hairdressers, contrasts and sex

This may sounds lazy, but I’ve only had 5 hair cuts in the last 15 months. And tonight was possibly the weirdest of all those experiences. Of those hair cuts, 3 have been done by girls in Melbourne and 2 by men in Doha.

Haircuts for me have always been a quasi-erotic experience. I’ve never had a regular hairdresser who I wasn’t a little bit in love with. The idea of a gorgeous girl shaping and styling my hair is definitely a positive! The last girl to cut my hair was a goddess. The experience was amazing. After a head massage that blew my mind her gorgeous colleague came over and massaged my shoulders while serving the two of us Maltesers.

Tonight I had the most bizarre haircut I remember ever having. First of all I sat down and he butchered my long(ish) hair. (And tried to give me a part and a mullet!) He then rubbed a strange compound on my head and combed it through – before putting what looked like a hair-drier on my head, but was in fact a steamer! Then, through the steamy haze, he gave me a facial. I’m a pretty open minded guy, but the thought of having a facial in a local, Indian ‘Saloon’ in Doha wasn’t the most attractive option. But after rubbing about 3 compounds on my face, he then applied another steamer to my face!!

After removing the steamers, I then stood with my face down in the basin to wash it all off… As I was about to leave he rubbed a ‘little’ bit of gel in my hair – enough to give me a ‘peacock tail’ across the front of my hair! I wish I had a camera with me for the whole experience – I will next time.. In the meantime – here’s a photo of my ‘short back and sides’ a look that’s definitely not me – and one that I won’t be repeating any time soon…

fishing the world

A few days ago a friend of mine emailed me about yet another social networking site that’s sprung up (how many of them can there be?).. But Nicole normally seems to be pretty right about these things, so I checked it out.. Internations actually seems to be a pretty cool website, well worth checking out if you’re into that sort of thing…

ANZAC

At Dawn on April 25th every year, thousands of New Zealanders and Australians gather at various ceremonies around the world to celebrate what for many of us is our most sacred day. ANZAC Day. commemorates the landing by Australian and New Zealand troops (amongst others) on the Galipoli Peninsula in Turkey. This landing was a defeat, thousands of young men were killed before an eventual withdrawal 8 months later, however the efforts of these lads defined what is commonly known down under as ‘The ANZAC Spirit’ and ‘The ANZAC Legend’.

The day is remembered by both ANZACs and Turks. This ANZAC Service in Doha was attended by the Turkish Ambassador, a sign of respect from ANZACs and Turks towards those who were once our enemies.

The father of Modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Attaturk said in 1934:
Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives,
You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country.
Therefore, rest in peace.
There is no difference between the Johnnies
And the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side,
Here in this country of ours.

You, the mothers, who sent their sons from far away countries…
Wipe away your tears.
Your sons are now lying in our bosom
And are in peace.
After having lost their lives on this land, they have
Become our sons as well.

Lest we forget.

hands of steel

I haven’t made many opportunities in the last year to get out and try and take interesting pictures.  Last weekend I did and this is the result.  He is a labourer on a building site in Doha, bending the reinforcement steel into shape – a job done by machine in many other parts of the world.  He’s also my first stranger for the 100strangers group at flickr.  Sadly neither could understand the other, but he was quite happy to stand an work while I took a few snaps.

boring old Doha??

Poor old Doha gets a bad wrap. It’s true, Doha can be a bit dull sometimes, but is it bad enough to be billed the most boring city in the world? Well, maybe if you have no concept of making your own fun.

My first couple of months in Doha were actually quite dull and quite repetitive, the standard drinking, working, drinking, working lifestyle that seems so popular. But, if you have the energy and drive to break out of that and to find things to do, life in Doha can be vibrant, active and interesting! Since coming back from Australia in March (about 6 weeks ago) I’ve had only one free weekend with nothing happening! I know that things will change a little bit come summer time, but I haven’t even had time to visit my old second home – the Aussie Legends Bar!!

So, what has kept me busy? To keep things short I’ll go with 3 weeks. 2 weeks ago we went snorkelling on the west coast of Qatar. Both A and I had new snorkles from Christmas time that hadn’t been broken in, so it was about time to get wet! The snorkelling around Qatar isn’t amazing but there are things to see, and we explored a new part of the country while we were at it!

Last weekend was the legendary DuneStock weekend in the dunes. Nothing like a chance to get out of the city and into the sand dunes to hear some rockin’ music…

This weekend? Well, we’ll see. But already there’s plans for a band tonight, a birthday party, a dawn war memorial service for ANZAC day and a BBQ tomorrow afternoon… Life in Doha aint all that bad..

Journey Home – Part 2 – A Place to Belong

** The long over due conclusion to my trip back to Australia **

After a couple of days, and seeing the local and familiar, I started to feel more at home, although the nagging feeling that this was no longer MY city never quite left. It wasn’t until I ventured outside the areas where I grew up and away from the streets that I knew so well and who knew me that I began to rediscover where is home for me in Australia.

It began with a road trip. A friend of mine invited me to her house by the beach and who was I to refuse. Once again as I found in Oman, the chance to spend time by myself gave me a chance to clear my mind and enjoy the surroundings, experiences and the familiarities I (re)discovered along the way.

While enjoying the surf, all of a sudden a feeling came over me that: “Yes, I do belong. And this is where I belong!” It was relief and excitement as those feelings washed over me. All of a sudden I knew that no matter how much I enjoyed life before I left Australia, if I was to return home now, home would mean something different to me. Freedom and open spaces were important to me now and gave me a chance to escape the closed in feeling that I had been feeling in Qatar and even in Melbourne. When I got to my friend’s place, and lay down on her front yard with a book in the shade, my mind was made up – when I come back to Australia it is going to be time for something different, a different life, a different place… just different. Maybe by the beach, maybe in the country, maybe in a different city… When the time comes for me to go home, I may not make that decision straight away but explore my options and set myself free.

Journey Home – Part 1 – Where is home?

Leaving Qatar for a 3 week break I was excited, nervous and almost trembling with excitement. Most of this was generated by the prospect of heading back to Melbourne and seeing my friends and family, some of whom for the first time in a year. Getting on the plane at Doha wasn’t all that hard – it was hard to say goodbye to A (she’d only just got back from England the previous day) but other than that, no worries. Flying out of Arabia was an exciting experience, especially seeing the mountains of Oman where I’d been only 3 months ago!

Whenever anyone tells you that Australia is a long way from anywhere, believe them. It took 3 flights, 36 hours and the usual travel mishaps to get me through the gate at Melbourne Airport to see my mum. As I was sitting in the slightly familiar surrounds of Sydney Airport, all of a sudden I noticed something slightly awry in the way I felt. It wasn’t euphoria at being in a familiar environment, more a sense that I know I used to belong here, but I’m not so sure any more. This made me nervous about Melbourne, and how I’d feel when I was back in my home town. I realised that I now have two parallel and separate lives, one there and one in Doha. Now its not the streets of Melbourne that I know (I used to know their stories, secrets, feelings, whispers), but the streets of Doha. And even then, I don’t know them very well. This was reinforced on the flight from Sydney – looking out the window I struggled to make out familiar landmarks and know what was what.

After arriving in Melbourne, having lunch with my mum and doing some shopping, I spent the first ‘alone’ time at home in a long time. On the walk through the suburban streets to my parents’ (and my) home I felt uncomfortable in the silence and among the leafy green trees. Where was the banging and jackhammering and dust of Doha? Silence. One of the first things I had to get used to. I’ve walked those streets a thousand times, but this time it was different. It was a different person walking there, soaking it up, looking through fresh eyes. Even the view from ‘my’ window was unfamiliar when I eventually arrived ‘home’. Nothing had changed, but everything was different.

holidays, creativity and depth of experience

I’m back from my 3 week sojourn home to Australia.  What a great 3 weeks it was.  Every time I come back to Qatar I get better at re-integrating myself with the environment and atmosphere (no, not the dust) that make up this place.  Maybe it’s that every time I come back I have had more time here to know and understand the way that this place works.   So far I’ve been back 2.5 days and had no stress yet – unlike every other time when the feeling’s lasted about 5 hours!

While I was back home I noticed that my bug for creativity returned.  I guess there’s something about that place that makes it easier for me, cos when I returned the feeling seemed to fade somewhat!  Maybe I’m just more in touch with the land and the spirits there so I get messages funnelled into my brain for creating more?  Who knows.

In any case, I now have a much greater timeline on my life in Qatar.  I’m looking at another 6 months or so – then on to the next adventure, wherever that may be.

Photoessay II – Walking to work

As I promised, here is the second of a series of photoessays documenting ‘A day in the life Dan.’ Each of these offers a little insight in to my life, either in Doha or on travels elsewhere. The next one will be to document a little of the 36 hours it took me to get home to Australia at the start of this week.. so.. Here goes Part Deux.

Since I moved into a new apartment about 6 weeks ago I have started walking to work whenever possible. Its not a long walk, only about 15 minutes, but when I make the effort my day definitely passes quicker and I feel a lot better about the world. Never, ever underestimate how good it is to have some alone time.

Leaving home, I pass yet another Doha construction site. Well, 2 actually, back to back. Thankfully these are on the other side of the building to my apartment, so no pesky concrete trucks or jackhammers wake me up in the morning.

I cross Mansoura Street into my favourite alley/laneway in Doha, it just feels so real. So much of Doha feels contrived and over the top – too busy, too lush or just surreal. This laneway is home to a couple of Qatari families and a number of indian and pakistani men. There are cats, dogs, roosters and chickens that you can hear from the street. There are trees. Real people living real lives. With just a hint of mystery.

At the end of this street I start weaving my way through progressively busier streets. This particular morning though, the only soul was one of the thousands of Q-Kleen workers who keep this city tidy and clean up after those lazy people who don’t care enough about the city they live in to keep it tidy.

Another turn and there is more construction.  This time peaking through a wall.

Then yet another encounter with the most visible symbol of Islam, a mosque. Mosques are on almost every corner of Doha, and some have said that there are more mosques per person here than in any other country.

I pass more apartment blocks, with occasional trees brightening the landscape:

I emerge from the maze of streets and alleys to hit C-Ring Road, Doha’s major artery. This road carries thousands of people to and from work and play each day. Our office is in a new building on C-Ring and the construction doesn’t even stop here. For the past 6 months there has been constant renovation works going on around us… But, insh’allah they are almost over.

Qatarversary and a walk through Najma/Mansoura

This week was my Qatarversary. 1 year in Qatar. Time really has flown. To be honest, my first year here was pretty mixed. As I’ve said before there’s been love, heartbreak, homesickness, culture shock, boredom… the list goes on. But one year on, I feel much better prepared to deal with life in this country and *gasp* I am actually enjoying my life here now! That has something to do with a more positive work environment, as well as generally being busier and having as full a life as possible. At this time of year, that’s not too hard.

To celebrate my Qatarversary (17th Feb for those who care), I went and had my car washed. Actually, the car wash was incidental, but while I waited the 3 hours for it to be washed I walked home and took a visual diary of my trip on the way. This is the first of a series of these as I attempt to illustrate my life in Qatar for a few months.

The car wash is about a 15 minute walk from my flat. For those who know it is on B-Ring Road, near the Airport Road and my flat is in Al Mansoura. For quite a short walk, there is a whole load of interesting stuff to be seen along it… Here goes:

B-Ring Road where the carwash is, is one of the busiest streets in Doha at times. It runs around the fringes of the ‘old’ city, before the dramatic expansion that came with the big expat influx and massive oil wealth happened. Unlike most ring roads around the world, this one is really a road to cut through the city when traffic permits. When I left the carwash traffic wasn’t too bad, but later it was gridlock:

From B-Ring Road you turn into the Najma area. This is a very densely populated part of the city for expats ranging from labourers and cleaner earning 600QR (US$165) per month to wealthyish western expats and Qataris.

Like most of Doha, Najma is under construction. Or as a dear friend says: Doha TBC.

Apart from residential areas there are also restaurants, loads of grocery stores, possibly the highest concentrations of barbers furniture stores on the planet and even motorbike repair shops:

At 6pm the streets are empty, but at midday on Friday this street is crammed with people making their way to/from prayer tat Najma mosque.

At Al Mansoura St (Main St) I turn right, into Mansoura and on the way home:

Passed restaurants (samoosas?), Western advertising, bicycle shops and barbers:

Passed telephone booths:

I turn again at Doha’s latest arrival:

And head into my street:

I walk into my building and then up the stairs into my flat:

.

Then I’m at home.. for now.

I don’t spend much time in this flat. Since I moved in a month ago I have really just slept here and stored my stuff here, getting out and about to actually enjoy Doha. It’s been a good month and a good year so far.

Stay tuned for the next instalment. This will no doubt be my walk to work. Then, next week I’ll be going home to Australia and documenting my trip along the way.