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Hi gang, and welcome to my latest account of what's been happening around Bahrain.
This last week has been amazing. I've been to and lived in several countries and what strikes me most about Bahrain is how we have so many different nationalities and cultures all mixed up together on this magical isle.
I started off this week by DJ'ing at the Lost Paradise of Dilmun staff party. As the night progressed I was inundated with requests for an amazing variety of music. Ok, Akon, Madonna and Britney Spears are easy to handle, but requests for music from Kenya and Uzbekistan are not!
Sadly, I of course had none of this music with me. But it didn't matter much because many of the staff had brought some of their own CDs for me to play. But what really baffled me was that when I played Kenyan music I could see and hear everybody singing along to it. I asked a chap nearby, "How do all the other nationalities know the songs?" I was told that, "We all take it in turns to play different tunes on the bus coming back from work and so everybody gets to know each others songs". Isn't music just marvellous? Music speaks to people from all nationalities and can bring us all together.
Later on in the week I visited St Christopher's Junior School to showcase their national costume day on my music video show 'Music Mania' and was blown away by the number of nations that the students hail from. I had a good chat with Wendy Bataineh, head of the junior school, who informed me that the school has kids from over 60 different countries and that on this special day everyone celebrates this by coming dressed in something to do with their country of origin.
The costumes were fantastic and looking around I even spotted a little Ned Kelly, a famous Australian bushranger. I also saw a bowler hatted gentleman with a rolled up umbrella under his arm, who obviously hailed from England, and over a 1000 other well thought-out and creative costumes being paraded around the school.
I particularly enjoyed a trip into the school hall where there was a veritable smorgasbord of international food for sale at different stalls staffed by willing parent volunteers. I had a chat with some Russian ladies about what food they enjoy and a lady on the Bahrain stall gave me a lovely cup of traditional Arabic coffee. I also followed my nose over to the Australian stall and sampled one of my favourite foods, lamingtons! If you don't know what that is; imagine a square piece of simple sponge cake dipped in chocolate and rolled in desiccated coconut. Absolutely scrumdiddlyumptious!
I chatted to one of the mums and she said I could take a few home to my daughter and wife (who've been suffering in the throes of lamington withdrawal for some years now) if I gave her son Kyle a birthday dedication on my Midday Madness show. I replied 'what a great deal', and took a few, along with some rather gooey, chewy delicious flapjacks (oatmeal bickies) to eat during my show. I later nearly made myself sick from gorging myself silly on them in the studio!
I was escorted around the school by Vanessa and met lots of kids and teachers all getting into the spirit of the day. A special mention goes out to the head of the infant school Ian Fellows who looked resplendent in his blue stay pressed trousers; white short sleeved shirt (minus the usual pens in the top pocket) and his red tie going for the 'Union Jack the Lad' look!
Just as I was leaving I was accosted by Ellie an intrepid reporter from the School Magazine who sat me down and asked some rather penetrating questions. So watch out for the next edition of the school newsletter to learn all about the life and times of Krazy Kevin. Just what might be revealed is a scary thought though eh?
To complete a very musical and quite Antipodean week I went to the Aussie Ball at the Diplomat with my Aussie wife (who waxed lyrical about the 'wonderful' Aussie music we danced to). She must really be getting homesick if she misses that stuff. Many thanks to Paul Blunt for inviting us; we had a lot of fun and really enjoyed letting our hair down.
It was funny though, because the very next night I was back at the Diplomat for the Trafalgar Ball, (this time as the DJ). It's certainly been a busy and music filled week. I'd best get used to it though as the silly season is coming and my diary is really starting to fill up. But I'm not complaining. My job is to make sure that people enjoy themselves, and it's hard to find a better job description than that.
Keep happy,
Krazy Kevin
