A Real Yard

When we arrived, our entry space was barren...a great expanse of bricks with nothing to break it up. Very hot in the summer sun and not all that inviting. I must admit, all that has changed. Jeff found a gardener, Kalim, and he and his helpers performed a small miracle in a single day. We went from solid bricks to green spendor! Hopefully all will survive over the winter when it is cooler and have a good start before the heat comes again.

We have 3 trees that will provide shade for our car and our living area out there. We have a table and chair, with umbrella, coming and Jeff has plans for a barbecue. We'll be ready for outdoor living....at least when it is cool.

Dhow Trip 2

Voyages out in the harbor at night are a bit different from the day. For a start it's much cooler - the setting sun and darkening sky sends promises of cooler weather. The dhow, cruising through the bay, creates its own breeze, keeping things cooler for all aboard. The open top - shunned by many in the heat of the day, was welcomed by all as a great, comfortable spot to sit, visit and enjoy a night away from reports, computers and never ending stacks of papers.
The skyline at Doha is in continuous development. People who have been here for years have memories of a flat, horizontal skyline of the city - (check out the sand dune with trees view) now it is filled with unique hi-rise towers being built for...??? Hmm....no one is sure of the answer to that...has someone already purchased the space? Are they hoping that if they build, someone will come? Are they competing with Dubai (their skyline is very similar...and very tall). We have dozens of buildings in the process of being completed - a crane skyline at the moment, though the cranes are mercifully hidden in the nighttime view.

Tribeca Film Festival

The Tribeca Film Festival was founded to celebrate New York - at least part of an area of New York, after 9/11. The purpose was to support small and international film producers, a place where thousands could come together to view films from around the world. This year, they brought it to Doha.
Jeff, being the movie-goer, eagerly purchased tickets with our neighbor, Roeland, to view as many films as possible. I managed to join them for a few of them, though I admit, not many. They were interesting, some short clips, other longer, generally well done with a wide variety sources and settings. This particular festival included a lot of producers from the Middle East. They had some pretty outstanding films.

The pictures are, again, of the museum you've seen before....this time in startling blue - a wonderful background for the films.