14 Injured in fire at Address Hotel -Dubai

Fire Still Rages at The Address Hotel in Dubai; 1 Dead, 14 Injured -https://t.co/npxBy7cS2z pic.twitter.com/9KPhqQyycj

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) December 31, 2015

Later the news talk about injured only  - hopefully  nobody died in that towering inferno ... I do not like tower buildings anyway  ..do you ?

Happy 2016

Swirling vintage Japanese abstract -happy 2016 Classic Round Sticker by almawad

Palestinian children's choir sings the national anthem of Hungary

I found this at youtube while looking for the usual midnight anthem ...

Happy New year  to everyone !

Thank you for reading my blog !

Andaloussi Music - 29th December Katara

Today at 7:00 pm, starts the Algerian Concert “Andaloussi Music”by Lila Borsali in #Katara Opera House pic.twitter.com/5P8SKrd51u

— كتارا | Katara (@kataraqatar) December 29, 2015

New Year Eve Parties &Celebrations in Doha 2015/2016

Cool blizzard penguins -2016 party 5x7 paper invitation card by almawad

 A lots of four and five star  hotel are waiting for the guests with dinners ,countdowns ,pop crackers ... read more about them

Cuban bands , jazz ,1920's party ,DJ -es ,bouncing castles ,"recovery brunch " ,celebrity show,circus-themed extravaganza ,and more ... browse the pages to find the events that suits you ..
Going to  cinema on New Year Eve ?
 Check out  what's on !



win 2 complimentary tickets to our New Year’s extravaganza PARADE

Hurry up and win 2 complimentary tickets to our New Year’s extravaganza PARADE! Winner will be announced today @ 3pm pic.twitter.com/kxc2oHDUiR

— Grand Hyatt Doha (@GrandHyattDoha) December 29, 2015

My Childhood Xmas Stories

Do you feel like reading some real stories ? I had some  Xmas memories from my childhood  and  wrote  about them some years ago  for my kids and husband .Hope you will enjoy them too !

 Grandma used to come to see us every December
 A story of my early childhood  and its Decembers .   Grandma made it very special .

A Christmas story or the Ugly Book's tale
Sometimes the dreams are so far from the reality ! When a mother has to buy some cheap ,discount priced item for his child and she expects  disappointed face ...
A Christmas story - my auntie's house    Everything looked so wonderful at auntie's house ...they seemed to have all the luxury  and charm but one year at Xmas I found out that they missed something very much !

Syrian Women Learn to Ride Bikes for the First Time - Berlin

Syrian Women Learn to Ride Bikes for the First Time
Keep pedaling!In Germany, Syrian asylum-seekers learn to ride bikes for the first time.
Posted by AJ+ on Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Palestinian Santa Claus in Jerusalem

Palestinian Christian Issa Kassissieh, dressed as Santa Claus, rode a camel through Jerusalem on 21 December during the annual distribution of Christmas trees. Photo Credit: Reuters
Posted by The Institute for Palestine Studies on Tuesday, December 22, 2015

 Did you know ? There are around  150 -200 thousand Christians among the Palestinians . 

Vintage camels in the desert

Vintage camels in the desert poster by almawad

Qatar National Day 2015 - my thoughts

I do not go out on National Days . I stay at home  , I watch the military parade  . Why ? Due to the crowds . Previous years we went out to see the Darb el Saaei events  - which were good but the crowd . Another year we were watching the fireworks  just to be stuck in a traffic jam .15 minutes entertainment   and two hours traffic jam . The organizers made everything to avoid this year the crowds -  many programs are available even today .
But I stay at home .

 The military parade's planes were just flying above our heads  -we could see them from very close .All the days before the National Day they were practising .

 I saw the  military parade on Al-Jazeera live channel . After the parade the emir and his father were walking on the road .Shaking hands with people .
 Qatar is a safe country  - wrote my little boy in an essay about why he loves this country .

Let's hope that it remains safe  and the whole area /whole world will be a safe place one day !
 The sooner - the better !

Tell your story about Qatar by a video

#Qatar is full of stories - and we want you to tell yours! Join our #DariQatar initiative! https://t.co/zaba9hsE2O pic.twitter.com/ePcMjkMpn7

— Doha Film Institute (@DohaFilm) December 14, 2015

The story of #Qatar, told by all of us. Join our #DariQatar initiative and share your moments! pic.twitter.com/wFm6vifEDD

— Doha Film Institute (@DohaFilm) December 13, 2015

The story of #Qatar, told by all of us. Join  #DariQatar initiative and share your moments!

Porto Arabia , Pearl - Qatar National Day celebrations

Invitation to witness the spectacular fireworks @ThePearlQatar https://t.co/QehwhCr0Fg #QND pic.twitter.com/KmM7A3uBUp

— The Pearl-Qatar (@ThePearlQatar) December 14, 2015

 Most of the activities will take place at Porto  Arabia , 12 ,la Croisette .

 You can expect fireworks , traditional dance , tent for guests ,water screen projections .

 From 16 to 20  of December

Be captivated with a breathtaking water screen projection @ThePearlQatar https://t.co/hyU3uoOuQX #QND pic.twitter.com/nFltkxINe0

— The Pearl-Qatar (@ThePearlQatar) December 10, 2015

Qatar National Day celebrations - Darb el Saai grounds

س: ما هي أفضل ذكرياتك عن اليوم الوطني؟ شاركنا في التعليقات.Q: What's your favorite National Day memory? Share your comments below. #QF_QND
Posted by Qatar Foundation on Saturday, December 12, 2015

  
  
  
  

   

How to get there ? Free buses will take you and your family there from different points of the city .

4 pick up points : Souq Waqif , Pearl , Aspire Park , Sheraton -park
7 am , 9 am , 3 pm , 5 pm , 7:15 pm
Everyday till 20th of December

Posted by Qatar Day on Thursday, December 10, 2015

Christmas programs in major hotels in Doha

Posted by Kids Doha on Tuesday, December 8, 2015

 Check out the dates and the events in major hotels  before Xmas . 

 As you may know Christmas is not an official holiday in Qatar as the citizens are 100 % Muslims .  There are a lots of foreigners working in Qatar who are Christians .So you will find special programs for them in major hotels .

Solar energy potential -world map

Is solar the answer to the developing world's #energy needs? https://t.co/4lWwhHACJw #COP21 pic.twitter.com/GkMvcAU7mO

— World Economic Forum (@wef) December 10, 2015

Where is the world’s hidden groundwater?

Where is the world’s hidden groundwater? https://t.co/tE3bWAQaiu #environment #water pic.twitter.com/cn09WCZSez

— World Economic Forum (@wef) December 11, 2015

If all Earth hidden groundwater was brought to the ground how deep it would be ?

Beauty and the beast in Qatar

We met the Beauty at the weekend at the Katara .She was charming . She gave a red rose to every kid . She was promoting the performance which is coming soon to Doha .
I love this story about this bookish girl who sees the values in the Beast . But the cheapest ticket is 199 rial .Plus I have already been to an event to the QNNC  theatre  and I know for sure that not much thing can be seen for this money .For instance I could not recognize my own child who was performing on the stage .I kept concentrating but I missed her .
So I am not very excited !However - thank you for the rose !

 You can learn more about it here .

Qatar in the Eyes of Children - 13 – 16 Dec

“Qatar in the Eyes of Children” Workshop starts on 13 – 16 Dec, in #Katara Art Studios, Build 19, from 3:30-5:30 pm. pic.twitter.com/TWfNZws3kq

— كتارا | Katara (@kataraqatar) December 8, 2015

Turkey on demand from IKEA restaurant Qatar

Order your Whole Turkey for QR 499 starting today till the 31st of December! pic.twitter.com/lnoHWXPFop

— IKEA Qatar (@IKEAQatar) December 8, 2015

LEGO Build Event at Ezdan Mall until 5 January

أخيرا إنتهى الإنتظار! إنضموا إلينا في فعالية بناء مجسمات الليغو في #ازدان_مول بداية من اليوم من الساعة 12 ظهراً إلى 8 مس...
Posted by ‎Ezdan Mall - إزدان مول‎ on Monday, December 7, 2015

I was there with two kids last weekend . There was a moderate length line in front of the registration desk . There is one place for little kids 5 years and bellow / other place for 5-12 years . The play time is very short - only 20 minutes .It is enough for nothing for the big ones .Wonderful lego built towers are on display but the time is not enough to build something complicated .I would rather pay than getting this free 20 minutes !

Cocktails at a cheap shopping center in Doha downtown

These fruit and vegetables cocktails are really nice and cost half of the ones that I found in Ezdan Mall . I found these drinks at Quality Mall Bin Mahmoud district . It is really high time healthy drinks and snacks are sold in Doha at affordable prices . The number of diabetic patients is quite high around here . Some examples  of the drinks above :
Liver Cure : beetroot ,apple ,lime
 Hangover Cure : pineapple ,mango ,banana ,orange
Cucumber juice 

Metro constructions in Bin Mahmoud district - Doha

Metro construction in our district causes many troubles with normal traffic . It is annoying - on the other hand it is uplifting to witness the birth of a modern city .

Angelina Jordan performing at the Film Festival in Doha

I have never heard about her before . I just went out for a family weekend to the Katara then I heard someone is singing my favorite song . I was enchanted by the melody  - I went closer and I saw that a little girl is singing in a voice of an adult woman . Then I thought it must be karaoke or something like that .
 So I left the concert .Later at home I read that she is a wonder child  - a 9 year old Norwegian singer  / a youtube star and talent show winner .
 Thank you Angelina Jordan  !

The Lights of the Film Festival - 2015 Katara

The lights at Katara during the film festival were amazing ... inside and outside .I do not know who was the designer of those light effects but I congratulate him/her/them .

Short films reviews at the Ajyal Youth Film festival 2015

It was a cultural weekend ... We saw a bunch of short films at the Ajyal film festival: there were Nepali,

Kurdish, American, French,Canadian , Qatari films ...
It seemed to me that the directors competed with each others in choosing the most distressing, topic

they could when they created their films .The French film was the "happiest" story ( By Mutual Agreement ) : There was a couple

about to divorce . They suddenly realized that the cause their marriage deteriorated was their five-year

old only child . . they could not really enjoy life since his birth - so they decided to get rid of him ...

all of this in fun, light and absurd style - after a lots of attempted murder - finally themselves the evil

parents are hit by a car -not the little boy! The story was a bit like Hansel and Gretel , But in that story

the kids are returning to the parents who tried to kill them !
Of course, this was a good critique of parental hedonism and irresponsibility, which flooded the world.


À l’amiable / By Mutual Agreement from oriGine films on Vimeo.

The Qatari film was not so depressing compared to the others : it was about a young man from India or

Sri lanka (?) who worked at the Katara as toilet cleaner . He tried to jazz up his boring ,rootless days with

some jokes that were badly received .It was an attempt to show the real problem of workers in Qatar against

the slavery accusations in the international media.The young man's uncle is having a smart phone and a wife in

India (? ) whom he can kiss good bye at night by the phone . It was just a light touch to the problems of the

labourer's in the Gulf but more than nothing .

The Nepali director had shown the world the real suffering of his own people in the  Beaten Path  . Blood , disease ,famine

,extreme poverty was counterpointed by the beauty of the nature and the noble soul of the main character .

The Kurdish story of the Bad Hunter started with a rape then it turned into a false accusation finally it evolved into a happy

end !It shows the way how a young woman needs to be tricky to turn her own tragedy into a happy event of her

life .

We saw a film about a man whose memory and this way his identity was robbed .It was quite difficult to follow

. Finally the director explained all the story . It was the Artificio Conceal made in UK , USA .

The most depressing topic was about a Canadian Arab man whose baby ( wife as well ?) died at birth and he

is not strong enough to do the usual rituals before the burial .
I missed the women from the film : in the Nepali film there was one single unnamed female character who was mourning the death of her husband . The Qatari film did not have female character ,either .In the American film we just hear the voice of a woman .Only the French and Kurdish films had female main characters .

None of those short films were better than my favourite Hungarian short films . I was a bit disappointed .


Many families arrived with kids . They were allowed to enter and see such painful topics . I can not understand the organizers !

Vintage camels tie

Vintage camels tie by almawad

Vintage camels - antique book illustration edited and applied on this necktie by Alma Wad .Printed both sides !Great Middle Eastern theme 

Ajyal Film Festival 2015 - Red carpet event

FILM GUIDE PDF DOWNLOAD HERE


Family weekend programs at the Katara Esplanade : 3 Dec / 6:30 PM–10:00 PM
4 Dec / 3:00 PM–10:00 PM
5 Dec / 3:00 PM–8:00 PM
Entrance is free for this program

Screening Venues  1 Katara. Katara Building 16  both the Katara Opera House and the Katara Drama Theatre
 2  Katara Building 12 - houses two cinemas, and is also home to the Ajyal Katara Main Box Office. 3 The Sony Cinema Under the Stars is located at the north end of the Katara Esplanade. All programming at this venue is free and tickets are not required for admission.. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis

Ticket prices  ;QR25  QR40   - you can buy at fnac -Lagoona mall  or  at Katara Building 12 or online - free tickets must be booked online
                                                -

reading is fun

reading is fun tshirts by almawad

Men's Basic Hooded Sweatshirt

26th Doha Book Fair December 2 -12

When : from Wednesday  December 2 -  to Saturday December 12
Where :QNNC
What to expect ? 

More than hundreds of exhibitors from Doha and around the world !

 For example the French fnac

We are looking forward to the opening of the 26th Doha International Book Fair from this coming Wednesday at QNCC! pic.twitter.com/OYfAC4HSc6

— Fnac Qatar (@FnacQatar) November 30, 2015

5.3 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Southern Iran

QNA | 5.3 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Southern Iran https://t.co/hWiTUUOdpF pic.twitter.com/kSb6ElQKzX

— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) November 26, 2015

More rains in the next hours

Rainy clouds continue to be advected towards #Qatar as more rains are expected in the next hours. #DohaRain pic.twitter.com/rqkiEAjqdq

— أرصاد قطر (@Qatar_Weather) November 25, 2015

Weather Forecast in five different languages  in Qatar !  4448 0444  Arabic press  1
English press  2  /  French  press  3 /  hindi press 4 /  urdu press  5

Call the municipality of your district in case there is too much water in your street

توقعات باستمرار أمطار الخير بعدة مناطق من #قطر لطلب خدمة سحب مياه أمطار يرجى استخدام تطبيق Baladiya أو الاتصال على: pic.twitter.com/FjpUrQVEkX

— البلدية والتخطيط (@albaladiya) November 24, 2015

Heavy rains in Doha

some instrumental music with the theme of rain

outdoor programs cancelled

look for your raincoats ,umbrellas

expect calls from the school " your child got wet -can you bring some dry clothes /take him home "

remember how to make karak - the hot tea of the area

#StrasbourgaimelaFrance

Strasbourg citizen and citizens have reacted to the unthinkable that happened  on November 13, 2015.
In this video, they express their feelings, their refusal of hatred and desires for the future of humanity. In speaking with an open heart, they  call for everyone not  to panic, to preserve the unity and defend diversity.
#StrasbourgaimelaFrance Honors the victims and their relatives. It is also a call to the responsibility of everyone at all levels of society: citizens, political, educational, associative, media ...
Other cities, other places, in France or elsewhere in the world, do not hesitate to take over and continue the initiated movement.
For everyone's safety, for the respect of all, to live together now and in the future!

Insulting Messages -6 months jail

There was an Arab woman who rented a flat somewhere  in Qatar . The man who let her the room asked her a day to leave . Then for revenge  this woman started to send him insulting messages on WhatsApp . The man made a complaint at the police  and the investigation found her  guilty.
  She has to pay for what she had made .Six months jail  and 20 .000 rial  fine .

 I still wonder how someone can be so stupid to use the electric devices for such purposes  . One can be easily tracked down . I thought that every little child knows that .
On the other hand  this case illustrates how  important is to find a good affordable accommodation in this city  and how difficult it is !

 source

Escaping the city - Wakra beach

When one is fed up with the city can escape within ten-fifteen minutes from Doha to find oneself  close to mother nature .The small town Wakra got a shore with  shallow water - not suitable for swimming  at all - but locals call it a beach .
It has got a small mangrove forest  and one can watch birds  happily singing in the bushes . The other day  I was so lucky - it was low tide and a small patch of land was filled with white birds . Gulls - I guess . From time to time  they flew up and down in waves and the wonderful sight of the vibrant white wings enchanted me  for some seconds .I wish I knew more about those birds and the reason they got together that day  !
  They were far and I could not  focus on them with my simple  camera  .

However  this miracle made my day !

Quick Lunch at Le Notre - French cafe

The wonderful November weather was so inviting . The terrace of the Le Notre French Cafe was a perfect spot for an urban outdoor lunch .
Le Notre French Cafe
It is located on the busy Suhaim bin Hamad street - but it is well fenced and somehow one feels protected . The valet parking is free . The waiter at the terrace was quick to take our order and we got the sandwiches within ten minutes .
I had consulted their menu online but it was completely different from what I have found on zomato.com . The dishes were unexpected and prices were very high for main courses -around 100 rials . So we decided to take some sandwiches instead a hot meal .( 50 rials )
Mini baguettes with tapenade&butter were served as appetizers .

My sandwich nicoise came with a small bowl of rocca salad and some crisps . The sandwich itself was tasty -some tuna spread &vegetables though it did not come in ciabatta rolls as it was described on the menu but in a simple burger bun .
The mille feuille was a bit too sweet to me and the vanilla filling tasted a bit commercial .
Service was very polite and quick .

Numbers in Qatar - more than 600 ,000 women

The population of Qatar has grown recently to 2 ,400 000
out of them  only 600 000 are  women  !

Swine flue in Qatar causes yearly 5 -10 deaths

The victims are usually elderly people with weakened immune system and over 80 or 90 years old .Many parents got letter from the school  - they informed the parents that there were 3 swine flue cases in a school in Doha -all 3 kids recovered luckily .They ask the parents to teach the kids about sneezing etiquette and keeping them at home in case they have flue like symptoms .

Vaccinations are available in the Health Centers .

(and the sun is shining -it is easy to get ourselves protected by sunbathing in this nice spring-like weather )

Indila - Dernière Danse (Clip Officiel)

Qatar Strongly condemns Paris attack

#Qatar Strongly Condemns #ParisAttacks: https://t.co/ob1MYYxRmL

— MOFA - Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) November 14, 2015

I do not usually share government's twitter messages .I do it now as some fearmongers spread the false information that we are happy to see the terrorist attack in Paris  and we celebrate in the Middle East . Nobody celebrates - every Arab feels that it was made to blacken the name of the Arabs&Muslims .
Please -do not fall for the fearmongers !

Pierre Herme's Master baking class some days ago

This is named 'the hardest part' of making macarons, he got in charge to show his master.
Posted by The St. Regis Doha on Tuesday, November 10, 2015

I missed this important piece of news ! Pierre Herme's Master was in Qatar to promote his new cake shop in Lagoona Mall and to teach how to make macaroons at the St. Regis Hotel . This guy makes unusual sweet treats .He has macaroons with the flavour of bergamot in the Earl Grey tea ,blond chocolate with with Fleur de Sel (hand-harvested sea salt) , trio of rose, raspberry and litchi in one single cake !

Lagoona Mall Fashion Week!

Get ready for the first edition of the Lagoona Mall Fashion Week! See the latest trends and styles of Manoush, Karen...
Posted by Lagoona Mall on Thursday, November 12, 2015

Qatar plans to welcome more cruise ships in Doha

Qatar plans to welcome more cruise ships in Doha this cruising season . Three ships already arrived this season and they expect five more ships .

Seabourn ,Noble Caledonia’s Island Sky is expected to arrive in Doha in November .Also a two-day forum will be held with tourism professionals & cruise line representatives in Doha .Co-operation of the Gulf countries is very important to make the tourism industry thrive in the area .

Cruise the world! #My3WordHappiness pic.twitter.com/ARcAvm8jMO

— Seabourn (@SeabournCruise) November 3, 2015

France sells Vienna palace to Qatar

France sells iconic Vienna palace to Qatar https://t.co/YXCwhN0qZd pic.twitter.com/fiYFAggHtJ

— FRANCE 24 (@FRANCE24) November 11, 2015

 This is the building of the  French Institute in Austria . The 19th century building will be restored - Qatar promised . It might be a new place for the Qatari embassy in Austria . For sure this is a new investment of the Qatari government which invests for the future in real estates all over the world .They already bought Greek islands ,famous department stores in London ,historic buildings in Budapest and their embassy is at a building at Champs Elysee - just to mention a few !

The Operetta of Csardas Princess in Katara Opera House - 16 Nov

What to expect ? beloved melodies like Countess Maritza, The Bayadere, The Circus Princess, etc. – and also songs by other popular Hungarian operetta composers, including Franz Lehár, Paul Ábrahám, Jenő Huszka, Albert Szirmai, in a genuine Viennese, Parisian, Oriental and obviously Hungarian spirit. The visuals of the show are made unique by breath-taking compositions and animated effects, while the organizers are planning to employ outstanding scenery, lighting and sound that fit a real high-scale theatrical show. The performing artists will be accompanied by Budapest Operetta and Musical Theatre’s symphonic orchestra, led by Krisztián Balassa, and the ballet ensemble.

أوبريت "الأميرة كسارداس" يوم 16 نوفمبر الساعة 7:00 م في #كتارا دار الأوبرا مبنى 16التذاكر:http://goo.gl/qjHTDO#كتارا_م...
Posted by Katara on Sunday, November 8, 2015

MONOPRIX JAPANESE WEEK in Qatar

Time for Giveaway! on the occasion of 'MONOPRIX JAPANESE WEEK' with exclusive Japanese products!1. Tag a Japanese...
Posted by Monoprix Qatar on Sunday, November 8, 2015

Swiss pilots flying like birds over Dubai

aim of the flight : to showcase the jetman wing technology
pilots ;Yves Rossy, a former Swiss fighter pilot and Vince Reffet
also staring : a Jumbo Jet A380 flying 4000 feet high above Dubai

Mangrove Forest exploration tour by kayak

Posted by AquaSports Qatar on Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Chamber Music at MIA - 5 November

Chamber Music at MIA - Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra Series of concerts5 November at 6pmA free concert by members of...
Posted by Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) on Sunday, November 1, 2015

5th Traditional Dhow Festival

قوموا بإصطحاب أطفالكم إلى #مهرجان_كتارا_للمحامل_التقليدية الخامس في شاطئ #كتارا ، حيث المتعة والفائدة في الفترة من 17-21...
Posted by Katara on Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Bring your children and enjoy the entertaining events of the 5th Traditional Dhow Festival at Katara beach from 17 - 21 November .

Doha, Swimming World Cup - Hungarian succes

Doha, Világkupa 7. állomás, 1. nap: Köszönöm az összes magyarnak, akik kijöttek szurkolni ma! Nagyon jól esett a sok...
Posted by Katinka Hosszu on Monday, November 2, 2015

Katinka's results yesterday :

200 free 1:56,6 1st place
50 back 28,4 3rd place
200 IM 2:10,3 1st place
200 back 2:08,7 2nd place

Gyurta Daniel also got a gold medal , Jakabos Zsuzsanna and Verraszto David got a medal - all four were representing Hungary !

Vintage Arabian Horses - 2016 Calendars

Vintage Arabian Horses -12 pages of antique illustrations and paintings .The antique book pages were turned into high resolution art by Alma Wad . Great for anybody who likes horses , antique images , riding .

Vintage Arabian Horses Calendar by almawad
Browse Horse Calendars online at Zazzle.com

MANUSCRIPTS COLLECTION - MIA

MANUSCRIPTS COLLECTIONThe collection has over 800 manuscripts from Qur’ans from the 7th century to Ottoman works of...
Posted by Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) on Sunday, October 25, 2015

Spooktacular Halloween in the Aquapark

Join us for a Spooktacular Halloween! Free treats for everyone. Kids who comes in wearing halloween costume will be free of charge. Lots of fun awaits you! See you there! :)
Posted by Aqua Park Qatar "Offical Page" on Thursday, October 29, 2015

Fun Dog Show -Woofstock it is time to register your pet

Register your dog for Woofstock this weekend! We're looking for the most elegant saluki in Qatar, Doha's scruffiest mutt, the best junior handler & their dog and lots more!
Posted by Qatar Animal Welfare Society (QAWS) on Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Yoga Classes for Women

Yoga Classes at the Health & Fitness Club.
Posted by InterContinental Doha The City on Thursday, October 22, 2015

October breast cancer awarness in Qatar - sweet treats

Check out our chefs special #culinary creations for the #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth in #October #dessert #doha #qatar pic.twitter.com/jVSkpYQ4Jo

— Grand Heritage Doha (@GrandHeritageDh) October 5, 2015

How to protect our books ?

ENEMIES OF BOOKS
ENEMIES OF BOOKS1. Light 2. Food3. Fire4. Insects5. PeopleVisit our library and speak to our staff to learn morehttp://www.mia.org.qa/en/library
Posted by Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) on Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Turkish Festival and Bazaar28 October - 31 October

Turkish Festival and Bazaar28 October - 31 OctoberWednesday 5:00pm to 10:00pm Thursday & Friday 2:00pm to 10:00pm...
Posted by Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) on Monday, October 26, 2015

Syrian Refugees Cycling Again In Germany

Qatar Airways new route Doha - Birmingham, UK

Qatar Airways  new route  will  be between Doha and Birmingham, UK

from March 30, 2016. It will be operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner .

 Passengers  heading to Southeast Asia, China and
Australasia  may also  benefit  from  the 152 destinations in those areas served by the airline .

Birmingham, United Kingdom 01 Postcard by tracisingh

Meanwhile in the Aegean Sea

God bless these fishermen ! And all those who do not turn their head when others suffer !

"...if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the whole humanity..." Qur'an Surah 5, verse 32.

"Indian Classical Dance Appreciation Workshop"

Be part of IAID's Free Workshop "Indian Classical Dance Appreciation Workshop" with Dr. Uma Rele from the Nalanda Dance...
Posted by IAID on Saturday, October 24, 2015

highly detailed image of the Arabian Gulf at night

NASA PICTURES OF THE GULFThis relief map has been created by Russian Anton Balazh with elements furnished by NASA....
Posted by The Rig Dubai on Monday, October 26, 2015

Leaked video on accident is banned

MoI authorities arrest those posted a video of 'North Duhail' accident. All legal measures will be taken against them #MoI_Qatar

— Ministry of Interior (@MOI_QatarEn) October 26, 2015

 I saw it on facebook . A  water truck and a white SUV collided  in a cross . It was so bad that the large truck overturned at once .  The video is not available anymore - it was  there illegally . Two teens died on the scene . Think twice before you cross a junction !

Visiting family only park in Doha - 2 pm too early ?

 The weather is getting nicer  - let us go to a park with shaded playground  !Arrived there at 2  pm . It  was full of sleeping workers .It is a family only park  - it means  men allowed only if they come with families . In this country there is very big disproportion between the genders . Men outnumber women  fourfold . To protect families there are places reserved only for them . But  it seems that those workers taking their afternoon nap on the playground did not expect visitors at 2 pm ...  Some of the workers were actually working in the garden - they were watching  us and they looked embarrassed and annoyed  . . .

 We felt quite uncomfortable . We come to relax and find ourselves among 20 unsupervised  labourers ! In the centre of the city in a touristy area ! No boss or foreman or supervisor nearby !

 Luckily in the coming 30 minutes the  small playground filled with  families .  It was not possible to sleep anymore in that noise .Kids are running and jumping and swinging and giving out every kind of noise !

 But next time I will consider the nap time of those men when choosing our outing to a park .It happens in  Doha   that you have to consider the presence of workers in a park reserved for families only . Some years ago we  decided to get an early breakfast in a park  where two   men sweeping the park started to shout more and more violently to each other then finally they were fighting  not only verbally . That really spoiled our picnic .

 I took pictures of the playground but I am reluctant to share it with my readers . Just today I read the warning message in the facebook  from the side of the interior ministry . It is about Qatar's strong privacy law .You can get jail if you share a video or photo about an accident . What about sleeping workers ? I do not really know ...

Numbers in Qatar - 9000 Syrian families gets food packs in Syria

 Sponsored by Qatar Charity  9000 food packs  distributed in Syria . It contains rice, sugar,
oil, vermicelli, tea and other basic
foodstuff .Aleppo, Idlib and Hama and their
countryside, Homs, Damascus
and camps for the displaced get those basic items to feed themselves .

 I only ask myself about their facilities if they can cook at all . Is there gas /petrol /wood ?

Qatar Airways new destination - Marrakesh

Hotel Mamounia Marrakech Poster by vintagegiftmall

Marrakech schedule will be announced shortly,daily flights are planned to this beautiful city .

Pottery workshop for adults

Posted by Kids Doha on Sunday, October 4, 2015

How religious will the world be in 2050?

How religious will the world be in 2050? https://t.co/lZWD1Tz6Tu pic.twitter.com/DZtLZBLwZt

— World Economic Forum (@wef) October 22, 2015

volunteers for Ajyal Film Festival 2015 can register till 25 Oct

Last chance to be part of the #ajyal15 volunteer team! Registration closes Oct 25 - 12 PM! https://t.co/COD57im89q pic.twitter.com/o5vpnJnefz

— Ajyal Film Festival (@AjyalFilm) October 22, 2015

Fish prices came down

Fish prices were in the sky during the last two months . Local fishes were as expensive as salmon !
 It was due to the ban on catching some species to protect them from extinct .
 But as this ban ended now  we can expect  to buy  king fish at  QR15-16/kg - as large stock arrived to the Central Market recently . It was  QR65-70/kg before !
The  tuna and Sherie  stocks are still not satisfying but  fishermen  hope that it will improve soon !

source

 How do you prepare the kingfish ? I  like it fried with pepper and lemon or I cook the traditional Hungarian  soup  with a lots of paprika and onion !

Hungarian Fisherman's Soup Double-Sided Standard Business Cards (Pack Of 100) by almawad

Culture Pass membership - SIGN UP

Sign up for free to receive your Culture Pass membership today! Culture Pass proudly offers for the first time, free...
Posted by Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) on Sunday, October 18, 2015

Will it rain today ?

 It is expected that Qatar will get some rain today .I read  - this article also talks
about thunder and strong wind , misty conditions .I see nothing special  in the heart of
 Doha  - just the usual summer like day  - it is above 37 C  and I could not convince myself
 to go for a walk  today ,either .

simple weather symbols t-shirts by lumirala

Harry Ramsden - new fish and chip restaurant at the Pearl

 Harry Ramsden is a 75 year old fish and chip restaurant  from the UK . This is their first place in Qatar . It is located in Medina Central area at the Pearl .It  represents the haut-cuisine of Britain . You can expect a lots of fried dishes ,burgers , salads  ,smoked haddock , salmon fishcakes ,Scottish scampi . All the fish comes freshly from Britain .

It is a large place  ready to seat 70 guests . It is a nice family friendly outlet with seaside chic decor !

source

 Well , when I read the news for the first time I was not very excited " one more junk  place to sell fried junks " I thought . But then seeing that everything is freshly coming from Britain  I see it the other way " I might try it a day ...

It reminded me a lovely old English song ...

Vintage Travel Posters - Middle East

Egypt Vintage Travel Poster by PrimeVintage

Iraqi State Railways Poster by RarePosters

Palestine Holy Land Vintage Travel Art Poster by Trendshop

La Syrie et Le Liban (Syria and Lebanon) Poster by RetroCommunications

Turkey Vintage Travel and Tourism Advert Print by Posterbobs

Vintage Proche Orient Travel Poster by VintagePosters1900

61,000 visas to Qataris to visit Britain - numbers in Qatar

Visiting London  in summer is so much chic among the Qatari nationals . . .
In 2014  61,000 visas were issued to Qataris to visit Britain  . That means one in five Qatari citizen escapes to London from the summer heat .
 What I find very strange is that they escape from the city to other city not to rural area .Most of the people in Qatar lives in Doha .

AUDITION TO SING WITH THE PHILHARMONIC IN THE WALT DISNEY MOVIE, FROZEN

CONCERTS:

Abu Dhabi, UAE, Friday, December 4
Doha, QNCC, Friday, December 11
Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, December 19

AUDITIONS:

Ages 17 and above.
Auditions will be be scheduled during October 26-28, 6:00-9:00 pm
Selected candidates will be given music and a CD to learn the score.

more

4 Women Held for Theft in Flats

4 Women Held for Theft in FlatsThe Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested 4 women on charges of theft in...
Posted by Ministry of Interior - Qatar on Thursday, October 1, 2015

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested 4 women on charges of theft in residential flats by breaking the door locks. The Police recovered large amount of gold jewels and currencies from them.The nationality of the women was not revealed .

flamingo beach tour - bird watching in Qatar

Flamingos are back!Come and join one of our flamingo beach tour this coming weekend, or continue to explore the...
Posted by AquaSports Qatar on Thursday, October 1, 2015

Zaoq restaurant review - Ezdan Mall

 Zaoq is a fine dinning restaurant that serves Pakistani dishes at Ezdan Mall .
All that I know about the Pakistani cuisine that once upon a time  there was a hotel in Doha which served Pakistani  dishes and I liked it very much . ( Shezan hotel was the one -pulled down since )

The place is a medium sized two story facility  - We got nice seats upstairs  in a booth with the possibility to  cover our area with curtains   for privacy . The staff was very kind - dishes arrived in reasonable time .
 The cucumber  in the salad was cut into julienne and served with mint dressing .  The curries were all tasty and came in little metal pots   - we ordered 3 different ones -but somehow they did not taste very different to me . They came in quite heavy sauce .We  had them with naan bread  which was good but I have already tasted much better breads in cheap  eateries .
 For dessert we ordered kheer  - the Pakistani rice  pudding . It was fabulous sweet  treat !So wonderfully spiced !

  We ate much more than we  had planned . They just serve too large portion ! Next time I will share my dish with someone .
 This place also serves specialities like brain lamb curry  and quails .

 It was not similar to Shezan hotels cuisine  at all . Rather  like Caravan restaurants curries .Everything was delicious but nothing originally new to me !

KHEER - Rice Pudding Desert made by boiling rice, broken wheat, tapioca, or vermicelli with milk and sugar; it is...
Posted by ZAOQ Restaurants on Tuesday, September 15, 2015

my supermoon lunar eclipse experience in Qatar

So I woke up early to see the moon .At four o'clock Doha was lively -cars and trucks on the road . The moon was dark yellow but not orange - between the houses it was easy to spot it . First it looked like some clouds was covering the top . But later we could see the interlacing circles .The full moon went into crescent shape gradually - by 5 :20 it vanished but before when it was very thin it turned into orange .

That was it .
------------------

By the way I learned 2 things - so many people are training at Aspire park at 5 am !
DQ does not serve breakfast nowadays only after 6 am !
I was very sleepy after the whole day as I could not sleep back .

The Pearl-Qatar - Eid programs 2015

The Pearl-Qatar is delighted to welcome you all this Eid!اللؤلؤة-قطر سعيدة باستقبالكم جميعاً للاحتفال سوياً بالعيد.. حياكم
Posted by The Pearl-Qatar on Monday, September 21, 2015

Shadow show & fireworks at Katara

Posted by Kids Doha on Monday, September 21, 2015

Cultural Village Foundation – Katara invites you to attend:
Eid Al Adha Celebrations
Shadow Performance show and fireworks during the four days of Eid

7:00 pm & 8:30 pm Eideyaa (Giveaways) for children
7:00 pm – 7:30 pm 1st show
8:00 pm – 8:30 pm 2nd show
9:00 pm – 9:30 pm 3rd show
9:30 pm Fireworks

Numbers in Qatar - $1.5bn aid for Syrian refugees

$1.5bn "Qatari aid to the Syrian people since 2011 has reached around $1.5bn. The aid included food, clothes, medicine and shelter among other things.|"

source

IMAGES OF WOMEN IN 19TH CENTURY IRAN 8 April 2015 – 11 June 2016

#QAJARWOMENIMAGES OF WOMEN IN 19TH CENTURY IRAN8 April 2015 – 11 June 2016This exhibition features the centrality...
Posted by Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) on Saturday, September 19, 2015