Chris Comments on Qatar

My favorite part of Doha was the Souq Waqif. An eclectic mix of streets, alleys and boulevards the souq provided for several opportunities to experience something new. We smoked shisha and ate camel kabobs at a Moroccan cafe along the main boulevard. We walked through alleys crowded by countless hole-in-the-wall stalls full of fake designer sunglasses, rolexes and other touristy merchandise run by immigrants from the subcontinent. We browsed antique shops full of relics from Qatar's pearl diving past and wandered down lanes filled with chirping birds in cages and shops dedicated to the sport of falconry.

I got a cheese and honey crepe made fresh in front of me by an off-duty Indonesian maid, and a box of what looked like sesame seed covered gulab jamuns (they weren't) from another.

Visiting the souq brought with it a refreshing bit of culture, a unique blend of nationalities that I hadn't ever experienced before. I would suggest going around 16:30, when we did, so you can arrive in time to reserve a table at one of the cafes along the boulevard and still be able to enjoy the crowds that come with nightfall.
--Chris

Comments

Beirut, Byblos, and walks in the city

There are police, and barriers, in Beirut. Our first 2 days in one neighborhood were quite peaceful. Yesterday we walked further, to see more typical signs of concrete barriers and razor wire and military guards around the former President's house, and then today around the Saudi Arabian embassy. We also note the flurry of construction activity, both buildings and roads; yet in amongst the renovated sleek apartment buildings and shopping malls are old walls pockmarked with bullet-holes, and empty shells of buildings including the bizarre alien-looking building in the center of town. Cole and I attended a lecture by Tariq Ramadan at the American University of Beirut -- educational, fascinating even though Prof.Ramadan was speaking quite academically and not wanting to get tied down. The question-and-answer session was even more enlightening, to hear the emotional and articulate ripostes and sallies. About 400 people attended. ...

Driving everyone crazy

One of the lightning rods of dissent in the Kingdom is the government's refusal to permit women to drive. We know of no other nation with this ban; and to compound the confusion, there is apparently no explicit law banning it, just a reference to a decree in 1991. Like the other irritating restriction of the niqab veil, it also has no basis in the Koran, and therefore is not easily upheld in Sharia law. Recently the first name "Manal" has become a symbolic name, as the divorced Aramco IT expert -- she received awards for her expertise a few years ago -- drove a car near Coleman's high school last month and published the feat on YouTube. The deliberately banal video inflamed the sensibilities of the Saudi police, who detained Manal in the women's reformatory for 10 days. Her lawyer carefully pointed out that there was no law against her driving, and further she carefully avoided any reference to the Facebook group urging women to all drive on June 17th. St...

Reservoir of European Youth, Parliament

A few days ago I walked to the nearby Pasteleira Park, planning to visit the city museum at the Reservoir. Walking through the park I noticed a large group of young people gathered in a circle, engaged in team-building activities. My days in education attuned me to the spectacle and piqued my interest, so I sat on a nearby bench and watched as a succession of enthusiastic students ran to the center and started an activity, which all the others joined enthusiastically. What sort of group would this be? A typical high school class would include a portion of disinterested teens, and others only half-heartedly participating. This crowd was unanimous in their excitement. I also noted that the leaders were speaking in English, though the breeze muffled the words. I walked around, found a couple of older participants on the side, with official-looking lanyards, and asked: this was an activity of European Youth Parliament , simil...

Thomas journals

Search This Blog