Celebrating Eid Non Traditionally

Today is Eid for us. My MIL has been cooking since early morning. I've been  hiding out. I never was much for holidays so I try to be as invisible as possible. It helps that I work nights and sleep during the day so for the most part I can get away with not making an appearance. 

My husband and I don't partake in any of the celebrations. We prefer the less commercialized non traditional way of doing things, but he and I are a minority of two. While his family doesn't do as much as others, they still have their own traditions of food, gift giving (eidi), and visiting each other. However since my husband is the head of the household, we do give gifts to my two sister in laws and provide the food for the day as it is traditionally the head of household's responsibility, but he and I try to be as scarce as possible for the actual festivities.

In the bigger cities, they have major celebrations with lots of sweets, fireworks, camel and horse rides for kids, kite flying, and music. We don't attend those, but for the majority it is the way they celebrate Eid. New clothes, shoes, and jewelry are bought. They were showing how busy the markets were last night on the news and all I could do was shake my head and be thankful I was not amongst them. 

Almost all of the women have mehndi/henna applied to their hands and arms. They are usually done by professionals who apply intricate designs and details. My SIL's both apply mehndi but they do it themselves instead of going to have it professionally done. The first two years I was here they tried and tried to get me to wear it, but I don't wear mehndi. Never. I didn't even wear it for my wedding which is like UNHEARD of. Now though they have pretty much given up trying to get me to put it on. Although every now and then my oldest SIL still asks me to and I still say no. 

The only thing I think I truly enjoy about today is a guilt free reason to eat biscuits (aka cookies) lol

Sab ko Eid Mubarak ho!! (Happy Eid to all)


Two days left to enter my giveaway! Enter now!

Eat and Be Merry

I posted a few days ago about the month of Ramazan. There are always lots of special treats  that are made during this month and some main foods which are typically eaten to begin the fasting day (sahoor "morning meal") and to open one's fast (iftar "evening meal"). 

Usually in the mornings, a light meal is eaten. Fried paratahs are served with either yogurt or chutney. Water and juice will be drunk a long with hot tea.

 

aloo (potato) parathas w/yogurt

The real treats are saved for the iftar meal or evening meal when the fast is broken. The first bite of food that is eaten to break the fast is typically dates. One or two dates will be eaten before eating the actual food. In our home, the fast is opened with pakorays. Each day a different pakoray will be prepared, but most often it's either potato or eggplant which are covered in a batter made from besan (chickpea flour) and deep fried. Although you can pretty much make anything into a pakora even chicken and fish.

pakoras

Samosas are also a favorite for breaking the fast. They are filled with either a chicken or potato mixture. All pakoras are served with different types of chutneys for dipping. My favorite is imli (pronounced M-lee). It is made from tamarind and has this tart sweet taste to it. It is what I use instead of yogurt for dipping pakoras and parathas.

imli chutney & samosas

Then after the fast has been opened the dinner will be served. There is a lot of food during Ramazan. I always wonder how on earth people eat so much, but they do. There is always rice and meats as well as desserts. Chicken biryani is a favorite in our house. It's made at least once to twice a week. Tikkas and some type of chaat are also must haves during Ramazan.

chicken tikka

It is also a common practice for people to gather together and break the fast. People are always inviting their neighbors, friends, and family over so they can break their fast together. Ramazan creates a real sense of community and brings people together. 

typical iftar (evening) meal during Ramazan

And of course, no meal is complete without dessert. Fruit chaat is served almost daily. It is basically cut up fruit mixed with spices and yogurt. It is another must have during Ramazan. There is always an endless supply of meethai (sweets) from halwa to gulab jaman. 

meethai  (sweets)

People who aren't muslim always assume that because we are fasting and not eating or drinking during the day then we must be hungry and lose weight during this month. However, that is far from what happens especially for those muslims living in the Middle East and Subcontinent. Working hours are shortened and adjusted during the day so that most shops are not even open during fasting hours. They only open after the fast has been broken. Also in most countries, it is illegal for adults to eat, drink, or smoke during fasting hours in public regardless if you're fasting or not you can't eat or drink outside during fasting hours even if you're non muslim. Only children are exempt from this rule.

People spend all night eating. Then sleeping for most of the day. The majority of people I know end up gaining weight because they eat things during this month that they don't typically eat and they eat a lot more of it. I have only mentioned the MOST common things that are served but it doesn't even begin to cover all of the different foods that are served during Ramazan. 

Some Ramazan Recipes:

Sahlab- creamy milk dessert 
Chicken Pitas with Yogurt Sauce
Gulab Jaman
Greek Chicken
Walnut Bread with Apples
Qatayef- arabic pancakes stuffed with cheese or dates

Free Almost

Free at last!! I can't believe it!! Finally I'm free!! This summer has been difficult to say the least.There were floods and no elec and computer deaths, but I survived because someone threw me a life preserver. So now all of the things I have wanted to do but couldn't I shall do. My  bondage has been broken. My silence unleashed. I know my words. My voice is unafraid. For now it is free.

It's Ramazan (or Ramadan depending on your accent) for us now. For those who may not know what that is, it's a month on the Islamic calendar where muslims from all over the world fast from sunrise to sunset for 30 days. I will be honest about it. I don't fast. At least not in the traditional physical sense. I have sugar probs and other health issues which keep me from doing so, but the reality of Ramazan is much more than abstaining from food and drink during the day. A lot of people including muslims don't know that if you back bite, gossip, become angry, and/or tell lies then your fast becomes void and you might as well go ahead and eat and drink because the only thing you'll find at the end of it is thirst and hunger.

Whenever I see people "celebrating" during the month of Ramazan it saddens me because the true meaning and spirit of the month is slowly becoming lost. It is suppose to be a month of reconnecting to your spirituality. A month of cleansing yourself of toxins and other bad habits that have made your body and spirit impure. It is a month to center yourself. To find the parts of you that get lost throughout the year. A time to slow down and reflect upon all you have. A time to remember there are those without and a time to give and share with friends. However for the most part I don't find this anymore.

People are too busy staring at the clock waiting for it to tick over so they can gorge themselves on special treats and foods only served during this time of year. Then they promptly forget about the thirst and hunger that filled their bodies throughout the day. Sometimes I just want to tell them there is really no point in fasting in the day if you're behaving like that one clock tick after sunset but it's not my place. Not my judgement.

I worry about me. Trying to find myself. I have much to be grateful for this month. Much to remember and many pieces of myself to gather. As the month goes on I'll be posting things. Things you may or may not know and trying to give perspectives that you might otherwise never see. Feel free to ask any questions about anything and I'll do my best to answer them.

Ahchar Bless You

One of the things we love to eat is achar (pronounced uh-char). Basically it's pickled something. Whether it's mangoes, lemons, vegetables, eggplant, or chilies , we have it at every meal. Everyone else prefers aam ka achar (pickled mango), but I prefer the chili achar. The mango has this bittery sweet taste that I just can't quite get around. Instead of making two separate achars, we just make the mango and chile achar together and then everyone can eat whichever they prefer. Except I am the only one that eats the chilies so there is always more for me. Yum!

Lately I have been on a recipe kick. I go through this phase every so often. I just collect recipes. I love to cook, but don't get to the way I did before I got married. Bizarre but true so I live vicariously through recipes and dream about the day when I will get to make them. I thought I would use my Across the Pond series to maybe share some of them with you and compile them for myself so I will always have a copy that I can actually find as opposed to being lost amongst my other ramblings.  Also this week I have a few guest posts to sort of kick off August. I haven't quite got sorted out yet so until I do I thought I would have some very cool writers stop by. Maybe give you some ideas for your Fall reading lists. Be sure to stop back by and check them out.

Here's the recipe. Hope you enjoy:

Aam ka achar (Pickled Mango)

Ingredients:

• 3 Raw Mangoes (medium sized)
• 4 tbsp Red Chili Powder
• 4 tbsp Mustard seeds
• 3 tbsp Salt
• 200 ml Sesame Oil
• 1 tbsp Fenugreek Seeds (roasted)
• 1 tbsp Curry leaves

How to make Mango Pickle:

•  Clean and wipe dry the mangoes.

•  Cut them into halves along with the seed.

•  Remove the pulp from the seed.

•  Dice the mangoes ensuring that the hard shell is there in each piece inside.

•  Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds and curry leaves.

•  Add red chilly powder, salt, and fenugreek powder.

•  Remove from fire. Add the mango pieces and mix well.

•  Take dry earthen jar and put the mango cubes into it.

•  Add sesame oil to the mango cubes and mix them well.

•  Put the jar in sunlight for 3-5 days.

•           Mango Pickle is ready to eat.

Note: Once your achar is ready to eat, you want to stir this once a day especially if you're not eating it daily like we do. This will keep the mango pieces fully coated with the oil and spices which act as a preservative

Sorry about the false starts blogger was being a pain

Food Fit for a King

Living overseas, I have learned that things don't always have the same meaning over here as they do back home. Sometimes it's the oddest things that will have a total opposite meaning here. This is what I learned just the other day when my husband came home and said, "Cook this for me. I want to see how it tastes." 

I looked at what he was holding, then back up at him and then back to his extended hand. "What?" he asked like I was the one that had suddenly lost my mind instead of him. "But you don't eat that food" was all I could manage to reply. 

"Yea I know but I am curious. Will you fix it?" 

So being the dutiful wife that I am I went off and fixed it. I brought him the bowl and he looked at it. Sniffed it. Took one teensy little bite and curled up his nose. "Take a bigger bite" I said while trying not to laugh and he did. Then promptly handed the bowl to me and said "Here you eat it". 

At that point I couldn't stop my laughter any longer and as I sat there eating what I knew he wasn't going to eat we had the strangest discussion. You see this food he was suddenly so curious about is food of the "wealthy" overseas. Only the rich and "well-to-do" families can actually afford to eat it on a regular basis. One package costs more than what we spend to make an entire meal for 5 so it's definitely not something we would be able to eat often. Except that I am actually the only person who likes it so it's not that big of  a deal. Occasionally I get a craving for it and will buy a package, but beyond that no one else likes it. However every time I eat it I can't help but laugh. If  those poor, starving college students and Wal-Mart shoppers only knew that somewhere in the world they would be considered "rich" because this food was the only thing they could afford to eat. You see this food fit for a king is nothing more than: 

Yep, that's right. Ramen Noodles. This is the food of the well-to-do. Who'd have thunk it?!

Will You Marry Me

If this is your first time to travel across the pond with us, then you read about the guidelines HERE.

Since wedding season is coming to a close here, it seems only appropriate to tell you about the weddings here. I had heard much about them, but my first real experience was last October when my second to youngest brother in law married. My wedding was NOT typical or traditional so his was the first time I had witnessed one of these events first hand. 

There are certain times during the year when people don't get married and this is due to a variety of reasons. Some have to do with religion others have to do with the heat. I mean seriously who wants to get married when it's 50 (122 F) outside, and that is without humidity. Weddings officially are 3 days, but guests usually start arriving a few days before and stay a few days after so at the very least people are in your home for about 7 days. 

The first day of the wedding is known as the "Mehndi" ceremony. The bride will have a mehndi ceremony in her home hosted by her family and the groom has one in his home hosted by his family. This is basically a big "reception". For those who are not religious, there will be music and dancing. For those who are, then there will be qasidas and clapping. The bride/groom sits on a "stage" in front of the guests. The guests will come and sit with the bride/groom to have their pictures taken and to give a monetary gift. The bride traditionally wears yellow for this day. 

This is also the day where the "mehndi" (aka henna) will be applied to the hands, arms, and feet of the bride. Before the designs were done only up to the wrists, but today it is often applied as far as just above the elbow, on the tops and bottoms of the hands, and tops of both feet. Designs are intricate and extremely elaborate. 

The second day is when the actual marriage ceremony takes place known as the "Nikah". This was the only part of the wedding traditions that my husband and I allowed to take place. He and I both do not particularly like to participate in cultural aspects of things so our wedding was very different than the "normal" wedding ceremony. 

Traditionally,  on this day the groom's family, (mother, father, bros/sis, aunts/uncles, cousins etc) will travel to the brides' home where the marriage ceremony will take place.When the groom's family leaves to go to the bride's home, it is known as "Barat". Usually the groom's family will rent a special car for this occasion as well. This will be the car the bride and groom will ride in after the ceremony when the groom brings his bride back to his family home. 

After the bride and groom have been officially married, the bride's family will provide a dinner for the guests while the sounds of the dohl can be heard for miles around. 

dohl

The bride typically wears red on this day. Red is considered a symbol of fertility and happiness and this is why  the brides wear red instead of white. White is (in certain traditions) considered a symbol of mourning and sadness and this is why brides do not wear white to be married in. 

traditional bridal gown

After the nikkah ceremony is completed, the bride prepares to leave her family home and travel with the groom to his home. This event is known as "Rukhsati". It is usually a very difficult time on the bride as this is most often the first time in her life that she will have left her family's home. Once the bride and groom return to his home, there will be more celebrating throughout the night. 

The third day is known as the "Walima". The first two days are often held in the family home, but the walima is almost always held in a rented wedding hall or hotel. If you compared this to a typical western wedding, then the walima would basically be the "wedding reception". The bride and groom sit on a stage and everyone comes to have their pictures taken and offer their congratulations to the newly married couple. An elaborate meal will be served to the guests at the walima as well. 

During the walima the bride often wears red, but the dress will be different than that which she wore for the nikkah. Traditionally the groom's family presents these dresses to the bride as gifts a week or so before the event takes place along with the jewellery the bride will wear during the wedding. 

traditional bridal set

If by now you hadn't realized, getting married is VERY expensive. It is something that parents start saving for years in advance. Little by little they purchase jewellery set, dresses etc and keep them in storage. This way when the event arrives, some of the major purchases have already been taken care of. Even though my husband's family is more conservative and their weddings are more religious oriented, they still follow this basic 3 day guideline. One thing about living overseas I have noticed is that while in many ways we are very different, in most ways, we are very much the same. 

Walking in Another's Laughter

I have talked about many things in these posts. Most likely things you would otherwise have never known. Things like why people walk goats and how they get fresh veggies delivered to the front door on a daily basis. I have talked very little about what it is like to actually just be. What it's like to walk amongst the people and see things through their eyes. Hear the laughter of a child through their ears, and breathe the air through their lungs. For me, these are some of my favorite moments. When I go unnoticed and am able to see and feel exactly what those around me see and feel. The fact that people share such intimate moments with me is truly humbling. 

 

 

 

 

 

When I first went to Bahrain, I knew no one. The first time I went to the masjid, the women assumed I was Arab. Mostly because I look very Arab, but as soon as I spoke it was very clear I was anything but what they had thought me to be. They welcomed me in a way that I had never expected. I wasn't just a guest in their homes I was family. I watched their children grow into pre-adults. I wept with them when they mourned the passing of their loved ones. I ate dinner with them and passed my days with them. I was no longer a stranger in a strange land. I was one of them.

This is something that I don't think people hear about very often. The majority of people overseas regardless of the country are just as welcoming. They will share with you all they have. Make you feel so welcome and accepted that you are sad to leave. You miss them when you're not with them and you wonder what they are up to even years after you last saw them. What is most astonishing to me is that the people who are often the most welcoming are those who have suffered the most. How they are able to show such compassion and care towards others when they have seen so little of it towards themselves is just something that I am in awe of. I often feel that I do not do justice in showing the greatness of the people I have been privileged to meet.

I hope someday I will be able to.

Across the Pond - Roti

Now that the A-Z challenge is over I am trying to get back on my bloggy schedule. Before the challenge I had started a weekly edition of "Across the Pond". If this is your first time to walk across the pond, then you can read the guidelines here. If you are unable to join us, then you can always wait in the Q with the Sabzi Wala.

Roti

I mentioned in one my last few challenge posts that we make bread 3 times a day. Most people had a hard time comprehending it so I thought it would make a great "Across the Pond" post. We have bread with every meal and I know what you're thinking; CARBS, but you would be surprised at how THIN everyone in my husband's family is. Which is totally unfair but that is another post altogether. The bread we eat is called "roti" and it is a flat yeastless bread that is "baked" over a gas stove called a "chula".

chula

This one is a bit more modern than the one we use. Ours sits on the counter top. We don't have an oven so all of our food is cooked on the chula. Breakfast roti is called "prata". The difference between roti and prata is that prata is fried in oil where as roti is more like "pita bread".  The food is eaten by hand with the roti instead of silverware.

how to eat using roti

The fact I can actually do this and eat as well as anyone else shocks everyone. How and what do I eat are the two questions EVERYONE asks me. I have no idea why this is so amazing to people, but everyone is just amazed by this fact. 

I would attempt to explain how roti is made but I found this video on youtube. It was easier than trying to explain each step. There are a few differences as to how we make the roti though. We use a tsp of salt in our dough and they don't in the video. At the end they add oil on top, but we don't. Other than that it is basically the same process. Also in the video, they call the flour "chapati flour" which is basically whole wheat flour, but any flour would work.

This is how roti is cooked in the home, but my favorite roti is the ones that are cooked in a tandoor. All of the roti from the bakery, restaurants, or street vendors is cooked in a tandoor. To me, a tandoor looks nothing more than a hole in the ground with a fire at the bottom, but it is actually a clay oven which is heated by charcoal or wood fire. The roti is placed a long side the walls of the oven and baked. It makes the bread extremely soft and delicious.

Here is a very short video of how roti is cooked in the tandoor. It's only about a minute long but you can get the idea of how they get it in and out as well as see the coals at the bottom.

Two roti is normal serving size for an adult per meal (at least in our household). Until I came overseas I never realized exactly how LARGE the serving sizes in USA are. When I went home to visit a few years ago, it was definitely culture shock. The serving sizes overseas are less than half what you get in the USA. A medium sized soft drink from a fast food place here is smaller than the small size in USA.

sample meal serving with roti

I hope you enjoyed learning how bread is made across the pond.

PS: sorry about the false start earlier. I was trying to save the post but blogger had other ideas (insert eye roll here)

U (nhappy)

I am not quite sure what U word I would have posted about, but considering I have been unable to work for the last 10 hrs unhappy seems to be the appropriate choice. Well, the family friendly choice at least. We're going into the summer season here. June, July, and August are the 3 hottest months of the year. Temperatures range between 50- 60 degrees Celsius (122-140 F  for those in the US) and that's without humidity. At the moment though temperatures are only in the 40's (100-110 F) so it's not so bad yet. You might be thinking that I am unhappy because it's hot, well no not really. Yes it's hot but summer means more loadshedding. 

Don't know what loadshedding is? Then thank your lucky stars. I had never heard of it either until I came here so it is probably one of the hardest things for me to adjust to. Loadshedding according to the dictionary is an intentionally engineered electrical black out. Basically, it means scheduled power outages during specific times of the day. In the summer months, when demand for electricity is at its peak, then the electric is off more than it is on. 

Last summer in some places the electric was off by as much as 18-20 hrs a day. Not in our area thankfully. For us it is off about 12 hrs a day currently. One hour off and then one hour on, but today it was off for 10 hrs straight which makes me unable to work which makes me unhappy. So sorry for my crappy mood, now I am off to catch up on my work. I normally take about 30 mins before I start to get around to everyone but couldn't today so hopefully tomorrow I will be back on schedule.


                               

Q (awwali) & Q (asida)

If this is your first time going across the pond, then you can read the trip guidelines here. If you don't want to take the trip then you can have some biscuits and wait in the Q with the Sabzi Wala. 

Because of the A-Z Challenge I hadn't really done an "official" Across the Pond post although a few of my posts could qualify as such. I thought with Q I would take you across the pond and introduce you to a type of  popular mainstream/traditional music. I had never heard of "qawwalis" before I came overseas. They are very popular amongst the locals here. Wherever there is a celebration, there will be qawwalis regardless if it's a wedding, a religious holiday, birth of a child, buying a new home, etc. Whatever the occasion, qawwalis will be the music of choice. One thing I found interesting while looking up facts about qawwalis to share with you is that most sites translate the word "qawwali" as "Islamic song".  In Islam, all forms of singing and music even if it is about the religion or religious personalities are forbidden and against the teachings of the religion. Therefore, there can be no such thing as an "Islamic" song which is interesting because the majority of qawwalis are about Islam and/or Islamic personalities. 

Qawwali refers to a type of "devotional music". It is popular throughout Southeast Asia particularly in Pakistan. Its origins date back more than 700 years and can be traced back to Persia (today's Iran and Afghanistan). For the most part qawwalis are written in Urdu and Punjabi although there are some that are in Persian and Siraiki. The sounds of the regional and more traditional qawwalis vary greatly from the more mainstream ones as in the second video I have listed above.

Qawwalis were made popular due to the work of the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (first video). Most qawwalis are between 15-30 mins long. However Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan does have two qawwalis which are over 60 mins long each. The longest commercially released qawwali was just slightly over 115 mins long (Hashr Ke Roz Yeh Poochhunga by Aziz Mian Qawwal). Traditional qawwalis are usually accompanied by the tabla, dholak, and clapping. In more mainstream modern qawwalis, these instruments are used as well as harmoniums, sarangis, and rababs. Even the audience is considered as a participant in the "singing" of the qawwali.

tabla

dholak

harmonium

When a "qawwali" is recited without music/instruments and/or singing, it is known as a Qasiday. Qasidas are allowed according to the teachings of Islam. There is no real translation for the word qasida, or qawwali for that matter. Since qawwalis are forbidden according to Islam, many substitute qasidas in the place of qawwalis in their celebrations. Punjabi qasida groups consist of 3-5 recitors. One being the "lead" and the others being the "bazoo" (arms) or back up to the main/lead recitor. As with qawwalis, the audience is encouraged to paticipate in the qasida.








While only some qawwalis are about religion/religious personalities, it can only be considered a qasida if it is about a religious personality in Islam particularly the Prophet (saw) and His Progeny (asws). Qawwalis are only for joyous celebrations. Qasidas are recited in both times of joy and extreme grief and sorrow such as the qasida below which is about the slaughtering of the Grandson (asws) of the Prophet (saw).

I hope you enjoyed today's trip and will join me again whenever I take you for a walk "Across the Pond". 

I (roquoian)

source

I am fascinated by languages. I often feel disappointed with my native English language. It lacks the passion and the depth that is found in many other languages. The first language I ever fell in love with was Iroquoian. It is a Native American language and is spoken by the Cherokee. The first time I heard it I was 10 years old. I was instantly hypnotized by the rhythmic beat of the drums and the Hay-ya-ya-hay-ya that came from the warriors who danced around the fire.

There are 85 characters in written Cherokee syllabary. It was invented by Sequoyah (a.k.a. George Gist). Some modern words that have been added to the Cherokee dictionary are "ditiyohihi" or he who argues repeatedly and with a purpose (a.k.a. attorney) and  "didaniyisgi" or the final catcher (a.k.a. policeman). 

In 2003, the Cherokee language became a part of modern pop culture when Apple added the font "Plantagenet Cherokee to its Mac operating systems. Today it is used by more than 300 million iPhone and iPad users around the globe.

In 1992, the film "The Last of the Mohiccans" featured the band Clannad singing the movie's theme song "I Will Find You" which contains both Cherokee and Mohican.Whenever I hear this song, I close my eyes and imagine myself as a medicine woman or shaman. I can feel my soul soaring with  the eagle and can hear its call piercing through the night's sky as it circles above my body. 

Across the Pond

If this is your first time to walk across the pond, you can read the guidelines HERE. If you prefer you can wait in the Q with Sabzi Wala. It's totally up to you.

The Bahrain International Circuit hosts Formula 1 every year. I am not a Nascar or racing fan, but I LOVED going to the track and watching the races. It didn't matter what or who was racing. I loved the atmosphere. Loud noises, fast cars. It was amazing. People fly from all over the world to watch the Bahrain leg of the Formula 1.

Here are a few fast facts. You can read more over on the BIC website:

1. This year’s FIA Formula 1 world championship will take place over a grand total of 1129 laps. That’s a distance of 5795km and an average of 59.6 laps and 305km per grand prix
2. At 6.3km, Bahrain is the second longest track on the 2010 F1 calendar. The longest is the 7km Spa-Francorchamps circuit, home to the Belgian Grand Prix. The shortest is the 3.3km street circuit in Monte Carlo, used for the Monaco Grand Prix

Racing whether on or off the track is a huge past time in Bahrain. There is not a weekend that goes by that a race doesn't occur.

(SUZUKI GSXR 1000 aka GIXXER)

(HAYABUSA aka "Busa)

Right up from my flat was a empty stretch of highway. It was the "unofficial" track. Every weekend I would go up on my roof and watch the bikes vs cars. Guys popping wheelies or stoppies. Doing burn outs that rip their tires to shreds.

(Saudi/Bahrain Causeway)

Being a tiny island, there wasn't far you could go so racing cars and bikes was one way the locals entertained themselves. Guys from neighboring Saudi Arabia often drove over the causeway every Thursday and Friday to show off their latest ride and challenge the "locals" they deemed inferior. Although the Bahrainis usually beat the crap out of the Saudis and sent them back across the causeway licking their wounds.

This racing fetish leads to another fetish.  The number plate. Having a number plate with 4 numbers or less showed a very high status. They were not easy or cheap to get. Royals had number plates with 2 or less numbers. The higher up the monarchy the fewer numbers in the plate. 

If anyone ever got a good number plate, then they would starve or sell their first born child before they would sell that plate. Think I am joking ask any Arab who was raised overseas. Not just the number plates but mobile numbers are highly sought after as well. Another thing I never quite understood. I had a friend who was offered 4000 dinars ($10,700) for his mobile number. I almost pissed myself when he said "No, thanks".

I guess it's a guy thing. All the testosterone coarsing through their veins and more money than they know what to do with. You might go your whole life in USA and never see a car like this one, but they are commonplace in the Middle East. That was something I never could get over. I always thought having  a BMW or Mercedes was "high class". There that is what the maid drives.