Qatar: Top moments

Qatar really grew on me.


Moment 1:
The perfect skyline of downtown Doha, the capital city, that you can see from loads of places. I love the contrast of the old dhow boat against the all the modern buildings. Another meshing of old and new that I love so much.


Moment 2:
Sunset at Souq Waqif, the old bazaar area, in Doha. Enjoyed this day with new friends and old friends. My favorite place in Qatar hands down. Interesting fact: what is today known as Souq Waqif is actually a recent reconstruction of the entire place. This same place used to have the main bazaar of the city, which was taken down to make room for the new city. However, in an effort to restore places of important heritage, Qatar has rebuilt the Souq once more. So it's old... but new.


Moment 3:
(It's blurry, I know, but it was night time so the shutter was open for ages cuz I hate using flash and the only source of light were those little spotlights that you cant see but can only see the light emanating from them in the top of the picture. Point is: I still love it :)
Exploring new places with new friends that I feel like I've known forever! This was at the beach at the new Cultural Village, an area full of art centers, open air theaters, restaurants, coffee houses, music festivals, photography and art galleries, AND a beach. Yup.

Bahrain: Top moments

Moment 1:
Visiting the breathtaking Al-Fatih Mosque in Manama. Such serenity. A beautiful portal to an information center on Islam.


Moment 2:
Iqra'. Read. The first word to be revealed to the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) from God. Bahrain has an amazing way of capturing real culture, arts, history, and tradition. I wish other countries would take a hint on how to preserve greatness.


Moment 3:
Me + sunset + the gulf = love.

Kuwait: Top moments

Moment 1:
Great food + great company = great night! Having chocolate fondue at Chocolate Bar while catching up with friends I've known since elementary school. Eating out in Kuwait is an intensely amazing culture, and I took full advantage of it!


Moment 2:
Shopping at Souq Mubarkia, the old trade area in Kuwait. Probably my favorite place in Kuwait. Also the best place to have chai haleeb (milky steeped red tea with herbs) and qeymar (cream) - honey fatayer (large round layers and layers of soft puff dough, oven baked), which tastes as heavenly as it sounds.

Days 115 - 120: Mauritania

October 29 - Nov 3
I didn't stay for very long at all and I didn't visit the Sahara (unfortunately) but Nouakchott (the capital) was interesting enough. It was much more about the people I met and the Pular culture I experienced than it was about the actual city.





A Mauritanian wedding affair! Glitz, glamour, good music that's too loud, food that's actually pretty yummy, a singer, a comedian, and every cousin in the family!








Tea - the more bubbles the better. An aspect very similar to Moroccan tea.











Henna session. Very very detailed work.






How the henna lady makes sure you don't ruin her 1.5 hours of work: she wraps your hands in (pink) tissue paper then covers each hand with a (blue) plastic bag, then asks you to stay like that for 3 hours. Ya.




The infamous stray goats! The reason I took this terrible pic in the dark was because I felt so weird jumping out of the car and taking a picture of them in broad daylight. They were really cute though, I promise.

Days 102 - 114: Morocco

October 16 - 28
Click on the pics for a larger image!

Casablanca


At the Hassan II mosque - the third largest mosque in the world after the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet's mosque in Medina (both in Saudi Arabia). Postcard-much?







View from the inside.









The name of the road where my hotel/hostel was located. Gotta chose wisely ;)




Rabat (capital city)


View of the Atlantic Ocean from a terrace in the Old Medina.








At the Jardins Exotiques, a huge landscape of interesting looking flowers and gardens just outside of Sale (a city right next to Rabat).







Meknes


Zellig details inside a small mosque. Can't really remember the name...
(It says: Alizato Lelah - Glory be to God)



Fez


Inside one of the most peaceful places on Earth: Kairouan Mosque. Also reportedly the first university in the world. Close your eyes, feel the breeze, listen to the fountains, take in the sunshine, make a prayer.




At the infamous leather tanneries. Pretty smelly place to be honest.









Moroccan henna session!









At Clock Cafe, one of the best places I visited, just inside Bab Jeloum in Fez Medina.





Fassi Master calligrapher Mohammad Charkaoui writes my name in my favorite style during my one on one calligraphy class at Clock Cafe.






My first plate of Moroccan couscous with my friend Ab. Two adults couldn't finish this plate.




Marrakesh


It's not called Red Marrakesh for no reason! Another favorite door.







Fresh home made bread daily? Yes please! Perks of staying with a family and not in a hotel.







At the beautiful (but small) Jardin Majorelle, dedicated to Marakkech by Yves St Laurent.

Days 95 - 101: Tunisia

October 9 - 15, 2010

Please click on the pictures for a larger size.

Some pictures from my adventures in Tunisia.

Tunis

One of my first encounters with Tunisian doors. The beginning of an everlasting love affair.

The oh-so-very European downtown area.

Statue of Ibn Khaldoun, a famous Islamic scholar and philosopher.

My absolute favourite door in Tunisia. Found in the Old Medina (ancient city).

Is this a beach resort? Nope, just a clearing between the tight alleyways in the Old Medina.

Red hot peppers - a staple in every Tunisian meal. Used to make Harira, a spicy paste used to cook with.

My first Tunisian plate of couscous! Mmmmmm.

Carthage

Tombstones at an ancient Phoenician sacrificial site. At 8am. Place gave me the absolute creeps.

The Mediterranean as viewed from the ancient site of the Antonine Baths.

The beginning of my other love affair: with arches, shadows, and alleys.

Then I discovered a room full of ancient mosaics at the site of Roman villas.

More Mosaics.

Sidi Bou Said

Watching a henna session.

Blue doors and shutters - the defining features of Sidi Bou Said.

Kairouan

At the Companion's Mosque - the Mosque of Oqba Ibn Nafi. Over 300 Roman columns at this mosque, and no two are alike.

Traditional trade in the Old Medina; a lady working a wool loom.

Tunisia: where the sky is always picture perfect. On the way back to Tunis.

Day 94: Gold Digger

October 8
















Well, not a gold digger in that sense. Watched this gentleman make some highly intricate and detailed designs in gold plates today. Some people make me feel so un-artistically talented. And yet so inspired at the same time!

Day 93: Planning!

October 7
















Planning for the next trip! Can't wait to get going again. Can you guess to where? :p

Day 92: Streeetccchhhhh

October 6
















Lol. I love kittens. That is all.

Day 91: Archive 2

October 5


















My thoughts frequently take me back to 6 beautiful days spent falling in love with London. This was a beautiful day spent at beautiful Kensington Gardens with a beautiful girlfriend.

Day 90: Really?

October 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2bjkEPL-9g

(Embedding is disabled. Song is: Ever the same by Rob Thomas)

This song has been a long-standing favorite of mine thanks to a good friend sending it to me way back in the day. Haven't heard it in a while, but listening to it now makes me think: can someone really stay the same over a long period of time?

fall on me
tell me everything you want me to be
forever with you
forever in me
ever the same

Is it not an integral part of human nature to continuously change and move forward? What if we remained completely static, unchanging in our behaviours, standards, and more importantly, our ideas? Does change make us hypocrites or innovators? What is it about personal change that very often terrifies us?

when you call on me
ill be there for you and you'll be there for me
forever its you
forever in me
ever the same

Personal Identity is a concept that runs amok in my brain. I believe in a flexible identity that learns and moves forward. But remains true to what it believes is essential in this life. Some disagree. I ask them to have courage to understand themselves and not be so self-denying and critical. They might learn lessons they never thought possible. Change does not have to be for the worse; change is very often the catalyst needed to push us forward to greater things.

Day 89: Creme Caramel?

October 3























I tried to make Creme Caramel. I discovered that I don't have a problem with following recipes, but with local ingredients. For example, vanilla powder in Canada is strong. Usually a pinch will suffice. In Egypt, vanilla powder is actually vanilla and sugar mixed together, so you need much more than a pinch. Hence, creme caramel that tastes like eggs (using vanilla powder makes desserts that have eggs in the ingredients taste less eggy). Another example: eggs in Egypt are kind of massive and really strongly flavored. Great for omlettes; terrible for creme caramel. Hence, creme caramel that tastes like really thick custard.
Lesson of the day: know your local ingredients before trying to feed people you love.
Sigh.