Anne's blog travel 06-07

Friday 10th November.
Technically the weekend (Friday and Saturday). We've all vowed to take the day off. It's probably one of the last. We may have Monday or part of Monday off for the security sweep of the venue but after that, it will be an everyday affair until the Venue closes on December 18th.

Last night on the way home (!!) Michele and I stopped by the Mall. On the way to our Hotel we find the biggest shopping Mall in the Middle East. We needed to buy a few things. Toothpaste (yes Crest, colgate etc) and things. We shopped at Carrefour, which has pretty much everything you could need including mobile phones, printers, food, goods, clothing all in the one shop. Thursday night here is like Friday night anywhere else and many Qataris crowd the Mall dressed in their best Thobes, and Abahyas. In a country were drinking is illegal, the mall on a Friday night is the best place to be. There were some pictures not to miss but we cannot just snap away and include Qataris in the picture. In the mall, Qataris, Arabs, and other nationalities, speaking on the mobile phone, shopping at Pierre Cardin and other expensive shops. All the white thobes sitting and sipping coffee at Starbucks.

I look at watches and see some priced at a few thousand dollars. Well maybe my watch can last a bit longer yet.

Well, we can't keep away from the venue and Mish and I decide to come in the afternoon. While sitting at Lunch, Akmed comes and sits next to me. He is about 55 years old, works in site management for the venue, I was told the other day he was Iraqi. Today, he is dressed in white with a checked headress (Dishdash). I look up at it and ask him if that is Iraqi. He tells me that it is.

On the TV I have followed the news of the conviction of Saddam. I hear that Iraqis are celebrating. So I turned to my lunch companion and ask him what he thinks of the triall and conviction of Mr Hussein. A quick glance accross the table and I see that Michele's jaw has dropped and her eyes have open wide in amazement at my question. " I am pissed off" Akmed says. Then he pulls out his mobile phone and shows me the wallpaper picture. It's a picture of Saddam. "Remind me never to be mean to you" I say half joking, half serious.

I personnally don't believe in capital punishment and I don't believe that Iraqis have really convicted Saddam. Iraqi democracy is American led democracy and those put in position to convict/judge were handpicked by Americans; let's not forget. But that is another story. However, Saddam's photo on the mobile phone is surprising to me.

Akmed tells me that Saddam is no worse than any third world leader. He is not wrong there. The world has painted a picture of him which is worse than the truth. A country like Iraq cannot be a democracy he insists. People kill each other there. They need a dictator to control them. He left Iraq 12 years ago but his mother, father and sibblings are there.

It's hard to explain here but I truly appreciate his honesty. There is something refreshing when people speak their mind, no matter what their opinion without catering for the audience.

Bye for now