Honestly, at this point, the only new articles that I publish on this site are just my move announcements and I’m okay with that. hahaha. So let’s get on with it lol I MOVED AGAIN!

After spending the last 9 months on sabbatical (18 months in total not working) in the Dominican Republic, I decided on a whim that it was time for me to leave. If I am honest, I wasn’t happy in DR. I didn’t fully enjoy my time there because I had different expectations for how it would go, and unfortunately, what I was expecting didn’t happen.

I was scheduled to go to a wedding in the States at the end of July 2023, and with 5 days until my roundtrip flight, I decided to trust my instincts, pack up my entire house, and just get on the plane. Obviously, I had no plans. But by now you guys should know I move with the wind, so I wasn’t scared of what comes next. I arrived in the States on July 23, started applying for teaching jobs quite literally anywhere, had my first interview on Day 2, and secured and signed a contract within a week. 10 days later I landed in my new destination. Everyone thinks I am crazy (I am not denying that lol) but sometimes you have to just have faith that things will work in your favor and jump. It works for me every time.

This is the 6th country I’ve lived in within the last 7 years and my 11th city overall. I have previously lived in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, Nouakchott, Mauritania, Cairo, Egypt, Khaitan, Kuwait, Bangkok, Thailand, Washington, DC, Florida, and New York. 

So without further ado… I moved to…

Manama, Bahrain

Frequently Asked Questions About Bahrain

How do you pronounce Bahrain?

Listen to the pronunciation of the word Bahrain if you are unsure how it is pronounced.

Where is Bahrain? 

The Kingdom of Bahrain is a small (about 4 times the size of Washington, DC) island nation in the Arabian Gulf located in the Middle East on the continent of Asia. It is a small archipelago (group of islands) made up of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island which makes up around 83 percent of the country’s landmass. Its neighboring countries include Saudi Arabia, to the West, which is connected by a long series of brides, and Qatar to the East. It also shares maritime borders with Iran.

What is the capital of Bahrain?

The capital and largest city of Bahrain is Manama, which is where I am now. 

What does Manama look like?

Like many cities in the Middle East Bahrain also has a very futuristic skyline and many unique buildings. The architecture is a refreshing change of scenery from DR where most buildings in the city I lived in didn’t surpass 3 to 4 levels. All of the roads are paved and it is surprisingly green for this region. Water can be found everywhere and beaches are plenty. I am excited to explore this city more.

What’s the terrain and weather like in Bahrain? 

Long story short: IT’S HOT! I arrived around 11:30 PM and stepped outside into an oven. It was a cool 94F (34.4C) that night. The next morning reached a 104F (40C) with a real feel of 115F (46.1C). Everyone keeps saying that it will actually be cold after summer is finished. To be honest I think it has already begun to cool off, so I am looking forward to the upcoming seasons.

Although Bahrain is a desert location I’ve barely seen any significant patches of sand because I live in the city. Since it’s an island there is a more humid feel compared to other desert locations I’ve lived in, which were extremely dry.

What type of people live in Bahrain?

The people of Bahrain are called Bahrainis. As of January 2023, the population of Bahrain was approximately 1.4 million people. For comparison, in 2022, the population of New York City alone was 8.9 million people. A couple of different groups call Bahrain home. Non-Bahrainis make up more than 50% of the population with most of the workforce coming from South and Southeast Asia. There is also a large American population due to military bases so I have found myself right at home.

What languages are spoken in Bahrain?

Arabic is the official language of Bahrain. The dialect of Arabic spoken here is Bahraini and is most closely related to the dialects of Arabic spoken in Qatar, Kuwait, and Iraq. English is widely spoken and is a required language in business and school. You can find all the signs in both Arabic and English. There is also a large population that speaks Farsi (Persian). Depending on where you are you can also hear Urdu, Nepali, Tagalog, Malayalam, Tamil, or Hindi from the different nationalities who live here.

Although my brain is now packed with bits and pieces of a bunch of different languages (English, Spanish, Thai, Gulf Arabic, Egyptian Arabic, and West African French), my Egyptian Arabic is pretty decent but I haven’t had to use it since everyone I’ve encountered speaks English better than I do. Lol

How do locals dress in Bahrain? 

I am unsure if there is an official dress code in Bahrain but in general local people dress very conservatively. I’ve noticed many older women wearing an abaya (long usually Black outer garment) with a hijab (headscarf) fully covering their hair. The younger girls are dressed very fashionably in Western clothes with a hijab that shows a bit of their hair in the front. I’ve also seen many women completely uncovered and wearing outfits that Americans would wear in the summer like shorts and crop tops.

As for the men their traditional dress consists of a thobe (or dishdasha; a long white or darker color in winter outer garment) with a ghitraa (head scarf). Many men are dressed in more Western attire as well. It seems like everyone is comfortable dressing how they please and being uncovered does not seem to draw a lot of attention, at least in the city.

When did you move to Bahrain?

I landed in Bahrain on August 17th, 2023. 

Why did you choose Bahrain?

The longest answer I can give you is I didn’t. haha. Like I said I just started applying for jobs and this school that I didn’t apply to reached out to me. After 18 months of not working I just needed to find a legal way to make money. I really did not want to go back to teaching and if I’m being honest I didn’t want to do any traditional work at all. But ya know money makes the world go around and all that jazz. So here I am.

What are you doing for work and how long do you plan to stay?

I went back to doing the only thing I knew how to do. Teaching Abroad. I am teaching Grade 1 at a school here in Bahrain. My contract is for 2 years with the option to extend for a year at a time after that. Only time will tell how long I will stay. You guys know how I am LOL

Is the Bahrain or the Middle East safe?

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. This is a hard eye roll for me! I’m not really sure why people always ask this??? As long as there is not an active war going on in a place it’s probably safe. Everywhere is as safe as you make it. Simple as that. But yes Bahrain is so safe they have been ranked the 10th safest country in the world for 2023. If you would like to compare the crime rate in The United States vs. Bahrain don’t worry I’ll save you the trouble of looking it up yourself.

Before asking if somewhere is safe think about how safe your home country is, then think again. Just like there are unsafe areas in your country (think violence, crime, riots, protests, civil unrest, theft, etc.), there are unsafe areas in any country. Using common sense will take you a long way in every aspect of your life. 

Do you like living there? 

I am enjoying it so far. The best part of teaching abroad is that most (if not all) of your housing expenses are covered by the school. Since I got hired at the last minute I opted to live in the school-provided accommodations instead of searching for my own place. Luckily my apartment is great. It is in a very lively part of town and has a pool on the rooftop so I have no complaints. There are so many things to do in Bahrain I’m not sure I could get bored.

What airport should I fly into when I visit you? 🤪

The closest airport to me is Bahrain International Airport (BAH). It’s roughly 15 minutes from my house.

If you want more information about Bahrain you can watch these videos

Thanks for stopping by… Hope to see you again soon 👋🏾

SHARE!