Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
What an amazing week it has been for the Kingdom of Bahrain with the eyes of the world focused on the Bahrain International Circuit for the third race in this year's Formula One Championship.
Radio Bahrain had been asked to broadcast live from the track. We had been given a rota system and I was there for my first stint on Friday morning between 7am and 10am. A studio had been built in the entertainment area just behind the Main Grandstand for us; it had glass walls on all four sides and was immediately nicknamed the "goldfish bowl". The 'bowl' looked onto the massive Gulf Air stand which featured a full size F1 car and various simulators that everyone could have a go on.
To the right of the 'bowl' was a stage where, during the course of the Grand Prix many talented artists performed including jugglers, break dancers, bands and a great guy from London called Dan who could do the most extraordinary things with a football.
I interviewed him on the radio as he kept the ball in the air using his head, feet, knees and in fact, every part of his body you could think of.
For me, the best part of working on the radio during the F1 weekend was getting out and about away from the studio and meeting lots of people and chatting. There were representatives from all around the globe. I chatted to some lovely Polish people and because Robert Kubica was at the front of the grid for the race I could come out with the statement there's a Pole on the Pole position!
There was also a large contingent of Germans many of whom sported some very funny headgear. As I talked to them one of the guys mentioned that he'd been to nearly every motor racing circuit in the world. I asked him what he thought of Bahrain and he said: "Da Best "
Lots of people came in and out of our studio bowl over the course of the event, including a couple of Scots dressed in their kilts.
Strangely both were named, 'Raymond '. One of them lived in Bahrain back in the 70's and I asked him if he thought that Bahrain had changed much. He of course said yes even though his recollections were a bit hazy as he was only eight at the time.
In the bowl with me were two giant green plants which I nicknamed Arthur and Fred (after a couple of my uncles), as well as probably the hardest worker for Radio Bahrain - our engineer Hussain - who was working the whole four days from 7am through to 6pm.
And on Friday it was also my daughter Hannah's fourth birthday and we had a party with lots of her friends coming down to celebrate. She told me that she really wanted a special birthday cake with a brown and black horse with pink hooves on it. Kids! They believe that anything is possible, and some times they are so very right.
A big thanks to Ryan and the chefs at the Diplomat Radisson Hotel for coming up with the goods. Her cake was exactly to her specifications and was absolutely delicious to boot. It was also so enormous that not even I could finish it off.
On Saturday I worked from 1pm til 4pm at the track and afterwards high-tailed it back home for a power nap because we had an important engagement that evening. We were off to the last Spring of Culture event at Arad Fort to see "Stomp" perform. What's that? Well, to start off with one very rough looking guy comes onto the stage sweeping the floor with a broom and making a bit of noise which gradually developed into a rhythm.
A few minutes later the stage is engulfed with people all making perfect rhythms and syncopating with their feet and brooms and all the while cleaning the stage! During the performance they also made music using matchboxes, dustbin lids, rubber tubing and even cigarette lighters whilst all the time dancing and drumming all over the place. It was truly spectacular! The performers were all outstanding drummers and tap dancers and also the most amazing mime artists too. Their faces and bodies spoke volumes and they interacted with the audience without speaking a word.
Over the course of two weekends I also compeered the 'Cash and Grab' contest at the Seef Mall Extension for Toyota where contestants entered a glass cubicle and 'funny' money was thrown in. Then a fan was turned on and they had to grab as much money as they could within 60 seconds. It was lots of fun and more than 2,500 dinars was given away. The best time though was when a little lady entered the box to collect on behalf of the RIA charity. Whatever she got was going to be doubled by EK Kanoo. Well, she did her best and as she left the box and I reached in behind her and grabbed some more and, all in all they received a cheque for over 500 dinars. Well done also to my co-compere Umran and the lovely Karoline.
What a great week! I feel shattered but great. And I'll bet so does most of Bahrain.
Keep Happy,
Krazy Kevin
