Yalla Habibi

Qatar Airways : D

Now I know how to put on a lifejacket (:

Dawn

SG's bright orange suitcase, among a sea of black

In early September 2009, I was already aware of a very important upcoming trip. I was going to visit Qatar, a tiny sliver of a country bordered by Saudi Arabia to the South, for the 2010 Model United Nations at Georgetown University SFS (School of Foreign Service)-Qatar. Although only 11,586 square km, Qatar has the highest GDP per capita in the world. Impressive!


Baby blue taxis!

View from our room- Doha Marriot's pool

Before I realized it, January had rolled around, and I was on a journey of a lifetime. I was excited and apprehensive. I had no idea what to expect! Our advisor, Sr. Graña, who had taught in the Middle East previously, gave us some "helpful" advice. No skirts above the knees, keep your arms and neck hidden, and wear nothing that accentuates curves!

He was wrong. When the first day of touring began and we saw the other schools, girls were wearing mini skirts, tank tops, hip-hugging jeans etc. Qatar seemed extremely westernized, to my surprise. I had imagined deserts rampant with camels and cacti, but Qatar looked like any other city in the world, with a beautiful downtown skyline, reminiscent of Hong Kong.


City skyline

On the first day, we visited Villagio Shopping Mall located on the west end of Doha. Not only did this mall contain many shops including Zara, H&M, and Sephora (Taiwan has none of these!!), but the name of the mall was particularly significant. Coincidentally, our English teacher's last name is Villagio as well.


Enough said...

ice rink in Villagio Mall

Krispy Kreme!!

The streets of Doha were impeccably clean and lined with BMWs and Hummers, the sky was blue, and the ocean was a deep turquoise. It is easy to see that this country is among the richest nations in the Middle East.


Palm trees edged against clear blue sky


Sitting by Al Corniche