Living in Qatar

Gonna leave Doha soon.. Besides reading a few pages from "The Alchemy", upload something via flickr and write some stuff on this blog, basically; I'm doing nothing here. My productivity is so low; mainly because of severe flu,cold and cough for three weeks.

Now, recovering, I'm thinking (still not "doing") of writing some essential part of my work - local plan study for Tampin.; strategy and analysis, the steps to be taken for Tampin as "green city" objective.. phew..

But now; A NOTE about Doha before my farewell .. Some of the things that I like here -



A REALLY-REALLY fresh fish for the day. This hamour (kerapu) is angry because hubby scaled him alive! (Doha used to be a fishing port; this "heritage" is maintain by the government - by giving a fisherman chances to sell direct their catch early morning and night at Doha Corniche - jetty photo)


















I like it when my daughter eat a lot.. this is the only time mummy's cooking.. he he (one of the photo is at restaurant.. notice the bread and the salads.. yummy)





















Hari raya Eidul Adha - the only time me and hubby celebrates raya together; and cook something for his friends here. Sembahyang raya performed at Malaysian Embassy, Doha, Qatar

And eating Iran crepe at Souq Iran -(yes, there is Souq Iran in Doha) - a lempeng, covered with egg, honey and cheese - a really tasty food..(maybe blog about Souq Iran and the creep later..)

...and without flu/cold/cough maybe I kinda like the winter here (8 - 14 deg C)

and of course, my fulfillment of a wife duty..

Alhamdulillah, syukur atas kurnia ALLAH SWT padaku..

Kampungku@Aur Gading

Sungai Tanum, mengalir di hadapan rumahku... (gambar semasa air jernih)

Sejuk Doha 12 deg; tiba-tiba mengingatkanku pada kampung di Kuala Lipis Pahang. Berada di pertengahan Semenanjung; dengan hutan tropika; dengan jalan tanah merah (hmm.. dah 2 tahun jalan tar kecil); antara komen yang pernah didengar :
Kata mertuaku - Naik gunung turun gunung dok sampai-sampai lagi
Kata anakku - I got a weird mum - "are u from same planet with us" bcoz this place uniquely UNREAL
Kata seseorang - Ke London, Paris, Beijing, tak sangka kampung mu sehulu ini
Kata suamiku - sekuntum mawar merahku di hutan rimba - patutlah susah nak dapat.. hemm

Pulang ke kampung setiap kali..

Di pendalaman dengan sungaiku
.. yang terkial-kial cuba menahan kesuciannya..
merenung airnya yang sekejap keruh,
sekejap jernih berlumpur..
melihat sinar mata ibuku, menyalami tangan gerutu kusam ayahku..
ROHku terasa kekenyangan
Rohaniku seperti tersiram air kehidupan
Merasai kegembiraan keduanya
Mengusik cucu cerewetnya..
yang sentiasa SEGAN untuk menapak pada kotor tanah dan pecahnya simen rumah
Ya ALLAH.. ku mohon pada mu kekuatan untuk setiap kali kembali
meneruskan perjalanan lebih lapan jam ini...
untuk membina sedikit bahagia dunia ini..
mencari redha ibubapaku.. ....
moga dengannya..
membawa pada REDHAMU..

Damascus - Brief History

Damascus has 4 million or 6.5 million population including sub-urbs.
We only manage to wander around at Ancient city Damascus, the site mark as Unesco World Heritage Site. This area, built between 5000BC, and recorded after inhibited by the Aramean (zaman Nabi Ibrahim, Nabi Yahya, Nabi Musa dan Nabi Isa - wallahualam). It is recorded, after khalifah-ar-Rasyidin, Damsyik is the capital for Ummayyad reign (Ummayah), where the first proper and the most beautiful mosque at that time has been build, functioning also as learning centre, culture and surrounded by commercial activities.

Inside Umayyad Mosque, with "Makam Nabi Yahya" at the background

Important notes (if you interested in world history)
- inhibited by Jewish - before 4000BC (wallahualam)
- Roman era - captured by Alexander The Great - around 300BC
- Site of Ptolemy empire's (Alexander's general) and lots of war until early 1st century
- Roman Empire - start building the fortress eg city wall etc.. Bab Toma (still exist today and Christian Orthodox still lived in this neighbourhood). Early city planning by Roman architects.
- conquered by Khaled Al Walid in Umar reign - the 2nd Khalifah-Ar Rasyidin (634).
- Capital of Ummayad Empire - where it reach its glory (Umayyad mosque built by Al Walid)
- Ruled from Baghdad (Abbasyid Empire-khalifah Abbasyiah) after 750
- Ruled by Fatimid Empire, Seljuks, between 900 - late 11th century
- Saladin Al Ayubi (Salahuddin) 1160an until his death 1193. Another glory era for Damshiq - Perang Salib - The crusader - (i admitted, have limited knowledge, and still reading and studying about this). "During the time of Saladin, Damascus welcomed seekers of knowledge and industrious youth from around the world, who arrived for the sake of "undistracted study and seclusion" in Damascus' many colleges."
- Ottoman (Turkey)Empire from early 1516 until early 1900, 400 years of reign, the last muslim caliph..
- Modern era - British, Sultan, etc..(after 1900)
my note - still reading and searching for "nabi dan rasul - link with Dataran Sham (termasuk Jordan, Israel, Lebanon sekarang)" since a lot of them "diturunkan" di bumi bertuah penuh sejarah ini..

One of the purpose of muhajir in Islam - at the end we understand how small and insignificance we are in this world.. "ia meruntuhkan ego, ujub atau riak" InsyaALLAH..
-Kamu tidak diberikan pengetahuan kecuali sedikit-

Flu@Post-Damshiq

Today, my flu is worsening.. again.
my heart shaken.. like never before..
Like usual, if i just lay down - do nothing.. a lot of memories of my life reflected in..
I remember the old passage we pass through in old Damshiq, in cold winter night, and again in the morning, after wondering why so many people come from one of the Bab (doors from Old Damascus City fortress - there are 7 or 8 of them).. Bab Faradis - (actually they were Syiah Pilgrims back from Fajr prayer).

I remember the tired looking wall, with 1400 years old memories,
who has rub shoulder through it.. who has lean the bicycle on it..
who has spit on it, even urinate on it, and who has sleep and eat inside its comfort..

I also remember playing alone under the coconut trees.. somewhere in Kg Kedai Buloh when I was seven years old.. try to locate "kutu tanah" with the hints of tiny "pan-shape-hole" sand;
the bigger the shape, the bigger the creature might be..
and when i found it; I just stare at it, tossed it around - the poor sand flea..
until it get exhausted, before i let it go..

is that what happen to me right now?

Damshiq Scribbles - part 2

Our hotel situated within 5 minutes walk to Old City Damascus.. It is not cheap.. 3/4 star hotel with USD 130 per night.. BTW, USD is widely acceptable in Syria.. I prefer the hotel location, and because of my planner's background, I plan to walk, to feel the town, people and their life..

Damascus (or Damshiq) listed as one of UNESCO World Heritage site (Malacca and Penang also included recently). Hmm.. I will not scribbles about the history, geography etc.. Wikipedia have done a good job on that..

We check-in at 3.00 am, (paid for full night!!), and in the morning wake up by the nice view of Damascus Old City (photo shows actual view from hotel) . Word cannot describe it.. the city looks old, tired but keep stood still!.. It is full with minaret and basically built with old bricks (from mud plus sand). The hotel situated in the middle of morning market (or daily? it is open from 5 am and still running until 11 pm!!)- "Souq Al Har" with fresh vegetable, fruits, daily needed items - clothes, shoes.. patronised by locals and tourist alike. (It looks like pasar malam in Malaysia)

We walk towards Al-Hamidiyeh Souk, in early winter morning - 10 am, where the busy street start alive. The Syrian people, most of them look poor, sell everything on the streets.. old clothes, winter jackets (hubby bought one - 15000 SYP - about RM150), cheap dolls and toys, real telephone and dummy handphone, scarf, fresh drinks direct squeeze from lemons or pomegranates (delima), home made table clothes, silk and cotton, and so on. Hubby mentioned about their patient and calm faces, accepted whatever fate given to them, whatever "rezeki" given by ALLAH swt to them..

The childrens also sell something.. from magnet-plastic-fruits to pirates CD.. it disturbed me a lot.. are they schooling? where is their parents? Most of the teenagers also wandering around.. may be I am exaggerate because this is school holiday.. The old city is still inhabited and this children might come from the upper floor house of old building - spreads in the city.. One thing for sure, even if they are loathing around, they did not steal or snatch, cheat, bother or interfere with the tourists (they did not stare at female tourist either!), not even smile at us..

Damshiq surprisingly one of the safest city in the world! But then politically or unwillingly not formally listed, but mentioned in lot of travel notes.. Our experience here prove it. One of our "scary" night was being approach by a group of Syrian teenagers asking where we are..(it is 8.00 pm at night, we were alone at one of hundred small passage in Damshiq old city, with dark and scary centuries old building everywhere...). Apparently they just want to ensure we know our location.

Photo shows the hot drinks seller (tea, coffee, milo) and Allysa in front of Old City (notice the street-seller items at the left, and teenagers wandering at the back - next to Salahuddin statue).

Damshiq Scribbles, Syria - part 1

Back in Doha again...
For Eid Adha holiday, we went to Syria for a short visit. It is a pleasant surprise holiday, unplanned event. Hubby thought he wont get any leave, but his co-officer; the white South African suddenly having problems with his christmas-leave, so hubby have a chance to have a week holiday.. Damascus is chosen.. it is a bless land, holy land.. the ruins of town of Salah Uddin Al ayubi..

We went to Damascus with GulfAir flight, one of the cheapest flight operator in middle-east.. together with Lisa. Damascus is so cold, I think it's temperature below 5 deg C!! My flu is worsening.. Arriving at 2.30 am, I planned of roaming in the city for early breakfast, but what happen is.. it is just soo cold, the airport temperature is 2-4 deg C!!, we have to find a place to hibernate...

Earlier in the flight, from Doha to Bahrain full with Nepalese and other South Asian nation, with their weird smell, a big size baggage and maximum size hand luggage.. we beg the airport officer to get us through first.. lucky Allysa is still consider child..family first rules help sometimes..

From Bahrain to Damascus, the air suddenly change, everybody greeted us with Salam.. and said "fodhol" maybe mean "silakan" or you go first.. smiling face is around..
Its kind or strange because i thought the Arabian are always rude and ego (sorry.. from experience) and it is inapplicable to the Syrian..

The taxi driver drove us to our hotel, in a quiet 30 km road to Damascus.. (the road actually packed in the daylight, but alhamdulillah Ok at 2.30 am..). Row of yellowed pine trees greeted us in the moonlight, and we can see Damascus metropolitan with 4-6 million inhabitants.. spread out until Anti-Lebanon Mountains..sheltered from Mediterranean sea..

The immortal Damascus.. she has seen all that ever occurred on earth and she still lives.. (wrote by Mark Twain)..

Damascus - claimed as the oldest CONTINUOUSLY inhabited city in the world.. interesting subject for a town planner..

Damascus - from Jabal Qassion

Doha - CityCentre jam-mania

This is my first post on town planning issues -

Urban planners normally deals with urban planning needed for the people comfort and efficient life.. Thus it is a BIG objective.. normally UTOPIA.. and UNACHIEVABLE.. but who can achieve everything in this life..??

Back to the topic.. last night me and my husband "crawling" in the traffic jam, from our rented house which is less than 5 km from Doha (Qatar) City Centre to catch a show.. Quantum of Solace.. James Bond latest film..for 8.45 pm show..

I dont mind if it is working day, morning or evening rush because it is inevitable.. But at Friday night... with surprisingly not many cars..! We finally manage to get a parking spot outside the building... We were lucky.. because the traffic jam continue onto the parking level..

Everything Under Construction

WHAT A WORST TRAFFIC PLANNING it is!!! the road surrounding CityCentre Shopping Mall is always "close and open" everywhere and everytime at the wrong place.. last time it is finished, today it is being re-tar, re build etc..

Doha new town centre - ever expanding; notice the number of cranes!!

Almost 80-90% building are under construction

It is the facts that the Doha new town centre was under heavy construction, so many buildings..
who will occupy it in few years time? and for what business/purpose?.. maybe Dubai Model of development inspire the authority.. The economic theory of development, supply and demand seems not applicable in the middle east and it worsen by current economic crisis.

The traffic jam mean inefficient planning, higher car usage (no public transport around except a few taxis), failure to predict the growth of car, population and customer to this commercial centre - claimed as one of the biggest shopping mall in Qatar-Mid East.. The main reason is actually the lack of integration and inability to forecast the future construction works which will obstruct the traffic in short term and medium term..

Well for me and my husband - if not because of the show timing is suitable for us... after Isyak pray, after dinner and after grocery shopping at Carrefour.. In future, we will try to avoid this place.

A bad sign for another Dubai-to-be city..

A Thousand Splendid Suns

A Thousand Splendid Suns - buku terbaru karya Khaled Hosseini

Saya tertarik membaca buku ini setelah membaca "The Kite Runner"..
Agak tebal, tidak dapat dihabiskan sepanjang flight ke Doha.. dengan kebisingan tangisan anak-anak Arab dan sakit hati melihat seorang Islam dari Midd-East yang tanpa segan-meminum wiski..

Buku ini menovelkan penderitaan 2 orang wanita Afghanistan - Maryam dan Laila.. dari dua generasi, latarbelakang dan pendidikan yang berbeza. Pengarangnya mengaitkan sejarah Afghanistan dari zaman beraja awal 60an, Soviet 1980an sehingga Taliban 1990an- kesemuanya selama lebih 3 dekad, dengan latarbelakang pergolakan politik Afghanistan. Pengarang menukilkan bagaimana mereka menjalani hidup di setiap zaman dengan kesukaran, emosi, penderitaan, kasih sayang dan kesilapan-kesilapan yang dilakukan oleh manusia dalam mencapai sesuatu yang didambakan (sound familiar.. hmm).

Saya tidak ingin mengulas pandangan penulis mengenai politik/pemerintahan tersebut.. kerana beliau sekarang menetap di US.. anda harus membaca latarbelakang pengarangnya, untuk mengetahui latarbelakang perspektif atau pandangan seseorang mengenai sesuatu.. tidak perlu bias... berlapang dada sentiasa.

Novel ini.. kebanyakannya membawa kesedihan dan keinsafan..
- begitu sukar menjadi wanita di Afghanistan..penderitaan dan pengalaman mereka "exceptional"
- taraf hidup, kebangsawanan dan kekayaan memisahkan manusia
- gadis muda dipaksa berkahwin orang tua, bermadu, duduk serumah
- dipukul, dihina, dinafikan hak berpendidikan
- it is a very gripping tale.. on female suffering and endurance
- disebalik semua itu.. Maryam merasakan dia bahagia dan diberkati.. Masya ALLAH..
- bagaimana akhirnya keadaan menyatukan hati yang berlainan
- saya berharap lebih ramai lelaki membacanya, kekejaman sebenarnya hanya dilakukan insan tidak bermaruah.. "loser"..

Ia mengajar sedikit sebanyak realiti kehidupan di Timur Tengah, sifat lelaki terutamanya.. hmm..tidak terkejut nanti diLAYAN seperti 2nd Class citizen... contohnya - penat kita que untuk confirm tiket, tok arab potong que, buat tak nampak je..kalau sekadar baris 10 min ok, ni dah sejam!!

Saya jua belajar memahami kenapa wanita dari sini kurang senyum...walaupun mungkin kurang tepat telahannya sekurang-kurangnya saya berlapang dada.. dan menerima dengan hati terbuka "pandangan pelik" sekumpulan jemaah haji wanita dari "Gujerat" semasa solat di surau Airport Bahrain.. 10 minit saya senyum, barulah makcik-makcik membalas senyuman..

Sesungguhnya ALLAH menjadikan kita berbangsa-bangsa supaya saling mengenali, dan menyedari besarnya KekuasaanNya.. Novel ini membuka perspektif pandangan saya terhadap dunia sebelah sini.. agar lebih memahami dan "tolerate" dengan perlakuan manusia sehaari-hari..

"kita tidak diberikan ilmu kecuali sedikit"

Alhamdulillah..

Ini bukan kali pertama percubaan menulis di alam siber.
Ini sudah cubaan ke 4, bermula 2005..

semuga kali ini ia sukses..

dan menjadi sekecil-kecil usaha sebagai bekalan di akhirat kelak..
sukar untuk menulis permulaan..
cuba untuk mengawal diri..
dari menulis caca merba dan menjatuhkan air muka sendiri
atau menulis dengan bagusnya lalu bangga dengan hasil nukilan sendiri

Ya ALLAH yang Maha Besar, Lagi Luas Nikmatnya..
Ku pohon padamu kekuatan untuk...
..tidak melencong
..tidak ujub
..masukkan rasa tawadduk
..rasa pemerhatianmu terhadap apa jua yang kulakukan
..lindungilah hambamu ini dari pengaruh dan gangguan syaitan
samada dari atasku, dari bawahku
dari kananku dan dari kiriku,
dari hadapanku dan dari belakangku
..dalam setiap langkah dan tulisanku
ameen ya rabbal alamin

dengan lafaz

bismillah hirrahmanirrahim.