There is much in the Kingdom of Bahrain with which to be impressed. There is 
certainly opulence and grandeur. The photo to the right is of the grand chandelier in the lobby of the Gulf Hotel in Bahrain where I stayed…a truly impressive hotel. There is also the Grand Mosque in Bahrain in the photo below.
But one is also stuck by the difference that comes with a country run by a royal family. I had just finished the last of three faculty observations and was getting ready to meet with Campus Dean Dottie Lewis (a great find for NYiT!) and faculty about the new core. M plan was to the spend a leisurely half hour saying goodbye and preparing to go to the airport. Just as I walked into the room, Dottie told me that the King’s uncle had just passed away (as in within the last few hours) and all educational institutions (as well as many others) were ordered to close for three days of mourning. I assumed that this meant beginning the next morning. Dottie told me that, no, the school was to close “now” and she was sending out an e-mail to her faculty an staff to that effect. One professor called who had just started an exam. The answer…the exam stops now and you will need to restart it on Thursday.
So, differences, appreciation for what we have, respect for the priorities of others…but most of all, differences…
