Current Events

Today's Peninsula offers an editorial calling for the saving of the newspapers in the U.S. It is fascintiating that a Gulf States acknowledges and calls for the U.S. freedom of press. It is the home of Al Jazeera.

The dire status of the newspaper industry calls for a government bailout of journalism. If the government can bail out banks, insurance companies and automobile firms, why can’t they do the same for the newspapers? Industry experts have suggested some ways for the government to help and the Obama administration needs to act on them. The consequences of the death or even a trimming down of print journalism are disastrous. How will the public get extensive coverage on various global crises? Who will expose corruption and officials mistakes the way investigative journalists do? Without the guardian role of the print media, the American society wouldn’t have been where it is today. Most recently, the print media’s exposures of George W Bush’s lies on the Iraq war and his umpteen policy failures have been instrumental in securing a landslide win for Obama.

The survival of the US print media will be in the interest of global press freedom. And the government must bail out this industry.

From the Peninsula yesterday an editorial that discusses the recent spoof of the piracy circulating the internet and discusses the seriousness of the piracy business. They call for tough action but offer no suggestions.

Power of piracy

If Somali pirates were to announce their annual results, bulls would rule the floor on Wall Street; if they were to inject funds into cash-strapped banks, our markets would be awash with liquidity, and if they were to share their business wisdom with our idea-starved corporate moghuls, the global economy would emerge from recession and boom ahead! Such has been the acumen with which Somali pirates have run their business that the world can only watch in awe, literally, being unable to do anything to check them. A phony Bloomberg story which was doing the rounds recently celebrated their audacity and had shell-shocked Wall Street financiers in splits. The story said the pirates, known for hijacking ships, including most recently a $200m Saudi Arabian oil tanker, are negotiating a purchase of Citigroup. The pirates planned to finance the deal with existing cash stockpiles and by selling Pirate Ransom Backed Securities. The bid resulted in Moody’s upgrading Somali pirates to AAA, and financial experts calling the Pirates fundamentally sound and their stocks best buy. Pirate spokesman Sugule Ali said that the negotiations had entered the final stage. “You may not like our price, but we are not in the business of paying for things. Be happy we are in the mood to offer the shareholders anything,” said Ali.

This is no time for humour, but the helplessness of the global community, with all its military might and nuclear arsenals, to confront the pirates is bound to generate some harmless humour. On Wednesday, the pirates took on the most powerful country in the world, the United States, by hijacking a ship in which there were 20 American crew. Gunmen briefly hijacked the 17,000-tonne Maersk Alabama freighter, but the crew retook control after a confrontation far out in the Indian Ocean, where pirates have captured five other vessels in a week. The four gang members were holding the captain on the ship’s lifeboat and the crew were trying to negotiate his release, while a US Navy destroyer arrived at the scene to apply pressure on the pirates. Ironically, the ship was carrying thousands of tonnes of food aid destined for Somalia and Uganda from Djibouti to Mombasa, Kenya, when it was attacked about 300 miles off Somalia. The attack makes a mockery of an unprecedented international naval effort against the pirates, including ships from Europe, the United States, China, Japan and others.

With the latest incident, one thing is clear: either the international community is powerless to tackle this menace, or they are not serious enough and has not yet mustered the political will to do so. Whatever the reason, the shipping industry will continue to have sleepless days. A solution to this threat on the seas is extremely difficult, but the sooner they find one, the better.

From the day before yesteday's paper we see that

Qatar welcomes Obama’s address

Doha: Qatar has welcomed the US President Barrack Obama’s recent address in Turkey in which he has asserted the US appreciation of Islam and that US was no and would not be in a war against Islam, and that the relationship between the West and Islam should be based on mutual understanding, respect and joint interests, an official source at the Foreign Ministry said in a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA).

The official said the US President’’s address was a significant and positive step that would contribute to supporting dialogue among civilizations, enhancing confidence building and establishing a constructive relations between US and Muslim world in a way that contributes to fostering the international security and peace. 

Current news

Today's local paper, The Peninsula, reports some interesting items that may not get into U.S. news. The first is Qatar's private business sector hailing the current budget that allocates strong funding for private initiatives. Unlike the U.S. it is not called stimulus but the purpose is the same.

Private sector hails budget
Web posted at: 4/4/2009 5:5:49
Source ::: The PENINSULA
BY MOBIN PANDIT

DOHA: The private sector has hailed the current budget and said higher allocations for public projects would help it overcome the challenges posed by the global economic downturn.

Private businesses are the biggest beneficiaries if outlays for development projects in a state budget are large, say businessmen.

And the fact that despite an estimated deficit of QR5.8bn due to falling oil prices in the global markets, if Qatar has earmarked huge funds for public spending, it reflects the government’s intention of keeping the private sector engaged in national development.

The paper also reports on joint exercises between U.S. marines and their Qatari counterparts.

Qatari and US troops in joint exercise
Web posted at: 4/4/2009 2:29:20
Source ::: The Peninsula

US Marines and Qatari Emiri Land Forces officers plot a point on a map during the first day of the military exercise.

DOHA: Qatari and American military forces are conducting a two-week joint military exercise designed to build and improve cooperation between both military forces and strengthen the defensive capabilities of both nations.

During Exercise Eastern Maverick 2009, which began on March 28, elements of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, including Marines and sailors will conduct a number of training exercises alongside the Qatari military, including small-unit vehicle training and live-fire exercises, as well as pilot training with the Qatari Air Force.

US Ambassador to Qatar Joseph LeBaron said: “The military relationship is a vital part of our bilateral relations with Qatar — a relationship that the United States values deeply.”

The ambassador added that the exercise, which is conducted annually, provides an excellent opportunity for both militaries to renew and strengthen the bonds that are vital to understanding and working with one another.

The US Marines and sailors are also taking time off from their exercise schedule to learn more about Qatari culture through visits to local schools and friendly sporting events with their Qatari military colleagues.

Finally, a third article, AFP (Agence France-Presse) discusses the perceived value of Obama's trip to Turkey in two days.

Obama poised to win hearts
Web posted at: 4/4/2009 0:48:11
Source ::: .AFP
Muslims wait for the Friday congregational prayers at the Blue Mosque in Istanbul yesterday. US President Barack Obama will visit the mosque and the St Sophia museum during a two-day official visit which begins on Monday.

Obama, who will be visiting Turkey on Monday and Tuesday, has already made headway in winning over Turkish hearts since his election in January.

In 2005, only 9.3 percent of Turks said they trusted George W Bush - compared with 4.6 percent who trusted Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden - whereas in February 39.2 percent said they had confidence in Obama, making him “the most trusted leader” in Turkish eyes, according to a poll by the Infakto Research Workshop company.

While a Turkish businessman sought to make a fortune by claiming he was the manufacturer of the shoes thrown at Bush last year, a leading Turkish bank is now seeking to capitalise on Obama’s reassuring image, using a look-alike in a TV advertisement promoting “anti-crisis” loans.

“The Garanti Bank said it wanted to revitalise the economy and we thought that Obama is seen as the sole person who can stop the economic downturn,” said Bediz Eker, a manager at the company which shot the advertisement. Bush’s invasion of neighbouring Iraq in 2003, in which Ankara denied US troops permission to use its territory, led to an outpouring of solidarity with the Iraqis and fuelled fears here that the United States wants to fundamentally reshape the Middle East.

“The Turks hated Bush... Bush linked everything to terrorism and Islam and he was very wrong. He crusaded in a way,” Orhan Tekelioglu, an academic specialising in popular culture said.

“The Turks have a very positive feeling about Obama because he is not creating a world where he is going to act as the only leader... He says he wants to cooperate. Bush was not saying so,” he added. Tekelioglu noted that Obama’s ethnic origin was also appealing to the Turks.

Tornado Outside My Apartment

So, I got your attention.

The Tornado Tower, under construction and seen (in my photos) from the parking lot outside my residential tower (t) and then today (b),the residence tower on the farthest left. [Please note: clicking on the image and moving the wheel on the mouse, brings the image even closer... click on my image of the finished structure and at the bottom you'll see the street and the rocks etc as if you were standing with me.] The Tower is visible from the west side of my apartment, bedrooms and living room. Rumor has it that something moves or flashes violently - when it does I will be unable to escape this tornado.

As the Peninsula writes

West Bay’s landmark structure Tornado Tower was illuminated (using state-of-the-art LED technology) catching the attention of everybody who passed through the Corniche last night. Tornado Tower, developed by Qatar Investment Projects and Development Holding Company, is a 52-storey elegant structure offering 58,000 sqm of commercial facilities. The major attraction of the tower is its sky view café on the 28th floor

Today's News

Interesting news today on a number of fronts, and I add the local weather since it is so different from the U.S. and Europe. All reports from today's online The Peninsula

Qatar bucks global trend; GDP up 44pc
By Mohamed Saeed

DOHA: Showing exemplary resilience to the global recessionary pressure which began mounting late last year, the Qatari economy grew substantially in the fourth and last quarter of 2008 to QR83.2bn, from QR77.2bn in the corresponding period the previous year. more ...

Doha to host Green Building conference
BY SATISH KANADY

DOHA: Property developers, architects, urban designers and providers of green technologies will converge here for a three-day conference on “Middle East Qatar Green Buildings 2009”, slated to start on March 17, 2009. more ...

LNG vessels can ferry fresh water back: Expert
by Mobin Pandit

DOHA: Qatar can access fresh water in bulk from European and other countries using the large fleet of liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels which ferry its natural gas to destinations around the world, says an LNG industry expert from Paris.

To carry fresh water back to Doha from LNG-receiving destinations, all Qatar needs to do is carry out minor modifications to the LNG vessels, said Damien Feger, Vice-President, LNG and Shipping, of ‘New Generation, Natural Gas’, a Paris-based company. more ...

and a related story
Qatar’s LNG capacity to rise: Official
By Nasser Al Harthy

DOHA: Qatar will account for nearly 50 percent of the 95.3 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of new global production capacity by the end of 2012, according to a gas industry expert.

Andy Flower, an independent consultant specialising in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) business, said the period to the end of 2012 will see an unprecedented volume of new liquefaction capacity come on stream with Qatar taking the lead as its six 7.8 mtpa trains are commissioned. more ...

Doha to host World Petroleum Congress in 2011
By Nasser Al Harthy

DOHA: The World Petroleum Council Executive Committee yesterday announced that the Qatar National Convention Centre is the venue of choice to hold the prestigious 20th World Petroleum Congress in December 2011. Abdulreda Nayroze Abdulla Hassan, Qatar Petroleum Lead Coordinator for the 20th World Petroleum Congress said the theme will be ‘Energy Solutions for All Promoting Cooperation, Innovation and Investment’ which will focus the debate on solutions aimed at providing global access for all to reliable, affordable and sustainable energy in both the near and long term future. more ...

very brief regional business news
Syria launches first stock exchange

DAMASCUS: Syria launched its first stock exchange yesterday after years of delays, in the latest step to liberalise the country’s largely state-controlled economy. Finance Minister Mohammed Al Hussein rang the trading bell at a formal launch ceremony for the Damascus Securities Exchange, which will be open for trading two days a week.

and finally, the weather, also very brief since there is so little of it,
Dusty winds to hit Qatar today

DOHA: The country will experience strong dusty winds today due to an extending ridge of high pressure that was expected to hit Qatar around midnight. The temperature would dip to reach an average of 27 degrees Celsius and the visibility might go down to 1,000 metres or less in open areas.

And I can attest to the visibility even within the city where the high rises were swathed in dusty haze and barely visible as I approached downtown after work today.

Gulf Banking in these times or as the world goes ...

From Today's Gulf Times
Qatar steps in to boost bank sector

The Qatar government has decided to purchase the investment portfolios of seven Qatari banks Qatar yesterday launched new measures to support its banking sector with a government plan to buy banks’ investment portfolios in a bid to revive lending and support the economy, sending financial shares soaring. “The government is studying a system to take these shares from banks, which will help increase lending,” Prime Minister HE Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani said, according to the state-run Qatar News Agency.

The emergency measure, the second in Qatar, underscores how the global financial crisis has smashed hopes that the energy-exporting Gulf Arab region would escape due to its petroleum revenues and massive sovereign savings. Qatar bank shares leapt over 9%, driving the Doha bourse up 8.85%, its biggest gain since October 14.
“This is great news for the markets,” said Haissam Arabi, chief executive of Gulfmena Alternative Investments, a regional specialist hedge fund company. “By taking away the investment portfolios of the banks, the banks do not have to provision for any losses and can take it away from their books. It boosts their solvency and supports them.” Banks included in the plan are Qatar National Bank (QNB), Commercialbank, Doha Bank, Qatar Islamic Bank, Qatar International Islamic Bank, Ahli Bank and Al Khalij Commercial Bank, according to a government statement issued by the Doha bourse.

Already in October, Qatar launched a $5.3bn plan to buy 10% to 20% of banks’ listed capital to mitigate the impact of the crisis. “This measure will improve the risk profile of banks and remove volatility in share trading,” said Kapil Chadda, managing director of global banking at HSBC Qatar. “If you compare Qatar to some other countries in the region, Qatar has been the most proactive in taking precautionary measures so that any risk does not snowball.” The share purchase process will be completed before the end of March in co-ordination with Qatar Central Bank, the government statement said. Qatari bank officials welcomed the move. “It brings us market stability, supports us for growth and improves liquidity. It is also going to improve the earning capacity of banks,” Doha Bank chief executive R Seetharaman said.

Wedding in Qatar

Last evening I attended the Wedding Dinner of a colleague of mine. An American, she had married a Qatar life-long resident of Egyptian descendent born in Palestine. His extended family lives in Qatar, as does his former wife and his children of the first marriage, now in their twenties. Only native Qataris have citizenship; birth and marriage cannot make a citizen. In the instance of Palestinain born people, they have no statehood. Something I learned from another colleague of mine, herself Palestinain, who must travel annually to Egypt (her mother is Egyptian) to secure necessary paperwork to allow her to continue her residency and work in Qatar, where she has lived most her life.

But the wedding is the topic here. As I learned, a Qatari marriage is essentially the signing of a set of contracts between the man and woman. Probably some boilerplate, but in this instance, firmly written in was the ability of the wife to work (she teaches biology at the College) and the fact that any children would be raised Muslim even if they divorce. She is not converting. The contracts had been signed the previous week and last night was the wedding dinner. A large band of native dressed arabs escorted the bride and groom (or husband and wife) from her house in the compound in which she lives (and to which he is moving) to the compound clubhouse. Great noise and a slow procession, a few shots of which are shown here. In all case the Native-dressed gentlesmen proceeded the man and wife in two files, looking back as if to make certain they were following, until at the end they paused as the couple proceeded them into the reception. The photgraphs of the standing man and woman are taken during the procession. It was dark and the crowd was moving so the photos are not the best. The other tenants in the compound were remarkably tolerant of the noise and in fact came out to watch and cheer the procession on.

Quranic Garden

Today the Gulf Times, in two articles, reports on the plans for a botanical garden in Qatar. The first article caught my attention because it referenced Education City.

The proposed Quranic Garden at Education City will be one of the Arab region’s “most important biodiversity conservation projects”, a top Unesco official said. Dr Benno Boer, ecological sciences adviser for Unesco Arab region at the Doha office, said the project aimed at displaying all natural plant species from Qatar and the Arabian Peninsula.
“It is an achievement that the project had reached this stage in a relatively short time. This demonstrates the commitment of Her Highness (Sheikha Mozah Nasser al-Misnad) and the essential partner organisations – Qatar Foundation, Maersk Oil Qatar and the Unesco”, the official said, at the first international forum on the Quranic Botanical Garden, yesterday.
more ...

The second article elaborated on the importance and tied the development into the current trend in improved use of traditional herbal medicine.

Most of the new drugs entering the market these days are based on natural products, a Malaysian minister said.
Speaking at an international forum on the Quranic Botanical Garden, Dr Halimah Ali, Malaysia’s state minister of education and higher education, said 60% of drugs that entered the market between 1981-02 were either natural products or based on these. Some 78% of antibiotic and 74% of anti-cancer drugs too had natural roots, she said, asserting that “botanical gardens are the way forward to reveal the ultimate knowledge in the Holy Qur’an”.
The current trend in drug development is improved use of traditional herbal medicines, she told the conference, organised by Qatar Foundation.
Speaking on drug discoveries, Halimah said the process had been relatively straightforward as the biologically active substance discovered in nature is isolated and identified.
more ...

In the last year and a half I have visited two related botanical Gardens, Kew Gardens in London and its country cousin Wakehurst Place. In the latter is the

the Millennium Seed Bank Project. It opened in 2000 and is an integral part of the Wakehurst Place visitor experience, together with the Mansion and gardens.

As well as providing space to store thousands of seed samples in a large underground vault, the building includes advanced seed research and processing facilities, and a state of the art exhibition about seed conservation.

Some of the diversity of UK native flora is shown in the eight exterior parterres, which show habitats from the seashore to the uplands. ... The UK Programme has already collected seed from over 95% of the UK's native higher plants. This is the first time that any country has underpinned the conservation of its flora in this way.
more ...

Kew gardens itself is a wealth of plants and information.

Horticulture at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is a multi-purpose activity, supporting the institution's research programme and balancing this with a high-quality visitor amenity. Our unrivalled living collections represent a resource for botanical science world-wide, whether for pure scientific purposes or those with economic potential. Most important of all, the living collections and the horticultural skill that cares for them are a resource for ex situ conservation of plant diversity and its integration with habitat restoration and species reintroduction.
more ...

I present some photos from Kew Gardens since there are none yet of the Quaranic Garden, just now in planning.

Zikreet Again

Recently a colleague and I drove out to Zikreet, a place first documented on this blog on May 31, 2008 with the images of kitesurfing.

We went north of where I'd been before, stopping at an archaeological site of which I show a date press. It is possible to see how the date juice was collected and streamed through a trough to the holding area.



Further north we stopped at a Fort built a 15-20 years ago for a made for TV movie, reputedly called Son of Foxes or Son of Wolves. Just last week there was a piece posted on the web about this site, dated 2001. And now it is gone.



The fort is clearly new although apparently a very good copy of an original, once on the site. A caretaker family lives there and it is open to all. Again, a slideshow of images is available here.



Among the images in the slide show is one of a tower, a traditional windtower with windows on all four sides that capture whatever breeze there may be and direct it down into the room below. These towers, known as 'barjeel' in Arabic, were used in the days before electricity as a primitive form of air conditioning. They function in the opposite way a chimney works, sucking fresh cool air into the house. There is an original such tower, Windtower House, standing within Doha that I hope to photograph soon. Apparently, it is no longer possible to enter it.

As always the dunes, soft talc rock carved by wind, are ever changing and fascinate me so once again I offer some for viewing here.



Ostriches, one seen in the image of the fort above, abound in the Qatar desert and while interesting to observe, they are dangerous to get too close too. They are the largest and heaviest living bird; females can weigh between 90 and 110 kg and they stand up to 2.75 m tall. Naturally their size and weight prevent them from actually taking off even though their wingspan can be close to 2 m. Not too long ago a British resident survived repeated attacks by a male ostriche. While everyone is cautioned against deliberately provoking ostriches, what is less known is how aggressive both the male and female can be during breeding season that begins in April. Ostriches have a history in the region spanning thousands of years, as demonstrated by rock carvings in Saudi Arabia of the Arabian ostriche. Today those found in Qatar are actually African ostriches reintroduced a few years ago after the Arabian Ostriche became extinct. Look at these birds from the safety of the slide show here.

Current Qatar News

Below are a few extracts from today's Peninsula that reveal a bit of the news in Qatar and the Gulf.

Qatar to help Sudan preserve historical sites
Web posted at: 2/20/2009 2:9:27
Source ::: The Peninsula
DOHA: Qatar is set to launch initiatives to support preservation and maintenance of historical sites in Sudan.

A Qatari delegation led by Sheikh Dr Hassan bin Mohammad Bin Ali Al Thani, Deputy Chair of Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) Board of Trustees, participated in a three-day Qatari- Sudanese Cooperation Workshop for developing the monuments of Nuba in Sudan.

Sheikh Hassan said that the workshop will open new horizons to unify efforts and develop joint work between Qatar and Sudan in the field of archaeology and will achieve joint objectives. The visit aims to enhance cooperation between the two countries. Sudan has the most important and enormous archaeological heritage which is yet to be discovered as it will enrich the human heritage and connect the region’s cultures one to another. more

Qatari stocks plunge further
Web posted at: 2/20/2009 1:24:56
Source ::: THE PENINSULA
DOHA: Qatari stocks plunged further yesterday with the index of the bourse, the Doha Securities Market (DSM) shedding 66 points, or 1.33 per cent, to 4,869. The 20-share benchmark index slid below the psychological barrier of 5,000 points on Wednesday.

The index lost as much as 7.15 per cent, or a huge 375 points, over five straight trading days this week. The market remains closed on Fridays and Saturdays.

As on Wednesday, small Qatari investors were involved in heavy selling yesterday. They offloaded stocks worth QR116.79m, while the buying activity was to the tune of QR100.14m. Fears about the market not doing well over the days to come due to the global trend are eroding investor confidence, analysts said. more

Carrefour encourages reusable bags
Web posted at: 2/20/2009 2:2:35
Source ::: The Peninsula

DOHA: As a part of its continued efforts to reduce the millions of plastic bags that pollute the Qatar’s ecosystem every year, Carrefour, the region largest retailer will encourage to replace plastic bags at its checkout counters with reusable bags. Carrefour Qatar had already launched these bags in June 2007 as an alternative to plastic bags.

Carrefour, operated by Majid Al Futtaim Hypermarket, will make the “Eco bag” available in all its stores: a 31 litre reusable bag costing QR 0.50 and a 48 litre reusable bag worth QR 2.50. Both bags are recyclable and if damaged at any point, will be replaced at any Carrefour outlet free of charge for life. Carrefour will not make any profit from the sale of these bags.

The move is in line with Carrefour determination to eliminate the use of all plastic bags at its outlet. Carrefour’s use of reusable bags aims to reduce the pollution caused by plastic bags to the ecosystem. more...

Oman to build $1.8bn port at Duqm
Web posted at: 2/20/2009 23:57:8
Source ::: REUTERS
MUSCAT: Oman will build a OR692m ($1.8bn) port at Duqm as part of its economic development plan despite a global downturn and a projected drop in oil revenue, Minister of National Economy Ahmed Mekki said yesterday.

The government expects “reasonable growth” for 2009 despite the financial crunch in part because it aims to pursue all the major state-led development projects it has launched, using surplus oil revenue or state reserves, if needed, he said.

“The 2009 outlook is relatively good ... we expect a reasonable growth since we are going ahead with all major plans,” Mekki said.

Oman plans to diversify its economy away from oil income dependency, which makes up about 75 percent of national revenue, and is pursuing a number of large-scale infrastructure projects. more ...

Winter Weather

Last evening, hoping to catch the light at the end of the day and try out my new lens in capturing the Museum from across the bay, I went directly to the Corniche on my way home. Even though a short distance from home, to go there first would lose 10-15 minutes of daylight.


Looking across the bay at the museum I was unhappy with what I saw through the lens and thought I didn’t understand it properly. Yet a boat quite close and a building behind me seemed fine.




Colleagues out exercising along the Corniche paused to talk and we spoke, as many of us have, about the warm winter. Not once this year have I even wanted a scarf around my neck against the morning chill. Lately during the day it has been in the low to mid-seventies (Fahrenheit). We also lamented how incredibly quickly and early evening falls – dark by 6:00 p.m.

I soon left for home where I downloaded the few photos I took, noticing with pleasure the museum details, focussing on the side of the museum opposite its entrance, although wondering again about the gentle haze surrounding it. This morning when I looked out the windows, as President Obama was finishing his first press conference, I saw that I could see out the top half of the floor to ceiling windows but the bottom was obscured. An hour later as I prepared to leave, there was no visibility. On the 16th floor I appeared to be in the middle of a cloud. Driving to work was tortuous, with visibility reduced to 100’ or so. Car lights were on not to see through the dense fog but to be seen. The particular local custom of putting the flashing lights on in fog was evident although I see no improvement over simply lights on. Most drivers were cautious although a few continued to drive at speeds above the posted limits. I arrive safely although I expect there will be a number of accidents during the rush.


I now understand the haze that enveloped the museum across the bay last evening was a foretaste of this morning's dense fog.

A day after the dense fog we had a serious sandstorm and the pictures in the embedded slideshow were taken 5:00 - 5:20 pm, a good 6-7 hours after the worst. Driving home, a brief 20 minute commute, I was aware of the grit in my teeth despite the completely closed windows. The sand is fine and seems to enter miniscule openings in the car and even our pores.

Museum of Islamic Art

Recently I finally visited the new Museum of Islamic Art and was blown away by the architecture. I know I will spend time with the collections (and have begun to) but could do nothing but follow the architecture. The link in the Blog title leads to an excellent article in the NYT from December 12 that discusses I.M. Pei and the architecture of this museum.

I show a couple photos here and offer links to two slide shows - one of the museum itself and another of buildings I photographed last March in Oman, as a way of demonstrating what everyone has indicated, the remarkable homage to and reflection of Islamic architecture.


There is water everywhere - not only in the reflecting pools and fountains, but the watercourse leading up to the museum entrance seen above and, of course, Pei asked for an artificial island on which the museum could be erected and it was - protecting, he hopes, encroachment on the building in later times. In a desert, water is life.


The views of and around the museum show how incredibly Pei positioned the building in the city of Doha. Through arches one sees the skyline of Doha across the bay (including my favorite copper building with a silver ball - my apartment building, unseen, is within the mass of buildings visible). The pools with fountains on one side of the museum (entered only from inside the museum) are interestingly balanced by the still pools reflecting the arches and the city beyond on the other side. The wooden boats against the backdrop of the cityscape present the harbor of Doha and remind us how far it has come in such a short time.

Current Qatar

Qatar has been in the New York Times a lot very lately and below are some some recent interesting stories that demonstrate the many faces of Qatar and the Gulf. Before that, however, is reference to the January 14 editorial on the end George Bush's presidency in The Peninsula, one of Qatar's English language papers. (Links to the full articles are embedded in the titles.)

A tainted legacy

... But however hard he and his supporters might try, the final verdict on his presidency will be written by the public and historians, and it is this: the Bush presidency stands for failure at home and abroad. ...
Anything that could go wrong went disastrously wrong during Bush’s tenure, not because of a turn of events which overtook him, but because of his wrong judgment, lack of vision and arrogance. ... In 2000, Bush excoriated his predecessor for launching wars without an ‘exit strategy’ , but in 2009, he leaves his successor a war that has already lasted for years longer than America’s involvement in World War II, with no exit in sight. ...

...[but] most importantly, he would go down in history as the president who paved the way for the first African American to be elected as the president.

New York Times sampler

Few in U.S. See Jazeera's Coverage of Gaza War

By NOAM COHEN (NYT)
The Qatar-based network Al Jazeera has virtually unlimited access in a war zone where many American journalists are denied entry.
Last June, Al Jazeera English produced a report from Gaza about a young couple who were preparing to marry during the relative calm of the cease-fire between Hamas and the Israeli government, a time when they could finally shop for furniture and, as the reporter put it, let themselves "dream that a happy life together is within reach."
Now that reporter, Ayman Mohyeldin, a former CNN producer, can be seen with a helmet and flak jacket answering questions from an anchor back in the studio in Doha, Qatar, describing the Israeli bombing and ground campaign in Gaza intended to stop Hamas missiles from being fired into Israel.

Doha, Qatar, A New Arts Capital

ON the night of Nov. 22, some of the brightest stars in the world of art and architecture converged on the grand opening of the Museum of Islamic Art, a ziggurat-like structure of white stone said to be the last cultural building by I.M. Pei, the 91-year-old architect.
It was the kind of red-carpet treatment that might have christened the Louvre pyramid in Paris or the Guggenheim in Bilbao. But it took place far off the art-world grid, in a corner of a globe known more for its religious fundamentalism than its embrace of cutting-edge art.
And that is precisely the challenge set by the Museum of Islamic Art (www.mia.org.qa), which glistens along the waterfront corniche in Doha, Qatar — an oil-rich capital that juts into the Persian Gulf across from Iran. Housing one of the world's most encyclopedic collections of Islamic art, it is the cornerstone of a monumental effort by Qatar to transform itself into the arts hub of the Middle East.

Gulf Oil States Seeking a Lead in Clean Energy

By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — With one of the highest per capita carbon footprints in the world, these oil-rich emirates would seem an unlikely place for a green revolution.

Gasoline sells for 45 cents a gallon. There is little public transportation and no recycling. Residents drive between air-conditioned apartments and air-conditioned malls, which are lighted 24/7.

Still, the region’s leaders know energy and money, having built their wealth on oil. They understand that oil is a finite resource, vulnerable to competition from new energy sources.

So even as President-elect Barack Obama talks about promoting green jobs as America’s route out of recession, gulf states, including the emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, are making a concerted push to become the Silicon Valley of alternative energy.

They are aggressively pouring billions of dollars made in the oil fields into new green technologies. They are establishing billion-dollar clean-technology investment funds. And they are putting millions of dollars behind research projects at universities from California to Boston to London, and setting up green research parks at home.

“Abu Dhabi is an oil-exporting country, and we want to become an energy-exporting country, and to do that we need to excel at the newer forms of energy,” said Khaled Awad, a director of Masdar, a futuristic zero-carbon city and a research park that has an affiliation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, that is rising from the desert on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi.

These are long-term investments in an alternative energy future that neither falling oil prices nor the global downturn seems likely to reverse. Even as the local real estate market is foundering, leaders in politics, business and research from across the globe will flock to this distant kingdom for three days starting Monday for the second World Future Energy Summit, which just one year after its inception here has become something of a Davos gathering on renewable energy.

Jordan Christmas 2008

This Christmas Day I flew to Jordan to catch up with colleagues at Petra. The first evening we joined a planned expedition through the Siq to the Treasury, our way lit by candles. A short presentation of music and a brief recitation of some information with tea were the evening events. We then made our way back through the siq to the hotel. We toured the site for two days, each time passing through the 1 km siq and spent our third day, after an hour at Little Petra, at Wadi Ram, a 450,000 sq km desert known as a place frequented by T.E. Lawrence and in which the film Lawrence of Arabia was shot.

Some brief comments on each of these three sites with a handful of photos. The title of each section of the blog is a link to a larger collection of photos.

Petra
From a good piece by AtlasTours, that I recommend, we read of the many influences that are apparent in the architecture of Petra; Assyrian, Egyptian, Hellenistic and Roman. It is mostly the rock-cut tombs which remain today, though freestanding temples built of stone, the Qasr Al-Bint Temple and the Temple of the Winged Lions can also be seen. The map is from their website:



3 Al-Siq
4 The Treasury
5 Street of Facades
6 The Theater
15 Colonnaded Street
22 Petra Archeological Museum
24 Al-Deir (Monastery)

Wikipedia, as one would suspect, also provides a good précis of Petra and I excerpt a few points here. Consult the original for references.

Petra (from URU $e-eh-{la}[-li].KI in Akkadian, "petra-πέτρα", cleft in the rock in Greek; Arabic: البتراء, Al-Batrāʾ) is an archaeological site in the Arabah, Ma'an Governorate, Jordan, lying on the slope of Mount Hor[1] in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah (Wadi Araba), the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. It is renowned for its rock-cut architecture. Petra is also one of the new wonders of the world [so named in 2007].

The site remained unknown to the Western world until 1812, when it was discovered by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. It was famously described as "a rose-red city half as old as time" in a Newdigate prize-winning sonnet by John William Burgon. UNESCO has described it as "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage." In 1985, Petra was designated a World Heritage Site. …

Rekem is an ancient name for Petra and appears in Dead Sea scrolls associated with Mount Seir. Additionally, Eusebius and Jerome assert that Rekem was the native name of Petra, supposedly on the authority of Josephus. Pliny the Elder and other writers identify Petra as the capital of the Nabataeans, Aramaic-speaking Semites, and the centre of their caravan trade. Enclosed by towering rocks and watered by a perennial stream, Petra not only possessed the advantages of a fortress, but controlled the main commercial routes which passed through it to Gaza in the west, to Bosra and Damascus in the north, to Aqaba and Leuce Come on the Red Sea, and across the desert to the Persian Gulf. The latitude is 30° 19' 43" N and the longitude is 35° 26' 31" E.

Excavations have demonstrated that it was the ability of the Nabataeans to control the water supply that led to the rise of the desert city, in effect creating an artificial oasis. The area is visited by flash floods and archaeological evidence demonstrates the Nabataeans controlled these floods by the use of dams, cisterns and water conduits. These innovations stored water for prolonged periods of drought, and enabled the city to prosper from its sale.

Although in ancient times Petra might have been approached from the south (via Saudi Arabia on a track leading around Jabal Haroun, Aaron's Mountain, on across the plain of Petra), or possibly from the high plateau to the north, most modern visitors approach the ancient site from the east.


The impressive eastern entrance leads steeply down through a dark, narrow gorge (in places only 3–4 metres wide) called the Siq ("the shaft"), a natural geological feature formed from a deep split in the sandstone rocks and serving as a waterway flowing into Wadi Musa. At the end of the narrow gorge stands Petra's most elaborate ruin, Al Khazneh ("the Treasury"), hewn into the sandstone cliff.

The site is enormous, with much up and down: sometimes simply to walk steps up to elaborately carved tombs or the steps to the much later temple, other times to scale up a steep broken path of steps carved into rock and worn smooth by millions of feet and to artfully sidestep the donkeys (and their droppings) that have transported some folks up the mountain to reach the monastery at the top of the world, or so the sign proclaims. Here there was much needed tea available. Along the daunting route were regularly spaced arrays of gifts to purchase.


Little Petra

Little Petra is in fact a smaller version of Petra, although not a replica. From AtlasTours we read that

The Siq Al-Barid [Little Petra] is located to the north of Petra, only a 10 minute drive away. A classical temple stands guard outside the miniature siq which would appear to have been an important suburb of the city of Petra, situated at the point where several ancient caravan routes met, linking Wadi Araba with Gaza, Egypt and the Mediterranean coast.

The narrow file, only some 350 m long, is crammed with tombs, temples, triclinia, houses, water channels and cisterns, in brief, a "Little Petra". Of particular note are the remains of painted frescoes on plaster dating from the 1st century AD, which are to be found in one of the biclinia.

All through Little Petra there are stairs leading up to exposure platforms and high places. We have been left with little to help us understand the use of these high exposure platforms, nor the reasons for, at the rear of Little Petra, the set of stairs leading up to the sky above. (If you click on the photo, you can enlarge and see clearly the steps carved in stone.)

Although my colleagues climbed to the top (and found yet another ‘gift shop’), I stopped part way up, since I was wearing looser shoes that day and the steps were very crumbly.

On the road to Wadi Ram we stopped to take some photos. Hidden in the mountains is Petra. Images of the area show ow forbidding the landscape is and yet how a rich life flourishes. Grazing sheep and goats, green growth sprinkling the hills is patches, and villages spreading across the hills. See a sampling of photos here.

Wadi Ram

From a 1966 article in Saudi Aramco World by Jan Van Os comes this extraordinary passage

There are places on earth so weird yet so beautiful, so forbidding yet so irresistible that in his efforts to describe them man runs out of commonplace similes, gives up on his earthbound metaphors and turns instead to the unknown. Such a place is Wadi Ram, a great valley in southern Jordan, a vast silent place, so wild, so strange that it came, eventually, to be called the "Valley of the Moon."



The Wadi Ram is actually a great fracture in the surface of the earth, the result, probably, of some titanic upheaval that cracked great slabs of granite and sandstone like so many shards of pottery and heaved them upward in the form of great cliffs. It runs northeast to southeast in what is roughly a direct line between the lower end of the Dead Sea and the upper end of the Gulf of Aqaba.
…
Most mountains from a distance are shapeless, drab and identical. Not those at Wadi Ram. There, drenched in pale purple, they rear up off the valley floor, instantly and vividly alive. As distance lessens, the purple gives way to the tawny hues of sandstone ridges that tower a thousand sheer feet in the air and are topped with dome's worn smooth by a constant wind. The skies are pale and colorless and the sand underfoot and the fragments of rock at the base of the cliffs are dry and crisp with age. All around is emptiness and silence, the silence, it seems, of a land that man has not yet set foot upon or, having done so, has trod with quiet caution.

The sound of a Land-Rover is suddenly loud and the size of it presumptuous amid spaces so immense they dwarf man and vehicle into insignificance.

Alas, over 40 years later, Wadi Ram swarms with campers, hikers and day tourists driven, as we were, across and around a small part of the site in a very old Toyota jeep that was hot wired to start.


The mountains fortunately have not changed , and you can find areas where silence reigns. It must be quite wonderful to camp there and experience the desert at night and in the early morning before the day tourists descend.

English Vineyard

While in the UK a couple weeks ago, I had occasion to go the country's largest vineyard in Dorking, Surrey about 30 minutes from my friends' home. The day was pouring rain - washing out great stretches of road at times so we did not tour the vineyard but had an excellent lunch with a wonderful dry white wine and made some purchases from the gift shop. I repeat some of the material from Denbie's website, including the link. I attach a couple photos of the estate in sunny times, looking for all the world as if we are in France and a link to many more images.

On top of Ashcombe hill (now Ranmore hill) was a farm where John Denby was at one time the farmer. The farmhouse was purchased by a Mr .Wakeford who sold the property in 1754 to Jonathan Tyers, the founder and proprietor of Vauxhall Gardens. He transformed the farm building into a modest Georgian House, which could be regarded as the first 'Denbies' House. …

The Estate now comprises 627 acres, 200 of which are woodlands, and includes 10 estate houses. There is no known connection between the current owner and his name-sake James White, who owned Denbies 200 years earlier who could well be the same James White who was a well known auctioneer in Dorking.

Adrian and Gillian White have five children, one daughter and four sons. It is for them that the Estate has been developed to optimise the use of the land with today's difficult balance between preservation and conservation, at a time when Britain's entry into the European Economic Community (Common Market) has made farming a questionable investment. Lateral thinking, because of farming's depressing position, led to the development of the Estate's south facing slopes, of little grazing value, into a vineyard. Dr. Selley, Professor of Geology at Imperial College, London and longtime Dorking resident, had suggested that Adrian White consider planting vines in view of the similarity of Denbies soil and climate to that of the Champagne area of France.

Subsequently research revealed that vines had thrived in the area previously. In AD 100 the Romans planted a vineyard at Bagden Farm, less than 350 yards from Denbies Estate. In Daniel Defoe's 'A Tour Through the Whole Islands of Great Britain', written in the early eighteen century, we read of Charles Howard of Deepdene House, laying down a vineyard on the south facing slopes of Dorking, "which, they say, has produced since most excellent good wines, and a very great quantity of them." It is interesting to note that in the early 1680's Defoe was at school near Dorking.

The vineyards of Denbies Estate are situated on the North Downs with its famous chalky soil, in a protected valley of south facing slopes. A total 265 acres have been planted which is three times the size of any other in the United Kingdom and has met the promise of producing some of the finest sparkling and table wines in Europe through repeated certification in the annual International Wine Challenge.

For a full history click on this site.



For more photos of Denbie's please click here.

Winchester and Distance Ancestor

When I was young, I thought everyone had a family tree enumerating ancestors, their spouses and children back some 400 years. I didn’t find it unusual to have a gold bracelet that had once belonged to a great great grandmother, her daughter and then my mother all of whose initials were inscribed. I did find it odd that it had skipped my mother’s mother. I grew up with the stories of my great great grandfather who was the captain on a whaling vessel and then subsequently with his eponymously named son and grandson owned the maritime company that sprang from the ship’s ownership. Only very recently I have learned that his house in New Bedford stands today as one of the stops on the Underground Railroad. Quite recently as well and most interestingly (and over two hundred years prior to the captain), one ancestor whom I’d always known had come to the U.S. on the Mayflower now is known to have traveled first to Jamestown, where his shipwreck on Bermuda was the basis of the plot within Shakespeare’s Tempest, and the Butler, Stephano, modeled after him, Stephen Hopkins. Research within the last decade has definitely shown that both these parts (Jamestown and Plymouth) were played by one and the same man whose roots can be traced to Hampshire, England and specifically for a period of his life to Winchester. My very recent visit to Winchester owes its origin to this recent new information about my ancestor. I owe my knowledge of these new facts to the wonderful wealth of information available on the internet that I can read while in Qatar.

I attach a few photos from Winchester of sites that Stephen Hopkins would have seen in the early 1600s. (My commentary is drawn from a Walk-around Guide to Winchester, Wikipedia and other tourist naterial .)



The Westgate was built as early as the 12th century with later additions in the 13th and 14th centuries. It stands where a Roman gate stood 1500 years ago and when the defensive needs of the city declined, it was put to use as a jail and debtor's prsion. The grooves down which the portcullis would have been dropped during an emergency and five openings through missiles would have been fired on anyone attaching the gates are visible. Alas, the small museum with armour, weapons, household objects and a painted ceiling created for the marriage of Mary I to Phillip of Spain in 1554 and the roofwalk from which Winchester can be viewed are closed during the winter months and so I couldn't visit.



The Great Hall, built between 1222 and 1236 for Henry III, is considered to be the finest medieval hall in England after Westminster. Throughout its history the Hall witnessed many events and for most of its life has been a legal and administrative center and today is physically joined to the modern law courts. High on the west wall is the famous round table, made of oak and 18 ft in diameter. Dating from the 13th century it has hung in the hall from at least 1463, although at the opposite end until 1873. It is believed to have been painted for the visit to Westminster of Charles V and Henry VIII in 1522. The design is of a robed King Arthur with the names of his knights around the circumference.



The east end of the great hall was painted in the 19th c with a great tree showing the names of parliamentary representatives of Hampshire from the earliest times. On this wall are the Wedding Gates of Prince Charles.



The first cathedral in Winchester was begun in 642 by King Cenwealth of Wessex. The present version was started in 1079 with many alterations through the 16th century and today is renowned for, among other things, the longest nave in Europe. Although Stephen Hopkins' parish chursh was St. Thomas, Winchester, he surely would have known the cathedral. The Norman foundations consisted of a great raft of logs laid on bogland and by 1900 the cathedral was sinking. William Walker, a diver, worked under the foundations in black water for five years, removing the peat and decayed timber handful by handful so that the structure could be underpinned with concrete.

I close with a lovely Horse and Rider by Elizabeth Frink (1975) that looked cold in the December light rain but must be charming when the sun is out and leaves are full.

News from here

A compilation of recent news items that shape our lives here in Qatar.

From a very recent internal email to all students and employees:
"Please note that internet services in Qatar have been affected by the breach of three of the four internet sub-cables in the Mediterranean Sea, linking the Middle East and India with Europe and America. Engineers from Qtel are working to source additional alternative routes to maintain speed and connectivity but, in the meantime, you may experience delays accessing external web pages. Work to repair the cables is currently underway, although this could take several days to complete.
Thank you for your patience." Delays continue ...

Qatar celebrated its National Day - commemorating the establishment of the State of Qatar in 1887 by Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani. I was trapped for over 30 minutes in traffic as a parade passed by - first wonderful horses and then camels, all with riders dressed in native outfits. Of course, no camera since I had been trying to get groceries. Below are some excerpts from the local newspaper.

DOHA: It was a day to cherish and a night to remember as Qatar’s history, achievements and visions were presented in all its glory to an admiring public and curious onlookers. “The Qatar National Day celebrations exceeded our expectations,” said Salman Almass Al Qubaisi, director of administrative and financial affairs and state bureau; and a committee member of the Qatar National Day Organising Committee. “The members of the Qatar National Day Organising Committee are very happy with the turnout of the event. And we saw many people along the Corniche having fun with family and friends, and enjoying the shows since morning,” said Al Qubaisi. Thousands gathered at the Corniche to witness the shows—from the parade in the morning, to the light and water show in the afternoon and early evening, to the spectacular display of fireworks at 10pm.
More …

(I saw the fireworks from my apartment.)

New Islamic Museum and culture news:
DOHA: The total number of visitors to the newly-opened Museum of Islamic Art has crossed the 30,000 mark within two weeks of its opening to the public. Both local and international visitors joined the rush to see Qatar’s new cultural landmark during the period, the Qatar Museums Authority has said. The largest Islamic museum in the world resounded with the footsteps of 1,500 visitors on December 1, the day it opened to the public. Visitors of all ages enjoyed the museum’s permanent collection featuring more than 800 pieces of priceless Islamic art and the first temporary exhibition ‘Beyond Boundaries: Islamic Art Across Cultures’ – all free of charge. more ...


DOHA: Qatar is grateful to renowned architect I M Pei for presenting the iconic Museum of Islamic Art (IMA) to the country and the whole world, said H H Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned here yesterday. “The priceless monument Pei has offered us will be the cornerstone of the region’s culture and tradition,” she added.
Sheikha Mozah was addressing a seminar on “Islamic Architecture from Tradition to Modernity”; a discussion held in honour of Pei at the newly opened museum yesterday.
“Our idea is to enhance this museum as an epicenter of the region’s arts and cultural movement,” she said. more ...

DOHA: Hollywood icon Robert De Niro signed an agreement with Qatar Museum Authority (QMA) here yesterday to launch the next edition of New York’s world-renowned Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) in Doha. ...The first Tribeca Film Festival Doha, featuring 40 films, is to run from November 10-14, 2009, at the Museum of Islamic Art. more ...

Qatar to assist developing countries fight poverty
UNITED NATIONS: Qatar is spearheading efforts to promote trade and cooperation between developing economies as a part of an economic strategy to help the world’s poor work together in pulling themselves out of poverty. Qatar’s ambassador to the United Nations Nasser Abdulaziz Al Nasser, opened a four-day conference in New York recently to debate a process economists have called “South-South Development”. The Global South-South Development Expo 2008, which closed on Friday, saw Al Nasser joined by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other advocates of fair economic growth in midtown Manhattan. Doha’s envoy, who is also the president of the UN General Assembly’s High-Level Committee on South-South Cooperation, emphasised on the importance of forging such an economic alliance. more ...


Boat with medical supplies defies Israeli blockade
DOHA: A boat chartered by Western pro-Palestinian activists, docked in the Gaza’s fishing port yesterday morning, carrying urgent medical aid supplies and a Qatari delegation. The boat named Al-Karama (Dignity) was the first to successfully break Israel’s naval blockade on the Gaza Strip, which is a part of a series of sanctions Israel applied on the territory after the Hamas movement seized the territory in 2007. Prime Minister of the defunct Palestinian government Ismail Haniyah expressed his gratitude over the arrival of the boat at the Gaza Port. He viewed demonstrations staged in Arab and Islamic capitals that called for lifting of the Gaza siege as evidence that Arab people could no longer tolerate the Israel blockade. more ...

Divorce, Saudi Style
RIYADH: A Saudi court has rejected a plea to divorce an eight-year-old girl married off by her father to a man who is 58, saying the case should wait until the girl reaches puberty, a lawyer involved with the case said. “The judge has dismissed the plea (filed by the mother) because she does not have the right to file such a case, and ordered that the plea should be filed by the girl herself when she reaches puberty,” lawyer Abdullah Jtili said after a court decision on Saturday. The divorce plea was filed in August by the girl’s divorced mother with a court at Unayzah, 220km north of Riyadh just after the marriage contract was signed by the father and the groom. more

from today's paper, news you can use ...
DOHA: The Ministry of Public Health yesterday denied what has been circulating through SMS that a street vendor has been selling perfumes, which, if sniffed could cause death. An official at the Public Health Ministry denied as baseless these rumours, which said 18 persons were killed and another 35 persons were rushed to intensive care units as a result of these perfumes. The official affirmed that such rumours were completely untrue and called on the people not to spread such rumours and messages, which created panic. The Ministry of Public Health urges people to notify the Ministry of Public Health on 5511847 in case of receiving such SMS.

(Last year an SMS mesage circulated about an impending hurricane that caused enough panic among some to have workforces let go - not ours - the same was tried this year but debunked early. An interesting demonstration of the power of SMS.)


and finally, Weather (from end November):
DOHA: Qatar received scattered rainfall across the country yesterday, and the weatherman has forecast chances of more showers today. The Met department officials termed yesterday’s rains as “scattered but almost all across the country”. The daily weather chart forecast “partly cloudy to cloudy weather with a chance of scattered rain today.” The weather report also forecast relatively cold weather. Early yesterday morning, Doha received light scattered rain. Ruwais, Dukhan, Al Khor, Abu Samra and Mesaieed also witnessed light drizzles. Doha witnessed very light rain in the noon that lasted just a few minutes. The weatherman forecast a maximum temperature of 27 degrees Celsius and minimum of 19 degrees today. The easterly to southeasterly wind is expected to blow at a speed of six to 14 knots inshore and eight to 17 knots offshore. Winds are expected to whip up waves.
from Dec. 1:
Doha: The Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani will take part in the Istiska (rain-seeking) prayers tomorrow morning at the Al Wajba prayers ground. These prayers come in line with the sayings and deeds of the Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him), who performmed Istiska prayers at the time of rainfall delay.
As I recall, the last time this was attempted, hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans ...

Not in Kansas

Despite the news that discusses global economy, global warming and U.S. politics, I am routinely reminded that I am not in Kansas anymore, as Dorothy so famously proclaimed. Two recent news stories demonstrate this point. In the first, we see the interest in Doha in having a spiderman scale buildings, specifically a local hotel - in the NY Times I have read on numerous occasions about the arrest of those who scale tall buildings. In the second I post a note on the front page today about local weather.

DOHA: Alain Robert, “French Spiderman”, will be scaling the La Cigale Hotel building in Doha on December 6 and 7.
Famous for scaling skyscrapers, Robert has climbed 85 giant structures around the globe, most of which he has scaled using only his bare hands and climbing shoes.
His second time in Doha, Robert will be climbing the building sans safety net.
“The management invited Robert to climb the building on December 6 because maybe, it’s not finalised yet, but maybe, we’re going to formally open our hotel by then and his presence would be interesting to the guests as well as the people in Doha,” a hotel employee said.




Yet from the NYT we read
December 2, 2008
NEW YORK REGION
Times Building Climber Is Sentenced to Three Days of Community Service
By JOHN ELIGON (NYT)
The first man to climb the facade of The New York Times Building last summer pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and will pay also pay a $250 fine.

Invitation v jail ? such is the difference.

Also from today's Doha paper we read

DOHA: Qatar received scattered rainfall across the country yesterday, and the weatherman has forecast chances of more showers today.
The Met department officials termed yesterday’s rains as “scattered but almost all across the country”.
The daily weather chart forecast “partly cloudy to cloudy weather with a chance of scattered rain today.” The weather report also forecast relatively cold weather.
Early yesterday morning, Doha received light scattered rain. Ruwais, Dukhan, Al Khor, Abu Samra and Mesaieed also witnessed light drizzles. Doha witnessed very light rain in the noon that lasted just a few minutes.
The weatherman forecast a maximum temperature of 27 degrees Celsius and minimum of 19 degrees today. The easterly to southeasterly wind is expected to blow at a speed of six to 14 knots inshore and eight to 17 knots offshore. Winds are expected to whip up waves.

This translates to temperatures of 66 - 81 degrees farenheit. Yesterday as I left to get groceries it started to sprinkle - what seemed to come down was muddy wet - and my car was streaked with mud spots. Oddly enough my car spun out on the little wet there was. The image below is of a rare tornado a few weeks ago in the northern area. Weather rarely lingers - in N.E. it is said if you don't like the weather than you should wait a few minutes - even more true here. In the afternoon a friend called to ask what my weather was - she had some rain, I had none.