Wednesday, November 30, 2022

all-female refereeing trio - between Costa Rica and Germany

 

Katara festival

 

Katara Beach yesterday

 Half of the beach is  closed  for the  Dhow festival .  The other  half is  open  and no fees .

 It comes  with the disadvantage  that you  can not  buy a  sunbed . First  come , first  served  basis .

 That  was  rather inconvenient .I wished to sit down  under  the shade  while supervising my son   .But there  were  no  seats available .

Around 2 p.m., it was  hot. The beach was crowded. The international guests wore a variety of swimming attire, ranging from full body covering to minimal covering. Nobody was bothered by it.

  After  half an hour  a family was leaving  near  me and I dashed  to the  bench in the shade . So did  some  other  Arab  women .Did  we fight for that  seat ?  No . They  told me  confidently    . " We  will  sit toghether ."  They shared  with me their drinks , their  food and their  thoughts .  It was so  good  chicken  stew - I  can not find  similar one in restaurant .  

 After  three o clock   the  weather  was much  cooler but we  were  still   chatting .It turned out we  have some  common  interest and one of them   studied in my country .

  We could hear the dhow festival performances and see the vessels with national flags sailing in front of us.When  walking  towards  the Metro  we  saw  as  the Katara is getting full but  it was not  disturbing .

  I felt much safer than at the  Souq  Waqif.  There   is more space  here . Also  a large  screen to  watch  the matches .


Sporting activities such as kayaking, pedal boats, and water skiing were not available at the time. It was unclear when it would  open again.


   

 

   




Monday, November 28, 2022

Mild weather - light winds - beach time no marine warnings today

 


 

Already had HALF of the games at Qatar 2022

 

AVOID ALL MARINE ACTIVITIES TODAY

 

2 HOURS Beautiful Arabian Music

 

 Want to see an oud player live in Qatar? I saw one at Souq Waqif Art Center the other day. He was sitting at the end of that fabulous hallway and playing this traditional Arabic instrument. You can listen to him for free,

Sunday, November 27, 2022

Ousha the Poet - today on Google Doodle

 

 Google Doodle celebrates today Ousha bint Khalifa Al Suwaidi (Ousha the Poet  1920 -2018  ), considered one of the greatest Emirati poets of the 20th century. Abu Dhabi-based guest artist Reem Al Mazrouei illustrated the Doodle of the Emirati poet.



Monsoon Wedding - Indian musical review by Alma

 I got an offer for the Indian musical The Monsoon Wedding in an email yesterday.


I bought two  tickets since prices dropped.

I haven't seen a play in years. Let's go ! 

__________

The theatre at the Souq Waqif was a little difficult to find.

The staff, on the other hand, was warm and welcoming.

They offered us much better seats than I had purchased.

________

Expected  some boredom .Bollywood style   story about lovers who must suffer .

My teen son  just  came  with me  out of politness . He  was asking me  at the beginning if it

was allowed  to sleep  during the  performance .

___________

The play's main language was English, which was  spiced up with Hindi words.

It became increasingly exciting as we progressed through the story. We could follow the romance of two sets of Indian couples.

_______

A well-to-do Indian family is marrying off their daughter to the son of another upper middle-class Indian family from the United States.

The story  contrasts   expat Indians  uprooted   lives  with those who are living in  their country with their large families .The narrative  portrays the lives of working class and middle class individuals.

 Old and new values  are featured in a seemingly  traditional love story. 

The director does not shy away from addressing sensitive issues such as marital boredom and sexual harassment.

Problems inside the family that arise when you love someone of a different religion.

____________

The brave topic selection was paired with excellent music, songs,  humor and wonderful visual effects.


I was happy  to see  that my teen  was  wide awake   following the  story with much interest.

.  The director and the troop were able to touch our hearts.


  

  

At the end, the audience cheered by standing up . That rarely happens in Doha.


Best wishes to them for their Broadway premiers !






Saturday, November 26, 2022

Marine warning expected from this afternoon

 

Souq Waqif experience during the World Cup 2022

 

During the World Cup, I didn't plan to go to the Souq Waqif at all. I really like this place, but I try to stay away from it when it's busy.

 I simply wanted to see a play at their theater. It was a pleasant experience. The only issue was that there was no buffet in the theatre, so by the time the play ended, we were starving. 

What a wonderful way to make this evening unforgettable!

 A Souq Waqif dinner seemed like a nice idea to me. 

However, it was not. It was packed with ecstatic soccer fans. Moroccans, Saudis, Tunisians - a large number of Spanish-speaking people - a few Europeans - I recognized and heard a few Croatians. Some Poles were swearing. 

The air was thick with the aroma of grilled food, waterpipe smoke, and the sweating of the crowd. It was way, way more crowded than I thought it would be. We decided not to have dinner then . Okay, I thought maybe after the World Cup we'd get our Souq back and postponed the family dinner idea. 

WE walked to the nearest Metro station. There was an African employee with a sense of humor whose job was to announce over the loudspeaker. Metro - Metro - Metro . He must have grown tired of his motonon job. He tried to make it more entertaining by changing the intonations of this word.To spice up his announcement, he added "Hakuna matata" in a soothing tone, which put a smile on all of our faces.

 I noticed something else that made me smile as we were leaving the station. A Korean or Japanese family with a young child, with the father dressed in traditional Qatari attire from head to toe.A new trend among tourists here. 

After all, it's fun to see so many different kinds of people here, I thought as I was eating a cold sandwich from the metro station.

The art of Henna -Middle Eastern Tradition

 

Lusail Boulevard - canopy of flags

 

Foreign tourists in Souq Waqif

 

Friday, November 25, 2022

Stadium Guide Today

Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Purple Island Mangrove Kayaking & Sea Tour Experience - Qgrab voucher

Recommended until favorable   weather   conditions  ! 

Find a date and check the weather before calling the agency to inquire about the availability of the tour .

Qatar Foundation - picturesque spots to visit

 

Japan beat Germany - FIFA World Cup 2022

 

 



 Even though the fans are overjoyed by their team's unexpected victory, they clean up after themselves; this stems from their upbringing; as far as I know, Japanese students with their teachers clean their classroom every day.

schedule of today's games

 


Do you prefer to avoid the crowds or attend a sporting event? In any case, it is useful to be aware of the schedule of today's games.

Numbers in Qatar - 674,172 passengers a day

   I WAS ONE OF THEM ☺😊



BEHIND THE SCENES - Hamad Port

 


 BEHIND THE SCENES - while all eyes are on the football players and festivals in the background there is hardwork of professionel logistics .

Monday, November 21, 2022

Is it going to rain today ?

 

As the hot season comes to an end, and this is usually the time when a big rain falls after months of drought, this question excites people around here... Let's see what the various agencies predict for today.

1 . Between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., there is a 14-27% chance of rain, according to BBC WEATHER.
Evenings are also possible.

2 .Accuweather predicts 0% precipitation for today.

3. According to Qatar's official Met Department, "Moderate temperature with some clouds and chance of scattered rain possibly thundery in northern areas."

Cool weather expected in Qatar

 

Finally , the cool season started in Qatar ! Expect some colder nights when you need a jacket ! Tomorrow it might even rain !

Saturday, November 19, 2022

Ronaldo&Messi - playing chess

 

live broadcasting of the football matches - Doha Festival City

 

FIFA Fan Festival is full - go to the Corniche area

 

The boys from Brazil are in town

 

life in ancient Summer - beer ,hard work ,study&taxes

 

ONLY ONE DAY LEFT UNTIL THE FIFA WORLD CUP

 

Friday, November 18, 2022

FAN ZONES where you DON'T NEED a HAYYA card

 


 WHAT TO EXPECT ?

  • Football matches can be viewed for free
  •  Asian  and international performances
  • live entertainment
  • free wi-fi
  • food and beverage stands
  • Qatar welcomes MSC Opera, a floating hotel

     

    Ronaldo and his team just arrived in Qatar

     

    Extended hours of services of Doha Metro & Lusail Tram

     

    Doha metro stations - walking times - useful map

     


     Detailed map depicting the walking distance between metro stations in Doha, Qatar.

    Statement on beer sales at World Cup Stadiums - FIFA Media

     

    How to reach the Corniche by Metro


     

    This is how Team Ghana rolls in

     

    Thursday, November 17, 2022

    Argentina arrived in Qatar - FIFA World Cup

     

    World Cup Concerts and Festivals - 2022

     

    Time Out Doha magazine provides a comprehensive guide to all of the musical performances scheduled in Qatar for the World Cup. 

    Prices for tickets start at QR199 and go up to QR550. 

    Venues: Ras Bu Fontas metro station, Doha Golf Club, Al Wakrah, W Doha, West Bay, Qetaifan Island North, Lusail, Doha Golf Club, Le Royal Méridien Doha, Lusail. 

    There will be 14 free concerts in Al Bidda Park for Hayya cardholders. 

    Check out the Time Out magazine page to view the performing bands.

    Wednesday, November 16, 2022

    Tuesday, November 15, 2022

    Top Five things to do in Qatar according AJ English

     

    Wales national football team arrived in Qatar

    The second floating hotel, MSC Poesia, moored at Doha Port

     

    Fine of QR 250,000 for unauthorised resale of FIFA match tickets

     


      That is  about  USD 68 thousand   ! 

    Gift-shaped Children's Mall just opened at the Katara

     

    England has arrived in Qatar, lead by Captain Harry Kane

     

    Sunday, November 13, 2022

    Friday, November 11, 2022

    MSC Cruise ship arrived in Doha

     


     MSC World Europa is an ultramodern urban metropolis at sea. Spanning 22 decks, 47 metres wide, 40,000 m2 of public space and 2,626 cabins. MSC World Europa will spend her inaugural season in the Middle East


    read more


    Have a look into  the  ship !


    The ORCHARD - HIA QATAR expansion inaugurated

     

    It's almost here.. 10 days left!

     

    Tuesday, November 08, 2022

    Fans of Messi vibe in Doha - Argentinian riders arrived cycling through Africa

     


     Matas Villarroel, Silvio Gatti, Leandro Blanco, and Lucas Ledezma arrived in Doha on Monday after cycling across Africa. 


    Riders and fans of Messi.



    Blanco: "This whole trip is for Argentina to win the World Cup and for Leo to grab the trophy on December 18."


    Messi, one of the best players of all time, has only been in the World Cup final once, in 2014.

    Souq Waqif Falcon Hospital in Doha - videos

     


    ------------ 

    Hayya Card on Metro - how to use it

     


     Before you get to the gates, make your "Hayya" Card  ready on your phone and show it to the staff. There's no need to tap.

    Moroccon biker arrives in Qatar from France

     

    Gold and Family Class will be unavailable until December 22, 2022 - Doha Metro

     


     All metro carriages will be converted to Standard Class in order to accommodate a larger number of passengers on trains during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar .

    Delivery motorbikes -safety requirements

     

    Sunday, November 06, 2022

    Death Rate in Qatar - the lowest in the world

     

    Qatar Death Rate 1950-2022. www.macrotrends.net. Retrieved 2022-11-05.

      Check out   the page  I linked above . It shows  the death rate in different countries in the world .

      Qatar has the lowest one .

       
     WHAT IS DEATH RATE   ?  The ratio of deaths to the population of a particular area or during a particular period of time, usually calculated as the number of deaths per one thousand people per year.

    Why it is not mentioned in  the western papers ? 

    OK - It was a poetic  question . 

      It is clear  what is going on .

    I  just hope al the best   for all the workers  here    !  
     

    Saturday, November 05, 2022

    A variety of unique methods to prepare delicious eggs

     


      This three-minute video is packed with creative ideas for egg-based recipes.🥘😋


     I want to try them all!

    World Cup Camp at Trampo Extreme from 13 Nov – 14 Dec 2022

    for children from 5 to 7 years old and from 8 to 12 years old

     from 13 Nov – 14 Dec 2022 

    Daily: 8:30am – 2pm 

    at TRAMPO EXTREME - Aspire Park area 

    A place to hone young athletes, scientists, & artists! Prepare your children on their quest to conquer the world at Trampo Extreme’s World Cup Camp! Lots of activities to choose from! 

    Daily Pass – QR150 

    Weekly Pass - QR495

     Monthly Pass – QR1050

     HOW IT WORKS ? YOU BUY VOUCHERS AT  Qgrabs then you call the camp for booking your child .

    Enrique Iglesias performed in Qatar

     

    Amr Diab Concert in Qatar -November 24

     

    Wednesday, November 02, 2022

    NUMBERS IN QATAR - 5000 additional staff for Doha Metro for Qatar 2022

     

    Tuesday, November 01, 2022

    Vehicles permitted and prohibited on A–Ring and B–Ring Road during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

     

    MATCH SCHEDULE - USEFUL PDF TO DOWNLOAD

     USEFUL  DOWNLOAD   provided   by the  PENINSULA  -  a Qatari  Daily 


     MATCH SCHEDULE pdf  

    Learn Arabic for free - useful link for beginners

      It is on the Spotify website .LISTEN& REPEAT style  lessons .


      OVER  12 HOURS   of  lessons  for BEGINNERS .


     JUST  FOLLOW  THIS LINK  - AND SIGN UP

    20 days to go - QA

     

    expat Qatar