Meeting at UNESCO - if you wanna read more about it, click here.

La Cité, the first metro station in Paris.

Olaf in front of the Notre Dame.

Louvre. Merci Olaf & Emma, merci Paris!

Dubai nationalities: 42% Indian, 17% Emirati, 13% Pakistani, 8% Bangladeshi, 3% Filipino, 2% Sri Lankan, 1% European,
14% other countries (source).

In the middle of the gigantic 'Dubai Mall' is an incredible aquarium with huge sharks (2 years ago it started cracking
- according to the NYT's blog) and the 'Underwater Zoo' where we went to enjoy all kind of water life, like this jellyfish.

Dubai is no. 4 of cities with at least 100 completed skyscrapers (150 meter / 40 floors and up), after Hong Kong, Tokyo and
NCY (source). Watch this time-lapse video with the rate of Dubai's growth at 1 frame per year from 2000 through 2011: link.

Personal peak of Dubai was meeting Victor: an old friend from the school days, who works in Shanghai now, but just
happened to be in Dubai too. It is a small small world.

Quicksand?

In the middle of the desert, suddenly a Qatari man stops his car to proudly show his falcon. It just ate a small bird, he says.
It is the national hobby, also of the royal family (link).

A traditional tower in Al Kohr in the January sun. It is around 30C now.

The Persian Gulf, although on this side of it, people prefer to call it Arabian Gulf.

The desert can be more colorful than one might expect.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addresses the audience: 2500 participants from all over the world to discuss
intercultural cooperation for the next 3 days.

The Doha Centre for Media Freedom launches its new Media Literacy program here, with the Junior Reporters, a team of
9 Qatari youth, asking the forum delegates what this alliance of civilizations is really about. Check out their daily reports.

There are not only several heads of nations present, also lots of fun people.

This is were the event is taking place: the Qatar National Convention Centre. The construction was only finished two weeks ago
- just like the plastic grass in front of it ;-)

Tip: watch the Junior Reports (I edited) under the video tab on this site.

Suddenly we see an airshow in front of the Sheraton hotel (the pyramid). Who said Doha is boring?

Lightscraper.

Abaya sunset.

Doha skyline with tradtional fisherboats in the front and the Islamic Historical museum on the right.

The Serdal Tower; we are about to take an option for a 2 bedroom appartment here, in the heart of 'Dohattan'.

Tomorrow I'll fly back to Holland, to pack stuff for two weeks - after that we'll come here with the whole family :-)

View at 'Dohattan' from the Corniche - the promonade along the bay.

Flooding in the desert: apparently a water pipe just broke.

Hello, anybody here to shop?

Earlier Doha Centre for Media Freedom colleague Astrid had a farewell lunch - got this picture as a present and found two
police men on horses to pose with. Bye Astrid, thank you so much for the perfect preparations!

The soukh is the market area with lots of carpets, cafes and souvenirs.

We go 'house hunting': looking for a place to stay when we'll all move here next month. This is the zigzag building.
Funky, but in the elevator I saw a note that warned inhabitants for windows that had fallen out with a bit of wind...

This view is from the Pearl, a brand new island with beautiful, but pretty tacky apartments - and too expensive for our budget.

This beach is also artificial - but pretty busy, while it is at least 40C in the sun. The skyline is the business district of Doha,
where I'll start part II of the house hunt soon.

A door from 1270, made for the rulers of Anatolia. The detail is incredible. This style of geometrical woodwork dates
back to pre-Islamic times (630 CE).

The architect M.I. Pei also designed the Louvre pyramid in Paris.

A molar flask from Egypt, from the 9th or 10th century. It is named like this because it reminds of the root of a molar tooth.
The purpose was probably to contain perfume or essence.

The new State Mosque at Al-Khuwair, big enough for 12.000 people.

The sign in front of my new office.

In the evening DCMF director Jan Keulen first has a presentation at a discussion program for TV about the Arab spring.

...and after that a discussion at Al Jazeera Arab about the protest today in Gaza against that detention of
Al Jazeera journalist Samer Allawi by Israel. The show is watched by about 20 million people.

Will we get out today, or stay warm inside?

Fish2 in the supermarket.

A goofy Akha woman we bumped into (Akha is a tribe from the North of Thailand).

Every house and business has a spirit house here, even devilish Shell.

There's lots of fish under the bridge ...

Fried pork on sticky rice in a palm leave basket: delicious2!

A rainbow across this incredible ugly building: the robot building (our view from the apartment).

Religions hollow core...

Fly eating orchids.

Construction goes on day and night here.

Putih and me in a tuk tuk at night in Bangkok: thanks for the great holiday!