Updating Qateri Hospitality
In a dry and thirsty land, where there is no water, there is a wonderful tradition of providing water for the laborer, and the passer-by. In Tunisia and Jordan, we used to see running water in nearly every village, a place where donkeys could drink and people could fill their containers. Then, in Qatar and Kuwait, we began to see the outdoor kiosk type of water dispenser, running sweet water from a tap. Now, Qatar is providing bottled water in locations where there are workers who don’t have ready access to water during the hot hot hot summer.
Drinking water for the toiling masses
Web posted at: 7/16/2009 2:0:11
Source ::: THE PENINSULA
DOHA: The Qatar Charity has launched a unique humanitarian campaign to support people working outdoors during hot summer.
The Charity has started distributing bottled water to workers who don’t have easy access to drinking water while working outdoors. The one-month campaign titled “Suqya” (an meaning supply of drinking water) also aims at installing public water coolers in select places across the city.
Jassim Abdulla Jassim, director of the Charity said the campaign was first launched in summer last year. It has now been re-launched with a new name and new mission.
“Our goal is to provide relief to the hundreds of people working outside during summer as well as the pedestrians. We started the project last year and plans to continue it in the coming years,” said Jassim.
Bottled water is being distributed in construction sites, parks and other public places. Some 67 water coolers have been installed in various parts of the city as part of the campaign.
“These coolers come with a unique design and have been installed in crowded areas, so that more people can benefit from them. Through this project, we are trying to revive the traditional Qatari hospitality. Every Qatari household used to offer drinking water to the passer by free of charge,” said Ahmed Al Miraisi, deputy director of the Charity.
He urged companies and individuals to extend their support to the project.
Be Careful What You Wear in Qatar, and about Sharing Your Faith says US Embassy
This is from yesterday’s Peninsula. What is equally interesting is the article placement – front page of the newspaper, above the fold.
Recently, several families received notice that their employment was no longer required – or possible – in Qatar. All were members of the same church. They had 30 days to leave. The embassy got involved, and shortly before the required departure, the families got a second letter, this one saying “never mind.”
This is a conservative country.
Be careful with what you wear in Qatar, US tells citizens
Web posted at: 7/13/2009 2:28:8
Source ::: The Peninsula/ BY SATISH KANADY
DOHA: The United States has advisedd its citizens living and visiting Qatar against wearing revealing and ‘provocative’ clothes. It advised US citizens not to go about on public beaches in bath towels. The Mission also discouraged sleeveless shirts and blouses, halter tops and shorts.
Western bathing attire must be worn only at hotel pools and private beaches, it said. US citizens must also avoid visiting labour or work camps, an updated and revised country specific information for Qatar posted on the embassy website said. The warden message that reminded US citizens that it was Islamic traditions that provide the foundation of Qatar’s customs, laws and practices said: “Foreign visitors are expected to remain sensitive to Islamic beliefs and practices and not dress up in a revealing or provocative manner including wearing of sleeveless shirts and blouses, halter tops and shorts. Western bathing attire is to be worn only at hotel pools and private beaches”.
The embassy also cautioned US nationals about discussing religious issues, or answering questions about a religion. The warden message has strictly warned against conversion. “Religion and religious practices are quite sensitive issues in Qatar. Therefore, discussing religious issues should be treated with care and sensitivity. Proselytizing is illegal in Qatar. Attempting to convert a member of one religion to another, “sharing one’s faith” with someone of a different faith, and similar practices can be deemed violations of Qatari law, with deportation or even prison the consequence,” the embassy warned.
The embassy also issued strict guidelines to US citizens involved in charitable activities. “Charitable activities, both religious and non-religious, must be approved in advance by Qatar Authority for Charitable Activities (QACA)
THE PENINSULA
The Low Tech Solution
Two days ago, a cleaning crew came and cleared out the pigeon nest entirely and cleaned up the area. The parent pigeons are gone – I think they found a more congenial dwelling elsewhere. The adolescent pigeons still like to spend the night in our entry.
My husband thinks we need a board with longer nails. The maintenance crew suggested taking out the center light in the entry, the one they perch on, sleep on, and from which they poop-bomb our entry. It is a brilliant idea – the low tech solution. They said they have tried it in other houses in the compound and it works.
We don’t want to be mean to the pigeons, but we sure hate pigeon poop in our entry! I have a shower curtain rod that I bang against the center light, and I bought a squirt bottle (there doesn’t seem to be a water pistol in town; where is Toys R Us when you need them??) and squirted the persistent adolescent who wants to nest here, but . . . he LIKED it! Curses, foiled again! I am guessing taking out the central entry light will do the trick; that seems to be their favorite perch.
Sandstorm Due in 72 Hours
I’m not surprised – my niece, Little Diamond, is coming for a visit. Her arrival seems to invite sandstorms! We are just praying for her safe arrival BEFORE the sandstorm hits. For my friends in Iraq – this must seem endless. For my friends in Kuwait – I hope you get to dodge the bullet this time!
Sandstorm in 72 hours: Met
Web posted at: 7/14/2009 2:57:38
Source ::: The Peninsula
DOHA: A sandstorm is likely to hit Qatar in the next 72 hours, the meteorological office at the Civil Aviation Authority has announced.
During the sandstorm, the expected visibility will be around 2 to 5km and one kilometre or less in certain areas. Sea waves are expected to rise upto between 5 and 8 feet and even upto 10 feet in some areas.
The expected sandstorm will be blowing in from Iraq, and will reach the northern, eastern and central parts of the Arabian Peninsula, up to Iran.
The Saudi Meteorology and Environment Department, meanwhile, said the sandstorm would bring winds of medium to high velocity carrying with them around 2 billion tonnes of dust.
The below-average rainfall and inadequate water in the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in Iraq have contributed to the raging sandstorm.
The storm is so strong that it has stranded Admiral Mike Mullen, the US military’s senior commander, in the restive city of Kirkuk, north of Baghdad, according to reports.
The weather department has advised people to exercise caution during the sandstorm, especially during the night and while driving.
Quiet Saturday Lane Change in Doha
I was noticing this morning how quiet and calm the traffic is – after all, it is Saturday, and it is summer. Even so, there is considerable traffic on C-ring, and the occasional arrogant “get-out-of-my-way-this-is-my-country” driver, but not so bad.
At one of the busiest traffic lights in the country, now called the Ramada junction, or “where-the-Ramada-roundabout-used-to-be” the van in the far right lane needs to get over to the left turn lane. In Doha, this is possible. I don’t know how all the cars squeeze together, but the driver makes it across three lanes of traffic to the left turn lanes:
A Night at The Garden
A local well known (here they say “reputed” and I always think it strange, because if we say ‘reputed’ it implies that it may not be true, but here it is meant to say well-known and respected) restaurant, The Garden, is having a month long Indian food festival. It has Indian food year round, but during this month some specialities are introduced, different areas highlighted, etc.
I like this place because my niece, Little Diamond, likes Indian food a lot, and it is a good place to take her. They have a separate restaurant downstairs, purely vegetarian, and another restaurant upstairs that also serves meat.
We went to the purely veg one on Thursday night, and decided to try the buffet. The food was delicious. One curry was so complex that we agreed, adding meat to it would have added NOTHING! It was so tasty without it.
The chef was making little crepe-like pancakes that you can roll food in, and then these little “paniera” made with the same dough, only with chives and savory flavorings in them:
This is what they look like up close:
The Garden is located at the corner of Al Rayyan and Kharabaa (also called Old Electricity Street). If you haven’t been in that area for a while, take your hard hat. A lot of the buildings are being bulldozed. I cannot imagine what the street will be like without Bombay Silk and Qatar Studios, but I see several stores have already disappeared.
Angel Wings
Every now and then, a blessing happens that is just so magnanimous, so unexpected, that I am just overwhelmed with awe at it all.
One of my sweet friends flew into Doha to help me unpack boxes. I was stuck; the room I was unpacking required lots of decisions, and I just couldn’t see my way to making them. I was just overwhelmed.
My angel friend showed up on my doorstep and whirled through the boxes, unpacking, shooing me out of the room, getting everything put away while I worked elsewhere. The room is now in order, and, as she says, I can re-order it to my liking a little piece at a time, but meanwhile, I can work in there without having a panic attack from all the boxes not unpacked.
When she had finished unpacking and putting away, she put her hand on her hips and said “That’s all??? No more boxes???” I was tempted to let her loose on AdventureMan’s room, but I resisted the temptation. LLLOOOLLL, I was so stuck, and she really rescued me.
Sealine Resort, Doha, Qatar
Qatar just isn’t that big. You can take a day trip, and actually, it’s more like a half a day trip, or even an hour trip. AdventureMan wanted to find his way to Wakra and to the SeaLine Resort, and I wanted to see the big dunes, not as big as in Namibia but pretty impressive, with their sinuous lines.
There are about a hundred different vendors renting out ATVs for racing across the dunes, even in this heat, and it was not easy finding virgin sand dunes, untracked by ATV wheels. We went on an ATV dune safari in Namibia, out of Soussesvlei Lodge, and it was fantastic. I love ATVs. I expect that anything that is so much fun can’t be good for you. It’s probably bad for the dunes . . . anyone?
When we got to Doha before, six plus years ago, I rented a limo and driver to take me and Little Diamond out to the resort and dunes. He kept showing us things on the way, like Wakra, etc. and we were a little restless. But it only took like 20 minutes, even with all the sightseeing, and we were there. We ran up the dunes, we looked for seashells, we walked in the sea, we did everything – and we were back in Doha by 11 in the morning. We laughed – we hadn’t realized, looking at the map, how close it was. The driver must have thought we were crazy.
Sealine also looked a little seedy to me – then. This time when we drove up, it looked very different. It looked all spruced up. The people working there had on clean, neat looking uniforms, and they looked like they were doing their jobs. We took a look at the chalets (cool) and at the villas (also cool) right on the umm. . . errr. . . SeaLine! Waves rolling up, almost to your doorstep – it is pretty lovely. We were planning a stay there when we noticed multiple vehicles at most villas and chalets – and whereas we love to go to sleep to the sound of waves, we kinda thought hmmm. . . this could be a place where the party starts around midnight.
It’s beautiful.
This shot is taken from the main section of the hotel, but to each side, where the chalets are and the villas are, the sea is almost right on your doorstep.
Qatar is a conservative country. There are separate areas for men who are not accompanying their wives and children.
And there is a whole different kind of beachwear! (I blurred the faces to protect their privacy.)
As we were leaving, we spotted two little Qatteris finishing their brunch with gusto!
A Small Adventure in Qatar
Here is one reason I love AdventureMan. He loves to go exploring, and Friday mornings after church are our favorite time. I am showing him some new routes, because the street patterns have changed, and where the pigeon mosque used to be, and he notices that the GATE IS OPEN!
So here is what I love. The gate is open. There is no sign saying No Entry. To AdventureMan – and to me – that means that it is not forbidden, which means that it is allowed, right?
There is no guard on duty – it’s Friday. Maybe they are praying.
And the pigeon mosque is still there! I was so afraid they were tearing it down. I don’t know what the real name of this mosque is. There used to be parking behind it where all the Pakistani drivers parked their decorated delivery trucks, and those of us visiting the souks in that area parked there, too. Now, there is almost NO parking available unless you get there at like 6 in the morning. (Actually, if you get there around 0830 on Saturday morning, you can find a parking place.) We call it the pigeon mosque because all the pigeons gather on the roof there. The mosque has been totally gutted and is being renovated.
The rest of what used to be a place filled with cheap junky stores is gone. Demolished and carted away. It’s just a big empty space. No clue yet as to what is going in.
We will have to wait for another day when the gate is open – inviting us to come in. 🙂
Ready to Fly Away
The baby pigeons are up, walking around and fluttering their wings – until I open the window to take a photo, and then they go into the if-we-hide-our-faces-she-can’t-see-us-mode. Daddy pigeon makes noises deep in his throat which I understand to mean “Go away.”
This may be the last photo. They seem to me to be getting ready to fly, and once that happens, we will clean out the area and hope they don’t come back. I love the sound of their voices, but I totally hate pigeon poop.
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