Among the funnier things we have seen was one night when we were passing along Al Waab (the main road leading to the stadium). This has gone from being far from completed to being “nearly there” in what seems only a couple of weeks. The laying of pavers on the medium strips is being done late into the night, but do they have high-powered lights set up so they can actually see what they are doing? No, they are using the headlights of their cars. Ok so it does the job, but I wonder how long the paving will last!
We had a drive along the Corniche on the weekend and it is all looking very green and clean. Lots of flags are flying and overpasses are either in place or “nearly there” crossing the road (the cycling and road running is being held there). Cruise liners have arrived in the harbour to provide extra accommodation.
...flags flying, grass greening, flowers flowering...
...overpasses... well... passing over!
Not sure why the bottom of all the palm trees have all been painted white, but the cruise-liners are slowly arriving to provide extra spectator rooms.
...and just in case the cruise-liners run out of rooms as well!
Wooden barriers are up on the corners of roads to cover up construction sites and empty lots… covered in Games images of course. They even cleared up across the road from our compound, which until now has consisted of piles of sand and rock. Don’t know where it was all taken to, but it happened overnight as it was obviously a bit too close to event locations. Karwa taxis have all but vanished from the roads, as most of the taxis and buses (as well as their drivers) have been seconded by the organising committee to ferry athletes and officials. Apparently one of the newspapers counted 1000 cabs sitting in the lot waiting for the Games out of the total of 1300-1400 Karwa cabs (not bad).
So they are actually getting it all together… “the games of your life…”
There is something missing though… it really all looks so “Western”. I don’t know if that is good or bad. I suppose promoting how “developed” Qatar is will be great for the country, but unfortunately in some cases “developed” seems to equal “western”. As far as this particular event is concerned, “developed” also seems to equate to Australian… not as strange as it sounds! The mascot for the Games is Orry Oryx… and no offence, but I don’t know of many countries that would come up with a name like that outside of Australia. The same company that did the opening and closing ceremonies for the Sydney Olympics is running the Doha ceremonies. Australian songwriters have written the Games song. “…the games of your life…” is the slogan and the “Friendship Flame” is about to return to Qatar after doing the rounds of Asia; of course both have that Aussie ring to it. The best money can buy maybe, but yet again it just seems to lack that sense of authenticity that I am continually searching for here.
I don’t know if anyone else will feel this way, but from Michael the marketing guy’s viewpoint it all seems to be doing a major disservice to this region along with it’s history and culture. I just hope that given time while the Asian Games may continue the process of putting Qatar on the map, it will be the countries unique culture, history, environment and lifestyle that keeps it there.
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