Doha - The Old Souq ( Part 2 )

As promised last week to show you some photos which I took at outdoor of the old market. Actually those outdoor shops are also inside The Old Souq. Remember I told you that this old market is like a castle last week at "Part 1"? The shop lot inside the market is like the rooms of the castle. And the outdoor shop is like the court yard of the castle.

This picture was taken in front one of the outdoor shop of The Old Souq. I felt like I stepped in a "pasar malam" while I was hanging around there. But of cause that was more happening and more neat than our Malaysia's "pasar malam", frankly said.

People enjoying tea at outdoor cafe.

An Arabian style restaurant.

All carpets were hand made. There was an old lady making those carpet inside this shop. But she rejected me when I tried to take her photo while she was sewing the carpet.

Do you feels like you are at "Petaling Street"??!!

A lot of interesting and antique handcrafts.

The decorative products like horses and camels were plenty for sell here.

I'm wondering if the goods there were "used product" or new??

The Arabian tea pot. Every times I see this tea pot will recall me the story of "Aladdin's Wonderful Lamp", one of the well known story from the book - One Thousand and One Nights (also known as The Arabian Nights).

Although there are different shape between the tea pot & the Aladdin's Incense lamp, but at least "the style" is there.

Mosaic marble, was created in 1968 to fill gaps and to fill homes with beauty and art. The marble mosaic tradition is a form of art decoration that has existed for nearly four thousand years, with origins in the Greek architecture.

The ship-building was once the main industry for the qatari many years ago.

This uncle is a body builder during 1966. He owned a shop selling lady's handcraft and necklace.

The name of those thing is called "Shisha". You can find this in some of the pubs at Kuala Lumpur.
Shisha is tobacco mixed with molasses and fruit flavors and is smoked in a hookah. It is very light and flavorful with a wonderful fruity aroma.

The Qatari enjoying Shisha. But think twice before you do that, why??
"Smoking Shisha (flavoured tobacco) may cause cancer because of the coal or wood used to burn the tobacco and because its users inhale more tobacco smoke than a cigarette user. The sharing of pipes can also lead to the risk of contracting infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and hepatitis." This is what our former Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua said.

I tried a cup of strong Turkish coffee at the cafe (left). Night scene of the market (right).

Night falls at Doha Old Souq.

Doha - The Old Souq ( Part 1)

I was recently busy with my project in Dubai hence I have no time to update my blog. I was told by my aunt, Mary Jane that she wished to see some interesting places at Doha and Dubai in my blog instead of only posting my project's photo. So here we go, some interesting place.....

Remember I told you that I went to Doha for "business trip" on 12 April, 2008? I went to one of the interesting place called "The Old Souq" before I flew back to Dubai. That was my second visit to that place.

The word "souq" means "market". Some of the local people also called this market as "Iran Souq". Anyway, I just call it " The Old Market".

This old market is located at old Doha downtown. The first time I went there was 2 years ago, when I was working on a project, Doha Asian Game Village at June 2006. That time there were some maintenance and renovation works is being working on and it was opened only half of the market for public.

From outside this building is looks like a castle as the high concrete wall (which looks like a high fencing wall) were all casted & mixed with all kind of stones. I was amazed when I stepped into this market during my first visit 2 years ago. It seems like I have been returned to the 19th century........

I love those doors (left)..... It's really antique. (Right) Some handcraft bags hanging for sell.

All these baskets you see here is all hand made.

A lot of hardware shops (left) which you can find all kinds of working tools. A watch "mechanic" (right) who has already work there for more than 15 years.

The Doha Sweets, one of the famous & traditional food/candy of Doha.

A "cheerful" sweets maker!! This "uncle" is over 70's. He has been working at this shop for more than 30 years - stirring the sweets liquid under the heat of almost 50°C. Everyday repeats the same "action" for 30 over years. Do you have this kind of patient???

Wide range of clothing, shoes & carpets inside the shops.

It's really classic to see all those things hanging in front of the shops (left). The old man (right) who taking rest is actually to provide goods deliver service to shoppers. You can ask him to deliver your goods to your car after you have shop, with paying him a small amount of delivery fees.

Scene of outside the market....at "Part 2".

All photos shown above are only the scenes inside the market. I named this the "Part 1" of the Doha Old Souq.

The "Part 2" will be the outside scene which is more happening......

Okay, see you all at "Part 2". When is it coming?!! Try next week!!

Diner's Club Lounge at Dubai International Airport.

I'm currently working at Dubai since December last year. And due to project needs, I went to Doha on 12th April, 2008. My flight was 11.30am depart from Dubai and I reached Dubai airport at 9am sharp. After checked in the ticketing counter and passed through the immigration check point, I went to get my breakfast at the First Class Lounge for FREE!!

I'm not taking the First Class ticket as I'm not a rich man, indeed. I benefited this because I'm a Diner's Club member.

If you do traveling often to overseas, I suggested you to apply a Diner's Club credit card. As a Diner's Club member, you may enjoy delicious food and good facilities at the First Class Lounge at most of the international airport, for FREE.

At Dubai Airport, the Diner's Club First Class Lounge is located in-between Gate 12 & Gate 14 inside the Terminal 1. All you need to do is to present your Diner's Club credit card to the front desk receptionist together with your boarding pass.

You will need to sign the "receipt" after they swiped your card. That is totally no charge to your card but to verify if you are a valid Diner's Club member. The boarding pass is for them to mark down your flight details and to board cast the flight's number and destination when the boarding time comes.

The lounge inside is 2 floors separated . The upper floor is for the smokers. Both floor are provided all kinds of food, drinks, wine and even whiskey........There are 2 desktop with internet ready while the WIFI is also available. Let me show you how does it looks like inside this comfortable place......

All delicious foods & fruits. Yummy~yummy!!!!!....

Wide range of beers, wines, whiskeys & nuts. You can enjoy but DON'T get DRUNK!!!

My 1st round (left) .....& my 2nd round (right) of food. The shrimps were just very nice....

You are right!!...my 3rd round...hah~hah! You can find "Buah Rambutan" here too!

You can serve internet while you are enjoying the food. WIFI is available - using "Maxspot".

People are reading, taking nap or just relax themselves while waiting for boarding.

Upper floor for smokers, and also provided wide range of foods, wine, whiskey, fruits and juices.

There is a 46" LCD T.V & some massage chair at the upper floor.

Nice place huh? This is the fantastic benefit by Diner's Club. In fact Diner's Club members can enter most of the international airport's First Class Lounge. As you are aware, all the foods inside the airport are extremely expensive. And we can always seen people taking nap or sleep just on the bench at the airport when they are tire or while waiting for boarding.

But as for a Diner's Club member, you can enjoy and relax yourself with all kinds of food and the comfortable facilities inside the lounge for "FREE", sounds good isn't it??

However, this great benefit is not available at our KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport), this is really a big disappointment to me. I'm expecting Diner's club will soon enter to KLIA First Class Lounge. But now, I'm more exacted if my Diner's club annual fee can be "free for life" as I seems like selling Diner's Card here~~~for FREE TOO~~~!!

WAA~~KAA~~KAA~~KAA~~~!!!!