I was reminded the other day of another reason why I love Bahrain. My car broke down and as I was peering under the bonnet pretending I knew what I was doing, a car stopped and a gentleman called Adbulla got out and asked me if he could help.
Having worked out that there was no water in the radiator he then went to his house and came back with water.
The he offered to follow me to the garage just in case I stopped again, which was fortuitous because I did.
Then he organised a breakdown truck for me.
While I was waiting for the truck another four cars stopped and asked if I needed any help.
The instantaneous and unconditional offer of assistance to anyone in need is a Bahraini trait that I desperately hope that modern living and the interconnected world does not ever affect.
Then the breakdown truck arrived and no problem, pickup from anywhere to anywhere in Bahrain for BD10.
That is cheaper than most taxi rides. In fact I know a guy who when out for an evening and not wanting to drive his car home, instead of getting a taxi home and then back for his car in the morning he just calls his regular breakdown truck that takes him and his car home for BD10.
No wonder Bahrain regularly rates in the top 10 of places to live. Apart from the lovely people the rest of the package is wonderful as well.
Excellent healthcare, great schools, low cost of living, cheap petrol (yes, it’s still cheap even after last year’s 60 per cent rise) and a very tolerant society, all religions are free to practice here and many different cultures live seamlessly side by side.
Apart from the traditionally horrible months of July and August the weather is just perfect so that the BBQ season is from October to May with the fire pit season from December to February this is also the period we know as the long trouser season as it’s just a bit too parky for shorts especially at night.
The social season works in conjunction with the school year, starting in September and ending with the summer migration at the end of June.
There are other seasons as well; unheated swimming pools run from May to October.
The party season starts on the biggest party night of the year – December 15 –and runs almost continuously through to January 3 when the detox season or dry January kicks in.
Yet despite all of the above, most expats decide to leave Bahrain when they retire, and I am right now in the middle of a group who are all discussing where to go next.
The one thing in common is that none of them want to return to their cold and wet home countries.
As someone said to me the other day, you don’t have to be cold when you retire.
As long as you have squirrelled away enough money you can chase the sun. Europe in the summer, South Asia or even Australia in the winter and Bahrain in between.
When or if I eventually retire and we leave Bahrain we will be keeping our house here so that we can come back for the correct season.
Shukran.