West, East, West Five Times Fast

The Ballad of East and West


Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,
Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God's great Judgment Seat;
But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth,
When two strong men stand face to face, though they come from the ends of the earth!

[...] 

Mont Blanc, Ialy/France

The world is a much smaller place since Kipling wrote his 1889 poem. 



If there was just one thing I have learned this summer it is that Asia is as sophisticated and as historically and culturally vast as the Europe I have known since I was that little girl traveling 10+ hours in the jumpseat of dads L1011, and as the twenty-something year old that rendezvoused in Italy for a year as an artist. 

This August we flew East, then West, then East then... West.. then East... then West. 

Jet lag? By the time we were done our bodies did not know which way was up.  

The wonderful thing about living in the Middle East is that you're quite literally in "the Middle" (not to be confused with my favorite sitcom).  Six hours west, "bonjour Geneva," and 3 943 miles and eight hours east, "ni how Hong Kong!" We are never too far from any destination, and certainly not far enough for me to not jump at the opportunity (and onto a plane) to head off to anywhere for three days or less. --Bonus if there's champagne!.. and lobster... and a giant seat that reclines into a bed; then there is no question what I won't be doing in the desert heat (staying home watching tv, that's for sure!). 




I sing "It's a small world after all" in my head all the way to the plane... Who would have known the world doesn't fall off at the furtherest Caribbean Airlines shopping destination? 



World here I come! I said I'd get out east one way or another, and with a nice gentle great big shove by my management team at CAL, and a tug from a handsome best friend from flight school and here I am. Thank you team, you're in the right position to kiss my -. 


So here's what my August looked like!

Chanting in the Hundred Dragons Hall, Buddha Relic, Singapore.

Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore's oldest Hindu temple (1827).

Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

Geneva

United Nations, Geneva

Star Ferry, Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Zurich

Homeward bound

The Thing With The Visa ...and The Other Visa

The thing with the passport I possess is that to travel to most places I must obtain a travel visa. There was no exception when it came to our Thai honeymoon (see post 'From One (Amazing Day) To Ten)', so off we went to the Royal Thai Embassy in Doha with passports and supporting documents in hand.

Ryan walked up to the visa counter while I took a seat behind a couple Qataris. He returned moments later and sat next to me with an expression on his face that told me I was about to receive some bad news. I had a moment of panic.

What?! What had happened that we can't go on our spectacular vacation?!

We had all of our documents, Ry explained. All but one.

"Um, I have to give you written permission to travel."

Silence.

"Well,... if you want me on our honeymoon then you better write that letter of permission."

"Right... got it!"

He hustled back to the counter and scribbled something on a plain piece of A4 printing paper along the lines of 'I hereby allow my wife to travel with me to Thailand...'

Was this what I was being warned about all this time? That wasn't so bad, kind of like ripping off a band-aid. Once you've had your autonomy threatened in the M.E you realize it's actually not an unpleasant experience (once you have an accommodating spouse), nor is it the end of the world. Gasp! Did I really just say that? To be fair this was a requirement for the Thai visa and not something I have to get every time I leave Qatar.

Being the strong, fiercely independent third-wave feminist he knows me to be, Ryan was still worried I may have been holding back my anger as we got into the car. However, I genuinely found it amusing that he had to write a letter of permission for me for anything. Saying that, I am sure I would have been furious wasting time at the embassy had he not been there. That's the nice thing about toting your doting husband around everywhere.

"Will you stop asking me if I'm okay? I'm glad I got my visa, regardless of how I got it. Now, would you just drive please?"


The Thing with the Other Visa...

On our way home I called our bank to activate my credit card that had just been issued to me.
It was 'simple' the bank teller said to me the day before, just call the number on the card, give them my name and Qatar ID number and...

"Ms. Shannon, can I speak to your husband?"
"Excuse me?"
"Is Ryan there?"
"Ha! Sure!"

I put the phone on speaker...

"Mr. Ryan, is it okay that we activate your wife's credit card?"
"Yes, it's okay. You can activate her card."
Ryan grins at me.
I roll my eyes as I hang up and he laughs.

Did I mention that every time I use the credit card a text message is sent to Ryan letting him know where I have been shopping and how much I spent?

Some men get text messages every time their wives leave and re-enter the country (they are allowed three,.. wives that is). We're not sure why Ryan does not get these text messages but he only has one wife to keep track of, so that shouldn't be too hard for him to handle.

People are surprised that I find none of this intrusive or offensive. I find it no different and far more transparent than other countries that have CCTV, access to your financial information, personal records, etc. Things that I can't do in public include giving someone the finger and stealing someone's falcon, along with a list of other things I probably shouldn't be doing anyway. It does not in any way affect my day to day life, and when things like these come up I oblige. Why? Because we have a happy life here. That's why. In the meantime I am afforded far more liberties here than I was where I am from because of safety. 

Know Your Thobe

Censorship - Stickers and Sharpies

How many times can my magazines be censored this month? 

Hint: much more than this (below).
These are just a few pages of about 30 or so that have been censored in the couple magazines I bought this month.

To be honest I find it more comical than annoying or intrusive as I wonder who sits in what office where with a black Sharpie and white stickers to cover offending female bits.

Below are pages from my Women's Health, Psychology Today and Marie Claire magazines.

Someone went through a lot of trouble to re-make almost the entire cover of the Psychology Today magazine on white sticker paper, and The Women's Health got more than a few layers of the white stickers to cover up that bikini bottom.

Below are examples of censorship of the black Sharpie variety.

Truth be told, this is nothing compared to Saudi where they draw on clothes and scratch out faces in pen.

On a side note, as I am not in the habit of buying children's books, but
did I mention that Disney's Piglet is banned in the Middle East?
I suppose it's understandable because he's pork right?
Sorry Piglet, no visa for you.
On some online forums, locals have said that the censorship of Piglet may be more to do with the sexual ambiguity of the character than because he's a pig (because he is pink Piglet is seen as a girl) and he (she) is naked... so poor Piglet gets Sharpied out of books along with breasts and bums.
By the way, anyone notice Pooh doesn't have any pants on? I'm guessing that's okay because he's a bear? or because he's a boy?

This post is brought to you by the letters "T & "A"

From One (Amazing Day) to Ten

I organized one very special day (with a team of talented people), while Ryan single-handedly organized the ten-day trip of a lifetime.

While everyone was having their mid-day coffees and nursing their hangovers over Sunday brunch after our wedding, we were already in JFK, as we made our way to the other side of the world for the kind of vacation dreams are made of. 

Two days later we landed in Bangkok and then Koh Samui, and took a boat ride to the island of Koh Phangan to our five star villa at the Santhiya Resort and Spa. 

Words can not describe the magic of this island and the amazing time we had there. 

Reception

View from the Spa.. we had Thai massages almost every day.

Rasta Baby - a cute beach bar next to the resort 

Our awesome villa, too big to fit into one photo with its waterfalls, huge grotto, orchid garden, outdoor shower and tub, bridge, separate living room, ..I could move in here.

Local fruit table at breakfast buffet at Chantara, Santhiya - yumm

Ang Thong's amazing snorkeling

Emerald Saltwater lake

Elephant trekking

Thing Nai Pang Yai beach

Dinner at the Seaside Bar at Santhiya - my favorite spot

Kohm Loy wishing lantern

Home Again via One Epic NYC Shopping Spree

Apologies for my absence. I have been --what else? Traveling.
I also got married again (see "Kuala Lumpur to meet the best man and how to avoid prison") so that explains my extended leave.

The countdown was on for our wedding day and I was back in Trinidad last month to get things rolling,.. and by 'get things rolling' I mean check in with my wedding planner, who has single-handedly organized everything while I lived the life out in the Middle East. I cannot imagine what I would have done without her except that it would have involved a lot of tears. (Laura Darwent Weddings).
Special thanks to my mum, dad, and my best girl-friends.
How do you plan a stress-free wedding? Surround yourself with these wonderful people.

So, what have I been up to in the last month and a bit?

We re-visited Kuala Lumpur.. for the pork of course.


We flew back to Doha from Malaysia and I left for New York three days later.

I met a famous 'Fugee on my flight this time. He walked up and down the first class aisles stretching his legs during our 13 hour flight. He introduced himself and took a seat next to me. He was friendly and down to earth. Poor fella, after chatting about Haiti, traveling, and visiting Qatar, I think I embarrassed him when I asked for his autograph,.. for my mum.



Mum met me in JFK hours later. We stuffed our bags into a cab and off we went on our week-long pre-wedding vacation in NYC.
Really, this trip was supposed to be all about the final fittings for my wedding dress and bringing the dress down to Trinidad, but let's be honest here: two women + New York = Plenty Shopping.
The buy-an-extra-suitcase-to-come-home kind of shopping.

We stayed at the gargantuan Marriott Marquis in Times Square in the heart of the Broadway theater district. The weather the week we were there was glorious. We shopped, we went sight-seeing, we took rickshaws, had nice brunches, dinners, went to the theater, picked up some last minute wedding things, and visited Kleinfeld several times to have my dress fitted within an inch of its life.

We went to see Billy Elliott. The Tony Award winning show did not disappoint. We left the theater and ran into (quite literally) Robin Williams who was exiting through the back door of his Broadway production next door, "Bengal Tiger at Baghdad Zoo." Mum wanted so badly to get his autograph on our playbill (from a totally different play), but I pretended I didn't hear her and did one better by getting her a great photo with her blackberry instead.

Twelve pairs of shoes, eight cocktail dresses, ten gym outfits (yeah- outfits), five bathing suits, two mother-of-the-bride evening gowns, eighteen wedding candles,... tops, bottoms, undies, nighties,.. things we needed, things we didn't...
Mum and I flew home to Trinidad one week later and 52 pounds heavier (if we're grossly underestimating). We had a fabulous mother-daughter-fun-filled trip. We were homeward bound and counting down the days to the big day.


I spent the few weeks home before the wedding having a great vacation with my friends and family. I wasted no time stressing about the wedding, and was happy and enjoying every valuable moment there.

Qatar FAQ

I get so many questions about Qatar.
My blog is about my life here (as well as my travels) and has always been intended to be for my friends and family to see and experience the world through my eyes, via the world wide web, all without the Sharia law and 50 degree Celsius summers, -- hey, that's a pretty sweet deal.

So here are a few fast facts about the place where I live and call home.


Qatar? 
Pronounced Cat'arr.
The locals say "Guttar." Try saying it with a silent 'n' at the beginning while almost swallowing your tongue and you've got it.

Where is this place?
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia.

Capital? 
Doha.

Official Language?
The official language is Arabic, though English is widely spoken.

What are the locals called?
Qatari.

Official Religion?
Islamic.
There is a mosque in our compound (there is one on almost every corner) and we can hear call to prayer five times a day starting at 3am. It can be heard from anywhere in Qatar and is also broadcast on the radio, and over the malls PA system.
We have a Catholic church in Qatar. It is on the outskirts of the city and has no steeple, cross, bell or sign. It's beautiful inside and there is mass almost every hour in a different language.

Government?
Absolute monarchy.

Population?
1,700,00 (30% of which are Qatari).
Expatriatesform the majority of Qatar's residents. Most expats that reside in Doha working in the oil and gas industry are male, making the ratio of males to females a whopping 3.46 males :1 female. Surprisingly, men have far more respect for women here than they do where I come from. Believe it.

Currency?
Qatari Riyal (QAR)
1US = 3.64 QAR

What time is it over there?
UTC +3
That's 7 hours ahead of Trinidad for those that like to call us at 3am.

Big country?
Bigger than Trinidad, but it's only 4,416 sq miles (that's Trinidad x4).

So, it's like desert? 
It's mostly a flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel, complete with sand dunes and wild camels outside of the cities. Lately it's one big construction zone and desert - yes. So saying "greener pastures" is a bit of an oxy-moron when saying I've moved on, but it works.

Water?
Zilch. Water here is more expensive than gas.

Is it very hot?
Very hot, but it can also be very cold.
Summers are 29-48 degrees C, but winters are actually quite cool, around 13-22 degrees C. A couple things you'll notice if you ever visit, there are no clouds, and summer nights are hot (30 degrees C, that's mid day heat in the Caribbean at night time).

Qatar... they have oil right?
Qatar produces 1.213 million barrels of oil a day, and has oil reserves of 25 billion barrels, enough to last the country at least another 37 years. Meanwhile, Qatar's natural gas reserves are closer to 25 trillion cu m, ans is larger than the peninsula itself. Oil and gas have made Qatar the highest per-capita income and fastest growing country in the world. Before the discovery of oil, the economy of the Qatari region focused on fishing and pearl diving.

Something interesting.
Qatar has intimate ties with the US military, and is the location of the US Central Command's Forward Headquarters and Combined Air Operations Center (basically huge US military base in the desert just outside Doha).

Weekends are the same everywhere right?
Wrong. Weekends here are Friday & Saturday (not Saturday & Sunday).

So it's strict there right? 
Qatar's laws are liberal compared to some of the other Muslim states (such as Saudi), though not as liberal as UAE and Bahrain.

Can you drive? 
Yes. Women can legally drive in Qatar.

Do you have to dress?
Yes, I have to 'dress'. I can wear the same things I wear in Trinidad, jeans tops etc, but I always cover my shoulders and chest if not with a conservative top with a large wraparound scarf or shawl. I do not have to wear a hijab or cover my hair.

Can you drink there? 
The laws of Qatar tolerate alcohol, however it is only served in a few hotel bars and hotel restaurants. Muslims cannot buy or consume alcohol because the Quran states that "intoxicants are abominations of Satan's handiwork." There is a place that expats can buy their own alcohol to consume at home. The catch? There is exactly one liquor store in the country. The other catch? You have to have a license to buy anything there. It is illegal to show or drink alcohol in a public place in Qatar and you can be fined if you are caught transporting the alcohol bought at the store anywhere other than straight home.

Life in the Middle East has been quite an eye opening experience, and it still feels like I am living in a giant Disney M.E. There is still so much more to tell, and even more for me to see and explore and share.

Posts to come -- Qatar's Anti-terrorism campaign, censorship and the Doha debates!