Happy 2017

Happy 2017 - add photo card

by almawad

 Thank you all my readers in 2016  - keep visiting my blog  and suggest topics you would like to read about .

Alma Wad  

Jenifer Toksvig's poem about refugees

One of our most popular videos of 2016 - Cate Blanchett and fellow actors read Jenifer Toksvig's poem for our #WithRefugees campaign. pic.twitter.com/7J3LAS193y

— UN Refugee Agency (@Refugees) December 31, 2016

Dubai New Year Celebrations - look behind the scenes

Tweet #MyDubaiNewYear to unlock behind-the-scenes footage of our fireworks crew setting up in #DowntownDubai https://t.co/iErEKkscGj

— Downtown Dubai (@MyDowntownDubai) 26 December 2016

morning fog in Doha

The winter climate brought morning fog to Doha this week, presenting passengers flying out of @HIAQatar with some spectacular sights! pic.twitter.com/Ym4a6av5rr

— Qatar Airways (@qatarairways) 30 December 2016

cats musical - coming soon to Qatar

Witness a breathtaking performance seen by millions: @CatsMusical! Tickets start at only 150 QAR! Info: https://t.co/MV3hfBqTlA! #ShopQatar pic.twitter.com/qOPfguel8a

— Shop Qatar (@ShopQatar) December 25, 2016

Top Jobs in 2016

Best of 2016: Which degree will get you hired? https://t.co/5phnh1Zd12 #education #edchat pic.twitter.com/XyKfUkHvJW

— World Economic Forum (@wef) December 26, 2016

Warning ! Fog - Bikers beware of trucks !

❗Warning
Thick fog affecting eastern #Qatar with visibility dropping below 300 meters in #Doha, AlWakrah, Messaid and Alkhor. Plz take care. pic.twitter.com/7iyvky3waH

— أرصاد قطر (@Qatar_Weather) December 26, 2016

   Bikers beware of trucks ! I just heard about the tragic death of an expat riding his bike on Christmas Day on Salwa road !

 Better not to ride in this foggy weather !

the cheapest take-away turkey in town - festive season in Doha

The perfect dish for a memorable family meal this festive season! pic.twitter.com/aJ2HAS8BHt

— IKEA Qatar (@IKEAQatar) December 20, 2016

 A whole roast of turkey for QR449  at  the IKEA  ! That is  the best turkey deal I found. Just call and order ! T : 44062555 See more turkey deal  here .

FIDE World Chess Championship - Doha 2016

Will we see another race to the title between Karjakin and Magnus!
Few days left to find out!
26-30 December.#dohachess2016 pic.twitter.com/XjImYHO1HH

— Qatar Chess (@QatarChess) December 22, 2016

Learn More about this event . 

Wow! What a game in Radjabov vs Bortnyk! 19.Ng5! leads to 21.Qxh5+!! #DohaChess2016 https://t.co/E9URBcLYOr pic.twitter.com/Jvu4pRp883

— Chess.com (@chesscom) December 27, 2016

New park for families

The 11,930 sqr mtr families-only #park and #stadium has been opened for public by #AlshamalMunicipality . #MME #environment #Qatar pic.twitter.com/wxjOLg7q4B

— Baladiya (@Baladiya1) December 21, 2016

 This new park is in the Northern area of Qatar . It has  cafeteria ,playgrounds with safe rubber surface,bike tracks ,Wi-Fi ,flowers  some trees and green areas .Its size is 11,930 sq m  .
 I wish we had something like that in our district as well !

Arab American young man has to leave the plane for speaking Arabic

Adams interview with BBC Asian Network from this morning #BoycottDelta pic.twitter.com/l2EwNrVx69

— Adam Saleh Updates (@SalehUpdates) 2016. december 21.

not the first story of this type  -  I wonder how much more stupid these Americans can be !

Almost weekly there are shootings in their country ,innocent people are dying by white , English speaking men - and they are scared not from them but from the Arab speech !

 And what if the captain was Arab too !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

__________________________
 This incident also happened  ON Delta Airline !



Delta Airline Passenger Almost Dies Because Flight Crew Didn’t Believe Black Woman on Board Was a Doctor

NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly visits Qatar

HE WRITES ON HIS FB PAGE :" Flew over much of this sand on my Year In Space and often thought about visiting it. Got my toes in Doha, Qatar tonight!"

Numbers in Qatar - more than QR243m in six hours

this sum was collected for urgent relief of the Syrians in Aleppo ,refugees from Aleppo ( more than 66 million usd )

the different charity organizations intend to spend it as soon as possible for family tents with fireplaces ,food baskets ,winter clothes

DariQatar -a film about us - living in Qatar

Catch #DariQatar at @NovoCinemas, the Pearl starting tomorrow at 6 PM and enjoy a wonderful crowd-sourced film about life in #Qatar! pic.twitter.com/b160QY3Zgi

— Doha Film Institute (@DohaFilm) 2016. december 13.

 " It is great to be the part of a city as it grows up " 

The story and smile of Hiba Nablusi

This 10-year-old refugee girl fled #Syria. Her smile will brighten your day. #foreverychild, joy → https://t.co/NRNNWrUdya pic.twitter.com/YrzQKlJfxy

— UNICEF (@UNICEF) 2016. december 17.

I love fondue . What about you ?

To make  some wonderful fondue you do not need to buy expensive fondue set . I found a video showing how a simple round bread  can  serve as raclette when you put it in an oven .



 You can  choose your own cheese -  this video shows  some Italian cheese  and  way to serve it - simple , short and explains  well without words  .






I love fondue so I have some fondue design as well

I heart fondue cheese platter
by almawad

Do you love cheese ? Lulu cheese festival

 Would you like taste and buy some Old Roumy cheese,  Akawi cheese,  soft cheese, feta cheese,  mozarella cheese, blue cheese, Kashkaval cow cheese, string cheese,  brie cheese,  Edam ball, Gouda lofes, , Dutch Calora low fat cheese,  goat cheese,  labneh,  Lancashire cheese, Salut cheese and more ?
 Then go to LuLu Hypermarket, Al Gharafa . Choose from 760 kinds of cheese until December 21.Our international community here is full of cheese lovers and it is high time we learned more about each other's favourite one .

NO NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATIONS IN QATAR THIS YEAR - SOLIDARITY WITH ALEPPO VICTIMS

Qatar cancels national day celebrations in solidarity with the people of Aleppo https://t.co/0PZBNtyxRI pic.twitter.com/bMTLerURBL

— Al Jazeera News (@AJENews) December 14, 2016

We kindly direct all independent and private schools to cancel any celebrations of Qatar National Day in schools as of tomorrow onwards.

— وزارة التعليم (@Qatar_Edu) December 14, 2016

 ______________

 that is really shocking
 national day celebrations has never been cancelled so far
  it is usually a fun day at school right before the winter break -  the girls just created their cupcakes with I  love Qatar text one after the others when they learned on the school bus that it was cancelled

 we are  not into the military demonstrations or fireworks  - but  these celebrations of smaller communities are really fine and fun  and will be missed

 however I was happy to read that  still it will be a holiday - so no work on Sunday   , December 18 (  Sunday normally is a working day in Qatar )

Soccer Ball Close-up -sweet treats

Soccer Ball Close-up Chocolate Dipped Oreo
by almawad

Soccer Ball Close-up Cake Pops
by almawad

Soccer Ball Close-up Chocolate Brownie
by almawad

Match of Champions - all tickets sold out

 All tickets sold out for the match tonight .
 December 13th at Al Gharafa  SC Stadium. No need to come if you do not have a ticket . Al Ahli  saudi vs. FC Barcelona friendly match .

live match can be watched on BARCA VIDEO

Stadium map! Heading down to the #QatarAirwaysCup this evening? Check out the stadium map so you don't get lost! pic.twitter.com/Akjqpabg2O

— Qatar Football 🇶🇦 (@QFA_EN) December 13, 2016

Dhows in Doha -wall art

Dhows in Doha port Poster
by almawad

Dhows in Doha port Canvas Print

Traditional Dhows in Doha port Acrylic Wall Art
by almawad

Mall of Qatar - why is it so special

There are so many malls around here . What makes this new mall stand out ?

- the heart of the Mall -called Oasis
it includes interactive dancing fountains and waterfalls ,a lots of green plants ,a free entertainment programme featuring a 360º revolving stage
- 30 % of the new shops/cafes /restaurants are new to Qatar
- cinemas with modern technology / luxury services

- Kidzmondo - a special entertainment park  where kids can try different "jobs"

We pride ourselves on increasing the standards of safety, education & training, thanks to our membership with IAAPA. #KidzMondoDoha #IAAPA pic.twitter.com/hjYFgRLrUi

— Kidzmondo Doha (@KidzMondoDoha) October 20, 2016

Finally ,winter is here - bellow 10 C expected in Qatar

🔵Cold weather with temperatures currently ranging between 13-18°C. Minimum temperatures expected to drop below 10°C in southern areas.#Qatar pic.twitter.com/Z9dfIfqPlO

— أرصاد قطر (@Qatar_Weather) December 10, 2016

Finally it is cold in Qatar - we can switch off the AC -s and look for the electric heaters ,blankets ,and warm clothes ! How lucky we are  -we feel -finally we are cold !
_________________

But wait a minute ! Are you sure everybody is happy with this weather in Qatar ?
I am afraid not . I just look around in our street and see some working class people walking in very thin clothes . Just collect whatever you can in your household : warm clothes ,blankets , thermoses and either give it personally to someone in the street   or just leave it near the garbage  bins ... everyday  I see people  hunting items from there .
You do not have to be super rich to  be able to help  ! Just notice people around you !
Do good -feel great !

Vintage Istanbul cityscape with moon light Metal Photo Print

Vintage Istanbul cityscape with moon light Metal Photo Print
by almawad

Vintage Istanbul city scape with moon light . .It features a mosque - the sea and some boats . The moon is half covered by the clouds . It has some exotic real Middle Eastern feel .Metal print in small size .
____________________
Courtesy of Library of Congress .The richly colored image looks like photograph but it is actually a photochrom print an ink-based photolithographs .

Zaha Hadid Architects' - Mathematics Gallery

Zaha Hadid Architects' #mathematics gallery opens at London Science Museum: https://t.co/5v16HEh4B9 pic.twitter.com/P4MGfXICgI

— Dezeen (@Dezeen) December 9, 2016

Emirati student in Ohio killed by police officer

After an accident on the roads when his car flipped  - the student fled into the woods nearby . Police followed him . There was a struggle then he was shot on the head . By the officer .

  The moral of story  ? Do not flee after an accident !
                                    Do not go to the USA at all  - apparently police brutality is not just for the poor black citizens !

Or I really do not know .

All that I feel is that it is simply tragic .

  read more

UAE Student at @CWRU Saif Nasser Alameri was shot dead in the head by #Hudson police in Ohio. #PoliceBrutality Is there justice? pic.twitter.com/x1W17xGhwf

— ♢ Amirah (@amirahmjrshi) December 7, 2016

Preparing for National Day - scenes from Souq Waqif

National Day celebrations comes with a lot of practice before the event . Here you can see heritage style soldiers with their camels in the Souq Waqif . I like those rehearsals . They are better than the actual celebrations !

Thank you for Benita AndMebs for the video .

Yachts in the Pearl island , Qatar - paintings

yacht in the bay canvas print
by almawad

yachts at the bay no 2 canvas print
by almawad

Seafront with yachts at Pearl island ,Doha ,Qatar .Digital painting by Alma Wad .Fresh colors and rough brush strokes are depicting the luxurious urban lifestyle that the artist found here .For modern art lovers .

Qatar International Boat Show 4th

when : December 7 - December 10

where : Mourjan Marinas, Lusail City

what to expect ; boats , yachts   displayed  by major manufacturers and exhibitors, leading international and GCC companies,  local Qatari companies specialised in boats

MSC Fantasia on the way to Qatar

MSC Fantasia soon here in Qatar .If you are interested  what it looks like inside then see this video  .I got the impression that it is a floating luxury mall .

Winter coming soon to Qatar

من إجراءات السلامة ؛ تقليل السرعة وترك مسافة أمان كافية وعدم التجاوز أو تغيير المسار الا للضرورة ، رافقتكم السلامة #الداخلية_قطر

— وزارة الداخلية - قطر (@MOI_Qatar) December 6, 2016

Doha News is blocked

Doha News is an online news blog started in March 2009 by two American journalists, Shabina Khatri and Omar Chatriwala.[2] It is based in Qatar and provides its readers with daily reports on breaking domestic and international news stories.

 They are blocked now . Nobody understands why . Some people think they were too much critical . Some people think they were brave .

I think  they  had some great articles but they were generally quite boring .They were posting even when there was nothing interesting to post about . Three times a day .To satisfy google robots  and get indexed . They were also advertising themselves heavily .

 One thing is sure  - this ban on them is an excellent promotion . Now Al -Jazeera and BBC is writing about them ! For free !

 If I were a conspiracy theorist I would say that was a plot to make them better known  ! 
  
 In case it  was not a plot then  I really feel with the writers ! Investing eight years in writing a blog then being banned all of a sudden and not even informed about the causes ! It is simply not fair !

It has terrible effect on other writers who will be afraid  that they will be the next .  It will cause self -censored articles . A fearful atmosphere ! Bad image about the country in all !

Top Arab leaders coming to Doha - Be prepared for traffic jams

Some top Arab leaders are to come today to Doha . Be prepared for blocked traffic due to VIP convoys . Even yesterday the Corniche  road area was already blocked .
I found no official warnings about which road to avoid on the MOI twitter account / but there is a talk on social media that  The Corniche area will be blocked from 2  pm .

  I just wonder if it is true how the school buses can bring home our kids ?

____________________________

 My kids arrived one hour later than expected  . I do not understand local authorities  . They should have warned the schools  and early release  should have been mandatory .

 This way it is too much frustration . For those too who  are getting home from work  as well .A  usual 40 minute ride took my husband 3 hours to come home from work !
______________________________

 From the Gulf Times article I see that we were lucky  - at least compared to other kids who got stuck on their school buses for 4 hours ! It must have been horrible - little  children and can not use the bathroom for so long  !
It was not something unexpected natural disaster . It was easy to foresee that if main roads will be blocked around the time of returning school buses  then  the kids will not be brought home on time .

Qatar Duty Free 24th Millionaire Draw or Lucky Indians

Qatar Duty Free 24th Millionaire Draw or Lucky Indians  !
AMIT MATHUR, an Indian national was the lucky one to win one million dollar  on 13-Oct-16 .
Departing and transferring passengers have the right to buy raffle tickets for the draw in Doha . It costs 950 rials .
Checking out the winner's list I found out that most of them are Indian nationals .

https://www.qatardutyfree.com.qa/Winners.aspx?Type=Cash Lucky Indians !

the world's largest solar power plant - well done India

What you need to know about the world's largest solar power plant. pic.twitter.com/fUmKpBx8IS

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) December 3, 2016

 2.5 million of solar modules
 built within 8 months
 cost less than 700 million dollars

cleaned by robots daily

 If India was able to do it what excuses  of the developed countries have  for not doing so ?

Numbers in Qatar - 90mn gallons of rainwater removed

 After the  big raining  at the end of  November the work was fast and continuous  - most streets of Qatar were dry  yesterday  !

90 million gallons of rainwater removed!( around 340 million liters )

 read more here ( page 27/28 )

Typical Weather in Qatar in December

⚫️معلومات مناخية عن شهر #ديسمبر .#أرصاد_قطر
️⚫️Climate information for #December#أرصاد_قطر pic.twitter.com/oQRGqMJl6t

— أرصاد قطر (@Qatar_Weather) December 1, 2016

Going out with kids in December - Qatar programs 2016

It’s the best moment of the year with the festive season around the corner!
Celebrate the #EndOfYear with lots of exciting workshops with us pic.twitter.com/875AMsjuxU

— Fnac Qatar (@FnacQatar) December 1, 2016

Lagoona Mall 's Fnac have some workshops for kids  on special days of December !

_______________________________________

 IKEA Qatar has Winter Wonderland programs every Friday afternoon in December  .

So many fun activities this holiday season! Hope to see you all there #Excitement More on: https://t.co/AClzL5kRT6 pic.twitter.com/a3i7CtjdOY

— IKEA Qatar (@IKEAQatar) December 1, 2016

____________________________________________________

#LagoonaMall and #EventUtopia would like to invite you all for our third,#LagoonaMallFamilyFunDay! Join us this Friday, December 23! pic.twitter.com/Ooc0PwkGtm

— Lagoona Mall (@LagoonaMall) 2016. december 20.

__________________________________________

Winter Musical Roaming 2016

Join The Pearl-Qatar musical parades with jugglers and mascots… https://t.co/X7Dd6kBgyF

— The Pearl-Qatar (@ThePearlQatar) December 1, 2016

Lagoona Mall Fashion Week

We’re cordially inviting you to attend Lagoona Mall Fashion Week showcasing the Autumn – Winter 2016 collections. pic.twitter.com/p0VRI2Qpom

— Lagoona Mall (@LagoonaMall) November 29, 2016

 from December 4 to 11   -2016 


 Lagoona Mall Fashion Week showcasing the Autumn – Winter 2016 collections.

December 4-10 in the North Court Lobby 6:30pm – 8:00pm.

4/12 Michael Kors – Max&Co.
5/12 Karen Millen – Versace Collection
6/12 Adolfo Dominguez - bridal wear
7/12 Liu Jo – Cath Kidston
8/12 Porsche Design – Furla
9/12 riva - city malene birger
10/12 Tadashi Shoji - DKNY