It’s 6am. The golden sun slowly rises over the azure waters of the Arabian Sea, casting a reflection that looks like liquid gold. A gentle breeze rustles in the air and the water crashes against the wave breakers. Fishermen are slowly trudging around getting ready for a day of work. Early morning joggers beat the paths on their road to fitness. A plane lands in the distance and the roads are bustling. I am filled with a sense of calm and joy. It’s been five years since we moved here from South Africa, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else, Bahrain is my home. 

I remember when my husband told me we were moving to Bahrain. I was both excited and afraid; excited because I had always wanted to live in a foreign country and afraid because I had never even heard of this place before I went online to research Bahrain, and could barely see it on the map; it was a tiny dot. I was thrilled though to find out that it is an archipelago made up of the mainland and many smaller islands. Our move was so impulsive there was little time to think about the implications, we just packed up and moved. It was an adventure of a lifetime; we were both young, with no responsibilities and the world at our feet. And if it didn’t work out we would just go back home and start over ...

I had been waiting for this adventure my entire life.

Bahrain is pronounced 'Bahh' 'rain,' and not 'Ba' 'rain' as many non-Arabs refer to it. It is a tiny desert island in the Arabian Peninsula about an hour's flight from Dubai. In some ways it is very much like Dubai, but also completely different. Bahrain is a forward thinking and modern Arab nation; there are skyscrapers and big shopping malls with more than enough shops to accommodate any taste. But the best part is that Bahrain has maintained its Arabian culture; family is the cornerstone of Bahraini society with the mother being the most important member, and it is not unusual for Arabs to sacrifice their own desires and goals to make their parents happy. 

In the Arab world smoking is a part of the culture and in the evenings you will find Arab men gathered together in the outdoor cafés smoking shisha, while the women sit on their doorsteps chatting away. Shisha is the traditional eastern way of smoking using a water pipe in which the water cools the smoke, (this is something you have to try in your time in the Middle East, and I highly recommend the double apple flavour). 

Bahrain has always been famous for its pearls and this was the main source of income until the discovery of oil in 1932. It was the first country in the Persian Gulf to have oil wells sunk. The discovery of oil in Bahrain brought prosperity and modernity to the country. The Bahrain National Museum houses many ancient archaeological artifacts and shows the growth of the country from its ancient roots to the modern country of today. Visiting the museum was the first time that I discovered that Bahrain has both a rich and interesting history. It also gave me a very nice introduction to the Arab lifestyle and is a must-do for anyone visiting or new to Bahrain. The exhibits I enjoyed the most were the ancient burial mounds. There is an actual mound which dates back to 2800BC, taken from the desert and reconstructed in the museum showing the structure and the content of these graves. These burial mounds used to be scattered all over Bahrain, but today there are very few left. Driving past them, they are very easily mistaken for mounds of dirt but hidden underneath are stories of an ancient people. 

Other very interesting exhibits in the National Museum are the ones that display the culture and lifestyle of Bahrainis. They show scenes in the life of a typical Bahraini, from birth to death, with life-size models and using music and sounds to set the scene. One of the exhibits also displays a Bahraini wedding, which is such a colourful and joyous event. I once had the opportunity of attending a Bahraini wedding, and there were many similarities to Western weddings, like the beautiful white wedding gown and the beautifully dressed women, but the Arab culture was also very conspicuous. All guests were sprayed with perfume as we walked in the door as a welcome gesture. The ladies were dressed so beautifully in revealing designer clothing, all made up with lovely hair-dos, and there wasn’t a man in sight! The music was blasting and all the ladies got up onto the stage to dance. Then suddenly there was a hush and within seconds every woman covered themselves from head to toe; the groom, with his father and father-in-law had come to see the bride. I think it’s just so wonderful how they manage to include their religion into their culture so perfectly. The thobe and abaya are more Arab culture than Islamic attire as is commonly misunderstood. They were actually invented to serve as protection against the weather and elements faced by Bedouins on a daily basis in the desert years back. In fact non-Muslim Arabs wear also abayas as part of their culture. 

Bahrain embraced Islam in 629AD and was one of the first places in Arabia to become an Islamic state. In Bahrain people are allowed to practice their faiths freely and you will find many places of worship here besides mosques. Growing up in a Western country, as a Muslim we have always had to make more of an effort when it came to religion. Here our religion is built into our daily lives. The Bahraini flag has five points which reflect the five pillars of Islam; belief in God, Prayer, Fasting, Charity and going on Pilgrimage. Malls have prayer facilities and everyone breaks for prayers during events or meetings. 

Ramadan is a joyful month where everybody fasts collectively, and then we all celebrate Eid together. We don’t have to use valuable vacation days for Eid or other important religious days, since in Bahrain they are already public holidays. For Muslims, all the food here is halaal so we are not limited to the non-alcoholic, vegan options on the menu! Halaal means permitted or lawful in Arabic, it describes the food that is allowed to be consumed according to Islamic guidelines. Prohibited food includes pork or pork by-products, animals that were dead prior to slaughtering, animals not slaughtered properly or not slaughtered in the name of Allah, blood and blood by-products, alcohol and carnivorous animals. The only downside to being able to eat anything is gaining a lot of weight, buy hey... you only live once, right?

My first thought on arriving in Bahrain was that it was so clean. The roads were perfectly lined with palm trees and lovely white and red flowers which I later discovered were the colours of Bahrain. Cars actually drive within the lanes, which was not what I experienced in other Asian countries where the road markings are ignored and driving requires some serious skill. Don’t be surprised if you see a turquoise BMW, cerise pink Lamborghini or even a metallic gold Land Cruiser on the roads, as people like to make a statement with their cars. Residents are always complaining about the traffic which I find so amusing since Bahrain does have traffic, but it’s by no means as bad as the traffic in most major cities around the world. That said, I have used traffic as an excuse many times for being late and it is easily accepted! I used to get so lost when we first moved here because no one knows the street names. They give directions using landmarks, most of which I didn’t know. Now I’m one of 'them' and have gotten completely used to giving directions using landmarks, in fact if someone mentions a road name I get confused because I don’t pay attention to that any more. 

In Bahrain you are surrounded by water and driving almost anywhere you will be able to appreciate the beautiful sea views. The land reclamation here amazes me, one day you are in an apartment that has a sea view, and the next day there's a huge building in front of you. The lovely pink Gudaibiya palace used to be on the sea-front but now there is a whole new area in front of it. Bahrain is developing at a very rapid pace. I don't recall buildings back home coming up so quickly. 

I remember finding the newspapers here so amusing. Where was the real news? Someone lost their wallet... and it was returned! Some kids robbed a cold store, and got caught the very next day! Someone broke into a house and fell asleep in the bathroom! This was hilarious compared to the murders, hijacks and rapes that are common in my, (and many other) countries around the world. I thought burglar bars were actually part of the windows until I moved here; you won’t see them anywhere in Bahrain. Sure you may ask about all the problems that are happening in Bahrain with the protests recently, but we expats have a joke that as bad as it is here at the moment, it is nothing compared to our daily lives in dangerous cities around the world, where muggings are commonplace and you have to get a new cell phone every few months, not because you want but because someone else has helped themselves to yours and where friends are hijacked, people are murdered in their homes, children are kidnapped every single day. Things like that don't happen here and I know for sure that I feel very safe in Bahrain. My husband, like a lot of other people here, has to travel out of the country for work and he leaves me and my daughter alone without having to worry about our safety, whereas this would not be an option at all in most other countries.

Bahrain markets itself as 'Business Friendly', and the Investor's centre at the Seef mall is a true testament to that. It is a one-stop-shop for everything you need to set up a new business. We came here to open a business and spent our first two weeks in the Investors centre finding out how to do this and gathering all the things that we needed and by the end of it we knew almost every person’s name and the entire process of opening a company, from start to finish. It was the most amazing feeling walking out of there with a Company Registration and Bahrain Residence permits in our passports. We had arrived! Many people that we met had originally told us we would need a wastah to get anything done in Bahrain. A wastah is like a 'connection', someone with influence that is prepared to do you a favour; like the saying, 'It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.' It’s a good thing that we didn’t listen, because our Company Registration was very smooth since we followed the correct process. I do feel we would have never opened the company as quickly if we had tried to find a wastah and building a connection with him or her. I believe most Middle East governments, and especially Bahrain, have taken steps to eradicate this practice anyway. I am sure finding a wastah occurs all over the world, it’s just that here there is a name for it!

Unfortunately for us our business didn’t work out and a year later we sold it, however we decided to stay here and see if Bahrain had anything else to offers us. I am so glad we did, otherwise we would have always associated Bahrain with our failure and never gotten to know the true nature of this country. We had realized that in our first year of being here we had hardly experienced Bahrain at all, because every waking moment was spent getting the company going. As difficult as our time was, we somehow found ourselves drawn to stay. I don’t know if it was the relaxed lifestyle, or the safety aspect.

Getting a job once you are in Bahrain is not easy, so if you are thinking of doing that, I would advise you to think again. After we sold our business, it took my husband and me a long time to find jobs and get settled. As a local hire, you don’t get many of the benefits that expat staff get. However I was fortunate to eventually get a job in a Ministry and I feel it was a perfect way to get to know the locals, since most of the employees are Bahraini. They are such courteous, friendly and generous people and it was such a pleasant surprise to discover how respectful the men were, as opposed to the awful comments I had heard about Arab men. People have the misconception that working in a Ministry is one big party but don’t be fooled, during my time there I feel like I grew the most in my career and had a dynamic boss who stayed in touch with the trends and was always prepared to try out something new. 

From personal experience, and those of friends, it seems that the workplace in Bahrain is more relaxed than many countries, and people here manage to have a very good work and home balance. It can be frustrating when you first arrive, but if you stay here long enough you actually start to slow down and become more relaxed. I feel this actually makes you more productive in the end. Of course another big appeal to working in Bahrain is that it is tax free. I still remember the days when a huge bulk of my salary used to go in taxes which just makes me appreciate Bahrain even more!

I grew up in a very small town in South Africa which didn't even have a movie theatre (actually there still isn't one today). Going to the city for studying and university was a huge adjustment for me, and I never really got used to it. It took me a whole year to build up the courage to drive on the busy highways, and even after years of practice I was still so stressed. Moving to Bahrain has been like going back home to that small town atmosphere with an upgrade! Here, everyone knows everyone but with benefits like big malls and - most importantly - movie theatres. I feel that Bahrain has that small town atmosphere again with a city-like lifestyle. You get the best of both worlds. The way of life is very relaxed and that is one of the major reasons that people find it so hard to leave. Where else in the world can you just toot outside a restaurant and get someone to come take your order, or if you don’t feel like going out then your favourite restaurant probably offers home delivery service. Having a maid and driver is a norm and not a luxury. There are laundries all over, not the kind where you go to do your laundry yourself, but the kind where you drop off your clothes and pick them up cleaned and ironed the next day all for small change. If you feel the need, many laundries also offer a pick-up and delivery service, in fact you can get almost anything delivered to your home. It’s very easy to get used to all this convenience and luxury. 

We live in an apartment that is fully-furnished; our rent includes water and electricity, internet, satellite and twice a week housekeeping. All we had to bring was our clothes! Or not, because Bahrain is a shopper’s paradise and the shops stay open till late at night. There is actually more traffic at night than during the day, with all the families out and about. I love the sale season because the sales here are different; the entire store goes on sale and not just a few items that no one wants and that probably won't fit anyway. In Bahrain you are so much closer to wearing designer clothes with many sales going up to 70 percent or more off! I was once almost the proud owner of a nearly affordable pair of Christian Louboutins, if it wasn't for my silly legs that can't handle super high heels. Now I can’t help but wonder if I should have just bought them anyway.

You must buy gold jewellery while in Bahrain, the gold is of a very high standard and Bahraini gold is stamped. Pearls are also a very popular souvenir of Bahrain due to the high quality available. You can rest assured that your purchase is the real deal, since cultured pearls are not allowed in the kingdom. 

The weather in Bahrain is hot most of the year. The hottest months are June, July and August, with August being the hottest and most humid. Nothing can prepare you for the onslaught of heat as you walk out of an air-conditioned building, but don’t worry; most places are air-conditioned and you manage to adjust your life around the heat. People always ask me how we survive the heat of the summer and I don't even feel it any more because we go from an air-conditioned home to an air-conditioned car to an air-conditioned mall. In fact the malls are sometimes so cold that I keep a shawl with me even in the middle of summer. Bahrain gets very quiet in the summer because everyone wants to escape the heat, which it makes it my favourite time here because we have the place all to ourselves. 

The best months here are from October to April because the weather is cooler so we can spend more time outdoors taking walks or barbecuing. In December and January it does occasionally get cooler and you will need jerseys but it is by no means freezing. 

My husband and I are passionate about travelling, and travelling from Bahrain is very easy too, due to its central location. Fuel here is dirt cheap and it makes road trips very economical, however Bahrain is so tiny you can get from one end to the other in less than an hour and driving through Saudi to get anywhere makes the journey very long and is through the desert. We chose to experience this once and drove from Bahrain to Qatar through Saudi. Getting out of Bahrain over the Saudi causeway is beautiful and you enter Saudi within thirty minutes. The sight of the golden desert with the camels was wonderful and the little patches of black gold brought lots of excitement for the first hour. But then the next five hours were a dreary repetition of everything we had seen, it was like we hadn’t moved at all. And most notable for me was that the bathroom facilities on our journey were not very friendly, which is the main reason that we will not undertake a road trip again. However, however the proposed bridge to Qatar might open doors to future road trips. 

During our time here we have travelled to Kuwait, Qatar and UAE in the Middle East, Turkey, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, India, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. With our lust for travel this is not halfway enough and we have an even longer list of places we would still like to visit. 

Bahrain will always hold a special place in my heart because my darling daughter was born here. After years of focusing on my career I have now chosen to stay at home with my daughter and where better than Bahrain? There are so many activities and groups for kids that we are spoilt for choice. Most places around the island are kid-friendly which is such a blessing. I have been shopping around for schools and there are so many good options, how will I choose just one? It is so comforting to know that my child is safe here. I don't need to worry about her being kidnapped or us being car-jacked. We go around to our activities without a care in the world.

Bahrain is a hodgepodge of different cultures and lifestyles and the Bahraini people are very warm and welcoming. The greeting marhaba is a true testament to this as it means 'welcome'. Locals have managed to preserve their culture and incorporate it into the modern world just as my ancestors did. My heritage is Indian, my roots are South African and Bahrain is my home.