The Kingdom of Two Seas

National Theatre of Bahrain, at night (obviously), Dec 2017 – It’s just beside the Bahrain National Museum

Since we’re on museums, here’s another short and quick post! Here’s our visit to the Bahrain National Museum on our 1 day transit in Bahrain in Dec 2017.

By the way, Bahrain means Two Seas in Arabic. Hence the title. My apologies for the short-cut way in titling my posts. As you can see, I’m on a blogging spree nowadays, thanks to Ramadan, and to the fact that I am no longer (finally) Acting Project Manager of the ITS2020 Project. (I’ve been transferred). I’m struggling to find good titles. If you have suggestions, please tell, or the titles would become increasingly crass, especially for places in the UAE with interesting names like Abu Dhabi (Father of the Gazelle), or Umm Al Quwain (Mother of Two Powers), or Ras Al Khaimah (Head of the Tent).

Anyway, here goes.




Bahrain National Museum, Manama, Bahrain

This ain’t nothing like the Louvre. It’s not an art museum for God’s sake. So, you’ll get scenes of village life …like this, below.


Scenes of Bahraini village life in the past. By the way, you’ll see similar scenes in all the Heritage Villages & Museums in the region, …Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, you name it


A vintage car, Bahrain National Museum

And this was our hotel, Bahrain International Hotel...


Anu, all dressed up in the national colours of Bahrain, for Bahraini National Day celebrations. …Hehe, kidding, it was just a coincidence. But we did visit on the exact day of the National Day, without knowing beforehand!


Wow, diamonds the size of ping pong balls, …the plastic variety


At a playground at the Avenues Park, across the road from the World Trade Centre (that building at the back, with the big ass fans)


Manama Skyline, Bahrain


I HEART BAHRAIN, Manama Souq

Alright, Ma’a Salama! Till we stopover again! For more Bahrain photos, check out this old post.

The Littlest Gulf Country

Eid Mubarak everyone! Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri! OK, it’s a little late, but better late than never, right?


Manama City skyline showcasing the Bahrain World Trade Center (WTC – those twin towers with the wind turbines), Bahrain

For this post, I’ve decided to skip to Qatar’s little neighbour, Bahrain. The beauty of staying in an aviation hub like Dubai, is that we have myriads of airlines to choose from and myriads of stopover points that we can pick for a short trip! Envy? Come over, wouldn’t mind having more friends to hang out with, hehe!

Here’re photos of our 1 day stopover in Bahrain in 2017. That one day, we found out after we reached, also happened to be Bahrain’s National Day! (And that’s why we couldn’t find a friggin car to rent – all the car rental companies were closed for the day!) (And taxis were whopping expensive, according to our hotel. …Hmmm, come to think of it, we didn’t even check whether what they said was true, we just assumed. Maybe they said this just to convince us to hire the hotel cars!!!)


Lobby of our hotel, the Bahrain International Hotel, decked with the red & white colours of the Bahraini flag, …for National Day I guess

Bahrain is the smallest country of the 6-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Its name literally means “two seas” in Arabic. Which 2 seas it refers to, I have no idea. Just Google it, willya?


Anu and the WTC, Manama, Bahrain – Anu must be pretty informed on Bahrain. How did she know to dress in red and white for the National Day?!?


A close up view of the Bahrain WTC


Another twin-towers in Manama, the Bahrain Financial Harbour


The kids looking at the Four Seasons Hotel (building on the right), and the "Drill" (don’t know the real name of the building, but doesn’t it look exactly like a drill bit?), at Bahrain Bay, near The Avenues Mall, Manama


The kids, Manama, Bahrain


Where can workers hang out on a public holiday without spending lots of money? Why not try fishing? – Manama, Bahrain


Mommy and the Bahraini skyline


Taxis at the Bab Al Bahrain (Gateway of Bahrain) – According to Wikipedia, this used to be near the sea (maybe like the Gateway of India, in Mumbai, huh?) but years of reclamation has pushed this back by a few kilometres. Bab Al Bahrain also forms the entrance to the Manama Souq


Papa & son, entrance of Manama Souq, Bab Al Bahrain


A mosque near the Bab Al Bahrain – the Friday Mosque


The minaret and clock tower of the Friday Mosque / Yateem Mosque




Tea break at a nice street café in Manama, Bahrain

The Bond of Brothers

‘Helping’ Mommy pack for a trip to Jordan, Dec 2015

I’ve posted photos of Justin, and photos of Jayden, but rarely of the two boys together. So, here’re some photos of them together. They squabble most of the time, but sometimes, they’re really sweet with one another. These precious times are what every parent would like to see, I believe. I hope they remember the bond of brotherhood, stay close to one another and look out for each other for as long as they live.


Stuck in Bahrain Airport, on transit from Amman, Jordan back to Dubai, Dec 2015


Luckily, there’s some shade, Taman Ayun Temple, Bali, Indonesia, Mar 2016


What the boys are up to when their Mommy shops, DragonMart, Jul 2016




Fooling around in the hotel room in Isfahan, Iran, Dec 2016




This fun is freezing! Velayat Rud, Alborz Province, Iran, Dec 2016


Justin loves hot baths, Jayden ummm so-so, (he’s scared of water), May 2017


Savvy in matching outfits, May 2017


Sharing a pizza, DragonMart, Jun 2017


In lazy mode, thanks to the telly …at least they’re quiet and not making more mess, Aug 2017


Awww… this place stinks! At ‘Smelly Beach’ (beside Barracuda Wine Shop), Umm Al Quwain, UAE, Sep 2017


Another set of matching outfits! Thanks to Mommy. At Mirdif City Centre, Sep 2017


What izit with sand that kids are crazy about?!? At the public playground near our house, International City, Dubai, Oct 2017

By the way, Jayden’s started school in January. Here’s an update on Jayden’s baby language before he grows up and it all disappears – Lelo (yellow), Shimish (finish), Vegeble (vegetable), Mumber (number), Simima (cinema), Excamador (excavator), Tranmowers (Transformers), Acabraca (Abracadabra), Open Semeni (Open Sesame).

And here’re a couple of songs. Yes, he sings! Unlike his brother! “Twinkle, twinkle little star, haiyu haiyu little star!” And “Let it go, let it go, here I stand and here I stay, brother Jan (let the storm rage on), the cold body anyway (the cold never bothered me anyway), deng! (that’s the sound of the door closing at the end of the song in the video).”

A Christmas in Three Countries

Merry Christmas Everyone!


Christmas Season in Madaba, Jordan

We've just got back from a one week vacation in Iran! Had a swell time, but tired like hell. And, as usual, the photos are still in the phones and camera. So here’re some photos from last year instead. I’m friggin working on Christmas this year, OK? Sending this out from the office.

We spent Christmas Day last year in 3 countries! We flew from Dubai to Amman, Jordan on Gulf Air transiting in Bahrain on Christmas Day. Here’re the pics.


Justin, transiting at Bahrain Airport


How often does it rain in Arabia? A whole year of bone-dry weather, and it had to rain on Christmas Day! – Bah ...rain Airport


Amman, Jordan on Christmas Day – A view from our hotel room, Arab Tower Hotel – note the Roman Amphitheatre (in shadows) on the middle right of the picture


A closer view of the Roman Amphitheatre, Amman


Justin having breakfast on Boxing Day, Arab Tower Hotel, Amman


The Basilica of St George, Madaba - a small but well-known church in Jordan for its ancient mosaic map of the Holy Land and Jerusalem (the oldest in existence apparently). Madaba has a number of ancient mosaics and is dubbed Mosaic City by the tourist guides waiting to cash in on this reason alone. "Wouldn't you like to see ...the Mosaic City??" Heck, definitely more intriguing than Madaba


The interior of the Basilica – it’s a Greek Orthodox Church


And there, on the floor, now barricaded up, part of the famous Madaba Map – Not much of a sight, if you’re not a history buff. …Maybe, if they’d barricaded it up earlier… (it dates back to the friggin 6th century AD, OK?).

Anyway, wishing all a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May this be a truly joyful season for you and your family. May God’s blessings and protection continue to be with you! Have a Happy & Blessed 2017!!!

Here’re some Christmas flavour from home –




Me’aisem City Centre, Dubai, Dec 2015