We left the base around 11. After some driving around, we arrived at the Intercontinental Hotel here in Doha around 12:30. I have got to say that the drive to the hotel is amazing. Doha is an incredibly city that has a very bright future ahead of it. The architecture is a reflection of some of the other countries in this region, but not quite as earth-shattering as Dubai. None the less, it's just something you need to see in person to fully appreciate.
After arriving at the hotel, we all head into the locker rooms to change and head outside. The hotel has a VERY nice pool with a swim-up bar and tons of space to just lay around in the sun. As nice as that sounds, my main focus is the beach. It's just so relaxing to lay by the gulf and hear nothing but waves and the occasional creeking noise from my chair as I reach for my drink. It gives one a lot of time to think with a clear head and just appreciate where you are in life.
I'd have to say the most eye-opening experience of the day came while I was sitting on the edge of the pool later that afternoon. Upon arrival to Qatar, they brief us that we shouldn't look at any of the muslim women, that they are very strict here, and that American's should just keep to themselves. I've been following those rules, and at times it is very tough, the women are beautiful. However, one thing I made an exception for was the child of a Muslim family at the pool. The mother was dressed in the traditional burqa, and the father was wearing a swim suit. Their son who was playing around where I was sitting had to be maybe 5 or 6 years old. He came over to me and started saying a few words in Arabic and held out his hand for a hi-five. I just kind of looked over at his parents expecting to see some sort of angry glance, but instead, they were smiling at me.
Now, assuming that this child wasn't saying "We're going to slice you open," I was both confused and enlightened. I gave him a hi-five, he smiled, and said a few more words. His father came over, and asked if the child was being an annoyance. Of course I said no, and he smiled and walked away. Now this is where the enlightenment comes into play.
I was thinking about how if I was alive in the 60s and brought a black girl home to my parents, the reaction I would get from them, our neighbors, my extended family, etc. Scary to think about, eh? Now it's really no big deal with most families. I think the girl I dated with Vietnamese descent was my moms favorite one out of all of my friends. I started to think about in maybe 10 years or so it'll be different between Muslims and us westerners. Until a few years ago, this place was nothing special. Now, over 20,000 Americans live in Doha, and that's not including the thousands of Aussies, Brits, and other folks from Asia and Africa who live here. With an increased presence, the children who live here are now growing up with ties to all of us, as opposed to their parents, who just kind of saw us walk in out of the blue. It gives me hope for the future, as cliche as that sounds.
I understand this is Qatar, not Iraq, Saudi Arabia, or Afghanistan, but it's certainly a start.
In conclusion, I'm learning that despite religious, racial, and any number of other differences we have, people are people.
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