Will it rain today ?

 It is expected that Qatar will get some rain today .I read  - this article also talks
about thunder and strong wind , misty conditions .I see nothing special  in the heart of
 Doha  - just the usual summer like day  - it is above 37 C  and I could not convince myself
 to go for a walk  today ,either .

simple weather symbols t-shirts by lumirala

Harry Ramsden - new fish and chip restaurant at the Pearl

 Harry Ramsden is a 75 year old fish and chip restaurant  from the UK . This is their first place in Qatar . It is located in Medina Central area at the Pearl .It  represents the haut-cuisine of Britain . You can expect a lots of fried dishes ,burgers , salads  ,smoked haddock , salmon fishcakes ,Scottish scampi . All the fish comes freshly from Britain .

It is a large place  ready to seat 70 guests . It is a nice family friendly outlet with seaside chic decor !

source

 Well , when I read the news for the first time I was not very excited " one more junk  place to sell fried junks " I thought . But then seeing that everything is freshly coming from Britain  I see it the other way " I might try it a day ...

It reminded me a lovely old English song ...

Vintage Travel Posters - Middle East

Egypt Vintage Travel Poster by PrimeVintage

Iraqi State Railways Poster by RarePosters

Palestine Holy Land Vintage Travel Art Poster by Trendshop

La Syrie et Le Liban (Syria and Lebanon) Poster by RetroCommunications

Turkey Vintage Travel and Tourism Advert Print by Posterbobs

Vintage Proche Orient Travel Poster by VintagePosters1900

61,000 visas to Qataris to visit Britain - numbers in Qatar

Visiting London  in summer is so much chic among the Qatari nationals . . .
In 2014  61,000 visas were issued to Qataris to visit Britain  . That means one in five Qatari citizen escapes to London from the summer heat .
 What I find very strange is that they escape from the city to other city not to rural area .Most of the people in Qatar lives in Doha .

AUDITION TO SING WITH THE PHILHARMONIC IN THE WALT DISNEY MOVIE, FROZEN

CONCERTS:

Abu Dhabi, UAE, Friday, December 4
Doha, QNCC, Friday, December 11
Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, December 19

AUDITIONS:

Ages 17 and above.
Auditions will be be scheduled during October 26-28, 6:00-9:00 pm
Selected candidates will be given music and a CD to learn the score.

more

4 Women Held for Theft in Flats

4 Women Held for Theft in FlatsThe Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested 4 women on charges of theft in...
Posted by Ministry of Interior - Qatar on Thursday, October 1, 2015

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested 4 women on charges of theft in residential flats by breaking the door locks. The Police recovered large amount of gold jewels and currencies from them.The nationality of the women was not revealed .

flamingo beach tour - bird watching in Qatar

Flamingos are back!Come and join one of our flamingo beach tour this coming weekend, or continue to explore the...
Posted by AquaSports Qatar on Thursday, October 1, 2015

Zaoq restaurant review - Ezdan Mall

 Zaoq is a fine dinning restaurant that serves Pakistani dishes at Ezdan Mall .
All that I know about the Pakistani cuisine that once upon a time  there was a hotel in Doha which served Pakistani  dishes and I liked it very much . ( Shezan hotel was the one -pulled down since )

The place is a medium sized two story facility  - We got nice seats upstairs  in a booth with the possibility to  cover our area with curtains   for privacy . The staff was very kind - dishes arrived in reasonable time .
 The cucumber  in the salad was cut into julienne and served with mint dressing .  The curries were all tasty and came in little metal pots   - we ordered 3 different ones -but somehow they did not taste very different to me . They came in quite heavy sauce .We  had them with naan bread  which was good but I have already tasted much better breads in cheap  eateries .
 For dessert we ordered kheer  - the Pakistani rice  pudding . It was fabulous sweet  treat !So wonderfully spiced !

  We ate much more than we  had planned . They just serve too large portion ! Next time I will share my dish with someone .
 This place also serves specialities like brain lamb curry  and quails .

 It was not similar to Shezan hotels cuisine  at all . Rather  like Caravan restaurants curries .Everything was delicious but nothing originally new to me !

KHEER - Rice Pudding Desert made by boiling rice, broken wheat, tapioca, or vermicelli with milk and sugar; it is...
Posted by ZAOQ Restaurants on Tuesday, September 15, 2015

my supermoon lunar eclipse experience in Qatar

So I woke up early to see the moon .At four o'clock Doha was lively -cars and trucks on the road . The moon was dark yellow but not orange - between the houses it was easy to spot it . First it looked like some clouds was covering the top . But later we could see the interlacing circles .The full moon went into crescent shape gradually - by 5 :20 it vanished but before when it was very thin it turned into orange .

That was it .
------------------

By the way I learned 2 things - so many people are training at Aspire park at 5 am !
DQ does not serve breakfast nowadays only after 6 am !
I was very sleepy after the whole day as I could not sleep back .

The Pearl-Qatar - Eid programs 2015

The Pearl-Qatar is delighted to welcome you all this Eid!اللؤلؤة-قطر سعيدة باستقبالكم جميعاً للاحتفال سوياً بالعيد.. حياكم
Posted by The Pearl-Qatar on Monday, September 21, 2015

Shadow show & fireworks at Katara

Posted by Kids Doha on Monday, September 21, 2015

Cultural Village Foundation – Katara invites you to attend:
Eid Al Adha Celebrations
Shadow Performance show and fireworks during the four days of Eid

7:00 pm & 8:30 pm Eideyaa (Giveaways) for children
7:00 pm – 7:30 pm 1st show
8:00 pm – 8:30 pm 2nd show
9:00 pm – 9:30 pm 3rd show
9:30 pm Fireworks

Numbers in Qatar - $1.5bn aid for Syrian refugees

$1.5bn "Qatari aid to the Syrian people since 2011 has reached around $1.5bn. The aid included food, clothes, medicine and shelter among other things.|"

source

IMAGES OF WOMEN IN 19TH CENTURY IRAN 8 April 2015 – 11 June 2016

#QAJARWOMENIMAGES OF WOMEN IN 19TH CENTURY IRAN8 April 2015 – 11 June 2016This exhibition features the centrality...
Posted by Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) on Saturday, September 19, 2015

numbers in qatar - 100 syrian refugee students in Paris sponsored by Qatar

syrian refugee students in Paris are  sponsored by the Emir of Qatar

read more

La Sorbonne offre l’asile aux étudiants réfugiés avec le soutien financier du Qatar http://t.co/VrVix1Rysa pic.twitter.com/nj09w1AWWp

— FRANCE 24 Français (@France24_fr) September 17, 2015

Numbers in Qatar - 7.3mn passengers

7.3mn passengers used Hamad International Airport during the first quarter of the year . A great number of tourists in transit comes and visits Doha sights like the Corniche , Katara ,Souq Waqif , The Pearl . Those transit passengers who must wait in Doha more than five hours can leave the airport and roam the city .
If you would like to do so then you have to go to the counter of Doha City Tour at the airport and book a seat . You will be taken by an air-conditioned modern bus for the tour .English speaking tour guide on board . It is free of charge and subject to availability no visa is required

READ MORE

 data source

Buildings made of salt ?

#Cities Made of Salt May Hold The Key To #Sustainable #Urban Planning - @GreenBuildNews http://t.co/R7iGi4WCLh #Qatar pic.twitter.com/ossqEpwcMr

— Valeria Cantello (@ValeriaCantello) September 13, 2015

Victoria cafe high tea - review

It was a coupon and  the dream of a nice relaxed  afternoon tea that brought us to Victoria Cafe \s high tea meal .
  I expected a girly place - over decorated fine china cups and kettles ,luxurious way of relaxation . Fine sandwiches and cakes  ...
 So we booked  . The staff was very helpful and nice all the time  - even they warned us that smoking is allowed . We did not get the message .
 Yes - it was full of men . No other ladies  , no china cups , no richly decorated style .
 The  tea was served in modern glass kettle and fancy double sided plastic cups . The meal came on three plates placed above each other on a stand .
 I chose the Pu tea - it was wonderful . sandwiches , scones , and cakes were served .  It was very big meal  -  too much for one person . I had hoped that they would give us smaller size but gourmet ones .  Frankly - I think the sandwiches of any Opera cafe were better than the ones here  . 

 I could not  relaxe at all  - I felt it was a big mistake   to go there  . Even more men arrived and the  proportion of genders was worse and worse  . Even the furnitures looked rather Empire style and not Victorian  .But I am not an expert . As we were leaving I saw some ladies  having their high teas rather in the lobby of the hotel .They had khaleeji look and did not wish to enter at all seeing  that it was packed with men .

Feel like #royalty with the #Victorian and #Edwardian inspired ambiance and #design throughout our property! #grandheritagedh #Doha #Qatar #Aspirezone #Ramadan #رمضان #رمضان_كريم
Posted by Grand Heritage Doha Hotel and Spa on Wednesday, July 8, 2015

  Some old memories  about  wonderful antique style cafes came to my mind  ! I must have been spoiled  in my homeland .

Ebéd utáni kávém.
Posted by Gábor Korom on Wednesday, January 8, 2014

 I still wonder  where is the place in Doha  suitable for two ladies to have high tea now and  then .

Hamad International Airport is the sixth best airport in the world"

"Hamad International Airport is the sixth best airport in the world"Hamad International Airport occupied the sixth...
Posted by Hamad International Airport on Saturday, September 5, 2015

This summer was the first time I travelled via HIA - yes it was big = I had to walk too much and though I arrived early at the airport I had no time for shopping in the duty free after taking breakfast in an expensive cafe! I missed the old airport ! I did not have much time either to explore now  though I arrived 3 hours before the departure time and it was not crowdy at all !

 as somebody wrote on a facebook page "The old airport was ugly, small and extremely efficient. Hamad is beautiful, vast and completely inefficient. As a frequent traveller, give me efficient any day."

 What about you ? Have you ever travelled via HIA ?

first batch of the QF Tram System

نشعر بالحماس لوصول أول شحنة من عربات نظام ترام مؤسسة قطر إلى الدوحة والذي يُعتبر خطوة رائدة نحو جعل المدينة التعليمية مد...
Posted by What's Goin On Qatar on Monday, August 31, 2015

Syrian refugees refuse to leave the train at the Hungarian Camp

On September 3, in the morning refugees stormed a train at Keleti Railways station, since it was believed that they can travel to Germany on that train .The locomotive of Pan-European Picnic was decorated for the 25th- anniversary of the event and even there was  a German flag painted on the track .
In fact -  due  to the lack of  proper information - no one knew exactly where the train would go . Since Gyor - Sopron  was written on the track, many people believed that they were being taken close to the Austrian border, but  the most steadfastly believed  that Germany will be the final destination. Finally the train stopped at Bicske refugee camp .Just 40 km off Budapest .  The refugees felt they were duped and refused to leave the train / they do not trust the Hungarian police  and they were waiving their tickets they had bought to go to Germany .During the hours of  long wait several children became ill from the heat and fatigue - a man  was close to faint  due to lack of insulin- a woman  suddenly wanted to throw herself in front of the arriving train .

  It is  a real "war of nerves" and a total stalemate .From the second half of the afternoon, they had not accepted  food and drink. They do not want to go to camp. Their sole goal is to get to Germany.

A cute Syrian toddler at Keleti Railway station

Around 3 thousand Syrian refugees are waiting for the trains to take them to Germany ,Keleti Railways station , Budapest , Hungary .Trains are not going to Western Europe at all !
The frustrated people left without information during the day , they are supposed to register and wait in a camp for further action .Many of them bought tickets and spent all their money on the tickets then not allowed to travel .

Arab students in Germany

An interesting documentary on three Arab students who went to study to Germany . Language problems ,cultural differences .Their fears and the truth .

beautiful tree in doha - posters and Canvas Prints by almawad

beautiful tree in doha canvas print by almawad
Check out more Tree Canvas Prints at Zazzle

beautiful tree in doha poster by almawad
Look at more Poster templates and designs online at Zazzle

Ceiling of Shopping Center collapsed in Doha - 18 injured

It happened in Ramez Shopping Center . A part of the ceiling collapsed leaving 18 people injured .  The building on the Salwa road was an old one . Some others shops were forced to shut down as electricity was cut in the area .

 This is not the first ceiling collapse in shopping centres in Qatar . As far as I remember in the last decade there was a false- ceiling collapse in the Landmark  and in the City Center as well . These were new buildings  and the quality of the  work  must have been poor . This is the first time I hear about old building collapse in Doha .

 Similar accident happened in Doha  in 2015  when a baby was hurt  .

 Here is the Ministry of Interior's tweet about the accident

partial collapse of the roof inside a supermarket on Salwa Road, today. Civil Defense evacuated store without serious injury or death.

— Ministry of Interior (@MOI_QatarEn) August 29, 2015

summer festival 2015 - my experience

 After  Summer Festival 2014  when  there was a great Fun City set up in  Doha Exhibition Center I visited the facility with great expectations .Last year theme was winter - slides and snow villages , ski lessons and many more original and memorable  games . Like the school of acrobats where kids learnt about  the art of jumping from real acrobats - they were allowed to swing on the trapeze  and juggle with balls .. Well , this year there was the old ,tired ,boring games  . Nothing original . NO theme .Just very loud music , flashing lights and minimum 15 year old rides .It was rather sad , not fun at all . My kids played a bit on the inflatable slides - then  a session on the trampoline ... they were watching these " skill games "  where one has to throw a ring or a ball into a bucket or bottle neck... sadly ,they looked like a daytime robbery rather than fun games  - we were watching them for about 20 minutes and nobody managed to do them ... All in all - the fun city was a step back  compared to last year . Is it only me who thinks that our kids deserve more ?

Entertainment City Programs today

جدول عروضنا لليوم في المدينة الترفيهية. #مهرجان_صيف_قطرOur events at the Entertainment City today. #QSF2015
Posted by Qatar Summer Festival on Thursday, August 27, 2015

Entertainment City = Doha Exhibition Centre=family fun destination = inflatable rides, soft play games, and skill and video games +‘Mini Trade Fair’ f0r shopping + stage with live performances with a new show every week

Travelling to Georgia without visa

 Good news for the Qatari residents and Qatari nationals  that Georgia  does not require  visa anymore  .
 Why Georgia ?  You  can find  the answer here .

Typical Georgian salad with walnut sauce... And what is your favorite one?Типовий грузинський салат з горіховим соусом...
Posted by Georgia and Travel on Monday, July 27, 2015

camels of souq waqif

the camels of souq waqif no 2 canvas print by almawad
Look for more office art at zazzle.com

the camels of souq waqif no1 canvas print by almawad
Get your own canvas transfer prints

qatar summer festival 2015

بدأت عروض مسرح المدينة الترفيهية. لا تفوتوا أجمل العروض الموسيقية للأطفال طوال اليوم. #مهرجان_صيف_قطر The live shows...
Posted by Qatar Summer Festival on Saturday, August 1, 2015

fastest growing economies in 2015

By our estimates, the fastest-growing economies in 2015 will be: ✓ India ✓ Qatar ✓ China http://t.co/G9ZjS966us pic.twitter.com/eyG19IVwFG

— CNNMoney (@CNNMoney) July 19, 2015

how to prevent the fire accidents in vehicles

Posted by Ministry of Interior - Qatar on Monday, July 20, 2015

fireworks at the katara - eid celebrations 2015

it starts at 10 pm

#EidMubarak Starting from tomorrow, Visit Katara - Qatar and watch the Fireworks at 10 PM #EidinQatar #العيد_في_قطر pic.twitter.com/IWK7j5zQwy

— CheckInn TV (@checkinntv) July 16, 2015

affordable breakfast/ lunch buffets eid al fitr 2015

Lunch Buffet from 12.30 - 3.00 pm
Posted by Indian Coffee House, Qatar on Thursday, July 16, 2015

Posted by Harbor Fish Market on Thursday, July 16, 2015

It's time to enjoy Eid Holiday with your Family & friends at Harbor Seafood
Open Buffet only QR 100 per person or choose from our Fresh Menu.
Make it Fresh ... Make it Seafood... Make it Harbor. For Reservation Call .44350662 - 50185707

Posted by MRA Bakery N Restaurant on Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Posted by Mitch Indino Dullo on Thursday, July 16, 2015

The Great Wall Chinese Restaurant QR25 - QR 49

Eid Buffet for Chinese food lovers

Eid al Fitr 2015 starts from Friday

Vintage Swirls - Eid Mubarrak Greeting Card by almawad
Shop for a greeting card on zazzle.com

 Thank you for all my readers  for visting my page during the fasting month and have a wonderful Eid  !

WEF Top 10 - Most efficient states in 2015

 They   were watching and measuring  the wasteful spending, the burden of regulation on business and the transparency of policymaking .



1 Qatar

2 Singapore

3 Finland

4 Hong Kong

5 United Arab Emirates

6 New Zealand

7 Rwanda

8 Malaysia

9 Switzerland

10 Luxembourg

source

Eid al Fitr 2015 at the Katara

"Land of Inventions" a dazzling show that will be staged at #Katara esplanade throughout the 4 days of #Eid Al Fitr pic.twitter.com/U2FbW9UKAw

— كتارا | Katara (@kataraqatar) July 14, 2015

Some hours ago Omar Shariff died

We must have been preparing for iftar when Omar Shariff died of heart attack in a hospital of Cairo . He had  a very special life  - he got 83 years  which was filled with success  and  still it is so sad .
 I saw him first when I was a teen in the

L'Île mystérieuse" (1973)

Tribute to #OmarSharif Omar Shariff by Milton Greene, 1963 http://t.co/MSyzwpmJlJ pic.twitter.com/xqoXwPvnrY

— TheRedList. (@The_RedList) July 10, 2015

Fins a sempre Omar Shariff. Records a en Peter O'Toole i en David Lean. EPD. pic.twitter.com/01WUgQ1uUw

— Jesús Pastor (@jesuspastorGI) July 10, 2015

He was a great storyteller, a loyal friend and a wise spirit. D.E.P. Omar Sharif pic.twitter.com/OCAWSQQSXo

— Antonio Banderas (@antoniobanderas) July 10, 2015

Eid Al-Fitr in malls 2015

 family entertainment shows
    rotating between plazas

 mime shows
The Rene Magritte Show 
The Bubble Jo Show
the Magic Paper Artist

 Qatari Ardah performances

 what time : 4 pm to 10 pm

 Where  ; Hyatt Plaza, City Centre Doha, Ezdan Mall, Lagoona Mall, Al Khor Mall, and Dar Al Salam Mall

exclusive shows at each of the malls  

 Peter Pan (City Centre Doha)
Circus Canada (Al Khor Mall)
Jungle Book (Lagoona Mall
Pinocchio (Hyatt Plaza)

The Little Prince (Dar Al Salam Mall)

 Meet the Nicktoons (Ezdan Mall)

see this chart for more details

Day 1 Eid Al Fitr celebrations at the Shopping Malls
Posted by Qatar Tourism Authority on Friday, July 17, 2015

Eid ul Fitr Festival at Souq Waqif

Eid ul Fitr Festival at Souq Waqif! http://t.co/vZZEnZKL9q #Ramadan #Qatar #Doha #ShopBetter pic.twitter.com/pJsMy7wStk

— PromoQatar (@PromoQatar) July 6, 2015

Ramadan Opening Hours 

full list of offices ,hospitals ,plazas ,banks  - practical info from the government of Qatar .

        

Numbers in Qatar - 2 ,344 557

source

 If you like browsing statistics then visit  the page of this Ministry !

Art by Amira Rahim - Moroccan Camel

"Moroccan Camel #2"28x28" canvaswww.amirarahim.com/originals/moroccan-camel2
Posted by Art by Amira Rahim on Friday, June 12, 2015

Summer readings from my blog

If you happen to have free time and you love reading real life stories then you can read stories from my childhood  in this blog .

 MY GRANDMA'S VILLAGE    my mixed feelings about the scene of my summer vacations during my childhood ...I was fascinated by the villagers traditions  but their backwardness put me off at times ..after all I  miss them very much nowadays living in the city

DADDY IS MY HERO  - a thrilling story about a  wonderful journey with my dad -  it nearly turned into a nightmare when my dad and I lost each other - I was a preschooler then ...

A SIXTY-FIVE YEAR OLD STORY -  this story is about my grandma's heroic fight to save her little daughter who needed an urgent operation - there was no health insurance then

 MY BROTHER NEVER GOT SICK  - only once and  the timing of his flue was very much embarrassing for my mom  - find out why ! A humorous  short story from the 1970s !

 THE HIPPIE AND THE CONDUCTOR -   when I was a little girl it seemed to me that every passenger  but one  was afraid of the arrogant conductor...

Beat the heat in Qatar

 These years when summer and Ramadan comes together fasting is really though . I dream of juicy fruits all day  and I finish my morning meals with a large portion of fresh fruit ! Water melon is my favourite one !

watermelon mandala - add text ceramic tile

by almawad

The top of the summer joys used to be buying and having watermelon in the second half of July during my childhood .

Qatar Foundation senior officials bribe case

 It happened  to a foreign insurance company providing services for QF . When they wanted to renew their contract  then they were asked to pay QR 3 million bribe ( USD 800 thousand )  for two senior officials of the QF .  This attempt of getting money illegally was reported to the police. The detectives were all around when the money was delivered to the wrongdoers in the garage of a hotel .  IT was recorded by a hidden camera as well . They were caught red handed . The other day they were sentenced to 5 years in jail + QR 3 million   & of course they will never can return to their jobs ...

source

Irish PE teachers die at Sealine the sand dunes

 It is not known how exactly the accident happened . The news talk about two teachers ( one of them was from the Compass international  School ) two young souls in their 20's who lost their life in the sand dunes while riding a sand buggy .They were Irish and worked as expat teachers in Doha . Two more  Irish expats got injured  .
Sad news indeed  - especially that summer vacations just started !

Garangao Challenge - by QNB - City Center

بنك #قطر الوطني يطلق لعبة #تحدي_القرنقعوه للتحميل : http://t.co/BA1BSEBQB4 http://t.co/PjIPy6JgKd أبل ستور / أندرويد pic.twitter.com/sA4BW8UBI4

— مشاريع قطر (@QatarProject) June 26, 2015

You can download the game for iphone and ipad   here


Garangao celebrations by QNB on the 13th and 14th of
Ramadan
3rd floor , City Center Mall

from 7:30 to midnight

expect traditional treats and free download of their game mentioned above

Emirates flight from Sydney to Dubai - emergency landing in Sri Lanka

It happened on Friday the 26 th of July . The A380 was 600 kilometres from Colombo .when smoke was detected in the cockpit .They landed safely with 500 passangers on board .
The airline told the smoke came due to a technical fault .It was an A380 aircraft .

source

Why the New Residence Card

Why the New Residence CardThe new residence card system implemented since 15 June 2015 comes in the framework of...
Posted by Ministry of Interior - Qatar on Sunday, June 28, 2015

Selfie Competition at Aspire

Take a selfie at #FreejAspire and win! صور سيلفي في #فريج_اسبايرواربح! pic.twitter.com/F60LeDi57M

— Aspire Zone (@aspirezone) June 28, 2015

Garangao 2015 - Shaqab

 Garangao  celebration is early at the Shaqab  this year  . It is on the 29th of June from 8pm to midnight   . Be prepared for pony riding , traditional songs and games , sweets  and more . Last year there were free local dishes offered and free photos  taken . But you must know that early arrival is essential . Otherwise the celebration will turn into an endless queueing for sweets and rides  !

Mahlabiya - recipe

Iftar Dinner at the Mercury Hotel - review

 La  Brasserie  - was the name of the restaurant where we went some days ago . How very strange name for taking a dinner at the end of a fasting day - I thought . Luckily ,most  people here do not understand French  - then it did not disturb them .

 We arrived just on time for the iftar  . The receptionist looked on us and  without any  question he told us where to go . How did he know that we were heading to have dinner ? Did we look so tired and hungry ?

We were seated promptly - fruit juices and water on the table  to break the fast .  I am great fan of starters and salads . I was very disappointed when I tasted the lentil soup  -  the adas was cold and the harissa was nearly cold . The salad bar looked mediocre when I noticed the stuffed tomatoes .  I have not had this delicacy for so long time ! Not in  Qatar ! It was wonderful - the spices and the  texture  and the presentation in tiny bowls ! The whole thing !
 The samosa counter  ran out of samosas  quickly . My smallest child was yelling " Samosas  - I want samosas " - It would have been very embarrassing  if he  had been  the only one  - but luckily the restaurant was full of  whining kids . So my one was just one of them ! It took the staff around ten minutes to refill the samosa trays . It is not easy to feed  so many hungry customers !

 There were 5 -6 main courses  . I  went for beef picatta ! It was cold too  - luckily it was tasty even this way - actually I like cold meals   - I just expect the soup to be hot or warm at least ! So I went for  the beef again as it  tasted so good !

   There was some fish stew and rosemary lamb on the buffet tables . Vegetarian dish and tandoori chicken as well . I tasted the chicken just  out of curiosity  . It was excellent - but  by that time no more room in my stomach for main dishes .

 The dessert table apart from the chocolate fountain was very modest -some tiny cups with mousse or Middle Eastern sweet treats like Ummali or Mohlobiya .I liked their mohlobiya  served in tiny cups but   it shocked me that they were not able to provide me a dessert spoon . I had to eat from the tiny cup with a regular  table spoon !

 I know that we came with coupons but somehow organizing this dinner was not so much well done !
 Little things do count !  Hot soups ,dessert  spoon  or providing  tea at the end of the meal would not have cost much money - just some effort !
 Their waiters and waitresses were nice and helpful - the cook made wonderful dishes but the whole thing missed   a conductor  -a  manager who would  have organized  the whole event to be flawless !

 We had some coffee khalejee style at the end  -as there was no tea available and took a family photo at the decorative Ramadan table in the  lounge .All in all it was not a bad dinner -  I think this will be the thing that we will remember - if we look at the photo after some years !

Garangao June 25 for kids at Ezdan Mall

Join us for Garanga'o night this Thursday!! #Ezdanmall #Doha #Qatar pic.twitter.com/QIqP8iZ3LJ

— Ezdan Mall (@EzdanMall) June 23, 2015

Very strange that it is held early on the 7 th day of Ramadan - traditionally it is held on the 15th day ! Either way - it is a fun part of Ramadan ! Kids aged 3 -12 years can register at 8 :30  at Gate 1 !

brewing and selling illicit liquor - two years in jail

Three Asian made and sold some kind of alcoholic drinks for what they were sentenced for 2 years prison and  QR20,000 ($5,500) fine .
  Their bank account showed sudden increase - nearly half million rial  was made by that . They were caught in Al -Shammal .

3rd largest density of millionaires - numbers in Qatar

highest density of millionaires in the world  according  to The Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

1. Switzerland
2.Bahrain
3 Qatar

 source 

Difficulties in travelling this summer

 This summer came with various difficulties . In the USA there was some glitch in the computer system  as a result  the visa applications will be delayed worldwide  . Here in Qatar as well . Italy and Hungary is full of illegal emigrants and there is some chance that the residents anger can turn against tourists .Not very much inviting ! European countries got too many visa applications and they are not able to handle it  - for most of the European countries it is impossible to get visa for this summer .They give appointment only for the end of August  and it takes two weeks to get the visa . If you are preparing for an Eid break in  Europe in September it is time now to apply for visa !

 The only good news is for those Qataris who would like to travel  to France  . They are promised  quick process of their visa application - only two days !

Malaysia is advertising their country  but with their   safety records in the air they are not very much trusted .  Like bad luck is following them ...or like there is a plot .. Two groups of Singaporean kids died on Mount Kinabalu /Borneo / Malaysia some weeks ago when it was hit by earthquake .

Artistic illumination of KATARA FOR Ramadan

Posted by Katara on Thursday, June 18, 2015

Posted by Katara on Thursday, June 18, 2015

Posted by Katara on Thursday, June 18, 2015

If you happen to go out on Fridays to Katara then you can take part in the treasure hunt . Boxes are hidden all over the Katara and one of them has QR 5000 in them .Exciting game after the Tararweh prayers .

School hours change from tomorrow

Schools will start at 9 am from tomorrow to 2 pm  as the fasting month will start . Only a day and a week left from the school year .

sources

working hours of some of the Ministry of Interior departments

As the holy month of #Ramadan is starting on Thursday, June 18, 2015, the working hours of some of the Ministry of...
Posted by Ministry of Interior - Qatar on Wednesday, June 17, 2015

The first Fasting day of Ramadan 2015 is Thursday

يوم الخميس 18/6/2015 هو أول أيام شهر رمضان المبارك 1436هـ / 2015 م تقبل الله صيامكم وطاعاتكم

— وزارةالأوقاف القطرية (@AwqafM) June 16, 2015

The Ministry of Islamic Affair announced that the first fasting day of the Holy month of Ramadan
will be on Thursday - as the  new moon could not be seen tonight .

Family programs/ events during Ramadan 2015

 Hyatt Plaza 

Ramadan festival will take place  in the food court from the 1st to 20th Ramadan from 9pm to 11pm .
you can expect Malaysian Bazaar, and children’s programmes, including Garangao


Fast-a-thon - an event for non- Muslims who would  try fasting for a day

June 26 and 27


Aspire Zone

ASPIRE RAMADAN SPORTS FESTIVAL 2015

 competitions for the youth
 12 different sports
  from the 22nd June till 6th of July 2015
 fantastic prizes /giveaways
 evening matches / after Iftar

   more information  & registration 

Royal Plaza Garangao Festival

Posted by Royal Plaza Doha Main on Tuesday, August 19, 2014

15th Day of Ramadan
from 8 to 10 :30

 sweets , cartoon characters ,facepainting ,henna painting ,ramadan welcome tent ,magician show ,
_______________________________________________
 Create your own Ramadan lantern
 4 th of  July 
 for kids 3 years and above
 food -court Royal Plaza

from 8 pm to 9pm

4413 0000 registration
_______________________________________

Numbers in Qatar -24,554 males and 970 females blood donor last year

To celebrate World Blood Donors Day there was a celebration yesterday at St. Regis Hotel ,Doha
to say Thank you for those 400 regular blood donors who helped to save lives last year .24,554 males and 970 females blood donor
gave blood last year . 85 % of them were expats .

 source

Katara Ramadan Festival

Follow #Katara Ramadan Festival and enjoy a virtual tour to explore #Miracles_and_Inventions pic.twitter.com/FNXxYeXc5I

— كتارا | Katara (@kataraqatar) June 14, 2015

Heya Arabian Fashion Show at Doha Exhibition Center

Heya Arabian fashion show promises to be bigger, better http://t.co/sRNfhTRYWe http://t.co/EKrYvJ1lTE @qatar_guide #QTG

— QatarTourismGuide (@qatar_guide) May 31, 2015

@Heya_qa welcomes you till June 15th 1-10 pm for ladies only &June 12th for women & their spouses #Heya2015 pic.twitter.com/SrGxWQH21m

— Qatar Tourism (@Qtourism) June 12, 2015

‫‬Cyclone Ashooba Hits Muscat (Oman)‎

Strong winds and dust can be expected in Qatar on Friday and Saturday !

Numbers in Qatar - 20 %

 20 % is the increase in the number of visitors to Qatar from other Gulf Countries ( GCC )
 in the first 5 months of 2015 - especially the Saudi tourists enjoy Qatar's hospitality 

 source

Qatar's training for the match against Maldives

Pics from Qatar's training for the match against Maldives in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Good luck! #alsadd pic.twitter.com/X2rzG0b45C

— AlSadd S.C Official (@AlsaddSC) June 11, 2015

French Visa for Qatari citizens within 48 hours

 Amazing time ! Only two days . The  Qatari citizens  have to register at this site   for a Schengen visa .All they need for the visa is a completed  visa form and insurance certificate .

France became a popular country among  the local holidaymakers . Last year more than 27 thousand visas were issued .

 If it is not leisure but business trip then Qatari citizens need to visit the office for fingerprints .

  What could we say after reading that ?

Bonnes Vacances !

source page 2

Antibes France Vintage Poster Postcard by FRUITLOOPY
View more France Postcards

new residence cum ID card in Qatar

MoI announces cancellation of residence stickers on passports replacing it with new residence cum ID card. #MoI_Qatar pic.twitter.com/OSwZAeynRq

— Ministry of Interior (@MOI_QatarEn) June 8, 2015

#DREAMsterdam competition by Qatar Airways

Draw/paint/illustrate/sketch your ideal Amsterdam vacation! Image file that are either .jpg or .png will be accepted. The file cannot be more than 2MB in size.
Submissions can be simple pencil drawings, digital illustrations, or a canvas painting. One winner will be selected and will be awarded the following Grand Prize:
Pair of Qatar Airways return tickets from the nearest gateway city to Amsterdam via Doha
A 2-night weekend stay at the Intercontinental Amstel, along with a 3 course meal .

Competition starts

at 8:00 AM Doha Time (GMT+3) on 1st June and ends at 11:59 PM Doha Time on 28th June 2015

 You must be in legal age of majority in one of the State of residence ( no minors can participate ) .

Prizes are eligible for participants residing in the following countries: Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, South Korea, Philippines.

learn more

the best shawarma of the world - prize won by a Lebanese restaurant

The Shawarma at Joseph’s in Beirut has been crowned the world’s tastiest sandwich: http://t.co/ZY8ZJQG7Gm pic.twitter.com/d7UimN3h1t

— FoodieHub (@FoodieHub) May 31, 2015

 Foodie Hub is a London based organisation . Mataam Joseph or Joseph's restaurant was chosen from 4000 competitors  , from 150 cities . Congratulations ! If only he was invited for next year's food festival in Doha !

MIA PARK SUMMER TIMES OPENING from 6 pm to midnight

MIA PARK SUMMER TIMES OPENING  1 June - 1 October / 6pm - Midnight CLOSED Tuesdays and 1 - 31 August  http://mia.org.qa/en/mia-parkPhoto credit - https://instagram.com/p/3T1bnfD9E0/?taken-by=canelita_dolly
Posted by Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) on Sunday, May 31, 2015

Fire at the petrol station - in Oman - video

s


It is very hot in Qatar as well .. So far I believed that fires need a sparkle ... but this was simply caused by the heat... be very careful - they warn !


source

Kuwaiti tourist Bungee Jumping Death in Thailand

His death was caused by the badly fixed rope . When he was bouncing back in the air the straps around the  ankle broke .  The jump was from a crane and bellow there was a safety pond . He just missed the pond when he fell from  a height of 200 feet = as he fell from the 18th story of a tower building . His neck and spine injuries caused his death soon after arriving at hospital .

Later it turned out that the bungee jumping company has been working for years without proper licences .

 more info about this story 

women with moustache or the standard of beauty of the Qajar Iran

There is an exhibition in MIA about illustration of women in Iran in the second half of the 19th century .Women with moustache and strong , fusing eye-brows . Face hair was clearly considered chic at that time . Those who did not have enough of that  hair simply  draw a faux moustache !

 If you are interested in women's world in 19th century Iran then you can browse this online database.

Death of the little Birthday Boy

It happened in a private home in  Hilal , Doha ,Qatar . What was expected to be a great day turned into  a tragedy for an Indian family . The little boy  from Kerala came to visit  his daddy. While his birthday was celebrated he had fallen on the stairs so badly that he died 9 days later in Hamad General Hospital , Qatar .Rest in peace !

____:(

 This case is a warning to parents !

 Being a guest somewhere with a toddler is source of every kind of danger ! I know it . One knows his own home well but in a not well known house  there is a new challenge in every corner for the curious and fast moving  little kids !

source  page 3

Charity Dinner and Auction to support Nepal

when  : Thursday .4  June , 2015
what time : 6:30 - 9:30
where : al-silia ballroom  , grand hyatt doha

 what to expect :celebrity pianist , Sonja Park performing , local and expat artists ,
 cultural shows , kids fashion show , raffle draw ,

 donor pass : for QR 2000 ,1000 , 500
 buy them here