Doha
Budapest
Buzau
Bangalore
Brooklyn New York
New York
Cochin
London
Ft. Worth
Calgary
Boston
Berkhamsted
Muscat
Las Vegas
Aliso Viejo
Hasselt
Bellevue
Seoul
Conroe
Mountain View
Leeds
Sydney
Regina What is the common in the above listed cities ? Well , I got readers from all of them . About ten days ago I managed somehow to install the stats program on my blog and it is very exciting to see who are clicking on my page .It is one of the great things about blogging .I get the most readers from Qatar though I did not manage to get on the list of qatarliving bloggers however hard I tried . I gave up that and I am trying to reach people through community forums and directories .



It was very hard at the beginning .Sometimes my posts disappeared ,sometimes they could not be published for some unknown reasons .Then I became more confident technically .When I had around 30 posts I submitted my blog to some directories .One of them refused me claiming that my blog is not a quality blog yet . To be admitted I should post minimum three times a week and my posts should be no longer or shorter than 400-500 character .First ,I thought I would try .Then I told to myself : how terrible to write only because you have to . I think the charm of the blogs is coming from their spontaneous ,unprofessional nature . This way I remain an everyday blogger - and wish I could go on with it the next year .

The great surprise that I am not the only Hungarian who is blogging from Qatar .I discovered tunde2006 is also sending posts in Hungarian about the life here and got a message some weeks ago in Hungarian from cowbabies - who is posting in English from here .
I read with pleasure Marjorie 's blog and tall&ginger'blog . Rain in DOha also gave me a lots of practical information .
Unfortunately , I did not have time to study and read all the blogs -and I suppose there are many others worth reading .
THank you for the blogging , the reading !
I wish a very happy blogging year for all of us !

Pizza Places in Qatar

• Pizza Places in Qatar It might be useful to know : Biella cafe-pizzeria -ristorante 4677731 the Mall D- ring road + City Center il rustico ristorante italiano 4385444 rydges hotel al-bida the italian job - ramada hotel c ring road 4281428 papa johns -food center ,al khor + Al Emadi Building, along Ras Abu Abboud, Old Salata Contact Number: 4662161 sbarro - Al Emadi complex ,B ring road tel :4440401 +Royal plaza top floor tel:4477763 + Center point mall .Jawaan street 4477780 yellow cab - Tv roundabout 4888310 Lo Spaguetto -behind the royal plaza tel:4341601 Pizza Express - Villaggio Mall , City Center mall , top floor 4839595 Pizza Hut - American Pizza Ramada Junction 4657744 ,4657733 Pizza Inn tel 4443596 4783357 4817576 PizzeriaFresh Pizza/PastasDoha Marriott Gulf Hotel4432432 Porcine Italian Ritz-Carlton 4848000 Il Foro Romano Ristorante location :Hyatt Plaza tel:4581111 Ristretto location : Villaggio Mall tel:4507208 Romano's Macaroni Grill location : Villaggio Mall tel 451 75 85 Domino's Pizza Location Al Nasser Street and Rass Abou Aboud Street Contact Number: 4340000 My list is not full .A week ago I tasted Sbaro's pizza and it had very fresh ,Mediterranean flavour - I would recommend that to everyone .  

SZABO MAGDA , the much beloved Hungarian writer died some weeks ago . She was ninety and had a very exciting life and carrier .A woman novelist ,a great teacher .I must stop and think about her . WE met 27 years ago . I was a teenage girl she was the famous writer .She came to visit her cousin to the little town where my brother graduated from the secondary school . The form teacher of my brother happened to be cousin with the great writer and she had promised the visit on the farewell day of the class .The school building was from 18 th century , baroque style . It used to be monastery .ON the farewell days in my country all the school buiding is decorated by flowers .The students before the final exams walk along the classes and sing a farewell song .All of it was very romantic .She was there: a very simple person with very simple manners .
How nice to remember her !
IN her last interview she said this sentence : " I have had a deep fear in my soul since my early childhood : if I do not listen to those who want to talk to me then God is not going to listen to me either ."

Part of her great success was that she was a great listener !

learn more about her in English

Christmas story or the ugly book's tale

 1970 was a pretty difficult year .   My father saw no other way to   rise the family's living standard  than going to the capital to study  for a year  in hope of getting a better position   . It made us suffer financially and emotionally as well .  How much I missed  him ! He came home just for a short visit for the weekends . On Sundays he had to leave  us right after our lunch . After kissing him good-bye at the bus station my mum was walking home with grim face – then before arriving home she burst out crying .  Usually , I  could not help  crying with her - we were sobbing in the street . The next door women were laughing at us .” Hey ,are you crazy ? /” He is coming back next week – he didn't go to war , but to college ."

It was hard for my mum .She was left alone with three  little kids and very little money .My father had to concentrate on his studies . We had to suffer for a better future .

Christmas was very near and my mother had very little money for presents . She hoped to get something unexpected : bonus or some money from my father – but nothing came .She had to arrange all the presents somehow on her own means ..
The shops were going to close and remain closed for Christmas time when
my mother ran to the toy shop : she had found a wooden toy car for my little brother and a doll for me – after paying she was left with very little money .” could you suggest something for a nine year old boy ?” she asked „for this money we've a book „ she had pointed to a ugly looking book with grey cover in the shop window . It was meant for summer visitors – a travel book on lake Balaton at discount price .
„ No „ was the first reaction of my mum „ „ it can not be a present for him „
We do not have anything else -and sorry we are closing „ Are you taking the book or not ?”

My mother recognized that she had no other option . She bought an ugly looking discount priced book for her first born son . What will he say when he sees it under the tree? What a life ! How far were her dreams from the reality !

My father arrived  just some hours before exchanging gifts .He was not scared at all  when my mum told him about the book .” I will arrange that „ he had told her with confidence . (They never lied us about the presents – it was always clear for us that they bought it or they prepared them on their own .)

„ My son „ „ You get no toys this winter , because we thought with your mum that you are big enough to have a book instead – and not any book but a book written for adults . I consider that you are smart enough to read it and tell us later about it" 
That was my father's trick .
 And  it worked wonderfully ! My brother was not disappointed but proud !He started to read as soon as he found some free time . And the book  despite its ugly cover turned out to be very interesting : it told stories ,legends on the origin of the mountains and hills surrounding us . We had lived in Tapolca basin surrounded by so many different type of mountains . He had learned a lot about them .First he told these stories only  for us at home . Then he shared his knowledge with his buddies as well .Finally he became famous in the neighbourhood as an expert of mountains -and often even adults stopped him and asked him to tell about the story of this or that mountain .

When they asked amazed:where did you learn all this ?: he answered proudly : from a book I got for Christmas .

Epiloge

My brother is in his fourtiies nowadays and he still knows a lot on that area ,he loves the books and had learnt a lots of different hobbies merely from books wihtout tutors .And of course he still remembers with pleasure to that ugly looking book ...

SPORT CITY has been built recently - in the evenings it is wonderfully illuminated .

santa was at the plaza

a cafe in the plaza

art-deco interior of royal plaza

the city where I live is partly demolished and built up again . It has got some old districts like Bin Mahmoud , which id gradually transformed.Other ones like Rumeila was totally pulled down - only the trees remained four years ago .

festive pattern no2
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almawad

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ROYAL PLAZA FOR ENTERTAINMENT I had never thought that Royal Plaza in the Al- Sadd is more than a boring plaza for luxury shopping .I have never intended to go there .
But when I read about its art-deco cinemas its sapphire ,ruby ,golden halls I decided that I must go there a day .
It was a stunning experience to enter the main hall of the plaza .WE had the feeling that we travelled through the history and space and we found ourselves in the roaring 1930's .The sun entering through the glass dome enlightened the whole plaza .Star shaped windows ,vintage style floor pattern , a huge clock at the top of the elevator ,stained glass lamps - it seemed that everything was wonderfully planned .
WE got surprised when the concierge at the customer service had asked if we wish a fun stroller for our kid .It was for free . Waiting for the elevator we found an automatic shoe-shine machine .Also it was free .The lifts' doors were transparent and the lift-boys were wearing Santa's cap .
AS we came for entertainment we went right to the cafe "Cup&cino" It was again a joy to admire their stylish decor , furniture .
Reef fun-city for kids was our next place to go inside the plaza .For 20 rial there was unlimited access to the Dodgem , soft toys ,huge slides ,craft corner ,let'pretend corner .Our kid had so good time there that we missed the kids chorus performing on the first floor during that 90 minutes that we spent there .
When we got out from there and looked down we saw already Santa sitting there - he was a Filipino Santa - for me it was very special .He was listening carefully to the kids and to their parents .
Another Filipino man made face paintings- extraordinary good ones .It was also the courtesy of the plaza .
When we returned the fun- stroller to the concierge- our kid got a packet of marshmallows and she had the possibility to play the game "guess how many candies in the jar " .Though she did not win - but all in all we left the plaza with the feeling that this is the place where we must come again soon .

SOME THOUGHTS ON TEDDY BEARS:
Teddy bears are soft toys .With their outstretching arms and gentle glamour in their eyes they tend to remind kids to humans .No wonder that they are so popular comforting objects .Kids love to hug the teddies .This toy is a love- substitute ,makes one think about peace ,love , warmth , safety .
It is not an animal ! It is not a pet ! Just a toy ,a comforting object !

One of my fellow Hungarians is struggling with life in Saudi Arabia .Cultural shock ,uprooted life so on ...
She started her blog some weeks ago here .
Good Luck for her !