Doha: Keep Your Camera Handy
Today I had one of those experiences I have so often in Doha, a “no-one-would-believe-me” moment, but I have learned to keep my camera handy, and fortunately we were stopped in traffic so I could snap this one without endangering any lives, especially my own.
Traffic is steady, busy, but pretty mellow. Yeh, there are the normal “I’m-going-to-make-a-left-turn-from-the-right-lane” guys; I’ve lived here for so long it doesn’t even rate a roll of the eyes. It’s part of the Doha / Kuwait driving culture.
This, however, I only see in Qatar. Mr. I’m-So-Important-I-Can’t-Wait is this guy in the white Land Cruiser.
He is sitting half on top of the street median, trying to get back into traffic going in his direction. To get there, he drove down the wrong way down the street on the other side of the divider. At first, there was no traffic, but when traffic came, he got up on the divider so he was only HALF blocking traffic from the other direction, and he is bullying his way back into the line he was too important to wait in.
I carry my camera now, every day, in my purse, because I know if I just tell you about these things, you won’t believe them.
I have seen this also at major roundabouts. Some yahoo drives up the other side of the road to the roundabout to avoid waiting in the line. Up over the medians, facing oncoming traffic. I know, I know, what are they thinking?
In Kuwait, I was sickened by the number of young men killed on the roads every week, every month. If it were an epidemic killing young men, people would do something about it, but tell these guys to obey the law? Make them pay fines for reckless driving? Make them wear seat belts? Their behavior tells me that no one has ever held them accountable for their arrogant and dangerous driving habits.
While we are told that “no one is above the law” somehow the message hasn’t made it to these guys.
Debate on Media Freedom in Doha, Qatar
From today’s Gulf Times:
Debate on Qatari press law
The Doha Centre for Media Freedom (DCMF) will hold a roundtable discussion on the Qatari press law that dates back to 1979, on Wednesday, at The Ritz-Carlton Doha, an official said yesterday.
According to the official, under the discussion will be the need for a Qatari media, and the view concerning modification and changes to the accrual Press Law, in order for it to match the requirements of the current era.
Discussions will be moderated by DCMF deputy director general Maryam al-Khater, while senior media officials of the country, editor-in-chiefs, senior journalists, heads of media organisations and others are expected to be in attendance.
After an introductory presentation of the most-recent study prepared by DCMF on the Press Law, comprising recommendations, suggestions, and analyses, the floor will be opened to what is expected to be a “vigorous debate”, the official said.
“The DCMF calls on all media specialists to exercise their right of expression by participating in this gathering and sharing their thoughts about the possibility of amending the negative provisions of the law for journalists’ rights as well as adding provisions which respond to their ambitions,” the official added.
The event coincides with the National Day for Human Rights, which falls on November 11 every year.
There was an earlier report, on June 24th, that most of the original members of the DCMF had resigned:
Media Freedom Centre team leaves office
DOHA: Robert Ménard, director- general of the Doha Centre for Media Freedom and his team have left the Centre.
“We no longer have either the freedom or the resources to do our work,” said Menard, in a statement issued yesterday.
The heads of the assistance, research and communications departments have also left the Centre, said the statement.
The Center was set up on the initiative of H H Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned and Reporters Without Borders in December 2007.
Ménard, who became director-general on April 1, 2008, was the founder of Reporters Without Borders, which he headed for 23 years.
I imagine this is going to be a very interesting “vigorous” debate, of interest to all those who write – or blog – on Qatar. One of the things I notice in both Kuwait and Qatar is that in the interest of self-preservation, the newspapers self-censor. For example, when a crime is committed, if it is an Asian, or even, rarely, a westerner, the name of the criminal can be printed. If it is a local citizen, they do not print the names, not ever, unless it is a rare case where the defendant is convicted and appeals – on rare occasions, the name will appear then. In order to spare the family the embarrassment, I have been told, but I would think that the fear of embarrassing the family would have a strong deterrent effect on young men, for example, who think it is OK to abduct, rape and humiliate young men and women, without fear of having their crime made public.
In Kuwait, they publish the crimes committed, at least. In Qatar, you would think from reading the papers, that these crimes don’t exist. They do. They aren’t reported.
I think it is very cool that in Qatar, many of these issues are opened for public debate, as in this media debate, and in the ongoing Doha Debate series.
Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran
I saw a mention of this book in an Amazon.com referral as a book I might like, and was almost set to order it when something said “go check the stack of books Little Diamond left for you” and sure enough, I already had the book.
I use books as an incentive to get me through life’s inevitable tasks I don’t like – like “if I finish this project on time, I get to read this book as a reward.” It works for me.
When I first started reading Marsha Mehran’s book about three Persian sisters starting up a cafe in a small Irish town after fleeing Iran, I found it sour. The author has a critical point of view, and generally speaking, I don’t like hanging around with people who criticize others and judge them harshly. At the beginning of the book, Mehran introduces a lot of people, many of whom we are not meant to like.
Even the sisters are not all that sympathetic – at the beginning. But also, near the beginning, she discusses Persian cooking, the idea of balance in a meal, hot and cold, spicy and bland, so you kind of get the idea that if there is sour, then there will also be sweet. In addition, at the end of each chapter there is a wonderful recipe, a wonderful, fairly easy-to-follow recipe, and she included one, Fesanjan, that is my all-time favorite Iranian dish and now, I know how to make it, Wooo HOOOO!
Three sisters, orphaned by fate, held together by love and duty, start a cafe, which, against all odds, becomes a raging success. Raging success does not heal all the old wounds, however, nor the hearts that bear them, and we learn through the book what the sisters have borne and overcome.
It turns out to be a sweet book, one well worth reading. And oh! the recipes! In each chapter, there are also hints that make them even better, so you can’t just copy out the recipes and use them, you really have to read the book. 🙂
It’s a pity that two of the most wonderful countries in the world – Syria and Iran – are off limits. We’ve been back to Syria, and it was everything we remembered (see the Walking Old Damascus blog entries) but oh, how we would love to explore Iran. Sigh. The world turns, and we can only hope to be able to get there in our lifetime. Stranger things have happened.
Suq al Waqif Bird Market
As we were heading into the Suq al Waqif for breakfast Saturday morning (Yes! Several of the restaurants are open for breakfast!) we saw a man and his son, both carrying falcons.
AdventureMan joked that they are hired by the administrators to walk around adding local color. We scoffed. Maybe someday, but for right now, these are still real people, with their own falcons. We know because our Kuwaiti visitor stopped them and asked about the falcons. They were so sweet and so delighted to tell us about their birds, and to allow us to photograph them:
There was also a lively bird auction going on:
What we love about the renovated market is that it is still a true market, where real people by daily items for use.
Boiled Cole Slaw Dressing
We really do love cole slaw, but we find that there are some cole slaws we love more than others. Neither AdventureMan nor I are big into mayonaiss-y cole slaws, we find we like vinegary cole slaws better. Probably we like vinegary ones better because many many years ago a wonderful friend gave us this recipe for cole slaw dressing, and it is our hands down favorite.
When I first came to Qatar and wanted to make this dressing, I looked everywhere for poppy seeds, only to be told that they are ILLEGAL in Qatar, I guess they think we are all going to get high on poppy seeds or something. I was told poppy seeds are legal in Kuwait, but as hard as I looked, I never found any. I will admit, from time to time I have to bring some back with me, just so I can make this Cole Slaw Dressing.
It is sweet – and tart. I also use it on cucumbers, and I like it even better!
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup oil
1 Tablespoon poppy seed
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon onion juice (I use grated onion)
Bring all to a boil. Cool before using. Enough for one medium large head of cabbage. (Slice cabbage into thin shreds.) I also don’t let the dressing get too cool; I like the way it wilts the cabbage a little.
Amateur Finds Treasure Trove In English Field
I love stories like this one, which I found on National Public Radio where you can read more on this fabulous story. I remember hearing once of a person who thought everything had already been dug-up. . . . wrong! so wrong! There are so many things out there, just waiting to be discovered!
September 24, 2009
A member of a British metal detecting club is being credited with finding the biggest cache of Anglo-Saxon relics ever discovered, experts in England revealed Thursday.
Terry Herbert, 55, stumbled upon more than 1,345 gold and silver artifacts as he walked across a freshly plowed field with his metal detector in Staffordshire in early July. Experts said the number of items could rise to 1,500 when more relics are extracted from 56 mounds of dirt that were also removed from the site.
Herbert told the British newspaper The Independent that finding the historic artifacts was more fun than winning the lottery.
“My mates at the [metal detecting] club always say if there is a gold coin in a field, I will be the one to find it. I dread to think what they’ll say when they hear about this,” he said.
Referred to as the “Staffordshire Hoard,” the find consists mostly of items used in warfare, including 84 pommel caps and 71 sword hilt collars removed from swords and daggers, according to the Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery. No sword or dagger blades were found. One expert said the treasures appear to have been a collection of war trophies.
At least two Christian crosses and parts of a helmet were also discovered. The gold items weighed about 11 pounds, and many were engraved with Bible verses or decorated with garnet stones.
Michelle Brown, a professor of medieval manuscript studies, said the style of lettering on many of the relics dates back to the 7th or 8th century, and they are likely to be valued in millions of dollars.
Eid Confusion
After writing that I don’t get a lot of phone calls, my VOIP started ringing. Four times, it was AdventureMan – we always have a lot to talk about. Once, my Mom, who calls just because she can and because the number we got is her area code, so it is like calling next door, and we all like that. Last, one of my friends in Kuwait – we have discovered we can call VOIP to VOIP. It’s like double the trouble – VOIP phones don’t always have the best connection, sometimes they are echo-y, sometimes one person can hear and the other can’t, sometimes you get other people on the conversation with you – so when you talk VOIP to VOIP, you have double the risk of technical difficulties, but still, an cost-per-phonecall that encourages long conversations (if you can hear and understand one another.)
“Has Eid started in Kuwait?” I asked at one point.
“I don’t thing so,” she replied. “I think it starts like Monday or so.”
It’s confusing to me. I know that Ramadan started four weeks ago tomorrow, so it is likely Eid will be 28 days later, like tonight or tomorrow or Sunday. But Kuwait started the Eid holidays on Friday, the official holidays, so that people will have nine full days of Eid celebration. (two weekends and a five day week). I don’t know if it is the same in Qatar.
It is also confusing as to just who gets the Eid holiday. When I lived in Tunis, lo, these many years ago, the entire country got every celebration. Those of us at the Embassy were doubly blessed; we got all the American holidays AND we got all the Tunisian holidays. So did just about everybody; the country shut down. For at least three days, no restaurants were open, no stores were open – you had to know about this in advance and bring in provisions to last until the Eid celebrations were over.
I wonder, did it used to be that way in Qatar? In Kuwait? That everything shut down, at least for the first day of Eid, and often longer?
In Kuwait and in Qatar, occasionally – like the first day of Eid – the stores will be closed a day – some just half a day. So many workers here are non-Muslim that it makes it possible to keep places open without intruding on someone’s celebration of Eid, in fact, I would think being able to go to restaurants and pick up a few items in the stores enhances the Eid experiences. I know most of my friends in Qatar are leaving town, just as I am getting back, beating feet for Europe, for Africa, for the Maldives, celebrating by traveling.
All the same, I am not sure when exactly Eid is expected to start officially, like according to the lunar calendar. Anyone?
The Pancake Haus in Edmonds
In my little home town, Edmonds, north of Seattle, there is a place you wouldn’t look at twice, but if you want to eat there on a Sunday morning, be prepared to stand in line. The Pancake Haus is no well kept secret among long-time Edmonds residents, and especially on Sunday morning, when the entire community shows up, drifting into the restaurant in bunches, as the different church services finish. If you want a booth just for two, you may not have to wait as long as those waiting for a table for eight (families love to come here) or twelve or more (church groups).
When I lived here, I think I tried almost every single thing on the menu, even the oatmeal, but not biscuits and gravy. One time AdventureMan ordered biscuits and gravy and it cured me of ever wanting to try them. In my mind it looks like dough and glue, but everyone insists it tastes great. I’ll take their word for it.
So when Mom looks outside and groans at all the rain coming down and says “Want to go to the Pancake Haus?” I knew the right answer was yes. I don’t think it’s her favorite place, but she knows it is one of mine. We were lucky, we got out during a lull in the rain, and there was a tiny booth for two people waiting for us.
The Pancake Haus is not fast food. It is slow food, and it doesn’t matter because all your friends are there and you need to say hello and you have time, while the rain comes down, just to sip a little coffee (ummm, no, everyone just drinks coffee in this place, maybe a little sugar and cream, or maybe some sweetener, but none of the la-di-da Starbucks drinks). The owners know just about everybody, and have half their family, children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews – all working the tables, even cooking to make sure the food gets to you in a reasonable time.
Mom was debating . . . potato pancakes? pecan pancakes? I suggested maybe the Iowa corncakes, but she said no . . . maybe blueberry pancakes? They have all the regular suspects here, eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage, etc. but they have some really amazing pancakes.
I know what I want – I want a half order of the Raspberry Roll-ups. That makes up her mind for her, she orders the Swedish Pancakes with lingonberry sauce.
Aha! This time I remembered!
Swedish pancakes with lingonberry sauce:
Raspberry Roll-ups:
Here’s a tip – when you order the roll-ups, order the whipped cream on the side. Otherwise it will be ON the pancakes, and you will end up eating it all. No! No! You really don’t want to do that, this is REAL whipped cream, delicious, totally fat whipped cream. Honest, a little dab’ll do ya.
Even a half order was a lot of pancake and we had to roll ourselves out of the Pancake Haus. Next door is a family-owned grocery store (Yes! they still exist!) and I ran in and got a few supplies, even though we weren’t hungry, we knew the pancakes would wear off and we didn’t want to have to go out in the rain again.
With all this rain, it is a good day to practice-pack, see if I am going to be able to get everything in my suitcases (nope) and to pack a box to send ahead to Doha.
Cougar Closes Seattle Public Park
I love it – and I think a lot of local people do – that it is still possible for a wild cougar to find his way into our big city park. I love it that our city officials close the park to the public so as not to tempt any problems, and I love it that they were able to catch him and release him.
He was healthy and well fed. Sadly, a lot of roaming housecats had disappeared in the area . . .
(Keep your kitties safe inside!)
Elusive cougar captured in Magnolia’s Discovery Park; already released into the wild
A cougar that has been prowling Discovery Park in Magnolia for about a week was captured early this morning after being tracked and tranquilized by wildlife officers.
By Christine Clarridge
Seattle Times staff reporter
A cougar that has been prowling Discovery Park in Magnolia for about a week was released into the wild after being tracked, tranquilized and captured by wildlife officers this morning.
The 2 ½ to 3 year old male, reported to be in “great physical condition,” was spotted by a park employee between 9 and 10 p.m., according to Capt. Bill Hebner of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Wildlife officers responded to the park and tracked the cougar through the 534-acre preserve until about 1:30 a.m. today when the cat was immobilized with a tranquilizer and placed in a trap.
An ear tag and a radio collar were attached in preparation for the cougar’s release, officials said.
Wildlife officials took the cat to Snohomish County late this morning and successfully released it back to the wild.
“It’s a great candidate for relocation,” said Hebner.
“By all reports, it’s not aggressive, hasn’t been seen stalking people or capturing pets and has maintained its natural respect for the wild,” he said.
The GPS collar on the cougar will automatically send updates on its location twice a day, he said.
Discovery Park was opened at 11 a.m. this morning, according to Seattle Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Dewey Potter.
The park was closed on Sept. 3 after some Magnolia residents and someone living near the Woodland Park Zoo reported seeing the cougar in the past week or so.
Magnolia resident Thomas Olson was driving home last weekend near 34th Avenue West when he saw a cougar run into the road about 50 yards ahead of his vehicle, heading toward Discovery Park.
“I said, that’s incredible, so I drove into the park and there it was again,” he said.
Resident Lori Jacobs was driving home on West Bertona Street, between 35th and 36th avenues West, about 12:30 on Sept. 1 when she turned into the alley behind her house and saw a “huge cougar” walking toward her. Worried about her cat, that was outside, she gunned her engine, turned her lights on bright and chased the cougar down the alley.
The cat stopped, turned and looked at her. She rolled down her window and yelled at it. It flicked its tail and sauntered out of sight.
On Wednesday, a man at the park told authorities he saw a cougar in the parade field of the old military installation in the park at dusk.
A 110-pound, 2-year-old cougar was captured in Discovery Park in 1981. It was tranquilized and taken to a game farm in Tacoma. It was later released outside Enumclaw.
Some officials said they believe the cat arrived in the park by following the rail lines south, a route bears have been known to use to get to the park. Others speculated it had been transported to the park.
According to the state wildlife department, cougars are the largest members of the cat family in North America. The state cougar population for the year 2008 was estimated to be 2000 to 2,500 animals.
Amazon
For my fellow book lovers – this is what the Amazon.com headquarters looks like. A long time ago, it was a veteran’s hospital, then it was de-militarized and Amazon bought it. They have a lot of other locations and warehouses, but this is the central Amazon, overlooking Seattle and I-5.
No lives were endangered in the taking of this photo – it’s Labor Day weekend, and the traffic was stopped on the highway, inching north, as I took the photo.
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Early Voting in Florida
