In a rather amusing account, award-winning journalist Robert Fisk waxes and wanes about his recent visit to Al Jazeera, including the moment that a fly lands on his nose while he’s on air, prompting him to smack his own nose.
Only after does he realize viewers at home haven’t seen the fly.
One excerpt:
But the great thing is that on al-Jazeera English, you can say what you want, tell the truth in other words – and thank God nothing much actually happens in Qatar, home of al-Jazeera, because I somehow doubt that the Emir, who funds this extraordinary shooting match, would be subjected to quite the same serious interrogation by its titans of journalism.
But then again, both the English and the Arabic versions of al-Jazeera are, in their less than odd way, a state project, part of the nation’s diplomacy, an extension of Qatar’s foreign policy, an institution that helps Qatar (I hate these British clich×™s because they remind me of William Hague) to “punch above its weight”.
Read the full article here.
One of the most favorite pastimes among expats in Qatar is complaining. Whether Qatar doesn’t have enough of one thing or too much of another, there is always something here to complain about.
But a funny thing happens to many Doha residents when they travel abroad - they start missing Qatar.
At least that’s what happened to one Canadian expat who blogs at Brays’ Adventures. She writes:
A Funny Thing Happened in France…I missed Doha. In the land of wine, pork and cheese in a beautiful green city with couples openly holding hands, I suddenly realized I was missing more of the “Sandpit” then I thought…
And now, things are going to change. I will be honest - I have spent the last 10 months hating my job. I have cried myself to sleep and cried to Big C about going home. I have been sick with stress. But I realized here, they aren’t going to get me. For the first time, when someone asked me if I wanted to stay the full time in Qatar the answer was an honest yes.
And so, another phase of our expat life begins. For me, the “honeymoon” (can you have a “nightmare moon”?) is over.
Read her full post here.
I went through a similar journey of self-discovery when I first landed in Qatar years ago - it was only when I left for a trip home (in the middle of a Michigan winter!) that I truly appreciated what Qatar had to offer.
What about you guys? Do you ever find yourself missing Qatar when traveling abroad? (Something’s gotta compel us to keep coming back, right?)
The noodle house at city center doha, must say it was a nice place and the food was great. The customer service however, was not great… was let down.
Life was disrupted for some Doha residents late Friday afternoon when a blaze broke out at a construction site in the Najma area.
Parts of C-Ring were slammed with traffic as authorities closed Toyota Signal while trying to get the fire under control.
But many of those stuck in the crush opted to use their energies reporting the story online:
Bicycle store
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Souq Waqif (Central Market), Doha, Qatar
SPECIAL REPORT-Qatar's big Libya adventure:- Reuters
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