All about Doha

1. No billboard on the highway
2. No kapchai on the road except for delivery boys
3. Tyre melt during the height of summer
4. Rain is merely a few drops
5. No umbrellas are sold anywhere
6. Water is more expensive than oil
7. The airport is in the city area (woohoo!)
8. Only one post office in the city
9. No postman send mails to home. All residents who want to receive mails need to rent a postbox. Currently, there's a waiting list for this
10. White cars are always sold out
11. Set lunch in W Hotel (3-star Michelin if not mistaken) cost QR85 (yummy!)
12. Fried calamari can be juicy
13. No drinking from tap
14. Fruit juices are thick and delicious
15. Office hour for banks: 7am - 2.30pm
16. Watching camel racing means driving alongside the camels (scary!)
17. Can't drive out of Qatar since the country is bordered by Saudi Arabia which has strict rulings
18. There's hardly a bookshop to be found anywhere.

Chilax from D2D

18 November 2011 (Friday)
7.30pm
Board flight EK0347. Watched the final part of HP before falling asleep. Dinner had yet to arrive despite us being up on the air for probably 2 hours already. When food finally came, the air hostess took forever to clear the tray. Bad service. We wondered if it was because we were sitting at the last row.

10.30pm
Arrived in DXB. 4 hours transit. Had to get to the lounge via bus. The weather was warm. As it was rather late, we were tired and decided to take a break at Costa. Bought a small mug of hot chocolate (AED16). Left for boarding at about 1.45pm only to discover that it was the last call! We made a dash for the bus to head to the plane. Phew.

19 November 2011 (Saturday)
2.30pm
Arrived in Doha Airport. RnL were already waiting for us. We quickly paid for our visa (QR100) before looking for our luggage. I was disappointed to discover that the handle was broken and the plastic cover of m y tsa lock also came off.

It was a happy reunion for us. We were taken back to RnL's apartment in West Bay in our rented Citroen Picasso*. R was kind enough to inform us that Qatar is on alert and that if things get messy in the Mideast, we will need to fly back, all together. And while we were in his 28th floor apartment, he told us that sometimes he get paranoid about living so high from ground as desert sands are actually not suited for high-rise building. Great information there.

We chatted for awhile and had the puff L made before retiring to bed.

*Throughout our stay, R kept making funny remarks bout the 7-seater - hand brake at the dashboard and non-existence horn.

6.00am
I was up as soon as the sky became bright. L was surprised to see me up so early as she was preparing to leave for work at 6.45am. She told me I can walk to the city centre mall if I am bored but I chose to have a slow breakfast while reading "History of Arab". It was actually fun to just relax.

Gradually, the rest woke up and joined me for breakfast. L made us scrambled eggs and baked beans. We merely hang around till L came back from work. Her work finishes at 2.30pm (gosh!).

We left for Souq Waqif for sight-seeing and dinner. A bought an abaya, costing QR125. I bought 2 bottles of perfume (QR 40 and QR50 post-discount) as well as 1kg cashew nuts, 500g salted pistachios, 500g raisins and 500g dried figs. It was really heavy. We also tried the local crepe. Then we had dinner at Altawash, a Qatari Restaurant. The food was really good. We ordered halloumi, my favourite! The chicken was amazingly tender.

After dinner, we went for dessert at a road side stall. I ordered strawberry juice which was so delicious that it reminded me of the juice I had in Japan years ago. We had fun watching the shoppers.

Back at the apartment, we spent the night watching "Hantu Bonceng" which was really a funny ghost story. I didn't manage to finish the movie as I was very tired. Woke up too late.

20 November 2011 (Sunday)
7.00am
Woke up at a later time. L made fried rice from the leftover we brought home yesterday. Yummy!

10ish
R finally woke up. We headed to Salam for brunch at Farggi. I had a waffle with ice-cream which cost QR30++. Nice but too pricey for me. At that point, I was quite kan cheong already. SK had arrived but we were still waiting for our food! R said no worries as it was gonna take her some time to go through immigration and get her luggage. He is really taking it easy.

2.30pm
SK! I was so happy to spot her from afar. She was trying to read a book while waiting for us. I ran out to gave her a hug. We took her back to the apartment to freshen up. Our next stop (or rather first stop with SK) was the Museum of Islamic Art. The architecture of the building was boxy in an interesting way.

For dinner, we headed to ... actually I can't remember where we had dinner :(

Back at the apartment, R treated us to another movie night - Dalam Botol. Even though I didn't stay on to watch the ending, I was intrigued enough to finish the movie the next morning since I woke up early. Shared the inflatable bed with SK after warning her not to kick me.

21 November 2011 (Monday)
The day to drive out of Doha to the desert and visit Fort Zubarah. I was excited as it was gonna be the first time we are stepping out of the city. R bought a GPS just to ensure we can get there. It was a long drive. 45 minutes to close to an hour. L made us sandwiches for lunch.

It was a rather warm day. The temperature was reaching 32 degrees. Unfortunately, we arrived at the fort only to find that it was closed for restoration till next April. We managed to take some photos inside and signed the guest book. R told us that there was probably excavation going on as he heard some Danish were  staying there 24/7.

On the ride back, we saw some camels inside a truck. The whole lot of us got really excited and started snapping photos of the happy camels. Seriously cute. R found it amusing.

Our next stop was Simaisma, a beachfront suitable for picnicking. We spotted a car parked nearby but chose to ignore. A dog walked past and it was really skinny. I have never seen a sadder dog. R drove into the road leading to the sea for better view of the sea. The road got narrower as we moved to the end. When we wanted to drive out, A thought R was gonna reverse all the way back but he had other ideas. He was gonna do a 3-point. A nearly screamed in the car...hehe.

We dropped by R's previous apartment, which was an interesting slanting building, before going back to West Bay to pick up L. Lunch was at Foodruckers. We all decided that we had enough of Arabic food.

When we got back , everyone was really tired. SK retired to bed to rest. It was when I tried to wake her up that I realised she was sick. Gastric. Nevertheless, she insisted on going out. We left for Katara Cultural Village to have dessert.

22 November 2011 (Tuesday)
It was SK's last day with us. She was still feeling unwell.

We visited Sheikh Faisal Museum today. It was about half an hour away from city. Our guide was an Egyptian who has been living in Doha for more than 10 years. The Sheikh has a very interesting personal collection. The museum felt personal. One of the photo on display had our guide in it when he was very young.

At about 1pm, L called to check on SK. She wanted to remind us to take lunch (after yesterday's experience). We had corned beef sandwich (A made this) outside the museum. It was a nice windy day.

After lunch, we decided to visit Dukhan, the first oilfield in Doha. We met with a mini sandstorm on the way there. R said we were lucky. Too bad photography not allowed inside Dukhan. We had a short break in the McDonald outlet before leaving for our next stop - camel-racing track. It was fun seeing rows of camels taking their walk. Last stop for the day was Fort Zekreet where part of transformers was filmed. Unfortunately, we couldn't find it*. We were lost!

As SK was not well, we had a short dinner break at an Arabian restaurant. She could only take soup and nothing else.

* Later, we found out that the fort was too small that we couldn't spot it. We probably missed it.

23 November 2011 (Wednesday)
6.00am
I woke up early to send SK out. L dropped SK off at the airport which was near her workplace. The weather had turned colder. It was kinda sad to see her off.

We spent the morning sightseeing. Lunch was at W Hotel in a 3-star Michelin restaurant. R encouraged me to try the Gulf Fish - Hammour. Set lunch cost QR85. I chose the fried calamari for appetiser (amazingly juicy and filling), grilled hammour in tomato sauce (so-so only) and chocolate cake for dessert. The restaurant was really packed. Good thing we made reservation.

We spent time at the Mushreb Enrichment Centre which is housed inside a ship docked at the Gulf. R wanted to show us the project Dohaland. The idea was impressive - a place where the people can interact, enjoy family time and still admire the architecture of the Middle East.

We ended the day with dinner at a seafood restaurant inside the Katara Cultural Village. We had fun choosing the seafood. Well, actually L decided everything. I was only there to eat. The salad spread was good. It was just a basket of vege. I almost finished the whole capsicum by myself. The grilled hammour was good, much better than the 3-star Michelin dish. Goes to show that sometimes even the best can make mistake.

24 November 2011 (Thursday)
It was gonna be a cold day. Fearing the chill from the dessert, we rushed to the nearest shopping centre to do some quick shopping. I managed to get a nice fleece jacket with hood with 25% from Dehenham. I ended up paying about RM270 which was a pretty good price.

Lunch was at the food court. Cheapest I ever paid for meal since I arrived in Doha. When we got back to the apartment, L was in the midst of preparing lunch for us to take along to the desert. Our driver was to pick us up at 2pm but we were running late.

By the time we were ready, we were almost half an hour late. Our driver, Brooke (???), was from Ethiopia. Each of us had a backpack. L and R brought a trolley bag (for his projector), Scrabble set, mat and comforter. We also added a pack of mineral water bottles plus snacks. Think B found us amusing with so much carry-ons. After all, it was just one night.

I crawled into the back of the 4-wheel drive, took a motion sickness pill and fell asleep almost immediately. By the time I woke up, our vehicle had stopped. B was letting air out of the tyres. Dune bashing was about to start. Initially, I was quite worried but after awhile, I found the whole journey really exciting. The ride up and  down was similar to riding a roller coaster but without as much impact. I guessed B really went gentle since L threatened to throw up. I wouldn't have minded a rougher ride. Some of the most of exciting part of the journey involved riding down the sand dunes which was certainly tilting more than 45 degrees. Apparently, if you had the front view, you can really feel the impact. I held on tight as I could feel myself flung left and right, up and down whenever B had to speed up to avoid getting trapped in the sand.

The sun was up when we arrived at the Inland Sea, a  huge inlet surrounded by giant rolling sand dunes. The view was mesmerising. Who would have thought there could be a "sea" in the middle of the desert. At close to 4pm, we arrived at our camp. It was awfully modern, beyond my expectation. There were 4-5 camps, each complete with aircon (for use in summer), mattresses, cushions, table and sleeping bags! The toilets were really clean but without water. I almost fell back the first time I tried to use one as the toilet was slanting backward due to the uneven terrain it was set upon.

Outside the camp, there were rows and rows of picnic tables and chairs, shaded by huge umbrellas. We chose one and started eating the fried kuey teow L made. It was really, really delicious. I was not hungry yet I took a second helping. At about 5pm, the sun was setting. I went out too late to catch some good photos. I never knew the sun could go down so fast. It felt was if it was running.

The evening was long. There wasn't much we could do except to take photos and chit chat since we couldn't   get the 2-pin plug for the projector into the switch. Dinner was bbq. Wasn't great but bearable. Another group joined us for dinner but they were not staying overnight. A bonfire was lighted near our camp. The heat could never quite get to us somehow. The silence of the night was penetrated by the sound of the generator while the peace of the darkness was broken by the lights from the oilfield some distance away. The beach

It was probably around 9pm when we got the projector running. We skipped Mr Popper's Penguins, skipped Captain America and settled on Horrible Bosses. Most of us fell asleep halfway due to the very dark environment. I was inclined to attribute it to bad scripting. The movie ended around 11pm. R refused to let us go to sleep. We sat round the bonfire to talk. R asked some psychological questions. We took turns to answer.

There was another group of people having a party nearby. When we went to sleep, they were still playing their music loudly. L marched out to tell them to turn down the volume as we were trying to sleep. The guys had the cheek to invite her to join them but she declined. It was a good thing they were decent people and turned down the volume after all.

At about 3pm, I was awoken by loud voices and music. Another group had came to our camp to party. I was hoping someone will tell them off*. I tried to go back to sleep but I was shivering no matter how I tried to curl up to warm myself. It took me ages to fall back to sleep.

At 5am, I was awoken by A. Time to wait for sunset, which came only half an hour later. It was nice to feel the morning breeze. I took the opportunity to stroke one of the camel but it kept on opening its mouth as if trying to get a bite of my hand. We left the camp at about 8.30am after a western breakfast.

As soon as we got back to the apartment, we took turns to shower. It felt like I had not clean myself for weeks. I was surprised L had the energy to go for her belly dancing class later. Towards lunch time, we squeezed ourselves into R's mustang to fetch her and another friend for meals at an Afghanistan restaurant. The food was surprisingly good.

That was the grand finale to our trip in Doha. Next stop - Dubai

* The next morning, R told us he tried to wake up to tell off the people but he couldn't. In fact, it took him half an hour trying to wake up in the morning. R commented that he could hear my voice from the camp next door.

25 November 2011 (Friday)
I woke up the earliest as usual. Our hotel room in Novotel was really nice. There were two baths and a toilet. We had a mini living room separating the sofa bed and the double bed. I spent some time channel-surfing while waiting for SW and A to wake up while having croissant I bought the day before from the Mall of the Emirates. Ended up watching "The Suite Life on Deck" on Disney channel.

Spent the day visiting Atlantis and a nearby mall. Took a cruise* and ended up soaked due to the strong wave. Ended up going  back to the hotel early. Skipped watching the fountain show at Dubai Mall. Guess I don't really have much luck with the show since the last time I was in Dubai, there was technical error leading  to the cancellation of the show.

* Met a Penang lady on the boat. She strike a conversation with us when she overheard us speaking in bahasa.

26 November 2011 (Saturday)
Final day in Dubai. Spent most of the time in Dubai Mall. I managed to finish reading the latest wimpy kid book in the bookstore while waiting for SW and A to do their shopping.

Largely an uneventful day. Glad to be going home soon.

Seoul-searching

It's been a week since I got back. Probably the best time to write something bout my recent trip...

21 May

Luggage: Half-empty (smartest choice I ever made).

Lounge: So many people travel at night

Airplane: Aisle seat (unfortunately). Can't even recall who I sat next to. Fell asleep quickly in the uncomfy seat. Skipped supper even though it's the nice satay. Had nasi lemak for breakfast (my favourite).

22 May

Early arrival at Incheon Airport. Bought limo bus ticket to Lotte (my first purchase in KRW15,000). Lined up behind a jap, waiting for bus. Workers very helpful.

Ride to hotel took slightly more than an hour. Lobby on 14 flr (so strange). Doorgirl helped me and Jap with our luggages. In the lift, she asked if we are together. That was awkward. At lobby, we each sat down in front of different receptionist. Again, they asked if we are together (???).

Receptionist: Fortunately, your room is ready!

Yay, was very happy because now I can freshen up before sight-seeing. Room was very very nice on 20th floor. Plenty of mirrors, complete set of stationeries (which I ignored after the first day), Loccitane toiletries (love it).

With a map in hand, I toured Seoul by myself. First stop was Gyeongbukgung. Got lost looking for it till a nice Korean man showed me the way. Receptionist told me not walkable, yet I got there within half an hour. Was in time for the English tour. Had a nice Korean tour guide who was interrupted by her son's call midway.

A few things I learnt bout Korean palaces:

1. All palaces face south as it's deemed the most auspicious direction. Note that even today, any house/apartment facing south fetch higher prices.

2. Characters from Journey to the West decorated the roofs. The more characters, the more important the chamber.

3. Zodiac animals decorated the compound.

4. Queen never leaves the palace (poor thing). She can only tell the 4 season from the flowers in her personal garden.

5. Hanging doors in each chamber allow better ventilation (really good idea).

6. Heating is underground with chimneys erected all over the palace (interesting).

Got lost after tour guide left. By the time I came out, the changing of the guard at 12pm had ended. So waited for the next one which was at 1pm. Good time to just sit down and do nothing. Found it funny to see some of the actors yawning.

Next stop: Insadong. Interesting cultural street. Had a tough time locating the restaurant I wanted to visit coz kept getting lost among the hanok buildings. Original plan was to eat vegetarian meal in Sanchon but 20 dishes were really too much for me. Finally settled for a sujebi shop. Ordered the oyster pancake. Though there were no oyster, there were plenty of octopus and prawn. Love it. My first real Korean meal.

From Insadong, I went to Myeongdong, a very interesting street filled with numerous skincare brand. Love the night market. As I was alone, I settled for packed food. Bought the local sushi roll + radish kimchi + squid (???) for KRW6,000, grilled octopus (KRW3,000) and sausages (KRW5,000). All these ended up not only as my dinner but also my breakfast on Monday and Tue.

23 May

Whole day spent in Westin. Thai girl sitting next to me fell sick and had to leave for home. Made friend with the Israel guy next to me. He became one of my closest friend during the course. Lunch was a wonderful spread of sashimi, seafood salads, tempura, kimchi etc. I took almost the same stuffs everyday. Met a really funny korean central banker who tried very hard to give us good tips on Seoul. Too bad I did my homework.

After welcoming dinner, walked round Myeongdong with my newfound friend, PK. Took him to a Korean tourism office for free internet. Found out Europeans probably don't like seaweeds.

24 May

Another day spent in Westin (boring). Cornered by someone from ADB who seems very interested in meeting ASEAN officers for macroprudential issues. Made plans with Singaporean girls to go shopping.

First, took them to Lotte DF, my favourite place, not just for the cheaper Korean skincare but also the way to the 10th floor was lined with Korean actors, one of whom is my fav.

We parted to deposit our loots, promising to meet outside 7-11 as all of us were in different hotels. On my way down from my hotel room, bumped into RN and later Yomi. They were going for dinner and were interested to know that I will be going to a famous dumpling shop. MS followed me to the place to check it out. In the end, all of them joined us at the shop. It was surreal. We insisted on getting seats together (luckily the Korean waitresses understood what we want). Ordered 3 plates of dumpling, 3 cold noodles, 4 spicy kimchi noodles and 1 hot soup noodles (safest choice). It was really a fun and unexpected outing. MS took a picture of RN sweating and proclaimed that it will be posted on FB to which OR reacted in surprise as he couldn't believe MS has one! Food was OK except that kimchi was too spicy for me. Cost of dinner: KRW12,000.

The guys left to meet RM who is flying off the following morning while we continued our shopping. Took the local subway to Dongdaemun where shops open till 5am. It is indeed a paradise for women.