First time in the Middle East
My first couple of days in the Middle East have been a good experience of cultural learning and adaptation.
From what I've heard, read, and seen (say in the National Geographic magazines), Qatar seems different from the stereotype of what the Middle East is like. Other places like Egypt, Syria, Iraq, etc. seem to be very bustling, chaotic, and even carrying a sense of danger (at least to westerners, especially of European descent). However, I think Qatar makes up for the general lack of those characteristics -which is really a sense of boringness - with a very diverse and huge expatriate population from all over the Arab world which adds "spice" to life here.
One thing I really miss about Thailand is "jai yen" or cool-heartedness. Maybe it's because of Ramadan, maybe it's a general Arab/Muslim thing - but people seem to have short leashes on their tempers - at least when driving. One such case today: one of our drivers (a Sudanese expatriate) when he was trying to let us off in front of the Qatar Airways office, got out of the car and started yelling at a truck driver who just honked us two times. Honking carries more of a pissed-off connotation than in Asia, but doesn't turn road-rage-shooting-deadly like in LA.
I spent the day walking around the Corniche and into one part of town. I saw all sorts of people from the Arab and Muslim world working and preparing for Iftar, the breaking of fast at nightfall. Many Muslims were gathered in open spaces, restaurants, waiting for 5:15pm to break fast.
I got to experience that hospitality is something not to be overlooked in the Middle East. I sat with a Pakistani man, the owner of a sweets shop, for a short while, having small talk over a sweet-milk desert and a plate of samosa's.
Although it was "neat" to witness the religious practice of Ramadan in a place such as this, I felt that some doubts and issues I have about religiousity (without faith and spirituality) were being confirmed. What Paul wrote about the "law" (or just observance of law/religion) causing death in the book of Romans (4:13-15 - read chapters 3-5 about faith, justification, sanctification vs. justification from observing the law) really hit home as I walked around. One of my colleagues who had lived in the Middle East for sometime commented about a general practice of hypocracy (especially with the elite). Of course, this isn't too different from what can be expected in some Bible-belt areas in the U.S., however. I know, with my good friend Art just having become a Christian and after having good conversations with Russel about how other religions fall short, I want to re-evaluate how I think about (and answer to) other religions and faith systems, as I am understanding Jesus' claims of exclusivity more deeply.
Anyhow, I know I would not like to live in Qatar for any extended period of time, as much as I enjoy food from this area. However, I wouldn't mind travelling around a little more. My flight to Doha (yes, in Business Class) was nice - I got to watch Collateral and The Bourne Supremacy on the on-demand video, as well as sleep some 3 hours (I still haven't recovered the sleep I missed from last weekend's retreat and from this past weekend!) I'll catch some other movies on the way back, and perhaps do some photo editing - for this blog! I've already shot some 200+ frames, and I haven't started "working" yet.