Tag: middle east

Love: Capitalism's Best Seller

Cover design by Hamda Al Kuwari and Fatima Al Salat

We hear songs, watch movies, and yes, read books about that most elusive of emotions: love. No matter if your culture practices arranged marriages (Indian/Arab) or not (the west). No matter if your parents are divorced (fell out of love) or not. No matter if you are married (harder to stay in love?) or not. I could tell you how at one point in human history marriage was thought of a business transaction, a way to consolidate wealth within families or across countries. Or that modern society has not eased up on women to have a man (and a baby or two) in order to think we have it all. You’re smart. You know these schemes around the world’s most sought after prize — finding one’s soul mate.

Love is at the core of contemporary culture. Despite your best efforts, there’s no way to avoid it. From Bollywood to Hollywood the themes are the ones passed to us by the Bard himself, William Shakespeare. Star crossed lovers; repudiated love; timid love; the plot lines are as familiar as the headlines for celebrity breakups. Were, for example, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes ever in love? Or was it a career furthering scheme drafted in the cold light of day between agents? What will happen to Suri Curise, the tiny fashion maven?

Those are questions for a very different story than the one I wrote inspired by the dreams, wishes, and desires of young people living in Qatar.

Love Comes Later is my second novel, a meditation on how non-western people of this generation will find happiness. I’m excited to say the book is now available for purchase on Amazon.com.

As a writer I’m not immune to the questions of the commercial love machine. After all romance readers account for a large portion of book sales year round. Romance writers are like country singers; they come out with albums on a yearly basis and their fans make them best sellers. I’m not sure if I’m going to become what’s called a genre writer and stick only to romance from now on. This story, of three protagonists, Abdulla, Hind, and Sangita, came to me as a love triangle.

I can tell you that based on the five books I’ve released this year, the novel is the one everyone gets excited about. Short stories and essays may get a passing look, but a novel still seems to inspire more wonder and likelihood of risk on a new author. This new project will help me further test my hypothesis… or you can share your thoughts on my theory and enlighten me.

If you like your romance more visual than textual, then have a look at the book’s YouTube trailer. As always, writers need readers, so please take a second and let me know what you think!

 

 

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Wordless Wednesday: A Harsh Reminder of the Illusion of Certainty

Plumes of smoke at Villaggio mall in Doha

People still associate the Middle East with terrorism — the kind of danger that has people strapping bombs to their chests or cars. This week in Qatar started with a stark reminder that the everyday dangers are equally deadly.

The building boom around the Arabian Gulf has raised a lot of eyebrows. People often murmur questions about building codes, quality of materials, and emergency response infrastructure. I was at one of the country’s biggest malls two years ago, while 8 months pregnant, when a cafe kitchen started spewing fumes. At another mall a few years prior to this, a department store went up in flames, singeing other retailers nearby. One of the high rise towers were many friends live caught on fire, burning out the garbage chute and sending everyone to temporary housing for several months.

This is why when my students said to me on Monday, “Villaggio is on fire,” none of us expected what came next. A fire (causes still largely unknown) claimed the lives of thirteen children, fire fighters and  teachers on Monday. The fourteen people reported killed in the fire is a staggering loss to a country known for safety. The community reeled in shock as the photos and videos of plumes of smoke went around the social media sites and onto people’s Blackberry display pictures.

Yesterday several vigils were held in solidarity with the families — one couple lost their triplets — who were grappling with the realization that the morning’s nursery drop off was anything but routine.

Stories flooded the message boards from other parents who had intended to send their children to that same nursery but hadn’t, others asking when the mall would be reopened, and the grief poured in on all sides. In a show of unity, the Twitter community was circulating the hashtag #onecommunitydoha, #oneunitedqatar in solidarity with the families.

The fire has struck a cord on both the emotional and governmental level. Needless to say, there are many issues that this tragedy has exposed: fire safety awareness, materials in construction, equipment used by firemen. And the rumor mill is busy at work as well.

For now, for a moment, we pause and remember that life is only as important as the perspective from which we view it. We mourn with those who lost loved ones. And with the memory of the fragility of life, cling to those whom we are fortunate enough to have in our lives.

The Emir of Qatar in prayer

 

 

Display picture image from Blackberry profile, asking for God's protection of Qatar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Wordless Wednesday: Men Also Cover Their Faces

A laborer working as a gardner on a dusty day in Doha.

 

For many years I’ve been thinking about how ironic it is that in a region where people focus on women veiling (and whether or not they are forced to cover) we ignore that men use veils as well for various reasons.

One of the most commons ones that I’ve always wanted to take a photo of (and this week’s post gave me the excuse) is of laborers in Qatar. They wrap their faces against the heat, or in cases like today, the dust.

These face wraps would be considered criminal masks elsewhere in the world.

But here they are not only widely used, they are necessary for survival.

 

DOHA, QATAR - JANUARY 04: Arabic women walk a...
DOHA, QATAR - JANUARY 04: Qatari women walking on the corniche (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

 

 

 

 

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