Three-day Weekend in Bahrain (New Working Day in Bahrain)

WORKING - On september 2006, it will be momentum for Bahrain which the public sector will switch their working day from Saturday-Wednesday to Sunday-Thursday. So start from September 2006, weekend day in Bahrain will be Friday and Saturday.

So this weekend, we will have three-day weekend. There is also news about this in Gulf Daily News "Three-day Weekend"

Where is tree of life in Bahrain?

TRAVEL - Many foreigners in Bahrain are not coming to "Tree of Life" just because they don't know how to get there or maybe they are just lost in the middle of nowhere, since there is no clear indicator the way to this tree.

Today, i am willing to help you by making a simple map how to get there. What do you need to know is the way to AWALI club or Riffa Golf Club.

I hope this will help you

Pictures of Bahrain

TRAVEL - There are many interest place in Bahrain you can visit. Brian McMorrow is very kind by sharing all the pictures around Bahrain. Very nice picture with very nice information for each picture.

Are you curious enough to see Bahrain, just visit Brian McMorrow's Site

Happy traveling around Bahrain

Consulate General of Indonesia in Bahrain on Indonesian Embassy in Bahrain

Note: The Indonesian Embassy Office has moved to new address, please see the following post


WORKING - There are two websites that can give you information about this one. First one is Perkibar Website, you can find there address and their working hours, while the other one is Fahimi website, in his blog you can find the location map of Indonesian Consulate in Bahrain.

It is very important to know this office expecially in emergency time like you have trouble with your employer. You can also renew your passport here or just to inform them that your living and working in Bahrain, so if you need help from them, they are already know about you.

Happy staying in Bahrain.

Movie Theater in Bahrain

TRAVEL - Do you want to watch the blocbuster movies in Bahrain? There are three cinemas you can rely on. Since these three cinemas own by different company, you will find that they are running difference movies.

The three cinemas are SEEF Cineplex, SAAR Cineplex and Dana Cinema.

SEEF Cineplex

You can find this movie theathre at SEEF Mall. There are two place of this cinema in Seef Mall, so you should make sure your movie will be showed at which cinema, but you can buy the ticket at both side

SAAR Cineplex

The location is in Saar, but i just heard that this cinemas also as good as Seef and Dana.

Dana Cinema

The location is in Dana Mall, Sanabis (near Bahrain Mal). They have a very good cinema with different size screens. The ambience inside the theathre or in lobby is like inside Planet Holywood.

Reference link

Here is the link if you want to know more about cinemas in Bahrain

- Dana Cinema
- Cinemas at Click Bahrain
- Bahrain Cinemas

Rachanee Supermarket, Indonesian Food Stuff in Bahrain

LIVING - Rachanee is an asian supermarket in Bahrain that supply many things for asian foods. Rachanee supermarket is in Adliya, near to Al-jazira supermarket.

What is the thing you can find here?

1. Tofu or "Tahu"
2. Tempe
3. Meat bals or "bakso"
4. Sweet soya bean or "kecap manis"
5. Instant noodle "Mie Sedap"
6. "Onde" cake
7. Dji sam Soe, Gudang Garam and Sampoerna cigaretes

Happy shopping

Cooking Gas Review in Bahrain

LIVING - In jakarta, it is very easy for us if we need a cooking gas. Nowadays there are many shops selling this cooking gas with delivery service.

In Bahrain, there are some gas company which is not give you only gas cooking delivery, but also service for fixing the gas. The cylinder from each company usually has the same size but some of them using a diferent regulator.

Here is some review of the gas company in Bahrain

Nader Gas

Too many complaint come to this company. The main problem, it is not easy to call this company. Many of my friend are not satisfied with their service.
The regulator is diferent compare to the one we know in Indonesia.
Just visit Nader Gas Website for more information


Awal Gas

I am a customer of this company. First, it is very easy to call them and within a same day they come back to us to comfirm the fixing and delivery time of the cylinder.Just visit AWAL Gas Website for further information.

Bahrain Gas

I don't have any experienced with this company, but i heard from my friends that they also give you good service.

Indomie Instant Noddle in Bahrain

FOOD – Instant Noodles, one of famous food in Indonesia. Easily you can find it in hypermarket, supermarket or small shop on the side of the road. Even, there is one terminology that there will not be a problem for Indonesian to survive in overseas as long as they can find this food.

Nowadays many shops are serving instant noodles with many variations that we even don’t know it makes this noodle more nutritious or more poisonous for our body. But, more company is coming now for producing this noodle.

For you who want to work and live in Bahrain, you don’t need to worry, because Indomie Instant Noodles is available here with their variants like fried noodle and chicken curry.

This Indomie is not imported from Indonesia, but produced in Saudi Arabia. So, for the taste is little bit different, especially for the noodles.

You can find Indomie at all Midway Supermarket, Geant Hypermarket in Bahrain Mal, Lemarch Hypermarket in Sitra Mal. For 1 packet with 14 noodles, it cost you around 1 BD (1 BD = 2.65 USD)

Transfer Car Ownership in Bahrain

TRANSPORTATION - Transfer ownership of the car is one thing you should do when you want to sell your car. In my experience, it is easy and not takes long time to do it.

This is the documents you should prepare:
1. Copy of your (owner) CPR.
2. Copy or original letter from the Bank
3. Original car registration card.

The place for transferring ownership is Traffic Department. If you don’t know the location of this department, just see my posting about Bahrain Driving License.

Once you on the car registration office, go to the desk next to receptionist. Ask the person there for the form or just inform them what your need is.

Fill the form with the information of you and the buyer, then insurance number, and signature. Then, go to desk 19 or 20 to get the signature and stamp. After that, go back again to desk next to receptionist to get another signature and stamp.

The officer will ask for copy of your CPR and then ask you to get the ticket number for waiting list. Just sit on the chair around the area and wait till your number is being called by the bell and display around the room.

See the desk number on display, once your number is on display. Give all the documents to the officer. At the end, they will ask you to pay at desk No 10 (at that time we should pay for 16 BD). After that, go back again to get the new car registration card with the buyer’s name.

Bahrain Local Newspaper

LIVING - For local English edition newspaper, I have seen only two good newspapers. One is Gulf Daily News and second one is Bahrain Tribune.

Bahrain Tribune is using composition like conventional newspaper with supplement pages. It can be access online at http://www.bahraintribune.com/

Gulf Daily News is using composition like tabloid news. It can be access online at http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/

Tea or Teh in Bahrain

FOOD - What do you like for tea, with milk or without? Having tea in Bahrain is same as having tea in Malaysia, by default the tea is with milk but without "tarik".

“Teh” in Indonesian language or “Tsay” (say) in Arabic language will be served with milk and I you want it without milk, just ask them to make it without milk or you say it in Arabic as “Sulaimani”.

Since most of the tea shop are Indian, some of them can also make “Tea Tarik” but they called “mitr” that stand for 1 meter, maybe this is because for professional they can do this trick where the gap between each glass can be up to more than 1 meter.

Enjoy your tea !

Bahrain Driving License

LIVING - Before you buy a car in Bahrain, make sure you have a Bahrain Driving License. This was my experience in getting Bahrain Driving License for me as Indonesian.

Since, I could transfer my Indonesian Driving License directly without class and driving test, here is the list what you should prepare before coming to Traffic office:

1. Original + Photo copy of your Indonesian Passport
2. Original + Photo copy of your CPR
3. Original + Photo copy of your Indonesian Driving License
4. Two photos (passport size)

Go to traffic department before 2 PM from Saturday to Wednesday. Just follow the map; surely you can get to there and also the location of driving license office.

Map

Office location from car park



Just go to the first two desks, choose one of them and ask politely to the officer how to convert your Indonesian driving license or just get the queue number and wait. The officer will give you the form you should fill up and give it back to them with all the documents.

Once you get their signature on the form, go to eyes test room, and show your form to the receptionist to get the queue number for eyes test and wait in front of eyes test room. It is only take 2 minutes for waiting and the test itself is simple. It shows you a bunch of letter around 5 lines. Close one of your eyes with hand and read it loudly then close your other eye and read it again, then it is done.

Give the form and the eyes test form back to the same person you get the signature. He will check and ask you to the cashier in the same room. Pay the charge around 26.5 BD. You will get the book and receipt. Show your receipt to the officer and wait for around 1 hour.

All the process if you want to wait for the new license is only take around 1.5 to 2 hours.