Youth talk

It’s quite easy to neglect the fact that Bahrain is not normal. And no, I’m not talking about the fact that driving anywhere on the weekend is about as stressful as riding on a roller-coaster set on fire … or that we have a waterpark parked directly on top of an air-conditioned shopping mall.

In all seriousness, there are very few places that can boast the same degree of multiculturalism and that too at the scale Bahrain enjoys.

I’ve been fortunate enough to visit many destinations sprung across the world and I can honestly report there’s nowhere else like this little island.

Evidently, it is quite easy to take for granted the fact that dozens of nationalities coexist in harmony or that it’s become common parlance to switch between several languages.

What about the picturesque reality of futuristic skyscrapers literally standing right behind traditional markets and farms?

And, how could I forget about the integration of expatriates within the local community. Indeed this teardrop of an island we often dismiss as ‘boring’ and ‘not Dubai’ is a star on its own.

Unlike other neighbouring countries, eager to emulate the UAE destination’s massive success, Bahrain has developed its own unique and assertive identity: something it doesn’t receive enough credit for.

So here’s to Bahrain for maintaining and consolidating that amazing hybrid of east and west … certainty an exemplary model to others in these divisive political times!