The Art of Persistence

First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.

- Mahatma Ghandi.

Don't Shit on the Teacloth

I have never been an avid proponent of the Arab tea cloth; the headgear that is worn by inhabitants of the Gulf region. If I was in a public restroom washing my hands and I saw one near the sink I would, in all probability, dry my hands on it and try to sling it over my shoulder, along with the poor sod who was wearing it. Put simply, I think it looks a little bit silly.
But, having seen lots of them around here in Doha, Qatar, I'm starting to appreciate the egalitarian and classless aspects of wearing it.
Qataris, like other Gulf Arabs, wear simple dress - a white, long, dress-like garment and a white or chequered head dress. People from all walks of life, all classes, all educational backgrounds, and all ages wear it. Everybody looks like storm troopers from Star Wars, yes, but everybody is afforded the same respect by the way they look; no social judgements. Nice. I guess it's only when one of them opens their mouth that I want to slap them across the face with a rather large rainbow trout. Plus, I haven't mention how badly they treat peeps from the subcontinent...

Qatar - Land of Undreams

It's hot here, there is virtually no public transport, the capital, Doha, is one big building site, the gov't blocks porn sites and you are whipped if you are caught drink driving.
But despite all this, the country has huge potential. Firstly, it's sitting on top of one of the world's largest natural gas fields. This, along with vast quantities of oil, makes Qatar one of the richest country's in the world.
Civic institutions are well developed, infrastructure is in place, everyone has excellent free healthcare, the minimum wage is about GBP2,000, and the government is embarking upon an extensive program of democratic reform.
I can't see myself living here for long, but I expect big things from this little country very soon.