Thomas journals

While reading The New Yorker piece about James Comey's intellectual history, I noticed a reference to his speech at UT Austin wherein he quoted John Adams.  I then went down the internet-rabbit-hole to get the source -- the longer original quote seems so a propos to our times, both in the US and in the Gulf region: “ Power always thinks it has a great soul   and vast views beyond the comprehension of the weak; and that it is doing God's service when it is violating all his laws.”

I joined the Doha Concert Choir -- formerly known as Doha Bach Choir -- last February.  It is a volunteer group led by a violist in the Qatar Philharmonic.  Giovanni is a talented arranger and choral director, and the group is made up of serious singers!   He was asked last week by a Qatari composer -- the only famous female Qatari composer Dana Alfardan -- to arrange and perform a song she had just written, titled The Land - Song for Qatar .  Last night we met at our usual practice time and rehearsed his arrangement of the song, and next week we expect to record it at the Katara studios.    She apparently wrote the song in response to last week's volley of accusations in the Arabic-language media about Qatar straying from the Saudi-prescribed path of sectarian opposition.  The direct accusation is that Qatar is providing refuge and support for certain enemies of Saudi Arabia.    This resulted in the surprisingly vehement act...

To those concerned about our lives in Qatar: The recent sudden embargo of Qatar has surprised us all.  We had no clue that tensions were building; there has been no sign of worry or of increased police or military action.  The surprise announcement did produce crowds in the grocery stores -- the only visible consequence was the sell-out of fresh chicken (which comes daily from Saudi Arabia).  We see no signs of panic, except for those holding certain airplane tickets to Dubai or Bahrain, common weekend holidays.  We hope that the highly intertwined family and business ties will bring the unhappy cousins back to normal relations.  We are reassured somewhat by the quiet presence of the US air base some 25 miles west of us, way outside the city. Our interpretation of the background:   Qatar has long tried to be a neutral talking zone in the region, hosting warring representatives and providing a place for secret or public dialogue.  This rankles t...

Recent border closures and cutting of diplomatic ties are truly mysterious.  We wonder what could prompt such a sudden and severe reaction.   We feel safe, so far, but the suddenness of the action makes me worry that some even more serious action could happen equally suddenly.  One hint comes in the statement in a local newspaper: Qatar will remain ‘a shelter of the oppressed’ as the Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has said.

June officially starts the summer heat, the season when we (mentally) reverse our water faucets and power-off the water-heater.  The tank inside the house stays relatively cool, while the "cold" water supply from the rooftop tanks is consistently hot. Every trip outside is preceded by search for hat, sunglasses, concern for keeping cool, plan to avoid outside exposure as much as possible. It's natural!