Thanks for the frienship

A special thanks to those who made such a difference in my life during my stay in Doha - Laurie & Nicki, Dave & Pat, Chris & Diana, Laisean, KC, Chris & Mark, my colleagues, Faye, the BOSS, Mohamed, and not forgetting the office lads Ahli, Jibhan, Basantha, and countless others who I have met in the course of work, or through friends.

It has been a pleasure knowing all of you, and hope to see you some time, somewhere in the not too distant future!

Cares & hugs...till we meet again, Mart

Eat, Work, Play - Parting Words

Dear Friends,

As I head towards the finishing line, I take a moment to trot down amnesia lane...so, before I say farewell to all my comrades, some thoughts (certainly not the last ones) to share with my fans and followers.

Eat, Work, Play:

Eat - I quite enjoyed the communal makan (eating) sessions. Food always taste better and goes down well when you have good friends to share it with. From the rather posh (W Hotel, Inter Continental) to fast food cum food court fare (Sushi Minto, Butcher's Grill, Applebee's, TGIFs, Bhukari, Marmara, Turkey Central, etc.), there's a meal for everyone. But of all the foods that Doha has to offer, and being Asian (and loving all things hot & spicy), I have to make special mention of a few places that kept my palette going. My top 10 favourites are:

1. Thai Snack (great one meal dish off the menu but too much MSG)

2. Sentral (big Friday hit in an area I like to describe as the "war zone")

3. Restaurant Jarkarta (recently opened, and has good take-aways of tempe, Indonesian snacks, etc. The Bakso is very good)!

4. Wok & Walk (I thank my colleague for finding this gem of a szechuan place, opp. the Qatar National Library @Sana R/A, and the cook is CHINESE!!!)

5. Asian Noodles (more upmarket, in City Centre. The char kway teow is quite good).

6. Taste of Asia (a hot & stuffy cafe near the airport where you can get your "fix" for roti canai and curry)

7. Lagenda cafe (good malaysian fare @Holiday Villa, aka the "Titanic"). Good cuppa teh tarik!

8. Chopstix (also @the Titanic; good selection of chinese fare and the cook is a Malaysian)

9. Beijing Restaurant (just opposite Ramada Hotel. Really good roast duck)

10. Chowking (mix of Filipino and Chinese; food is reasonably priced and the crispy chicken is finger lickin' good).

Work - .......hmmmmm......I have some nice colleagues.........hmmmm.....................but seriously, working conditions are reasonable. You start early (730am) and finish off by the afternoon (330pm), and during the Ramadhan season, working hours are shorter with most government offices closing at about noon, or in my case, at about 130pm. Workers with families find that they get to spend much more quality time with their spouses and their children, which may not be the case in Singapore. I think the kids here have a better and all-rounded childhood experience as they are not so pressurised by school work, or under the strain of peer pressure. Then, there's the leave days which is 37 days for me, not counting another 10 public holidays. The salary package is quite attractive and to top it off, it's TAX FREE! Working in Doha is good. While I've laid bare all things nice and sweet, what about the downside of working in Doha? Well, for starters, you have to have loads of patience; the patience to deal with all things that don't quite move as smoothly as you would like them to perform. You have to expect the unexpected and not assume that you will have certain things completed, delivered, or in working order. Why else would you hear people say "Inshallah"? Some things are bound to go wrong. Sometimes you just have to shake your head and laugh it off. It's best not to lose your marbles over such incredulous situations. Working in a company that's like a united nations post can be quite colourful, but at the same time quite clique-ish. My colleague likes to refer to them as the "mafia", where two or more of the same nationality bond together. My colleagues have varied backgrounds and experiences, particularly my arab colleagues who are a good source to providing insights and wisdom into the teachings of the Quran, and of sharing their stories of their homeland, their culture, their philosophy. I shall miss them very much as some of them have been quite inspiring to work with.

Play - my favourite topic, after eating! :0)

We work 8 hours a day, five out of seven, and sitting down in front of the computer screen, in a room with no windows....well, it just sucks the living daylight out of you! To de-stress, the gym and the swim pool are my main outlets of letting off steam. When friends plan an activity, we get out to catch a movie, go for a walk, or do whatever we need to do to get our hearts pumping, perform some mental gymnastics or just plain staying sane. We have to make good use of the 5-6 months of good weather before the heat gets the better of everyone.

Friends have asked: "...are you sad leaving Doha?"

Most certainly! When I look at my photo albums, and read earlier postings in my blog, I can say I have done so many wonderful and adventurous things. Together, we chat about our lives, loves, hopes, dreams, aspirations, be it over a meal, a snack, an ice cream or a coffee. Yes, we also talk about the weather, whether in Doha, Manchester or in Singapore! It's been an amazing journey, and although I leave Doha to return home (no doubt, very happy), I shall be missing the people who have made a great difference in my life. I am truly blessed to have met them all in Doha, and they shall ever remain close to my heart.

So, many cares to all who have followed me on my Qatar sojourn that has lasted for a year and a half, and as the Islamic greeting goes:


“Peace be upon you” - As-Salaamu ‘Alaykoum السلام عليكم

Till we meet again, Mart

Away, away...from Doha

I used to think that Bangkok was a good place to start to fly anywhere else in the world for cheap...this still holds true, but if you go by distance, Doha is actually a good base to start from to access middle eastern and european connections. Fares are certainly not cheap, particularly during the high travel season starting from April (Easter), then about late June to August/September (before the start of Ramadhan, 1st eid (Al Fitr) and 2nd eid (Al Adha) and from November, December, and into the new year.

Personally, my 37-days of leave entitlement (when I tell my friends this, it draws envious reactions) allows me to travel out anywhere. But I am such a home-girl; I always choose to return to my crowded little island and spend quality time with my family and friends, and of course, with my favourite pets, whether they be mine or home to others. So I make at least two trips home. Considering that it gets too hot to spend any time outdoors in the summer in Doha or any place else in the Middle East, I would rather be home bringing my mum out, chatting with my friends in the East Coast, going about my exercise routine either by myself or in the company other sweaty bodies, and enjoying my comfort foods of fish porridge, bak chor mee or whatever my tastebud desires.

But I return to Doha... only to leave this place for good. And before I make that exit, I thought I would make a visit or two to other regions of the GCC.

So with my little rucksack, I went on a one-day excursion with some friends to Bahrain, and a solo trip to Dubai.

Bahrain is a charming little gulf state, with a few sights to offer to visitors. In and around the town centre, drop in at the Bahrain National Museum for a bit of history lesson. Then continue on your journey around the old part of town and make your way for something local at the central market where you'll find a good selection local produce of meats, fish, dates, and assortment of fruits and vegetables. Not too far from the town centre, you can also visit the Qala'at al-Bahrain (Bahrain Fort). For a lebanese lunch and a McDonald's softee ice-cream, drive out to the King Fahd Causeway which will take you to the border of Saudi Arabia. Beyond the city limits, make your way to the Bahrain F1 International circuit and the wildlife sanctuary. Drive back into town, and spend your time in one of the large malls, and dine at one of the fancy restaurants and end the evening lounging at one of the cafes to people watch.

By contrast, Dubai is a different gulf state all together, where everything is on a grand scale -biggest malls (Dubai Mall where there's also the largest aquarium ever built in a shopping mall), tallest buildings (Burj Khalifa), grandest hotels (the 7* Burj Al Arab), the tallest flag pole and one oversized national flag; the largest man-made island (The Palms and the World), the tallest minaret (the Grand Jumeirah Mosque), indoor ski resort (Mall of the Emirates)...but all that glitters in this glamourous city is not gold as the powers that be try to find their way out of a colossal debt. As I make my way around the city, I see people on the move, very crowded malls, people spending money, long cab queues, families of all nationalities congregating at the parks, traders loading the dhows with varied goods and appliances, busy souks and people from all walks of like on the abras crossing the creek from dawn to dusk. Doesn't feel like there's a credit crunch...then again, I'm just your solo weekend tourist-warrior enjoying the sights and sounds of Dubai...sitting on a BIG BUS.

Till next time...

About World Cup and Turtles

Footie virus has spread all across Doha, and turtles have landed at Fuwarit beach!

Let's talk about soccer first. While Singaporeans were fuming over the subscription prices they had to fork-out to watch the once in every four year live matches, many in Doha were content to just pay S$140. There were no boycotts and/or petitions going around the desert. Everyone just got on with life, and we were all about it - I think I've seen more WC fixtures being printed off the laserjet than my agreements! Tea boys, colleagues were happy to relive glorious goal moments and recant flops and guffaws of goalies strikers and midfielders. People were keen to head home early to catch the last few minutes of a game, or stay in on a Friday-Saturday evening at home to watch with family and friends. Bars, food courts, restaurants got in on the action as well, setting up screens of all sizes to draw the crowds. I am quite enjoying it, this seasonal footie flu, of sharing the joy of a goal being scored, or the sadness of my two Mancunians neighbours when England exited from the WC. Sigh.

In the midst of this soccer frenzy, baby turtles were making their way out of the desert-beach @Fuwarit. Managed by Qatar University Environmental Studies Centre, Mr. Shafeek, the guardian over these hawksbill baby turtles, was pleased to let us have an up close and very personal encounter with these sea creatures. No bigger than the palm of my hand, I held one which was all too eager to break free and head...towards the light. I've swam with turtles in Tioman, I've seen mummy turtles lay their eggs on Christmas Day in Sri Lanka, and now, I can proudly proclaim that I've held one in my hand!

If you can’t make it to Fuwarit beach, then check out the satellite tracked turtles in the Gulf at http://www.gulfturtles.com/

Click on Satellite Tracking, then Track the Turtles to see the list of Gulf Turtles. The following are Qatari turtles: Q (adopted by CNA-Q students), 53010, 53011, 53013, and 53015.

Till next time, Mart

How to make friends...and keep them

I know I am off my schedule for this blog submission, but I had a mental block over the weekend. I knew my topic would be about friendship-relationships, but I just could not find the words to express myself. Then on Monday early morning, sieving through my emails, I received an email from my colleague. “You are cordially invited to a BBQ with my family…” – this was quite a surprise; an invite from a Qatari. I could not decline, as he gave me no option to refuse. Frankly, invitations like these from a native Q is rare. The Q social web is not accessible to outsiders. I have not heard anyone lay claim to a friendly infiltration into Q hospitality. I was rather fortunate.

So how/what was the experience like? Noting the prime address/location, I expected to visit a mansion- or palace-like house, and yes, it was at least a double bungalow! But I did not score quite well on my other assumptions and it all vanished when I was greeted by my colleague dressed down in shorts, Ts and flip-flops, holding in his hand a can of beverage of the spirits kind! What a contrast, as I would normally see him at the office in his traditional arab robe and tuk.

I was quite humbled by the whole experience, of meeting his wife, son and relations, their warmth and sincerity, openness, sharing a simple Arabic BBQ dinner with foreigners, light-hearted banter under an exceptionally and unusually cool summer's evening. This was a picture-perfect setting.

In between servings of yummilicious grilled chicken, homemade hummus, fattoush and other Arabic fare, my colleague shared with me his work philosophy, and his thoughts about people. "...they are assets, yani...but we must treat them well...and what they want to feel...is encouragement...if we don’t manage relations well, they will leave…”. Although he was saying this in the context of work relations, I felt that it held true in any kind of relationship one would chance upon. The friendships I have formed in Doha have been encouraging, and I treasure them very much. Even though I am somewhat sad to leave Qatar, and unable to manage the friendship closely (ie. staying on and bonding together regularly), I take heart knowing that some time, some day, somewhere, in a not so distant future, we would cross paths, and write a new history.

Till next time, Mart

Entertaining Doha...Part 2

During the winter months in Qatar, locals and expats spend long hours outdoors, enjoying the cool air. It's really nice and you can get quite a lot of things done, recreationally speaking. So from late-ish October till about late March, Doha comes alive with sporting events galore, people enjoying picnics at the beach or on the lawn by the Corniche, camping, catching a camel race, dune trailing, etc. It's also a great time to spend lounging at open air cafes and restaurants. Souq Waqif is a great people watch area in the late afternoon till late night.

Alas, tis summer, and the air is hot and heavy, with temperatures racing towards the 50deg.C mark! Many will take refuge indoors, away from the sweltering summer heat. But life still goes on, and I would still busy myself to find something to do, albeit an indoor activity. Doha doesn't find you, you find it! You just have to make the effort to find it, then get out and do it.

There are things to do in Doha *surprise* aside from shopping and eating. Friends are a good source of finding things to do in town. And having the company of friends to do it with is twice the fun!

Take my recent excursion to Villagio's newest attraction GONDOLANIA - an indoor theme park to cater to kids of all ages. There's a 4-D cinema (that extra 1D lets you feel the thrill and excitement of the movie, including a water-spritz in the face), roller-coaster ride, ten-pin bowling and other usual arcade/fair-like games. But the main attraction for me is the indoor go-cart circuit! For 10-minutes, you buckle up for a good dose of adrenalin-rush, whizzing round a 250m track, being the Schumi, Weber or Hamilton in the bucket seat. You tackle tight corners, controlling the wheels with two foot pedals - one for brakes and the other for acceleration. The air is filled with the revving sound of go-cart engines and the smell of burnt rubber. At the end of it, it's just very happy faces having gone out for a spin on the fast-track.

So, to sum-up, Doha isn't all that boring, well, at least for 5-6 months of the year, but admittedly, you do have to have a circle of friends who take the effort to look up for happenings in and around Qatar, who bother to plan outings, arrange gatherings and include little ol' me in such sessions. Call it "group therapy", as it has surely kept me sane and alive!


Till next time, Mart

Entertaining Doha...Part 1

Sunday to Thursday - in the office grinding away. Come Friday and Saturday, and it's PRISON BREAK! :)
What to do IN Doha? I have to don my thinking cap and think for sometime, particularly during summer months (late March, beginning of April). If you want to plan an excursion outdoors in the summer, you either have to plan it very very early in the morning, or late-ish in the afternoon, just before sunset. In any case, most activities will take place indoors.
There are three over-populated malls in Doha - City Centre, Landmark, and Villagio. So, with a population of 1678568 (1274013 males/ 4044555 females), you can imagine how busy these malls are. Single men have a harder time getting into the malls, and you have very alert security guards policing entrances, making sure only "Families" make their way in. I was told by a friend that some enterprising single ladies will "hire" themselves out to bachelors - these "instant" families are in within the minute, and the affair ends when they are out of sight of the guards. Such family tales do come true in Doha.
I LOVE MOVIES, so die, die I must make my way to the cinema to catch up on the latest - Doha has it all - 2D, 3D, IMAX. I can't really complain BUT, catching a movie in Doha has its ups and downs; downside, you don't get to watch the full content of the movie. Sure, there are ratings, but hey, this is Qatar, so expect some scenes (amorous or not) to be snipped away leaving you in the director's chair to "imagine" the censored bits. More often than not, you get to hear Lady Gaga "singing" in the background, or a couple, just seated a few seats from you, narrating the entire film in Arabic, or four teenage boys deciding that it's far better to play musical chairs in the cinema without parental supervision. Now, that's what I call entertainment!

Stay tuned, folks...I'll be back...

Till next time, M

Episode 3: Food, Food, Glorious Food!

You only have to say FOOD, and that brings everyone together. I have enjoyed sharing my meals with other passionate foodies. My Tour de Feast begins @7 Pearls to the fancy 5* Hotels @West Bay, and then from Al Saad to the villa compounds of friends and beyond; my food journey in Qatar has been a gastronomic feast of flavours and aroma. My Fridays are spent either on my own or in the seat of friends' cars going on the makan (eating) trail - whether it's visiting regular haunts or checking out new ones after reviews from friends who will tell you it's a MUST TRY makan place. Aside from the restaurant fare, there's a good deal of home cooked food to rave about. You have to have friends who know of other friends who are excellent "house-chefs"! And a meal is only good if you have others to share it with. Will most definitely miss the company more!

Till next time.

Episode 2: BASANTHA, WHERE'S MY CAFFEE

...bellows my colleague to the Tea boy. Every workday morning, Basantha faithfully infuses the air with the aroma of coffee. He's on his feet, pacing the corridors of our rooms, making sure that we have enough of that black liquid to keep us going.

I shall miss my regular order of Basantha's "Special" tea - ceylon tea with evaporated milk. By about 10am, David, Laurie and myself will nip down Salam Tower to visit Bava in his 5foot container of tidbits/snacks, drinks and shwarma egg rolls.
How I will miss my tea-time delights with my workmates. The idea of sitting in our chairs for 8 hours is a torture both mentally and physically. So we find some form of reprieve by leaving the confines of our "prison cell" to have our tea time at Bava's. I shall miss these people who have made a difference to my work day.

Here's a quote I like from J. Paul Getty:
Going to work for a large company is like getting on a train. Are you going sixty miles an hour or is the train going sixty miles an hour and you're just sitting still?
...and I pose this question to myself every workday.

Till next time

Episode 1: Fetch Rover, Fetch Kia

Here's little boy blue and the quicksilver dude
travelling here, there and everywhere.
From a city that's mad to the Max to
West of the Bay,
Helping happy travellers to their journey
Far and beyond

Go Rover, Go Kia
You take me from the pearly gates of seven
rolling steadfast and true
meandering and cornering
over paths of rock, sand and dune

Roll Rover, Roll Kia
wandering with cautious care
at round-a-bouts with your senses all aware
as you greet your metallic crew
of Cruiser, Posh, Lamb and Jag

Park Rover, Park Kia
basking in the sun
ever watchful and waiting
for a spot in the shade
and a blessed shower or two

Good lads, Rover and Kia
little boy blue and the
quicksilver dude

May 23, 2010 - 'Camelicious Camel Burgers'

DUBAI - 'DON'T miss yummy camel burger' reads the Dubai restaurant's sign, putting a Western twist on traditional fare to entice adventurous tourists into giving camel meat a chew.

Camel meat is eaten throughout the Gulf, but Dubai's Local House restaurant targets visitors who may never have bitten into this edible form of desert transport.

'Most of our guests are tourists from different parts of the world,' says Ramesh, a 44-year-old Indian national who has managed the restaurant since it opened in 2004. He says the restaurant was the brainchild of the owner, a local from Dubai who grew up on camel meat and milk. 'With this restaurant (the owner) wanted to (introduce) that to the world as well. That's how it all started,' said Ramesh, who gave only one name.

Camels, sometimes called 'ships of the desert', are a big part of culture in the Arabian Peninsula. In the United Arab Emirates, there are camel races, camel beauty contests and competitions for the tastiest camel cuisine. Camel meat is cooked many ways and sometimes served as a 'shawarma' - grilled meat wrapped in flat bread.

Local House prides itself on its novel burger, but the menu boasts an extensive camel-based offering. 'We have...camel soup, camel salad, then we have the camel burger, camel kebab, camel steak, then we have camel briyani - that is a mixture of rice and camel meat,' says Ramesh, as he rattles off still more menu items.

The restaurant also offers a camel curry dish, grilled camel ribs and the camel special, which is cooked in oyster sauce. 'Camelicious' brand camel milk, milk chocolates and milkshakes made with camel milk are some of the other offerings. The burger costs 35 dirhams (about US$9 or S$12.6), while other dishes range in price between 20 and 72 dirhams (about US$6 and US$20).

Local House customers described their first taste of camel meat as positive. Alanen, a 60-year-old from Finland visiting Dubai with his wife, described the camel burger as 'good'. He tried it because 'my friends say that this place is the only place where we can eat a camel burger'. 'Excellent,' says Anna, a 38-year-old Canadian who tried the camel soup. Karine, 39, a French national living in the UAE, tried the camel briyani and said: 'It was nice. The texture is like mutton, a bit...without the strong taste of the mutton, but it's a bit hard.' --AFP

Home sweet home

I am such a slacker. I have not been updating my blog so friends, near and far, have asked if I would take up my pen to write again. My answer to that is....why not...I have much to share with my friends, and anyone else who wants to know more about (my on-goings in) Doha.

But my offering to my followers of my blog will be for a limited time only as I will be leaving behind the sun, sand and dune in about 11 weeks time! So, no more tuks and birkhas or Starbucks or Carrefour - I'm returning home to my hawker centres, teh alia tarik (ginger-milk tea) and NTUC supermarkets!

While I am over the moon with having made the decision to return home, I am also sad, that I shall be leaving behind a small group of friends. To these people - THANK YOU for keeping me sane and alive!

To all my followers, stay tuned weekly for a 10 episode run (every Sunday) of the final installment of livedoha.blogspot.com.

To get things started, I shall start with this news article featured recently in the International Herald Tribune. Visit the link to view:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/14/world/middleeast/14qatar.html?scp=2&sq=doha&st=cse

....and I thought only Singaporeans complained about foreign talent!

Till next time....

Ling & Mag's Amazing Journey to Doha

Panic...what to do, where to bring them, will they get bored...headache! But, believe it or not, it all went rather well and for about four days, Ling & Mag watched the Brazil vs. England soccer friendly at the Al-Khalifa stadium, swam in the Persian Gulf, took to the desert in a land cruiser for dune-bashing, feasted at some of the better eateries in Doha, took the local bus, walked the streets of Doha and picked up some shopping treasures at Souq Waif & Al Saad shopping district! 7 Pearls apartment became a B&B, and I was happy to have my best mates over to spend some time with...just wished it was longer...

Photo journal of Ling & Mag, go to: Part 1 -http://picasaweb.google.com/marthaleemei/FriendsOfDoha2?feat=directlink

Part 2 - http://picasaweb.google.com/marthaleemei/FriendsOfDoha?feat=directlink

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...

Here fishy, fishy, fishy...had a really luckless day-out fishing with friends in Doha's rather choppy waters. Others were luckier, catching palm-sized nibblers, but the luckiest fisherman on the boat turned out to be the boat-guide - *sigh*.

Whilst some of my companions were turning a shade of green, kudos to Laurie's 85-year old mum - she was stoic to the end - Lorna's one totally awesome lady! I'm looking forward to the next boat trip, and hopefully better luck at catching my hammour!

Fish-tale photos, go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/marthaleemei/DohaFishing?feat=directlink

Aces, deuces & US$1.5million

MARHABA! I am back on the blog with write-ups on my escapades in Doha. Hope everyone's keeping well.

Summer was sizzling hot, and Ramadan was very quiet at all fronts - for 20days, it was just a five hour per day work week; most or all shops/food vendors operated after 6pm (or when it was time to break fast), and yours truly spent quiet afternoons at the apartment brain-storming on what to cook/eat.

It's still hot and sunny out, but it's a lot cooler in the mornings and evenings. So, with the summer heat out of the way, we can now get down to some serious fun-in-the-sun activities!

I recently attended my first ‘live’ tennis match - the WTA women’s championship . In a word…AMAZING!

Gracing the courts were svelte-like ladies that looked more like supermodels than tennis players! The grounds was covered in royal colours of purple and blue; tennis players were in trendy , colourful sports apparel while balls whizzed by at speeds averaging about 140km/h, and I got some awesome photos to blog about! So what if I didn’t get to watch the famous duo, the Williams’ sisters swatting 'balls of fire'; for QR50 (S$20), I got to watch the Russians/East Europeans thrashing it out amongst themselves. Game, set & match....uber Cool!

For views of the WTA go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/marthaleemei/WTACShip?feat=directlink

Corniche

The Corniche is a waterfront promenade, where you will find everyone and anyone congregating - for a stroll, a run, a picnic, or buying the catch of the day at the jetty, it's a focal point in Doha's city centre.

If you love the walk along the Esplanade in Singapore, it's something like it, minus the sight of a 'durian' structure or a water-spitting merlion! :0)

Walking along the Corniche (beginning from the Sheration roundabout), you'll past by the National Theatre, the Emiri Diwan, the jetty, the 'pearl in a shell' monument, the Souq Waqif, the Museum of Islamic Art and the Doha Port - about 7km, one way. I know of a colleague, living in the West Bay area, who religiously walks the route every weekend morning. I think it's great to live so close to the Corniche, and to enjoy the promenade activities. But if you're not up to stretching your legs too strenuously, you could board a dhow (similar to a Chinese junk, but the arabic version) and have a leisure cruise around the Corniche.

With summer temperatures rising, there are not very many people on the Corniche in the day time. How to describe the heat - it's like I'm walking towards a furnace, and it's just a blast of hot air coming right at you! Burn, baby, burn!

Come evening time, you'll see quite a few people out on the promenade, doing their own thing and enjoying what outdoor time they can before it's just too hot to do anything.

Here's another photo update of the recent Powerboat race that took place at the Corniche last month. It was a good photo/video opportune moment for both amateurs and professionals alike. I got some fowl action in the waters too!

http://picasaweb.google.com/marthaleemei/PowerboatRaceCorniche02?feat=directlink

Till next time, Mart

Things to do in Qatar

It's been an eventful past few weeks - time's a-flying fast; this coming 21st May will be my 3rd month in Doha...wah...I'm still alive, and surviving :0)

I've often been asked about how I spend my free time in Doha - most of what I've blogged about are mostly trips out of Doha and into the desert....yes, desert excursions do take up most of my weekends, but it's really quite enjoyable; life in Doha is about "getting out".

So what's been happening? Couple of weekends back, I was up at Sealine Resort for a day and a night with the Wrights and friend. The chalet setting and beach reminded me of the beach resorts at Port Dickson and Kuantan, ala 70's style. I felt I was taking a trip down amnesia lane. It's a nearby getaway from the hustle and bustle of Doha.

Another weekly ritual for some is to head out North to the beaches of Dukhan or Zirkreet/Abrouq. For the latter trip, you'll need a 4WD. It's good to pack a picnic and to start the day early - you avoid the chaos and mayhem of Qatari drivers (or Indian drivers since there are about 400,000 of them (so I've been told, out numbering the Qatari population).

If you want to get yourself fit (and a booze-boost post-run), and get acquainted with other expats, there's always the Hash House Harriers Doha chapter. I was a hash-harriet when I was 10....yes, that was so long ago, when joints and bones were still intact and I had the lung capacity to hash...ah those youthful days...

Indoor-wise, there's shopping, cinemas and cafes that does not require sun-block application. Just make sure you have a good dose of cash. There are some good bargains to be had at the local stores. But you need to be quick; some items fly-off the shelves fast.

The local food-fare is so-so (the usual suspects of fast food chains are everywhere) but there are some good restaurants about Doha - thai, italian, northern/south indian fare...think my next blog featurette will be on food!

Photo update:
http://picasaweb.google.com/marthaleemei/ReddottersZirkreetOuting?feat=directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com/marthaleemei/SealineResort?feat=directlink

Till next time, Mart

Brouq Nature Reserve, Reprised

Have GPS will travel!

Yup, it sure helps to have a little gizmo like a Garmin handheld on desert trips.

So with Chris at the helm of his Toyota Land Cruiser, the Wright family and myself, we used the last QNHG co-ordinates to re-visit Brouq Nature Reserve.

Arriving at the film set, there were more ostriches out and about then the last trip, which gave me more photo opportunities for up close shots and a chance to pet one of the more friendlier ostriches.

We journeyed a little further up and settled ourselves at the 'caves'to have our picnic. We then ventured to the beach to wade/swim in the clear, cool waters. It was quite shallow in some areas, but we did manage to spot some above knee level waters for swimming.

Here’s one place that’s flagged on my GPS; a place worth coming back to over and again to chill out with family and friends. Camping, anyone?

Here's the link to view my updated photo and movie journal:

http://picasaweb.google.com/marthaleemei/RevisitingBrouqNatureReserve?authkey=Gv1sRgCPCJotLilvvnbg&feat=directlink

Till next time,

Mart

Of camels and dunes

Twas just another fun-filled weekend with the Wright family (including their daughter, Katherine, in from London for the Easter holidays).

This was quite a memorable dune-bashing experience. To really enjoy the ride, go with experienced tour operators as the drive through the dunes can be risky at times; better to have drivers who know the dunes/terrain and their car (a Toyota Land Cruiser, no less).

And speaking of peril, we came across a family along the dunes who met with what seemed like a near fatal accident. Luckily, the driver and presumably, his family members (3 women and 2 children), managed to escape unscathed! The car boot looked like it was packed to full capacity including picnic paraphernalia and a couple of rugs/carpets (if they were test trying their 'magic carpets', they were really very lucky to survive the aftermath).

Our guide Ali and his fellow drivers/guides were quick to react, and they got into gear with the rescue mission to save the family car. Miraculously, the guides managed to ‘resurrect’ the totaled car, and the family was off and away again being led out of the dunes by two land cruisers. As the wrecked car wheeled its way out of the sands, we continued with our tour, making scenic stops along the way.

After that incident, it was clear that Ali was not about to take unforseen/uncalculated risks and strayed away from some of the usual dune-bashing routes. We reached base camp by the beach just a little before sunset.

We had some time to ourselves to wander around base camp before dinner was announced.

The buffet was sumptuous and we dined in large carpeted canopies. By 8 or so, we had to make our way out of the sands; it was amazing to watch the guides meander and maneuver through the soft tracks and out of the dark unlit path. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip/evening; to catch a glimpse of sunset and behold, a full moon. Scenery/landscape aside, I also had good company. Doing it solo would have been no fun and/or excitement, or at all.

Go to the link below to view updated photos. Enjoy!

http://picasaweb.google.com/marthaleemei/DuneBashing?feat=directlink

Till next time, Mart

Lightning in Dubai

For more photos, go to: http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-237326