Socceroos Vs Qatar June 14, 2008 - Doha, Qatar

We went along to Al Saad Stadium on Saturday night to watch the Socceroos play Qatar - it was a great atmosphere and there were heaps of Aussies there - it was great.

Al Saad Stadium

Big Band prior to the game - they must have been so hot in all that gear

The Qatari fans - the whole game they play hand drums and use a loud speaker to sing - they really get into the spirit of the game

The Qatari fans released thousands of pieces of white paper into the air - not sure what for but it must have been quite off putting for the players as they were flying everywhere!

The Qatari cheerleaders!!!

The Qatari fans in full swing

Once the Aussies scored the second goal the Qatari's started to get up in droves and leave

Good sports or what!!!

The outside of the stadium

Driving In A Sand Storm

We decided to drive out to the Sealine Beach Resort.  This is a place that you can go to in the weekends and use the hotel facilities for the day - pool, diving, wind surfing, sand dune buggies etc..  It is 45 minutes from Doha.  As we got further out of Doha the wind got stronger and stronger - and we eventually ended up driving in a real sand storm - not pleasant, and not good for the paintwork on the car I am sure.

We stopped for petrol on the way - this is approx $7.00 AUD worth .

Here is a video I took on the camera while we were driving - in some parts of the road you could not see a foot in front of you - it was quite incredible.  

The sound is the sand hitting the car - excuse Nicks bad language at the start!!!

Good Ole English Breakfast

Thursday night we went out with a couple of Nicks work mates to an Irish bar in the Sheraton Hotel - it was just like being in the valley on a Friday night.  It was quite amazing to see all the expats in one place - and to think that in this country there are places where you can go out and enjoy a drink.  The only thing was there is no such thing as 'No Smoking' Laws here.  So we went home smelling like ash trays - there was probably 95% of the bar smoking.  We also checked out the Aussie Legends Bar in the Rydges Hotel this was a little better.  

But we were both in need of a post night out greasy breakfast and we found this little place - by the looks of it from the outside and its surrounds not the sort of place that one would stop if you were just passing by - but we had the best breakfast since leaving Australia.  Bacon (beef of course - no pig here) hash brown, tomato, eggs and sausage and toast -  it was so good. They also serve traditional roast beef and yorkshire pudding so we will go back one day for that. Good Ole English food - fab!!!

Demolishing a building  

A Dust Free Day

Today was the first day since we have been here - which has now been three weeks (three very long weeks for me) that the wind died down and there was no dust flying around.  For once we can actually see the buildings down at the Corniche from our apartment window.

Video of Buildings in Qatar

Here is a video montage that I found on YouTube which shows some of the new buildings in Doha - the building that we are living on is also shown on here. Some of the buildings have already been built others are either being constructed or still in the planning process.

Our Apartment

Well after two long weeks we finally have found somewhere to live - who would have thought that it would be so hard.  You ring up about something in the morning and in a few hours it is gone - so we were lucky to find this. 

Its a brand new building one tower is commercial and the other residential.  We are on the 7th floor - we have always wanted to live in an apartment so this is the ideal opportunity to decide if an apartment is for us or not.

This is the real estate brochure of the two towers - I need to go across the road to take a picture - and believe me thats not an easy task. We are in the right hand tower.  In the middle there will be a shopping mall which will be real handy.  Due to open in three weeks.

The lounge room with a great view and a nice big TV - I did notice that the first thing Nick did when we walked in was remove the packaging from the TV.

The kitchen....and laundry. The whole place is open plan which is great as most that we looked at had the kitchen tucked away in a poky little room - not what we are used to.

The bedroom... complete with my beautiful Temari ball (L.B xx)  on the dressing table.

The hardest bed in the world.... we may as well be sleeping on the marble floor...its healthy they say....not in my world its not!!!!

Dining Room

The view from the lounge room...the big white building across the road is Toys R Us and the car park is full from the time it opens to the time it closes and the parcels they come out with is incredible....they just love to shop!

The view from the dining room - on a clear day you can see all the construction down by the corniche and the zig zag buildings at West Bay - but today is just another windy windy day - so lots of dust.

Night time traffic - its like this all day usually bumper to bumper

View of the city at night time from the lounge room.

So there you have it ... our home for the next little while - its so nice to have an apartment with nice big windows especially when thats what you are used to - most here have tiny little windows so as to keep out the heat - but I like to open up the curtains and let in the sun, and I also like to have a little nosey at whats going on so this is perfect.

There will be a mini market and a gym shortly on the 1st floor so I have no excuse not to get fit!!

Driving Around

Just some more random pics taken while driving around the city.

More construction - they seem to like to build things in pairs I have noticed

Outside the City Centre - Doha (Shopping Mall)

Ice Skating ring in the mall

No one around as the shops are not open yet

Photos of the Corniche

Museum of Islamic Arts

Dhows (Wooden Fishing Boats) they can also be hired and taken out around the corniche

This is the Emir's Palace