Another few weeks have flown by and we are still absorbing new experiences, and slowly becoming familiar with local customs, culture and locales. We have become quite accustomed to a different way of life, and at present are just trying to absorb as much of it as we can. It is has been positive all round and one that we are quite happy to continue.
Mingling with a myriad of world ethnicity is a daily occurrence. A good proportion of the population, b
oth Qataris and Asians, favour traditional dress. The men look so smart and pristine in their long white dishdashas; wearing predominantly white, but also a smattering of red, and occasionaly black shimaghs or ghuttras(head scarves), held in place by the long black tassles of the egal, and underneath all that the white prayer cap, called a kufi. The fabric looks to be very expensive - the thread count and silk content is visibly top quality. The collars are of both mandarin and the usual dress shirt type. The sleeves are invariable French cuff with cufflinks sparkling alongside diamond encrusted Rolex watches. The men have raised the adjustment of the shimagh to an art form - flicking the flowing sides of the shimagh back over their shoulders, or throwing it over their heads; something like young women do with their long tresses. And they look so comfortable in their billowing, airy robes and sandals - not for them the heavy shoes, belts and ties worn by the Europeans and Americans here. It is obvious that they are very proud of their national dress - walking with chests jutting, spines straight and a determined step forward. No matter what - they always seem to look proud, strong and confident.
There are many women who wear the black abaya and hijab; some with only eyes visible, others with no head gear at all. What I have noticed is that each outfit is quite uniquely stitched with tiny sparkling stones, or beadwork, or embroidery. When the wind blows, one can often see the clothing underneath - often it is high heels peeping out, and designer wear, with quite spectacular costume jewellry; whereas others opt for comfort wear - the abaya can hide a multitude of sins, which would be quite attractive to me.
It is always interesting to people watch - on a sidewalk, at Al-Corniche, a souq, a mall or in an airplane, and to see a mass of uniformly dressed individuals going about their business in an everyday manner, just like the rest of world.
Mingling with a myriad of world ethnicity is a daily occurrence. A good proportion of the population, b
oth Qataris and Asians, favour traditional dress. The men look so smart and pristine in their long white dishdashas; wearing predominantly white, but also a smattering of red, and occasionaly black shimaghs or ghuttras(head scarves), held in place by the long black tassles of the egal, and underneath all that the white prayer cap, called a kufi. The fabric looks to be very expensive - the thread count and silk content is visibly top quality. The collars are of both mandarin and the usual dress shirt type. The sleeves are invariable French cuff with cufflinks sparkling alongside diamond encrusted Rolex watches. The men have raised the adjustment of the shimagh to an art form - flicking the flowing sides of the shimagh back over their shoulders, or throwing it over their heads; something like young women do with their long tresses. And they look so comfortable in their billowing, airy robes and sandals - not for them the heavy shoes, belts and ties worn by the Europeans and Americans here. It is obvious that they are very proud of their national dress - walking with chests jutting, spines straight and a determined step forward. No matter what - they always seem to look proud, strong and confident.There are many women who wear the black abaya and hijab; some with only eyes visible, others with no head gear at all. What I have noticed is that each outfit is quite uniquely stitched with tiny sparkling stones, or beadwork, or embroidery. When the wind blows, one can often see the clothing underneath - often it is high heels peeping out, and designer wear, with quite spectacular costume jewellry; whereas others opt for comfort wear - the abaya can hide a multitude of sins, which would be quite attractive to me.
It is always interesting to people watch - on a sidewalk, at Al-Corniche, a souq, a mall or in an airplane, and to see a mass of uniformly dressed individuals going about their business in an everyday manner, just like the rest of world.
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