If Dubai is a Steinway concert grand, Qatar is probably a kazoo - entertaining enough in the right hands and for a short while, but incapable of delivering lasting cultural sustenance. Not that I'm complaining, of course. In three years, I've learned to hoot and toot with the best of them. Polyphony - who needs it? The current beer shortage more than compensates for any indoor ski slope and few words can express the joy of watching half demolished buildings gradually take on the characteristics of natural landscape. It's good to be back.
21 February 2008
Concert Time
If Dubai is a Steinway concert grand, Qatar is probably a kazoo - entertaining enough in the right hands and for a short while, but incapable of delivering lasting cultural sustenance. Not that I'm complaining, of course. In three years, I've learned to hoot and toot with the best of them. Polyphony - who needs it? The current beer shortage more than compensates for any indoor ski slope and few words can express the joy of watching half demolished buildings gradually take on the characteristics of natural landscape. It's good to be back.
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I sincerely hope that is merely an illustratory photo rather than a real one.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, it's very real! Doha has more than its share of ghastly buildings in total disrepair. They are gradually clearing them away of course, but some of the stuff that's going up instead isn't a lot better.
ReplyDeleteThen I'm quite happy north of the river! I thought gas might be an incentive to move down south, regardless of the architecture or lack of steak & kidney pie.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be nice if it really was a river :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't explored Q further than the airport, but if there's some hefty gas in the region, creating a river would obviously be necessary given the massive developments going on. I think my geography teacher would be happy with my world-class analysis, and my maths teacher happy with the % calculated. :)
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