Hey... let's go visit Ally Cat's Mom!!! Shall we?

[kimlovescats]

I have been anxiously waiting to see the rest of Ally's house ... so let's go! :)

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

Welcome to Bahrain. When you drive in the gates of my compound, try to find some shady trees to park under - it is H-O-T!!
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/pfb4fadbbd2f8c9572bd1775930e256d0/f83c2d98.jpg


It's even too hot to enjoy a seat on the porch, although you may find a couple of outside kitties enjoying the shade!
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/pde90814a6241cf7b059ecae356a5b8f7/f83c2d1e.jpg

It's SUCH a relief to welcome you inside, thank goodness for Air Cons!! This is the entrance hall.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/p19a6c4272054f7b07832d381e8c4e827/f83c2cad.jpg

Let's have a seat in my favourite corner. We can look at some cat books and enjoy some local specialities, Fresh Lemonade with Mint, and dates stuffed with almonds! YUMMY!
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/pf27d49af3172007185bd58d308467e1a/f83c2855.jpg

Moving to the left out of the entrance hall, we have the lounge...
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/pd82429392ebc37e1aaaea95e18423481/f83c2c26.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/p9f89c824d0692460b147a5e86b33aef9/f83c2b37.jpg

The ceilings are HIGH!!!
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/p48523e2a7839643af9836a248f0113e9/f83c2ab9.jpg

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

Looking from the lounge towards the dining room, you can see one door to the kitchen, plus the entrance to the guest loo, which is usually used for stray cats:rolleyes:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/p497e20a8c888bf1adbda98f8e9783f60/f83c2a27.jpg

(This is where the Tortie got stuck in the pedestal of the Bidet a while ago - I can laugh now, but at the time it wasn't so funny!!!)
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/p1b357bbd6e5d5c5d3dcd810331396baa/f83c270e.jpg

Here is the middle room, which will eventually either have a bar and pool table, or an Arabic Majlis (sitting room). At the moment it's a great place for the cats to play!! (The doors lead to the kids bedrooms, the guest suite and the study)
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/pe7d80ad2fe1ccfd5bfd850293c2481c3/f83c2974.jpg

Here is the kitchen, which most of you have already seen. The cats love to play in here as well, and watch the birdies!!
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/pab49a81294672e1d3c60ea84044ca45a/f83c272b.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/pb209cd954782d3d1594d58153c92e2a9/f83c278e.jpg

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

Also leading off the central room is the passage to the main bedroom:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/pac0e03e6dc4bbb83f6fb4a5ec48d4ff4/f83c27bd.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/p3f71ebd7e22b947f2e92a5cada5c9ea9/f83c2743.jpg

Of course you are welcome to stay at long as you like, in the guest room with en-suite bathroom:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/p31dbe12ca5c53552972f97804e84287a/f83c2e9a.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/pf51b325846fd3b9e488cfaada2a41cd5/f83c2e2a.jpg

Thanks for visiting. Cameron’s room is a disaster area, and the girls have friends staying over – so no pics of theirs – sorry!! I’ll be back in South Africa soon – maybe when I get back I will give you a tour of my house there too!

[CatMama78]

WOW!!! What a house! Thanks for the tour.

[kimlovescats]

Gorgeous... I love the architectural detail! Are all of the houses in Bahrain of this magnitude and style, or are you just extremely LUCKY!!! :eek: LOL!!! Also, you have a house in South Africa? How many houses do you OWN? :eek: :eek: Sorry, if I'm being a bit nosy, but my goodness ... I think everyone else will want to know too! :D

[catlover4ever]

WOW Julie....HOLY COW!!!! I'm coming over right away!!!

I can not get over your house:o :o :o :o My mouth is on the floor!!!!

It is amazing to me to see houses in other countries....maybe it's just me:rolleyes:

Your house is beautiful. I love the dining area in the kitchen....the little step up and all those windows....they come in very handy for Ally and Connor.....I bet the bird watching over there is great. I love the color of blue in the bathroom. Can I take a ride on the motorcycle that is in the entry hall???

Julie, thank you so much for sharing your beautiful home with us.
--- Meg

[thelmalu99]

Soooo.....when can I come for a visit? :D

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

Thanks guys!! I am REALLY lucky because my hubby gets a housing allowance from him company! Otherwise we would be in a TINY house or apartment.

I still prefer my house in SA - it's a double storey brick with it's own pool, and I miss it every day! We have a holiday house on a golf course too - I'll try to dig up some pics of that and post when I get back in July;)

[RedHedd]

WOW! :eek: ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!

[popcornbird]

GORGEOUS!!!!!!! I love Middle Eastern homes.......especially the ones like your's. I have seen some in person, in the Middle East. My aunt has a home very similar to your's. Thanks for the tour of your gorgeous home. ;)

Ps. Do you know how many square feet your home's built in area is? Just curious.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Wow!!! When I think of Bahrain and the middle Eastern countries I always seem to have images of very poor people living in hovels and such. I forget that there is a lot of oil money over there and some very very rich people - not implying that you're one of them but just saying that I forget that part of it and I think that's because that's the way the media portrays the people there. Like in Iraq, we forget that there are normal middle class people just like us that live there too, not just all the extremists.

I do have one question about living in Bahrain....I know you're from SA, but do you have to wear the headcover and such in Bahrain too? Sorry for my ignorance, but I'm just not sure which middle Eastern countries require that, if not all, and sorry Pops that I don't know how to spell it...hajab is it? And isn't that the entire "outfit" or just the head covering. It's all so confusing for those of us who have never come in contact with traditions like that. :o

Anyway....you have a beautiful house! I love all the wide open spaces - LOTS of room! Thanks for sharing! :D

[heinz57_79]

:eek: :eek: :eek:

Ok, I'm packing and can be there in 12 hours! :) You can just put us all up in the guest room... I think I can settle. ;)

You have a jaw-dropping house! I remember when my family lived overseas we always had the nicest homes. I love the open spaces and high ceilings!

I think WOW just about covers it! :D

[popcornbird]

Originally posted by heinz57_79


Ok, I'm packing and can be there in 12 hours! :)

It would take you more like 22 hours to get there. ;);)

Tubby and Peanut's mom, I'm going to PM you. :D

[catnapper]

Simply beautiful. Now that you've made us all jealous, you HAVE to give us tours of the other house too! :D ;)

My Sister in law's husband is over in Iraq right now. He's a nuclear engineer and his house is very similar. He too gets a housing allowance. She won't go with him to Iraq. She lived with him in Egypt, but said no to Iraq because of the struggles currently going on there. She might come to live with us for a year instead. OOooo I hope she comes!

[Catsnclay]

:D :D Ok, please tell us the story behind the motorcycle in your entrance way!! :eek: :D

You house is beautiful, you did a wonderful job decorating it.

This is so much fun seeing everyone's house. Glad you thought of this Kim!! :D

[sirrahbed]

WOW Julie - so much space. Wouldn't this be heaven for toddlers on bigwheels?:D I LOVE the kitchen best - very homey and cozy!! I can see why you have a housemaid - it must take forever just to keep the floors clean and shiny. Thanks for inviting us in.:) These tours really are fun and I am loving every minute!!!

[QueenScoopalot]

What a lovely home you have! I'm curious about the white room (that's maybe to be a game area) is that all marble? It shimmers! :eek: :eek: :eek: You most certainly need to add a few more cats to the huge place! :D

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

Thanks for all your kind comments. I have done what I can to personalise the house, but there is always an awareness that you are not really "home", as expats can't buy property here, so you never REALLY settle down. I am continually homesick for South Africa, and I'd go back in a flash, if my hubby and I could find decent jobs there! Having said that, Bahrain, and the Bahraini people have been extremely good to us. I have been to Saudi, Dubai, Oman and Qatar and I can honestly say that Bahrain is the place I prefer to live!!

Now to answer some of your questions:

T & P's Mum: I dont have to wear an Abaya (picture here) (http://www.alhannah.com/products/ab263.html) in Bahrain, but I do try at all times to be respectful of the culture and religion here. When shopping or going outsise the compound, I won't wear sleeveless tops or shorts etc - NOT because I CAN'T (Bahrain is one of the most liberal Gulf countries), but because I don't feel it is appropriate.

When I travel into Saudi (only a few times a year), I do wear an Abaya over my "street clothes". In Saudi it is also advisable to have a head scarf with you, in case you are singled out by the Mottauw (sp?) or "Religious Police". Although in four years of trips to Saudi I have never been picked on - a friend of mine who is blonde has a lot of hassles when shopping etc in Saudi, and so prefers to wear a head scarf. That is THE MOST that we, as westerners, are ever required to cover up - we do not have to wear full "Hijab" - ie a veil etc. (Sorry to be a blabbermouth on this issue, but I love to share my perspective on the Mid East with people who may never have an opportunity to experience it first-hand. If any of you ever have any questions I am only a PM away;) ).

POPS - you are correct that the style and design of my house is representative of the "typical" Mid East house, although it is probably larger than most residential houses. The area is around 7500 square feet! This IS larger than the average. (There is actually a waiting list for this compound - you need to pay rent ANUALLY in ADVANCE!!) To benchmark consider the following: The top 5% of residents in Bahrain are extremely rich royals and businessmen, who live in houses that you or I can barely imagine! This house is probably in the top 20% of äverage "residential" houses. My hubby is mid-to-senior Management level, so his housing allowance reflects that. We also do A LOT of corporate entertaining at home, so I like to think that my home reflects this also - it is not just a family home, but is also a "business resource".

Meg - you are wecome ANY TIME. Warren will pick you up at the airport on the Harley, and I will follow in my car to carry your luggage!;)

Catsnclay - my Hubby has ALWAYS ridden Motorbikes. Last year he bought a 100th Anniversary Harley Davidson V-Rod, and point-blank refused to park it oustide in the heat, dust and humidity!! I like to think of it as a "Modern Art Sculpture" :rolleyes: . (Someone commented to me that you know you have a BIG house when you have a Motorbike parked in the entrance hall, and you barely notice it!!!!). Lucky for hubby I LOVE bikes as well, so I really don't mind - in fact I barely notice it!

Thelmalu99 - you are welcome ANY TIME!!!

QS - the "white room" is totally empty whilst we debate what to do with it! It is tiled, and had a huge skylight - Ally is so cute - she is a real "sun-bug" and moves around the room so she is always lying in the sun!! (See the attached photo).

Sorry for rambling - I am such a blabbermouth:o

[lynnestankard]

Originally posted by Ally Cat's Mommy
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/pb209cd954782d3d1594d58153c92e2a9/f83c278e.jpg

I just adore this pic of the furries - their own cushioned chairs too! LOL!


Your home is so beautiful Julie the high ceilings must help to keep it cool in that heat?
I love the way the bike has it's own 'parking' in the hallway! Where else would anyone park it? :D

Lynne

[catcrazylady]

Julie your home is incredible!! What a beautiful place to stay. I know it's not HOME in your heart but I think I could handle it for a while!http://petoftheday.com/talk/images/our_smilies/wink.gif

I enjoyed my visit and the conversation has been wonderful! I love listening to your *blabber mouth*! You are so right when you say a lot of us will never experience life in the mid east and all we know is what we see on tv. Unfortunately most of that is terrorists or war torn towns.

I have always thought that it would be such a neat experience to visit a middle eastern country. Since that is probably never going to be possible I thank you for sharing your home and all this information. You have given a good insight to how you live.

I think it is beautiful and I love how open your house is. I know it gets hot there but all that tile and marble makes everything appear so cool.

Thank you so much for the visit and especially the conversation. It was wonderful!!

[Cataholic]

My house would fit in your kitchen. Did you hear me? :D

Very, very lovely.

[catmandu]

That is not a House ,It is a Palce! TheFound Cats , will never be Satisfied , with The Found Cat Hotel , when they see this! Beautiful , Big Place!

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Thanks for blabbering. :D I can understand how you would want to be respectful of their culture. I would do the same because it's the ones that flaunt their "westernism" that give the rest of us a bad name. I have a German friend who lived in Saudi for about 4 years I think it was. He and his wife loved it there. He still goes back regularly on business and really enjoys those visits - especially when it's to Dubai and the company is paying for everything. ;) :p

Thanks for giving us a perspective that most Americans will never see.

One last question....when you say "compound" what does that consist of? Is it just your home or are there several homes surrounded by a wall? Kind of like what we would call a "gated community?" It seems on the news they're always talking about "compounds" and I was just wondering what that was.

So continue on with the blabbing. ;) :D

And isn't Ally adorable offering her tummy up to the sun. :D

[Edwina's Secretary]

How wonderful Julie! Isn't it interesting how houses in different parts of the world are so different....reflecting the local climate, available materials, and culture?

I've been documenting my house for other reasons and will see if Kim can bring you all over for a tour.

BTW....many years ago I was Cairo Egypt with my mother and sister. At the time I was a tall, skinny blonde. I was rather naive about the culture and we were in a bazaar. I was wearing jeans and a shirt with very short sleeves. Some men kept following us around saying something that I assumed from the tone was NOT "Welcome to Cairo, have a nice day!"

[catlover4ever]

I agree with T&P...keep blabbering.....I really enjoy seeing and hearing about different customs, traditions, religions, etc....I find it very, very interesting.

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

Originally posted by Tubby & Peanut's Mom



One last question....when you say "compound" what does that consist of? Is it just your home or are there several homes surrounded by a wall? Kind of like what we would call a "gated community?" It seems on the news they're always talking about "compounds" and I was just wondering what that was.



A compound can range in size. Ours is a small one, with only around 20 houses - all with the same layout. There is an outside wall around all the houses, and a guard at the front gate. We have a communal swimming pool (1/2 olympic size), tennis and squash courts and a gym. Sometimes the compounds have a mixture of different sizes of houses, and even some apartment-type 1-bedroom accomodation, but the common denominator is the perimeter wall and some shared facilities.

The compounds in Saudi are typically much larger, and have more facilities (as women can't drive). They have restaurants, dry cleaners, DVD rental, sports facilities, small shops, playgroups for toddlers etc. The compounds in Saudi also provide buses which run a fixed timetable to and from most of the nearby shopping centers and supermarkets.

[K & L]

Stunning!

[krazyaboutkatz]

Wow!:eek: Your house is gorgeous and sooooo spaceous. I'd probably get lost.:) Thanks for the wonderful tour.:)

[jazzcat]

Your house is gorgeous! I too love the style.

Thanks for sharing the pictures and explaining things/answering the questions. It's interesting to learn and hear about life there.

[anna_66]

WOW! That's all I have to say:D:D

I'd love to have your house!

[Pam]

I can't even think of a proper adjective to describe your beautiful home!!! Thank you so much for the tour!

[leslie flenner]

Beautiful home! Do you feel like it's home or does it feel like living in a hotel? (being temporary and all...). How long will you be there? How is it transporting the pets? What does entertaining corporate employees mean? Do you have to be the woman in waiting or do you join in on conversations, is it all men or a mix? Women CAN'T drive? Does that mean they don't know how or that they are not allowed? Do you drive? And how do you not pass out from the heat when you go out in long sleeves, etc. And the worst thing to do would be to put something on the head in the heat! I would think women would pass out constantly! Do they? Do you?

[Lillycat]

i really enjoy the commentary surrounding your lovely home.....i hesitated to respond as i wanted the answers to the questions on the post ahead of mine!!!!! i really appreciate this.....tour and culture!!!

[NoahsMommy]

Wow, Julie! That was so neat!!! Your home is amazing, truly amazing and I'd LOVE to camp out in your guest room and discover the area.

Very, very cool!

I have questions:
*The compound....is it all yours? Does the company own the compound and you have the house you showed us? How many homes are in your compound? Do you like your neighbors?

*Are there many places your hubby can ride his bike? How do the locals feel abou Harley's or bikes in general?

*Do they have churches there? Like, non-Muslim churches?


OK, gotta go back to the pictures so I can show my hubby! :D

[Barbara]

This must be a Loire Chateau of Bahrain- one of the biggest private houses I've ever been in. I love the two inhabitants (a prince and a princess I suppose) on their padded chairs:D

And I love your bedroom. So romantic!

[leslie flenner]

Why two toilets in one bathroom?

[QueenScoopalot]

Originally posted by leslie flenner
Why two toilets in one bathroom? Leslie One is a "Bidet" and as I say oh bidet to you too!(Said in a British accent) :rolleyes: Don't ask where it comes from...my twisted, twisted mind! :confused:

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

Originally posted by leslie flenner
Beautiful home! Do you feel like it's home or does it feel like living in a hotel? (being temporary and all...). How long will you be there? How is it transporting the pets? What does entertaining corporate employees mean? Do you have to be the woman in waiting or do you join in on conversations, is it all men or a mix? Women CAN'T drive? Does that mean they don't know how or that they are not allowed? Do you drive? And how do you not pass out from the heat when you go out in long sleeves, etc. And the worst thing to do would be to put something on the head in the heat! I would think women would pass out constantly! Do they? Do you?

Sorry not to have answered sooner - as most of you know I have been away, and this is my first day back online.

It doesn't feel like a hotel, but isn't really "home"either. I think a large part of this our mental attitude - we have NEVER been renters - we have always owned our own homes, so it is frustrating to be renting and paying someone elses investment off every month!!

As far as the corporate entertainment - we often have sort of "mini receptions / cocktail evenings"with executives and their wives from key clients of my husband. (It's all catered etc, but you need a big place to entertain 20 or so people without it being awkward). Also my hubbys company will occasionally need some of their staff to meet with an outside consultant, or have a pl,anning workshop etc. The company is based in Saudi, so no-one can travel there without visas etc, whereas most nationalities can get a visa upon arrival in Bahrain. So what they sometimes do is use our house as the venue for internal meetings. They will use the study as a meeting room (it's the size of a triple garage, so space isn't a problem) and I will either prepare lunch etc or get it catered. Occasionally we will have an executive stay over if flights etc are a problem, so we keep the guest room clean and ready all the time. (Although my inlaws are here for a month now, so we have put the word out that the house is unavailable for the next few weeks!!

In Bahrain women can drive. Also being covered up isn't really a problem regardless of the heat - the issue is more what fabrics you wear. I stick to cotton and linen, so the skin "breathes"and it is more comfortable than man-made fabrics. So I havent had any problems with passing out. Generally in summer very little time is spent outdoors in the heat - we rush from an air-conditioned house to an air-conditioned car, and then to offices / shops etc which are all air-conditioned too.

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

Originally posted by NoahsMommy
Wow, Julie! That was so neat!!! Your home is amazing, truly amazing and I'd LOVE to camp out in your guest room and discover the area.

Very, very cool!

I have questions:
*The compound....is it all yours? Does the company own the compound and you have the house you showed us? How many homes are in your compound? Do you like your neighbors?

*Are there many places your hubby can ride his bike? How do the locals feel abou Harley's or bikes in general?

*Do they have churches there? Like, non-Muslim churches?


OK, gotta go back to the pictures so I can show my hubby! :D

I would LOVE for you to come and stay... in fact as I have said before if ANY of you Pet Talkers are ever in the Middle East I will be VERY upset if you don't drop in!!!

We rent the house from a landlord, and there are around 20 houses in our compound. Some companies DO have their own housing compounds, thankfully my hubbys does not (Not sure if I would like to be that close to all his colleagues 24/7!!!!)

There are not really many places to ride the bike. Bahrain is VERY small - 20 km wide and 50 km long, so when we have bike runs with the HOG club here it tends to be quite repetative. The plan is to take the bike with us when we leave, and hopefully end up living somewhere more bike-freiendly. There are a mixture of nationalities who ride here - we have everything from US Navy guys to Sheihks riding their Harleys here.

We have many different religious denominations here in Bahrain - obviously Muslims are the majority, as it is a Muslim country, but we also have a range from Catholic to Charismatic churches here - although the services are on a FRIDAY, as Sunday is a normal work day!!