The Asian Diaspora
It is All Saints' Day and I am in Bahrain; as I type this it is 11 a.m. here, I note that it is 1 a.m. in Seattle. I have an hour between visits and no one is awake in Seattle to exchange e-mails with so it's time for another blog entry. No, there were not any Halloween celebrations in Kuwait when we left yesterday nor here in Bahrain, though they did have Christmas decorations (including a flocked Christmas tree) in the Bahrain airport (go figure). There were Halloween decorations in the schools we visited in Dubai, but they were American schools.
Yesterday was primarily a travel day; a considerable amount of time is required to clear customs leaving one country and entering another. Experiences like this are important for us to be more sensitive to the hurdles undergone by international students en route to the U.S.
Bahrain is incredibly humid; up until this point it has been primarily dry heat; I am way out of practice with humidity and fully appreciating the air conditioning. So far this seems like a cross between Kuwait and the UAE; lots of skyscrapers, but somewhat worn down at the heels. Last night after arriving and getting settled a few of us decided to burn the midnight oil and head for the midnight market. Most of the college reps on the trip travel abroad regularly and a number were just in India. They felt like they'd returned when we went to the market; nearly everyone was of south Asian extraction. In the gold souk here I was advised that ~85% of the merchants are from India. It has been evident since we landed in Dubai that Indians are the backbone of much of the gulf states' labor force. The Indian merchant class is reflected by the very strong Indian secondary schools. At the fair in Dubai most of the parents with whom I spoke were from India and they were very savy about American education.
As I've mentioned, people from the Phillipines are everywhere also (I actually noted a Filipino restaurant in the alleys where the night market is located.) They, however, haven't the same economic status as some of those from India. As I have encountered them they have been the housekeepers, waiters and waitresses in the hotels. The Indians also hold such positions (last night the flight attendants on Kuwait air were clearly from India). They are also largely represented among those with the grueling jobs building the skyscrapers and highways in the Gulf States. Apparently there are a number of Indonesians here as well. Their plight is extremely moving.
After cruising the market (my colleagues were checking out knock off "Rolexs", Burberry and Coach handbags) I went to the hotel for dinner -- my colleagues went off to Papa John's Pizza. American fast food is everywhere; yesterday after clearing security the two sole food options in the Kuwait airport were McDonald's (it was called McCafe, I kid you not. It offered eclairs and mango juice in addition to the usual) and Pizza Hut. I noticed KFC and Burger King and a host of other places that I don't eat at in the U.S. both after we arrived; I am not going to begin here. It depresses me to think that this is the world's image of American cuisine. Anyway, I sat in the hotel bistro and ate chicken biryani (it was excellent; lots of cloves and cardamum pods that I washed down with some French white wine since tomorrrow we are off to Saudi Arabia and back to fruit juice. As I ate my Indian food in a Bahrainan hotel restaurant I was listening to Toni Braxton and reading an Egyptian novel (I just finished the second of the Cairo trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz, "Palace of Desire"; I am going to start "Sugar Street" later.) Yes, it is a small world. However, when speaking of students I have been surprised by their being unaware of Seattle, Washington. They all know about Boeing and Starbucks (here as well, and one American food option of which I do avail myself) and Microsoft but not the city from which they hale. Interesting. So, while the world might seem smaller perhaps awareness isn't expanding as much as well assume.