Villagio Fire

Devastation hits popular Villagio Mall leaving 19 dead...

 Read the Tribune's report here.

Sending out my heartfelt condolences to all that have been affected by this tragedy and utmost respect for those that courageously responded.

Will the REAL Qatari Women...

please stand up!

A write up on the Sydney Morning Herald Website caused quite a stir a few days ago amongst locals and expats alike. After reading the article, the takeaway would be that Qatari women are sequestered in a faraway cave with no technology or Louis Vuitton at their disposal. No shopping, no phones?  Really now.  Totally laughable to ANYONE living in or visiting Qatar. If anyone is missing out on the SHOPPING Qatari women or the  BLACKBERRY devices growing out of their ears, a trip to the ophthalmologist is most assuredly in order. Newsflash, even though shopping and mobiles seem to take up quite a bit of their time, their engineering degrees take up more.  Get real, people.

The writer at the SMH has his vision of Qatari women, but I have another.  The realistic one...

Please feel free to go to the comment section at the Sydney Morning Herald to put in your 2QR.

Read responses from Miran Hosny's in Global Voices and Shabina Khatri in Doha News with added twitter reactions from locals and expats.

To read or leave comments, please click on the comments link below. Thanks!

La Dolce Vita ~ The Sweet Life

I've been mentally checked out of Doha a few months now. Pretty sure it was an auto defense mechanism that kicked in to make the transition from the sweet life I've had these past five years easier. No mental investment, no loss. It's how I operate. It's not intentional, it just is. One caveat, though, awesome friends that are dragging me out and throwing me right back into the middle of things, experiencing a little of Doha that I hadn't already

...which brings me to a mini review of La Dolce Vita Italian Restaurant at Souq Waqif.

I didn't go prepared to review the place, I was too busy guffawing it up with one of our Italiano dinner mates. Yes, Angelo, learned to eat from his Sicilian grandmother who didn't let him off easy. The barely adult man, I swear, ate one of everything while kissing his closed tipped fingers with "magnifico" being spewed after every other bite. Ok, that may be a slight exaggeration, but it's the testament of how authentic the "Italian-ness" of this eatery was. It all began with the perfect Italian hostess/waitress/manager, Juliana and Angelo exchanging pleasantries, we think, in their native language. Oh, to be an Italian fly on the wall.  Thinking back, they were no doubt excoriating me for my heavy handed pepper grinding over my pumpkin ravioli, which apparently no respected Italian would do.  Another strike against the loud American.  Anyway, just suffice to say if you want a night out and feel like you've escaped the sand pit and landed in the middle of Tuscany, La Dolce Vita is the place to head. Word: make sure you like your pasta "al dente", which was a great concern to Juliana, as she repeated it to each guest individually. I'll take authentic pasta any way I can get it. Bring it on. Buon appetito!

I realize that I have failed you with no pics of the restaurant or food. Instead, you get some authentic Doha Souq Waqif. What can I say?

To read or leave comments, please click on the comments link below. Thanks!

Drum Roll....Jeep For Sale :(

It's a sad day at the Knox Villa.

  The Jeep has got to go ~ Can't take it with me  

2008 JEEP WRANGLER SAHARA 4 X 4

Engine/Transmission:  3.8L V6 ~ Automatic

Mileage:  33,000 km

Full Option w/o Navigation System: A/C (duh), CD player with Aux (iPod) jack, 18" alloy wheels, fog lamps

Aftermarket Additions:

~KC lights: 2x6" long range, 2.8" driving, windshield/bumper bar mounts

~Stone guards for head/tail lamps, mesh radiator guard

~Quick disconnects for doors, hardtop

~Premium titanium window tint

~All weather floor mats

EXPAT OWNED ~ (another duh)

All this for...

Price:  70,000QR

But wait, there's more!  Sorry, got carried away.  Billy Mays (RIP) was running through my head.

Email:  sknox40@aol.com

Phone: 6689 6613

To read or leave comments, please click on the comments link below. Thanks!