Sheikh Mohammed Al-Thani, one of the most genuinely kindest, hospitable persons I have ever me.
When a lucrative 6 month teaching contract in Qatar was signed, I left the WA School of Mines, sent Helen and Tai to Aitutaki and I went to work teaching Arab nationals, at the vocational training centre in Doha, Qatar, Arabian Gulf.
I arrived during the religious month of Ramadan. Gun toting soldiers guarded the airport. In Doha city, it was difficult to even get a drink of water because every one was fasting.Qatar has the world's largest natural gas deposit off the northern tip of its peninsular, near Ras Laffan where my hospitable friend, Sheik Mohammed Al Thani, has a holiday palace. With a small population of Arab nationals, the government can afford to give them a grand house when they get married. There would be more steel, concrete and light in the fences around each estate than in an average Australian house. Most houses are grander than the best houses in Perth.
I was fishing off what seemed to be a public rock groin (jetty) at Ras Laffan one weekend, when I first met Jamal, Sheikh Mohammed’s manager, who came to interrogate why I was on the Sheikh’s jetty. After apologising, we began talking and was introduced to Mohammed who had is holiday home servant, serve tea on the Sheik’s beach. A friendship was established with Mohammed, his brother Nasa (Managing director of the national insurance company) and Jamal. They were all very hospitable. I spent time with them in the house for men in the grounds of the palace. One day Jamal and I went into town to get the latest, huge, home entertainment system. Nasa played ‘Hunt for the Red October’. I could swear the submarine was behind me. The exotic food I ate there and at the palace at Ras Laffan was fantastic. The spice cardommon was used a lot. One chicken dish had the great taste of black lemon skins. Once we had a delicious feast at Jamal’s home. Unfortunately we never got to meet the cook because she was Jamal’s wife In their culture, women are isolated from men except relatives. We did a lot of great fishing in the Gulf halfway between Qatar and Iran, in Mohammed’s new boats. Mohammed had his rock groin extended because he was getting a newer, bigger boat about a month after his current new beautiful boat. Riding on Mohammed’s new (latest Yammaha) jet ski was a thrilling. The garage was full of the latest cars: Suburban 4WDs, a four wheel steering, sleek sports car, 80 series Toyota 4wd, and a beautiful motorbike.
One of the entourage droped me home at Mamoura once in a sports car that felt like it was attached to the road on rails; could it corner. Sheik Mubarrik was interested in camel racing and falconry.
The Falcon Club was for executives of the Qatar General Petroleum Corp. (QGPC) We ate dinner there most nights, followed by some sort of activity such as bowling, swimming, watching cable TV, library, gym, etc. A group of us from the residential estate at Mamoura, including the Tans, Nahji Omran (manager of the vocational training centre where I worked) and a little Scott (Jimmy) would often bowl and sometimes do the restaurant crawl in Doha (capital city). (I never forget the surname Nahji reckons is of Jesus’ mother - "Omran"). The club waiters were Indian, wore tuxedos and bow ties, and gave the best service I have ever experienced. I used to do laps in the pool and when I got thirsty, they’d bring me freshly squeezed orange juice. The meals were varied from a comprehensive Western or Arabic or Asian menu. I liked the Arabic music the musicians played there. Another friend we made at the club was Jabba Al Qawari. (Kawari?) He used to take us fishing in the gulf. Friendly too were the Arab fishermen at Ras Lafan, who lived in tents, next to the Sheikh’s palace. They also took us fishing and partied round camp fires at night. The Qataries I met were very hospitable. We did here stories of servants from Asia being severely punished and even British expats being wiped and jailed for liquor offences. I also heard of Qatari youth robbers getting off lightly after robbing an instructor’s house. The youth crime problem is not confined to western culture. At the QGPC vocational training centre where I worked, some students were the most polite and gracious I’d ever taught, while some were the most arrogant.
My lab technician Sharji from India was a pleasure to work with. Supportive were colleagues including Don and Tan. Some weekend I went sailing at the QGPC sailing club at the Doha harbour. I also volunteered some time in sailing instruction there.
Home at Mamoura was well fitted out with genuine middle eastern rugs on the marble floor, two bath rooms and a fully self contained kitchen. Unfortunately it missed the sound of family. It was a bit lonely that way. All the regular parties didn’t make up for lack of family. A year even though the pay was substantial, was enough for me. Besides in the end they found an Iraqi with a London chemistry degree to take over my place. Some of the kindest, sincere, hospitable students and some of the most arrogantstudents I ever taught were at the vocational training centre. Some, fortunately a small minority treated you like infidels, while things that I remember most fondly were the mature students who would do things like lean out a class room window, and order a servant to fetch "teacher" (that's what they called us - easy for them to remember that instead of Western names) a drink. One day they had the most delicious lunch of exotic liver delivered from the great Iranian restaurant in Doha. I ordered liver every time I went there. Another student, Kalifa, invited me to his wedding. The banquet food was exotic and delicious. The guests wore long flowing robes and interesting head apparel. Gulf Arabs usually replaced what looked like a red tea towel, with white or gold head gear on social occasions, held down with black rope. Sudanese wrapped white head material round their heads. They all looked very sheikh. The big surprises was that there were no women at the wedding!! Not even a bride!?! The women held their part of the wedding in another part of town. Americans called them BMOs (black moving objects) All you could see of the more revelling ones were eyes. Others wore a veil which they could see out of but you couldn't see into. At some social events you could hear their high pitched, warbling, shrill call which was made by rapidly flicking the tongue at the roof of the mouth. All the regular parties didn’t make up for lack of family. A year even though the pay was substantial, was enough for me. Besides, in the end they found an Iraqi with a London chemistry degree to take over my place.
After the first contract, I flew to Kalgoorlie, moved the rest of our family belongings out of storage to Perth, flew to Aitutak, for 2 weeks, Hawaii 10 days, Europe 7 days, Dubai, Penang, for a 2 week holiday and then back to Doha via Dubai for another 6 month contract teaching Arab students of the national oil company (Qatar General Petroleum Corp.) to be laboratory technicians.
In the last month in Qatar, I was shocked to discover my weight had dropped from an already low 84 kg to 74 kg ! Amebas from water was the half plant half animal, single celled parasite identified as the cause. Medicine available there could only knock out the adult flagellates. There was none of the medicine available to kill the cysts (juveniles) After a nice stop over in KL, I arrived in Perth at 4am on Christmas eve. I went straight to see my family in the flat we just bought at Scarborough and then straight to the nearby medical centre.
In summer the temperature get over 50 degrees Celsius. On hot nights with the window open the sound of mosque criers would float in loud and clear through open windows. While there was airconditioning in every room in my home, I preferred fresh air. I’ve lived in pearling places of Broome, the Cook Island and now Qatar. The worlds largest pearl, now in the Queen of England’s crown, came from Qatar.