This Week

Hello!  This week I received a lovely surprise when the postman delivered this parcel from the Netherlands. Woo hoo thank you Jenn, the Teen and I will enjoy everything this book has to offer during the two month summer holidays!  Be sure to visit Jenn's blog Color 'n Cream to see what the work of a color wizard looks like. I love her unusual but refreshing combinations and she now sells not only completed items in her shop, but also Yarn Colour Combos. And postcards.  Jenn regularly runs competitions and Mr Funky is my scoop after winning one of her competitions!

Mochi!  The Teen is studying Japanese as her 6th (yip, that's right!) language and is totally enthralled by anything and everything Japanese.  She has been driving me nuts over the past two years in her yearning to eat Mochi and wow, how lucky can one be. There are a few Mochi shops here in Doha and even though it is not quite a cheap eat, she is having the time of her life indulging in her favourite sweet. 

This is a Mexican Coffee Bun also known as Roti Boy Buns or Buns from Papparoti.  It is lip licking good! This treat originates from Malaysia and is a light aromatic bun with a buttery center and crispy coffee outer layer. This one is topped with caramel (other toppings include chocolate, toffee, cheese etc). No doubt we are frequent visitors to one of the many Papparoti shops here in Doha - t'is the new Cinnabon in my opinion! 

Katara Pigeon Towers (it houses pigeons!) constructed in indigenous mud-brick style. 

Pigeons, camels, horses and falcons are important animals in Arabia.  Pigeons, unlike camels, horses & falcons taken along by nomadic tribes during their wanderings, are associated with settlement and domesticity and are often kept in dovecotes at family compounds.  Pigeons are also prized because their cooing is said to be similar to the phrase "udhkur Allah" which means "remember God".  The three pigeon towers by Katara Mosque are a beautiful tribute to this tradition and provides an air of tranquility and calmness to the general area.

 Katara - I have almost no words to describe this mind blowing project and space.  It is a Cultural Village, an exceptional project of hope for human interaction through art and cultural exchange. Keeping pace with the emerging global culture that emphasises the importance of diversity in human development, Katara is a place of gathering and features theaters, concert halls, exhibition galleries, museums, restaurants, a beach with water sports, art cinemas, a childhood cultural center, an amphitheater and opera house and even career advise centers and a mall for children.

According to the Katara website "the village shall be a glimpse of the future of a world where people of different cultural backgrounds overcome their national boundaries and embrace common causes to promote a united humanity.  Katara is where the grace of the past meets the splendour of the future" 

This is a space where one can either visit for specific reasons or simply wander around and soak up the atmosphere.  

 The 3275 sqm amphitheater at Katara seats 5000 people.  I completely forgot to take a photo from the top of the theater, it overlooks the ocean and the views are epic to say the least.

Fancy shopping in Italy?  You can do this right here in Doha. This mall features mostly shops from Germany, the UK, US and Italy and even boasts a 150 meter long indoor canal with gondolas. After being shopping deprived in South Africa, we are finally in heaven once again. The few international brands available in South Africa sadly sells old stock from seasons past.

We enjoy going to this mall as it features a fabulous indoor theme park, a go kart track (the husband is a fan and raced competitively in the UAE and also won against 150 racers at Kyalami in South Africa last year), an Olympic size ice rink which is home to the Qatar Ice Hockey League, ten pin bowling center and roller coaster. 

No doubt we enjoyed hanging out at the mall this past weekend since we saw outside temperatures rising to 54 degrees Celsius (that is 129,2 degrees fahrenheit!). I managed to capture the reading at 53 degrees.  It is hot, very hot. Hot. As. Hell. At 9:30 in the evening it was still 40 degrees Celsius.  We love it though, the entire family dislike winter and we hope to only ever experience winter again when we go skiing, never again as a living experience.

Have a nice week!  I am joining my first craft share soon and hope to tell you more about the one and only yarn store available to us in Qatar!

Cheers!