Extreme Quad-biking in Qatar

Trivia

On the first Thursday in May, at two minutes and three seconds after one in the morning, the time and date will be 01:02:03 04/05/06. Naturally, this will never happen again, so set your alarms! And just in case any smart-alecs were thinking about writing back saying: "That's nothing special, last year there was 00:01:02 03/04/05, and next year there'll be 02:03:04 05/06/07", I know! But they are not as neat-looking as this one. Go find another parade to piss on. (With thanks to Kay for alerting me to this cosmic alignment)

Lost in the desert

I'm not yet sure what to make of Qatar. Only around 20% of the population is actually Qatari, making it a nation of immigrants - Indian, Pakistani, Somali, Philippino etc - all living under a relatively oppressive system which is not their own. The idea that a country's politcal system, legislature and culture should be so dictated by religion runs completely contrary to my own beliefs and experience. Which makes it difficult to reconcile the contrast between the educated, wealthy, well-travelled and sophisticated people, and the surrounding system of inequality and classism. Women only recently got the vote, but they are still limited in many ways - many banks and restaurants have separate areas for men and women (invariably the womens' section is small, under-staffed and hidden around the back). On the other hand, the people are welcoming and friendly. They have exquisite taste and they walk around in full length, blindingly white robes, looking like Persil adverts. They are also mad about anything that goes fast (cars, bikes, jetskis etc). While on a desert safari last weekend, I saw a couple of them nearly killing themselves, jumping (!) their 4X4 Toyota Land Cruisers off three-storey high sand dunes. I guess the absence of drugs, alcohol and girls means they have to find fun elsewhere!

Crazier 'n a Qatari!