Things you'll see in Doha

Often,  people ask what women wear in Qatar. Most people are surprised by how western the styles are. Yes, Qatari women wear the abaya and veil, but there are so many women in Qatar from all over the world, that there is always a mix of styles. And under the abaya, women wear jeans and designer clothes and lots of styles of shoes - especially designer shoes. Before I left, I took some pictures of billboards and items featured in storefront windows to give a sense of the diversity in Doha.

This is a storefront window in the shopping area in the Al Mana Tower where Stephen has been living.

 

This is a shop in the Souq

This billboard is one we passed whenever we walked to the Mega Mart.

The Writer Magazine has a feature asking readers to take a picture wherever in the world they take the magazine to read.  I submitted this one with the Doha skyline, the harbor, and the MIA in the background.

This is another shop in the Souq, where they sell fabrics, but the display suggests how the fabrics might be used.

Another billboard at the Amana Tower

Western styles are advertised everywhere you look.

Doha Sites

Stephen has been working on the Sidra Hospital and Research Center  since January 2013. His time here may be almost complete. The hospital is not done, but the time that Leo A. Daly committed to being here is up at the end of January, so unless a new arrangement is reached, Stephen will be departing.

The design is intended to evoke the image of the sails on the traditional dhow boats seen in the harbor of Doha.

The Gate Mall is one of the glitziest in Doha

The men's room

The women's room

We were fascinated by the bowl fixtures and the lighting in the restrooms. The far wall is also finished in glass tiles with an iridescent finish.

We liked the wooden benches too. The design is better viewed when the benches are free
standing  because they do not have a rear support.

This is a picture in an exhibit called "My Doha"  taken in 1982 - it is part of the Gate Mall today.

These are a few of the skyscrapers that are now standing where all the sandy area is in the previous picture.

Things to see at the Museum of Islamic Art

One of the many beautiful plates on display at the MIA

There are many beautiful tiles in the permanent collection.
Stephen commented on the way shadows are used to enhance this display.

I think this is from China. The category of Islamic art is far broader than I had expected. 

These column adornments are displayed quite dramatically.

I love this piece - the color and the design. 

Our favorite place in Doha

The Museum of Islamic Art is still our favorite place to go in Doha.

On New Year's Day, after we ate some lunch at the Souq, we walked over to the MIA and had some refreshments before looking at the permanent collection. The waiter was a young man from Macedonia and he enthusiastically suggested we try the Moroccan tea and Arabic coffee. Really one of these beverages would have been enough, but we were undecided between the two and got caught up in his enthusiasm for us to try something new.  He told us too that we should visit his country because there are many beautiful things to see there. Neither Stephen nor I could even picture where Macedonia is located geographically, so we looked it up once we got home. It is north of Greece and also bordered by Albania, Serbia and Bulgaria. It is a part of the world about which I know so little. But we did enjoy the tea and coffee, although I am pretty sure all that caffein is why I got so little sleep last night.

Moroccan tea at the museum

Celebrating the New Year at the Museum of Islamic Art

There are many beautiful works of art on display at the museum.

A New Year in Doha

This is a common site in Doha. There is construction going on all over the city.

Qatar  celebrated its National Day December 18, so many places are adorned with the national flag
and with a picture of the Emir. This is a restaurant at the Souq Waqif.

According to an entry on Wikipedia -

Qatar National Day is a national commemoration of Qatar's unification and independence and is celebrated on December 18th every year. The holiday was established by a June 21, 2007 decree of the Emir and Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.^[1]

Every December 18th, we celebrate our National Day in commemoration of the historic day in 1878 when Shaikh Jasim, the founder of the State of Qatar, succeeded his father, Shaikh Muhammad Bin Thani, as the ruler and led the country towards unity. This national occasion emphasizes our identity and history, embodies the ideals and visionary aspirations that this country was founded on, and pays homage to the great men and women who participated in building our nation. December 18th is the day we remember how our national unity was achieved and how we became a distinct, and respected nation out of a society torn apart by conflicting tribal loyalties, devoid of security and order, and overrun by invaders...

This is the city center - on New Year's Day - this section has such a modern even Jetsons kind of feel to it.

Alongside the new are signs of the traditional with beautiful wooden ships lining the harbor.

New Year's Eve in Doha

Happy New Year celebrated at La Cigale in Doha, Qatar.

Dinner at La Cigale was a bit disappointing. Stephen has written about it most humorously on his blog: dustyindoha.blogspot.com. But the best part was the conversation we had with our favorite waiter, Gary, who is from Tacloban, Philippines. He and his wife both work at this hotel, but their children are cared for by their grandparents back in Tacloban. When Gary and his wife heard the news about the typhoon destroying their home town, they took a month's leave to return home to see about their family. The comment that Gary made over and over was "Thanks God" everyone in their family was safe - their parents, their children. the house, the three dogs and their pig - all survived. The devastation they saw made them so thankful for life itself, Gary said. This is the bet part of living in Doha for me - meeting people from all over the world who are here for the same reason Stephen is here - for a job to support a family back home.

Can you see how dazzling in gold the elevator is?
Everything at this hotel is glitzy - the glitzier the better - or so it seems.