Qatar
Okay, Qatar is pretty cool. It's amazing to be able to walk 10 minutes from my hotel and jump into the Persian Gulf and swim. Well not exactly, since there are no public beaches in Doha and women are forbidden to swim in public places so everytime I get in the water a bunch of qatari guys appear from nowhere to just look unblinking at me.
Customs here are a bit strange, Qatar is still one of the more conservative countries in the middle east. Bartek has to come with me whenever I leave the hotel. There are no women on the street, read: NONE!!! only men, the street is an improper place for women to be. But there is still the push of modernism and the young people follow western customs of dress and behavior.
Work is hard, I get pawed a lot especially when my security guards decide that they're just going to walk off...this is bad. But on the whole a wonderful place, very nice people here. smart people who want to have conversations about US/Muslim relations, some of the best conversation I've had in a while.
So yea, great. Wheeee, we love the Middle East
Customs here are a bit strange, Qatar is still one of the more conservative countries in the middle east. Bartek has to come with me whenever I leave the hotel. There are no women on the street, read: NONE!!! only men, the street is an improper place for women to be. But there is still the push of modernism and the young people follow western customs of dress and behavior.
Work is hard, I get pawed a lot especially when my security guards decide that they're just going to walk off...this is bad. But on the whole a wonderful place, very nice people here. smart people who want to have conversations about US/Muslim relations, some of the best conversation I've had in a while.
So yea, great. Wheeee, we love the Middle East