Walking The Souq...
Doha’s Souq Waqif is a five-minute walk away from where I live. Yet, it took me close to three years to cover the distance. And when I did, a slice of Qatar’s history unfurled before my very eyes...
It was like starting at the beginning of time, to the time when Qatar was still very much an idea, in the corner of a thousand minds. It was like turning the pages of the book of history, swiftly from left to right, in breathtaking seconds of sudden realisations...
Mud brown brick buildings rose to kiss the sky, along the two sides of the stone-sown path. Well rounded pieces of teakwood played intricate games of hide and seek with the mud and brick structures. Candle lights, thinly veiled by multi-coloured glasses, painted the evening with different hues of faint colour.
The sky blushed a deep red of evening, reflecting off coloured sheesha glasses. Sweet scents of peaches and myrrh gathered form as wispy plumes of faint white smoke, rising and dissolving into the cold wintry evening. A thousand sandaled feet made rhythmic music on the stone paths, even as a hundred tongues spoke a multitude of languages, selling wares, dreams and more…
Cheeks touched cheeks and noses, noses, in the familiar routine of Middle Eastern familiarity. The faint aura of universal brotherhood hung in the Souq’s air…
When I woke from my trance, I found myself sitting amidst history, watching tradition blend seamlessly with modernity. People smoked scented hookahs, turned their heads, and surfed the World Wide Web. They sipped strong black teas, brewed together with centuries of knowledge, and conquered the distance barrier by speaking into their mobile phones…
How long does it take for a person to cover 300 metres? For me, it was almost three years. But if that was the price I had to pay for getting my first romantic feel of Doha’s Souq Waqif, I consider it as time and money well spent…
Truth hurts...
but inshalla we will change it & overcome all obstacles.It really frustrate me when people keep complaining about road works &blaming it fully on Ashgal, Qtel or kahramaa. Where there are other parties & issues involved and we barely can do anything about it...
It's at 25° 17.277'N , 51° 31.973'E ....
you can go to http://maps.google.com, and type souq waqif, doha, qatar... (or click here)
hey , can ne1 pls describe the location to reach souq ?
pride, you say:
"have you ever tried to solve a problem and found SOMEONE able to speak english."
I'll just say that they don't have to speak English. Would you say the same thing if you were in France? Germany? China?
Speaking English is something "extra" that some of the locals and Arabs do to help YOU understand what they're saying, it's not something for THEM, it's not progress!
If you count that as progress, I'm sure you think we should all celebrate Christmas and New Year.
I hate your truth, it's so sad and arrogant, and you need to change it.
wow greeker, you dont write much in QL but when you do, your writing is worth gold. I always love to read your threads. I love going to the souq waqif, i try and dine their once a week. Although i must admit the inclusion of the modern shops their spoil it a bit, but its still a great place to visit especially in winter.
your welcome Greeker!
your words speaks for itself anyway.^_^
Pride: It seems like arguments arent gonna get us anywhere. may your belief save you.
Bahraini: Thanks mate. I'll surely know who to get in touch with if i visit Bahrain. hehe.
Askme: Thank you for the nice words. I wish to visit the world too. At least now, i'll have the means to add 'eyes' to my observations. I just bought a new CAMERAAAAAA!
WOOHOOHOO!
Thanks again for the heads up, mates!
You have good sense of writing... turning mud, sand and brick into Gold.... Get out of Doha (Qatar) see around world... there are many beautiful place to see...
Greeker .. i was in the Souq last night with a nice group of friends .. god i love that place and the people
and u need to push a visit to bahrain in your busy schedule ;)
just give it an extended weekend .. like weekend + 2 days thats enough to fall in love with that tiny island of ours .. and will make u write something good i bet :)
pride - you posted on a public forum, I replied with my thoughts. That's how these things work. You're welcome to disagree with me and start a discussion, but don't tell me to keep my thoughts to myself, be they intelligent or not.
In hind sight I take back my generalisation about your opinion. I worded it badly. My point was that I know many people here who could easily go back at a moments notice; singles, couples and families. But they choose not to because they've made a nice life for themselves here.
I came here from a very enjoyable life in London, which I left behind along with my friends, family and job. I came for the money, but that alone is not enough to compensate for the sacrifices I made. I always said that if my life out here wasn't good then I'd leave.
Apart from people unfortunate enough to actually be kept here by their company (through passport retention, denial of exit VISA etc) or through lack of funds to buy a flight out, anyone who finds life here that bad could leave whenever they wanted to, regardless of the obstacles in the way. If your company sacked or demobilised you then you'd be out of here pretty sharpish regardless of your personal situation!
Don't get me wrong, I'm all to aware that this country is far from perfect and can be infuriating. But most of the time it isn't. And I found the UK to be bloody infuriating at times as well!
Finally I'd like to reiterate that I am truly sorry you have not found life here good. It must be hard to live somewhere that you hate so much. The money must be very, very good to make it worth sticking around!
but regarding the history issue, unfortunately I disagree with you. History, which I particularly love, is made of facts, wisdow, leadership, etc, things that I don't see happening here. Except for a islamic museum recently opened and a few universities (which I have not enough knowledge to speak if they are of good quality or not), what else is a signal of development for you? Roads permanently under work, terrible construction quality, low labor force with no human rights and being treated like slaves? or the EXCELLENT government services (it's a joke, ok?) like immigration, police dept., traffic dept. (this particularly drives me crazy, have you ever tried to solve a problem and found SOMEONE able to speak english, at least reasonably?). What they have here is just money, and cheap one, so they are trying to raise a country from sand and dust in 10 years.
So I don't feel like being part of any history or future, I just make my own history being here, but with that bitter taste of worthless, do you understand?
Sad but the truth, my truth.
First, piece of cake to register on QL, takes less than a minute, and considering how boring is living here, you can imagine free time is not a problem;
Second, of course money isn't everything, and I've been here for almost the same time as you, but please don't try to convince me that people stay here because they like it: most of them stay because they don't have a better option, this is the truth. Being here for years doesn't mean you like it. Speak for yourself if you like this crap, this makes me realize how different we are and the huge gap between our backgrounds;
And last but not least, i'm wrong on YOUR opinion, also don't generalize. You say go back, but you know is not easy to go back like that, there are many things involved (wife, school for the kids, job market depending on your profession). I won't tell you my life details, but in a nutshell, it's easy to change your life if you are single my friend. So please, keep your very intelligent thoughts to yourself ok?
I do find it amazing that someone can be so dissatisfied with being here that they go to the trouble of registering on QL, finding a thread that's vaguely relevant, and then writing out a mini-story about how bad it is here!
pride - Granted, most people came here for the opportunity to earn more money. But speaking for myself, I always said that if I didn't enjoy my life here I'd leave straight away - the money isn't everything. I've now been here 2.5 years so as you can see I'm very much enjoying being here. As are many, many people I know here.
So you're wrong in what you say, because I and many others are here by option. The extra money is nice, and that's why we came, but we could easily go back home tomorrow and live on what we used to earn if we wanted to. But we choose not to, cos life really isn't too bad here. I'm sorry you don't see it that way, but please don't generalise about all of us.
Andrews: Thank you for the comment. I always envied those people who could write poems. Through permutations and combinations, i learned that i was better at prose. I've stayed faithful ever since. Thanks again.
Bahraini83: I'm glad you liked what i wrote. I've never been to Bahrain before. I'd like to go there sometime. But thinking that it took me three years to go to the Souq, that may still be some time away. :)
Brutus: Thank you.
Pride: I'm staying here not because i dont have any options, but because i'm satisfied with what i have in Qatar. I'm a reasonable man who is happy with reasonable amenities and avenues for entertainment. I always believe that one has to be happy with what he has. I always try to look at the bright things and try not to curse about the hardships.
About this country not having any history, well, what can they do about it? Shouldn't you be happy and thankful that you're LIVING THROUGH history being made? Dont you get the feeling that this must have been how Europe felt when history was being made? I try to think that way. The Doha of the future is definitely going to be something else again. If you dont see that wider picture, then i'd say that you are seeing the trees, but not the forest...
Anyways, thank you for commenting on the article. I appreciate your feedback. And i saw that you're just a day old in QL. Welcome aboard, and hope you have a pleasent stay here.
But to be honest, you could do it about something else... Here in Doha, except for the qataris, there is no beauty to be admired. On my humble opinion I think, as time passes by, people have no other option, so they make an effort trying to like things here (the few ones, if you know what I mean). This place has no history (I mean real history like Europe, Asia, etc, not a 100 years old fortress in the middle of nowhere), no culture (theatres, decent cinemas, galleries), no greenery (parks, trees), only malls, shoppings and more shoppings! If you want to walk, you go to Villagio, help me God! Same they did with Souq Waqif, I don't doubt sooner you will see a McDonalds in there! Even sports, have you been to a football match? a shame to see just few guys only talking on their mobiles, as usual. If you go to Aspire, it's made for locals. And so on. I could write a book about it. But if you ask me, what am I doing here? The same as for the most of you expats... Money only. Was the better offer at that time. Please don't try to convince me you are here by option, like "I can't think of living in anywhere else...".
Teers!
Greeker nice piece man.. keep it up.
Cheers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Heard your wife left you,
How upset you must be.
But don't fret about it...
She moved in with me.
gr8 piece Greeker .. sounds like music .. perfectly describing the Souq
i was here in for some time until i decided to visit the Souq less than 3 years ;) ... my first visit was not at the proper time it was a bit late that it gave me a wrong impression about the place .. the second visit was just at the right time to make the Souq on my favourite places in doha.. but never will i be able to write such a wonderful description for that amazing place
thank u one more time .. loved reading the post
Nice article Greeker...cute like a Poem...
Jackmohan: I wish it were that simple. But i dont think I'm book-writing material at all. At least, not yet!
Eaglemmanuel: Thank you for being so kind. I appreciate it.
Salax85: Then do visit again soon. If you can feel the romance like i did, then your wait to go there would have been worth it as well.
Thexonic: It wasnt about the time taken to walk the distance, buddy. It was all about the time taken to DECIDE to walk the distance. :-)
Oryx: I bear no grudges against anybody. Maybe the person indeed was joking and I wasnt in the right frame of mind to see the joke in it. Nyways, received the good night kiss on time. But you'd better gimme another one just to dispel my doubts that it was real and not a dream.
:P
Blimey what a nutty troll.... well you keep writing... i love your pieces...
i just came from the souq...i love sitting down there and chatting with chums
night time kiss xxxxxxxxxx
it took me less than half an hour, why did it take u 3 years?
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Lebanon... the love of my soul!
guyzz!! there s enough war gng on in world....!!!!
******No PaIn JuSt GaIn******
you can never please everybody :D what the heck,
a great piece indeed... keep it up :)
Excellent piece, Greeker. ;0)
*****************************************
Don't want no drama,
No, no drama, no, no, no, no drama
Greeker....great write up...
Greeker just print the articles you have written on QL, bind it and hand it over to a publisher....and your book is ready.
Your stuff is great.
Ok Greeker, but the write up is nice too..
Flyer, I think u need to see a shrink
I dream of a better tomorrow where Chickens can cross the Road without having their motives questioned - Unknown
lovely pix...
I should confess that the picture isn't mine. I googled it off the internet. I still don't have a camera. But thanks for the comment anyway.
Jigsaw; Thank you. You're very kind.
Tall: I'm sad that this thread had to be controversial too. Thanks for the support.
Oryx: The goodmorning kiss arrived a little too late (it was evening by the time i read about it), but its highly appreciated all the same. ENCORE, i say, hehe.
Flyer: I dont wanna say anything. But please, dont mistake my silence as my weakness. (Nopes, its not a threat or anything, just a plea not to make me say things that I might regret later).
ironic having such a nickname someone with such old thoughts... But this is Doha, driving people crazy! Now I see myself chasing ghosts, instead of taking a nice nap on my sofa... What a lack of normal life (greenery, parks, bars, good cinemas, cultural stuff) makes with a man! Now I understand the concept of prison!
Nice read Greeker and a neat snap to summarize it. Good job!
I dream of a better tomorrow where Chickens can cross the Road without having their motives questioned - Unknown
wouldn't you love to be born in "Sandwich Islands"? Use your imagination, open your mind and think of how many possibilities for you just being from there... Damn sure we are not from the same country! You don't need to answer, but I bet you must be from one of this 3 nationalities: british, aussie or american, caught you? Only english people (ok, germans sometimes) have a bad sense of humor. No offense but...
P.S.: I promised to myself not answer you anymore, but you keep provoking, or better, giving the chance!
I said maybe, don't smile so early, I can see from here... Next time when I joke, I will finish saying "I was kidding" so you guys don't take so serious. But what to do, after coming to Doha I really figured out how different we people are... not better or worse, just different... Like a Babel Tower, we will never understand each other... You see, now I look like entering this "gay talk", this seems to be contagious... Just kidding!
Hasta la vista baby!
[mod note: Saying "I was kidding" would not have excused what you said. It's still insulting. That's just like saying "No offense but" before you go on to offend someone.
I doubt you and I are as different as you think. I would not be surprised if we are from the same country. I'm not from Qatar, just like you are not from 'South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands'.]
yeah, you are absolutely right: I didn't "grasp" the concept because how can someone be impartial without having the proper judgement? In a basic discussion forum like QL, like thousands of others around the net, except for foul language, what makes your decision to remove something or not? what you do is just discourage people to express their thoughts, even if sometimes looks odd. But come on, this is the fun behind a forum for me, you feel like in a pub, with your old or new friends, just throwing out words. But keep doing your excellent job. Because I just go to the pub from time to time, but you look like willnever get sober again...
[mod note: See the QL Community Guidelines for reasons why things get removed; http://www.qatarliving.com/guidelines Point 2 probably covers why your comment that was deleted. You thought it was funny. We thought it was insulting.]
Wow! How did someone manage to cause controversy in a thread as harmless as this!
Greeker - keep writing like you do. It's what we've come to love and know you for.
I was just making a joke, and I'm enough man to come and say i'm sorry, ok? But what made me really angry was some MOD smart deciding what is right or not, because I didn't put any foul language, as far as I'm concerned. But never mind, this is just for me to see that I'm wasting my time with QL, in the end just a bunch of red necks trying to play by the rules, if you know what I mean.
who gave you the power to decide what is funny or not? leave my words and let the others make the decision, and THEM I accept. And I don't need any search to see what was discussed or not. But, as I can easily predict where you came from, I can understand why you don't see any fun... poor you!
[mod note: You seem not to grasp the concept of what a moderator is. The whole point is that they have been given the power to decide what stays and what goes in the forum.]
Sir Flyer,
I write according to my style. If you don't like it, well, then i accept your judgement. But i shall not change my style of writing. Its something which i acquired over the years. About embarassing male audience... well, you're the first person who ever said that. I dont think its an accurate judgement. If you strongly feel so, YOU go and write articles which do not embarass them.
I shall be happy to read the 'macho' stuff and comment you for it.
All others, TallG, Oryx and others, thank you for your kind comments.
Greeker
Greeker dat was da most beautiful article i have ever read on QL....wow!!!
******No PaIn JuSt GaIn******
[mod note: We're happy to have those sorts of topics discussed on QL, despite them being illegal in Qatar. Do a search and you'll see it's been discussed many times before. However, we wont tolerate unprovoked rudeness and insults directed at other members. Perhaps you thought it was funny. It wasn't.]
just wait 'till the area targetted by Qatar Foundation materializes...
though i'm doubting if some of us will still be here to witness that...
a pleasant good AM to all :)
They could make the McD's arches out of swords, like the big arch on Grand Hamad St :-P
now, it makes me real curious on how a typical McDonalds motiff will blend in harmony with that of the traditional arab motiffs' encompassing the entirety of the place?
any guess??
Good on you Oryx. Unfortunately the franchises in the souq seem very popular though, especially with the locals. I guess that's what they want. We should place bets on when MacDonalds will appear there.
Ohhh Greeker what a lovely piece of writing to wake up to.... wonderful - big morning kiss to you xxx
TallG you make a valid point... I do not patronise franchises that dont contribute something to the ambience of the souq. Khallas that easy... they should never have been allowed..if all the places were like that it would be an outdoor mall.
My favourite is the Yemeni one....
great sheesh shah
great bread
great dessert
great service
Nice article Greeker. Beautiful writing as always.
Did you stop at that most historic and romantic place called Haagen Dazs? I believe that originally that was the only store in the area, and over the decades the souq slowly built up around it ;p
Thank you for your valuable comment. I appreciate it. And thanks again!
for a while, maybe we had the same state of being...
being a person seeing the place arrises from the ruins of the not so olden past, those of the old buildings who'd in one way or another been part of the memories of my early stays in doha...i could'nt help but remember the days now well burried in memories.
adding more to that, i had frequented the place for some time during its construction stages and could'nt help but wonder what could ever more exciting to come out from the old ruins...
and as it goes, when the euphoric state of excitement finally diminishes... i found myself staying away from the place, the very place that as you had said, is only few minutes walk away.
when was the last time, did i finally muster a desire to revisit... only few months ago.
and the feelings was... you had said well enough, need i say more. ;)
You really got a moment with Qatar's essence there Greeker. It just proves that there are things that even at close distance, you can't even realize its existence.
At least you never miss it in a lifetime, it only takes three years.hehehe
When i read you post, I also imagined myself back when I first came to Souq waqif. Despite the diverse of the individuals where i walk its hallway.you can still feel the brilliance that composed the structures and the culture that wraps around it.