This evening, we’ve had the first “real” rain of the season, on Eid, that just MUST be auspicious!
Whatever… my family decided to go against the grain this time and we all celebrated Eid today, so Eid mubarak again. My brother Jamal called from Mecca this morning to wish everyone a happy Eid, he’s performing the pilgrimage the for the first time, and his SMS message in reply to my good wishes to him was “I prayed for U to make the journey some year to come. Eid mubarak to U & family” I’m not sure about the whole family doing it at the same time, but I appreciate his concern for my spiritual salvation, and I like how he left the timeframe quite open for repentance!
Anyway, Arif and I did the family rounds this morning, and ended up of course at my dad’s house which was chocablock with brothers, sisters and their broods. Even Hani called to wish us a good Eid at lunch while he was battling the London weather and waiting for clients at his office.
Lunch! I’m so sorry I didn’t take any pictures of the spread, I was hungry and my concern was for food rather than art. The table was fully loaded with Eid goodies, flavoured rice, chicken, lamb and glorious stuffing. My mouth is absolutely watering as I’m writing this remembering all the tastes, and for once not really concerned with my girth as I finished that particular fair with a fruit cake and various Eid sweets.
Back home and to the realisation that I’ve got 3 more full days of doing naught, I attacked my bulbs patch; turned the earth, removed the dead leaves and was pleasantly surprised on two counts: the not-so-dwarf amaryllis has opened, and two dwarf amaryllises are threatening to open before the holidays are over. I shall post, ye just have to wait to see their glory. The second nice surprise is that although I have given up on any other bulbs coming up, I discovered something poking out after turning the earth, not sure exactly what it is, but I’m pretty sure it’ll end up with a nice flower or two.
Now? What am I doing right now? Well, it’s still raining outside my window while I listen to Pink Floyd’s Pulse.
Again, Eid Mubarak!
Comments
It’s wet!
Ahhh: Pink Floyd. My favorite album is The Division Bell.
It’s wet!
eid mubarak!
I hope the rain doesn’t cause too much trouble on the roads tonite…it seems to have stopped now though.
It’s wet!
eid mubarak Mahmood
Hassan Al-Khuzaei
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You are a gardener! How wonderful, especially in this oh! so dry climate of yours, it must demand a lot of care?
A man who love to grow things for pleasure, is in my book a caring individual usually given to deep reflections, as in my experience gardening lends itself to meditation. I find it a soothing hobby and get such profound satisfaction when my garden start yielding flowers, fruits and vegetables, it is a great way to be in touch with mother nature.
Now I have one more excellent reason to like you, Mahmood. Eid Mubarak, enjoy your holiday!
A Salaam
(a somewhat jealous) northern shewolf (who has to wait till mid-April for blooms)
It’s wet!
If you can get it, Pink Floyd’s Pulse DVD will rock your house.
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The map is from http://bahrainweather.com and I doubt that you can get anything but Bahrain and its surrounding region.
As to actors and actresses, I don’t know half of those you mentioned! I’m not a great movie fan unfortunately, I watch when I can and then as least as could be.
You also need to work on your geography a bit, Makkah is about 1,200 kilometers from Bahrain, we’re on the other side and our sea is blue, rather than red! 😀
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How could I forget?!
I hope you are enjoying the rain. Here in Oklahoma we have been experiencing a drought. The grass is all yellow and crackly as one walks on it. The winds have been gusting to 50mph and fires have broken out all over the state. Plus, the temperature has been in the 70s/80s since Christamas. While this is comfortable, it is un-natural for Oklahoma this time of year. The natural temperature is around freezing.
Last night we finally got a break. Three inches of snow fell in the western part of the state. Three inches of rain fell in the eastern part of the state. Here in Oklahoma City, it misted very heavily for hours and then there was an inch of snow on the ground when I woke up. It melted by early afternoon though some still lingers in shadow.
As for Eid mubarak, I do not know what that is but I gather it is similar to the American holiday Thanksgiving. I am not a religious person but I do enjoy a big meal with my relatives so I wish you the best. I hope you have not gained to many pounds.
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Does every one of your posts need to have something satirical to say about faith, you big whale.
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Never heard of this one until you mentioned it! Just checked it on Amazon and will definitely add it to my list of things to get. Thanks.
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Lots of care and a huge water bill! It’s worth it though, what you said about reflection while gardening is true, you’re just there by yourself with various toys playing in the sand, the result of which is something growing, flowering or fruiting. Pretty marvelous reward!
I’m new to this though, I’ve only been doing it since we bought this house just over a year ago, so there is still a lot to learn. Thankfullly I’ve hired a good gardener and he’s helping me a lot in knowledge, and landscaping. I’ve posted some pictures of the garden if you would like to have a look.
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No way man! I just got a few plants: 3 cannas, a couple of crotons, a duranta, 5 carissas and that set me back BD32 (about 71 Euros!) That’s daylight robbery, compared to what you’re paying for those almost specialty things you mentioned.
We have quite a lot more garden centres in Bahrain than I expected at first; I simply didn’t notice them before when I was not as interested in gardening as I am now. I’ve visited them all now and their prices are all very similar. I think what I should do now is just visit them and swipe cuttings rather than buy the whole plant!
I’ve never been to pilgrimage, but listening to how my mother talks about the experience, well, she’s the ultimate salesman as far as that experience is concerned and even if you were a heathen you would immediately convert and go! Now that my brother has, I suppose I should pack my bags soon enough to experience it myself. At some point in the future inshallah.
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OKC used to be my favourite destination while I was learning flying out of Fort Worth Meacham field! I used to fly to OKC, have a coffee at the airport coffee shop and fly back to Meacham at least once a week! I even got lost flying to it at night and I was vectored to it by a very patient air traffic controller!
I remember that area well. I also remember (again) getting lost flying to Amarillo because snow was blanketing the whole earth, and as the airport runway was light-reddish I just couldn’t see it at first and had to look real hard to see it. Of course when I got closer it wasn’t a problem as it was that gash in the snow. I even almost got myself killed there when I stupidly “expedited” at the tower’s behest to land behind a 737 as another 737 was waiting to land behind me. The vortex generated by the first blew me UP as I touched down. That was scary. What was more scary was the other 737 being told to “go around” as I was having trouble landing (I was like a porpoise, every time I touched down I got thrown up again because of the residual vortex.) Thank goodness the runway was long enough for me to aim for the part of the runway beyond that where the first 737 taxied out to get some calm to plonk my Cessna 172. That, was an experience I won’t forget any time soon.
I won’t forget the scenery flying over that part of the US either.
As for what Eid Al-Adha is, here’s a good reference.
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Sue me! dickhead.
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Thanks Hassan, same to you and yours.
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Thank you for the pictures of your garden and of the beautiful green parrot. Are parrots indigineous to the peninsula? I am asking because my husband used to have an african green that looked very much the same.
What a contrast to what I grow! What you have outdoors, with the exception of the amaryllis, I could only grow indoors. I advise you to ask your gardener about these carmelias, african violets, persian lilac, Texas bluebells, kalanchoes (a succulent) maybe they would do well in your climate.
I wish I could send you bulbs from my own garden to try in yours : I have such a large variety of lilies (my favorites) both wild and cultivated, the fruit of 16 years of gardening. Alas! sending plantlets, bulbs etc… is haram to customs all over the world. You would fall in love with the extravagant size of some of them, their fleshy texture, the gorgeous colours and scents, truly glorious! I call flowers the smile of God we can see.
I promise you some pics. this coming spring and summer.
A Salaam
northern shewolf
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Wow. That is quite a story. I have only piloted a plane a couple of times and that was a long time ago in South Carolina.
I am somewhat surprised that you have been to this area. I have never been to Bahrain. I enjoy communicating with people from around the world.
Also, thanks for the link on Eid. It sounds like a pretty good holiday. The story is analogous to the Old Testament story of Abraham and Isaac. I wonder if they are the same story told in two different religions. Christianity is the predominant religion in Oklahoma City though there are a fair amount of Muslims and a smattering of other religions.
Keep posting. I enjoy your blog.
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I look forward to your pictures. I’ve so far not been successful with lilies, I’ve got about 5 bulbs, they came up and then withered and died. Probably because of over-watering. I’ve set them up again in my bulbs patch and as it is better drained there, hopefully they’ll come up. We’ll see.
As to the parakeets, no, I don’t think they are indigenous. They probably came over from India or were released into the wild or escaped captivity. They certainly are all over the place now, I have even seen them in Dubai at a hotel I stayed at recently, so maybe some of them are just migrating.
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Eid Mubarak to you and your family Mahmood. And to everyone who sees this, I wish you all a happy and prosperous Eid.
–LiB Team ([url]http://lifeinbahrain.blogspot.com[/url])
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yeah its wet and thank god i didn’t hit that Echo coz i couldnt control the brake till i used the hand brake 2 stop the car!
Aaaah wt a horrifying experience!
Fa6oM
http://fa6om.blogspot.com/
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Mahmood,
I have a request for you, how can I connected to the place where you get the weather map info. that is posted in this article?
I love ‘Stormy Weather’ the thunder storms of August in Essex county southern Ontario are my favourite time of year. The big boomers.
There are many great songs from Pink Floyd, and The Wall is a one of my favourite films, Apocalypse Now, it’s a long list. There is an interesting movie that stars Peter O’Toole, “The Stunt Man” if you’ve not seen it it’s worth seeing.
Now that I’ve started, Sir Alec Guinness has influenced my life as well as has William Holden (Sunset Blvd.), the Pink Panther, Steve Martin, Brave Heart, Edward G. Robinson, Charlton Heston, H. B., his wife L.B., Carry Grant, oh I could go on and on and on, you get the picture.
Special note: One of the funniest movies I have ever seen is “It’s a wild, wild, wild wacky world” Spencer Tracy. My brain isn’t working right now, I’ve been awake too long… I’m sort of with you on the Lopez affair. And there are many really fine female stars as well. Perhaps another day. Marlane Detrich, Mommy Dearest, Greta Garbou, After the Fox.
Some day I would like to sail on the Red Sea and perhaps stop at the port near Makkah and share a large meal with you all. Depends on whether or not I would be stoned to death by the fanatics.
Anyhow there is half a foot of snow here at the moment but it is really balmy about 37* F.
I learned how to fly when I was 15 years old but I never got my licence.
“Ice is forming on tips of my wings…” P.F.
ciaoa baby
Augurwell
.
It’s wet!
I was talking to the Father today and he said Khobar got a bit of a sprinkle too, naturally everyone went nuts… a few weeks in Ireland would cure that believe you me. I was over at Middleton seed shop in Dublin yesterday- It’s quite the local institution; I think its been there for at least a hundred years (Are there no Paddys reading this blog?? I thought Bahrain was bursting from the seams with them!) Anyhow the prices were just unbelievable Mahmood! 50 daffs for 5 euros, an “add water only” pots of White paper Amaryllis hybrid with about 15 of them in each pot for 3 euros!! A red full sized Amaryllis in an elegant glass vase for a fiver… it felt like Christmas all over again! (Well if I had actually celebrated it).
Mabruk on your brother’s pilgrimage, and I hope he arrives back safe and sound. I’ll have to tell you one of these days my story of getting lost in Arafat with no money a phone that only received calls and the most uncomfortable flip flops in the world, I was only reunited the next days after a 6 hours walk with two poor fellas who actually shared a bit of bread with me, we even slept on cardboard at Mina!! Anyhow it’s a long story, keep up the great work in the garden and Eid Mubarak!
A Saudi