Happy New Year to my Readers

Toboggan party in 1910 greeting card by almawad
Find more Vintage photo Cards at Zazzle

Thank you everyone for following this blog in 2013 .Thank you for my readers and visitors . I hope that 2014 will bring a lots of joy cheer and success to you all .

New year's Eve celebrations in Doha and Dubai

 The United Arab Emirates is preparing for an extravagant New Year Eve celebration in Dubai with  some  record -breaking huge fireworks .At the same time a lots of hotels in the UAE were forced to cancel their New Year's Eve programs as the organizer agency broke contract with them without any explanation . In Doha   a lots of concerts , dinners ,parties  are planned -almost all of them in five -star hotels ,nothing extravagant but the prizes . A ticket for the Arab Idol concert at the La Cigale hotel may cost 1200 rials .

see more  offers in Doha 

Moroccan Handicraft Week

Exhibition of 55 artisans and artists from Morocco
live calligraphy signatures, pottery, ceramic, wood, carpet ,embroidery, oil candles,traditional
clothing


26 Dec - 5 Jan 2014 10:00:am - 10:00:pm 

Katara - Building 3

Light in Moroccan Kitchen Cards by atross13
Look at more Fez Cards at zazzle

Fun run at Aspire Park on New Year's Eve

Fun run at Aspire Park on New Year's Eve

No winners no losers - small gifts for everyone !

You are invited to this event if you are able to run 5 km and you are over 12 years .
Event Name : Aspire NYE Run Around
When : December 31 2013
What time : 6 :30 pm
Entry Fee : 30 QR

Register here

New Year’s Eve with Arab Idols at La Cigale , Doha

New Year’s Eve with Arab Idols – Mohammed Assaf and Farah Youssef


December 31 2013
10:00 pm


Tickets are available at La Cigale Hotel at QR600, QR800, QR1,000 and QR1,200, depending on the seating category.

For more information or reservations, contact 4428 8888

Nigel Kennedy Concert on 27 December 2013 in Qatar

Nigel Kennedy Concert on 27 December 2013 in Qatar

A wonderful event with a formidable violinist .
I am really so sorry that I can't go : (

The name of the concert :Bach meets Fats Waller

Jazz and experimental
Baroque music (1600 – 1760)
even he will play Hungarian csardas !


Friday - December 27, 2013 - 07:30 PM
Katara Cultural Village - Doha - Opera House- Seated
Doors Open 07:10 PM

Some tickets were still available when I checked out Virgin tickets page ! 200 QR - 300 QR

Maestro Kennedy - I hope you will come back to Doha on a day when I am better off and can see you performing live

so far I have youtube !

Travelling to Paris or Doha

Paris and Doha . Both cities I know .Had been to Paris and have been living in Doha for more than a decade .
I created luggage tags for those who travel to those cities .

I got in my unique design shop also business card design related to Paris or Doha . Check them out by clicking on the images .

Paris comes to Doha - Humor in Arabia

Qatar is the official destination of Paris Saint-Germain. Paris' most famous sporting club visit Qatar each year for its annual winter tour to enjoy amazing sports facilities, true Arabian hospitality and of course, the winter sun. Learn more about the partnership at http://psg.qatartourism.gov.qa



See this commercial to find out what Doha would  look like if it was under French protection :) Humor in Arabia by Qatar Tourism Authorities  .

authentic living legend, a strong example of emancipation.

Sheikha Mozah. First Lady of Qatar,mother of seven - she raises the bar of glamour for women in international politics . The Vogue called her "authentic living legend, a strong example of emancipation"

This is the season

funny vintage Xmas baby Postcards by almawad
Make your own custom photo postcards on zazzle.



 though Xmas is not official holiday here - it is just a simple  week day - it might happen that you can not arrange something because the person you need took holiday - most of the schools close for a winter holiday as well  -so a lots of families travel abroad regardless of their religion

A rare find on flickr

Sheikha Mozah first Lady of Qatar. Attends WISH gala dinner with Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco on the 10th December in Doha, Qatar.

GLAMOROUS! In white gown with the spectacular cape from Valentino Fall/Winter Couture. Valentino, impeccable choice as always; the clutch is also from Valentino.

Numbers in Qatar -14

14 football pitches is the size of the Largest National Flag in the world .
Qatar has created a new Guinness Record .

With other words it is 101,978 sq m  = 9.8 tonnes = 200,000 school bags for schoolchildren when recycled

see image here

National Day Filmmaking Challenge 2013

48-Hour teams rallied on the weekend on Dec 12-14 to tell their story and make a film from scratch .

Snow in the Middle East

           Snow in the Middle East . Snow in Syria war zone . Snow fields in  West Bank city of Nablus .The cupolas of the mosques are covered by the snow .The camel is sitting in the snow . Children and fighters are building snowmen  -not very beautiful ones -they are just beginners :)   see photos here
And in Qatar ? No there is no snow here but suddenly it is cold . Suddenly we are looking for the box where our sweaters ,caps ,tights are packed away . Suddenly we count the number of the thick blankets we have .We drink much more hot drinks than before .And we wonder if that lousy heater from last year  still works .
                                                                                                                             

Our Book Fair Experience 2013

Arriving there my husband dropped us as it was not easy to find parking space .Later he told us he had to leave the car at the Katara - as no space was available closer ,
The fair was huge .So many stalls and publishers .We concentrated on books for kids .Bought some fun math books for my math lover and a beautiful big book for the craft lover child . Then they became tired and listened to the story-tellers -both Arabic and English .That gave me the chance to look around on my own .I found so many Arabic publishers .I have heard that only 30% of the population is Arabic speaking here  - there were a lots of books in English as well .I was disturbed by the stalls -so many of them are selling in a way that you can not take a book in  your hand but you have to ask for it from high shelf .It is difficult to browse this way the books .  I was interested in language learning ,cook books ,alternative medicine .But I found nothing exciting . There might have been some -but    checked out only a little part of the fair . There were no any information about where to look for those books . I saw people walking with the Tribe bookshop bag  - I like that place and wished to check them out but simply could not find their stall .
Many kinds of educational toys were on sale as well .I looked for a simple traditional chess set -but found no one .
Exhausted by the book hunt we took a rest on the red velvet seats of the lounge .I love Exhibition Center .It is so chic .Just this time the only cafe there was so much crowdy that it was rather a tiring than relaxing experience to get a drink .
When we were leaving I saw the famous Muslim scholar -Karadawi -arriving at the book fair .Inside the fair L .Ron Hubbard 's books were sold by smartly dressed agents . How very strange -I thought !

Doha Flea market December 6 2013

slide show of the event

Camp of Darb Alsaai - National Day programs from 8th to 18th December

Where : Darb Alsaai camp  - opposite the  Wyndham Grand Regency Hotel

When :Starts: Sunday, 8 December 2013
Ends: Wednesday, 18 December 2013

What Time :Morning Hours  From 08:00 To 12:00
Evening Hours   From 03:30 To 10:00


Heritage Village style exhibitons and activities

 What to expect : Camel taming for children and some camel shows

                                  Shooting

                                  Horse beauty show

                                   A show of Qatari riders on Arabian horses, old Qatari style

                                  School session - Shows by independent schools 

                                  Government entities Interactive and informative activities

                                  falconry hunting

                                  An exhibition of old cars used for Miqnas (hunting) in the past

                                  Al Rawi (The Story teller) 

                                  Al Rababa A musical instrument

                                  Handicrafts textile, pottery and swords making

                                  Al Azeema - Cooking Qatari authentic food, following traditional methods

                                  Al Hallal Sheep and goats grazing

                                  Albadia (Desert) Drawings inspired by the Qatari desert and its wild life

                                  Natural environment in Qatar

                                  Khatf Shraa Raising the sails of (Dhows)

                                   Falq Almahar  - Open of oysters to extract the pearl

                                  Al Mutawaa - Teacher who used to teach kids in Mosque in the past

                                  Sadah radah - Running race, Qatari style

                                   Aldamah - Old entertainment game

                                    Traditional cafe

                                  Al Fereej The main tent which the traditional cultural activities will take place like Ardha Add el Qaseed (poetry reciting) Elmrada (girls traditional dance) and Oratory

                                 Al Maseera Classic Cars parade along with camels and horses

                                 Al Timba Football matches as used to be in Qatar in the past

                                  AL Hooch Play area for children under the age of 10 Years

​                                  Al Maqlat Food court

                                   HMC Health Awareness activities

Winter arrived in Qatar

Day time temperatures drop to 20 C , strong northwesterly winds , in Al Khor at night it can go down even to 12 C . This is when the winter arrives in Qatar .

What to expect in Doha ? day time  24°C, night 16 C 

 Wild geese are flyng high . The sun loses its power early   around 3 / when the sun sets it is already  feels cold . Better to take a sweater with you when you are out .

Paris Saint German vs. Real madrid - match in Qatar

  A friendly soccer match between the two legendary European teams  .  Paris saint  German against Real Madrid .

When : January 2 - 2014 5:45
Where: Khalifa Stadium , Doha Qatar
 Tickets  1 . online here 
                 2. at the stadium ticket office from 31December to 2 January
prices : 100 QR, 150 QR,  300 QR

Soccer Nut Postcard by HobbiesLeisure
Check out more Soccer Postcards at Zazzle

40 % - numbers in Qatar

According to the the Supreme Council of Family Affairs 40 %of marriages ends up in divorce court in Qatar .

source

Divorce Cake Stock Cards by mariabellimages
Create personalized cards online at Zazzle.

National Day park bazaar

if  you are in art and craft then you are invited to sell at special National Day Bazaar in MIA Park on Saturday 14 December. 
 .
 National Day related items will be allowed  - including food ,homemade and handmade products such as jewelry  arts, crafts, clothing, souvenirs and much more. 
 It was today that this ad was published on the MIA facebook page .I wonder if this was not too late . To prepare for an event like that . If I had time or energy then I would try to sell photos / t-shirts . But I do not have .In fact I have already  designed a lots of items related to Qatar .But those items are printed in the US and it takes time to get them .

 You can have a  look at them here.

To book a table to show your National Day related products at this unique event, please register at nationaldaybazaar@qma.org.qa or Mobile +97455510744 , Office +97444224536 by 3.30pm on Wednesday 11 December

The usual Park bazaar in December - review

One month ago we were suffering by the heat when visiting the bazaar . This month it was already much colder and very windy . A sweater was not exaggeration after sunset ... Some of the stalls were turned over by a heavy gust of wind .

We found a  good number of sellers and contrary to our expectation it was not full of Xmas related items . If I had arrived with  a lots of money I would have certainly bought some African batik textile /Indian carved chess set / a book from Gillespie about Qatar  and more Italian dishes from the stall of that lady . I learned a very important thing . Pizza frita or something  is just like our Hungarian langos . That fried flat bread that is so much loved in Hungary . I have always thought that it was a Hungarian recipe . Now I am not sure at all .

Saturday , December 7 Park Bazaar at MIA

The MIA Park Bazaar returns this Saturday!

 MIA Park Bazaar is a modern version of the old souq  with a vibrant mix of sellers of arts and cratfs /second hand books/clothes /home made dishes with around 150 stalls. 

Located at MIA Park, Saturday 7 Dec, 12pm – 8pm. For more info http://www.mia.org.qa/mia-park/park-bazaar

http://youtu.be/ENyTPrvPscQ

 art by  Dana Diala who will be selling on Saturday
 see more  at this facebook page Handmade Qatar

Reading is fun

Reading is Fun! Chipmunk Postcard by Meg_Stewart
Find other Chipmunk Postcards at zazzle.com

Keep Calm and Keep Reading Post Card by baxella
Create a postcard at Zazzle

Illustration of Mother and Daughter Reading Postcards by corbisimages
See other Adults Postcards

Chimpanzee Reading Newspaper Post Card by corbisimages
Look at Animal Postcards online at Zazzle.com

Vintage Child Reading a Book, Jessie Willcox Smith Postcard by YesterdayCafe
Try Zazzle's custom postcards printing.

Vintage Photo Japanese Geisha Postcard by Stark_Raving_Realist
Find more Japan Postcards at Zazzle

The Annual Book Fair 2013

 Reading is Good ! Browsing books and taking them home is cool too !
 Language learning , art and craft ,classics , antique books  are my favorites . The Doha book Fair is huge  it is worth visiting between  4 -14 December ,2013 .It will take place in the Exhibition Center . The British publishers will be the special guests with 200  square meter  to display their books .Do not miss it !

Reading Together Post Card by tnmpastperfect
Get Postcard designs on zazzle.com

It will be opened  on 4 December around 6 pm  - expect a Scottish folk dance show around this time .

young Qatari boy in coma - again a manhole accident

 Why those workers  who lift the manholes do not think they should cover it once they finished their work ?

 Again a child suffered terrible accident and we all hope he will survive the  fractures in his skull and internal bleeding in his brain .For the time being he is in coma .

The accident happened at Qatar University ,female entrance  9.30 on Thursday night  . The child was a passenger of a car which hit an open manhole there then the car was flung off the road .

How many child victim  will make authorities to punish hard dangerous practices before any  tragedy ?

Street Manhole Covers Post Cards by mollymortphotography
Get the best in online post card printing from zazzle

Leopard attacks five year old in Doha

 An innocent looking leopard cub attacked a five year old local boy in Doha , Qatar yesterday .The attack happened near the circus tent which can be found in the parking lot of  Hyatt Plaza . The mother of the victim just wanted to take photo with the leopard cub as a paid service available there when the cub seized the throat of the preschooler to the greatest horror of the mother and the  visitors . Some men threw themselves on the wild animal and with great hardship they managed to pull the leopard cub from the boy .He was rushed to the hospital . Luckily he survived the attack .

International organizations has been protesting against animals  in the circus for decades .Such attacks happen world wide quite often .

UPDATE ; the little boy is out of  danger but still in hospital 


STRANGE :  somewhere I read that the boy's name is Fahd which means leopard in Arabic ...Nomen est Omen ?
source

Snow Leopard Cub Post Card by prophoto
View Nature Postcards online at zazzle

$350m help to Yemen -Numbers in Qatar

 Qatar is donating $350m to  Yemen.
 It is for a fund  for civilians and security force personals in the South ,.

compare it  with the help that was refused by Egypt some months ago


source

Death of a six year old

A little boy was playing  in the street when he was  crushed to death on Saturday . It happened in Al -Wukair . This is the short news I read . Terrible accident  - that I am afraid from so often . I let my children sometimes play in the street /parking lot .When the traffic is very little . But even so  -it is not the place for kids to play .
In Hungary in the town where I lived most blocks have a little garden and the number of playgrounds is much bigger than here .Here the blocks are designed with  no gardens .When one lives in a compound then it is OK  there are facilities  where kids can play safe but  outside the compounds  the parks  can not be reached easily .

I just wonder when I compare the town planners in Hungary and in Qatar . How well it is made in Hungary !Every district has its own park ,playground ,green area .

When we chose our place to  rent a flat in Doha we considered its proximity  to a park . We have a park just five minute drive from our home . Walking there is life threatening as there is a main road where the traffic is very heavy and no pedestrian cross at all .

Look Both Ways Print by tastefultots
View another fine art print at zazzle

Women's condition in the Arab World

Facts according to the Thomson Reuters Foundation .

 Arab countries with the best conditions for women

 1. Comoros  

 2. Oman

 3.Kuwait

 4.Jordan

 5. Qatar








Woman's Hands on...

Lynn Abercrombie

Buy This at Allposters.com



Arab countries with the worst conditions for women

1 . Egypt

2.  Iraq

3. Saudi  Arabia

4.Syria

5. Yemen

 Read more in this issue

A colorful veil and immense eyes .... print by DigitalCreations
Find more Digital Posters at Zazzle

Numbers in the Gulf 500 thousand

500 .000 thousand new pilots should be recruited in the coming 20 years in the Arabian Gulf
 mind boggling  number

 Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai and Qatar Airways  are planning huge expansions

 source

New mall at Aspire Park ?

I was shocked reading about this .  The largest green area of Qatar with a big pond is already bordered by two malls ... Should there be another mall and more concrete ? I do not like the idea of having less green in the city .

heavy rainfall and flood in Riyadh November 2013

heavy rainfall and flood in Riyadh - three people is missing ... firefighters are busy to save people trapped in the flood

Rain in Doha

The so much expected rain arrived in Doha .  It is cooler now . The temperature is  between 20-26 C  . Like early summer in Europe .
It will rain all the week  as forecast by the Qatar Meteorology Department .Even thunderstorms can be expected .

 I love to listen to my favorite Italian pop song at this time  ...

Ajyal Youth Film Festival coming soon

Ajyal Youth Film Festival 26 - 30 November 2013

In memoriam of the old zoo of Doha ...

It wasn't the most beautiful zoo in the world, but it had a nostalgic vibe. Some parts of it were good. It had more than a thousand old, shade-giving trees. Something unusual in Qatar. There were some fountains and small man-made creeks there. It cost little. Only 5 rial for each person. Tuesdays were reserved  for ladies only .

The zebras were my favorite. I loved to watch them, and when they saw me, they often got very close. I was very scared of their elephant once. It made a lot of noise and moved toward the fence. The zoo wasn't very big, but it was just right for small children. We usually had a picnic on the grass after seeing the animals, and then went to the Zoo's playground. Wonderful memories. Goodbye, old Doha Zoo.

May  the new Safari park come as soon as possible !

Doha Zoo expected to Open in 2017

 So the old Zoo with its retro feel and sometimes sad conditions is over . The coming new zoo will be wonderful : Just imagine  more than 12 thousand trees will be planted . I was happy to read that the 1 thousand trees from the old zoo will be preserved . From this numbers we can see that the new zoo will be much bigger facility than the old one . Seven times .Three continents will be represented  and the experience of the different climates :  safari trips ,  car trips , trekking on foot through safe passages, trips by boats and Children’s Safari . Even the experience of the rain . Wow !

The  only problem is that my kids will be  four year older and less interested in wild animals - I guess .

By the way  - who knows something about Al muntazah Park? It was closed down for maintenance  in 2004 and it is still closed and no maintenance was observed .

what really happened to little Gloria Huang

 I have been reading the  international /western press for a while . Their coverage on this issue is a one sided story ..

 They emphasize that there is a cultural misunderstanding / that cross race adoption is common place in The USA  and the Qatari police is ignorant . It was really shocking that someone from the officials here called the adopted African child " not good-looking "  - in fact they are really good-looking ones  - I think .

But a little girl died in Qatar. She had not eaten for three days then . And the American parents did not take her to the emergency in time . This little fact does not disturb the western media at all .

I have a picky eater at home . But if he refuses eating and drinking just for 24 hours then I will rush to the emergency . I can not understand why the Huangs did not rush . What were they waiting for three days ?

And I do not understand the western media  , either , Why these questions are not put up ?


  The trials are not over yet . The Huangs are  out of the prison but they can not leave the country .

We all want to know what really happened to this little girl .

Numbers n Qatar - £4.4bn deal

Centrica and Qatar's national gas company, Qatargas signed a deal .
Here are the numbers

3m tonnes a year of liquefied natural gas (LNG)  to be imported to  th eUK

it will cost   £4.4bn ( 6.8bn USD )
till 2018
enough to supply 3 million households

The Mall of Qatar - an important project in Qatar

Quick Facts 

Location ; Al- Rayyan
Status of Project :  under construction
Opening in 2015 -2016
 Size : 400 -500 shops =195 ,000 square meters

A Hungarian preschooler playing the violin n Doha

When I met Lili the first time she was wearing pampers and she looked  an average toddler to me .She was playing like other Hungarian kids at the kids party .Her parents are musicians one from Japan  -one from Hungary .

One year had gone - I think or two . I missed a party at the embassy just to learn that Lily was performing as violinist and she was playing not in preschooler style .I always felt sorry that I could not see her in live .I stumbled upon this video and I was so happy to share it !

Lili left Qatar for good with her parents and she is performing nowadays somewhere in Europe .
We are very proud of you Lily and felt lucky to meet you in Doha !

Damien Hirst Challenge

http://www.damienhirstchallenge.qa/

CREATE
Create a painting, an image, a piece of sculpture, or multi-media. The only stipulation is that, in some way, your artwork is based on Damien Hirst’s exploration of life and death.

 Deadline  28th Of  December

You must be minimum 18 years old and must hold a valid residence visa of Qatar .

One entry per person.

Prize : a trip to London  to Gloucestershire to tour Damien Hirst studio, meet the artist and help create one of his famous spin paintings

MIA Park Bazaar in November -review

It was not very big event . In April  I saw so many tables selling crafts but on Saturday it was less big .I saw beautiful South-African textiles ,Pakistani embroidered bed spreads ,second hand books , fancy postcards and other art and crafts on display .The most shocking thing was to see old Hungarian postage stamps and old electric devices on sale . We are in Qatar and the ticket is minimum one thousand dollar from Budapest .A Hungarian speaking man was selling those things claiming that he just came right from Budapest's famous flea-market the Ecseri .

 The Italian women's cakes and desserts were also memorable .

I hope to be able to visit next month when the weather expected to be nicer  .

Watching the November 3 solar eclipse from the Aspire park

It was wonderful experience -all the family but one watching the eclipse together from the hill of the park .
I expected crowds but there were only a few other people observing the celestial event .I expected that local authorities would distribute solar eclipse  glasses but no one did .

All of it started at 4:20 -at that time the sun was up and strong and looking into it was disturbing even for some seconds only . At this place near the Equator the sun sets quickly .So within ten minutes we could see the setting sun and the moon cutting a large arch from the bottom of it .  The sun reminded me first to a big croissant then I thought that t was rather a parachute . Then at 4 :45 all of  it disappeared . The sun set and we heard the call for prayer .It had a special sound then.

Most people did not show interest in the event or just they did not know about it .They were walking running playing in the park as usual .

We had some madeleine  with milk from the nearby cafe and we all thought that it was a very special event .


.The next solar eclipse from Qatar will be  on December 26 ,2019 ! Early morning - do not miss it ! :)

Qatari Czech Therapy Center

 As so many Qatari visits the Czech Republic every year  for curing their various problems   some therapists and doctors decided to establish  a therapy center right here in Doha .

Six villas will offer all the services when they open all their wards . They are already working in three different villas .

 They have alternative therapies like hydro therapy , magneto therapy  , shock wave therapy ,Exilis therapy ,MOJZIS METHOD - just to name a few .

 They treat patients with arthritis , back pain ,injuries ,paralytic polio -myelitis , post stroke disabilities  . The mojzis method can help and cure  some kind of functional FEMALE STERILITY .

They use the Exilis therapy to REDUCE FAT, contour the body and tighten skin and reduce wrinkles.

 The registration and first consultation costs 300 rial
 and the daily therapies price is 250 rial included every treatment

 It is not far from Ikea  . If you visit their page on Facebook then you can see the exact location .

 You can call them : 0097444174333

Partial solar eclipse tomorrow

Partial solar eclipse will be seen  from Qatar  tomorrow around sunset .
If you are not working at that time  then go to a park or to any open place even better if it is  high from where you can see the sunset . As it is happening  at  4 :20  - 4 :50  - there is no need for protective filters or glasses as the sun shines   weak at this time around here .

Just go  and enjoy the wonderful  celestial event .
 It is so uplifting -one just feels that she is part of the universe !

See what to expect !

150 more taxis to Doha

  The growing population  of Qatar needs more taxis .
  Al -Ijarah company is going to add 150 more taxis soon .


 which in my view is just a drop in the  sea

thousands more taxis needed in fact  with family friendly public buses

MIA Park Bazaar

When : November 2/ 2013 afternoon and evening
 Where : Museum of Islamic Art Park
Event : bazaar - anybody can sell his/her craft work /art /old books /secondhand clothes /home made dishes, cookies
At least that was the thing that I saw there in April  .
The tables are free but they must be booked .
Ask for more info here if you wish to sell  there:

 miaparkbazaar@qma.org.qa

Numbers in Qatar nearly one milliard dollar on art

1000 000 000 = one thousand million  USD is the estimated  sum that Qatar spends on buying  western and modern or contemporary art per year 


source

New Supermarket in the West - Bay

New Supermarket is opening in Qatar  today .Monoprix is a is a major French retail chain .
 Its  outlet will be in the West- Bay between the twin Palm Towers also near the Tornado Tower . Will they offer better  prices than Carrefour ?  The French community is puzzled to see if their favorite gourmet food will  have a more affordable price there than at the Carrefour .

A horrifying example  -   a jar of  pickled gerkins  by Amora  costs in the Carrefour 32 QR (almost € 6.5!) 

 What a luck that I find more reasonable priced pickles at the Megamart  !

 The  made in Sri-lanka pickles  in sweet-sour- hot marinade is my favorite one  there ! Very similar to the Hungarian ones .

 For more info on Monoprix  in Qatar just visit them on the Facebook !

  Update : they are open   from 8 to 10 daily  on Fridays there is prayer time break between 11 h30 and 12 
parking : more chance to find parking inside the office building after 5 pm and on holidays   

Camping Season is Here

and it is the time for the first Qatar Camping Expo

 When : today and tomorrow /24 -25 th October
 Time ; 4 -10pm
 venue : Doha Exhibition Center
 What to expect : all kinds of items related to camping, barbecues, picnics, outdoor sports

 Till April the weather is nice for outdoor activities in Qatar .Camping in the desert is very popular among locals and expats as well . As there is no village tourism in Qatar ( almost no villages ) - this is the way one escapes from the city's noise around here .

Desert Scene Post Card by almawad
More Desert Postcards

Football themed sculpture in Doha

Coup de Tete, a sculpture by Algerian artist Adel Abdessemed, which shows the infamous headbutt by French player Zinedine Zidane on Italian Marco Materazzi during the 2006 FIFA World Cup final, is on permanent display at the Doha Corniche.

You can not see many sculpture in Qatar .This is something new -and it represents a moment which is engraved into the memory of soccer loving people .
Thank you  Doha Stadium Plus for the photo .

UPDATE : I was really shocked when I read that this sculpture was taken away from the Corniche - as some Islamic scientist claimed that it is idol worshiping so  it is  Unislamic .

Reading the comments  of the above linked site I can feel that many football fans are dissapointed  - Muslims and Arabs . This was a symbolic moment of the Arabs - the victory / the ability to strike back . 

A British teacher murdered in Doha

It was a terrible spot on the Eid celebrations that shocked all the community  .A young British Girl aged 24 found dead in Doha -most probably murdered /raped -brought to a wrong house -as her last text message said .The official news are not very clear . The rumor says she was found near la Cigale garbage /other claim she was thrown into the desert .
Some speaks about a local ex-boyfriend who escaped to Saudi Arabia -and about other local guy who tried to save her by beating a taxi driver .
All that seems sure now that she went to a night club then left with two men then she was found dead .

A young most probably naive girl  - I know this age well .It must be very hard to live so far from the family and making right decisions when one feels lone  in a city .She made a mistake when returning home she got into a taxi with two men and the male driver and she payed a horrifying price for it . She will be missed by  her family and at her work .And it is  terrible feeling for everyone who has heart /who has a child to read about this homicide .
I hope that the one who did it will be caught and he will pay price too on his turn .I hope also that the night taxi drivers who harass female passengers will be found and punished .

 It was just less than a year ago that  another  teacher-  an American one - was murdered in her own home by an African security guard .

Murders used to be uncommon in Qatar , A decade ago there was one murder per year .Now it is higher most probably still low by international standards .But even so  One is too much !

The rules for the girls of  travelling by taxi /hitch-hike  Do Not Enter any car with more than one male in .

It happened to me in Qatar that a stupid taxi driver picked up an extra passenger -a man  - without asking my permission .I left the car at once .They did not look dangerous to me but I always keep myself to this rule .Better safe than sorry ,. Girls  listen to your mothers !

UPDATE  - the COURT hearing :
 two local men are the accused ones  -no names are given ,no jobs ,no age .. while  every small details about the victim is published .. how sad ....
 the killers must be punished
but who are they ? the society should be informed about their identity I think .

Police Line stickers by PizzaRiia
Create your own sticker online at Zazzle.


More details about the night when this  naive young woman was killed - friend of her Lea Monet tells about it



The trial of the murder started  - two Qatari men is accused of the murder - for more details about the court hearing  click  here .

Popular Arab singer dies at age 92

Lebanese singer Wadih al-Safi, dubbed "Frank Sinatra of Middle East", dies at 92 .He was called the Voice of Lebanon as well . Very popular all over the Arab world .

Logos Hope in Qatar - review

Visiting Logos Hope in Qatar

It was a nice trip on Friday afternoon to visit this floating library . It was not very difficult to find the right parking near the port .We had to buy tickets and entering a tent to show our ID card and being checked . Then we were told to get on the bus and with this free service we got to the port right to the ship .

Logos Hope is a nice big ship with the world's biggest floating library on board .At least that was the thing that they claim . I found nothing else than a medium sized library packed with not too many interesting books .We arrived here to spend money and hoped to find treasures but we did not .
Some books for the kids and a cook book and a book about home remedies .All that we bought .

I saw a lots of books for Christians .We met lovely young people who are working there . They were happy to chat with us .A UK girl even recognised our language " Ertem minden " = Understand everything -she told us in our language .

There was a cafe and small exhibition .

Doha looked beautiful through the round windows of the ship . The ice coffee was really good The Germans know how to do it .

It was a bit like we left Doha .

So we did not feel so sorry that we went .Though at the Jareer you will find more books I think .

Looking back to the ship there was only one question on my mind ; What 's for this big ship ? It must be terribly expensive .To bring some books that you can find anyway here ?To bring some books for the Christians ? Would not it be cheaper just to send those books ?
And the ship which is large - we saw only a very little part of it .????

Workers right in Qatar

Workers right  in Qatar

The international media is full with accusations that Qatar enslaves the laborers to build this country .Who is a slave ? According to Oxford dictionary a person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them .

What is the truth ?

So many Nepali died this year -and it is very sad .

Working in Qatar's heat is a demanding task . I would not love to do it . I would die I think . Workers arriving from very poor places are coming to this country happily .But many of them are unfit physically for this type of work .Many of them are arriving malnourished .

I know that they are happy to come . This might be their only chance to break out from the poverty .But there are people in their country those middle men who  exploit them .They are taking from them recruiting fees and they are forced to pay .This way they are in a trap .When they arrive then they see that the work is very hard and when they want to go back then they can not .They have huge debts at  home .

When an accident happens at the constructions the firm must stop with the work for two weeks .That is a big fine for them  - so the companies try their bests  to avoid accidents .

Many workers think that escaping from a badly payed job is the solution .They run away from their employers  with the hopes that they can find job as a "free-lancer' this way until caught they can collect more money .

Working in Qatar 's heat as a laborer is  very though .In summer they   are not allowed to work during the hottest hours and the employer must provide them a shelter where they can take rest .

I am happy to read that Qatar will boost the workers' rights .

First of all I think  they should set up recruiting agencies abroad to avoid the middle men system and thus the debt-trap .The companies who delay the wages should pay compensation for that delay .Those things would be great steps .

I hope that this will be just the first step and Western- European countries will launch  a campaign for workers rights in Europe itself .
 When going home to Hungary I often hear about forced labor /unpaid wages as well .

Qatargas Chess Championship for children

Qatargas Chess Championship 

for children in the age group of 6-14 years (open to all residents of Qatar from both genders)

Venue : Crowne Plaza Hotel ( Airport Road )

Date ;from October 24 to 26, 2013

Registration :at the Crown Plaza Hotel on October 24 from 4 pm onwards

What to expect : Valuable prizes  to the participants

 Annual championships  in the future

Chess Tees by Brandless
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Lady taxi drivers for ladies only

8004488 is the number that you can call in case that you  would like to book a taxi with female taxi driver  . They have got a flat fee of QR 30 .  Many women do not feel comfortable when they have to travel with a male driver  alone especially at night .This is a new service in Doha - hope it will work .

Male female ratio in Qatar is very bad   4 male and one female ... when you live in a society like that you feel better with other women .

We will have our letters and parcels delivered soon

I can't believe it ! After so many years of living without letters popping into  our mailbox  we will have the joy of  reading our mails instantly .We had to go to the main post office so far  to check out the  our post box  for what we had to pay annual fee . It was so hard .Though we do not leave far from there but the traffic jam is so terrible . Otherwise I like the main post office in Doha  - go and  visit it in case you have never been there .It has some retro atmosphere with fountain inside /cafe inside /exhibitions inside .And the information is written in exotic languages besides English and Arabic like  Hindi /Tamil  - or at least I found it exotic when I arrived at Doha more than a decade ago :)

This service is so much wanted . I do have relatives and even friends who do not use the internet  and  it is much easier to keep in touch with the snail mail ! Coming soon within some months !

Home delivery of mail to become reality soon

stray cat problem in Qatar and the solution

Who loves living in a cage ?  Cats  do not like it  . The most human way to control cat population is to catch them then neuter them then let them live free .Do not stock them in Cages !
Did you know that Qatar government  agencies spay  and neuter cats for free ? No need to pay hundreds of riyal to a private vet or "animal welfare " ...Learn more 



You can help  with trapping .A British expats tells about her experience here .

The Gang Birthday Greeting Card by ZorroCreations
Shop for Rescued cat family Cards online at Zazzle.com

Explosion at Al-Andalus petrol station in Doha

It seems that it has a lucky outcome as nobody even injured as there was a big underground explosion at Al- Andalus petrol station around 1 pm or earlier yesterday . However it sounds quite frightening .The petrol tanks had blown off .It is near a hospital and some small restaurant and a big traffic junction . Witnesses said that there was a big bang then everything shook then the ground collapsed at the petrol station ....

 I was shocked reading here that in 2009 there was a similar accident at  Hilal petrol station with 50 injured . I  remember nothing from that though I usually report things like that here .

Swiss delegation and stroke rehabilatation in Qatar

Swiss delegation  and stroke rehabilitation in Qatar

Swiss delegation of neurologists  has visited Qatar recently

 interesting facts  they mentioned 

 - most of the stroke patients in the GCC countries  are middle aged

- keeping your blood sugar well controlled ,giving up smoking ,taking half an hour daytime nap  and not grumbling about every little issue may save you from stroke

- new methods in neurology can  give full recovery for stroke patients if treated in time

9 out of 10 stroke patients can fully 

recover due to robotic technology

-exchange of visits between doctors of both countries are planned

- treatment of patients in Switzerland  may  also be possible in the future 

source