Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Christmas is just around the corner and we have chosen to celebrate the festive season for the first time in Bahrain.
Family back home have moaned and groaned whilst trying to cajole us in to booking those seasonally-inflated flight tickets. Offers of accommodation, stuffed turkey and pantomime tickets haven’t tempted us in the slightest.
Secretly, I am relishing the fact that I won’t be packing a ridiculous amount of luggage this year and living out of those suitcases the entire holiday.
Our bank balance will be healthier and I don’t have to do the mad dash to the souq looking for different local gifts to last year’s! And, our children won’t need to be kitted out in new winter woollies and my enormous quilted ‘Michelin Man’ coat can happily stay at the back of the wardrobe.
Bad weather, snow reports, lost luggage, missed connections, delayed and cancelled flights, being stranded in Schiphol Airport for hours on end, not this year!
Instead, it’s full steam ahead with Christmas Bahraini-style, there’s an abundance of festivities on offer and without telling ‘Scrooge’ the husband, I have signed us up for everything!
Christmas brunch has been booked, Secret Santa Soirees accepted, the lighting of Christmas tree events (three on my last count!), Christmas carols at the British Ambassador’s place, mulled wine and Christmas pie get-togethers with the highlight being a visit from Santa!
Here’s to a stress-free Expat Christmas.
