Doha, Qatar

 We finally got out Kuwait residency, which means we have our passports in hand again.  We immediately booked a weekend trip to Doha.  Doha is not a place we may have visited if we didn't live in the Gulf region, but we're so glad we did.  It is similar to Kuwait in many ways, but much smaller.  It has a beautiful coastline and city skyline, which we enjoyed from the corniche.  Doha is a quiet place, but construction is in full swing as they prepare for the World Cup in 2020. 

We visited the old market, or souq.  It has been remodeled to resemble the traditional market and it is a beautiful maze of traditional handicrafts, food, fabrics, and imported goods.  It is the place to be on a Friday night.

I've never had henna before and was amazed at the skill of this woman in the market.

Training and keeping falcons is a long-standing tradition in Qatar. It is continually fascinating to see the mixture of tradition and modernity in Arabic culture.

Markets around the world are often full of strange things, 

including this taxidermist shop.

We enjoyed several glasses of real wine, some of it from Lebanon.  It was nice to sit in a cafe and enjoy the great weather with a class of Sauvignon Blanc in hand!

We also went to the Museum of Islamic Art and saw some beautiful artifacts from around Arabia.  We also had the chance to see the Terracotta Warriors, on tour from China. 

We ended our trip with an extravagant buffet brunch, which is a popular activity among Qataris and expats alike.  

Weird shit seen in Kuwait part 2

I'd like my Mary
grilled, thanks.

This does not make anyone want to buy a wedding dress.  She looks like she's in pain.  Or constipated.

I have no idea why anyone would want to drink potato juice or sauerkraut juice, but you can buy it here!

Not sure why these sweet little chicks were dyed, but it was very sad.

               

Our ride to work

Our friend Kevin, narrating our morning commute.  Click the link to watch.
Our morning commute

Weird shit seen in Kuwait

Living in another culture provides many opportunities for laughs at things lost in translation, so I thought I would continue our series of weirdness...

Our first month in Kuwait

We have been in Kuwait for a month and are starting to accumulate some photos. We just finished the week long Eid Al-Adha holiday which afforded us some time to explore our neighborhood and Kuwait City. Right: the sunset view from our 11th story apartment. 

After living in a country with a fairly limited national palate, we are definitely enjoying the variety of awesome food options. We have had lots of great Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Southeast Asian food. Above: a Benedict from a trendy breakfast restaurant and the dregs of a thick cup of Turkish coffee.

We were told there are about 1,200 mosques in Kuwait City. This is the one across from our building and one of several that we hear regularly from our apartment. Our building is the taller of the two on the right.

Left: Iranian Carpets for sale at the Friday market. We picked out one similar to these to put under our dining room table. We also found a set of small tables from India to use in our apartment. Slowly our place is becoming less like a hotel room and more like an enjoyable living space. Below: wheelbarrows waiting to schlep goods from vendors to your vehicle.

This is our local beach, a 20 min walk from our place. It's fairly dirty but still popular with the immigrant workers who live in our neighborhood. 

This little bakery is just a block from our house and makes a flat bread similar to pita that is really nice with local hummus. 

Kuwait Towers: Originally for water storage, they are now one of the city's popular tourist areas.

We just finished our Eid-Al Adha (festival of the sacrifice in Arabic) break. A goat or sheep is often sacrificed and shared with friends and the poor to honor the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son.  

Another popular place to visit in Kuwait City: The Scientific Center

Sunset on the Corniche

Small fishing boats in the Fahaheel neighborhood

One of many local fish markets

We have a lot more to learn about our new city, but great sunsets are something we are regularly excited about.

An odd Italian Circus we happened upon in the Salmiya neighborhood.

We toured the Grand Mosque in Kuwait City which is capable of holding over 100,000 people. 

The mosque had many beautiful mosaics and hand carved stone.