Food for thought

Sometimes reading the local newspaper brings it home that you are not living in your culture:

Recently, there was an article headed "Unease over men selling lingerie".  According to the journalist many Qatari people are "unhappy" that the ban on men selling lingerie has not been enforced.  Dr Al Jaber, "a famous Qatari woman who teaches Islamic jurisprudence" said: "I sincerely urge the higher-ups to take necessary steps to help protect the dignity of women".  I guess I have been in many undignified situations then - who knew?

Talking about dignity, here's a second random thought:  sometimes I feel like a "mole in a hole" up here on the second floor of our villa.  Patrick calls it my "command centre" which makes it sound a little more useful ... and dignified.  Most days I sit here at my computer typing away at the blog, sorting photos and generally trying to stay in touch with my world, while all the while the world is passing me by ... or to be more positive - a whole world is outside my window.

  
The world outside my window is worth talking about.  With temperatures in the twenties (celsius), these days the window is always open allowing me to connect with the sights and sounds of an ordinary Doha day.  I look out onto a palatial mansion whose owner has planted trees along our common perimeter and together with my birdseed, these trees provide a veritable orchestra of birdsong all day.  The other great beauty of my window is the sight of a marvelous sunset, as it faces west.  Each day around 5pm, long before hard-working husband makes it home, I sit and watch the sky spin wheels of colour ranging from flamingo pink to burnt orange, as the sun slowly dips beyond the horizon.  And then the cicadas start their rumbling and humming as the evening sky changes its palate to midnight blues, daubing bright stars like glitter and adding a moon that looks like you can touch it.  In the mornings when I sit down to check emails, I can hear the local cocks crowing at the start of a new day - when last have I heard that country sound?  Way in the background comes the faint roar of traffic on the roadway as Doha goes about its business. Best of all - the dominating sound is the one that emanates from the mosques that surround us.  With the consistency of clockwork, the muezzins call to prayer resonates through my window six times a day.  It has become familiar and expected music to my ears, and one that I shall miss in my North American backyard.