egyptians and Palestinians who have lived here for many years. All say that the country is changing for the better and all expect that within the next 5-10 years that cinemas will open, women will be allowed to drive and that other religions will be tolerated. This can only be good news for the stability of the region. I am even more encouraged by talking to ordinary Saudi citizens who all want change and realise that this is possible without compromising their religious beliefs or their culture.

Certainly, Im more optimistic about Saudi Arabia than I am of the future of the UK. I think people in the West are only just realising that our time of dominance is over and has been for some time. Economically and culturally, power and influence has transferred over to the countries such as India, China and the Middle East and we in the West will have to learn to accept this.

I think us Brits will have a better chance than the Americans, afterall is there anything more English than...

• Sitting on Swedish furniture.
  Eating Indian food.
  Drinking Belgian beer and French wine.
  Watching American programs on a Japanese TV.
  Driving a German car.
  Deep distrust of foreigners.

And so I bid farewell to the Middle East. I hope you have enjoyed reading this Blog as much as I have writing it.

So…my final parting question is for all the Al Qaeda suicide bombers (remember that 12 of the 15 terrorists that committed 9/11 were Saudi Arabian!!!)

Where exactly do all these virgins come from?

If they were virgins down here I doubt their reward would be an afterlife spent in your harem and if they weren't virgins down here then they aren't really virgins, are they?If you really want to be an extremist, why not be one of these?

Cucumbers & Chicken Wings

If you read my posting a couple of days ago, you will know what I mean when I say I’ve been a bit of a “Terry” thiw week around the supermarket.

I use a variety of supermarkets in Bahrain such as Aljazira (no honestly it’s really called that!), Luna and Geant. However, when I want imported British foodstuffs (i.e. Proper tea, Bovril, marmalade etc..) I go to a small supermarket call Allosra.

Allosra is an unusual supermarket when it comes to prices. Some items there are bargains (good Terry) whilst some are outrageous (bad Terry).

For instance, BD 3.500 (£5) for one cucumber?! Is it made out of emeralds? Can you smoke it? Hs it been blessed by the Pope? What's the deal here?

I saw some Saudis buying them and I wondered whether I was surrounded by Princes and Princesses doing their supermarket shopping in Bahrain. Who else would pay that much for one cucumber?!

Later the same day I went into Aljazira where you could buy 8 frozen chicken wings for BD 0.280 (40p). That's 5p per wing.

So for the price of 1 Allosra cucumber you could have 100 Aljazira chicken wings.

Frankly, that sort of price is an affront to the chicken. Imagine dying and having your arms sold for only 10p. Talk about adding insult to injury.

I don’t think that the Arab’s have really got the hang of advertising here either. The biggest supplier of chicken is a company called Sadia who have advertising billboards all over the place.
To sell their fine poultry product they use a picture of a smiling, slurping, salivating cartoon chicken serving up a plate of cooked drumsticks. This is obviously a cannibal chicken who likes to roast and eat its own offspring!! Now that’s really adding insult to injury!

P.S. I did try and take a photo of one of the Sadia’s advertising billboards, but as I was about to take the picture, the police decided to come and have a chat with me…they are every bit as suspicious of foreigners with cameras as the Greek Airforce!! I ended up having to go down to the station to have all my documentation checked!!!