"Last Christmas I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year, to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special"
Source : https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Wham-3/Last-Christmas
Accessed 24.12.2020
I wonder how many times we all heard that song by Wham , especially in December?! But last year, 2020, it had a special meaning for me as it was my 11th and hopefully final Christmas in Bahrain! I have given Bahrain my heart, soul, knowledge, hard work and love for the last 11 years and now its time , to save me from tears , to give it to somewhere special.... the Philippines!
There are plenty of other blogs about why I chose the Philippines as my new home and how I prepared for my life there. There are also many blogs looking back on my life and loves here in Bahrain, so I want to keep this one focused on Christmas , whatever your religion.
Actually
that's one of the greatest things about Bahrain. My Indian neighbours used to bring me Diwali gifts and I took them Christmas gifts. The shops were
full of Christmas goodies and in December as we woke to the Islamic call to prayer
we would go to sleep hoping Santa will pay a visit!
I always remember the excitement waking up in the UK and drawing back my curtains to see if it had snowed in the night. A few years back I went to stay on a private Island in the Gulf and this was the view when I undid my curtains!
2016 was probably my worst Christmas in the Middle East as that thick fog lasted all day. Antara, who own Banana Island, would not give us our money back and Jam and I had a noisy Xmas dinner, surrounded by noisy kids ( in spite of moving table 3 times) looking out at the fog!
So what was my happiest Christmas in Bahrain?
That's an easy question! In 2015 I spent weeks preparing a traditional Filipino Christmas dinner. I invited all my Pinoy friends and a few others like Anis and Hasan , and we had secret Santa, games, amazing food, and everyone really enjoyed themselves. The Bapco club lent us tables and chairs and Chester designed the menus and invites, Hazel designed the "name cards" for the buffet, and we spent weeks buying suitable presents for everyone.
Of course Coco made the cake and I just realised it was the year he gave me my Chef Neil Apron, which I still proudly wear to this day.
After lunch everyone came and sat on Santa Neil's lap and received their Christmas gift. Patrick and Corleen really loved the additions to their hair care collection!
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Corleen loved his pink bow |
Last year...
Corleen and I decided to go to the Bapco club which was horrendous- we had to watch the staff dancing and singing and be visited by Father Christmas. The best thing was the cutest little Elf called Gori, a 19yr old Nepalese cleaner who got all dressed up and plaited her hair!
The beautiful Gori with Father Christmas
Sadly Gori no longer works at Bapco, and in 2020 I was in quarantine, so could not go out and no one could visit. It was my cheapest, easiest and happiest Christmas ever!
I did see one face as i looked back at the photos of Christmas past who I felt should end this blog.
Jay ( Hermie, Borj ) Suitos and I had many happy Christmases in Awali and sadly he died at the start of 2020. You may be gone, my dear friend , but you certainly are not forgotten and we will be raising a glass of water to you on Christmas day for years to come, wherever we are.
Even worse there will be two empty chairs at his family dinner table on Christmas eve night as his brother was killed in a car crash the year before,. My condolences to his family.
With so many people having died of COV 19 in 2020 around the world it will be a year that people will want to see the back of!
I for one cannot wait to celebrate my first Christmas in the Philippines from September to December 2021!
Until then.... Happy New Year everyone
Christmas 2013, Mike, Jay, Coco, Tina and Hazel
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Hello, I am The British Kabayan! Feel free to read my stories.
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