Blogs from Doha, Qatar, Middle East - page 10

We got Tuesday, December 18th off of work as everyone celebrated Qatar's National Day. They had been preparing for WEEKS - flags all over the country, bleachers lining the corniche, cars decked out in national colors... But Tuesday definitely took the cake. I slept in and rolled out of bed to go to work for a little while; we had a big report due on Thursday and I just work better when it's quiet. I got a lot accomplished and worked a solid, uninterrupted four straight hours until I left. I was afraid of the traffic because while it was a smooth ride IN to the office, I knew heading back was going to be a nightmare. My hotel is located in New Doha and right near the corniche. Sure enough, as I approached, the road ... read more

After this week's issues with ordering foods, I stocked up on some healthier options that I can use at my own bare-bones hotel room. I have a fridge and a kettle - limited options but I am making do. Still no sign of a slow cooker anywhere... :( It has not been my favorite last few days, but I think it is mostly because I'm getting a little stir crazy in a one room hotel room where the only thing to do is mess around on the internet, which doesn't even work half the time. I miss cooking. So, I prepared my lunches for the week as well as easy snacks for the rest. I can munch on those for a while, right? I just had a giant steak delivered from Applebee's so I'm set on ... read more

Well, the day has ended just like it began – frustrating. Travelblog is down and it is already passed my bedtime, so I’m writing this on word to copy in later so I don’t forget everything. I had an early morning weekly meeting at 7:30 with our big client for my big project. I thought I would be going myself but I got a text from my boss who met me there. He hasn’t been involved in the project but he is definitely good at laying out the facts and making the client happy at the same time – a rare talent. We were out in 25 minutes, as opposed to the hour they usually keep the other meetings. So, it went quite well, only I was upset before for some reason, I could not say ... read more

I can cross another item off of "1000 Places to See Before You Die." I picked Matt up at his hotel at 3 this afternoon and we headed to the Doha Museum of Islamic Art. Qatar's current leader, is looking to turn his country into the leading cultural center of the Middle East and this museum is one of the masterpieces. We were not disappointed! The musuem is free, except for the temporary exhibits, and there is so much to see. There are four floors and they are loosely divided by artifacts, region and time. A few of my favorites were the calligraphy area, where there were just amazing scrolls and books - my absolute favorite were the tiny octagonal shaped Qurans, complete with special cases, dating about 500 years ago. The glass exhibition was ok, ... read more

Sorry again for my lack of posts, but nothing really exciting has happened. Oh, I've been keeping quite busy, but I won't bore you with the details of my work. I will, however, bore you food and driving! About 2 to 3 hours everyday is devoted to driving - I guess in a way, that is exciting. I love being able to drive the Beast - I have no fear. I thought I'd figured out a good way to and from work on Thursday, but that must have still been part of the Eid Holiday as driving to and from work yesterday (Sunday) was complete torture. I left work a half hour later (7pm) than yesterday and the drive was fairly smooth (for Qatar). In some instances, the roundabout is a great thing. In others, it ... read more