Just Your Fool

Manama, Bahrain

Wednesday was another great day, with a very full and rewarding schedule. In the morning, we traveled out to the Royal University for Women. Our journey took us past some ancient burial mounds, a cool, new Formula One race track, past some desert camping tents complete with air conditioning and satellite dishes. It was kind of a Bahraini version of a Winnebago camper. We were warmly greeted for another fantastic music education program at the University, where there were both female and male students. I passed out a few more harmonicas and they had big fun learning the train boogie woogie in front of their peers. After our performance we were presented with an impressive plaque which I plan to show off upon my return. We also enjoyed a marvelous lunch buffet with students that included many traditional foods, as well as choices of Pepsi and Mountain Dew. The soda cans look cool with Arabic writing on the side. Teenagers seem to be the same wherever you go. One of the common questions they ask us about our visit is "have you been to the big mall yet?"

The future looks bright!

In the afternoon, we did an interview with an Arabic newspaper, and it should be interesting to see our picture and an article about us in a local rag. I wish I could read in Arabic. I had a few bumps in the road yesterday. My new harmonica amplifier continued to blow fuses. Fortunately, Mark the sound technician at the Upstairs/Downstairs Jazz Club, raced me to a local to music store before the gig, where my problem was diagnosed and solved!! He's my new best friend and lifesaver! I'm sure glad it got fixed and I didn't end up having to carry around a heavy, non-functioning amplifier for the next few weeks.

Little Joe was brilliant at the evening performance last night. The venue was a posh restaurant and Jazz Club. When we arrived, Little Joe's name was in lights on the marquee. There were table tents on every table and the show had obviously been well promoted. The meal was fantastic and we met a lot of ex-pats, even one couple that is going to catch back up with us Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The quartet was well received and we played no less than 4 encores. It was 1 am when we arrived back at our hotel, bleary-eyed but satisfied.

Today is our big concert at the Cultural Hall. The show has been getting the "big build-up" all week. We should have our biggest crowd so far. We'll do another educational workshop at the Gifted Students Center prior to the concert. Never a dull minute.

I wonder if they celebrate April Fool's Day in Bahrain?? Because the weather forecast is predicting snow for today.