Syriana

Last night Marjorie and I decided to watch Syriana, since she had never seen it and when I saw it I didn't know yet that I was moving to Qatar. The first time the complexity of the story line had me very focused on the plot. This time I was noticing all of the tiny little details that they got exactly right. Those of you living in Qatar should watch it, if you haven't since you've lived here.

The workers in blue jumpsuits, going to work on a TATA bus (the cheapest car manufacturer in the world) looking like the wheels are going to fall off any second, getting deported when they lose their job because their work visas are through the company.

At the cafe, George Clooney's character orders a club sandwich and french fries, a super-popular lunch dish (and what I eat on a very regular basis).

The compliment on the fresh strawberry juice in the unnamed Persian Gulf country.

The Prince's motorcade consists of: Land Cruisars painted in matte sand color for the military, a Range Rover for the Prince himself, and white Land Cruisars for everyone else.

The Prince flying his falcon in the desert during a business meeting.

The younger prince's yacht party and general attitude. Also, when he is named Emir, he says "hamdulillah" - "thanks be to God" and this is EXACTLY what an Arab would say in that situation.

The entire speech that Matt Damon's character gives when he arrives in the Middle East, he says: "There's an arrow on the ceiling pointing the direction of Mecca... women are covered head to foot... its humid. 125 degrees and humid. I walked out of the airport and it was like a wall fell on me. All of the Arabs in white sheets. It says, it's hot and I don't have to work."

I can see why they chose not to name the Persian Gulf country - its definitely filmed mostly outside of Dubai so it looks like the Emirates; they reference a country with 10,000 American soldiers, which would be Qatar or Kuwait; the Prince's wife is wearing pants with her shayla which which probably be Bahrain; and the men are wearing Saudi-style thobes. Anyway, it doesn't matter much, because they all have oil, spoiled heirs, hot weather, Land Cruisars, strawberry juice, bad labor systems, and club sandwiches.