I guess it even rains in the desert. watch for the lighting at the end...

TRIP TO THE BAHRAIN MUSEUM

Education: Back in the Early history of Bahrain and many Gulf countries this is how Islam is taught to the children. This same way is still taught today in "Madressa"(school).

The Grave Mounds: Before there were headstones to mark the dead huge mounds of dirt was formed to mark the burial sites of the dead. Under these mounds of dirt were many individual graves.

The Graves: Inside the individual graves the bodies were placed on the right side and given grave gifts from the family the bodies were usually pointed in the direction of the Kaaba(in Mecca) as this is the tradition in Islam whenever a Muslim dies. The service is called a Jinazza(funeral).

Artwork @ The Museum: The Bahrain National Museum was fantastic! Here all of the history, culture and flair of Bahrain was on display. This piece of art was one of many that caught my eye, kinda looks like Freddy Kruger from Nightmare on Elm Street.

The Museum: This is a definite to do if you come to Bahrain.

BAHRAIN TRIP

What's up bloggerhood I know it been a while and i'm behind on my post but inshallah I will catch up on all the great photos and sights here in the Kingdom and in the Middle East. In the last poll you voted that Mecca/Medina be my next trip and I was all booked up to go when plans changed and I had to go to Bahrain (a neighboring country to the Kingdom) to handle an issue with my Visa and to have a little fun at the same time. Here are some pictures from my trip hope you enjoy!

The Mall: Getting to the Bahrain Mall was an adventure I had to take a city bus to get me close then I had to walk like 1/2 mile through a maze like neighborhood in very humid and swampy weather. When I finally arrived i realized that this was the smallest mall in the city and very limited in enjoyment. Nonetheless, I had a great time walking through the city neighborhoods and talking to many locals along the way!

The Locals: The weather in Bahrain was ridiculously humid and anytime i stepped outside of an air-conditioned building i was reminded of the fact that I was now in the Middle East! I got a great picture of some kids playing in a water fountain near my hotel, all around the city people were out to brave this humidity doing various activities such as playing Cricket, football(soccer) or shopping.

The Pearl: Bahrain means "The Kingdom of two Seas" and is located in the Persian Gulf it has a long history and is also well known for its beautiful Pearls. This is at the center of a roundabout near the shopping area in the city.

The Hotel: This is a picture of the hotel where i stayed. had a great time and excellent service. The hotel was very central to everything and even easy to walk to historic sites around the city.

The Beauty: Bahrain turned out to be a very interesting place the city is rich with history and culture but second-to-none was the beautiful sunsets and astonishing city skyline!

THE LAND OF 20,000 MOSQUE

In the Land of 20,000 Mosque I had the pleasure of praying in one of its largest. This is the Mosque at Al-Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University. The city of Riyadh is home to nearly 2,000 mosques which are open for each of the five daily prayers. All shops and businesses close to the public during prayer time (about half an hour each prayer), so that the workers and customers may attend. This beautiful Mosque is one of the first seen as you enter the city coming from the King Khaled Airport, an amazingly striking building to the right of the highway. It can hold nearly 10,000 during a Jum'mha prayer and has a dome that can be seen from space, incredible!



Inside the Musulla where the brothers pray.


A picture of the dome from the inside. Beautiful design!


Outside picture of the very large dome.


Courtyard just outside the Mosque. In case of an overflow of brothers during larger prayers such as Jum'mah or Eid they would use this area for extra prayer space.

THE RELIGION - ISLAM

"A man may take many years or only need minutes, it is GOD who decides the time."
- The Message, 1976 -

This is a line taken from the movie: The Message, a story about Islam made back in 1976, A unique movie that has been approved by Al-Azhar University in Egypt as accurate and respectful towards the religion. Islam is not a religion for Hollywood. It is a religion that has been misunderstood for many years. Yet still, it is the world's fastest growing religion. There are approximately 1.6 Billion Muslims worldwide accounting for nearly 25% of the world's population.

The picture you see above is the access of Islam, the place where Muslims pray five time a day, the Kaaba or the house of Allah(swt). Was built by Prophet Adam then re-built by Prophet Ibrahim. The Kaaba is the point in which Allah(swt) established the direction of prayer. In the movie it will show how this was once a place where the people worshiped false gods and then was reclaimed by the seal of Islam prophet Muhammad(pubh) and the first Muslims of this great ummah.

Being here in the Kingdom I find that the people here are nice and have a genuine concern for your safety; very generous; and are loyal and faithful to something they believe. This is why I love Islam; and if loving Islam is wrong then I don't want to be right. Islam teaches us to respect each other no matter what your religion, ethnicity, age or nationally. Islam teaches us to embrace you and Inshallah(to hope)that someday Allah(swt) will open your heart and guide you to Islam.

One last story, I was at the masjid in the University and during the prayer I saw a teacher that I didn't even know was Muslim, he was a Scottish brother whom I have talked to on several occasions but never knew he embraced Islam...after catching up with him after the prayer he told me that he had taken Shahadda(declaration of faith to Allah, one GOD)last year and was new to Islam. Mashallah, this was the best thing I heard all day!





One of my co-workers being embraced by his students, They always say that inshallah he will become Muslim.


This is the Masjid nearby my house, just finished making salat(prayer).


This is a picture of us making salat at the Janadria Festival it had to be like 700 to 800 brothers praying with us here. Amazing!


Just finished making Salat(prayer) at the Masjid where I work, they have one in the University. The Adan(call to prayer) is heard over the speaker system throughout the entire school.

NEW FOOD EXPERIENCE

So tonight I went to this new Turkish restaurant nearby my hotel and decided to try something different. By different I mean something other than the national dish out here "Kapsa", chicken and rice.

Let me start by telling you about this dish here, it was my choice from the starters menu. The name of this dish was "Beyti Kebab" , it was meat wrapped in a special thin bread, served with grilled tomatoes, peppers and a pistachio yogurt. The food here was amazing as you can see by some of the pictures I took, the one important thing I can tell you about Turkish food is that it is very heavy. The waiter asked if I wanted some tea or dessert, I had no room for tea, dessert or anything else tonight. The one benefit about this restaurant is that it is located in the mall so I took advantage and walked a few laps around to help the food go down. In all really enjoyed my first Turkish dining experience and the food wasn't that expensive! Would definitely go back there again.


I had a fantastic Lentil Soup. I bit spicy but thats what gave it the kick!


This was a traditional salad, I have to admit the taste was as good as the picture!


This was a main dish, it was called "Biftek." If your thinking like I am I was telling the waiter I want "Beef Steak" and he noded he head and said "yes, Biftek!" As long as we were able to communicate.

WORKING IN THE KINGDOM

Let's talk about what brought me to the Kingdom. I am currently assigned to work as a teacher here at King Saud University, Preparatory Year Program(PYP). King Saud University is the oldest and most prestigious school in the Middle East region. This program is set-up to take in students new to the university, straight from secondary school(high school) and prepare them for the long road of education in front of them. Most students want to get into the medical or engineering field because of course these pay the most. At the building where I work (pictured) the facilities are great, inside are many different cafe's, restaurants and food and drink options. It also has a Library, tons of recreational games like: pool tables, Ping Pong(table tennis), Air Hockey and Fosball. One of the best added features has to be the indoor Mosque; the salat(prayer) is called five times a day and students and teachers are given a break from class to pray and remember ALLAH(swt). Even though this building is just one small part of the entire university, the campus is so big that students have to drive their car if the next class is on the other side! You will come to read that there are many adventures at the PYP.

Until next time...Salaam,

Anthony

WELCOME TO THE BLOGGERHOOD

Asalamu Alykum:

Well I've gone and done it now...I started a Blog, my very own Blog. I know the name is kinda corny (especially since i got teased a lot when I was younger for my last name) but its easy to remember and as this Blog develops it will be relevant to wherever I'm at in the world.

I arrived into The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or as the locals say: The Kingdom) on February 18th 2010 and after only being in an airplane for 21 hours I was really excited to be here. Since accepting Islam and becoming Muslim back in 2005, I have wanted to live in a Muslim county and experience something different, not familiar. I have always been the type of person who like to travel and see new places and meet new people. Yes, I know this may be news to some of those who have known me over the years but we just lost touch, a lot has happened in my life. I have a beautiful family, Wife, two kids(boys) and my little princess is on the way! I have not only dedicated my life to Islam but also to being a good father and husband within my family. I love them very much!

The purpose of this Blog is to share my experience with friends and family; to spread the joy of Islam and the truth about the Muslim world. There are many destinations on our travel card but this is the first and most important stop. I encourage you to leave comments, questions and suggestions. I will post up a survey each month asking you what country do you think we should visit(for small family trips).

Salaam,

Anthony

JANADRIA FESTIVAL

Here are some pics from the Janadria Festival. For two weeks every year, the past comes to Riyadh. The vibrant Annual Heritage and Culture Festival is a showcase for crafts from across the Kingdom organized by the National Guard. It celebrates the culture and traditions that unite this great country, the festival also includes displays of regional architecture, cuisine, craft, markets, dances and folklore. Definitely had a good time and enjoyed the history and tradition. I went with some of my students and they treated me very well.


Amazing buildings which represented every city in the Kingdom. Each time we went to a different area my students would give me the history and what the area is known for.


A vision of tradition, this is a ritual preformed when a new King takes the throne...quite a display!


As you can see from some of my students, this is one of the most anticipated and enjoyable events of the year!


There was one building filled with wonderful works of art. This is just one of my many favorites.


This was in the Mecca area. These were native Meccans dress in the traditional garb.


Black Camels...The "Ships of the Desert." These guys were warming up the the Camels races they had!


I had to catch this desert sunset!