Bilar och moskeer Cars and Mosques

I Qatar finns det som sagt inte sa mycket kollektivtrafik. Daremot finns det manga bilar. Stora bilar. Bensinen kostar tva kronor litern och det kors mycket bil. Speciellt pa sommaren nar det ar valdigt varmt och en helst vill stanna inne i bilens behagliga AC-klimat, da undviker en helst att ga, aven om det sa bara ar nagra meter. 

Nagot som det ocksa finns manga av i detta land ar moskeer. I princip 100 % av landets lokala befolkning qatarierna ar muslimer. Mer eller mindre praktiserande. Nagra exakta siffror ar svara att hitta. Den muslimska befolkningen blir ocksa vasentligt storre om vi aven lagger till alla muslimska gastarbetare. Manga muslimska araber fran Mellanostern och Nordafrika, manga indiska muslimska byggjobbare osv.

Dessa tva aspekter av Qatar forenas pa bensinstationernadar det gar att be i bensinstationsmosken medans servicepersonalen tar hand om bilen.

Vart annars om inte i Qatar?

Bensinstation med moske. Petrol station with Mosque facilities.

As mentioned earlier, there is not a lot of public transportation in Qatar. But, there are lots of cars. Big cars. The petrol/gas is cheap and there's a lot of car driving going on. Especially in summer time when it is very hot and you rather stay inside the comfy climate of the AC car than walking outside, even if it is only for a few meters. 

Something there's also a lot of in this country are mosques. Basically 100% of the local population the Qataris are Muslims. More or less practicing. Exact numbers are difficult to find. The Muslim population takes a much larger number if we add all the Muslim guest workers. Especially the Muslim Arabs from The Middle East, North Africa and the Muslim Indian laborers building this country.

These two aspects comes perfectly together in the Petrol stations where you may go for prayer as the service staff is taking care of your car.

Where else if not in Qatar?

Tradgardsdrommar Garden Dreams

En av fordelarna med att bo i denna delen av varlden ar att det ar ett (milt sagt) annorlunda klimat an hemma. Har har jag sett manga olika vaxter och blommor har som jag aldrig traffat pa forut. 

Vissa av dem kampar emot i varmen och vaxer dar de kanner for det (se bilden), andra ar importerade och far halla till godo med platsen de far (till exempel palmtraden).

One of the good things living in this part of the world is that it is, mildly speaking, a different climate than at home. I have seen many kind of flowers and plants that I have never seen before. Some of them are fighting the heat and grow where they feel like doing it, see the picture. Others are imported and has to grow where they are asked to do it (as the palm trees).

En uppstickare mitt i byggdammet. A brave one in  the construction dust.

 Vi gor aven forsok till att odla hemma. Melonkarnorna hann knappt komma i jorden fore de grodde och skjot ivag! Nu har jag lart mig att faglarna gillar spada tomatplantor sa de far komma in ett slag, plantorna alltsa...

We're also trying to grow some stuff at home. The seeds from the melon barely touched the soil until they eagerly came up. Also I have learnt that the birds like fresh tomato plants, so the pot had to come inside for a while.

Pigga melonskott! Only a few days old!

Doha singers!

Nar jag kom till Qatar hade jag hittat en kor som jag ville sjunga med. Sagt och gjort, den 21 januari var jag pa forsta ovningen och gillade det fran start!Vi har ovat i den amerikanska skolan (att ga in dar kanns som att kliva ratt in i en amerikansk high school film!). I torsdags hade vi var avslutning och konsert, aven den pa den amerikanska skolan. Det har gatt fort och varit valdigt roligt. Blir sa glad av att sjunga! Vissa sanger var riktigt utmanande och mitt sopranregister har utokats, hehe! Roligt var det och de lokala tidningarna har skrivit positiva recensioner.

When I arrived to Qatar, there was a choir which I wanted to join. And so it happened, the 21st of January was my first rehearsal and I liked it from the start! We have been rehearsing in the American School Doha (stepping inside feels like walking straight into an American High school movie!) Last Thursday was the final occasion and the concert for this semester, also that one in the American School. Time has flown and I have enjoyed a lot. Singing makes me happy! Some songs were especially challenging and I have sung soprano tunes I did not know I was able to ;-). But very fun and the local newspapers have written positive reviews.

You can find one of them here:

Har ar en av recensionerna, i nojesbilagan Qatar Tribune:

http://www.qatar-tribune.com/data/20130513/pdf/chillout.pdf

Pa jobbet 2 At Work 2

En liten uppfoljning av mitt forra inlagg angaende mitt jobb har i Doha. I dagarna har en intervju med mig publicerats pa Goteborgs universitets hemsida. Om mitt jobb, vad jag gor dar osv. Jag lankar sa kan ni kolla in hela artikeln. Bilden med nagra av "mina" studenter och mig - nu i hijabversion!!

En universitetskatt som skippar forelasningarna. A university cat which does not care to attend the lectures.

This post is a follow up from my previous one from work. An interview about me has been published by University of Gothenburg from where I graduated a few years ago. Questions about my work, what I do etc. I'm afraid it is only in Swedish but please check in the picture with the students and me - hijabi version!!

Klicka pa lanken for att hitta intervjun:
Click on the link to find the interview:

http://www.hum.gu.se/aktuellt/Nyheter/fulltext//studievagledare-i-qatar.cid1170062

I vantan pa sparvagnen Waiting the Tram

Ja, det tar en stund innan sparvagnen kommer. Narmare bestamt sisadar fyra till tio ar (svart att veta hur det gar) (Hallandsasen, host, host!). Det finns planer pa en metro som skall knyta samman Doha och aven i ett senare skede forlangas till den mindre orten Al Khor i norra delen av landet. Forhoppningen ar att det hela skall vara klart till VM i fotboll som planeras till 2022.

Yes, it will take a while until the tram is coming. Maybe four to ten years, difficult to say. There are plans for a metro system to connect the different parts of Doha and also later other parts of the country. As the small city Al Khor in the northern part of the country to be connected to the southern parts. The system is planned  to be in service in time for the Football World Cup 2022.

I vantan pa sparvagnen kan vi snegla mot "kusinen" Dubai. Dar finns redan ett metrosystem fran flygplatsen och till flera delar av staden. Nar jag var pa kort visit passade jag pa att ta bilder av metroskyltar och metrobanan. Jag saknar ju mina sparvagnar!

While waiting for the tram. we may have a look at the "cousin" Dubai. There is already a metro system in service from the airport to several parts of the city. I took some pictures of the metro signs and the metro system when I was in Dubai for a short visit. I do miss my trams at home!

Om en inte vill aka metron (av nagon outgrundlig anledning!) sa finns det aven taxi saklart. For damer finns det ladies taxi! Kolla in hur forarnas outfit matchar bilarna!

And if you, for any weird reason (!), don't want to use the metro, there is of course taxis. And there is Ladies Taxi for the Ladies! Check out how the ladies outfit matches the cars!

Ett litet horn av Kashmir A piece of Kashmir

I Qatar finns det manniskor och varor fran varldens alla horn. I en liten butik inte sa langt fran dar vi bor saljs det handgjorda saker producerade av kvinnor i Kashmir. Helt otroligt skickligt sytt, malat, snidit och snickrat. 

Om det ar nagot ni vill bestalla kan jag ordna med kop och transport. Skriv ett mail sa gar det att ordna! 

louisebackelin@gmail.com

People from all over the world are residing in Qatar. Also there are items and merchandise from near and far. In a small shop close to where we stay, well hand made products, skillfully sewn, decorated and carved by Kashmiri women are available.

If there is anything you would like to order, I can take care of the purchase and transportation. Send an email and  it can be arranged! 

louisebackelin@gmail.com

Ett smakprov pa varorna som finns:
A glimpse of what items are available:

Handmalade askar

Handbroderad sjal i ull

Lykta med mojligthet till elbelysning

Vaska modell storre

Ca 70 cm hogt bord

Dekorativt handmalat fat