Dear Doha Diary

Now my hotel is not a particularly busy one, so for most of the time I have a pretty peaceful existence, especially at night as I rarely have someone in the room next door – other than during the big holiday periods when Saudi families come to Doha for weekend breaks.   Their children are lively little cherubs who really enjoy running up and down the hotel corridors screaming – bless their little hearts ! So early in December, when I was being kept awake by a guy in the neighbouring room, who seemed to come in at 1am and have very loud conversations on the telephone until around 3am, I assumed it would only be for a couple of days.  After the 5 th consecutive night of the same pattern, sleeping with my head under the pillow, I asked the hotel reception…… “when is the guy in the next door room checking out?”   Maybe I could get him moved. …… after all, I worked for Al Jazeera and they’d want to keep me happy!   “Oh let me see, madam……. O...

Having been in the Middle East for 8 months now, I should really talk about the Thobe - the traditional male dress in this part of the world. There is certainly a magical power attached to this simple garment and the head dress which accompanies it.  It seems to give the men who wear it a certain authority, a mystery, a power and a magnetism which, when combined with the scent of the Oudh perfume many of them wear is really quite alluring!  They keep their thobes beautifully pressed and pristine white and are so smart every day, wearing cuff links and starched collars. It is amazing how ordinary the very same guys look without it.  One of my dearest colleagues (who will remain nameless for obvious reasons) went from all conquering Bedouin Sheikh to New York cabbie in one easy step - simply by changing his regal thobe to jeans and T-shirt!!  What a crushing blow!!! He was a mere mortal after all.   But still, at work, in his thobe, he is all powerful. ...

I'm feeling a little guilty ....actually on two counts - one because I haven't written a blog for a while (six weeks I think!!) and two because I've just realised I've been asking some of my Muslim colleagues to defy the Quran !  ...... not deliberately and I hope Allah will forgive me! It all came about following a conversation with a Palestinian colleague some weeks ago, who was explaining the real meaning of 'Inshallah' to me...... as most of you know, it means 'God willing'.  However, my friend was discussing the different ways in which people use the phrase and how, in fact, it is often abused.  He explained it thus: A person should only use 'Inshallah' in the context that they fully intend to do something and it will  happen if God wills or it is in his plan.  The only reason that it wouldn't happen would be if God intervened somehow. He went on to say that some Muslims will use 'inshallah' as a 'get-out' clause, a...

With Ramadan approaching, the dilemma for me as a non Muslim was to fast or not to fast?  To be honest, I didn't think about it for long and never had a doubt - of course I would fast.  Since moving to Doha, I've been determined to assimilate ..... as far as a western, non Muslim, non Arabic speaker can!   As regular readers will know, I prefer haggling in the Souq and dancing with the Yemeni boys to drinking with ex-pats in hotel bars and Ive also started learning Arabic. There were a few reasons for committing to the fast - not just to continue my immersion into the local culture, but also because I wanted to share the experience with my Muslim colleagues at work.  Not only that, but I also wanted to test my own commitment, my self discipline and learn something about myself in the process.  Lets face it, for a large part of the fasting time, I would be alone - particularly on the weekend - no one but me would know if I was breaking my fast - so the c...

The beauty and energy of Souq Waqif keeps me returning each week.....of course for the dancing, (see previous post!)..... but mainly because it has such an electric atmosphere - even during the week when there is no music. The heat of the day lifts the aromas of coffee, spices and perfume and when the evening comes, the searing heat gives way to a soft warmth, mingling the aromas with the scent of the shisha.   People from every part of the globe come to eat, shop, chat, smoke and haggle of course! I had my first experience of the haggle this week and what fun it turned out to be!  The shop keepers are friendly and not at all pushy - at least the ones I visited.  Now that I can speak a little Arabic, it helps.  I would go into a shop and say "as-salaamu alaykom" (Peace be with you) and would get "wa alaykom is salaam" in reply.  ......Yes I am conversing, this is great!!!!  Generally speaking, they leave you to browse - the odd one or two would foll...

With my Dad's 70th birthday half way through my contract in Doha, I decided to take a few days to fly back to the UK to surprise him.  However, what I didn't realise is that my efforts to surprise my Dad, would turn into a nice surprise weekend break in Bahrain for me!... here is what unfolded ...  After leaving Doha last night on what should be a 9 hour flight, I am sitting in a hotel in Bahrain, waiting for our BA crew to get enough sleep so that we can continue on to London.... yes that does sound a bit bizarre but true!  After a smooth enough take-off from Doha at 11.25pm, we landed in Bahrain last night at 1200 midnight - we'd had terrible turbulence and a dreadful landing with lots of bangs and things falling out of overhead cabins, it was so rough!  I'm usually a very relaxed flyer but even my feathers were a little ruffled when I saw the cabin crew hurrying up and down the isles looking very stressed and concerned. The plane was stopping ...