Some Western Ware

Gondola ride anyone? I took a tour of the nearly completed Vellaggio mall on the outskirts of Doha. It's located right next to the Asian Games Khalifa Stadium (see photo) - quite an impressive stadium with an even more impressive tower next it that looks like it made the long trip from MiddleEarth (served as the torch for the games). As for the mall, it has a full gondola canal, sky painted ceilings, roman architecture, and although half of the stores aren't yet open, it already has a number of western shops, including MAC, Puma, Claires, Footlocker, and the Virgin Megastore, where I picked up an album today (Muse's - Black Holes & Revelations) to see if the same formatting issues that plague DVDs / Video Games also impact CDs. The CD costs 58 QAR (Riyals) = $16, and no tax - so fundamentally the same price as you would pay at BestBuy back home. Got the CD back to the hotel, since I forgot my car only has a cassette player, and Windows Media started playing it without a hiccup. It also looked like most ablums released 4+months ago are in stock, so much better music situation than I anticipated. Virgin also had a pleathra of those fun sample stations, where you look up artists or scan barcodes and listen to the album before you buy it. I spent nearly 30 minutes at the station before I settled on Muse (tough call between Muse, My Chemical Romance, and The Mars Volta). In addition the Virgin store has a small bookshop and movie selection, so it quickly became my favorite store in Doha (not much competition).

It's taken 2 weeks, but I'm officially as aggressive driver as the locals. Multiple times today I found myself behind slower moving. Luckily I used the "flash the lights" and "honk" maneuvers I'd picked up during my time here; much to my surprise they worked and I was able to pass. It's scary to think how dangerous the roads seemed when I arrived, and now how I actually look forward to driving on them for the thrill. Roundabouts are quite a lot of fun to navigate, especially now that I know the science behind them... the trick is to understand that even when lines aren't painted on the roundabout there are 3 layers of traffic - those who are turning right take the far right lane and quickly are on their way (just have to watch the guys exiting ), those who are going straight take the middle "lane", and those making a left or 360 should aim for the inside "lane". Typically when traffic is bad you'll have to wait for the right moment, when something happens to disrupt the flow - which is usually someone exiting at the same point your entering - in a sense cutting off the folks trying to enter on your left and leaving an opening. The first rule of roundabouts is to never hesitate and the locals will let you know if you missed your chance (a friendly honk or finger wave). The second is to use your turn signal - it's your friend! Once you're in the appropriate lane the hardest part is negotiating to the appropriate exit lane, which involves watching the traffic around you in all 3 mirrors, and being cautious of entering traffic in front of you. If everyone follows the rules it's a rather exciting experience... when a local just jumps into the fray or someone cuts you off is when it gets a bit nervewracking. For a more technical description try out this link which I used to learn the basics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundabout) - take a look at the Swindon Magic Roundabout - quite an endeavor for even the most experienced roundabout driver- glad Doha hasn't tried one of those yet. I should note that in Qatar we drive on the right side of the road - so most of the diagrams are reverse for us.

I'm off to the seafood buffet AGAIN... I have to say that living out of a hotel, no matter how nice, starts to drag after a while. That AND being away from Sheri and our friends... I wouldn't mind a nice home grilled steak and a St. Arnold's Brown Ale, which reminds me, some of the local hotels import a very tasty Irish Brown Ale called "Kilkenny" which is next to the Guinness and a bit brighter flavor... try to find it at the store nearest you because it is definintely worth the price. Would go wonderfully with some HoneyClover or Aspen blended tobacco.

Clives Comment of the Day: "Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become."

Great Music You Might Not Have Heard Before:

Muse - Starlight

The Format - She Doesn't Get It (Local Tucson, AZ boys)

Stereophonics - Nothing Precious At All

Jonezetta - Communicate

Greatness in Tragedy - Slideshow

Highwater Rising - Wasted Days

Idlewild - Love Saves Us From Loneliness

Famous Movie Quote: "What we do in life echoes in eternity"