Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Bahrain - Eden

Keywords : Adam and Eve, Bahrain, Garden of Eden, fossils, death, life, Unity, Division, Fallen Human Nature

I regret not having a decent camera with me but carrying only an old, half-spoilt phone camera. The journey to Al-Khobar from Damam featured real wild desert environment with real camel packs in their natural habitat. First time I am seeing orangy fine sand dunes. In the city, you see only boring-as-hell dry desert sands. Here, the dunes are alive. The sands are as fine as powder. They are sculpted by the winds. The chisels are more perfect than if they have gone through a CNC machine. The causeway drive across to Bahrain took about an hour and provided a nice refreshing feeling. The wind was blowing and the Persian Gulf, or Arabian Sea as some call it was deep green-blue and calm. Occasionally we were greeted by big white seagull packs and some migratory birds in ‘V’ formation.  

I asked the driver to take me to the ‘Tree of Life’ where I found this information about Bahrain on the internet. This tree was so called because  it is located in the middle of the desert. How it survives and gets its nutrients remains a mystery. 

Some legends would have the tree as the one in the Garden of Eden…Bahrain is a tiny island country probably smaller than Singapore. Surrounded by the beautiful deep blue calm waters along the east of the Arabian Peninsula. It is very much possible that Eden could have very well been here.

Bahrain's written history dates back to 5,000 years and is referred to in ancient writings as 'Dilmun'- meaning the 'Land of Life'. It was probably teeming with a multitude of living things both animals and plant life. That probably explains why it is so rich in fossil fuel. The rich fossilized organic matters has been buried and beaten by the elements after millions of years are now our source of crude oil. If i'm not wrong, Bahrain is also known to have the world's largest tombsites. 

I have this lingering theory that immediately after Adam took that first bite of apple for a taste. This beautiful paradise island where butterflies and shimmering waters danced with lush greeneries started to decay, albeit very very slowly into what we see it today –a desolate and harsh desert environment. So did all the surrounding territories around it follow suit in the gradual decay. So did all the birds and beasts, fishes and insects, trees and ferns, all forms of living things began its gradual decay beginning with man. Sickness, old age, forgetfulness, miscommunications, anxiety were not a welcome experience but it was so to be one by one discovered by Adam and Eve as a result of the first disobedience.

Adam suddenly started feeling 'tired'. Something he never experienced in his life.

He wiped the sweat off his forehead. He could not understand what it was he was feeling. It was a weird and strange uncomfortable sensation. Just yesterday he ran across fields and valleys, up the mountain and down the streams for stretches and miles and miles playing a game called: “let’s see who finds Fluffy first”. Fluffy was a name he gave to one of the rabbits a long long time ago when he first found him trapped under a fallen tree branch. Yesterday, to celebrate their friendhip’s 6834th anniversary, Adam summoned Chingching, the dog, Franch, the chicken, Mistoe, the dinausour + many more of his other friends to play the game. They let fluffy run first for a headstart.

“Everyone, close your eyes now except fluffy. Now, we will start counting, Fluffy, you better start running now...”

“I will start first.” “1!”. Adam shouted.

“2!”, Eve shouted.

“woof!” Ching ching barked.

“cookoorookook!”, Franch croaked.

“GGRRRoooor!”, Mistoe growled.

They continued until the last player participant finished. They numbered 2,400 in all.

Meanwhile, Adam fondly recalls how he found Fluffy.

(to be continued....)