Would you like some Music with your Girl?

The mid-Ramadan escape to Dubai went well, though I'd have to say that Doha's climate, this year at least, is far kinder. What's with this humidity game? Even the short walk from CityMax to the Paranormal was something of an ordeal. Once inside Jockey's though, all was good. Prices (of the beer!) have gone up a bit but, at 23 dirhams, are still two thirds of Doha's cheapest. Not a lot else was

The Fatted Porker - a different slant on the Prodigal Son

The Fatted PorkerI liked the lad. He always had a smile,a whistle on his lips, and used to waitand watch us eat. Oh, you can call it swillbut I'm not proud. For if it comes to thatI've cracked the windfall, fresher from the mossthan all your snow-cooled fare. I've savoured shootsthat daylight never blessed. But let it pass -I liked him. He was generous with the oats.Not like his brother there, a

On pots and kettles

So Bahrain has withdrawn its ambassador from Syria in protest against heavy handed tactics by the regime in dealing with protesters.
What's Arabic for 'irony', please?

Iftar or lump it

Last night, I had some business to attend to near le Mercure, né & aka Sofitel. The kind of business that required queuing, or more accurately crowding and jostling, for nearly an hour, to ask a question at a desk, to which the answer was 'no'. Usual stuff. While crowding, I was consoling myself with the thought of the meal I was going to have later, in Sofitel's 'La Villa' Mediterranean

Poster change - just the start?

As predicted, two posts ago, the Drink water, Summer is coming posters have been taken down in time for Ramadan. They have been replaced with posters raising awareness of the famine in Somalia.
Ban Ki-moon apparently personally called Qatar's Prime Minister to ask for a substantial aid package for the affected region. I have every confidence that the result of his call will be something far more

What do Wendi Deng Murdoch and John Prescott have in common?

a) a fine sense of decorum and occasion
b) a calm, unflappable demeanour
c) a healthy spontaneity coupled with quick reactions
d) good hair and a nice slim figure
e) a sinister old twit for a husband

Wendi - your performance on the day was head and shoulders above that of your craven husband and his wee boy. Good on you, lass!

(John Prescott, Tony Blair's deputy PM, famously swung round and

Drink Water - Summer is coming!

I think it was in May when QMedia put up these public service posters advising us to keep the body hydrated through the hot summer ahead. I like the message. It is not advertising; in fact the label has been removed from the bottle, making it completely generic. Also, the model is wearing her hair out and looks like a modern, sporty young woman. All in all, a positive contribution to public

The Gorilla, by Jake Thackray, resuscitated by Paraglider

We can't all be too young to remember the late Jake Thackray.
Mr G, Paraglider's occasional partner in song, was good enough last night to make available his home studio, expertise and tolerance, for the hour or so that it took yours truly to knock out a few Jake revivals, before repairing to Sofitel, in which august establishment, in accordance with its prevailing regulations, the guitar

Urban Development, Doha Style

Sometimes I wonder who's reading this blog. Recently, I wrote that the black plastic sheeting had been ripped from the Muntazah Park railings, exposing the deplorable state of neglect within. Now, I'm pleased to report that the matter has been addressed. Not the park itself of course. Once a desert, always a desert. But the authorities have upgraded the black plastic sheeting with tasteful yellow

On stair wells, fires and mattresses

Now that it is seriously hot here and starting to get humid too, my regular regime of walking either round Muntazah Park or the length of the Corniche is becoming more of a chore than a pleasure. So I've substituted a daily stair climb instead. My apartment is 7th floor and exactly 135 steps up from the entry lobby. It's a good staircase too, wrapping round a square stair well, with no

G & T and the Holy Coalition

Georgie said to Tony
What shall we do?
Tony said to Georgie
I'll follow you.
Georgie said to Tony
Let's coalesce.
Tony said to Georgie
Yes! Yes! Yes!
Georgie said to Tony
Now we're on a Mission
We'll make God join our
Holy Coalition.
Georgie, God and Tony,
Happy as can be.
Tony, God and Georgie,
Blessed Trinity.

<< - shock & awe - >>

Georgie said to Tony
That didn't take long.
Tony said to

Slowing down for Ramadan

Ramadan is already a palpable presence in the Doha ambiance. Three weeks away it may be, but instead of everyone pushing to achieve minor milestones before it arrives, the opposite seems to be the case. One can almost feel the brakes being applied, slowing everything down in order to effect a seamless transition from a sleepy July to an even sleepier August.
Ramadan always brings changes in its

All Change at Doha Ramada Orion Bar

Regulars at Doha Ramada's Orion bar will have noticed a changed climate over the past few weeks. First was the diminutive but smiley manageress Julietta's transfer to the Library bar (where she was an instant hit). Next was the changing of the band. The Sri Lankan trio's contract came to an end and they returned home, to be replaced by a Filipino outfit. Piano and two singers. The quality of

The Barber's Wife

Sometimes she leans on the windowsill, looking down into the alleyway. Probably she'd like a better view, ideally from a better house in another country. But that's why she's here, after all. And even if it never happens, at least she is with her husband, making both of them luckier than most of the workers who keep Qatar ticking over.

I see trees of green...

If my recent posts have all had an aerial slant, it's only because after a few years at first floor level, my relocation to a seventh floor apartment has afforded me the chance to look down (only literally of course) on the old city.


I see trees of green... And I think to myself...


OK, roll over Satchmo. But about these trees: Trees in Doha fall into three categories: naturally established

This is the House where Chuck stayed...

This is the plaque
They stuck on the house where Chuck stayed.

This is the daughter, pale and cold
Who's named on the plaque
They stuck on the house where Chuck stayed

This is the doctor, stern and old
Who treated the daughter, pale and cold
Who's named on the plaque
They stuck on the house where Chuck stayed

This is the water, pure as gold
as used by the doctor stern and old
Who treated the

Friday Prayers in Muntazah

Taken from my window this morning, Friday prayer time at the local Muntazah mosque attracts numbers far in excess of the capacity of the old building. My best estimate would be around five hundred worshipers, braving the sun on their backs and the hot tarmac under their prayer mats. I think I'm right in saying that praying in the street is discouraged in Dubai, except in certain designated areas,

Cock-a-Doodle-Do(ha)

At first I thought I was dreaming. Not unreasonably, as it was still short of 5 a.m. and I was lying in bed at the time. But there was no denying it. I was awake. I had in fact just been wakened, by that most traditional of alarm clocks, a crowing rooster who was still giving it big licks somewhere outside my window. In the countryside this would be unremarkable but in the middle of Doha Muntazah

Bluetoothing in the Paranormal - What's the point?

Using Bluetooth, I'd been uploading a few pictures from mobile to laptop and had neglected to switch the service off, when done. Now, no Dubai trip is complete without a visit to the Paranormal, so Friday lunchtime finds me bar-stooled against the central pillar with a switched-on Bluetooth mobile in my pocket. Halfway through my first beer and third 'Whey you flom?' conversation, the mobile

The Transformation is Complete

It's official. The transformation is complete. Muntazah Park, Doha's erstwhile popular ladies' and children's park, is now a desert. The park, which has been 'closed for maintenance' for about five years is no longer behind wraps. The black plastic sheeting has been removed from the perimeter fence, most likely by the wind, to reveal the full extent of the maintenance programme, which apparently

Muntazah beckons - one more week

Close readers of the Paranormal blog might recall that Paraglider moved, a little over a year ago, from Muntazah Park to Bin Mahmoud. The reasons for the move had little to do with the respective areas; Muntazah, in fact, has a lot more to offer in the way of small shops and supermarkets and even a little triangle of green open space. The move was occasioned then, not by environs but by plumbing,

Kate & William's Honeymoon Venue, revealed!

There are two well established ways to avoid the glare of publicity. One is to go exclusive, and expensive, in some barely inhabited, luxuriously appointed, and thoroughly protected super-rich hideaway, possibly in the Caribbean. But this runs counter to the quiet and informal nature of this family wedding (it was not, after all, a State Occasion). The other approach is to go down market and

So, the Crown Prince of Bahrain..

..has declined to attend the nuptials.

Bigger losses.

Have a good day.

Popular Posts - a self-fulfilling prophecy

The trouble with putting a 'popular posts' gadget in a blog sidebar is that after a few weeks it stops changing and becomes static. This is because, by its very existence, it is promoting the posts that are already popular, making it ever less likely that any unfeatured items will ever break into the top ten.
For that reason, I've replaced it with a 'random posts' selection. So far so good. It

Paraglider rests his Case (in Central London)

Renaissance
In my usual fashion, I've left it to the last minute. The London train's leaving in half an hour and I haven't packed a bag. No problem. Clean shirt, socks, underwear, toothbrush. Chuck them in the bag and - whoops - what bag? The case I brought back from Qatar is far too big for an overnight. The one I need is three thousand miles away. Plastic bags look wrong in meetings.

On Rainbows and Light Railways

Great Malvern Priory, with rainbow, from my window
Paraglider is enjoying a short break back in UK, where it is still possible to see the occasional rainbow, as above. Other delights include unaffordable petrol (which troubles me not a bit, as a confirmed walker) and affordable real ale with names like Doom Bar, Kinver Light Railway, Black Pear and Bishop's Finger. Offsetting these are the

Standing in the Heart of Doha

just another friday night, for the men who are building a new doha
It has all the appearance of a muster point. Why else would several hundred people gather in a condemned cul-de-sac in the heart of Doha, except to stage a march or demonstration? But no, this is just another Friday night. The same crowd gathers every weekend, and for no better reason than Eccles' excuse - everybody's got to be

"Tooking for a Lowel" - remembering Patrick Campbell

Patrick Campbell, BBC TV, 1970
Lying awake to the cacophonous accompaniment of nightlong rubble clearance from the demolition site below my balcony, my sleep deprived mind came briefly, if randomly, to rest on a reminiscence of an old-style Irish columnist, raconteur and 'personality' (we had these in the days before celebrities) called Patrick Campbell. It occurred to me that if he were alive

A peaceful afternoon, shattered

It had to come sooner or later and today was the day. The Heart of Doha demolition phase is spreading its destruction wider and wider. A couple of days ago, the labourers moved out of their squat, the one right below my balcony, and today the JCB moved in. Here's what it looked (and sounded) like:
In fact it was quite impressive to watch at such close quarters, and in its favour, the demolition

About this no fly zone...

It's OK in theory but what will the spiders do for food?

Jazz in Doha Oryx Rotana

Elena Forbes
A good night was had by eight of us yesterday at the Doha Rotana Jazz Club. Many Doha music fans still don't know of the existence of this club, or even of the Oryx Rotana itself, probably because the hotel, located close to airport immigration, is a relatively low rise building not easily seen on the skyline. The band currently resident is called Turning Point, with a back line of

Laughter Factory - Refugee Night in the Library Bar

It happens every month. The Laughter Factory stand-up comedy show comes to the Shehrazad Sports Bar, displacing a large clutch of regulars, who then turn up as refugees in the normally peaceful Library. Poor lost souls, they stand out like sprained toes in the more civilised environment, shouting at each other from habit (Shehrazad is noisy), chain smoking (Shehrazad is foggy) and in some cases

A Change of Scene - Istanbul

Just back from a working visit to Istanbul. Apart from the weather (cold, wet, windy) it was a great trip. There's something nice about normality: equal numbers of men and women on the streets, mixing freely with each other. Cafes and bars where you can sit outside and enjoy whatever you fancy to eat and drink. A complete absence of 'family rooms' and screens. It's just so easy.
Then there's the

And now Bahrain - more innocents killed

"People were attacked while they were sleeping. There was no warning"..."And when they ran, the police attacked them from the direction they fled to"..."Whoever took the decision to attack the protest was aiming to kill".
The phrase 'disproportionate response', for so long associated with a different regime, has come home to roost even in Bahrain. Let those of us who can do nothing but care, at

Doha Ferrari Centre - Rock Bottom Prices

Doha Ferrari Centre is going from strength to strength. They have replaced their faded and worn-out banner signboard with a new one, exactly the same, but brash, bright and shiny. I'm not sure a humble car-wash would be allowed to style itself Ferrari Centre in Paris or London; the name would normally be jealously guarded for bona fide Ferrari dealers. But here in Doha such niceties count for

For Narcissa, who knows who she is

for narcissa, who knows who she is

even as you say
I must go home you
wonder why

there is a
turned down bed
and a chocolate
to say goodnight

for one less star
a made up bed
and no chocolate

only a minibar
with the sound of bees
in a stump

no trouser press thank god

each padded cell
empty
of narcissa who

does not leave the bar
casually but with
roses aforethought
and the mandatory

soft

So what has changed in the Paranormal?

Not a lot. The pink bendy mirror thing has gone, replaced by a structure far more rectilinear and featuring (approx) 25,920 small silvery studs. It's probably an improvement. The impossible girl spent New Year in China and has returned, fattened out, to something possible. Danny is still louring in his corner. One beer and one Bailey's together costs less than just one beer in Doha (mine was the

The Flying Fickle Finger of Fashion

Blogger's new 'popular posts' gadget (right) is interesting. For one thing, it shows that readers and writers may have different ideas on what a blog is really about. The Paranormal has one spoof post about a gay bar in Doha and an even less serious one on Doha's lesbian scene. That's two posts out of more than two hundred. But these are the two that top the table for visitors. My challenge now

Musheireb - now you see it, now you don't

Only a week separates these two pictures, taken from the roof of Doha Mercure (the Sofitel to its friends). That's how fast the old city is disappearing to make way for the new. The whole area from National to Boat Roundabout is now reduced to Rubble City. It's too late now, but somebody should have fitted a time lapse camera to Sofitel roof to record the disappearance of a city. A casual record

Reticulated Moleskin Wipes

No, I haven't lost the plot completely. I just wanted to demonstrate to someone how easy it is to hit the top slot in the search engines if you choose a sufficiently obscure search string. As a wipe, natural moleskin is not very effective. Moles, after all, are designed - sorry, evolved - to slip through their tunnels, not to stick to the walls. But this is changed by the reticulation process. A

Burns' Night in Jimmy's Bar

It takes exactly the right amount of Glenkinchie to trigger a spontaneous but flawed rendering of Holy Willie's Prayer in a corner of a pseudo New Yorkian bar in an international hotel in Doha, to a small select audience of two, one of whom works for 30 seconds occasionally, by releasing a button, while the other writes about it.
In other words, surrealism is alive and well in Qatar. Probably,

By Way of Wintery Summary

Nothing much has happened in my first few days back in Doha. The sewage tanker has not been bought after all, but the hopeful vendor has adopted a new policy of moving it to a different location each morning (never more than 400 yards from the old location) and returning it at night. As it is now as dusty as the rest of its environs and bespattered with the season's first muddy rain, the chances

Forty-Seven-Thousand Girls wanted for Light Duties

I came across an interesting statistic recently, all the more interesting because the source, who will remain nameless, is usually fairly reliable in such matters. We were talking about FIFA 2022 and some of the changes that Qatar will have to make if they are to meet the expectations, not merely of the organisers, management and players, but also of the half-million-or-so fans who are expected

The Latin on British Coins

Paraglider returns to Doha next week. Meanwhile, I wonder how many tourists to Britain ever notice the cryptic messages that surround the Queen's head on our coinage? Apart from the coherent Elizabeth II and the date, our pounds bear the legend DG REG FD. Not very informative. The two pound coins, having more space available, expand this to DEI GRA REG FID DEF, which is better, but still a bit