Political Ideology Test

I got this test from Steph's blog - I like it because it doesn't stick to the Democrat and Republican labels.

You are a Social Liberal (75% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (13% permissive) You are best described as a: Socialist Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

In my case, however, it definitely tests ideology. My brain tells me that socialism isn't practical, at least not in the United States. But when these tests give you specific "I believe" statements and ask you to qualify yourself in regards to those statements (no neutral response is available), then I always end up in the socialist category. I at least consider myself lucky to have my beliefs line up with one political party in the States; I consider capitalist-social conservatives to be equally lucky. We are probably much less conflicted when election day comes around. I wonder how the libertarians make their voting decisions. I'll ask Steph. Her political tests come out the same every time, too.

Airbus A380

As I was watching EuroNews this morning, a story came on about the launch of the Airbus A380. Apparently all of the airlines that have ordered one got their logo painted on the side of the new plane, and sure enough, there was Qatar Airways, home of my not-so-many but ever-increasing frequent flyer miles. Apparently QA is planning on nearly tripling the size of their fleet, which currently has 54 planes and orders for 94 more (including two A380s). They are also starting non-stop flights this summer to Newark and Washington Dulles. This is good news for a travel-holic such as myself.

Pittsburgh girl

I was looking for something in old emails and found this from Christi. And since I'm returning to the 'burgh in less than a week, I figure now is a good time for it :-)

"A Pittsburgh girl knows just as much about football as her guy friends, in some cases, even more. She drinks beer b/c it tastes good but knows when to be classy and drink something more sophisticated. She owns a Steelers jersey not just b/c it's cute but because she supports her team and understands the game.

She loves Kennywood and isn't afraid to order cheese fries from the Potato Patch b/c let's face it - Pgh girls wear winter coats and scarves a lot more than bikinis and flip flops.

A Pgh girl loves St. Patrick's Day, even if she's not Irish b/c green beer is good for the soul.

Pgh girls don't have a funny accent. They just speak a different language. The word yinz is dear to her heart, even if she would never say it herself.

A Pgh girl bleeds black and gold and knows how to have a great time. She's stylish and sweet, has a great education, and loves her friends and family.

A Pgh girl goes to church on Sunday hung over, only to be let out by the priest early b/c the Steelers kick off at 1.

A Pgh girl might not live by the beach, but The Three Rivers are just as good!

She has seen all 4 seasons and has a reason to love and hate each of them. She's the type of girl you can call late and night and spill your heart to. She's the type you can take home to Mom and Dad w/o worrying they won't like her. B/c everyone loves a Pgh girl.

If you need a girl to take to the game, she'll be there. If you need a friend to help you out, she's there. If you need a drinking buddy, she'll be there with her IC Light in hand.

You can take the girl out of Pittsburgh, but you can never take the Pittsburgh out of the girl!"

Insha'allah

If I ever write an anthropology paper or book about Qatar and the Gulf, its going to be called simply "Insha'allah."

Literally, insha'allah means "God willing" or "if God intends it." Basically, any time Westerners say the word "hopefully," someone in the Gulf could substitute "Insha'allah." The origin comes from the belief in Islam that God controls all aspects of our everyday life. Not only an all-powerful God but an extremely involved one as well.

Here are some common examples:

It can mean that another person will try to keep a commitment, but something could come up (a family situation, traffic, etc.) that will keep them from it. For example, when I say "let's meet tomorrow at 2:00pm," a student is very likely to respond "Insha'allah" - which means "probably I'll be here, unless something else happens."

Or it could indicate desire with doubt, for example the management at my compound once told me, "the part to fix your air conditioner will be here by the end of the week insha'allah." Yeah, my AC wasn't going to be working anytime within the next month, and we all knew it.

It can also indicate desire with uncertainty, for example I could also say "I will return to India one day insha'allah." I personally think this is the best use of the phrase, because it doesn't frustrate me so much as the others.

Not surprisingly, the excessive use of "insha'allah" frustrates Westerners because we come from a culture in which structuring our time and actions is just what we do. The structure is an effective stress-relief mechanism in the West. In Islam, the ultimate faith in God is the stress management mechanism, and so structure is unnecessary.

More surprisingly, I know many very pious Muslims who also get frustrated by the excessive use of "insha'allah." In my first example, in their minds, it is acceptable to use it if you think that you may miss your meeting because a family member is seriously ill, but unacceptable if you simply think that there might be more traffic than you accounted for. This comes from a belief among more devout Muslims that you should only use God's name when it is truly something that is in His hands, not when you are trying only to avoid responsibility for a situation.

Anyway, I mostly put this concept out there because I often find myself wanting to type "insha'allah" in my blog posts, but not being able to because I haven't explained what it means.

H&M opening in Doha :-)

Today, the first H&M store in Doha opens. Last night there was an invitation-only, 20% off party at the store. The "who's who of Doha's bargain hunters" were there, as Ryan put it. I dropped QR550 (US$150) on 9 items at the opening, and every riyal was worth it.

The Coolest Picture I've Ever Taken

As part of the "Tim Jumps Over Caryl" photo series (which so far has had locations around Qatar and Dubai), I decided that I wanted a picture from the perspective of Caryl. This was the first and only attempt at the photo. And it is awesome.

Dubai

So I just got back from a weekend in Dubai. Very interesting city. A little overhyped, I think, but the group that I went with - CMUQ faculty and staff - was pretty cool. (I know I still owe a vacation post about Hong Kong, but its taking me much longer!)

We covered most of the Dubai basics in the three days we were there - the first day we took a boat ride on the river that cuts the city in half, and then we wandered around the souq (market) area for awhile before eventually going to Jumeirah, a famous beach and shopping area. We hung out on the beach until sunset and then went back to the hotel and crashed.
from the boat cruise, the Dubai business district and the old-style fishing dhows - a pretty common sight all over the Gulf, actually.












the gold souqs :-) the middle necklace can be yours for the low low price of $12,000USD











On Friday, we went back to the public beach at Jumeirah, where we relaxed in the sun and I didn't get sunburned! That afternoon we went to Wild Wadi ("wadi" is Arabic for "seasonal riverbed"), a waterpark that has a decent number of slides and a wave pool. We had a good time running around the park, and floating on the lazy river. It's also in the shadow of the Burj al-Arab hotel, probably the most luxury hotel in the world, which definitely provides a nice background to the lazy river.
The Jumeirah mosque













Andrew and Ryan have a "how much sand can you hold in your hands" contest












On Saturday before our plane left, we went to the Mall of the Emirates - most ridiculous shopping experience I've ever seen. Super expensive stores, moderately priced shops, world famous brand names and locally famous Arabic designers. Multiple food courts, a toy store with gigantic stuffed mammoths and camels, a huge arcade area, and to top it all off - an indoor ski slope. Yeah. Crazy. Tim and I even rode an indoor rollercoaster simulator in the arcade at the mall!
The interior of the mall of the Emirates.




















The stuffed mammoths















Ski Dubai, the indoor ski slope in the Middle East













Obviously I had to go to Dubai, because I'm so close. Now that I've seen it, I could definitely go back on a weekend when I want to just get out of Doha and relax. Go to the beach, maybe back to Wild Wadi... if I ever make a huge amount of money, then the Mall of the Emirates. Doha could definitely learn something in the way of highway construction and quality English language bookstores. But in the end it was pretty much more of the same. The common complaints about Doha were only compounded in Dubai - traffic is awful, the "money can buy happiness" mentality, and the lack of real cultural opportunities such as quality theatre. I'd rather live in Doha and visit Dubai. But for a relaxing mini-vacation, really it has everything you could ask for. I did hear a rumor that you could get real bacon there, too, but didn't manage to get my hands on any...