Hello Once Again,
Just spent seven excellent days with my brother Sven in Doha, Qatar. He works as a medical engineer at the Sports Hospital located near Qatar's national soccer stadium. Seventy five percent of the population in Doha are foreigners brought in to educate, engineer, build, and serve the remaining 25 percent who actually are from Qatar. This makes Doha, the only settlement of note in this tiny peninsula of a country, (check Qatar out on a map, it is a little sand spit that sticks out of Saudi Arabia) quite cosmopolitan. Doha has one of the most interesting skylines that I have ever seen. It reminds me of Dr. Suess, kind of weird, but fun. There must be a law here that states high rises are not allowed to be rectangular boxes.
Doha also kind feels like Calgary in that it is basically a construction zone, and like Calgary they are desperately trying to bring culture into it. So there are these markets and heritage villages that have been built to reflect the old culture that was once here. The original stuff got swept away because of the oil boom. Yet a remake somehow doesn't cut it like the real thing, which I have been experiencing in Hong Kong. Still it is interesting and I find the traditional arab dress that so many men, women, and children wear here for real, fasinating. The religion in Qatar is Islam and mosques are everywhere. Friday is the Islamic day of worship, so everyone gets that off, plus Saturday. Sunday is the Islamic world's Monday. Weird. Yet, the unrest that is happening in the Muslin World does not seem to be an issue here. The Qatari people live really well and when you see Lamborginis, and Ferraris roaring down the roads, it is obvious that the rulers are keeping everyone happy with lots of money. Who needs freely elected leaders when the Emir (king) treats you so well by providing great education and a guaranteed income.
Any ways my trip started off with a bang. Sven and I managed to get some tickets for the Asia Cup Soccer final between Japan and Australia. Yeah I know Australia is not part of Asia, its part of Australia, learned that in grade 3, but ok they got invited. The game itself was excellent, lots of chances, great passing, super. Japan won it in overtime. Unlike hockey soccer overtime is not sudden death, so Japan had to hang in for another ten minutes after they scored and Australia threw everything at them but just could not score. Afterwards the Heir Apparent Emir So and So in traditional arab dress awarded the trophy to the Japanese and then there was a wild and crazy fireworks display over top of our heads. So the standard was set for my trip.
We also went to a mall that had canals modelled after Venice, with Gondolas even. Only they were motorized so the guy at the back with the big stick just had to fake it. This mall also has opulant archways like St Peter's in Rome plus a regulation rink for the Canadians who are here. Reminded me of West Ed, but I think it was a little better here. Finally we were right beside the Aspire Tower. Built for the Asian Games a few years ago it is now a hotel. Check out the picture. The thing sticking about mid way out of the tower is a swimming pool. I told you the designers here must have read a lot of Dr. Suess as kids.
By the way Doha will host the 2022 World cup of soccer. They will build all these mobile stadiums for the event and when it is done they will donate them to poorer countries. It is supposed to be in the summer when it is about 50 degrees above and since alcohol is a no no here the Germans in particular will not be happy. Yet they plan to have airconditioning in the stadiums and have alcohol, (in reality drunk zones) around the city. So the Germans will have designated areas to get drunk in. Probably on some God forsaken sand dune well outside of Doha.
The World cup should be in January. Here is my usual rub it in time. The game on Saturday was played in plus 25 weather. Perfect for soccer.
The second day here I was suffering from jet lag so slept quite a bit, but Sven and I went and viewed downtown Doah at night and checked out another mall with a rink. Wow. Hockey rules the world. So nothing great, but fun to be with Sven and as he filled his vehicle at 25 cents a litre and told me his income is totally tax free I could not help but feel some pangs of jealousy.
On Day Three I went to a renovated market called Souq Wakif. Excellent. Think the first Indiana Jones movie and the chase scenes throughout Cario or Allidan and you have an idea what it is like. Bought myself an Arab head dress and slippers. Sven had a good laugh when he came home from work and found me wearing it nonchalantly on his coach. We went out for dinner at Souq Wakif at one of the numerous restaurants and sat OUTSIDE on Jan 31 with several others on a pleasant plus 24 evening. Many around us were puffing on Shisha (a water pipe with flavoured tobacco) which along with the exotic smell of spices floating in the breeze made the air around us smell rather tasty.
Day Four was rather hazy. I took a jog/walk along the Corniche a path along the bay of Doha. Highlight of this little excursion was watching a camel patrol go through its paces. Kinda reminded me of the mounties during their horse riding exhibit at the Stampede. Later I went with Sven to the Souq Wakif where we ate Malyasian food outside on a pleasant plus 24 evening. There are these stores at the market where you can buy falcons. Falconry is a big sport here. The falcons for sale are kept blindfolded on little sticks in a giant sandbox. Interesting. We then headed to catch a movie called The King's Speech. Very English, very good.
Day Five had some excitement. Sven and I headed out of Doha to go to a beach resort. The landscape out of Doha was flat, barren, moon like. Ugly. I had Sven stop so I could take pictures of this desolate place and the massive oil refineries that stretched for kilometers along the road. (Just a little side light, until the discovery of oil Qatar was known for its pearls, fishing, and Arab nomads. Oil and the billions it has brought in has changed everything.) Anyways after I took a few pictures Sven and I stopped at a place where they were renting ATVs. A police man came up to us and demanded that I give him my camera. What?!! Apparently I was not supposed to take pictures of the refineries and desolate moonscape. So I managed to convince the policeman I was just a friendly tourist and deleted the offending pictures in front of him and got to keep my camera. How incredibly East German of that guy! Are you trying to tell me that if I googled this God forsaken country that there won't be satellite pictures of the refineries and this landscape from the moon? Come on. Any ways Sven and I had a little chuckle about this as we rented some ATV's and bombed around the sand dunes for half and hour taking pictures with Sven's I phone of the moonscape and the refineries in the background. The CIA and the mounties will be getting full reports and pictures when we have nothing better to do with our lives.
After that we headed to the Sealine resort and rested from our ordeal under the palm trees. I went for a swim on Feb 2 in the Arabian ocean and took pictures of a highly agitated camel, who was at the beach to give tourists rides for a cost of course. I guess the camel was not happy with me hanging around, but I was entertained as he bellowed and made himself look very cross. Note picture and salvia in camel's mouth. His head was also covered with bugs and he stunk bad. And you want me to pay money to ride a monster like that? Don't think so.
After hanging at the beach for a while, which was pretty well empty we headed back to Doha. I took several more pictures of the landscape and the refineries as we drove by always wary of the Gestapo lurking @ somewhere. Thankfully nothing happened although Sven was relieved when I finally shut the camera down.
When we got to Doha we went to the Islamic Art Museum. Very impressive building, very impressive artifacts, very impressive price: free. After that we ate at the Souq Wakif again, this time we savoured Iraqi food. Not bad. So that ended an interesting day.
Day six was spent checking out where Sven works. Like I mentioned before he is a medical engineer at a hospital located near the stadium where we saw Australia lose to Japan. The hospital specializes in helping athletes rehab from injury and because the facilities and staff are so good there are patients from all over the world. The doctors and workers at the hospital come from all over the world. It was like a mini united nations. Very interesting. There was a former NBA player there too. Barry White used to play for the Washington Bullets back in the day. 70's. Was a good visit. We ate well at the hospital lunch room. They had a deluxe buffet set up and offered steak. Was great. I also toured the area around the hospital. Lots of soccer fields and other facilities for swimming and gymnastics. A bike trail had speakers that blared out the sound of chirping birds. Weird. Later Sven and I headed to the Souk for a salad. Without Sven and the Souq Wakif Doha would be pretty boring.
Day seven started early with a work out at the running trail behind Sven's hospital. There were three types of trails to choose from. Cement, rubber, and cedar wood chips. Very interesting. Running on wood chips is easy on the knees. There was also a trail of sand on which you could run on. The whole area is a workout paradise.
In the afternoon we went to a cultural center with a giant outdoor ampitheatre that faces out to the ocean. Excellent. We then ate Lebenese at our favouite Souq and thus ended an excellent little vacation. Enjoy the pictures. Next week I am heading to Ocean Park, a giant aquarium in Hong Kong.
Adios,
Dirk
Just spent seven excellent days with my brother Sven in Doha, Qatar. He works as a medical engineer at the Sports Hospital located near Qatar's national soccer stadium. Seventy five percent of the population in Doha are foreigners brought in to educate, engineer, build, and serve the remaining 25 percent who actually are from Qatar. This makes Doha, the only settlement of note in this tiny peninsula of a country, (check Qatar out on a map, it is a little sand spit that sticks out of Saudi Arabia) quite cosmopolitan. Doha has one of the most interesting skylines that I have ever seen. It reminds me of Dr. Suess, kind of weird, but fun. There must be a law here that states high rises are not allowed to be rectangular boxes.
Doha also kind feels like Calgary in that it is basically a construction zone, and like Calgary they are desperately trying to bring culture into it. So there are these markets and heritage villages that have been built to reflect the old culture that was once here. The original stuff got swept away because of the oil boom. Yet a remake somehow doesn't cut it like the real thing, which I have been experiencing in Hong Kong. Still it is interesting and I find the traditional arab dress that so many men, women, and children wear here for real, fasinating. The religion in Qatar is Islam and mosques are everywhere. Friday is the Islamic day of worship, so everyone gets that off, plus Saturday. Sunday is the Islamic world's Monday. Weird. Yet, the unrest that is happening in the Muslin World does not seem to be an issue here. The Qatari people live really well and when you see Lamborginis, and Ferraris roaring down the roads, it is obvious that the rulers are keeping everyone happy with lots of money. Who needs freely elected leaders when the Emir (king) treats you so well by providing great education and a guaranteed income.
Any ways my trip started off with a bang. Sven and I managed to get some tickets for the Asia Cup Soccer final between Japan and Australia. Yeah I know Australia is not part of Asia, its part of Australia, learned that in grade 3, but ok they got invited. The game itself was excellent, lots of chances, great passing, super. Japan won it in overtime. Unlike hockey soccer overtime is not sudden death, so Japan had to hang in for another ten minutes after they scored and Australia threw everything at them but just could not score. Afterwards the Heir Apparent Emir So and So in traditional arab dress awarded the trophy to the Japanese and then there was a wild and crazy fireworks display over top of our heads. So the standard was set for my trip.
We also went to a mall that had canals modelled after Venice, with Gondolas even. Only they were motorized so the guy at the back with the big stick just had to fake it. This mall also has opulant archways like St Peter's in Rome plus a regulation rink for the Canadians who are here. Reminded me of West Ed, but I think it was a little better here. Finally we were right beside the Aspire Tower. Built for the Asian Games a few years ago it is now a hotel. Check out the picture. The thing sticking about mid way out of the tower is a swimming pool. I told you the designers here must have read a lot of Dr. Suess as kids.
By the way Doha will host the 2022 World cup of soccer. They will build all these mobile stadiums for the event and when it is done they will donate them to poorer countries. It is supposed to be in the summer when it is about 50 degrees above and since alcohol is a no no here the Germans in particular will not be happy. Yet they plan to have airconditioning in the stadiums and have alcohol, (in reality drunk zones) around the city. So the Germans will have designated areas to get drunk in. Probably on some God forsaken sand dune well outside of Doha.
The World cup should be in January. Here is my usual rub it in time. The game on Saturday was played in plus 25 weather. Perfect for soccer.
The second day here I was suffering from jet lag so slept quite a bit, but Sven and I went and viewed downtown Doah at night and checked out another mall with a rink. Wow. Hockey rules the world. So nothing great, but fun to be with Sven and as he filled his vehicle at 25 cents a litre and told me his income is totally tax free I could not help but feel some pangs of jealousy.
On Day Three I went to a renovated market called Souq Wakif. Excellent. Think the first Indiana Jones movie and the chase scenes throughout Cario or Allidan and you have an idea what it is like. Bought myself an Arab head dress and slippers. Sven had a good laugh when he came home from work and found me wearing it nonchalantly on his coach. We went out for dinner at Souq Wakif at one of the numerous restaurants and sat OUTSIDE on Jan 31 with several others on a pleasant plus 24 evening. Many around us were puffing on Shisha (a water pipe with flavoured tobacco) which along with the exotic smell of spices floating in the breeze made the air around us smell rather tasty.
Day Four was rather hazy. I took a jog/walk along the Corniche a path along the bay of Doha. Highlight of this little excursion was watching a camel patrol go through its paces. Kinda reminded me of the mounties during their horse riding exhibit at the Stampede. Later I went with Sven to the Souq Wakif where we ate Malyasian food outside on a pleasant plus 24 evening. There are these stores at the market where you can buy falcons. Falconry is a big sport here. The falcons for sale are kept blindfolded on little sticks in a giant sandbox. Interesting. We then headed to catch a movie called The King's Speech. Very English, very good.
Day Five had some excitement. Sven and I headed out of Doha to go to a beach resort. The landscape out of Doha was flat, barren, moon like. Ugly. I had Sven stop so I could take pictures of this desolate place and the massive oil refineries that stretched for kilometers along the road. (Just a little side light, until the discovery of oil Qatar was known for its pearls, fishing, and Arab nomads. Oil and the billions it has brought in has changed everything.) Anyways after I took a few pictures Sven and I stopped at a place where they were renting ATVs. A police man came up to us and demanded that I give him my camera. What?!! Apparently I was not supposed to take pictures of the refineries and desolate moonscape. So I managed to convince the policeman I was just a friendly tourist and deleted the offending pictures in front of him and got to keep my camera. How incredibly East German of that guy! Are you trying to tell me that if I googled this God forsaken country that there won't be satellite pictures of the refineries and this landscape from the moon? Come on. Any ways Sven and I had a little chuckle about this as we rented some ATV's and bombed around the sand dunes for half and hour taking pictures with Sven's I phone of the moonscape and the refineries in the background. The CIA and the mounties will be getting full reports and pictures when we have nothing better to do with our lives.
After that we headed to the Sealine resort and rested from our ordeal under the palm trees. I went for a swim on Feb 2 in the Arabian ocean and took pictures of a highly agitated camel, who was at the beach to give tourists rides for a cost of course. I guess the camel was not happy with me hanging around, but I was entertained as he bellowed and made himself look very cross. Note picture and salvia in camel's mouth. His head was also covered with bugs and he stunk bad. And you want me to pay money to ride a monster like that? Don't think so.
After hanging at the beach for a while, which was pretty well empty we headed back to Doha. I took several more pictures of the landscape and the refineries as we drove by always wary of the Gestapo lurking @ somewhere. Thankfully nothing happened although Sven was relieved when I finally shut the camera down.
When we got to Doha we went to the Islamic Art Museum. Very impressive building, very impressive artifacts, very impressive price: free. After that we ate at the Souq Wakif again, this time we savoured Iraqi food. Not bad. So that ended an interesting day.
Day six was spent checking out where Sven works. Like I mentioned before he is a medical engineer at a hospital located near the stadium where we saw Australia lose to Japan. The hospital specializes in helping athletes rehab from injury and because the facilities and staff are so good there are patients from all over the world. The doctors and workers at the hospital come from all over the world. It was like a mini united nations. Very interesting. There was a former NBA player there too. Barry White used to play for the Washington Bullets back in the day. 70's. Was a good visit. We ate well at the hospital lunch room. They had a deluxe buffet set up and offered steak. Was great. I also toured the area around the hospital. Lots of soccer fields and other facilities for swimming and gymnastics. A bike trail had speakers that blared out the sound of chirping birds. Weird. Later Sven and I headed to the Souk for a salad. Without Sven and the Souq Wakif Doha would be pretty boring.
Day seven started early with a work out at the running trail behind Sven's hospital. There were three types of trails to choose from. Cement, rubber, and cedar wood chips. Very interesting. Running on wood chips is easy on the knees. There was also a trail of sand on which you could run on. The whole area is a workout paradise.
In the afternoon we went to a cultural center with a giant outdoor ampitheatre that faces out to the ocean. Excellent. We then ate Lebenese at our favouite Souq and thus ended an excellent little vacation. Enjoy the pictures. Next week I am heading to Ocean Park, a giant aquarium in Hong Kong.
Adios,
Dirk
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