I am way behind on this blog, having had
many interesting experiences during my four weeks in Qatar. The first two were
spent fully involved in my new job, while in off hours I stayed close to the
hotel. My third week was coincident with the six day long Eid al Adha National
holiday, and I was encouraged to venture out. 
Not very far from the Movenpick is the
fabulous, magnificent City Center shopping mall. Absolutely everyone goes
there. Consequently, it has a very
cosmopolitan atmosphere. And it is huge!
There are two or three levels of enclosed parking, but many people arrive by
taxi and bus, or park on the street, and all of these enter through a grand
staircase which leads directly to level two.
At the top of the stair, across a wide
concourse, a circular atrium reveals three additional levels above, and the
level below is an indoor ice skating rink, which is currently half covered,
with a stage set up on one end for holiday programs. On the three middle
levels, two long wings stretch out in opposite directions, with an endless
variety of shops, many of which are familiar Western brands. The center of
these wings is also open to all three levels, with elevators, escalators and
speed ramps connecting everything. 
Doha is cosmopolitan, but at the same
time feels stratified. People keep to their own kind, which is natural, I
suppose. Nationals shop here, along with everyone else. City Center was the
first place that I encountered families. Men in their immaculately clean white
thobes. Ladies wearing the traditional Muslim Abbaya. All have their heads
covered, some with scarves, many with only the eyes showing, and a few with
their heads completely shrouded by a transparent black hood. That seemed
unusual in the beginning, but now not so much. It is their country, after all. 
Many who are not natives are also from
other Islamic countries, and they also were the traditional tunics and styles
of those lands. There is another group that dress Western style, in jeans and t
shirts with American logos and designs. But their language reveals that they
are Arabic also.
Another vast group is those from
Southeast Asia. They are Thai, Malay,
Cambodian and Philippine. A lot of these hold service oriented jobs. They are
the cashiers, the servers, attendants and housekeeping professionals. I hold
them in high regard. Everyone I have met has been extremely courteous.
Another distinct group is the workers
from India and perhaps Pakistan. They also have service jobs such as taxi
drivers, security guards, etc. It is the "expats" who stand out the most here, and
among those, Americans are by far the minority.
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