Iftar Dinner with set menus - affordable places

There is life in Qatar even beyond the five star hotels .The proof of that is that some places offer iftar dinner with set menus  and they wont cost you so much .So leave the posh places for the millionaires and for the corporate show-off  and find a place where they are ready to offer a set menu  for ordinary people  when the sun sets .

Royal Tandoor   -  set menu  QR 50   between 5 -8 PM
 reservation : 4444 6151


Applebee's Iftar Buffet - unlimited soups , salads , appetizers with selected main course QR 55


Sukh Sagar , Pure vegetarian restaurant  - Weekend Dinner Buffet  QR 35    Tel : 44319172


Merweb Hotel  -Al  Sadd Doha
Tiffany's restaurant   Iftar Buffet QR 65 Lebanese  dishes
 reservation :4447 1017

Shawarma Grill House(Woqod Station, Al Rayan,) - Ramadan Special all you can eat QR59 including drinks  - children  eat at half price
reservation 4411 9920

in case you got   a  large family and you are minimum 30 people when you dine out then you may also consider Bombay Chowpatty


 for QR 39 you can get traditional Indian  iftar meal 
Tel :55712757


finally if you are a pizza fan then you may have a less traditional iftar meal at Papa Johns where you can have  pizzas ,  cheesesticks , breadsticks , potato wedges ,pepsi -all you can eat style ... for QR19

update : I found a restaurant offering dinner for much more expensive than they advertised ... also I found that all places are very busy with customers so it is better to call them in advance and book a table /ask about the price 

Iftar Custom Invites by almawad
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For those who are longing for the Hungarian trapista cheese

Hungary's most popular cheese the Trapista is not imported to Qatar .Those who miss it try the  Hajdu kashkawali cheese but it is something different ,. I  admit that I am one of those who wish to have some real Hungarian trapista . Then  I started to read about this cheese . It turned out that it was brought to Hungary centuries ago by French monks and it is very much similar to the French Port Salut cheese .
So I rushed to the Megamart to see if they have any and behold  - for 116 QR/kg I got a piece only to say that it was really  like our much beloved trapista and  it disappeared from our fridge very quickly .
So I am sharing this with you -  you might try it and like it .

Port Salut Cheese Posters by clarachandler
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Qatari Bronze in London

Congrats Qatar !

Shooter and rally driver Nasser Al Attiyah  won the bronze for Qatar .  It is a great thing ! Go Qatar Go !  He became the third in skeet shooting .In fact this was the first medal for Arabs at this Games . What more curious is that he is a rally  driver first of all . His great love  the rally   left him  no much time to practice shooting during  the year . Only ten days of practice and he became the third .

Iftar in Qatar

Where did you have iftar tonight ? At home ? In a restaurant ? At the office ? At the hospital ? In a wonderfully decorated tent like this at W hotel ? Or did you get your food from rich locals ?Where ever you had it -we are all united in the fasting or taking iftar together .Wishing you blessed Ramadan !

Beautiful Dresses from a local designer

Carnations at Texture Boutique
Location: Al Amir Street next to Laduree Salon ,Doha Qatar
Tel: 44322231



A beautiful blue dress with golden floral motifs and golden belt .From a Qatari designer - ROQAYA AL THANI

Hot Summer Topics

We are now in the middle of the HOT QATARI summer .Many people are looking for summer camps for their kids .I had written lists of places to send children  to but t his year because of the tragedy  in May in a nursery I do not feel I want to recommend any camp at all . However these are my feelings only and you can find the lists here .....


How to  beat the heat in Qatar ? My favorite drinks here .  -you may try  them as well .


Looking for beaches in Qatar ? Here is an excellent description of places - how to find them  and what to expect .

A most bizarre inicident

It is certainly something very strange and unexpected ,. You are  jogging peacefully in the Corniche of Doha at six am when a bull is running towards you and it is not   Pamplona  -but you have to run for your life ....Or you are sitting peacefully in the building of a ministry as a security guard then suddenly a bull is breaking through the window and you have to save your life somehow .
Luckily nobody died but two joggers and a security guard were badly injured .Where did the bulls come from ? It seems that they were  just about the be shifted from a vessel to a truck when they managed to break free .Three of them were caught alive one of them had to  be killed . How very strange . He wanted to go to the toilets of the ministry ....


Source 

Spanish Bull Sticker by biglnet
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Sentences for Sarah Gazdhar death case

The sentences in the Sarah Gazdhar Case were the most disappointing ones. 

She passed away two years ago.

The youngster was only four years old.

She dozed off in the minivan that was transporting her from home to school. She was then forgotten there. She died inside the locked minivan in the sweltering heat. It occurred two years ago.

The sentences are as follows: the driver who did not check the minivan before locking it received only a few years suspended = nothing... the transportation manager who should not have allowed any vehicle to run without an attendant was allowed to flee to India. So was Mattu, the principal, who was unconcerned about the dangers in her school's transportation system. Other children had previously been forgotten there but  they managed to escape, but she did not listen to the parents when they complained and warned her.

The school must pay a fine of 50 thousand QR, which is equivalent to four students' school fees...

It's a joke...it was a murder caused by their carelessness and  they could get away with....the other schools won't care...there will be buses without attendants again...

New Beaches in Qatar

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Urban Planning has opened four beaches in Wakrah,
Al-Khor, Semeisima and al-Kharayij (in Umm Bab district) after revamping the facilities in collaboration with the Public Works Authority (Ashghal). All the beaches have been cordoned with steel railings and have an adequate number of toilets, raised platforms for barbecuing, play areas for children, playgrounds for football and volleyball, beach umbrellas and canopies.


It is good news

BUt what about the ladies only hours or the ladies only beach they had promised? Again women will be just sitting in abaya in the beach ?

love and sea pendants by almawad
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strange fruits and veggies in doha supermarkets -part 2 the AMLA

 Indian gooseberry or Amla .When I saw it first time in Doha I told to myself ;"Look -they have gooseberries like we have at home  in Hungary " Then I remembered nice evenings spent at village relatives and picking gooseberries and their sour taste  -some of them was hard and sour others were sweeter ... but when I tried Amla I simply was not able to eat it . I  could not beleive that it was for human consumption .
But now that I read about its benefit for our health I will try to find out the way I am able to eat it ...Phyllanthus emblica promotes longevity, and traditionally to enhance digestion  -it treats constipation ), reduces fever purifies the blood  reducces cough , alleviates asthma , strengthens the heart , benefits the eyes , stimulates hair growth , enlivens the body, and enhances intellect ^{..I guess I should eat it raw for all these benefits ....}In rats it significantly reduced blood glucose, food intake, water intake and urine output in diabetic rats compared with the non‐ diabetic control group -according to wikipedia .

Qatar Airways the best airline in the world

Now that Qatar Airways won again the best airline award I remembered our travel with them eight years ago .We went to Frankfurt with them  then to Doha .Flying to Frankfurt  was simply terrible . We got sits near the partition wall between the economy and first class . plus we had to sit in the two seats in the middle surrounded by solo traveler men .Behind us there was a couple with a lovely little girl who was crying all the time .The Asian air hostesses( Pinoy look) were caring only about the  single American men around us  - the smell of alcohol was too much to bear ..When asked for water they pretended they did not hear us . Their reaction was the same to a  Qatari mother ... The food was excellent but the air hostesses simply forgot one snack to give us and  ignored us  while they were super kind to the male solo travelers . After hours of flying the  gourmet lunch was served .Then the little girl threw up behind us .That is why she was crying all the time -her stomach was upset . Finally she stopped crying and fell asleep .But somehow we could not enjoy the lunch .On the return flight we were more lucky -we had British air hostess and no drunken passenger around us .It was fine  -but I still do not rate them the best airline service ... to me Air France seemed to be far better ...if I were the manager of the airline I would employ only people with above average IQ . Customers tend to rate a service according to the human factor .I do not care as a customer what the waistline is of an air hostess .I expect her to do her job and to be kind to every passenger and helpful with kids .This selective kindness  I experienced  at QA is putting me off .
We had to change the plane in Frankfurt . I found myself with my kids in Lufthansa cheap flight .We were very warmly welcomed by the staff and my kids got some  gift at once .( On QA only the first class kids were given gifts )  The Food was very basic -some sandwiches and  soft drinks  -but still we were happy as the  air hostess came to us several times asking about our needs/ offering blankets and telling some lovely words to our kids .
As an economy passenger I felt much more comfortable at Lufthansa than at QA .QA might be the best  in the world with the first class passengers  -but they did not offer anything special for  us at the economy class (.I am not interested in drinking alcohol at all . )The gourmet lunch was  the only real special thing there .
 Thanks God we arrived safe and sound and after all that was the most important ...

Doha Airport, Qatar Post Card by Cartai
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Valentino Fashion House bought by Qatar

Now that the Valentino fashion house was bought by Qatar many people are guessing what the brand will be like in the future .Valentino's super feminine transparent clothes are not fitting into the line of modest public  wear   . They are in fact very far from what is expected from us to wear and about what we are taught by local women . Will they change style ? Or they won't care because business is business ?
I think that they will keep it mainly western line ...perhaps  they try to add some oriental touch or some modesty to it . "Qui vivra verra "

chopsticks restaurant - Grand Regency Hotel

Many good reviews have been written about this place . So as we were celebrating several special occasions last weekend then I decided to reserve a table there . It was terribly windy outside .Even there were warnings  on the news that the everyone should stay indoors as the wind lifted up parts of buildings and threw them on the roads/streets . It might be due to this that we were the only customers  in the restaurant .
First I was surprised how small the place was . So was the open buffet .There were only about five main dishes and three kinds of garnishes , Ten kinds of salads and three kinds of sushi and around ten kinds of desserts .
The sushi was  OK - I might have eaten better ones in a Japanese restaurant . The Thai shrimp curry was so tasty that we opted for a second portion of it leaving no room  for the other Thai/Chinese dishes .The salads were also delicious . The desserts were very special ones .I have never eaten before sweet pink caviar looking dish ... then white pudding with corn on the cob ...rice pudding topped with cooked beans . The beignet  of bananas were not as tasty as I had at the Indonesian mums party some years ago .
The buffet was not big but special and delicious and healthy .
We payed only for the adults though children above the age six should pay half price .The kids were the guests of the restaurant  -they told us  when we were considering taking a la carte menu .It was a good reason to opt for the buffet .It was very nice from them ..
All in all it was a special experience for a special occasion We were happy with it .Hopefully we will find another  special occasion to  return a day ,

Sushi Cat Big Fred Posters by CSiravo
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Cheaper tickets to Aquapark

We have discovered that there is a way to buy e-tickets to Aquapark .We tried it and it worked .Though on the page there were not very clear instructions .Now I am trying to explain how to get them .
Step 1 . Go to the Dohasouq page
Step 2 . Register with them
Step 3 . Buy the tickets - you need credit card for that
Step 4 . print the ticket
Step 5 .Go to the Aquapark with your valid Qatari ID
 It is simple and clear  - you get the e-tickets for 65 rials instead of 100 rials .
But if you were not the owner of the credit card which by it was paid  then you must bring the ID or the copy of the ID of the card owner . For us it was the most difficult part .The cashier man refused first to  let us  enter with our e-tickets as it was paid by my husband's  credit card . I showed him the credit card that  the ticket was paid by but he insisted that he needs my husband's ID . Before giving up I asked the other cashier man about the clear rules on this subject . Interestingly - he let us enter . How ? He just had a look at the backside of my ID card and he saw there my sponsor's name written - that was my husband's name . "Why did not you tell me about that ?" told me the first cashier . Frankly I did not know that my sponsor's name is written in Arabic  there . But  he should have been trained properly about this .Then I thought how typical it is . Half  the people working  around here have no enough training and experience ...

Cargo Planes from Hungary to Qatar

I read the other day that according to an agreement between Qatar and Hungary cargo  planes are coming here twice a week .Full of Hungarian goods .It was not sure from the article  if those products would be sold here or would be sent further to Asia and Australia .
Anyhow I started to dream ... to find Hungarian paprika in the supermarkets , the cottage cheese-choco bar ( Turi Rudi ) ,Szamos marzipan desserts ,Trapista cheese and so on ...What about you ?
What Hungarian products do you miss in Qatar ?

Strange veggies in the supermarket

One can see a lots of strange vegetables and fruits in the supermarkets of Doha . Especially at the Indian food section . This strange looking vegetable is called bitter melon .It comes in many shapes and colors .This one which looks like a warty cucumber is the Indian variation . Its health benefits are numerous : it is antimalarial ,cardioprotective , it lowers blood glucose concentrations by acting on peripheral tissues . It is similar to insulin's effects in the brain, it suppresses appetite .
Be careful if you are pregnant - the seeds can cause abortion .Also for those who suffer from favism /Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency -the seeds are extremly dangerous .This G6PDH enzym deficiency is a common disease in the middle east .Be careful when eating from this .

Middle Eastern tribal tattoo style make ups

Have you ever wondered why some Middle Eastern looking women are wearing strange beard like tattoos ? Those geometrical shapes were protecting them from the "evil eyes" ,they gave information about their tribe they belong to ,about their marital status and kids and more . Nowadays one can see less and less of those strange tattoos -but henna body decoration is still very popular .
Read more about this topic here . And watch this video to see how to make a tattoo style make up for yourself .

New taxis are to hit the roads

This type of news make me hopeful that life will be improving in Doha .300 more taxis are coming in July and 200 more after that . In the coming years new taxi companies are coming with sophisticated devices to detect their cars in the city and send them to the places where customers need them .Let's hope that all of those promised new services will be working for all of us .

Sunset in Doha

Sunset in June in Doha 

Murakami Ego exhibition in Doha 2012

Murakami Ego - exhibition ended yesterday . These pictures were taken in the lobby of the exhibition hall .Kawai textile daisies are covering balls .And you could admire the artists inflated Ego .Inside the exhibition hall we were not allowed to take pictures .There were a lots of paintings where cute cartoon figures were mixed with symbols of death .Both came in large numbers as they were copy pasted and they were flooding our eyes and souls like it floods us in everyday life from tv and other media .Like he was to feature the optical pollution of our era . There was a tent
like a circus tent . Inside the movie theater .Two of his cartoons were shown . The main message of the story was that the manure ( poop) is very important.In the first story it resulted in huge watermelons ... in the second story the city eater robotic monster - which could not be destroyed by the army - went into zen mood then passed stool which was stinking first then it changed into gold and spiritual material .This idea reminds me to Friedensreich Hundertwasser the Austrian artist who had said that the human body fluids are one of the biggest treasure on this planet .
The exhibition was provocative /inspiring /funny /depressing ...I wonder if any millionaire bought his armchair covered with cute daisies . It was   around 200  thousand rial !

Entalek Fuwairit kayaking tour

drumming in the desert ...

Have you ever wished drumming in the desert ? Kayaking in the moonlight ?Snorkeling on the reefs ? Now with entalek it is all possible . 300 rial/person - the last event of the season .I wish all these but Iearned about the existence of this organization too late .We used to paddle in Hungary kayak/kenu as a hobby ... we missed it here in Qatar and we are happy that it is possible now .They say that it is so much cooler outside the city .
I miss very much the chance to escape from the city in the summer .It is just too much here ...and the villages are non-existent here -so is the village tourism .So if you wish to go back to the nature in Qatar then it is a nice chance to join this group .

Reliable teacher to leave our kids with

After that 13 kids-all the kids- died in Villaggio  creche/day care center in a slow spreading fire where it would have been so easy to escape if if if.... I do not want to repeat myself ....
The teachers did not recognize the danger  in time / plus there was a stupid one who told them that the fire was put out .... then  they remained there "it was just a small fire" for 15 minutes when already it was too late to come out .
It was not like the Mexico nursery fire in 2009 that the burning roof fell on the sleeping kids ....where there was a fire exit just closed and they did not find the key ....there was no other exit here ...but the children died not by the fire but by the smoke ...
So I am thinking so much about the importance of the teachers problem solving abilities .Here the anglosaxon expats prefer the maids/babysitters from Phillippines "because they have so much more mind than the other Asians" I think this bias comes simply from the fact that they are both Christians and they would hate to admit about a Muslim teacher/maid/babysitter that she is good .Or they are just simply afraid of them .
We can see that this general views on nations/religions does not lead to any good .We should judge everyone according to the content of his/her character  not by the nationality....But how can we do so ? I am coming from a small town . Everybody knows the teachers -easy to ask about her/him . Here people just come and go and this is a city. And even during school year teachers are changed -many times without any explanation /even without informing the parents .So how can we find the right teacher who would save our kids in case that anything unexpected ? How can we find the right teacher who would be able to decide what to do ? I find it nearly impossible .
We can check the building fire safety devices  but no more we can see . We can decide to homeschool our kids or just let them go to  their school and hope that they would come home safe and sound .

No cartoons on MBC3 - mourning the Saudi crown prince

My kids wanted to watch MBC3  yesterday . They were annoyed to see that there  are no cartoons at all . The Crown prince of Saudi Arabia died - there are programs commemorating him .( we have always thought  that MBC3 is coming from Dubai )
Seeing their  annoyed faces I remembered  that it was the same in Hungary some twenty years ago when  Hungary's prime minister died suddenly . He was not popular  for  everyone - so many parents were upset when the usual Sunday afternoon cartoon was stopped in the middle of the story and sad music came for an hour without any explanation .At least they should have warned the parents that not to expect cartoons  that day at all .

I am sometimes really surprised  on how much people love the rulers of their country . Once I was  working as a tour guide  with a  group of Belgian tourists .I eventually mentioned them that their king died that morning . I was very sure that they had already heard about it . Unfortunately they learnt it from me .They became deeply saddened /some of them even cried . The cheerful trip was over  everybody -  with no exception went into terribly sad mood .Like they lost a close friend or family member .

Daddy is my hero - what about yours

It's Father's Day today in the US . I have always found  this day strange when I heard about it  in my childhood .As far as I know it is not celebrated in the Middle East ,either .But I found  this day to be a nice occasion for sharing my childhood stories with my readers .
Daddy is my hero - you can read here a real story of my childhood when a wonderful trip was turned into a nightmare and how my father  tried to help me and how much super power he had had suddenly  just to  know me safe and sound .

Please visit   my page if you want to read a nice true story about a young father and his little daughter . I am also interested in other people's story - so if you have one do not hesitate and share it with us on the page .  You can leave links leading to other great dad's stories as well at any time when you read this page .

rivers ,streams ,lakes in Doha

You might laugh when you read it .Qatar is a desert surrounded by the sea .You certainly will not see those rivers ,streams ,lakes on the surface .But I am very sure that beneath the desert there is a whole system of streams/rivers/lakes .
What makes me think so ? I am laic . I did not study geology but I was born in a town where the stones/ limestone is in abundance  and they are very similar to the ones in Qatar .In my hometown there's a lake right in the centre of the town and it gets the water from underground springs from the caves .
I have always thought that it must be true , then I heard from someone that  they found a wonderfully clean/ fast running stream in Doha while digging for a building's foundation .If there is stream then there must be some rivers and lakes .

Qatar Map Plate - souvenir idea

Qatar Map Plate by FlagAndMap
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Qatar continues to expand public investment funds in Europe. The Qatar Investment Authority recently purchased a prestigious shopping center in Paris's Champs Elysees for 500 million euros .



Le Figaro has learned that the 27 thousand square foot retail building was sold by Groupama to Qatari investors.

The Middle East investors are noticeably stronger in European expansion. In Budapest two five-star hotels were  bought by Arab investors: the Gresham Palace by investors from Oman, Le Meridient was taken by investors from from Dubai.

top Chef leaves Pearl

This issue is major embarrassment for both  I think . For the country  and for the chef . For the country which invited Gordon Ramsay   to open a restaurant at  Pearl district and  allowed him  to sell alcohol . Then  it withdrew this license on public pressure .

The chef  must be embarrassed as well  - he must admit that his  gourmet cuisine was not attractive enough to make profit .

 The people of Qatar must feel victorious . They might have the illusion that they dictate .
In fact this is the money that dictates .In fact they open new restaurants in a five star hotel .

I am coming from a non-drinking family . It is rather rare in Europe or in Hungary .My father imposed ban on alcohol for himself .In his youth he had some experience with being drunk with his friends . Then  one day he woke up and said "Human dignity and alcohol consumption can not go together - I choose rather my dignity "

I am very proud of my dad . First of all because he was not following the others like sheep .Then because he kept himself to his words . Finally because he never forbade us anything .
He just set a good example for us .

Funny Chef Dad T-shirt by chef_tshirts
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funny story on French expats in Qatar

the following story was posted as fiction in a discussion forum in Qatar
but seeing the reactions even the author was shocked how much truth was in it

Mimi Le Blanc now eats alone at La Cigale and attends French arrogance classes at the French Embassy as her own means of interacting with fellow French nationals.


Dan Singh, part time salsa teacher and intrepid reporter for the Gulftenis Tribune investigated her strange case.


'It all started when I said to my husband, lets save some money and live without a maid. I can clean the house, get the kids dressed in the morning for onion classes and wash our clothes. At first its was great to have my house back to myself and feel satsified at doing a days work. Of course I had to give up wine drinking with the ladies at lunchtime and sneering at the Americans for being so uncultured but then the other French ladies found out what I had done. They said I was setting a bad example to their husbands and they might get the wrong idea. Plus they attacked me for my lack of compassionate saying that some poor Filipino family cannot afford crossiants for breakfast back in Vietnam or where ever they come from'


Dan in his research from that it is not unsual for the French to shun the locals and the other expatriates in whatever country they are posted, but it is unsual for them to shun one of their own, no matter how arrogant or even if they say they like British food. Dan caught up with some of her ex-friends;


Marie of Al French Villas said, 'et is shocking. My husband found out and now wants me to give up the maid, the house boy and the gardner. Who will I have left to shout at?'


Chantelle DeBoobies was even more enraged, 'why doesn't her husband just go and marry a Thai lady if he wants us to scrub floors. Do you know how much my nails cost? This lady is the biggest traitor to France since, well probably ever. I will never let her sample my cheese again'.


The new French President has denied rumours that Mimi Le Blanc will be stripped of her citizenship but did indicate that she will be re-educated on return to France.

Read more: http://www.qatarliving.com/node/3077454#ixzz1xUHbiHjY

World Philatelic Exhibition in Doha

I have just got the information right from the Hungarian Philatelic Museum that Hungary will exhibit postage stamps in September in Doha .

From 21 September to 26 September in Doha Exhibition Center .The aim of such exhibitions is to promote stamp collecting and philately , to maintain friendly relations and friendship among all peoples. . to establish and maintain close relations with the philatelic trade and postal administrations. ,to promote philatelic exhibitions by granting Patronage and Auspices .

Famous Paintings in Qatar

The Scream by Edvard Munch Post Card by Ladiebug
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At the Sotheby's May auction The Scream by Munch was sold at record price-the nearly $ 120 million which was paid by an anonymous bidder.Already in April there was a rumor at various economic news portals that the Qatari ruler's family is going to bid for this artwork by Munch - the only one which was privately owned from the iconic series .The base of the rumor was that Paul Cezanne's painting was bought by the Qatari ruler's family the year before :

The Cardplayers Postcard by ImmortalArtwork
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Art Newspaper understands, in 2007, Ileana Sonnabend collection was bought by Qatar . It was a collection of $ 400 million, including Jeff Koons, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol's works . Advisory representatives of the family are renowned professionals such as Christie's former president, Edward J. Dolma.

still I am Sad

It happens that I can sleep at night . After the Villaggio fire I could not .I was too much upset to be able to do so .Or when I did fell asleep then I saw always the same nightmare ; I am in a public place with my kids  ...  then we lose each other ...and I am desperately crying out their names . And I can hear the fainted noise of their laughs but there are huge walls between us. The huge walls are frightening - I know that I can not reach them and I feel awfully alone . I wake up  and I am sweating and happy to see my kids near me . But the depressing feeling is still in me and makes my days sad .Then I  think of the families of the victims and about the silence that they must bear after loosing their little ones .The sounds of  the cheerful life of the toddlers /preschoolers /juniors who perished in the smoke .They had been noisy kids as all of us were a day -and now it is only silence .Two sets of families lost 3 kids . A toddler who did not want to go that day to the creche lost 3 siblings  those who did go .How much  burden  he has to carry all his life !The memory of three siblings who died .And all of us -we must carry this burden now all our life .

We still suffer very much by the terrible death of those children . With my friends we discuss it all the time .One of my friend says from NZ " I wish we could set back the clock - and go back in the time and make everything for this would not happen "

Becoming a mother makes you the mother of all children. From now on each wounded, abandoned, frightened child is yours. You live in the suffering mothers of every race and creed and weep with them. You long to comfort all who are desolate.

- Charlotte Gray

 

I

I know a mum who was just heading to the Villaggio to leave her kid at the nursery ... She was supposed to be there at the time of the fire but somehow everything went so slow that morning .Finally she was late -the police did not let her enter the mall .Since then  the simple thought that they arrive on time gives her chills .


 I read this here :

 We live one block from Villaggio. So this hit me and my wife very hard, like a sucker punch in the solar plexus hard. My wife mentioned that her friend told me that until you have kids of your own, you don’t understand this kind of emotional impact when something like this happens. Now I do.

A mother from Abu Dhabi wrote .


I try to not imagine the children as the smoke gets thicker and they can not reach for their no cell phones to let mommy know they are suffocating and gasping for air.
I try not to think about the sounds and the screams, but I hear them all so loud, the screams and the sounds.

Things that I still do not understand

Yesterday I was reading the account of a fireman on the nursery tragedy . He claimed that nobody survived . "Mohsen, who described Shahboun as "a leader to us", said that all of the children in the nursery had died - "five in the ambulance, three at the hospital and the rest right at the spot."

Question one : how many kids were there in the nursery ? 

 initially they were talking about 20 kids out of them 13 died .. so it is for me now a total confusion

Question two : How the teachers did not call the firefighters to ask for help and describing their location when they were able to call to the Philippines ?

Question three : How nobody felt necessary to warn the nursery about the fire ...at least by phone

Question four : what was the staircase made of that it collapsed in the fire ? Was not it concrete?

Question five :How nobody felt the urge of informing the firefighters about the existence of a nursery ?


UPDATE

How many kids were there in the nursery ? - it seems that 13
Why did they talk about 20 on the first day ? I think they did not want to admit the ugly truth that everybody died there . It seemed this way as they rescued some

  How the teachers did not call the firefighters to ask for help and describing their location when they were able to call to the Philippines ?
 According to co-workers who should have worked in afternoon shift that day they got call from the teachers in the morning complaining about mild smoke .They were told to call the security who told them the fire was under control. How the teachers did not think they should leave  after all? Nobody likes talking about this topic. They died I know - it is terrible  I know but from what we know  at the moment the teachers were not recognizing  that they should act quickly . 13 kids and four adults / it was not impossible to leave quickly.If every teacher  had picked up two kids 8 of them would have been out .And there were bigger kids as well who can follow orders and leave on their own . Later the teachers called that they can not leave they need help .Why the co-workers who got this call did not call the firefighters ?Why were the teachers texting and calling relatives instead of calling the firefighters ?This question is still very confusing I do not see it clearly .

  There was an article in which someone claims that  there was enough time to leave.After the first light smoke 15 minutes had gone until heavy smoke came and blocked their way .
How those teachers did not feel  without any fire safety training that having even light smoke in a kindergarten is not OK and they should leave as soon as possible ?

How nobody felt necessary to warn the nursery about the fire ...at least by phone    the investigation did not answer  this ....  this was not the first fire in Villaggio  the nursery was not a new  one ... the security just told them to stay where they were... was this call registered ?

 what was the staircase made of that it collapsed in the fire ? Was not it concrete?  - I heard that it was made of aluminum

 How nobody felt the urge of informing the firefighters about the existence of a nursery ? no answer on this  the parents could not reach the firefighters they were waiting outside while trying to inform the policemen outside about the kids in the nursery - but there was the language barrier

  and there are more questions  about the missing floor plan , about the security who claim they did not know about the children  though this was not the first fire in the mall

society of gold miners

I have never thought that Qatar is the land of the idealist .people come here to get rich and not to be a hero . I have known all that.Still I was shocked when I read  about the Villaggio fire .How little the security and other staff was caring about the customers .A man was trying some clothes in the Zara boutique when he came out - there was nobody . Everybody left the place and nobody cared about people in the changing room .As we learn more and more details on this terrible fire it is getting more and more painfully clear to me that the children  and their teachers were left alone in that ill-fated nursery .
It is clear now that the fire started at the Nike shoe shop then it spread to the Puma and the smoke from there flew up to the nursery . How much time was all that ? How much time until the staircase collapsed ? How much time was there to warn the teachers who might have not heard the fire bells at all . There was no one security man who  would run up and do this little thing which could  have saved the life of the little ones .Or a shop assistant who saw the fire or anybody else being aware of the existence of the nursery .
People come here to make money . There is no hope to get a  citizenship here for expats / plus we always hear that we can go away if we do not like something in the country .And as skilled and well experienced people rarely get the salary they would deserve this way a lots of them leave  the country for good .New ones are coming without skills and experience  and  by the time they  gain some they already  left the country .This is the land of the incompetent .Taxi drivers do not know the main sights of the city  and the security guards run away when they  notice the danger - the mall managers can not find the map of the building when it is about trying and saving the life of babies .

And about the firefighters who  died in the incident  - I am really disturbed by that . I had the feeling that they  were sent to the  death .. Did they have gas mask and oxygen ? Are firefighters obliged to go to the sure death ?

Why ? ..............

We have to wait a week until investigations tell us how the fire started and spread to the nursery killing by that 13 kids and 4 teachers and more people .

Until then still there are a lots of thoughts is worth reading :

it turns out that low-cost nurseries have strict rules about fire escape that  they have to follow
"Last year the nursery I work at was ordered to do the following
1. Install all the fire up-to-date equipment.
2. Build/install a fire escape
3. All the classes are to be held on the ground floor of the building.
4. A fully functional water sprinkling system.
5. Practice a fire drill as often as possible
This is a VERY low cost nursery but all this was done ASAP regardless of the cost.
Now how can a nursery as expensive as gympanzies have been running without all that, how and who approved them to operate…

Read more: http://www.qatarliving.com/node/3020224#ixzz1wGOuZIo2

 This nursery was rather expensive .Doha Mums Club was advertising and recommending it/ still  I was reading on their homepage  how safe it was ...:(   Since then they deleted the page ...From this every mum can learn that posh is not surely safe . And  how  little you can trust recommendation of that Club .

another thought about the fire :

"incident yesterday will open all parents and the whole community to more vigilant regarding places or structures where their children go and even the house we live. Awareness is the key word, not fear."

Read more: http://www.qatarliving.com/node/3020224#ixzz1wGT73gBA

"Required teacher trainings/education: Most of our teachers are CPR & First Aid certified and have a minimum of two years of college studies.  There is a Red Cross office downstairs in case of an emergency. "

Tragedy and Horror - 13 kids die at the Villaggio Nursery

I was busy all the day. When afternoon I was chatting with someone then she asked me what do I think about the fire at Villaggio Mall .I thought that it was just the usual fire - it is quickly put out and no problem  .. no deaths ....
And knowing well the Villaggio Mall ..it is a ground floor structure  you simply would not suppose that massive death toll would  come with the fire .Easy to escape - you do not get stuck in the lift etc .
Then when I heard about the death toll I was astonished ... yes  the nursery was really on the first floor . I visited that place  once out of curiosity and I was shocked even at that time that we have to walk on long corridors without windows and the nursery was like a dead end of that long corridor otherwise packed with offices . I had bad feelings ... as many times when I have to be in a closed area . The location itself was a mistake....
I do not know details yet . But you can imagine how bad the  fire was if you hear the death toll and the four teachers and two firefighters who also perished there .As a mother and teacher I can not describe with words what I feel .MY  sincere sympathy to the parents  who lost their kids there whoever they were whatever nationality it is a day of big tragedy for all of us who live and  bring  their kids up in Doha .

more details and pictures here

With deepest sympathy Notecard by CHACKSTER
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Cistanche Desert Flower

Cistanche Desert Flower - Qatar Ipad Case by DHSU_Apparel
Create a custom iPad case.

I have just came across this photo of this strange flower . Somebody captured this desert flower in Messaid , Qatar and is selling it on an ipad case at zazzle .Very interesting plant - I have never seen it .I spend mt days in the city .No wonder that I am ignorant when it comes to the life in the desert .

My long lost parcel from mom was found

The ways of  Q -Post are unpredictable . My mom sent us some gifts last year .Exactly a year ago . We did not get it .It was very big disappointment  for all of us . Then at Xmas time she was hesitating  about  sending us a parcel again . Finally we found out a trick . She would address the parcel to the prestigious institution where one of us works and which belongs to a certain foundation ... and our trick worked , my mum's parcel was here within ten days  :)
We forgot about the old  lost parcel . My mum asked me some days or week ago about the kids size . I did not even have time to measure them . Then  the parcel is already here . Thank you mum for the parcel ! - I called her ....Which parcel ? -she asked astonished - I just posted it this afternoon it can't be that it is already there !
So you can guess that it was the parcel from last year . It arrived !Finally . Though we had to throw the chocolates  and the kids have  grown out the clothes mum sent - but it is here .

i love gifts tshirts by almawad
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dream cars in qatar

dream cars in qatar
rolls royce ad in the pearl island
we were not very much welcomed in their showroom
I think we did not have the impression of "serious buyer"
do not touch for the kids etc .
I decided at once never to buy rolls royce :)

aqua park qatar - practical info

Location :  on salwa road   15 minutes driving from industrial roundabout towards  the Saudi border ( Bu Samra)    - you take exit 29
Open from ten to ten
Fee : 100 QR /per person
 for kids under age three it is free
 Some  slides are for extra 30 riyals ( the huge ones)
Ladies only day : Tuesdays from 2 pm 10 pm
Family day: Friday , Saturday
Dress Code : on Ladies day we got the info on phone " any kind of swimming suit that is allowed for sale in Doha department stores is allowed to wear "
 not quite sure about the other days
Food , drinks : not allowed to take your own
Restaurants ; junk food at double price
Photos, cameras : strictly forbidden on ladies only day
Lockers: ten rials
Mini supermarket : offering snacks and swimming suits and other beach stuff
Lifeguards : there are a lots  but  do not seem to be very professional
 when I asked one of them about the depth of a pool - the answer was " I do not know madam"
Depth of water :  there is no warning about the deep areas  - be very careful especially with children

my personal favorites : wave pool / jacuzzi inside a cave

Cute 3d Penguin sits in Deckchair Iphone 4 Tough Case by Penguinium
Browse other Cool Casemate Cases

water park qatar -ladies only day

My little lad was allowed to enter only because he was under age seven .He enjoyed very much the pool for his age . It was small with shallow water with fancy slides for his size .From every corner elephants were spraying water into . There were three lifeguards inside the pool supervising them .I was just sitting under the trees and watching him .For some reasons I do not trust any lifeguards here  and I prefer watching the kids myself .

My preschooler first did not like the big pirate ship like slides  for the huge bucket in the shape of pirate . In every two /three minutes it poured the water on the steps where  the children were supposed to   go up .So I suggested her the wave pool  shallow part . We were enjoying it very much .She was jumping happily on the waves and shouting "it is Balaton .. mum like Balaton" .Then she was  brave enough  to try the pirate ship slides . When she came down she was all amazed "it is beautifully illuminated inside " like stars on the sky" and she kept sliding down ...

It was dinner time .The park suddenly became crowded .After sunset local  teen girls arrived in large groups .It was not easy to get a meal at the restaurants . We had no choice - only junk food .It was such a great day . I wished to have a gourmet sandwich or a salad /with some kind of premium ice cream . But there   were only fried nuggets .chicken strips , hamburgers .Ice cream of poor quality and all those at double price .I left my small kids with their babysitter sister .I went to swim to deeper water .Though the park was full - it was easy to swim .Most of the teens were interested in huge slides /walking /dancing /sitting by the pools and soaking their feet into the water .I swam into a cave  and enjoyed the jacuzzi there .Then with the kids we tried the lazy river .The slow stream moves  the rubber rings that we were supposed to sit into . Then  my eldest child bought extra tickets for those huge slides -she came down in those tubes which were not illuminated at all  ... total scary darkness ..:) for every age group there was something ...
As we were leaving the park  girls were dancing /sliding /splashing the water ... some carefree mood  I wish there were more places like this in Qatar with more affordable prices .

water park experience -ladies day

For you who do not know  : since the 1st May there is an afternoon for ladies only  .Aqua Park Qatar - the first and only water theme park here .It is built halfway on the road from Doha to the Saudi border .
Ladies only day ?- wondered my husband at the entrance . We saw only men security guard outside .But as we entered all the staff was female .So the arrival is not very welcoming ... the security check is strict and thorough .Your bags  your body all  checked with this scanner . They are looking for cameras .No photos here .
We were worried about the dress code . Some Brits claimed on discussion forums that only t-shirt and knee length  shorts are tolerated . We happily saw that they were wrong .We saw women enjoying the water and the sun   dressed in every style : bikinis ,one piece swimming suits , more conservative styles ...  we saw others walking or sitting at a restaurant in colorful or all white summer dresses ... we nearly had the feeling of being at home at Lake Balaton and I felt like  buying  for myself a nice summer dress with extreme  bright colorful flowers  or a nice white gauze dress with matching hat  -something that   we do not wear elsewhere here in Qatar .
If you want a new swimming suit you can buy one at the small supermarket  close to the entrance .It is around 180 rials .
 There is changing room and lockers .The lockers are extra 10 rials and the staff handles it .You get no key just a piece of paper .For me it would be easier to have the keys than this piece of paper .So we were over all the hassle and then started the fun .
 to be continued


http://yadiin.blogspot.com/2012/05/water-park-qatar-ladies-only-day.html#links

Birds of Qatar

I found in the local daily paper in the Peninsula a photo album full of great bird photos ...

Emiri Cup Qatar 2012

It was 40 years ago that the first  Emiri Cup was organized in Qatar . To celebrate this anniversary  there will be a lots of programs and competitions before the match itself . .
Until the 11th of May, visit one of  the  booths at Villaggio, City Centre, Landmark or Katara, and try to score against electronic goals! Winners will be chosen and given the chance to score at the half-time of the Emir Cup final on the 12th of May for a chance to win QR3,000, QR100,000 or the grand prize of QR1,000,000!

Many more prizes at the final on the 12th of May! Purchasing tickets will enter you for a draw to win: 15 Toyota Lexus cars, 20 motorbikes, 20 iPhones and 20 BlackBerrys. Cash prizes of QR10,000, QR2,000 and QR1,000 will also be given to lucky winners.

many activities planned ahead of the Emir Cup,Stay tuned for more information: http:www.facebook.com/QatarFootballAssociation

Read more: http://www.qatarliving.com/node/2909175#ixzz1uMQiTecQ

Practical advice : You'd better arrive one hour before the match .

Emir honours Hungarian envoy

Hungarian Ambassador to Qatar Szabo Laszlo was honoured by the Emir of Qatar in recognition of his efforts to enhance
relations between the two countries. The Emir wished Ambassador Szabo  Laszlo success in his future
posting and relations between Qatar and Hungary further progress and prosperity.

Good and bad News from Aqua Park

  Where shall I start ?
The Good One : Ladies Only Day :) From Tuesday 1st of May

   every Tuesday from 2pm - 10 pm

The entrance ticket is QR 100 per person so  ladies who do not want to mix with male ones got one afternoon there ...

The Bad One ; an 8 years old little boy drowned in the pool of 139 cm - where were  the lifeguards then ?  Terrible .Watch out your kids if you happen to go there ! If you have a lots of kids rather take  at a time only one or two .

Win a dinner party at a Lebanese restaurant

Dinning in Doha is a gastronomic  page -telling the news of restaurants and rating them .They are also known for organizing online competitions - the winners get usuallly a dinner for two . This month the winner will get a dinner for 14 people. Try you luck !Click here and enter the competition .

the Modern Mexican Cuisine in Doha

Pampano - Modern Mexican Cuisine in Doha

What about our Summer Festivals ?

Qatar is often described in travel books as a sleeping ,boring place . When ten years ago we happened to arrive in Doha we  were pleasantly surprised to see that there was a month long summer festival in the malls .Folk groups ,circus ,play area for the kids . But almost nothing in the last five years or so ...Unfortunately - it seems that this year there won't be any festival either .
I found an article harshly criticizing  this practice.

"While neighbours have been actively promoting their tourism attraction in the country, Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) has remained silent for months and has not announced any plans for the summer or Ramadan for those not planning trips abroad.

And at a time when schools are closed for summer and kids looking for pastimes. A lot of families are not travelling abroad this time because of the short gap between school holidays and Ramadan. The Arab Spring has affected travel to countries in the region that were usually considered attractive tourist spots.

 I’m convinced that most people working with QTA are on a holiday or spending their summer out of the country because they haven’t lined up any events or programmes for summer here. There are no activities being organised by malls, hotels and other establishments during a season when people have the time and would like to have some fun and relax."

  There are so many kids in Qatar .Local ones and expats . They all deserve some entertainment in the summer months.

 

restaurants ads on the Pearl island

There are plenty of /at the Pearl Island ...

It is hot here -too early heat  -I tell to my relatives  who are in Hungary .
It is  hot too here -they answer  it is 25C ...

It was 46.5 C in  the meter of the taxi which shows the outside temperature ...
How can you survive ? - they ask me from my homeland .
 Really how can we survive ? How could they survive who had lived here for centuries ?Praise to be the one who invented the AC .

 It is going to be hot tomorrow ... then a bit less hot .. then the heat returns ...

glass window with abstract painting in pearl island doha , qatar 

fountain at the pearl island doha , qatar 

ornamental pool in pearl island , doha , qatar

painting on pearl island's yachts

http://www.zazzle.com/yachts_at_the_bay_no_2_canvas-192594855994656578?CMPN=addthis&lang=en&rf=238379705041286148

yachts at the bay no 2 by almawad
Find out more about canvas digital photo printing

PRIVATE YACHTS IN DOHA
PEARL

The international community of the Pearl Qatar also include some real millionaires . The population density of millionaires in Qatar per square kilometer is the 5th highest in the world . :)

Water Taxi in Doha Pearl

It is a nice afternoon program for families . It will take you around the island and it takes around 20 minutes .
You can buy tickets at the office near the concierge at the end of the promenade called Marina .40 Qr/person - children also pay the same amount ...

The festival at the Pearl .It will end on May the 19 th . We went out to see it last night .We were very disappointed .The festival meant a group of eclectic entertainers strolling along the sea every hour/two hours .When they arrived to the stage -then absolutely nothing happened .Everybody expected them to perform on stage but they just took a rest then they returned to their place .What was the stage for ? I can not understand .All the strolling along took 10 minutes .We were there from 5 -8 and we saw no jugglers no clowns no street performers as it had been promised before .There was no festival atmosphere at all .
I left the island with the feel that we were tricked to be there just to increase the traffic of the restaurants and cafes .

Dhows in Qatar by PaulCowan
Create a postcard at Zazzle

Female athletes to the Olympics to London

Qatar has never sent before a female athlete to the Games .It is changing now The International Olympic Committee offered a wild-card invitation for Bahia al-Hamad to air riffle shooter. The swimmer Nada Arkaji and the sprinter Noor al-Malki had previously been given wild cards.

I am very happy for them .

All sports for all people.
Pierre de Coubertin
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_sports.html#AeFM02MvIvBlBRhe.99

Dreamy day in the park -Aspire park in surrealistic way

http://www.zazzle.com/dreamy_day_in_the_park_poster-228171930031131886?gl=almawad&CMPN=addthis&lang=en&rf=238379705041286148

Boycott for Adidas products in the Arab world . Adidas was the only non- Israeli sponsor of Jerusalem marathon .It tried to persuade the organizers to re-route the event and avoid the Eastern part ...But  even  the Eastern part was part of the marathon by this sending the message to the world that all Jerusalem belongs to Israel  “Israel is trying to misguide public opinion into believing that Jerusalem is its capital and that is a violation of all UN resolutions,” Prince Nawaf said

Spring Cleaning and  domestic help . It is not easy to find a part time domestic help in Qatar . There are a lots of live in maids but they are  expensive and not everybody likes the idea of a maid living  in  one's home . I  am one of those who can't feel relaxed while there is somebody/a stranger around  .
I did not have luck with the self-appointed maids so far . Usually they come - then they make faces - they criticize the flat  then they ask for more money , half of their time they spend by chatting on their mobile  and  I had things  that I  have never seen again after/ I had electric devices spoilt by their way of cleaning = pushing hot water into them ...
The other day I came upon an agency  - their prices were affordable ones .. they brought the woman to clean - she was net -wearing uniform . She was nice /polite working four hours continuously ...Finally I am happy...

Did you get used to the those strange flavors while living abroad ? -asked one of my distant relative whom I came across on the skype ? Strange flavors ? -I asked back ...You think we must eat local food day and night ?  For some people it is difficult to make out how one can preserve her identity  included her favorite flavors ..Well,well  the paprika is not the best here so you have to bring you favorite spice from Hungary .But do not think that you have to eat local food here ... in fact it is not easy to find the local food if you dine out ....we buy from the  women who are selling their home made dishes in large hot pots ... that happens at big festivals ... so it is not every day event.
Doha is international .You can find here  a lots of Arab and Indian restaurants  and a lots of junk food from the American chains ...there are some Italian and Chinese ones and a lot more as well ...I f you are like me and loves the experiment in the kitchen then you are in the heaven.. there are so many kinds of fish , spice mix ,green leaves ,vegetables , fruits  in the market that you will  always find something new to try ...
As for the Hungarian flavors : I am great fan of the Hungarian fish soup and stews especially the ones made  with sauer kraut  - but from time to time I find that I  add some curry powder to some dishes ... when I stopped the chatting with my relative I went to the kitchen and served some Hungarian bean soup to the kids and to my plate I added some Indian flavors ...to me those spice mixes are the best ones I have ever tried ...

Exploding bulbs ...This is something that has never happened to me before .Tungsram the Hungarian bulb is/was excellent ... it happened in the 1980's in the city of Budapest that a man living alone died while the lights were on . They found it out only after  years because neighbors had thought he was OK since they saw  the lights on in the evenings . Tungsram bulbs last years though their quality is not as great since the GE bought it up . Still some Hungarians claim that some of their bulbs have been in use for 15 years ! Now here in Qatar the situation is quite different . I have been living  here a for a while but I still do not understand why the bulbs must be changed so often  and what makes them explode eventually . The other day it happened to me  as I switched the lights on in the corridor .. the breaking glass shattered all over  the room and even on my hair . It made me very upset .Then when I talked to some families they said yes it is like that for them too ...sometimes they have to change bulbs daily ....
 Is it because of  the bulbs ( Osram )? Or is it because the isolation is poor and there is leakage from  upstairs ?  Or  the voltage is not even what we receive ?Can somebody tell me please ! I am terrified by the idea that it would explode again and fall all over the kids ...

April is the National Humor Month in the US
See my funny items here

Doha Debate  - the Marriage of first cousins

family marriage from The Doha Debates on Vimeo.

 The Doha Debates  threw themselves into one of the Arab world's most sensitive social issues, arguing the rights and wrongs of inter- marriage between blood relatives and voting overwhelmingly to discourage the practice.

In a lively session that featured geneticists and cultural commentators, speakers grappled repeatedly with the scientific and religious aspects of consanguineous marriage - the union of two biologically-related people, including, most controversially, first cousins.

Girls Sharing an Umbrella by corbis
Buy custom poster online at Zazzle.

It was raining at night with thunders and lightnings then in the morning it is raining silently ...
We felt terribly tired the night before and everybody went to sleep much earlier than usual ...Such days happen only 10 times a year or less often ...The rainiest period  what I saw here was in December 2006 during the Asian  Games ... then it was raining cats and dogs ....

I just wanted to have a cup of usual hot drink when I saw that my usual place was closed down by health authorities for " non compliance with regulations "

I hate to think of the meaning of that .Croaches ? Mice ?

I do not wish anything to drink . Thank You !

 The weather is wonderful birds are singing happily in Doha .
 I like this season  and I am trying to enjoy  every minute of that before the hot season arrives .

I do not see any advertisement for the marine festival this year .
Can it be cancelled ? Due to the sad events in Syria ?
On the other hand there are more and more promising sings that Doha will be a more entertaining place than ever . Somewhere near the Post Office a New Park is being built .On the fences of the construction one can see graphic images of the park which seem to be wonderful ones . The park comes with swimming pools .
The entertainment complex for single workers is also a promising sign .It is great step for the social harmony .It has four cinema halls ,more than 300 commercial outlets ,cricket stadium .They will be able to eat out , shop and find fun without fear . That is for them .
And the man woman ratio inside the city won't seem to be as bad if only families are coming to the malls .

Sunset in Doha Bay by almawad
Begin selling my art online at zazzle.

Ferry Service is coming to Doha within half year .
Brand New ferry ships will carry the passangers between the New Airport and the West Bay .
How great idea to use the sea for the public transport ! It is convenient ,exotic and fun . I can't wait for that starts !