Thumb of Arabia
The value, meaning and measure of time are definitely relative depends on what, who, where, when, why and how. The one hour flight from Dubai to Doha, Qatar seemed like an eternity - every minute felt like an hour to me.
My heart was beating so hard it was fluttering when I got off the plane at Doha International Airport because I know I'd be meeting Aiman Tak Kisah...
The long queue at the passport control somehow helped calm my nerves. After charging QR55 to my credit card to apply for my visa to enter Qatar at the passport control - they accepted credit cards - I went to claim my luggage. That took a while!
When I walked out into the waiting area, there Aiman was waiting for me in his site uniform with our company logo so visible - reminding me that we're colleagues and that reminds me of work too. Oh bummer, I am not supposed to be thinking about work on my vacation...
Aiman looked so cute and adorable despite his kebuntalan or chubbiness and sun tanned dark skin. That tan he got from being out in the site - well he's a site engineer by profession, can't help it.
Hehehe...I think I will call Aiman Teddy Tales from now on because he looks like an adorable teddy bear to me, if not TM Net's Bluehyppo mascot. Hmmmm maybe I will call him Bluehyppo in a very affectionate way. Nah, Teddy Tales is cuter. I am sure Aiman memang tak kisah if I call him that :)
Driving his dusty Nissan 4WD - which is the most popular car on this side of the earth - he took me around on a short city tour and then helped me check into Qatar Palace Hotel in the heart of the city.
Accommodation here costs a lot more than in Dubai, I think because of the lack of it here, be it hotels or hotel apartments. Qatar Palace Hotel is supposed to be a 3 star hotel, but I think it fell short of my expectation if I compare to home in Malaysia. Hey I expect something better for a room that costs about QR350 a night!
I settled myself at the hotel room and caught some forty winks while Teddy Tales went off to continue his work. Teddy Tales came to fetch me around six that evening. We went to Souk Ahmad in the city for some shopping - nuts, dates and such - and dinner at a restaurant near the souk.
After dinner we took a long walk hand in hand along the beautiful two-kilometre waterfront. The whole length of the seafront is called Doha Corniche. As we walked we talked about a lot of things to discover each other...
Doha's city landscape has changed tremendously since I last visited Doha three years ago for an assignment. The rapid progress and the many many buildings mushrooming in the city was in view of the country hosting the Asian Games. I think they need more affordable hotels in Doha and all of Qatar - not more office buildings that are going to be white elephants as they will be almost empty for a long while.
Qatar is also called the "Thumb of Arabia" because it protrudes 200 kms into the blue waters of the Persian Gulf. Fronting Doha Corniche is a harmonious blend of old and new architecture. New modern buildings framing it's city skyline, while on the waters of the bay you see wooden dhow boats, some still employed in fishing local waters. Doha had a booming commercial fishing industry before oil became it's main economic driver - so the graceful boats was a picturesque reminder of times past.
The view from Doha Corniche overlooking Doha's city skyline over dark blue night sea was breathtaking. Just as breathtaking as Teddy Tales's warm protective embrace over my shoulders. That kinda took my breath away...
I wished the night would last longer if not forever as Teddy Tales drove me back to the hotel and walked me to the front door.
My heart was beating so hard it was fluttering when I got off the plane at Doha International Airport because I know I'd be meeting Aiman Tak Kisah...
The long queue at the passport control somehow helped calm my nerves. After charging QR55 to my credit card to apply for my visa to enter Qatar at the passport control - they accepted credit cards - I went to claim my luggage. That took a while!
When I walked out into the waiting area, there Aiman was waiting for me in his site uniform with our company logo so visible - reminding me that we're colleagues and that reminds me of work too. Oh bummer, I am not supposed to be thinking about work on my vacation...
Aiman looked so cute and adorable despite his kebuntalan or chubbiness and sun tanned dark skin. That tan he got from being out in the site - well he's a site engineer by profession, can't help it.
Hehehe...I think I will call Aiman Teddy Tales from now on because he looks like an adorable teddy bear to me, if not TM Net's Bluehyppo mascot. Hmmmm maybe I will call him Bluehyppo in a very affectionate way. Nah, Teddy Tales is cuter. I am sure Aiman memang tak kisah if I call him that :)
Driving his dusty Nissan 4WD - which is the most popular car on this side of the earth - he took me around on a short city tour and then helped me check into Qatar Palace Hotel in the heart of the city.
Accommodation here costs a lot more than in Dubai, I think because of the lack of it here, be it hotels or hotel apartments. Qatar Palace Hotel is supposed to be a 3 star hotel, but I think it fell short of my expectation if I compare to home in Malaysia. Hey I expect something better for a room that costs about QR350 a night!
I settled myself at the hotel room and caught some forty winks while Teddy Tales went off to continue his work. Teddy Tales came to fetch me around six that evening. We went to Souk Ahmad in the city for some shopping - nuts, dates and such - and dinner at a restaurant near the souk.
After dinner we took a long walk hand in hand along the beautiful two-kilometre waterfront. The whole length of the seafront is called Doha Corniche. As we walked we talked about a lot of things to discover each other...
Doha's city landscape has changed tremendously since I last visited Doha three years ago for an assignment. The rapid progress and the many many buildings mushrooming in the city was in view of the country hosting the Asian Games. I think they need more affordable hotels in Doha and all of Qatar - not more office buildings that are going to be white elephants as they will be almost empty for a long while.
Qatar is also called the "Thumb of Arabia" because it protrudes 200 kms into the blue waters of the Persian Gulf. Fronting Doha Corniche is a harmonious blend of old and new architecture. New modern buildings framing it's city skyline, while on the waters of the bay you see wooden dhow boats, some still employed in fishing local waters. Doha had a booming commercial fishing industry before oil became it's main economic driver - so the graceful boats was a picturesque reminder of times past.
The view from Doha Corniche overlooking Doha's city skyline over dark blue night sea was breathtaking. Just as breathtaking as Teddy Tales's warm protective embrace over my shoulders. That kinda took my breath away...
I wished the night would last longer if not forever as Teddy Tales drove me back to the hotel and walked me to the front door.
posted by Penglipur Lara at
11:56 PM
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