For Keri

Keri, Shirley and I went out for dinner and drinks to celebrate Keri's birthday on Tuesday and mine last Sunday. We also did some planning for the gathering happening in early October. It's exciting that we are having a Qatar reunion and we want to make it a special occasion. The reason this post is for Keri is that she is a regular reader and made the comment tonight that she hoped I'd write about tonight, here goes.

I have become addicted to the chilly infused olives they serve at the Flying Burrito Brothers, oh and their frozen Margarita's, so any excuse and off I go to eat there. Two birthdays seemed like the best excuse. It's amazing how the three of us can pick up where we left off in Qatar and talk, talk, talk. Only this time it's not walking along the Corniche in Doha in the heat but sitting in the warmth of a restaurant in Christchurch with the snow beginning to fall outside. We talked about how thing are in the real world, this world so different from our Qatar lives. 

I often hear it said how people from other cultures who come to New Zealand to live don't try to fit into our society. To an extent that is true. What I observed being a kiwi living in a Muslim country is that this happens with us as well. We seek others from our own country and choose to spend time with them while soaking up the sights and experiences of the new country, the different culture.

Cultures enclave. People seek others from their own place and to recreate their culture where ever they live in the world. For Muslim peoples this also includes keeping their religion alive for their families, their children, in a foreign land. Many people who settle in other places do not choose to leave their homeland, rather they are displaced by war or natural disaster. Why would they not want to keep their culture and religion alive.

The peoples of the Roman Empire colonised much of what we now call Europe and their architecture is evident in many places including Turkey and France. I have some wonderful photographs of their architecture, they built to last. They were not the first or the last peoples to do so. 

The peoples of the British Empire colonised many places in the world, took their culture, their religion, their beliefs and transplanted them. This often displaced or subjugated the first peoples of the lands they colonised. They also brought with them such useful things as gorse, rabbits and other pests. 

So we are not so different after all. We are all endeavoring to do the best we can for our families where ever we live. A little tolerance goes a long way. Try talking to others, welcoming them as we were welcomed by our Muslim friends in Qatar. It can be a humbling experience to be in the minority,we should all try it some time. 

Ooops. Sorry Keri, went off on a tangent!