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The article is predominantly about corporate life in Qatar. Agree with the sentiments. On the hotel Iftar side of things, plenty of people can afford and do enjoy those apparently. There are also numerous restaurants around town which offer Iftars starting at under QR 20. If you go to a mosque and ask for Iftar you will be given a free meal. Many families give food to the mosque every day in their locality for this purpose.

It's true that there is much more commercialism nowadays due to the much increased amount of commerce. I guess it's similar to the commercialisation of Christmas in some countries although it's hopefully a long way off that we'll have the equivalent of a Christmas bash where the main point is to get as legless as possible and go home with one of your co-workers. Whoops, is that generalising? None of that on this site of course.

Sometimes I do feel that there is Qatari bashing on this website and while I can take a bit of that like the next (wo)man I wonder how knowledgeable people actually are about others lives and habits.

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Love is the answer...

Thanks for the post! No, I hadn't seen the article, as I'm not receiving home delivery on the paper. I either read it at work or occasionally buy one when I get gas or am in the supermarket. Usually, though, I try to read it at work.

It was just as I suspected.

http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local%5FNews&subsection=Qatar+News&month=October2007&file=Local_News200710063180.xml

I thought this may interest you concerning the way Ramadan, Eid, Qatar etc has changed over the years.

Any thoughts?

Peace

I don't go to mythical places with strange men.

-- Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.

i know an australian lady who married to a local guy for over 30 yrs ... she told me 30 yrs ago from her house in Muntaza area to west bay like travelling to another village :-)

That's true namaviru, I remember the first mall (aptly called The Mall) being opened about ten years ago now I think. Someone told me it was on D ring road and I didn't even know there was a D ring road!!! It was an adventure going there and more than half empty of shops but hey it was a mall! I remember being excited to go and see if it had any shops I had become so familiar with when I lived in London (still no Harrods or Harvey Nicks!!!). The whole of the upstairs where it is now ID Design and Cafe Ceramique was a food court.

For Eid we usually give our children 'Eidi' which means giving them money notes. It used to be a bunch of one riyal notes but now this has changed and my children often receive 500 notes from family members. I never let them spend it all...first charity, then family, then savings then yourself is what I've taught them. I don't give my children presents for Eid.

Back then there was no such thing as a traffic jam, much less crazy driving and generally MUCH less expats.

But Alexa, although now we have so many material things here in Qatar we still do things traditionaly in our day to day lives and at Eids. Respect for our elders is paramount. Even as an adult if your mother or father or any other elder in the family tell you to jump you say 'how high?'! We go to greet our elders every week on a Friday, kissing them on the hand and then the forehead as is our tradition. At Eid time the whole family get together and it's really important to greet ALL your family in person if possible. It's really a busy time.

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Love is the answer...

Yes, I've been told that even 10 years ago this place was entirely different.

That's really interesting. Thank you for sharing your tradition, diamondgirl!

I, too, hope Ramadan and Eid don't go the way Christmas has in some countries. Christmas has almost completely lost its reflective meanings, and now represents just a large-scale commercial venture.

You go into shops here and there are the banners proclaiming 'Ramadan Kareem', under which are perched computer desks, and cameras, and printers, and rugs, and all kinds of other things. Now, I know during Eid it is the tradition to visit family and friends, and bring food, and enjoy spending time together, but it seems a bit odd to say 'Happy Eid, here's a computer desk.' I had thought food was the traditional gift for Eid.

It's wonderful to be here, but I already can see how it's easy to miss out on a lot of culture. One can speak English, and buy Western products, and go to Western shopping malls. If you were so inclined, you could shut yourself off from the whole local experience. Which is sad.

Such a dreadful waste of food is abhorrent in any country. Wy on earth do they put out so much food if they have to throw it away?

Let me explain how many people eat Iftar like we do in my family. We break our fast with dates and milk/laban, then pray the sunset prayer. After that we have a bowl of soup, some small sandwiches and some fruit. Water or fruit juice to drink.

A few hours later we have a light dinner. In the morning we get up before dawn to have a breakfast of porridge and milk.

The month is supposed to about sacrifice and reflection. A spiritual experience. I really hope Ramadan and Eid does not go the way of commercial Christmas in sme countries.

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Love is the answer...

*nods*

T'is true, t'is true. But then I wonder how it is that the Iftar buffets can be absolutely obnoxiously huge. There was an article in the paper which I found quite ironic (The Gulf Times, maybe a week or so ago). On one side it talks about the humanitarian efforts of (don't remember who) group, who are constructing Iftar meals to provide for those who don't have. Then, on the very next page there's an article about how the waste management department in Qatar have to provide extra container space for the leftovers from Iftar buffets. I thought to myself 'If Ramadan is supposed to be about thinking about your own consumption, and helping the poor, and trying to live a better life through self-reflection, not material things, then how is it that these buffets are being constructed which have a heap of wasted food?'

But, in thinking about the whole scenario, the same thing happens in the West around Christmas time. You see the column in the paper about families in need, and what they need, and such. Then you read about those who are providing turkey dinners to poorer families. Yet, just down the street, there was this huge expensive dinner which had leftovers which, according to food laws, had to be trashed.

Call me serious or nerdy, but things like this actually trouble me from time to time.

I figured out the best time to go out is between Iftar and 19.30 or so. You can get a parking space if you're driving, and you can get something to eat if you're eating out. Then you get out and go home early. Yesterday I saw 3 car mishaps and barely avoided one (young man in a SUV who decided he wanted to drive where I was presently located). Go out where you want to go, then if you want to go out more, go home and walk to City Centre.

I wonder how you can tell how much everyone has had to eat. For many, Ramadan is a time of less, not more.

As this is the last weekend before Eid I imagine that a lot of people are shopping for their new clothes for Eid. The last weekend before Christmas in the US is often the same.

Seems like you're in the right place though. I never go near the City Centre on the weekends...it's always so busy! It must be madness tonight. Tomorrow will be even worse... _______________________________________________________

Love is the answer...