Day 14: Arab Organization Headquarters

Today was pretty cool. We didn't have class and instead left at 9:30 to tour the Arab Organization Headquarters, which is home to four major Arab organizations: the Arab Fund for Social and Economic Development, OAPEC (Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries), the Inter-Arab Investment Guarantee Corporation, and the Arab Maritime Petroleum Transport Company. It is considered one of the most acclaimed buildings in the Middle East because it is also home to hundreds of incredible antiques from across the Arab World. Our tour guide was the electrical engineer who worked on the building during its construction. Originally from Palestine, he has been living in Kuwait for almost 40 years. He was so passionate about the building and knew where everything came from, the materials from which it was made, and pretty much anything else you could possibly think of. It had so many interesting pieces and so many beautiful rooms:

Waterfall fountain in entrance from Morocco 

Mini model of building

Beautiful tiling on wall

22 Arab state flags

Largest conference room

Can you say...bright future?

Diwaniyya room

Conference room with long granite table

Birds throughout the building, constantly chirping
and singing!

Chandelier from Morocco! 

Shirt from Syria with entire Quran
written on it! 

Stained glass window in Prayer Room

In Islam, heaven is thought of as being a garden and a paradise. For this reason there are plants (and even animals - birds!) all throughout the building. With the lighting, colorful tiling, fountains, and foliage, they really do all they can to make the Arab Organization Headquarters look and feel like paradise. I have to say, they do a pretty good job!

In the latter half of the day, we went back to the AWARE Center to meet 4 Kuwaiti students (some who had already graduated, others who were still in school). We talked about a lot of interesting things, such as dating in Kuwait (which is pretty much nonexistent) and religion in Kuwait and the U.S. Dating in Kuwait is fascinating; there is no such thing as public dating. People "date" through texting, over the phone, etc. Once a couple gets engaged, they are allowed to visit one another in the home to have lunch/dinner with the family. This stage is more like "supervised dating," as one of the students phrased it. This is when you ask the other person important life questions (like, how many children do you want?) to make sure you can really spend the rest of your lives together. I can't imagine waiting until right before the wedding to talk about such things!

Our final stop today was dinner at a Kuwaiti home: our friend Reem who we met the first day! Her family had us over for dinner and tea, which was so much fun. Their house was absolutely stunning - I can't believe people actually live like that. It was absolutely gigantic and had beautiful decorations and furniture. They had domestic workers, as do most Kuwaitis, who served dinner and cleaned up. The domestic workers live in the home with the family (of course their rooms are very tiny), which is something I only realized a couple of days ago. My favorite part of the night was desert. We had chocolate ice cream, something I have missed soooooooo much since our arrival 2 weeks ago. I can also still taste the Moroccan Mint tea we were served - delicious! I'm really glad that we were able to see a traditional Kuwaiti home, even though it was a bit of a shock at first. 

Tomorrow should be a good day as well, inshahAllah!

Day 13: Al Jazeera

After a great weekend in Doha, I’m back in my cozy Holiday Inn hotel room. This last day was absolutely crazy, as we had 3 site visits before heading to the airport!

Our first stop of the day will probably end up being one of my favorite parts of the trip. We went to Al Shaqab Stables, an Arabian horse farm that is actually owned by the Emir of Qatar. They have over 400 horses total, and about 170 of them still compete in shows. None of those horses are ridden, but are carefully trained and groomed for their shows. Many of the horses even travel around the world for competitions. We saw all of the different facilities; let’s just say that these horses have a pretty nice life. The best part of all was when we were able to go through the stables that housed mothers and their babies! The foals were absolutely adorable – I cannot tell you how many times I was tempted to just grab one and run.

Stables

Baby!!

Definitely not camera shy...

New best friend - we bonded. 

Training facilities

Our next stop was another amazing experience and will definitely be one of my favorite experiences of the trip: visiting AL JAZEERA! As Professor Bailey explained, this is unprecedented because Al-Jazeera simply does not give tours. But, she was able to pull a few strings and get us an inside look into one of the most important television networks in history. We met Christina, a media associate at Al Jazeera English who is originally from Ohio, and she gave us a tour of the English facilities. I have to admit, it looked like a pretty cool place to work:

Newsroom

Live broadcast about Trayvon Martin

On the newsroom floor!

We crossed the street (literally) and toured Al Jazeera Arabic. The two offices work very closely together, and many employees are often moving back and forth between the two buildings at numerous points throughout the day. 

The first newsroom of Al Jazeera

Main newsroom

Live broadcast!

Al Jazeera Logo

Freedom wall dedicated to fallen
journalists/colleagues

Our last stop of the day before heading "home" to Kuwait was the Brookings Doha Center, an initiative of the Brookings Institute in Washington D.C. founded in 2007. It undertakes independent, policy-oriented research on socioeconomic and geopolitical issues facing Muslim-majority countries and communities. We met the director of research, Shadi, and had an interesting conversation with him about three major issues currently facing the region and the world: Egyptian presidential elections, Israeli/Palestinian conflict, and Syria. Unsurprisingly, the discussion became pretty heavy at times, especially when we discussed the U.S. role in all of this. 

We headed for the airport and got on the plane to Kuwait. Unlike our trip to Doha, in which the plane was practically empty, this plane was completely full, mainly of expats who were most likely arriving to Kuwait for the first time. In the Qatari airport, you go through security and then take a bus to the airplane. While I was riding the bus and getting on the plane I could sense excitement on the part of the expats. I almost felt excited with them (or for them), but I also had to keep in mind how poorly some of the workers are treated here. What also struck me is that none of the expats had any luggage - they really do come here with absolutely nothing.

Well, since it's day 13, that means we're officially halfway through the trip. I can't believe it; in some ways it feels as if we've been here forever, and in others it feels like we just arrived yesterday! I miss my friends and family (and my pups) so much, and I know this next half of the trip will fly by even faster than the first! Whether that's a good or a bad thing, I'm not exactly sure!

Day 12: Education City and UNESCO

!سلام

It's our last night here in Doha before we return to Kuwait tomorrow. Strangely enough, I've found myself missing Kuwait fairly often since we've arrived. I'll be glad to get back to our cozy and comfy Holiday Inn tomorrow night. 

Today was a full day. We woke up early and went to Science and Technology Park, an area a little outside Doha home to technology-based companies from all over the world. We met with staff members from GreenGulf, a clean technology and renewable energy advisory business focused on the development and management of renewable energy in the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. GreenGulf focuses most of work on solar energy, as they have a huge solar test field right near their office. It was particularly interesting to discuss some of the obstacles they face, especially in the Gulf states like Qatar and Kuwait, where electricity is free to its citizens. The citizens have no incentive to look towards renewable energy sources because they are so reliant on the state, not only for cheap oil and natural gas resources, but also for their free electricity.  

Next, we moved on to Education City, an initiative of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development. It is an area outside Doha dedicated to becoming one of the centers of educational excellence in the region. It is home to six U.S. universities: Carnegie Mellon, Georgetown, Virginia Commonwealth University, Cornell, Texas A&M, and Northwestern (!). One university from Paris and one from London are present in Education City as well. Many of the students are Qatari, but many also come from around the world. Although each school only has a student population in about the hundreds, as more people learn about these schools, enrollment rises each year. Students live in dorms and even have an incredible student union complete with a bowling alley, game room, basketball and volleyball courts, and movie theater.

We first stopped at Carnegie Mellon and received a tour of their facility, which they share with Northwestern! We moved then to Georgetown, which had some of the most incredible classrooms I had ever seen. As is to be expected, all of the schools maintain close relationships with their main campuses. For Georgetown, this translates into an unbelievable classroom complete with huge screens, cameras, and microphones, where you can actually have students in both campuses taking the same course. There is one professor, either in D.C. or Qatar, and a T.A. in the classroom that does not have the in-person professor. The students can talk to one another and discuss topics from the lecture, even though they are an entire ocean (and more) apart. I wish BC had something like that - it would be so cool!

Before leaving, we received a tour of the Student Union, which was really pretty cool. Just think, BC doesn't even have a student union! All of the campuses are beautiful, but it's strange because they are also surrounded by endless desert and construction. Once Education City is fully complete, I would love to come back and see it, because I think it is going to be a real asset for Qatar. It is nice to see Qatar spending its massive wealth on something that will really improve the nation; namely, unparalleled institutions of higher education for not only the citizens of Qatar, but of the world. 

Feels like Evanston! But not really. 

Carnegie Mellon

Apparently the largest sculpture in the world, in the
student union of Education City

I wonder if this stuff is cheaper here than in Evanston?

Education City Student Union

Our next stop was the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Doha office. We met with the staff and they each explained their responsibilities and programs. Everyone is working on something different, but many of the projects overlap. I especially enjoyed hearing about culture preservation programs, because I've noticed that in Qatar, there seems to be less authentic culture than there exists in Kuwait. Everything is much more touristy and constructed into what an outsider might expect to find in the Middle East. A perfect example of this is the "Old" Souk - which was only built a few years ago but is meant to look entirely authentic. 

This evening the group of students went to visit Jessie (Professor Bailey's student who we met yesterday) and meet some of her friends who work at Al-Jazeera. One was from Arizona, and one was from the UK. It was interesting to hear inside perspectives of Al-Jazeera, especially considering all of the criticism it receives. Because it is state-run by Qatar, many people believe it only reflects the foreign policy attitudes of Qatar. I'm excited to visit tomorrow and learn more for myself!

I want to share one last thing: Professor Bailey sent this 60 Minutes segment on Qatar to each student a few months ago. It is very informative and will hopefully give you a better idea of this country I've gotten to know a little over the past 2 days!

Watch Video

Day 11: The Museum of Islamic Art

So, another thing to check off my hypothetical bucket list: holding a falcon. I'll explain later. 

It was a great day in Doha, Qatar. Our first stop was the Museum of Islamic Art, which was only opened 2 years ago. It is right on the water and looks incredible:

Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar

Main staircase

Window looking out to Gulf 

Fountain

We caught the last day of a really amazing exhibit called Gifts of the Sultan. It featured amazing pieces from all over the world and was divided into three sections: pious gifts, personal gifts, and diplomatic/state gifts. My favorite pieces were the weapons, such as knives and shields, that had all sorts of intricate jewels and detailing. If you're interested, here is a timeline of the sorts of works in the exhibit: Click here!

The rest of the museum contained really neat pieces of Islamic art. I was definitely glad that I had taken a course on Islamic art last fall, because I think I was able to appreciate the experience more. 

One last stop was an exhibit in a separate warehouse of Takashi Murakami, from Japan. We had no idea what to expect, and it was probably one of the trippiest things I had ever seen. He used a ton of bright colors and creative designs. Right when we walked in, there was a huge structure depicting Murakami, and some fun jumbo pillows with his designs:

Takashi Murakami

So many smiles! 

Fun fact: Takashi Murakami was the director (and artist, I guess?) in Kanye West's music video for his song "Good Morning." 

After leaving the art museum, we walked to the Souk and met one of Professor Bailey's former students, Jessie. She is living in Doha for 2 years and working at the Brookings Center. She first took us to the animal part of the Souk, to the Arabian horse stables! I made lots of new friends:

So beautiful!

Makes me miss horses :(

Next, we went to see the falcons. Qatar is known for its falcons and falconers, apparently. They are very expensive because they are intensely trained, and are deadly to their prey. The trainer showed us what to do, and then, I held one myself!

Close-up! 

Of course the falcon flapped his wings
right when I put the glove on and hit me in
the face...notice his cute helmet!

Slightly terrified, but trying to smile...

The falcon, named Har, was actually really heavy! I felt like a got a work-out just holding him! The trainer helping us was so nice, and wanted a picture with us before we left.

Next we walked around the Souk and ate a small dinner outside. The Souk was interesting because it was made to look old and traditional, but it was built within the last 10 years. Quite a strange feeling to walk around, thinking you're in an authentic Qatari Souk, and then realize it was constructed so recently. To give you an idea...

Just for you, Mom!

Almost resembles the Colosseum 

It was an exhausting day, but well worthwhile. Tomorrow is absolutely jam-packed as well, so I'm off to sleep. Goodnight!

Day 10: Doha

Welcome to Qatar, the richest country in the world! 

But seriously, Qatar is actually the richest country in the world. This became increasingly clear as we departed from the airport and approached the city of Doha. The skyline is absolutely incredible:

Doha at night (stole pic from internet)

Professor Bailey referred to Doha as "Disney World" - because 10 years ago there was almost nothing here. Doha saw how Dubai was able transform itself into a major economic and tourist attraction, followed their model, and is now turning into a strong rival. 

The security in both the Kuwait and Qatar airports is almost nonexistent compared to the U.S. I didn't even have to take my belt, shoes, or sweater off. We were also allowed to bring liquids through (which I did not know until getting to the airport; thus I have none of my toiletries with me). The plane ride was short, thankfully, because there were what seemed like millions of screaming children throughout the entire airplane. When we got to the Qatari airport I saw someone wearing a Chicago Bulls hat and we talked a little about poor Derrick Rose's injury. It made me feel a little more at home to meet a fellow Bulls fan, even though he was from a completely different part of the world!

Qatar is very different from Kuwait, in a lot of ways. For one thing, alcohol is legal in Qatar, unlike in Kuwait. It seems much more green (fake green, but still), and there is so much less abandoned construction. Our hotel is extremely nice. We're on the 30th floor at the Intercontinental Doha City, and have a stunning view:

Picture is a little blurry, but you get the idea

We ventured out toward an area of Doha that was right near the water and had a bunch of art galleries and restaurants. We saw an exhibit by Louise Bourgeois that was pretty interesting. Outside was one of her many sculptures:

Spider

We then went to a beautiful Turkish restaurant and sat outside near the water. We ate all sorts of delicious food, although I don't even know what half of it was! Kabobs are definitely my favorite; the spices are just so interesting. Desert included lemon-mint ice cream and baklava - my absolute favorite! Walking back to the taxi stand, someone yelled out the window of a car "I love America!" How did they know we weren't from Europe?

It was a nice first night in Doha. Tomorrow we are going to the Museum of Islamic Art and the Souk, which should be amazing. I'm excited for a great weekend!