An EXCERPT from howie

a dear friend who uprooted himself from Portland, Oregon to Doha, Qatar a few weeks ago. You are missed. XO

"Most days aren't too exciting. I'm mentally exhausted when I come home from work. I'll tell you about my most interesting day in Doha, it began last Friday. My neighbor Mohammed picked me up around 11:00 AM, and we drove to a Mosque. On the way to prayer, he told me hated George Bush. He said, "America's is in the middle east for oil." I didn't disagree with him. Further along in the car ride, he explained the differences between Shi'ite muslims and Sunni muslims. The Shi'ites are to Sunni's as catholics are to protestants. After a short while we arrived at the Mosque. Mohammed drove right to the front of the mosque, and blocked in a car or two. I laughed. We walked into a courtyard outside the mosque, took off our socks and shoes, and entered a wash room with white marble floors and polished silver colored faucets lining the walls. I imitated Mohammed's movements; I washed my feet, hands and face. Once I dried off, I entered the mosque and sat on a carpet and listened to a Sheikh give an ardent sermon. During the speech, the Sheikh's intonation was passionate and his mannerisms were forceful - he threw his hands around like a man with some shit on his mind. After 30 minutes into the sermon, Mohammed leaned over and told me, "The sermon is about sex before you're married." I laughed to myself. Later in the day, I told him, "Now, I know why you laughed during the sermon." Mohammed has no problems (making love to)* ladies outside of marriage, and I doubt he has any trouble picking them up either. He's a suave guy who resembles Mario Lopez. After the sermon, we went to a Syrian restaurant, and Mohammed tried to boss his girlfriend around over the phone while I laughed. His girlfriend is from Oregon and has no problems telling him what she is and isn't gonna do. After he got off the phone, he told me, "American women are to, to, to." "Independent", I responded. The ladies in Syria are more acquiescent than American ladies, if I can make that generalization."
*edited word choice