Hala Istanboul - Next to the best shawarma in Qatar

Hala Istanboul is not "the best shawarma in Qatar," but it is next door to "the best shawarma in Qatar" and open during the day.  It's neighbor is only open at night.  The shawarma here was good though, but I'll have to try the other one soon.  :)

Belgian Cafe at the Intercontinental Hotel

Belgian waffle

When you step inside the Belgian Cafe, it feels like Europe.  It's as if a pub was picked up and moved to the Intercontinental.  Really great atmosphere.  However, the food is just ok.  I had a mussel pot (moules marinières I think was the idea), but it wasn't so good.  Perhaps it was too sandy (is it supposed to have sand?) or maybe because the last mussel pot I had was in the north of France in Boulogne-sur-Mer.  The french fries were good though (I learned last summer that french fries were actually invented in Belgium due to lack of a thin fish in the winter...).  Also, the Belgian waffle, while it didn't resemble the one I had in Bruges, it was really, really good!  Great to end the meal with something good.

The Golden Age of Dutch Painting

The special exhibit, "The Golden Age of Dutch Painting," at the Museum of Islamic Art had many beautiful paintings and a few by Rembrandt.

Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) in collaboration with the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, presents “The Golden Age of Dutch Painting, Masterpieces from the Rijksmuseum”, the first major exhibition of Dutch art in the Gulf region. It will take place in the temporary exhibition hall at the Museum of Islamic Art from 11 March – 6 June, 2011.  Forty-four paintings, among the best in the Rijksmuseum’s collection are being loaned to QMA. These paintings give a wide-ranging view of the artists, lifestyle and topography of Holland in the seventeenth century.

view from the Museum of Islamic Art

Qatar Marine Festival

The Qatar Marine Festival was hosted at Katara Cultural Village from March 16-26, 2011.

They had a huge aquarium with many types of fish, sharks, horseshoe crabs, and more!

the cat & mouse are so cute

Seal Show
The seals and trainers were from Siberia.

Float Parade of the Sponsors

a man drilling holes into the pearls

Secrets of the Sea
Musical Play

This musical was based on the history of Qatar. It was really fantastic with a stage that could have been on Broadway and choreography by professionals. It was about 2 hours long and in Arabic but easy to follow. I thought this was the best part of the festival and possibly one of the best things I've seen so far in Qatar.

Really beautiful stage with full lights and effects.

Prologue
An astronomer contemplating the star-studded sky, sings its beauty and the greatness of the Creator.

Can't really see here, but this is a moving magic carpet with the narrators "flying" on it.

Zodiac
The constellations of twelve zodiacal signs came to life on stage symbolizing the divine plan of the Creator. The astronomer satisfies his granddaughter's curiosity, revealing to her the secrets of the sea that marked the evolution of their motherland.

Bedouin Times
The story begins from a remote past, from life in the desert recalled through the dance of the Bedouin shepherds and magical antelopes.

A ballet set in a joyful and colorful market represents the first crossroads of trade exchanges and suggests the transition from the desert life to the life at the sea.

Pearl Times
The scene celebrates the courage of the pearl divers and pays tribute to the hardships their families endured. The pearl market scene hails the beauty of the pearls, the wonders of the sea that contributed a great deal to the transition of this land into a cosmopolitan country.

 

Oil Times
The sea has given Qatar a miraculous gift: a "black pearl" that brought Qatari people wealth and prestige - the oil. This, much sought-after worldwide, energy source boosted tremendously the development and growth of the country.

 

a very cool drum dance with oil barrels

Development
Through progress, the face of the country changes. In this scene, water serves as a metaphor for development and expansion.

Gas Times
The march of Qatar has not come to an end. Yet another secret is unveiled by the sea - the gas. Using most innovative technologies with skill, the gas is liquefied and supplied to the whole world.

This scene had a lot of special effects including fire shooting out of the sides of the stage...

Epilogue
The astronomer and his granddaughter contemplate the starlit sky and envision what the future holds for Qatar. The sea has been a demanding, but generous keeper to the people of this land. Who knows, it may yet hold many more secrets that will be revealed when the time is right.

Oishi Sushi

Sushi two days in a row... no problem. I could eat sushi everyday!

green tea and a little complementary appetizer salad

crunchy crab sushi roll, kappa maki, salmon nigiri, and tamago nigiri

Another cool thing about Oishi Sushi is the private rooms with (fake) tatami floors.

Sakura at the Ramada Plaza Hotel again

Another yummy dinner at Sakura!

gyouza and edamame

The gyouza are good here...

sashimi

yakitori

sashimi and yakisoba

sushi and sashimi

The gyouza, sushi, sashimi, yakitori, and edamame were good.  I wasn't too impressed with the yakisoba or yakiniku.