Iftar at the Ritz Carlton

Thought it was time for an update. Work has been SO busy that looking at a computer again at the end of a long day has not been a happy prospect. However we have done some fun things. We had a staff do last Thursday. At the end of the days fasting in Ramadan there is a feast called Iftar. About 40 of us booked to go to the Ritz Carlton Iftar which starts at 8.30pm. This is the major meal after a smaller snack when the sun goes down about 6pm. We went to this last
year as well and it is great. The huge ballroom area is done out like a tent but
with chandeliers and all manner of beautiful decorations. There is entertainment
and all sorts of food at a never ending buffet

There was a band and singers, all Arabic music and the same whirling dervish as last year. He has a colourful costume and looks like one of those whirling tops we had as kids when he spins around. If you go to Turkey and see the Whirling Dervishes they all wear white but this chaps costume is spectacular in its colour. The first photo is a "still" dervish so you get an idea of his costume and the second is the "whirling" model!

I had a henna design on my hand and many of the team held a falcon for the first time. The photo is of our consultants, Hazel, her feathered friend and the chap that has the falcon for us to play with! We also had shiesha pipes which are fun to smoke but you don't need a photo of me doing that! However the tobacco was grape flavoured and very pleasant. Oh and I did share it with my friend Gaye.

It was a very, very nice night that went on until about midnight when we dragged our weary and very full bodies home.

We are now heading towards our Eid holiday break and the Emir has extended it until 6 October for which I am very grateful. So 25 September - 6 October is a hoilday which we all deserve.

Visiting the hairdressers

Well this week I got my hair cut, not such a biggie in NZ but it is here. It takes a while to find someone you trust and then train them to cut your hair and do it the way you want. I have been going to Marie-Claire a French lady at her salon Coiffure Francois for a while now. She is OK not as good as my lovely Susan at Upper Kutt in NZ. We have a lot of ooh la la's while she is doing things and the styles are different too. She tends to cut with weird scissors and a razor thing that seems to scrap the hair rather than cut it. I had a perm on the top part of my hair as I do in NZ. Here they attach a machine to one of the curling rods, put on a cap and then stick you under a dryer! Feeling rather like a turkey being cooked , you are processed until the buzzer goes off and then evidently you are cooked enough to have the rest of the process done! Can't say I like it, I think it is hard on the hair but that's the way it is done here. The results are usually OK but still not as good as NZ. At the moment it is so hot here that there is very little cold water through the taps, as the water tanks are on the roof in the sun. The hairdresser uses bottled water to rinse your hair ;-) One nice thing about having your hair done is that you can have a pedicure and / or manicure at the same time - most enjoyable.
The photo was taken in my office space at work but that's about to change as we are having two separate office spaces made so its a bit more private. As Jean and other office staff who have worked with me know I will have trouble staying in a separate office I like company!!

A typical weekend

Well what did all you guys get up to over the weekend? Here is a fairly typical weekend for me at the moment. This Friday morning - Steve brings my breakfast in to me (yes he is sweet!) and then I get up to go to the airport to meet the new person who arrives on EK 841 from Dubai. Remember that Friday is the first day of our weekend, the working week starts Sunday. I stand by the wooden railing by the arrivals gate looking for the kiwi who resembles their passport photo. I am quite good at spotting kiwi teachers! They all look exhausted as they have just survived a flight with stopovers that takes over 24 hours.

Luckily the plane is on time and the luggage is there. I bundled them out of the airport and they experience THE HEAT! It is a balmy 47 ish a the moment and we also have humidity. This comes as quite a shock after they have left the NZ winter. I always drive them along the Corniche so that the see the green part of Qatar and the water because they will soon come to realise the rest of it is brown and flat ( with sand hills one end). However the building old and new are amazing and the place has real character not all glass and steel big city stuff.

We arrive at their apartment, get them settled, hook up the computer, explain the cell phone, give them a starter pack of information and give them some time to refresh before we take them out. We have also put some food etc in the apartments so that they can have cuppas and not worry about shopping straight away.

I have a break for an hour with a friend. I fill up with some water as we can't drink in public. Next it's back to Wesal apartments (that I can't help but call Weasel) and picked up Hazel and two other ladies that started during the week to take for an orientation drive. There are two purposes in this the first is so they can see a bit of Doha and the second is to keep them awake. If they sleep too early the jet lag sets in and it takes longer to get back into a routine.

I drive out to the golf club, walk them around the Dip Club and get a membership form if they think they would like to join. This weekend I went up to Al Khor so they could see the wharf, dhows and sea front their. No camels around though:-(
This photos shows the fishing dhows lined up at Al Khor wharf.

Back to the city, across to Villagio and Khalifa Stadium and then home. Next usually a bit of grocery shopping. Unfortunately it is Ramadan so we can't get a coffee. Then I dropped them back at their apartments. It was home for me to have a Nana nap!

Saturday I race around doing the things I need to do, get some groceries for me. I came home to do a bit of work and another friend, who is a consultant, rang and asked me to take her to the hospital as she wasn't feeling well. While going to the hospital sounds serious it is where the doctors hang out so that's where we go. An hour and a half later we are back, tea is cooking (thanks Steve for getting it started - yes he is sweet) and my friend Gaye is coming around for tea.

Now where did that weekend go because gosh it is work tomorrow!!

Ramadan in Qatar

Well its the 1st of September and Ramadan has begun in Doha. So today all Muslims fast for dawn until dusk. This is a very long time especially in these summer months. The first call to pray is just before 4am so the first meal of the day must be eaten before then. They do not eat or drink again until after the fast is broken at evening prayer which is about 6pm. No one is allowed to eat, drink or smoke in public during Ramadan and all food outlets are shut until the evening. It a way it is like the country becomes nocturnal.



My friend Osama wrote this for our team and it helps give us a good understanding of this special time.

"The month of Ramadan - Ramadan Al-Mubarak (The Blessed) is the ninth month of the Hijri year. It is singled out for acts of worship and fasting because the first verse of the Qur’an was revealed to Mohammed (Peace be upon him), The Prophet, in the month of Ramadan, during a period of meditation and solitude in a cave near Mecca. The Muslim year is comprised of 12 lunar months and the calendar begins with the year 622 AD, when Mohammed (Peace be upon him) and his followers left Mecca and went to live in Medina. This event is called the Hijra (migration). As there are only 354 days in 12 lunar months, the Muslim year begins 11 days earlier every year comparing to the solar calendar.

For Muslims, Ramadan means four weeks of total abstinence from food, drink, smoking and continence in all other aspects from dawn until sunset. It also calls for more prayers and meditation. Only the sick, the infirm, nursing mothers, pregnant women and travelers are exempt, but they are expected to make up the lost days at some other time during the year before the following Ramadan arrives. Muslims, who for one reason or another, do not fast, tend to show self-restraint and modify their habits in private as well as public.

Ramadan is also a month of charity and compassion. Alms are given to the poor. Relatives and friends are gathered till the early hours of the morning. Special food and sweetmeats are prepared for breaking the fast each evening throughout the month. Ramadan as a spiritual exercise in endurance and self-discipline imposes considerable strain on those who fast, especially in the hotter weather. It is therefore important for those who are not required to fast to understand the significance of this religious occasion and appreciate the social and religious implications associated with it. It is important that the Ramadan values and practices be understood by all non-Muslims in the community.

During Ramadan one should take particular care with modest dress. Also, store hours will be altered, usually opening later in the morning and with evening hours extended until quite late. Driving can get a little erratic, particularly just before the breaking of the fast. There is a distinct drop in morning traffic, but the late afternoon and night time traffic becomes unmanageable at times. Restaurants will not sell liquor during this time and most are closed during the daylight hours, except in some of the hotels."



So we are also trying our best to support our Muslim colleagues and we don't eat or drink in our work places. The school day is shortened to 8am to 1pm and nearly shops including the malls are closed until 8pm. You can do grocery shopping but you can't eat or go to a cafe during the day.

This photo is of one of my favourite mosques it is out by the Diplomatic Club and a lovely building.

Later in Ramadan we will all go out for a Iftar meal. This is the meal at night that breaks the fast. It is a like a big party and starts at 8pm and can go on to 1am but that is the subject of another blog.