Rachel Hajar’s My Life in Doha: Between Dream And Reality
 published by Strategic Book Group.

 The Peninsula is serialising every week this book . You can read  weekly one new part of it here .

Reading is Fun by almawad
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HAT CONTEST FOR LADIES
on March 1 st  2012
 at the Race Track
Click here to register

VINTAGE HAT FASHION by dgpaulart
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The world is not black and white .Not every Jew is the enemy of the Arabs and not every Arab is on the side of his own


people .We can say it for sure when we see the events of the past months - how some leaders are turning against


their own people when it is about losing their power .
All the good people belong to each other . The Jews United Against Zionism are with those who want a free


Palestine who are against the cruel acts against humanity ...


There was an International Conference for Defence of Al Quds (Jerusalem) at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel yesterday in


Doha .


One of the most important message was : do not to equate Zionism with Judaism ,stop calling Zionists as Jews.


It is unfortunate that many people do not differentiate between Zionism and Judaism. This is a success of the


Zionist propaganda. Judaism is religion while Zionism is a nationalist ideology. It is a transformation of Judaism


from religion and spirituality into nationalism and materialism, he added.
Read the full article in the Peninsula :

Palestine: The RIght To Return by kamranistan
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Grungy "Syrian Revolution" Syria Flag by abbeyz71
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It is getting cold here once again ...we must switch on our heaters again .But what can be  the weather like in the shelled cities of Syria ?At night I was there in my dream . I saw nothing I felt nothing just the emptiness .... a depressing  feeling  in the streets ,  or the people's tired eyes who are trying to survive .... the hopeless face of the aid workers .. they do not get enough help for basic first aid ... putting a bandage and so on ... the dead bodies should be removed ... old Syrian refugees  are walking in the streets of Doha - in their eyes the hurtful doubt - can we return to our homeland ? Shall we see again our friends/neighbours /relatives who remained there ? Or those who were taken away ?
It is  still cold here . Nobody knows the answer .

Barath Vegetarian restaurant Doha , Qatar

It is found in the Food World shopping center - it offers traditional North and South Indian vegetarian dishes . It is cheap .Most of the dishes are written in their original Indian names . It is better to read about them in advance ...to be able to choose the right one ...

Numbers : Qatar  has opened its annual jewelry exhibition . Some of the jewels worth $65 million .( pear shaped diamond )
What a luck that I can not afford that one .What a big headache storing ,guarding an  item which so expensive  !

illustration

Images from the Food Festival . The Indian man offering sweets ,a cheese sculpture ,beautifully set table .
It was so nice to see the tables set  the  artistic way  - it is a real art I think . It was nice to have some German specialties at the Kempinsky's stand ...their service was extremely nice . The W Hotel's sushi was  not so good . Though this hotel's restaurant was called  the best one in Doha ... I must say that I have had much better sushi at  other not so highly rated places - like sushi minto/oishi sushi ... the Japanese embassy's stand was disappointing as well ... when we arrived there nobody  knows anything about the food and the programs to offer ... then we were told there will be sushi /mochi making demonstrations later in the afternoon .. when returning we were offered some algae pudding .. . Take one ! -said a Japanese woman at the stand - it is free -and was smiling cynically into my face ... I would have rather payed for that treat than to see this expression on  her face .... after that I saw there were visitors at their tent and they had nothing to offer and three women were standing there and laughing at the visitors who wished to have some food at the food festival .
The festival was very big with a lots of hotels and restaurant . One is able to taste only a few thing /and what I described here was just a small part of it . Go there next year and taste the dishes on your own !

Today is the first ever National Sport Day in Qatar .It means no working  - and tons of sport  themed programs for families . The main venues are the Corniche ( MIA - Oryx ) -Aspire zone - Katara ...
Do not miss it ...

window shopping in Qatar : fancy lamps

Qatar by Sphinx_N_Phoenix
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According to the Gulf Times the Wheels and Heels festival took place today at the MIA .I liked very much the idea of riding a bike watching shows with the kids while enjoying the nice spring .The only problem was that we could not find out how to reach the place by car .We tried three roundabouts near MIA to get closer but all of them were closed by police cars .We got into a traffic jam where an ambulance tried to find his way among jammed cars .Suddenly we got this " you should stay at home on Friday afternoon: feeling and we returned home .I learned about this event only when sitting at a cafe at the food festival and I was reading the Gulf Times . So we arrived home with crying kids . But not only the kids I wished to cry as well as we missed a bubble show ,a jazz concert and so much more !We only hope that the spring festival at the souq Waqif will somehow compensate us .

Sand sculptures from Doha 2011Marine festival . A traditional couple from the past .

This murder at New Salata really astonished me .This is something one really does not expect to happen when living in Qatar . Being murdered by an iron rod by some merciless burglar is simply not typical here .It is even sadder that the victim was an old lady -a local one who was over 82 and whose maid was also brutally beaten up .
My sincere sympathy to the family of the victim .

Food Festival in Doha

  It is fun . It will start this afternoon . All restaurants of Doha will go out to the open area behind the Exhibition Center  - they will offer some gourmet dishes and a lots of junk food :) . This year Japan will have its own corner . Let's hope that it will improve that level ...:) Otherwise it is cheap and there will be programs for kids as well.
 Do not expect too much from it - but do not miss it !

graphic bento by almawad
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Winners of the Qatar Airways Qatar National Day  photo contest are listed here .I was surprised to see Hungarians among the winners Tamas Kiss/ Bea Kiss . The winners were the ones who got the most public vote /I believed that it would happen only  to Indians , Arabs , Fillipinos .We are so few here in Doha . After all congrats to all  the winners .

retro birds by almawad
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It is like April in Europe . It's cloudy then suddenly comes the sun .Warm winds and cold ones . Capricious weather but it is not winter anymore .
Sales started in some luxurious places . The Center was full of customers the other day . Locals and some westerners . They were happy with their findings and went to relax to the cafe with huge bags .I dared to check the price of a shoe . It was only 800 riyal with 50 % discount . I quickly put it back to the shelf .:) :) :)
Well well even the rich like the bargain ...

I checked out the Blue Saloon as well . They had some real bargain among the perfumes = under 100 riyal after 50 % discount .But the clothes were overpriced . A pair of jeans for a preschooler were 600 riyals after discount .I remembered that some years ago I bought one for 20 riyals for my preschooler in the H&M :) There were some handbags as well displayed as items with huge discount ...there was an orange one that I liked . It was around 1500 USD .Oh my -in some villages in Hungary you can buy a small old house for this price ...How the world is strange !

Museum of Islamic Art by almawad
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Talking about restaurants : a new one is going to open at the top floor of the Museum .My guess is that not going to be a cheap canteen style :)

Ordering takeaway/home delivery  dinner/lunch

there are lots of restaurant offering take away dinner /lunch but they do not have a page on the net for you can select from their dishes .I found a great gastronomic page where the menus of a lots of places are scanned and published .Just click here and find the restaurant's menus

Cold winds are blowing in the coming days in Qatar . Temperature will drop bellow  10C on Saturday night and it can be as cold as 5 C on Sunday night .Prepare your warm clothes , blankets , heaters  .If you have too many of them then share  them with those who  might not have .( just simply put them next to the bins ) think about the stray cats too . Hot tea , a good book  a warm blanket ... it will feel like I am at home .

Which is the best restaurant in Doha ?



 According to the tripadvisor.co.uk  for the time being it is Market by Jean-Georges in the W Hotel is rated the best by their members . It serves gourmet style international and Mediterranean dishes. .

" Presentation and quality are high and the lunch special at 85 QR seems a bargain"
" The striking atmosphere and the waiters are very attentive and the food sublime"

Have you ever been there ? I do not go quite often to five star hotels restaurant  and telling the truth I do not even know the location of this hotel . But they sound to be worth visiting .

French Chef Cook Gifts Cartoon Kitchen Print by Humorous_posters
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The second best restaurant is also in the W hotel -it is called Spice Market .
It serves Asian gourmet dishes and you can go there for breakfast/brunch, lunch , dinner,even they have after-hours service .If you are ready to pay 89 riyal for a gourmet lunch then go for their set menu called Express Lunch.Your will get 1 Appetizer, 1 Entree and 1 Dessert for that money.
."Reasonably good service, impressive menu, and so-so prices considering it is inside a 5-star hotel"
"This is at W hotel, we went for dinner chose the set menu, it was divine!"

If the five star atmosphere is not exactly is what you long for  then try La Dolce Vita's Italian cuisine .It is rated as the third best place to eat out in Doha .They are much praised for their home-made flavors , large portions and the ambience of a family run restaurant.

view from the Islamic art museum's courtyard to the sea port of Doha and to the Fanar ( twisted shaped ) mosque

A new cafe in Doha - cafe Ducasse .It serves light meals ,sandwiches, salads , cakes and other kinds of desserts and drinks . It is in the Museum of Islamic Art .The building itself is very special . It was designed by I. M. Pei . You arrive to the huge lobby and you find a fountain in the middle . Now the fountain is surrounded by the chic sofas chairs, and armchairs of this cafe . As you go towards the glass wall you can find more seats - it is really very romantic you can watch the sea while sipping your coffee .

It was a Savoy Cake and cottage cheese with chestnut cream that we ordered . The Savoy Cake is a vintage style French pastry and it was good with the cappuccino . The chestnut cream was some kind of thick  chestnut preserve ( like Bonne Maman) and some kind of heavy yoghurt .Ducasse might be considered  as one of the best chef in the world but I have eaten much better chestnut dessert in Hungary ,. Chestnut puree with cream - at any Hungarian cake shop you will find that  in the cities or in the rural areas . A treat that I miss so much here in Qatar .For long time I believed that it is some kind of Hungarian recipe . Recently I have found that it is an old vintage recipe  just somehow it was forgotten in other parts of the world and preserved in my country .   
 So again I learned that when about food and eating not sure at all that you find the best flavours at the top restaurants .It is all about advertising marketing . My grandma's scones and cottage cheese turnovers were far better than any bakery products that I have ever tasted .
Well that is all that I think about  those posh places . It is worth visiting the museum and it is a very special place to sit around   the service is very nice and their drinks and cakes might be delicious  ....but you might have tasted better things somewhere else ...

 The inauguration of the new park seemed to be fun .Though we arrived at three  already there were a  lots of families .The playground was jammed with kids . There was a camel and a horse on the field for ride . We planned to try the horse . It was a nice looking Arabian mare .But before deciding to queue  for the ride we noticed some very bad looking clouds billowing the sky . There was a fire somewhere some hundreds of meters from us .We hurried away from the place - when we arrived to the building of the MIA then the fire was already put out . We could have returned to join more fun but my children were scared then rather we went into the building of the museum .

Trust in dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.
Khalil Gibran was born  129 years ago .


Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/k/khalil_gibran_4.html#ixzz1iT1v7mIk

The Museum if Islamic Art will be opening its public park on Friday  . The celebration and activities will be held between 2-10pm .There will be horse riding , traditional dances ,food tasting  and more  .... a new park in Doha    . It is good news .

Wild mountain honey of Iran ,persian carpets ,Iranian saffron( QR 25,000 per kg) ,quality dates ,herbal scents ,traditional furniture from Egypt ,wood handicrafts, metal and stone works from Kenya ,clothes and women’s accessories and more  if you  are in the mood of shopping after December festivities and  ahead of the  deadline of paying school fees ...
Venue : Exhibition Center
 Open daily : from 11 am
Event :  Doha Trade Fair

NUMBERS

The latest figures say there are 1,271,194 males and 436,562 females in Qatar.

  There are less than half million women in Qatar ! 


 Source : Gulf Times

No more plastic wrapping ?


There is a new law in Qatar that bans plastic wrapping of any kind of food that is sold hot .It is dangerous. Chemicals can be dissolved from the plastic ... I would also ban any kind of sour food sold in plastic . The pickles and salads also can bring out the chemicals .


It is very nice that the government thinks of our health - but many restaurant owners are reluctant to change their wrapping materials.I hope that they can force them to do so .

 

Xmas carols in the desert in Qatar performed by expats living there .2011

lovely scene from the streets of Doha - a street sweeping truck

a lovely street scene in Doha ..a cute kitty is on the fence of an old villa ...charming garden flowers are clustering on the fence... something not every day seen about Qatar

 Jaidah Photo Award Competition

Subject : reflections( the very best entries will show passions and poetry )

Deadline is midnight on Wednesday, January 11, 2012.

First prize : four-week photography course -worth up to QR30,000- at the world-renowned New York Film Academy. Air fares, accommodation and the workshop fee are all included.

 open to nationals and residents of the State of Qatar aged 18 years and above


 Only one (1) entry per Entrant. Only digital photos will be considered. The entrants must not Photoshop or watermarks and the photos must be taken and sent in a high resolution without any crop as well a minimum of 3500x2300 pixels (20x30 cm) at 300 dpi resolutions.

Once the photo is uploaded on the website, Entrants should submit the Raw/TIFF file to “W Hotel- Concierge Desk- West Bay- Doha- Qatar”.

See more on terms and conditions

heron silhoette by pixelgirl
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 The National Day in Qatar was marked by huge celebrations yesterday - military parade in the Corniche ,fireworks at night  etc .

 from our part -we celebrated at home ... we tried not to go out ... but finally we decided to go out to a restaurant ... around noon ... well we were blocked by those red four wheelers of lekhwiya  because of a VIP convoys then we saw other local people's car with four-five year our old little girls sitting in the windows of the car while it was moving ... because of those children we do not wish to go out .. we do not wish to see them fall from the car we do not wish to run over them ... we do not wish  our kids to see this ....
otherwise -we are happy  to see the success of Qatar in the world ... we feel it is like our success ...  the fireworks was also great from the roof top ... that is how we celebrated
" It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important "
we have been here for almost a decade

As weather turned into nice spring like so we spent a half day in the park . We saw a lots of families enjoying the early afternoon outside . The flags in Qatar were blowing in the mild wind and we saw soldier gallopping on camel back - as part of the heritage show I think for the coming National Day ...

I saw ads at the City center about an ongoing Youth festival in the city . They advertise sport activities and more - however no one phone number / web page is about the events .

I found some information here - but not even the Katara's homepage is mentioning the festival....

However if you are young person and looking for entertainment then try to visit Katara ... you might catch something interesting ...

I remember skateboarding was also mentioned as part of the events ...


 

funky water stripes by almawad
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It is cold around here ... It is nice to stay inside the warm flat  and   reading some good books while sipping some  hot drink ....

 If you do not know what to read then you have to go and see the annual book fair  to Doha Exhibition Center .It will be open for ten days ....
 


 Doha 22nd International Book Fair
December 12 - 22, 2011
Location: Doha Exhibitions Center
Tel: (+974) 44429955
Fax: (+974) 44429976
Organizer: Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage   
Email: anal@qatar.net.qa

Annual and regional regular fair specialized in books and all printing and publishing homes. It includes different writers and international publishers.

So the Arab Games started ... be prepared some security forces may hold  the traffic up  to make way for the VIP convoys ...
In spite of the tension in the area it seemed to me that every Arab nation sent his/her sport men/women to the Games .I was surprised to see that even people in wheelchairs arrived to participate ...Also it was a surprise that Somalia and Comoros Island is also considered as Arab country .. I have always believed that those countries are non -Arabs .

The Opening ceremony was spectacular at least on TV ....My best wishes to the competitors and organizers ..

Photo competition in Qatar

Anybody can submit his/her original photo that shows Qatar, its people, culture, tradition, landmarks and landscapes. The photo should not be more than 3 MB in size.
You do not have to live in Doha to participate but the the prizes will be only handed over in Doha .


Qatar Airways Qatar National Day contest will run the contest from 09:01 a.m. (Qatar time) on December 06 till 11:59 PM on 15 Januay, 2012. Winners will be announced by 25 February or earlier.


10 prizes for top 10 voted photographs and 70 prizes for all entrants to win through a lucky draw

Cold winds are blowing in Qatar . It is about 17 C ...The other day my mum called me and told that it was unusually hot in Hungary  - it was 14 C  . So  we had some days when the weather was very similar in the two countries ... very rarely it happens so !
 Not only the temperature but the lack of  precipitation is  also worrisome in  my home country. For four months there was no rain at all in some parts of South Hungary . And in Qatar last week it was raining heavily .
So we can say that Qatar is a wetter place than South Hungary .:)

Be prepared cold nights are coming with 7 C !

Xmas in Qatar for beginners

If you have spent here some years I do not think that there is much news I can tell -but as there are always newcomers around here -this way I try to sum up the basic rules ..
1 . Xmas is not an official holiday in Qatar
2 . Xmas atmosphere is not so high - you can look for it in some malls/ five star hotels
3.If Xmas means for you something else than pampering yourself in luxury -but you really want to do something for someone in need in Qatar -then it is hard to find the way ...some years ago I read about a group on the Qatar living who had collected money to buy some T-shirt ,caps etc and then they distributed these things among laborers ...it was a great hit ... those who got those goodies were really grateful and touched ...the simplest thing just to put the things you wish to give away next to the bins ..

4 . Do not be surprised that not every Christian celebrates the Xmas on the 25 the of December - there are people here who celebrate in January ...it can be embarrassing that you wish Merry Xmas to a co-worker and he /she needs to explain that this is not his/her time to celebrate

Practical information : you can find a lots of kind of Xmas decor in the Carrefour - I have heard that they  even have real Pine trees for sale( 700 riyals) -most of the Christmas gourmet food there are in French style ... if you are looking for  English style Xmas decor and items then go the the Megamart to  The Center ( near Jaidah flyover)...  you will find very nice decor shop inside the main building of The Center -next to the Hello Kitty to shop

Do you Like  nice glassware ? An exciting exhibition is going to be inaugurated today at 6 pm .
Venue :Katara Art Center (Building 5) at Katara Cultural Village

 Glassware designed for new domestic rituals, from the everyday to the celebratory, will be showcased in the exhibition Shared Glass which expresses the joy of life, and the excitement of new experiences and new friendships.

 VCUQ student's  in collaboration with  students from Fabrica in a glass-blowing workshop have created the items to be shown .

The exhibition is open all December .

 The inauguration  of the 12th Arab Games, Doha 2011 will be on Friday December 9 and the ceremony which will be staged at the Khalifa International Stadium

Tickets available at :Virgin /both Landmark and Villaggio branch 
 They are priced at QR150  QR100  QR50 

 They promise a spectacular performance  with high-tech effects  featuring everything that Arab nations share and love from sports to live music, culture, and arts.

 It  sounds something worth visiting .

It was raining in Doha yesterday .This made the day very special for my little kids . It was the first time in their life that they had seen a worm ...:)

Middle East in focus by joxxxxjo
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Qatar and the World population

 The other day I was reading an interview with a Hungarian expert - it was on the world population ... is the world really overpopulated ? No -was the answer - it is not -  just to show how little is the number of the people on the Earth - he said that if we put all the people of the world next to each other then Borsod county would be enough for them . Borsod county is around the same size as Qatar . So just put all the people here in your mind .:)

BOOKRA  Tomorrow

  The present is grim : In Syria and Yemen civilians are killed daily  while the government attacks peaceful demonstrators ,residential areas and hospitals .Last week Saleh's tanks shelled the hospital of Taiz .

But the future will be bright ... at least this video suggests so .. life will be comfortable and modern while some Arab traditions will be preserved ... at least that was the message I understood with my poor Arabic and the pictures..

Shooting was made partly in Marocco and Qatar ...

Concert of Mr. Károly Mocsári  -  the Hungarian Pianist  

Date : November 20th , 2011 

Time : 7:30

Venue : Katara , Opera House

Károly Mocsári was born in 1962. He ranks among the best Bartók and Liszt pianists in the world.

PROGRAM: 

Mozart: Requiem Confutatis and Lacrymosa (Transcript of Liszt)
Beethoven: 4- Symphony 3.movement (Transcript of Liszt)
Valley Obermann
Funerailles

Pause

R. W. Venezia
Am Grabe Richard Wagners
Sancta Dorothea
Recueillement
Schlaflos
Hungarian Rhapsodies V, XVI
Hungarian Fantasy (transcribed by Mocsari) 

People enjoying a day out at Mesaieed beach during the Eid weekend

this is a picture you should check out if you want to have an image on the public beaches in Qatar ..people in the beach means massive crowds of men

 though there is one single family beach in Katara - it is still not solution for women -as family beach means only that  single men are not allowed

   in this country there are ladies only sections in banks ,lifts etc .  where are the ladies only beaches ? if there are women who do not wish to mix with men even in the banks then sure there is a demand for beaches without men ...

It was raining in Doha today .It was the second day of the Eid .It was one day after eleven of my compatriots died in Egypt in a bus accident ...:(

http://dohanews.co/post/11862277819#disqus_thread
I have heard about this only yesterday . A building being pulled off in Mushreib district in Doha collapsed unexpectedly around a week ago and fell onto the road . At peak hours !Oficially the number of deaths is low.Let us hope this is the truth .
Hopefully it won't happen again .

I'm walking along the street of the cultural village of Doha this evening with my two little kids and look who I just see there ?It was Banderas - his face could be seen sometimes from the dense of the reporters .. he was not too tall, was not very handsome, the hardened features of his face reminded me to an officer rather than to that Latin heartthrob with charismatic look ...I understand he is refusing even the idea of plastic surgery - the age is an honor according to his view - I do agree with him ...

GUESS WHOM I MET IN DOHA

A film that looks funny and interesting . Though it is out of competition ....Almanya -Welcome to Germany ..A charming cross cultural comedy on three generations of German - Turks ...

GUESS WHO IS COMING TO DOHA

Family Day at  Doha Tribeca Film Festival

The week - end seems to be very special BECAUSE of the Film festival 's family day .There are too many activities to enjoy ... and as the weather is not so hot one can start in early afternoon to avoid the crowds and to secure a ticket for the free screening of the family movie Spy Kids .
You can take some  sand toys as well -at least last week a part of the beach was opened for the public and kids were allowed playing in the sand ... otherwise if you wish to swim the beach is open until sunset and it is around 100 rial for an adult and 25 for a child . The family day   will start at 2 pm

on Friday and will be open till Midnight

There will be arts & crafts, sports, workshops, film making, video gaming, storytelling, music, dance, kite making, and animation. Families can also experience local Qatari customs, crafts and traditions.

Enjoy free family film screenings in the Katara Open-Air Theater and evening performances along the Esplanade. There are activities and interactions for youth of all ages, from toddlers to teens, and even for parents and caregivers to enjoy as well.
6:00 PM in the Open Air theatre

Presentation of SPY KIDS FREE  -but according to my experience you must get a ticket from the cashier to be able to enter ....it is a huge place but tickets ran out last year by the time we decided we wanted to see the film   ..more info on this event

World Innovation Summit for Education - Qatar, a photo by Larry Johnson on Flickr.

Traditions and modernity -striking photo showing these two aspects of Qatar .

Congratulations ! Tawakul Karman -the Yemeni woman got the Nobel prize for the peace this year shared with Liberian female activists .
At long last someone who really deserved it !

NUMBERS - 100

Qatar Airways has just collected its 100th Boeing ....

Qatar by peter_pan03
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the Pond and the sky by almawad
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There's a week long Latin American festival in Doha  taking place in the Cultural Village /katara . By the time I learned about this event all the tickets had gone for the circus and the ballet .
:( ...


So we went to a park instead of the circus .Luckily the weather is much nicer than last week ,. We arrived around 4 pm to the Aspire park . It is so nice to come out and  enjoy it  at long last.After so long to find nice weather ....We saw the ducks - had a long walk and finally we were sitting  outside near a green tree  in the stylish white armchairs of the Petit Cafe and were having some drink  It was fantastic feeling !Only the small black flying insects were annoying after sunset ....

We were invited to a reception . The caterer was  the Grand Hyatt . It was an Egyptian themed buffet . The starters were really nice :green beans salad ,stuffed tomatoes ,stuffed egg plants ,stuffed grape leaves , eggplant puree  ,koshari . I was full after those entrees  so i skipped the main courses (like a child) and went to the dessert table . That was not so fantastic .I liked their ummali -but neither their baklava or basboosa was worth to try ... anyway we were having  silver cutlery ....:)

"spoon-fork w/pink bow poster print" by hallmarkphotography
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illustration

Beautiful Day in The Park by almawad
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The park was full of birds' song : minas , parrots ,doves ,sparrows and the low twittering of  some rarely seen swallows .The weather  is unusually hot this September .We have to go before nine in the morning .Before it gets too hot even under the shaded playgrounds ...
We like early breakfasts en plein air  ...    only a few families , listening to the birds , feeling the luxury of being almost alone in a park .. parks are safe in Qatar ..  at least you do not have to be afraid of dogs , drunken people ...like elsewhere in the world....

 Then soon we heard terrible shouting . Three cleaners in orange overalls had  a fight . They were very furious then started to beat each other with brooms and other garden tools .  The security was nowhere and other families were escaping .
I was  shouting with them with that dry and  determined voice that had helped me at times here in Qatar . " Stop it right now .. stop it or I will call the police "  ..it  helped they stopped beating each other but they kept shouting . The park is big but they had to do it right next to the  playground .

When my husband arrived he asked the security man how all this could have happened . He answered " I must have been to the hammam  that I did not  notice "

Parks are safe in Qatar - just their unsupervised staff can mean danger to the visitors .  This was not the first time  that we were annoyed in a public park by the staff .  Two years ago an Egyptian woman  who had some kind of vague position was disturbing us at New Salata Park .We left  the park we were so much annoyed .  Another time the security guard and  his local landlord were fighting  at day time - they had some row over unpaid rent before - it was last December in Aspire park .... it was not against us but somehow disturbing ....  and now early in the morning the staff behaves as they were allowed to do anything at Dahl al Hamam  ....


 They should not employ such substandard people   or if they do they should be strictly supervised .


 But after all this morning was  wonderful due to the birds  due to the rapid wings of low lying swallows and some cream colored small butterflies ...

Daily flights from Doha to Budapest with Qatar Airways ! And it takes only five hours !That is wonderful news for us .Previously we had to take a flight either to Frankfurt /Istanbul -then change the plane heading to Budapest .They used to be long journeys ... and the most expensive ones . I remember there were years when it was 4000 QR one single ticket for adults .Now I found tickets for 2100QR all inclusive . It is a real deal !

Modern Cityscape from Zazzle.comGreat wall art for proud nationals and expats .This is the black and white version in three panels .

Modern Cityscape by almawad
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NUMBERS AGAIN

20-30/year is the average number of kids/year drowned into private /compound swimming pools and into the sea  around here....just happened a tragedy in a compound where a 10 y. o. died .Compound pools are not guarded and supervised and not surrounded by a high safely locked fence . ..

doha waters by cardart
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Numbers

60% -is the salary rise fr the Qatari working in their own country
120% is the hike in salary for the army officers

They say it is more than expected .

Eid 2011 August September

The laser show and the fireworks at Katara was nice but not something very special . Green and blue laser beams were dancing while we could hear different music styles and the seaside was filled with smoke for the special effects .In the last ten minutes or so fireworks and the laser show were alternating ...it was a dramatic experience ...bit too loud ...

We found a new cake shop selling cupcakes at 18 rial per piece . Well for Eid we bought some for the kids and it was tasty ...

The good thing about Katara that it is big -very big and you never feel that it would be overcrowded .

We like also the cheap little place where one can buy cheap chapati and karak ( spicy tea) and sit there and relax in beautiful environment .

One of my child was badly coughing when we left home .Then she was ready to drink a cup of karak .I do not know if it was due to that hot drink or to the humid salty air by the sea but her coughing disappeared .Voila our secret of how to stop bad coughs in Qatar .

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Zig Zag Towers, Doha, Qatar

Restored Souq Waqif, Doha, Qatar, Middle East


Hellier Gavin


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the weaver by almawad
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Garangau Festival at the Royal Plaza

 15th day of ramadan -there will be the traditional  children festival 
giveaway sweets and nuts , face painting , cartoon carachters and more fun..from 8 pm