Japanese restaurants in Doha

 1  Oishi sushi - Royal plaza

Ad Dawha, Ad Dawḩah, Qatar

Located In Royal Plaza 

Phone 4442 8989

Website

 I love their bento boxes  - it is a full lunch menu with soup ,salad ,curry  and sashimi . I love their crepe and sesame ice cream too .And the possibility to dine in a  private room !

2 . Sushi Minto

Salwa road, All Muthannna  Complex

Doha ( opposite the Jarir book store )

Phone

4467 5577

 They have a spacious place  with retro style interior .Their bento was quite good and a bit cheaper than  Oishi Sushi . I did not like that they were offering burgers for kids .

3.Megu

6 La Croisette, Porto Arabia, 

 The Pearl-Qatar, 26663 Doha, Qatar Ad Dawha,

Mon - Sun: 

7:00 pm - 12:00 am

+974 449 538 76 EXT: 2101 - Mob: +974 6611 2115

Megu, which means blessing, is a sophisticated and modern New-York based Japanese fine dining restaurant   - their specialities are  Original Crispy Asparagus, Yellowtail Carpaccio, Tuna and Salmon Tartares, Wagyu Kobe Beef Chateaubriand, not to forget house special rolls and the wide array of sushi and sashimi offerings . 

 see their facebook page

4 . Nobu   - at the Four Season Hotel

Soar to new heights and discover Nobu Doha, coming this Friday! #Doha #Nobu #qatar #nobudoha #foodie pic.twitter.com/Ifxj0J82rV
— Four Seasons Doha (@FSDoha) April 16, 2015

Nobu Doha restaurant to open tomorrow

R u ready to experience Doha’s new culinary chapter?Nobu Doha will open on Friday,17 April!For reservations 44948600 pic.twitter.com/YSEvSKLCCo
— Four Seasons Doha (@FSDoha) April 13, 2015

Mysterious Snake Attack

  A man living in Doha somewhere near Al Kesha petrol station complained about snakes / They all suddenly attacked his home . There were a lots of them in different shapes and sizes .Most probably different species  . It sounds not only scary but mysterious . What might have happened to them ? Breeding  period craziness ? Some kind of odd sounds that we can not hear?( loud noises especially at a low frequency can cause a snake to become agitated) their natural habitat was disturbed due to the metro constructions ? Air   or ground vibration ? What do you think ?

  The  victim is still fighting with the snakes  to protect his home ...

Stabbing at the School

How sad !When money matters so much for teenagers that they are ready to kill ! Two high-school students were quarrelling in a Doha school and one of them took a sharp object and stabbed his fellow student .It was about money ! They were Asian students = not Arabs .They might have been Filipinos , Indians , etc .Interestingly ,the Middle Eastern Arabs do not think that they are part of Asia .They refer to people living East from Iran as Asians .
The victim was taken to hospital in critical condition .The attacker was injured as well !

Problem solving should be taught at schools !

 Last year there was a brawl at Al -Mana secondary school !

Princesses and Heroes show coming in May

 Disney on Ice coming to Doha


 | "Enter a world where heroes and hearts prevail. Join Ariel as she yearns to explore the world above the waves and Prince Eric breaks Ursula’s spell to reclaim his true love. See Prince Philip defeat the evil Maleficent as she transforms herself into a fire-breathing dragon in a race against time to rescue Sleeping Beauty’s Aurora. Be there to discover a whole new world with Jasmine and Aladdin as they evade the royal guards in a high-speed marketplace chase! Watch in awe as the dreams of Cinderella, Belle, Snow White, Rapunzel and Tiana all come true! Then journey up the North Mountain with Anna and Elsa to discover how an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart.

The show includes the most exciting moments from the number one animated feature film of all time, Disney’s Frozen. Audiences of all ages will enjoy seeing their favorite characters from the animated film including Anna and Elsa, along with Olaf and Kristoff, live on ice and will love to sing-along with all of the popular songs: “First Time in Forever,” “Love is an Open Door,” “Let It Go,” and “In Summer”.

 When : May 27 ,28 ,29 ,30 - 2015
 Where :
 Qatar National Convention Centre

 Tickets : from QR 150 to 2000

 see more

Songkran festival at Grand Hyatt Doha

Grand Hyatt Doha will commemorate Songkran with a week-long celebration at their award-winning Thai restaurant, Isaan,...
Posted by Grand Hyatt Doha on Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Doha from bird's view

Qatar and Doha (capital) - Witness impressive buildings set in a hot desert landscape. Take an aerial zip-around tour in this short montage video. A good preview if you plan to visit, or if you just want to get a taste of what Qatar is like.

Where to buy cheap clothes in Qatar

v

Well ,clothes are not cheap in Qatar .😒  You can find a lots of very expensive boutiques here . However you can find cheaper items coming mainly from the Indian textile industry .Here are some ideas🙆 about where to go to find affordable fashion items .

Sana Fashion 
Store
Umm Ghuwailina (Ras Abu Abboud St.), Doha, Qatar
family owned business whose history dates back to the retail garment industry to over 100 years in the Gulf region.

my personal comments : avoid it during the top hours - it is heartbreaking to see how some customers  treat the new clothes - but I like coming here to buy pajamas /underwear  - they last long .

☛  let's see the next


Ansar Gallery
location 1 . City Center Mall
location 2 .Al Mansoura, Doha, Qatar
"Established in October 2011, Ansar Gallery at Al Mansoura in Doha is one of Ansar Group's newest ventures in the region. This new addition has been designed to bring its shoppers a wide array of quality products that fall within varied price ranges. Spread over 30,000 sq. feet, the sparkling new Ansar Gallery brings to its shoppers an entire floor of impressive choices in perfumery, fashion wear, foot wear, women's accessories, electronics and much more. Besides that, its consumer-friendly and appealing environment makes spending time here an enjoyable experience."
find out more here 

My personal comment -  I came here sometimes before travelling for cheap oriental gifts or suitcases -some  fashion items are nice but most of them are not very attractive for me ...

⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘

Lulu Hypermarkets
location 1 - opposite the Hamad Hospital
location 2 - Gharaffa area
location 3 - old airport area
find out more

My personal comment  -  long time ago  we used to like fashion in LULU  - but their style changed very much  - even for the kids we could not find something to our taste  - it is not our cup of tea anymore

☙☙☙☙☙☙☙

New World Center fashion items from
from local textile industry, Turkey, Thailand and China
fashion for ladies, gents and kids with a wide collection of apparel and accessories
plus size men's and women's apparel
find out more 

My personal comment - I have not been here for ages  - not because I do not like their things but simply because they are so much out of our way !




❖❖❖❖❖


Carrefour supermarket;s clothes sections etc .
location 1 Landmark branch
location 2 Villaggio branch
location 3 City Center Mall branch

My personal comment  -  it happens sometimes that I buy here t-shirts ,pajamas ,jogging suits  - but  I beware of their underwears  as according to our past experiences they do not last long and many times wrong size is written on them .

❦❧❧❧❧❧

 RED TAG
  in the Center shopping complex among luxurious boutiques
  you can find a reasonably priced fashion shop 

My personal comment -  I found kids clothes very much to my taste  - ladies shoes were so beautiful  - if only they were with heels !

❦❧❧❧❧❧What about you ? Where do you buy clothes for yourself /your family ?

Tell me about your clothes shopping experiences in Qatar !
�����

LuLu Group just opened a new store called "LOT - The Value Shop" in Barwa Madinatna. This shop has an amazing range of high-quality goods at unbeatable prices. Most of the items are priced between QR1 and QR19. The store sells clothes for men, women, and children, as well as shoes, jewelry, and bags for women.

more info

FINAL CALL – REDTAG MEGA SALE ENDS IN 4 DAYS! 🚨

🔥 Save up to 70% OFF on over 9,000+ designs and products! Don’t miss out on:

👔 Stylish Men’s Wear

👗 Trendy Women’s Fashion

👶 Adorable Kids’ Outfits

🏠 Kitchen & Home Essentials

💄 Beauty Must-Haves

🎒 Accessories & More!

HURRY – Don’t let these savings slip away!

The richest Arabs in the world

The richest Arabs in the world - list by the Forbes Magazin ...

 A Saudi prince is the first - then comes a Lebanoni business man who makes his fortune by banking - in the list of the first ten richest there is no Qatari at all . 54 th is Sheikh Faisal Qassem Faisal Al Thani with an estimated fortune of 837 million dollars from manufacturing .96th is Khalid Al Thani with 167 million dollars from a transportation company .

Interesting reading - find out more here

Souq Waqif Celebrations from 10-17 April 2015

Come join us at the Souq Waqif Celebrations from 10-17 April 2015 to enjoy spectacular events & magnificent shows. For more details visit www.souq-waqif.qa #SouqWaqif15
Posted by Souq Waqif - Doha/Qatar on Saturday, April 4, 2015

Reem island Ghost claims being mentally ill

 The  killer of the Hungarian -American teacher says she is mentally ill  and  evil spirits made her  stab to death  Ibolya Ryan last December in the toilets of a posh shopping center in Abu Dhabi . 
I believe her  . She must have been mentally unstable and those evil spirits  sending messages from the media must have inspired her  .Ibolya  just wanted to help a " disabled lady " who asked for her assistance . Then Alaa Bader al-Hashemi   turned into a  merciless killer ! .A woman is killing another woman  who is ready to help her in the toilet  ! A woman is killing a total stranger just for being American .Had Ilona been less helpful she would be alive today !
Three kids are missing their mom ! ...

 source

Lost and found - QR470,000 worth rings

The cleaner of the toilet in  Qatar national Convention center returned the two diamond rings worth QR470,000 ( USD 130 ,000 ) to the owner who forgot it in the toilet during  Doha Jewelry Exhibitions ..A..Zelekew was honoured for her honesty by the QNCC management  . She was given gratitude by the owner and cash reward by her company .

Best thing for everyone .

Numbers in Qatar - 400,000 Nepalis

400,000 Nepalis are working in Qatar

Every day, nearly 1,600 youth leave
Nepal to work in Gulf countries
 their working conditions  could be easily improved 
1 . their salary should be deposited in bank accounts = no employer can deny salary
2 . agencies  that take extra fees from workers should be blackisted here =no fraud during recruitment
3 . Nepali lawyer  should work at the Labour Department 

source 

Persian -Arabian Gulf - satellite image

Persian Gulf Canvas Print by CorbisCollections

MODIS image from the Aqua satellite of the greenish Persian Gulf in contrast with the surrounding brown desert and mountains. Seven countries sit on the gulf (clockwise from top right): Iran, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Iraq. Part of Oman is on the tip of the peninsula reaching toward Iran. Oman also stretches to the southeast along the Gulf of Oman (bottom right corner). At the top of the gulf, where Kuwait, Iraq, and Iran meet, flow the Euphrates and the | Image ID: 20135854 | © NASA/Corbis

Qatar Red Crescent needs volunteers

QRC is  a member of the International Movement of Red Cross and Red Crescent . They assist and empower communities in need, regardless of their nationality or religion.Currently  they operate in more than ten countries, including Lebanon, Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. They work both locally and internationally  .
If you wish to join then you can apply here  .

Coming soon - Gibran the Prophet in the cinemas

Coming soon! May 7, 2015! #Doha #Qatar pic.twitter.com/3ZAz4eBdLB
— Doha Film Institute (@DohaFilm) April 4, 2015

Exclusive Lunch menu at Idam

EXPERIENCE IDAM WEEKLY LUNCH MENU BY ALAIN DUCASSESTARTING FROM QR200For More information: http://bit.ly/1DxAJRV
Posted by Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) on Sunday, April 5, 2015

New Hypermarket in Doha

The New Hypermarket is situated in Bin Mahmoud area  -opposite of it  the metro is being built .

 It  has got a large parking  area but not enough for that big place .They are called  " Quality  Hyper" They got a large supermarket with  Indian style selection ...something like the LuLu . Cheap hot food  ,curry leaves , Indian vegetables but not a good bakery section  . For my usual gourmet items I still have to go to the Megamart .

It has got a department store upstairs .Mens clothes section is quite large but the Women's fashion is modest  However I found  cheap shoes in nice quality  for myself .It was a big surprise for me who needs  special medical shoes for most of the time  and it is so difficult to find  formal shoes that my feet would accept !
Electronics section  and household items are large too -but so far nothing exciting about their prices .

It has got a flower shop  and two small buffets .Pharmacy is coming soon . No ATM inside or nearby . Cards are accepted   but not in every outlets . We wanted to buy flowers but we could not as we had no cash with us .

I think that every districts needs a hypermarket  like this . Traffic jams would be much smaller then if people do not have to travel far for those products .

Happy Easter

Vintage Easter Eggs with cherry blooms Big Greeting Card by almawad



Easter is a nice spring festival in Europe  -  many thinks here that it is only a religious  festival but t is not .It had been widely celebrated before the Christians came to dictate in Europe . Simply  it was nice after the bleak winter to see the hens laying eggs again and the  seeing  the wonderful blooming flowers .
Catholic church claims that these are his religious symbols but it is not . They just declared  about an old existing yearly celebration as it was theirs .


See how and where to go for Easter brunches ,egg roll parties , egg hunting  here in Qatar 

 It is not official holiday here and many Arab Christians celebrate it later not now as they do not follow the pope in Rome .

Terrible dust storm in Doha

I am sitting in the flat behind closed doors and everything smells dusty  - like when you clean a carpet .. the visibility in my rooms became bad ...and luckily in some rooms it is OK so far ..
 I have never experienced so bad dust storm .

 What can we do to protect ourselves ? 
 switch of fans and AC -es
 put a mask on your face that filters dust or at least a dump bandana
 go to a higher place if you can ... 

 put dump clothes on the window AC -es( switched off)

 -----------------------------
 Saud Arabia announced school holiday for tomorrow
Will there be   no school in Qatar too ?
Some on the FB says that school is canceled for Thursday
_________________________________

_____________

 I just read that the visibility on Salwa road is zero .
_________________________________________

 No school today Thursday April 2!

______________________________________

 we can expect some relief from 10 am today

Massive duststorm envelopes Qatar http://t.co/GnnjdFivD5 pic.twitter.com/RpeakyBAS6
— Gulf-Times (@GulfTimes_QATAR) April 1, 2015h

No Paper Day in Doha

April 4 marks the day for NO PAPER DAY, Wyndham Grand Regency team will be collaborating together to raise awareness!...
Posted by Wyndham Grand Regency Doha Hotel on Wednesday, April 1, 2015

It is getting hot !

  In some parts of  Qatar it may be as hot as 37 C in the coming 24 hours ! Doha and the southern part  will witness sharp rise in the temperature . Some  areas in the North will remain cool !

Bye , bye beautiful spring !

VCUQatar's 16th Annual Fashion Show

Buy your tickets online for VCUQatar's 16th Annual Fashion Show - taking place 14, 15 & 16...
Posted by Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar on Thursday, March 26, 2015

Grand couturier Stéphane Rolland is the guest designer for the 16th Annual VCUQatar Fashion Show. His designs have been worn by celebrities such as Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Rihanna. Stéphane will showcase his designs on the runway April 15 & 16 at‪#‎VCUQThread‬. Tickets are on sale now at www.qatar.vcu.edu/events

Today's program at the food festival

Posted by ‎Qatar International Food Festival مهرجان قطر العالمي للأغذية‎ on Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Posted by ‎Qatar International Food Festival مهرجان قطر العالمي للأغذية‎ on Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Arabian Welcome

Arabian Welcome Postcards by PaulCowan
Browse Doha Postcards

Francophone Cinema Week

Post by Doha Film Institute.

Again ! Bus crashes at Central Bus Station

 I can't believe it happened again ! The third time !  What 's wrong with buses or drivers  in Qatar ? At the Central Bus station where one drives slowly - I suppose - they lose control of their buses and crash people waiting .
Whose fault is it ? The buses ? The drivers ? The place itself ?
Six injured this time .
Before  some of them died as well .

numbers in qatar -47

47 nations ' students can be found in the Education City's universities
Impressing number however it does not tell  us how many percent of the students are from other countries . Being invited for a graduation ceremony I could observe that most of the students were from Qatar and Pakistan . Even the Egyptians were less than the Pakistani students .  That was a big surprise to me .

Cheb Khaled in Qatar tomorrow

Where : Grand Hyatt, Doha - Beach

 When : Thursday - March 19, 2015

  what time : At 08:00 PM - Doors open at 07:00 PM

  What to expect : Cheb Khaled - Haddaway - Dr Alban - Melissa - PSY cover


 Tickets: FanZone (550QR) including one drink, Regular (350QR) including one drink

 Age limit "  older then 21

New Mosque in the Education city

The new @QFIS_QF building includes the Education City mosque, which is open to the public. #Qatar #Doha #QF pic.twitter.com/lfMxgtoXAf
— Qatar Foundation (@QF) March 17, 2015

 I think - it is the first mosque there  - it has an extraordinary look  .It is open to the public but usually anyone entering the Education city - must have identification with him.her .

The 8th edition of the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup

on March 25 to 27

 where ;  Aspire Zone

  what to expect :  World ranking gymnasts ,84 males and 44 females, 
from 34 countries , including Olympic medallists ,

Tickets :
1.free tickets for this event:
- Customer Service: Carrefour Hypermarket (Villagio - City Centre Landmark) on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 16:00 to 23:00

- Qatar Gymnastics Federation headquarter (Al Bidda Tower - Al Corniche - 5th Floor) Sunday to Thursday from 9:00 to 12:00 and 18:30 - 20:00 (except Thursday afternoon)

2.VIP tickets online  

Jazz in the Park concert cancelled today

18 March, 6pm - 8pm CANCELLED

The usual monthly concert in the MIA park is cancelled today due to  weather conditions .
There are chances of scattered
rains and strong winds
accompanied by lightning
and thunder this afternoon.


 source

simple weather symbols t shirt by lumirala

Crime in Qatar

A Filipino  woman ,who worked at an unnamed hospital  in Qatar has been sentenced  for seven years in jail  for fraud and money laundering .She got  QR9,405,904, on her bank account .
 Ironically she  was  a sterilisation technician before she got involved in laundering of the money .

  

art, design and craft courses at VCUQatar

Where ?  1 . at VCUQatar in Education City

 2 . at IAID (Academy for Dance, Music & Arts) in the old airport area

 When ? Registration for late spring classes closes April 18th, 2015 .For summer on June 20th .(but as seats sell out early)

 What to expect ? a large selection of art, design and craft courses
 - photo ,painting ,collage ,digital illustration ,fashion design ,silver jewelry design ,paper art ,
Arabic Calligraphy ,Islamic patterns ,Graphic design

Who can apply ? anybody living in Qatar though most
 of the courses are for the bigger ones kids can also find courses

Language of teaching : mostly English , some courses are in Arabic


Prices :  from 500 QAR to 1600  + materials 

see more 

eat ,sleep .art t-shirt by almawad

Hungarians in Qatar

I list here people I stumbled upon on public web pages .
. If you are Hungarian and you are living in Qatar then you can leave a comment here and I will publish your introduction here .
________________________-

--
Dora Kovacs – Trainer

Dora is qualified in personal training, aerobics and TRX. Before moving to Doha Dora was an aerobics instructor, and gym instructor in Budapest, specialising in bootcamp, TRX and functional training.

Dora is the Head trainer  at Dahl Al Hammam family park

 source
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rebecca Bianca  B

teen model

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Peter Kovessy
is an assistant editor of Doha News though he mentions Canadian roots his name sounds Hungarian

source

_______________________________

We're proud to announce that Dr. Istvan Seri has been appointed Division Chief of Neonatology: http://t.co/A0VJkFrcsr pic.twitter.com/Eu9KcR09hN

— Sidra (@sidra) April 7, 2014

 Gulf Times article about him

____________________________

Organic food products in Doha

Post by Monoprix Qatar.

Discover the wide collection of #organic range with exclusive products @MonoprixQatar pic.twitter.com/TaVMIubnuG

— Monoprix Qatar (@MonoprixQatar) June 9, 2017

Congrats to the Students of Education City -climbers of Kilimandjaro

Congrats to  the Students of Education City   ! .Some students reached the top of the 5 891,8 m high mount .

They were selected and prepared for the climb during a special program .

Kilimanjaro and Acacia Trees Posters by corbisimages
Check out more Acacia Posters at Zazzle

street basketball in Aspire Park

Program name : Aspire Jam 

 Where : Aspire Zone 

 When : March 14 

 What time :from 3 PM to 8 PM 

 What to expect : Qatar’s best street basketball players to showcase their fantastic skills and incredible and unique techniques.

Your Name in Solid color fluorescent yellow Mini Basketball Backboard by almawad
View another Mini Basketball Hoop at Zazzle

Jennifer Brown Murder 2012 Update

UPDATE : this is the first time we can read about how the murder happened in 2012 . The American teacher who lived in Al-Sadd area , Doha called the man into her flat to repair something . They somehow started to fight . Why ? It is not mentioned . You can guess why a female alone in her flat with a repair man start to fight .To protect herself .He happened to grab a knife and stabbed her .But she died due to her injuries that she had while being beaten up .
Vey strange story indeed .
http://www.gulf-times.com/pdflinks//PDFs/2015/3/9/Daily%20newspaper_2015_03_09_000000.pdf

The expat curve

funny / interesting video on the emotional roller-coaster of becoming an expat
as for me I was prepared for many things but not for one thing - yes

for me still the biggest shock is the attitude of some Hungarian expats in Qatar

I was shocked when I noticed that many of them came from a very different cultural milieu
thus their values were so much different from ours
still we speak the same language still we have many things in common
it had been a dilemma for years ... shall I keep in touch with people who constantly annoy me
whom I would not make friend in my home country or shall I ignore them
I chose finally the latter ... I have had some nice friends but all of them had moved
we are a small community here and have been observing for years my less educated compatriots habits and
i could write a book on them -yes I observed attitudes that I believed that existed only in jokes ...

finally I found more in common with some non-Hungarians who somehow have similar educational background /profession /life experience

I finally think that there is not so big difference between people with similar educational /social background even they came from different countries .
The difference is much bigger inside one single country's social classes !That is a real cultural shock !

Qatar International Food festival 2015

 24 - 28 March
on the first day : 5pm until 10:30pm
the other days :  1:30  to 10:30 pm Qatar International Food Festival is an annual event that consists of five days of gastronomic alfresco eating, drinking and cooking, as well as family fun and entertainment.
In MIA Park

What to  expect ? 
48 stalls 
international zone (31 stands),
Qatar/Turkey zone (4
stands),
 Qatar/Turkey (3 tents)

 Instagram Market(10 stands).

.....
Welcome and Stage zones 
....
 live cooking zone with Massimo Capra from Italy
Bhatia from India
Nobu from Japan
Qatari chef Aisha al-Tamimi
.....
a high tea lounge zone 
.......
top Qatari chefs demonstration
.....
 water zone , Barbeque Donuts,Dinner on a Dhow
.....
 health zone ,Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar's health truck,

 Al Safwa Farm
 ,organic vegetables
.....
singers , music bands 
....
Dinner in the Sky Zone
Chef
Vineet Bhatia  and  Chef Nobu 's dishes will be served

......
Daad Abu Jaber and Salma Soliman from Fatafeat tv channel
......

Cultural partners :Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage,Qatar - Turkey year of Culture ,MIA , Doha Film Institute ,

Urban legend in Doha

My husband needed the mechanic the other day . He was surprised that he had moved - his garage was destroyed - a new office building was erected instead . He got a notice that he had to leave and his business was over - he could not find an affordable place so far .
"My collegues on the other side of the street were much luckier than me . Qatar rails paid them a hefty 300 .000 Qatari riyals to restart their business - nearly $100 .000 "
I do not know if it is true or not but just imagine what a luck for them ! if it is true that in India many people live on $1-2 per day then these men got enough money for 100 years !
On the other hand if they remain in Doha they must pay this sum to restart a new garage !
Just for the right of usage ! I wonder how many people restart their business and how many will leave for good with that money !

Capricious March in Doha

Weather is capricious this March .Friday came with nasty dusty winds - it destroyed our plans for a badminton party . Then Saturday it was calm and hot like summer  - I got a tan after some hours of walking in the park . It  cured my sore throat - half of the family was down with a viral infection - it was  amazing too see the power of the sun  - those family members who came for a walk got much better and those who chose to stay at home are still struggling with cough and pain .

This morning is cold and dull  - looks like rain ...

Weather symbols hooded pullovers by lumirala
Find other Weather symbols T-Shirts at zazzle.com

marvellous creatures

Post by Museum of Islamic Art (MIA).

This exhibition focuses on the real and mythical animals that appear in the legends, tales, and fables of the Islamic world. Divided into the natural quadrants of earth, air, fire, and water, these marvellous creatures introduce timeless stories such as the well-known and beloved classics: Shahnameh, Kalila wa Dimna and 1001 Nights.

4 MARCH - 11 JULY 2015

"Al Asmakh International Symposium of Art 2015"

Post by Wyndham Grand Regency Doha Hotel.

"Al Asmakh International Symposium of Art 2015" on March 3 and 4, 2015! Experience unique Art pieces from 49 International Artists!At Wyndham Grand Regency Hotel !

Chi Al-Shaqab 2015

"Once again the world's top riders and horses will come to Qatar for a spectacular six day show jumping, dressage, vaulting, endurance and for the first time in Asia, Para-Dressage at Al Shaqab - Member of Qatar Foundation from 2nd - 7th of March 2015.

Don't miss your chance to see Olympic and World Champions and Qatar's leading national riders compete for sporting glory! 

Our festival fun area and brand new interactive equine edutainment tent will complement the competitions - A great family day out for all fans of sport, culture and equine lifestyle. "
you can buy tickets online

or on the spot

 among the riders will be the Hungarian , Balazs Bence – Junior European Champion / Vaulting 

learn more 

Lucie Safarova beats Azarenka

.@LucieSafarova wins 6th career #WTA title & 1st of 2015 at @QatarTennis--> http://t.co/7lpMVcFXGZ #tennis pic.twitter.com/pF7zCA5xNf
— WTA (@WTA) February 28, 2015

 The Czech  female tennis player won the Qatar Total Open yesterday .She beat  the Belarus Azarenka 6-4 .6-3  in the final .

Hungarian politician was in Qatar

Post by Katara.

Hungarian politician and the current Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary was in Qatar . He brought a nice Zsolnay vase as present and we do not know yet what he wanted to get .Last May it was the President of Hungary who visited this country .

Camel on the roads Doha -funnny video

Post by What's Goin On Qatar.

I found this on the facebook - a funny video shows a camel galopping on the roads of Doha .I do not know where or when it happened -it is just funny .Not an everyday scene !

Aspire Torch Staircase Run

When ;

Mar 27 at 9:00am to Mar 28 at 12:00pm
Where
The Torch Hotel - Doha
aspire zone, Doha

What to expect
two-day race programme
1,304 steps
300 meter tower ,51st floor,

The first race will take place on 27th March at 9:00 AM. The event is open to all public with minimum age of 18 of all abilities who have undergone an intensive training prior to the race. World Champion Staircase runners will be there so you can challenge yourself against the best.

Race (2) will consist of the top 30 men and 30 women from race 1 will then race again in the afternoon of the 27th Mar. This heat will be to floor 30 only, starting at intervals.

On 28th March, Race (3) “The World Championships Race” itself will then take place. In separate finals, the top 30 male and female athletes will line up in a start formation inspired by motor racing. The race will start from spine road into the stairwell, up to floor 30 – change stairwell on floor 30 and then finish on floor 50.

statues in Doha featuring intrauterin life

Post by Qatar Tourism Guide.

I love those statues  - my only problem is that  they are by the road and they distract drivers .Sometimes they are covered -sometimes they are uncovered .Nice reminder about the miracle of life .

Dora Madarasz - Hungarian table tennis player in Doha

#sports Madarasz reaches main draw in #Doha . http://t.co/giam166HRO pic.twitter.com/yaBUidx5o2
— The Peninsula (@PeninsulaQatar) February 20, 2015

Abu Dhabi warehouse fire kills ten

The victims were living in the warehouse illegally . They got trapped in the fire and died on Friday morning  .They  were residing above a car repair shop . They were not named  -just referred to as "migrant labourers " Building owner and supervisor was arrested .
 Authorities promise "zero tolerance" against those who disregard public safety rules .

Dubai - Marina Torch Tower on Fire

the fire started 2 am Saturday
it was burning for 3 hours- there were heavy winds at the time of the fire
nobody died or got seriously injured

world's fifth-tallest residential building
86-storey - 352 metres

Lusail City Stadium - 2022 Football World Cup

One of the big projects in Qatar

Qatar’s First International Film and Creative Industry Gathering

Post by Doha Film Institute.

It was a magical might

Killer crowd at Jazz @miaqatar Park thank you #doha for joining us @dominickmusic @takeshi_music see you at the club pic.twitter.com/PPTuGaAVa4
— Home of Jazz in Doha (@jalcdoha) February 18, 2015

wonderful weather , fabulous  scenery ,  and a jazz band from New York made our day memorable !

Qafco Flower and Vegetable Show 2015

When 27 March
Where  Al- Banoush Club , Messaid
 What to expect : flowers .vegetables ,competition of amateurs and professionals ,vegetable carving ,butter carving ,ice carving , flower arrangement ,prize distribution

 for more info visit this page 

 for participants the briefing
 will be held 18 February at 4;30 at Al -Banoush Club

romantic roses refrigerator magnet by almawad

New School Building for the Philippines in Qatar

Philippines are going to have their own school 
building in Qatar  . It is  planned to be ready within two years and its cost is estimated QR100mn .
It will be able to seat 4 000 students . The site in Abu Hamour is the donation of the Qatari government .
Interesting facts  : the first Filipino school in 1992 had only 33 students - ten years later they already had 400 !

I visited the Mughal and Safavid Albums exhibitions

I visited the MIA on their last day of Mughal and Safavid Albums exhibitions .It was about miniatures and calligraphy of India and Persia  in the 17 century . The rooms were dark and a bit like a maze - the small pages were illuminated behind the glass . It was difficult to notice small details .But there was a screen which had shown us every small thing .
I was astonished to see how "modern" were some of those 17 century book illustrations . Some of them had typical "art-nouveau " style ...
Yeah -this is not the first time I feel that some of the glorious art-nouveau pieces of Europe were simple theft .

Jazz in the Park on Wednesday

Post by Jazz at Lincoln Center Doha.

Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhibition (DJWE) 2015

  When : February 24 -28

 Where : Qatar National Convention Centre
Opening time: 
From 12.00 pm to 10 pm Until February 28 
Friday hours are 4.pm to 10 pm

What to expect :500 exhibiting brands  ,five major halls ,covering a space of 25,000 square meters

Register for Jewelry Qatar to get your registration, discounts and exclusive services.
Website
http://www.djwe.qa/


Note ; though it is not mentioned  - kids were not allowed to the event previously

Qatar Solidarity Walk - Chapelhill victims

We call #Qatar to the #QatarSolidarityWalk on Sunday at 2.30pm to show solidarity with the victims #Chapelhill_Qatar pic.twitter.com/wL4g8eaWd7
— Qatar Foundation (@QF) February 13, 2015

Gauguin might gone to Qatar

'Nafea Faa Ipoipo' - Paul Gauguin Post Card by SolPacifico

Full Color postcard printing on zazzle

It is not official  -  but the original painting (1892) was sold for a huge amount ( 300 M USD )  its title is Nafea Faa Ipoipo (When Will You Marry?)

 the seller was a Swiss person  - who sold it privately  to someone  - it is thought that Qatar Museum authority is the buyer  .

Numbers in Qatar - Birth and Death

New Borns of Qatari parents  -2014 november /december  : 1115
New Borns of Expat parents-  2014 november /december  :  1354

Death in Qatari population : -2014  november/december  :   117
Death in Expat population : - 2014  november /december :  280

Chapati and Karak at Katara

حياكم إلى مقهى چباتي و كرك #كتارا مبنى 23 ، ت : 44081408 pic.twitter.com/UB547MXmyO
— كتارا | Katara (@kataraqatar) February 13, 2015

Numbers in Qatar - 20 % students with asthma

20% of students
suffer from asthma in Qatar

source 

my own experience - my child had terrible attacks of cough -it happened that she was coughing six weeks in a row at nights  - the emergency doctors kept telling me that it was  just stubborn virus ...finally one Arab doctor gave her antibiotics and she became OK
but sooner or later the night coughs came back and the doctors at the emergency made us believe that it was normal ...:(
finally we found ourselves at a private clinics  where an Asian doctor drew our attention to studies about milk that we buy at the supermarket that   might trigger asthma .
so we cut back on our dairy consumption and especially no milk in the afternoon or evening
mysteriously the  night coughs vanished !
that is really a doctor who gave us that advice !

National Sports Day - some ideas on where to go

Katara, the Cultural Village

 from 7:30 till late night

what to expect :  sports activities

on its waterfront which will

be for women, men and children

see the list of events here

MIA Park

  from 8am to 5pm on Tuesday 10th February

plenty of fun sports activities for all the family to take part in, as well as children's activities and competitions with prizes to be won

complimentary healthy food on offer

Aspire Park

at 9am  3km Fun Run from Khalifa  Stadium 

 at 10am Family cycling together

from 8:45 am to 1 pm sport activities for women only (  at Ladies Club )

from 1 to 4pm  family walk together  at the Torch Hotel 

see more here

Crime and punishment in Qatar - Did the abusive husband throw his wife from the balcony

It is not clear what nationality was the poor abused woman .They must have been Arabs as the  Sharq  daily paper reported first the case .
The story is tragic  -  there was an abusive  husband ,a drug addict who beats his wife up often . One day after the usual violence the woman was found  lying on the grass . Did she kill herself or  her abusive husband threw her out of their balcony ?
The court did not find any evidence proving that he was the  killer . Plus the couple 's little son claimed he saw his mom throwing herself from the balcony of their fourth floor .
The court acquitted the husband .

Nursery without license - couple arrested

Post by Ministry of Interior - Qatar.

parachuting exercises in Sealine area

 I have just read in the local daily paper  a warning to residents of Qatar  -   one  can expect parachuting exercises in Sealine area  from February 15 to 19  from 6am to  1 pm .
 Be aware of that in case you are going to visit that area !
 For your own safety  ! 

Numbers in Qatar - details of the population

Population of  Qatar 

2,269,672  ( November 2014 )

25 % women

75% men

Age groups :     25 -64 y  70 %
                       0-15 y      14 %  
                       15 -24 y   14%

                     above 65y   1%    




                 

Cars Taxis on strike

The company is called Cars Taxis  - it is one of the Karwa
franchisees  - they have cars with yellow top .They got 450 taxis and  unhappy drivers . Most of them went on strike for the last 48 hours as they wish to get a hike of their commission .
The company's officials denied the fact of strike . source
Some years ago bus drivers of an Indian school went on a wildcat strike - simply they left the kids in the school .

Mughal and Safavid Albums

Post by Museum of Islamic Art (MIA).

Dolphin Show review - 2015

 We arrived one hour  before the evening show .  We parked our car in the new underground parking  . There are three floors  -if I remember well . Even  though it took  us a while until we found a free place . There was some foul smell inside ... we wished to get out as soon as possible .
We found ourselves by the edge of a busy road - as we came up to ground level. The opposite side was the Dolphin Show .No pedestrian crossing or traffic warden to let the families cross safely !
It was easy to buy tickets  -we arrived at 6  for the show of 7pm. No crowds  .Prices were OK  - if you want a better view  then it costs you 100 rial - if you  are happy to see the show from the side then it is 50 rial .

The doors open half an hour before the show .There was a big crowd wanting to enter . We decided to walk around  and not to join the crowd . We arrived back ten minutes before the show with tickets but it was very difficult to find any seat at all .

The dolphins were jumping , spinning round in the air even before the show . Then came a Russian compere  with an annoying style and  strong accent . But the  synchronized Swimming girls  were really nice . Dolphins were given time to  rest  and there was this " water ballet " performance during the  breaks .


The dolphins were jumping through different objects  -were playing with balls - even painted an abstract image .  There were three female ones in a small pool .  

The  final
  attraction was a 600 kg  walrus  - it was waiving at us ,doing push-up ,sit-ups and even once somersaulted  . When it was wet it smelt like a dog ..:)
All in all it was a nice show  - the music was too loud ,kids were running here and there ... there was a fence between the pool and the seats .So many kids were hanging on this fence - people let their very small totes  go there alone ...Three or four years old little kids  climbing on a fence near the pool !
Two years ago  even there was no fence at all !