50:50

The days of Ramadan tick by, quietly, and we watch the night sky. In a couple of nights, the full moon will mark the halfway point. The No Locals sign on Chalky's door has fallen once or twice, is showing dog-ears, but will probably last the fortnight. It scarcely matters; it's there only to placate the outrageable and be ignored by the regulars. Ringlets, on her corner stool, manages a wan smile, but still pines for Mahmoud. Back in two weeks, he'd said. On a brighter note, this full moon is also the Chinese mid-autumn festival of zhong qiu jie. Fasting is not a requirement. It's another excuse to eat moon cakes and be very happy. Nothing wrong with that.

With Deep Foreboding

As the Holy Month of Ramadan approaches there is the usual rumourmongering among the regulars. This year they're going to clamp down. All the bars will be closed. Or, This year they're going to relax. The bars will be open as normal. This year, of course will be just like last year, in the Paranormal. Closed through the daylight hours, open at seven, background music only and a table placed in the middle of the dance floor as a token bastion against frivolity. Perish the thought. Three pints of Stella and a deep and meaningful conversation with Helga. It's not such a hard life. In Qatar, every bar is closed for the whole month. There, the rumour is They're going to refurbish the Stufital during Ramadan. This is worrying. Not that it doesn't need an overhaul, but Ramadan is no time for project work. Nothing gets done. Still less in Qatar.

Salaam Pardner!

Driving from Doha airport into the city centre, visitors can hardly fail to notice the huge full length likeness of the Emir himself, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, with his arm upraised in welcome. This is a model of hospitality that many cities would do well to copy. Making no comparisons, Las Vegas, having no Emir, can only offer Vegas Vic, the fifty foot neon cowboy. Vic's arm used to wave a welcome, and he used to roar "Howdy Pardner" at passers-by, but the mechanism and the voice are no more. Perhaps there is an opportunity for his Highness here? Howdy Habibi!

Watch the Birdies

It isn't every day that the car you're asked to review turns out to be a metallic blue Bentley Continental GTC. Such a car is as much at home in a photoshoot as on a country lane, so Doug, never one to miss an opportunity, drove it straight to Bur Dubai's number one night-spot. Doug's preference has always leaned towards Uzbekistan, with Kyrgyzstan a close second, so it wasn't long before Chalky's Bar had emptied these nationalities onto the street to form a neat, orderly queue for their chance to sit behind the wheel. And though Doug kept the keys securely pocketed throughout the proceedings, there were smiles all round as poses were struck and pictures taken, many of which will already be brightening otherwise dingy bedroom walls in Bishkek. Security, as a reward for keeping onlookers at arm's length, had his own moment of glory before Doug drove off, alone.