The Qat's Meow

Although Qatar is very much Westernized, traces of Arabic culture can be seen everywhere. On our first day in Qatar, we visited the Museum of Islamic Art. Not only does it have a very large collection of Islamic Art, but the building itself is spectacular. Designed by architect I.M. Pei, the museum draws inspiration from traditional Islamic architecture but adds many twists.


Museum of Islamic Art

Intricate ceiling designs

Gorgeous floor length window !

Two kings and a queen : D

I must admit, I'm not that big of a fan of Islamic Art. They all look pretty much the same to me, but the museum itself was gorgeous. The museum lies on the edge of Doha harbor at the south end of Doha Bay. We (the 6 KASMUNers) had a lot of fun sitting by the edge of the crystal clear water, feeling the cool breeze on our faces.


Boo

Roomies forever!!

On the second day of the trip, we visited Education City, which houses several very prominent universities from the US including Northwestern University, Georgetown University, and Cornell University. I had the pleasure of attending a lecture by a Cornell physics professor, Dr. Marco Ameduri. I HATE physics, but he made physics almost interesting. This lecture was almost like listening to a real life Sheldon Cooper! I guess this is the biggest difference between a great school and an ok school- the quality of teaching.


Georgetown University SFS-Qatar

Dr. Marco Ameduri

On the third day, we visited Souq Waqif, which was packed with shops selling traditional garments, accessories, handicrafts, and spices. This souq is at least a hundred years old, but has been restored. When I first went into the Souq, I didn't think much of it, but now as I think back, the Souq was filled with a certain mysterious Arabic charm.


The crew

Patriotism much?

Salad with goat cheese

Arabian Nights

Finally, the highlight of the trip was CULTURE NIGHT!! Each school prepared a booth representing their own country. We brought fish candy, plums, tofu, and pineapple cakes, while schools from Greece brought olive oil soap, Turkish schools brought Turkish delights, and local Qatari schools brought boxes of dates. It was very fun to watch the schools parading in their traditional clothing. It's a shame we didn't have anything cool to wear : (


Culture Night!

Bulgarian national dress

Fashion show

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