What is Qatar All About??

Here is a low down on what Qatar is all about?? Its a sparsely populated country of 8,00,000 with 80% population of expatriates. Out of this 60% are from the Indian Subcontinent out of which again 80% are poor construction labourers. While its clear that Local Govt. Companies ONLY recurit people from India in Senior Positions along with limited number of Filipinos.(Most of the Arabs recruited are with Western passports), a sense of palpable superiority (mainly percieved not real) among the other Arabs in too visible to ingnore.

Most of the locals are genuinely nice folks specially those with Western Education. Women are most likely to be more educated and English Speaking than the men. Overall an interesting country with an open mind and a humble Amir whose is low profile and appears to be popular among the people. The Sudden rise of Qatar can also be seen in the pride of the people which is usually well directed and constructive. A segment of the people are lazy but most of the high profile companies have Qataris as managers and some of them are pretty hard working and capable people. That explains the rise and consistent growth of Qatar.

Next time when you sound cynicial about Qatar, try to remember Nigeria. Nigeria has one of the highest Oil and Gas reserves in the World but its at the bottom of all economic and Social Indicators. Qatar is already the leader in Social and economic indicators in the middle east.(www.undp.org). So here we are. Love it or hate it. Qatar is rising and its mainly rising because of the wise and effective policies and actions of the locals. Sometimes things appear to be muddled and confused but with Oil at $61 a barrel and Gas with an ever increasing demand , Qatar has only one way to Go and thats UP.

I have spent an Year in Qatar and my best wishes remain with the country.

Land Qruising my way to heaven

If you thought that the spelling mistake above was intentional,you got it right!! The ugliest looking station wagon in the world is the highest selling in Qatar and this country has the distinction of having the highest density of Land Qruisers in the world.

Its a great product of realiability and quality but...why are LCs ( Land Cruisers) such a menace on the road?? Its because the person who is driving it suddently acquires an ego of 350 BHPs and with nothing else to show in life, bulling on the road becomes a passtimes for the nobodies.

If someone issues a pamphlet along with the brochure of LCs about importance of human lives and a tamper proof speed limiter of 100 Kmph in the city is part of standard equipment, life in Qatar will be much easier than it is...

Is Toyota listening??

Ramadan and Calm

Ramadan slows us down in the middle east. You can sleep at your work and play at 1:00 AM without attention. I have got used to it having spent many years in the Gulf. The local pantry is your Ramadan tent for the day and you can venture to the actual iftars by night if you are social enough and invited.

Shopping is great fun at the Malls from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. The trick is to get out and get home before the crowd rushes back by 7:00 PM. Cars can be serviced at night.

Even if you are not fasting, Ramadan is about patience and calm. Either you can treat this new schedule as a collective punishment (of chosing to live in the middle east) or you can enjoy the new schedule of your routine. Choose the later and fun is never away from you.

Ramadan Kareem.

Changing Weather

Weather is changing..so is the attitude...Arrogant(I know best) crowd has withdrawn into sulking. By the constant application of propaganda even men of wisdom can be made to see heaven as hell and vice versa...Justification of a hasty retreat into an inspired withdrawl is being poorly attempted...Best wishes...

Living in a country where change is the only constant and attitudes change according to the weather can be a problem as well as an oppurtunity. Which is better?? Sweet nothings and association or isolation in self-belief?? Surprize..truth has many fathers...many turned up when none were expected....

Resolve can be tested in different ways-Insults, abusive mother toungue or plain -P*ss off....the surprize lies in dust off and straight again..and in consistent rebuttal...fact is stronger than fiction....