Getting off the plane, we were ushered and fast tracked through customs and immigration. We drove into town and to our accommodation. The city is in a constant state of construction with roads being built, buildings popping up everywhere and rumour has it that they have run out of raw materials and are ripping up some old roads and old buildings in order to re-use the bitumen and the cement to construct new ones elsewhere.



Why is there so much going on here? It all comes down to OIL. The region has rich deposits of the natural resource and as a consequence of the selling of the oil; capitalism, and its guise, have taken over the city. There are Pizza Hut's, McDonalds, Hungry Jacks (Burger King) , KFC's, Housing Estates named things like Beverly Hills Gardens (no jokes), Shopping Malls and heaps of 4x4 vehicles driven by sheiks looking sheik! Can you tell the Americans have interests in this part of the world? I heard another rumour that America and the Qatari governments are paying big bucks to Al Qaida to stay out of Qatar but don't quote me on that.

We are staying in one of these estates and all the houses look exactly the same. Surprisingly, they are quite plush inside. Picture 100 identical houses like these next to each other and you get the idea of what the estate is like. There are three of us sharing a house and we each get a bedroom to ourselves.





Now here is a sign you won't see in a non-Muslim country.



Another big difference is that 5 times a day, between sunrise at 4am and sunset at 7pm, the sound of the Call to Prayer erupts from the loud speakers all over the city. It can be quite lovely hearing the singing from the priests in Arabic and only lasts a few minutes to mark the start and the end of the prayer call. If you happen to be driving into the city at the time of the Esha call between 7pm and 8:30pm, you see a sea people near mosques taking over the street by kneeling while facing Mecca to pray.

It really is astounding how much more work needs to be done here for the city to be ready for the Asian Games in 6 weeks time. Here are some pictures of the main stadium as we drive in on the morning bus to rehearsals.









We travel at 7am and rehearse in giant sheds that are air-conditioned. In fact, every building, everywhere, is air-conditioned because it is hot here, real hot! In June / July it gets up to 52°C. We are lucky because it has cooled down since then and is only mid to high 40's !!



Here is the place we are going to spend most of our time. Picturesque, isn't it?



What I will be doing is wearing a funky space suit and flying on a rocket 40m above the ground. Here I am at a costume fitting.



We got to view a video presentation of the proposed opening and closing ceremonies and it is going to be pretty spectacular. I believe it will be on TV in Australia so make sure you have your video recorders ready. He he.

When we are not working, we are either by the pool or site seeing in the city.





Thing is, there are so many new buildings that I have no idea what the old city of Qatar is actually like. Many buildings are just shells and although their façade looks impressive, they are empty and being fitted to be ready for the people coming to see the games. Even the main mosque seems like something modern made by Guggenheim as it swirls up to the sky like a lighthouse.



This week Ramadan is still on. If you don't know about Ramadan, here is the heads up.



The Holy Month of Ramadan

Ramadan Mubarak

(Greeting for Ramadan)



What is Ramadan?

¤ Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar which is based on the Phases of the Moon

¤ The Month of Ramadan is when it is believed the Holy Quran "was sent down from heaven"

When does it take place?

¤ Begins on the first sighting of the new moon in the ninth month of the Muslim calendar

¤ This year it is expected to be on or around 24th September

¤ Ends on the first sighting of the next new moon

¤ This is expected to be around 23rd October

What happens during Ramadan?

¤ Muslims fast during daylight hours

¤ It is called the Fast of Ramadan and lasts from one new moon until the next

¤ Ramadan is a time when Muslims concentrate on their faith and spend less time on the concerns of their everyday lives

¤ It is a time of worship and contemplation

When does fasting begin and end?

¤ Fasting begins "when you can plainly distinguish a white thread from a black thread by daylight" - approx 4.00am

¤ Ends with the sunset Call to Prayer

What are the 'rules' during fasting time?

¤ No eating in Public (including Chewing Gum!)

¤ No drinking (even water) in Public

¤ No smoking in Public

"In Public" means anywhere you may be seen by members of the public; the street, in your car, between parking your car and the office etc

¤ You do not have to follow these rules "In Private"

"In Private" means at home, or in a closed office such as ours

There are some exceptions to the rules. These include children, the old, the sick and those doing heavy manual work outside in the sun

The 'courtiesies' during Ramadan

¤ Dress neatly and cover up well

¤ Women are to cover their arms and wear clothes below the knee

¤ Men are to cover arms and wear long trousers (no ¾ length trousers)

¤ Greet people with a friendly warm attitude

¤ Do not get angry with people even if they are tetchy/angry/short-tempered with you

¤ Be mindful of those around you who may be fasting when you are eating or drinking

The 'effects' of Ramadan

¤ No restaurants, coffee shops, bars will be open during fasting times

¤ Usual Business Hours in Doha are from 7.00/7.30am until 12.30/1.30pm -approx 6 hours

¤ Supermarkets are open, but you cannot buy "ready to eat" food, only food for cooking

¤ No alcohol is available to buy either from the Qatar Distribution Centre or the hotels for the whole month

¤ Lead times for deliveries, orders are much longer

¤ Business is slower - less people are available for less time to deliver services

¤ Decision making is slower

¤ People work for approximately 6 hours

¤ After finishing work (at approx 2.00pm) they go home to either cook or sleep until the sunset Call to Prayer

¤ Traffic increases near the Call to Prayer as people travel to their mosque

What happens after the sunset call to prayer?

¤ People eat, drink a little and they can smoke

¤ Then the Esha Prayer takes place from approx 7.00pm until approx 8.00/8.30pm

¤ You may find people praying on or in the street during this prayer time

¤ Driving can be dangerous with the build up of traffic as people travel to the mosque or home

What happens after the Esha prayer?

¤ People go shopping or to restaurants

¤ People visit friends and family for most of the night

¤ Children play in the street until late in the night

¤ There is a carnival atmosphere on the streets

¤ Shops, restaurants etc. are open until approx 4.00am

¤ Major hotels have special organised events such as Ramadan Tents where traditional Arab food is served

What to be careful of?

¤ Be careful of offending worshippers

¤ You may be accosted in the street if you are seen breaking the 'rules'. Do not answer back - just walk away

¤ Go shopping before 5pm as it becomes very crowded and frantic after that

¤ Try and get home either before the sunset Call to Prayer or during the Esha Call to Prayer

¤ Be extremely careful on the roads. There is a lot of erratic and dangerous driving

Lastly...

The holy month of Ramadan is very much a time for celebration for Muslims but people of all faiths and cultures are welcome and invited to participate in these celebrations. An Iftah meal at any of the hotels or Ramadan tents set up at this time is a great experience and the atmosphere in the evenings is generally one of fun.

This is the state of Qatar and I am living in the middle of it.

What a wild ride.

Catch you soon.

George

xxxooo

Tags: Aerial Freelance