Museum of Islamic Art

I have now been through the Museum of Islamic Art four times and I think it is about time for a discussion.  The Museum is, in my humble opinion, one of the best architectural designs I have ever seen in the modern world, truly reflecting the culture of the people of Qatar and the Middle East.  The building itself was designed by I.M. Pei, a Pritzker Prize laureate, and he has incorporated details and symbols into the exterior and interior of the building that make for a stunning facility that is worthy of repeat visits.  It opened in December 2008 and was created on new land dredged from the sea.

To my eye, it seems the architect was inspired by the eight-pointed star called a khatim, or seal of the prophets which has ideological significance because it is used in the Qu'ran.  The roots of the star are in early astronomy and symbolic of the four corners of space - north, south, east and west; and time - two solstices and two equinoxes - eight points altogether.  The symbolic meaning of the star is apparently representative of learning, community, faith and love of beauty.  Very fitting for this place.  The Museum seems to rise out of a series of cube shapes tiered to form ever smaller multiple levels placed symmetrically like the star.  There is a beautiful avenue of trees and flowing water leading to the entrance. 

Once you enter the building you are confronted by geometric designs of the star everywhere.  From the high point of the central dome, the star shapes reach down to balance each of the floors.  The exhibition rooms are built out from the perimeter walls and the hallways leading from them form a perfect square overlooking a central and vast main floor.  A floating staircase built in a circular shape takes up the centre of the room and allows you to be drawn to the vast windowscape.  The lighting is perfect and the scenery from the five floor window overlooking Doha Bay is breathtaking - it captures the ever-growing skyline on the other side of the Bay, and passing dhows and fishing boats that make their way to and from the harbour.  Standing at the window you can see waves lapping at the building, so that it seems you are floating on the sea. It is a place of restful and peaceful ambiance that even children seem to be aware of.  There is a hushed silence except for the occasional quiet footfall.  The floors and wall are of desert colour marble and with sunset they take on a glint that is remarkable. 

The exhibits themselves are tastefully arranged and very interesting.  Not so much that you feel overwhelmed, and well placed so that you can see a variety of examples of the same thing in the same place.  Each exhibit reflects something of Islamic art - calligraphy, rugs, ancient Qu'ranic scripts, khaba's, jewellry, pottery, glassware and art.

I have learned a lot and will be back to visit again, and again.

Shukran.   

Doha Moments

Moments like these are the strange and bizarre, weird and wonderful, downright annoying, and a new normal for me:

Strange and bizarre: We have our own way of dealing with the weather here:  not for us the snow scrapers and/or credit cards that allow us to have unimpeded views out of our windshields -

just a quick shake of the feather duster leaves a vehicle all shiny and new again.  I have seen this exercise performed often in the early morning at the compound as commuters get ready to start their work day.

Weird and wonderful # 1: Take out Doha style: we get Mickey D's, BK, KFC, etc all delivered direct to our doorstep (not too many drive-thru's out there).  These intrepid warriors on motorbikes speed fearlessly between cars, or drive emblazoned sub-compacts to anywhere in Doha, battling traffic and dust to get your order to you in least possible time.   Our favourite is a nameless chicken take-away that does a succulent whole chicken, with naan bread and a fresh salad for the princely sum of $7.  We don't know the name of the place, where it is situated, and we are shutting our minds to the possible conditions.  All we know is that the chicken is halal and that is good enough for us.  We call it Abdullah's and it is on speed dial - the only problem is getting them to understand your order and your address as the order taker's English is absolutely non-existent.  He has obviously been prompted with certain words - "fool cheek" (do you want a whole chicken), "where you are?" (to be repeated at least 7 times before he gets it - "spil" he says, "agin" he says, and "agin").  Probably gets as frustrated as the confused orderer.  And finally, the absolute must "mobeel?"  - then you can guide the delivery guy in when he calls in desperation.  The first few times were hit and miss, but they now know compound and villa number and get here in lickety-split time.

Weird and wonderful # 2.  This traffic policeman has been doing his damndest to halt accidents, pile-ups, and jams, as well as smooth the flow of traffic through bottlenecked round-abouts in Doha this week.  Although his presence is notable, he doesn't seem to have had the desired effect when I take to the roads.   Ah, well, I guess his real job is as a mascot for children being taught the do's and don'ts in the current School Traffic Awareness program that has been implemented to try and stem the high incidents of traffic accidents. 

Downright annoying:  My combo washing machine/dryer.  My eyes lit up in satisfaction at first when I noted my computerized, front end loading brand new machine in the laundry.  It should have been a dream come true - put load in, switch dial to right to wash, listen for music to announce the end of that cycle, switch dial to left for dryer, and fold....mmm, not so.  Now I grit my teeth and do laundry when I absolutely have to.  Firstly, put two big towels in the drum and you are filled to capacity.  Then, when it comes to the end of the drying cycle music, take out soggy, steaming hot bundle from drum ....and it's back to the middle ages - dry properly on a clothes rack.  It's back to washerwoman days ... shouldn't complain too hard - at least I am not washing by hand anymore as I did in the hotel. But I won't be buy one of these newfangled machines back home.

And last, but not least - the new normal: I read in the Gulf Times a few days ago about a couple who were caught "kissing and sharing food" at the local mall - begorrah and begosh!!  They were sentenced to one year in prison for indecent behaviour.   Moral of the story when you live here - be very careful what you do and when you do it...somebody may be watching.  Won't catch me doing such a terrible thing in public ...at least not here.  See details at:   http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=326736&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16

That's all folks!  At least for now....

Good to Know ..... or not....

Today's Qatar Tribune published the Transparency International's 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index and it's as expected, I suppose.  Surveys measuring domestic, political and public sector corruption were done in 180 countries around the world.  Countries were measured on the overall extent of corruption (frequency and/or size of bribes) on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the least corrupt.

The race towards ethical and honest business and political practice was a heady affair with many countries jockeying for top spots.  First at the finishing line is New Zealand, at 9.4.  I am pleased to point out, however, that Canada, our homeland, ranks up there in the top ten, at position number 8, with a ranking of 8.7.  (our usual story - ever the bridesmaid, never the bride, but at least we are right up there!). USA filled out the ranks of the top twenty coming in at number 19.  Lo and behold, Qatar took 22nd place in the world, and first position amongst GCC countries - good to know.  

Trailing behind in a solid back pack is South Africa, our birth country, lumbering along at position number 55.  Courtney, I see that Liberia, where you will be stationed, is panting away and having real trouble keeping up, at position number 97, with a rank of 3.1 - no wonder the U.N. has a watchdog status there - you be careful out there?!  However, things could be worse, Ecuador, where we lived for a year, is way out of the standings and limping in at position 146 out 180, with a rank of 2.2.  And last but not least, coming in stone last is Somalia, deemed the most corrupt country in the world with a score of 1.1 - I don't think we should be cheering here, unless it is to exhort him to get a move on.

As an aside, I am somewhat concerned with the methodology.  TI conducted 13 surveys but some countries only participated in 4, or 6 etc - so how do you work the rankings with that?  Surveys were completed by objective outside bodies, and also businesses and such in the respective countries, but what truth will surface?  If I give you the answer I really believe in, could I get thrown in jail, branded, bullied or otherwise impeded?   I wonder how they calculated for bias.  Also, why is the the only measure bribery - what about not honouring contracts, nepotism, personal nest eggs in Swiss banks, questionable bidding practices, tender illegalities, quality of materials and products, child labour, lack of environmental safeguards, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera....shades of  imperialism even in 2009.

For more details, see the CPI at Transparency International - http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2009/cpi_2009_table  and article in the Qatar Tribune, November 18, 2009 -http://www.qatar-tribune.com/data/20091118/content.asp?section=business1_2

Ah, well, hopefully someone, somewhere, sometime in my life time will care enough about reputation and honesty to do something about improving standings and standards in the future.

Hathan Sa'eedan/Good Luck

I see skies of blue, clouds of white.

I looked out the window today and saw clouds for the first time in months - I think April was the last time they made an appearance here.  Today they have made their debut again.  Big, white, giant ones billowing across the sky in every direction.   Ones that you can contemplate and visualize into designs and pictures.  There are whisps of the fluffy stuff that hint at more to come.  Scudding with the wind, the clouds hide the sun for a bit. In front of the sun now, they light up in a luminescent shine with a silver edge. And what is that I see!! Shades of grey in some of the more cumulus ones - could rain be on the way? I can hardly wait!  (A note posted here six hours after first writing this - unfortunately those clouds went out to sea without shedding a tear. We will have to wait patiently for the rainy season - a temperamental event subject to no shows and cancellations in the land of sand).

Still on the topic of weather: I think winter has officially arrived - and for those of you raising your eyebrows - it's about as winter as we can get right now.  Not quite like winter in the southern states of the USA, or even those South African winters that everyone groans about when tempeatures dip into the freezing range at night, and you have to don an extra sweater or two, and maybe you can't swim for a few months.  And definitely!! not like our Canadian winters where car doors freeze, and earmuffs are de rigueur for months on end, and snow shovels sit at front doors in eager anticipation.....noooo, not quite like that.    

Temperatures are cooler and now hovering around the 25 to 32 degrees celsius range.  The humidity is history, at least for now; and the garden flowers are no longer wilting in the blazing heat.  I can walk in the midday sun without worrying about dehydration.  Everyone is getting in on the act - we see signs of winter at the souqs and malls where stores are hauling out the winter woollies and coats, no less!   I have to give my head a shake: coats?, woollen jackets? hats?, thick stockings??? What are they thinking?! 

Perhaps it's because we are tough Canadians, but I really don't see that I am going to use woollens, coats, hot water bottles, and even the much advertised heaters in the near future.  Perhaps I'm wrong...although I'm betting that winter here is hardly the real deal. 

What a Wonderful World! - Louis Armstrong said it best.

The 3 R's.

The three R's:  - "reduce, reuse and recycle"  have taken the slow boat to China, or maybe the snail mail slog route, or quite possibly been sucked through a black hole into outer space - they haven't fully arrived in Doha as yet.  The three D's, however:  "dump, dispose-at-will, and damage" are the VIP performers in attendance, or maybe it's "defile, destroy and debase" who have grown fat and complacent over time.

No-one seems to notice, no-one seems to care.  Oh yes, I know there are attempts being made to correct the situation and I know these things take time.  Sheikha Moza and the Qatar Foundation are genuinely making huge strides in the areas of education and science that will surely make a difference in the future.  New construction sites are in the process of building designs that include the latest in vacuum garbage disposal, greener air conditioning systems and rapid transit hubs - cutting edge stuff.   However, there is also a lot of talk:  world-class international companies who do great presentations and photo ops of their sensitivity to the environment and how much they are doing for the local environment and for global warming in general, but whose actual business practice would not just be frowned on, but barred outright in their home countries.   We have reports and articles in the local newspapers that highlight the issues, and attest to the work being done. Unfortunately, I just don't see much of it at my lowly level.

The myriads of construction sites produce gargantuan mountains of rubble, debris and leftovers that go where exactly?  According to the newspapers, 10,000 new cars are purchased every month, but what happens to the umpteen wrecks, not to mention tires of vehicles past their glory days?  A quote from an article I read:  "There is recycling in this country, but it is very piecemeal at the moment.  It seems that actually persuading someone to put their rubbish in a bin out here is quite an achievement let alone having them put it in a special container."  Qatar is the world's wealthiest country and is in a position to develop, and demand greening, environmentally sustainable technology, energy and waste controls.  According to the article, however: "The real obstacle seems to be keeping up with the sheer speed of cultural and societal shifts". No kidding - even the skyline has changed dramatically even in the year since I first viewed it. See http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-pellot/environmental-progress-in_b_121517.html  and read the section on Qatar.

On a positive note, Qatar is aware, and is willing.  They introduced the Supreme Council for the Environment and Natural Reserves (SCENR) that "strives for a balance between protecting the environment and resources and also developing better life standards".  It has achieved recognition and implemented changes, but has a long way to go.   The areas they have to tackle are many and the obstacles huge.  There is the disturbance of marine life with dredging for new construction, landfills that must be filling to the brim as we speak, water...the average is about 650litres per day per person (due to the high water demand in agriculture in the desert, and oil and construction mostly), and sewage spilling into the gulf.  We have chemical issues with petrol, gas and cement production.  The air pollution from exhausts,  the air conditioners set at a shivery 20 degrees in every mall and store, and SUV's the vehicles of choice.  Public transportation at this time is almost non-existent when you take the population into account.  A giant leap forward, in my opinion, is Qatar Airways move to have their planes fueled by  a natural gas blend - at least it goes some way to cutting down on air pollution. They made history by being the first to fly without 100% regular aviation fuel. Way to go Qatar Airways!! 

In my own little environment, I despair at the newspapers I chuck out together with all the cans, bottles, and plastics.   A friend made me aware that we still have pop cans with tabs that tear right off, so now she has me bending down too, and pocketing the little menaces every time I see  them winking at me.  (I am getting good exercise this way)  And boy, would I like to be able to return beer bottles to the liquor store - I would even go without the miniscule deposit money, and would be happy to drive somewhere like we had to do in Calgary.  And I really wish I knew I was eating dolphin friendly tuna - I see no pictures and I can't read the writing.   And I wish I had the courage to bawl out" "Pick that up" the next time I see someone litter on the street or throw leftover takeout debris nonchalantly from car windows.  And I really, really miss my blue boxes.  And, and, and...

On the flip side, we have invested in a stand alone water tank in the kitchen to stop using bottled water, and the packers at the supermarket are quite happy to pack my groceries to the brim of my Sobey's bags that I brought with me from home.

Let me get off my little soapbox now - I have said my piece .... for awhile.  However, no guarantee that I won't climb up again in the near future.

Game Over: Brasil 1 England 0

Last night we joined throngs of avid soccer fans to watch the much publicized Brasil vs England game.  Having learned from experience we knew to go early, so even though the game started at 8pm, Mike and Meg picked us up at our villa at 5.45pm.  Using backroads and ingenuity, Mike got us to Al Khalifa Stadium and parked (a true feat I must say) by about 6.15pm. 

The atmosphere at the stadium was electric - the Aspire Tower loomed above us all like a beacon inviting everyone in, and the stadium arches were lit up with dazzlingly bright lights.  I probably joined the largest crowd of people I have ever been in - the stadium was filled to the rafters with 50,000 of us.  There were people everywhere, sporting every kind of dress, speaking a Babel of languages; and all with only one goal - supporting one or the other team.  There were British top hats, and flags of both nations, wigs of yellow and green, or red and white.  There were flags painted on faces, and all sorts of noisemakers to add to the buzz. 

You knew you were in the Middle East because alongside the British band belting out Beatles songs and some smartly dressed Beefeaters marching and dancing around, there were camels resting on Persian rugs waiting for passengers and photo ops.  There was a goat hair tent where you could view typical Bedouin activities like weaving, and another one designated as a rest tent with rugs and pillows on the ground.  You definitely knew you were not in Europe or America as the refreshment tents only served water or coffee. Our snake-like, looooong line-up to get through security seemed to go on forever with an occasional two step shuffle forward.  In the end though, I think someone decided to just do a "move on out" to get us all seated in time, because when we actually got to security it hardly seemed secure.  We were seated by 7.45pm.

Meg had snagged us some really good seats at the centre line so we could see play anywhere.  The start ceremony was memorable.  When the players entered, the stadium was darkened and we all waved the neon blue stick that we had been given at the gate - it was like looking at a blue haze.  Then the balloons shot skyward, the lights came on, the giant flags were paraded in, the anthems were sung and the game began!!

We had never been to a world class soccer match before and it was wonderful to be part of a crowd of fans who were as entertaining as the players themselves.  Drums beating, horns blowing, chants coming from every direction, and hearing the ritual songs they sing to liven up the play.  Mexican waves came in waves and hardly ever petered out - it was great watching it flow across the stands in a whirl around the whole stadium.  The funniest part was watching the wave stop dead before the Royalty and dignatories section which was right opposite us.  I guess it was considered too undignified - no problem for the fans though - the blip didn't phase them, the wave just started up again in the very next section over.   Fans in the stands weren't rowdy at all and in fact, there were pockets of quiet every now and again....I wonder if the lack of booze had anything to do with that? 

As to the play itself, Brasil certainly looked like the winning team.  For myself, I rooted for the Brits - was impressed with the tall and lanky Peter Crouch, and Wayne Rooney was so energetic - loved it when he argued with the ref;  and anyway I always like the underdog.

Ah, well, a great night out with friends and another little adventure tucked under our belts.   

Introducing our Doha circle of friends.

Let me introduce you to some great women - and their husbands of course! that we have met over the course of 9 months in Qatar.

Here is Meg on the far side of me - from Mississippi, she is just a bright bundle of fun, always game for anything and we have so much in common, it's making for a real easy, relaxed and comfortable relationship already.  She and Mike have joined us on various trips and jaunts.  A big thank you to Mike for all the taxiing and chauffering.
Then there is Pam, my Cajun friend from Louisiana, right next to me.  We get on like a house on fire - just as well as we live just five doors from each other.  It's great for those quick popovers and my!! can she cook.  She and Dave have perfected southern hospitality and I am in awe.  Pam is a very competent and ready driver too. 

Next photo: Patsy on the left of Pam, is from Texas and so is Dede, on the right - great ladies - always with smiles and laughter trailing after them.  Their husbands John and Jerry are really nice guys and a lot of fun when we get together.  

Then there is Janet,also one of the troop, but unfortunately not in these pictures (see her photo at Tennis Anyone?).  Friendly, and a real go-getter, already on the board at AWA. 

Nancy (in the middle) is from Iowa I believe and a real calming presence.  So nice to know her.  We haven't met Janet or Nancy's husbands yet - these guys are really, really busy.


Pam is from California, but originally U.K., and has been doing this ex-pat thing since 1996 so she is a fund of knowledge.  Bill, her husband, is also very easy to know - we like him too!     

Husbands are working hard and very seldom seen - most are on 6 day work schedules, or only alternate Saturdays off.  They span a variety of industries from ships, planes, military, oil and gas, and construction.  Very nice - all of them!! 

There are also others that I see on a fairly regular basis at all the events and functions who have helped me settle down, taught me the ropes, and made my day in various ways - representing a variety of countries around the world: the AWA/TLG committees, Donna from NZ, Carmel from Oz, Barbara from Poland, a sprinkling of South Africans, a few South Americans, quite a few Brits, a couple from Belgium, France, Lebanon and Egypt.

The U.S.A. ladies in the photos sure know how to have fun. They have made my journey so much easier and I am very grateful. I know that some of these will grow to be lasting friendships.

My circle of friendships is widening and I am expanding with it.  

To my circle of friends old and new.  I cherish the moments.
Thank you/Shukran.

Feed the Birds.

Remember that song from Mary Poppins....

"Feed the birds,

Tuppence a bag,

Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag,

Feed the birds, thats what she cries,

While overhead the birds fill the skies". 

Well, that's me.  I have a whole backyard of birds.  My community consists of about a dozen pigeons, lots of sparrows and chickadee types, and four bothersome Egyptian minors with their long yellow legs who stalk the others and peck imperiously at my seedlings.  Meg has a couple of parrots that fly over her roof patio - would love to get a glimpse of them.  (Most birds are not native, particularly the parrots, but apparently they escaped custody somewhere long ago and there are now flocks of parrots thriving out here...surprisingly).


The birds like their food early in the morning and have taken to pecking at the sliding door when there is none to be had.  Often, I will get birds that sit on the windowsill in the kitchen and also the study on the second floor.  They chirp away, doing a little dance bobbing to and fro, and then cock their heads to the side, look inquiringly at me, as if to say:  "Come on now, where is it today??"


At a lecture from QAWS (Qatar Animal Welfare Society) we were told not to feed wild animals (cats, dogs and birds) every day unless we know it is going to be regular, as they begin to rely on you and then when the food dries up they have a hard time adjusting.  I think this is more a problem with feral cats and dogs - a huuuge!! problem here and not to be discussed by me - I could just sob at the injustice of it all.  Very sad state of affairs. 


In the meantime, I am doing my little bit for the wildlife of Qatar.

'Araak/See you.

I want whatever she's having!!

Wondering around the Souq Waqif with my friend Meg and her husband Mike yesterday, we went to my regular vendor of birdseed.  (have to keep those backyard birds happy).  The store is so tiny and filled to the brim with spices, seeds, olive oils and vinegars - amongst other things.  You have to scoot sideways to get to the back of the shop to avoid the rows of heaped wares. 


While we were waiting for our guy to scoop out millet and mixed birdseed from a huge sack, we noticed an abaya-clad lady come into the store.  Being my usual nosy self, I watched as she sat down on a plastic chair reserved for customers who must wait through the scooping, measuring, weighing and sealing of bags ritual.  The store owner proceeded to fill her order for coffee: scoops of arabic coffee beans, a cupful of cardomom seeds, and handful of cloves and a bit of saffron.  Then he dumped it all together in a primitive grinder accompanied by the delicious aroma of fresh coffee.

Before he was finished, both Meg and I were squealing with delight, pointing repeatedly at the coffee while dancing up and down, and begging him to give us whatever it was that the Qatari lady had ordered.   Her eyes smiled at us as she left, and the store owner was only too pleased to gain more dedicated shoppers.  We sat down on our plastic chairs to observe the ritual again, this time for our very own coffee.

So the ingredients for Qatari coffee are (more or less):

2 cups Arabian coffee beans

1/2 cup cardomom seeds

1 tsp whole cloves

pinch of saffron

Blend together in a grinder.  Place a few heaped teaspoonfuls of coffee mix in 2 cups of boiling water, and sugar as needed.  Allow to brew for approximately 15 minutes.  Strain and pour into small espresso cups.   

Delicious.

Fisehatak (To your health)!

Middle East Transport Vehicles.

Just thought I would give you a glimpse of sights to see on the roads around Doha.

The above truck is transporting chairs and rugs for a wedding tent.  Males and females celebrate the wedding ceremony separately.  Males typically gather under a goat hair tent in a majilis style reception area consisting of  Persian rugs on the ground and ornate chairs lining the perimeter of the tent on all four sides.  I have not seen any female celebrations as yet.

   

This is one of the smaller buses I have seen that transport labourers to and from the construction sites.  Poor guys work long hours and live in huge compounds filled with dormitories and very basic conditions.

Camels are prized possessions and symbols of wealth.  They may be used for transportation, animal husbandry, and racing.  Yes, we do see camel on the menus.

This guy is a fairly regular feature on Al Corniche.  Found the picture on Qatar Living. I have also seen his car plastered full of flags, Qu'ranic verses, etc.  Seems a happy soul. 

And this last one is an accurate description of me hanging on for dear life in the land of sand.

TAIT! (Thank Allah it's Thursday) PBUH (Peace be upon him)

A tribute to the workers

A story that needs to be told, but hardly ever is.  It's like the elephant in the room that nobody acknowledges or pretends not to see.  Or maybe the dust that gets surreptitiously swept under the rugs of countless homes.  It's as if wealth and luxurious lifestyles somehow shield the "haves" from having to deal with the seedier side of life.  Servants are in a state of perpetual servitude and labourers labour incessantly and impecuniously.

They're called TCN's - third country nationals and they are routinely treated like third tier, third class "citizens".  TCN lends itself to an anonymity of personhood, an invisibility when it comes to living standards and legal representation. They do the lowliest of chores: sweeping streets, digging trenches, cleaning up after us all at restaurants, hotels and in our homes.   They are everywhere, but nowhere. 

In all cases, passports are removed for "safekeeping", and wages - meagre as they are at about QR700 per month for an average labourer, are docked monthly until the return airfare has been paid off.  Accommodation is a blight on the landscape - row upon row of prefab dormitories filled to capacity with flea-ridden bunk beds, thin blankets, and abysmal washing facilities, within a fenced compound.  On days when Qataris celebrate national holidays they are securely locked behind gates so as not to spoil the scenery. On Fridays, they are forbidden to enter malls and given that, in most cases, these hardworking individuals work 10 to 12 hours per day for 6 days a week, one has to wonder when these poor folk should do their errands, pay their bills, and buy their meagre groceries?

House servants are possibly in the worst position - women from Nepal, Philippines, India, and Pakistan who cope with language barriers, illiteracy, and take on virtual slave labour conditions just to send money home to family.   They cook, clean, walk dogs, care for 4 to 7 children, launder, etc from 6 am to 9pm regularly.  They may be at the mercy of angry mistresses with impossible demands and standards and masters who make 'other' demands. 

Construction workers also have it badly - there are no safety mechanisms on buildings and injury and death are daily occurrences.  Or how about the 48 storey construction site with washrooms strategically placed on the ground floor - imagine walking down 48 stories and back up again - at least once a day wouldn't you say?  And what about during Ramadan? - everyone has to follow the rule of nothing to drink between sunrise and sunset - can anyone imagine what it must be like to labour in 50 degree temperatures with no access to water?? - the death rate of TCN's are highest from July to September - probably from disorientation and dehydration and then fall off buildings or walk into the paths of speeding traffic.  

All come into the country as single persons and live under the threat of dismissal for whatever trivial reason. And God help those who foster relationships with the other sex - jail, stoning,and deportation  probably in that order.  

 

They get very little leisure time and being a male dominated population there is very little contact with the softer side of life.  As a group they seem to band together and help each other out.  They while away the lonely hours playing cricket....or lining up outside Western Union counters sending precious gifts back home. 

And if we take the time to acknowledge the elephant and lift the rug, we see that underneath all that hardship lies a heart of gold and an attitude of grace under fire.  The smiles reach from ear to ear and light up eyes that signal genuine happiness.  They seem to grow taller with eye contact and polite conversation, they thrive on a kind word, and will bend over backwards to help if you ask.  

 
I hope that their families back home truly appreciate the sacrifice these men and women are making every day.     

Blocks, bans and black outs.

I have always been a tad worried about blogging in the Middle East.  What if that urban legend is true and someone out there is monitoring, assessing and evaluating my little blog?  So far, I have not come across any major red flags.  Thanks to Maree, however, who sent me an email with attachment (never to be seen by me), I now see that it is possible to be shut down and shut out.   I do hope that my musings remain innocuous enough to escape scrutiny.  My approach has been dedicated to lighthearted banter with occasional attempts at explanation and description that may entertain, inform and possibly bore, friends and family on various homefronts, uninitiated to travel in the Middle East. 

As with writing, photographs are carefully censored - I do not take any where there are signs prohibiting them; like oil pipelines, embassies, government institutions.  Although the other day, I very innocently tried to take a photo of the bay through a beautiful archway in a building, but was waved away by a security officer, who smiled broadly while gesturing with his hands.  (It was some Ministry building I later found out).  I am also very careful about clicking away with a camera in front of men in thobes and women in abayas - some can be quite vociferous in their quest not to be photographed.   Would hate to get on the wrong side of that debate.

Watching movies requires some ingenuity at times, as words - ?!@#, and even whole scenes (you know what they are, you lascivious lot) are bleeped out and cut.   I have a question though - who subscribes to the many porno channels available on tv here?  And if it's not ok for me to wear spaghetti strap dresses, tight and low cut tops, and short shorts and skirts (I see those raised eyebrows - would I ever, anyway!!), why are there so many adverts on tv and in magazines depicting luscious babes in all their voluptuous glory?

Holding hands in public is banned, as is co-habiting with a partner other than a spouse. Everyone is a wife or a husband, or strictly single...or lying.  But then....what about all those girls who hang out at that one hotel bar... and how come they have so much business?  It's a funny thing though, you can see many men holding hands, apparently a gesture of friendship in eastern nations.

Obviously, some topics are more sensitive than others, so here's hoping I don't step on any toes.  One thing I have come to recognize is that no matter which country, on what continent - it is always more expedient to follow and respect the governing rules.  Freedom of speech and expression are still fledglings in this part of the world, and I would prefer to remain anonymous and on the right side of the law.   I have no wish to have the mutawa after me.

And - fledglings grow and take flight.  An article in today's paper caught my eye:  Qatar is bidding for the 2022 World Cup Soccer and will be the first GCC nation to admit Israeli players if they win the bid.  They will also relax the liquor laws and serve alcohol during competition.  I will not be here then, but will keep an interested eye on their bid.

So there you are, when in Rome....or Quito.....or Toronto....or Cape Town .....or Doha....   I am no good at leading the rebel charge anyway.

Shukran. Afwan.

Addendum:  Interesting article in the Qatar Tribune on Nov 12.