About the Picture Up Top

I posted this information on the “About the Subtitle” page, so if you’ve already checked that out, my apologies for repeating information.

I took the header picture (picture at the top of the blog) on November 11, 2007.  My husband, Jeremy, and I went boating, and I took the picture from the water, facing back to land.  This is of part of the city of Manama, the city we live in.  It is also the capital city and where most of the people live.  The tall buildings are just an example of Bahrain’s skyline.  There are a lot of tall buildings.  We live in one.  When you live on an island and can’t build out, it only makes sense to build up.

The boat in the foreground is a dhow.  It’s a distinctive, local design of ship and was used in the past for fishing and pearling.  Bahrain is famous for its pearl beds, although now with all the “land reclamation” (creation) the environment, which includes the oyster beds, are being damaged.  I think pearl divers still go out, at least they sell pearls in the souk (market, also mall).  They still fish too.  So I guess it could be said dhows still are used for fishing and pearling.

In-shah-allah (God willing) I will post an account of our boating trip real soon.

P.S.  In-shah-allah is a common Islamic/Arabic expression meaning “If God wills.”