Bubba’s Diary – PP Visits Doha

So! You know what happened recently? My parents friend, Preethi aunty came to visit us in Doha! She stayed with me and played with me for about nine days! It was a pretty fun time being tourists in my own town!

So, PP aunty came from Bahrain. And poor thing – she had to travel for nine hours to come see me! How sweet no? We helped get a pre-approved visa from Qatar and then she had to travel via Kuwait since there are no direct flights between Bahrain and Qatar anymore!

PP Visits Doha – Welcome!

She arrived late evening on Friday, and she tried to steal my mango milkshake! But she learnt fast that no one comes between me and my mango milkshake! After picking her up, we went home and rested for a little bit. For dinner on day 1, we kept it simple! MRA in Markhiya it was. Yummy South Indian fare.

And later that night, momma and aunty dressed up – so pretty they looked – and went partying. But I am sure it must have been a pretty boring party! Come on, I was not part of the party, so how could it possibly be any fun?

PP Visits Doha – Day 2

For brekkie, momma made super delicious Nutella French toast. And then we played at home for some time. See – dada was going to London on business. Boo. So momma had to help him pack and stuff. She is awesome super packer!

We made a quick stop at Villagio Mall to buy some last minute things. The mall – with its Italian city designs and the Gondolas in the middle is definitely a pretty sight.And a visit to Villagio is incomplete without a pitstop at Haagen Daaz. For their super delicious crepes, with chocolate sauce, and strawberries and whipped cream with ice cream on the side! Food coma!

We then went for lunch back to MRA – because come on – they make the most yummyiest Thalassery biriyani in the world! And a weekend without biriyani is not a happy weekend! We then went to our fave mall Doha Festival City to pick up some gifts for my cousin bro!

We love Doha Festival City. The mall is so big and spacious. Even if it is crowded – you don’t feel it. And there is enough space for me to run around, and for momma to maneuver my stroller around too!  And has all of my favorite shops. Has all of momma’s favorite shops. Has an awesome bookstore. Just wish it had more eateries though.

We also drove by West Bay, to show aunty the hub of the city, and dada’s office too! The Doha skyline is really beautiful because of the cool buildings like the Tornado tower.

We decided to take it easy for the rest of that evening. Momma had to pack my bag for the next day too.

PP Visits Doha – Day 3

It was an early start because I had to go to nursery! Come on – how mean is that? Poor lil me? Going to nursery while these two ladies were out and about having a gala time. Yeah, I love the nursery and it is so much fun! But going out would have been fun too! I loved showing off my nursery to aunty, and she met my teachers and saw my toys and play areas.

After dropping me off, they went to the airport to drop dada off. And momma and aunty had some work to do – so they went home for a while.

Lunch was at Zaffran Café. My momma loves desi chat, and they had pani puri and pav bhaji for lunch. How do I know, you ask? I saw the bills!

Later that evening, we hit the pool! I don’t understand why they want me to sit in big yellow tube. I don’t like it! Ugh. But once they got it, it was fun! We threw the ball around, and then went for a swim – them, not me. It was a nice evening. The next thing I know, I was flat out. The pool had made me so tired that I slept off right on the sofa.

PP Visits Doha – Day 4

For me, it was the usual – nursery. Then momma and aunty went to have South Indian breakfast at our usual hangout, Makani. They then went back home (yay!), and worked for some time. For lunch, they went to Nona Zannon, which is a ridiculously good Italian joint. The lasagna, the breads, the dessert – all are awesome. Momma says it has the best carpaccio in the country!

I keep an eye on their activities by looking at the pictures! I mean, they should not be having too much fun without me, right?

But the real touristy things started on Day 4 too! With my family’s fave spot in Doha – Souq Waqif. It is simply gorgeous. Although it was renovated recently, the buildings still have the architecture of traditional buildings dating 100s of years. There are lots of stuff to buy including incense, garments, toys, and souvenirs. There are also many places to grab a bite to eat. We took pictures, and walked around for a little time, and PP aunty picked up souvenirs.

All this obviously made me tired, so I slept off in the car and momma took aunty on a long drive to Three Peppers Chinese Restaurant where they picked up momos. Momma says it is the best momos in Qatar. Chicken, and beef, steamed and fried. And because they didn’t want to disturb my sleep (awwww), they ate in the car itself. And then it was home time and off to bed.

PP Visits Doha – Day 5

After dropping me off, they headed to see Qatar Foundation. It is where mom worked, and so momma loves showing it off. From the cool buildings like the HQ, and the Sidra Hospital, and the Student Center, to all the universities that are present there. After momma had a quick meeting with her new manager, they went to visit Mathaf – Arab Museum of Modern Art – located inside the QF campus. Aunty said that it was really awesome to see some of the exhibitions there – the paintings, photographs, video montages, and sculptures too.

Later that evening, we went to the Aspire Park. To be honest, it was the first time that we really got into the park. The last few times have been quick stops.

It is massive to say the least. It is lovely. And it really is unbelievable that it is right in the middle of a hustling bustling city and you don’t even hear any city sounds. How awesome is that?

There is so much greenery and cool trees with funny trunks. You can find football courts and other places you can book to play matches. There are many play areas for little cuties like myself. And some really beautiful water features including a lake and a whoosh-going-overhead fountain. I loved it.

The last stop for the day was the Qatar Entertainment City. It was held at the Qatar Exhibition and convention Center as part of the summer festivities. We chomped down on some french fries and then went on some rides. Well one ride and then I almost climbed up an inflatable slide.

PP Visits Doha – Day 6

After dropping me to the nursery, they went to the bank. Yeah, i don’t really think that was exciting. So no complaints about missing it.

But what happened after makes me go boo you momma and aunty. They went to the family’s fave restaurant in the country! Spice Market at the W Hotel! For the business lunch. The miso pudding there is so deliciously mouthwateringly yummity yum! Blisss! (For those two, not me! Since they didn’t take me along!) N I blame PP aunty. Cuz when Moo aunty came to Doha, they took me everywhere!

In the evening, we went to the Barzan Olympic Park. It was a long way off but the park was nice. A fountain and a sand pit being the highlights. Not that my momma let me play in either!

And then for dinner, we went to Cheesecake Factory at the Mall of Qatar. Another relatively new mall, but a fast favourite with many. There were some stage shows because of the summer fest, so that was very entertaining too. And what to say about the cheesecakes but whoaaaaa! So delicious!!

PP Visits Doha – Day 7 

Next day after dropping me off, momma went to show aunty the Traffic Department! No, I am joking. Momma had some paperwork to finish so they went there. They also made a trip to the insurance office and picked up lunch to-go from MRA (how many times is too many times eh?). Finally, they seem to have realized that they are meanies and that sight-seeing without me is no fun at all.

In the afternoon, we went to the Museum of Islamic Arts. Now this is a must see for anyone visiting Doha. Artifacts and objects representing 1400 years of Islamic history from different parts of the world. 1400 years – I think that is probably when the dinosaurs were around! Some of the objects are so beautiful, and even the little café with its sea-view seating is nice. One of momma’s fave spots o just sit and relax (PS – not much relaxation with me around usually or so she says!) The MIA Park is pretty awesome too. But it was too hot for us to hang out there!

And our last spot for the evening was Katara Cultural Village. We would have stayed a lot longer if the weather was nicer. But the weather was pretty meh! So we took a quick walk around the amphitheater and the beach. If you are hungry, you can also visit some of the really nice restaurants at Katara or even stop for pastry! I wonder why we didn’t do that! Hmmmmmm….

Probably because momma wanted to treat PP aunty to the best hummus in the world. From Beirut Restaurant. Looking at the size of the place, it is almost impossible to believe that they don’t do grills and it’s just hummus and falafel and few other such items. But they are so busy all the time because they are so good! We picked up the usual – meat hummus, falafel and fries, and the green chilli flakes thing they give – don’t miss that, that is what adds the zing to the already yummy meal! I am not allowed to eat green chilli though, so my food continues to be very un-zingy. – rolls eyes! –

PP Visits Doha – Day 8

New day. New adventure! Yay!! Weekend! We slept in – not that long though. Where is the fun in letting momma sleep late on a weekend? Rise and shine right? So we woke up early as usual – can you believe I have to wake momma up early on weekends? We relaxed for a while and then went to Thai Cuisine for lunch! Guess what kind of food they serve? Guess guess! Yup! It is Thai Food! I bet you didn’t guess that! Thai Cuisine is our fave easy-on-the-pocket Thai restaurant. The Green Curry is super delicious, along with the steamed rice. We also enjoyed the batter fried prawns for starters.

Later in the day we went back to Doha Festival City – because we love the place, and it is a perfect way to beat the heat and walk around.

Our evening plan was a trip to Sheraton Hotel Park. We love this place. We do. With a run-through fountain, and lots of green space, and a wonderfully equipped playground. We also like the fact that there is underground parking and so we can get out and get all our stuff out (mainly, my stroller!) easily!

And for dinner, it was Nando’s! Who doesn’t love Peri Peri chicken? And some fries to go with it! And endless supply of soft drinks? (no! no! I am not allowed to have soft drinks yet! But my momma looooves it and drinks it like it’s some tasty magic!)

PP Visits Doha – Day 9

Saturday is always a lazy day. Well not really lazy, but my parents usually prefer staying home and finishing boring chores like laundry and packing bags and stuff. Even though I am a little boy, I try to do my part to help by passing the clothes from the laundry bag to momma to put in the washing machine! Hey, my hands are small! So maybe I can only give one sock at a time, and it takes forever! But it counts that I am helping, right? Riiiiiight?

For dinner we went to an Iranian place called Shiraz Garden. Momma’s uncle was in town and we took him out. It was our first time at the restaurant, so we were a bit nervous. But boy was it good! The kebabs were so tender and juicy, and the rice was pretty delicious too! Good pick Momma! I approve!

PP Visits Doha – Day 10

The week starts again, and life goes on! I go back to nursery. Momma and aunty go back to the insurance offices and finish the paperwork. After that, they went to Ikea. Can you imagine – it was PP aunty’s first visit to Ikea? Yeah! I know, right! And I knew these two could not be trusted unsupervised! They bought a loyt of fairy lights and mason jars – which is good, and they even bought some other things which we didn’t even need! Sometimes I wonder who is the baby here!

Later in the day, we went to finish grocery shopping for our week at our local Carrefour in Al Mirqab Mall. And then it was a lazy day at home – we went to the pool but cleaning was under process and we could not use it.

PP Visits Doha – Day 11

After dropping me off, they went back to Ikea – of course they did, they had to return all the unnecessary items they had bought! And they also did some shopping at Ikea because PP aunty wanted to buy stuff to take back home. PP aunty had more shopping to do, so they went to Doha Festival City!

Picked me up, and we went home. And none of us felt like getting out again. So we sat home, and read my books, and played with my toys and had fun just chilling at home.

PP Visits Doha – Day 12

In the morning, we did nothing! I mean I did a lot at the nursery but momma and aunty didn’t! I think they just caught up on sleep. And did some grocery shopping. I know you are wondering why so much grocery shopping. It is cause momma refuses to make lists and ends up forgetting half the things we need and has to go back. And go back again! You’d think she’d learn by now!

After picking me up, we went to Ezdan Mall – aunty had to do shopping and we had to eat. We went to Johnny Rockets. Burgers and Fries and delicious milkshakes! One funny thing happened! I was trying to drink water, and ended up pouring water on my tshirt! Yikes! And obviously, my momma packed extra clothes for me – but she left it in the car.

All the shopping and walking around was pretty tiring, so we chilled at home! It was momos from Three Peppers for dinner again! I was allowed to stay awake till midnight, because it was PP aunty’s birthday! YAY! I even learnt how to say Happy Birthday!

PP Visits Doha – Day 13

HAPPPY BIRTHDAY  PP AUNTY!! Wooooohooooo! I thought we would party all day, but alas! It was nursery time for me. And these two! Hmpf. They went home, got dressed up and went to Shakespeare and Co. at the Pearl for a late breakfast – almost lunch. And it looked like so much fun. I cannot believe I missed it! The food was awesome, the ambience was awesome, and the staff went out of their way to make sure aunty had a great time. They even sand the birthday song and gave cake!

After that, momma and aunty enjoyed some girly time! And got manicures and pedicures. I am glad I didn’t have to sit through that ordeal. It is a nightmare when momma cuts my nails! And to spend hours getting nails cut and washed; I just don’t get it!

Later that day, we went to Gulf Mall cuz yup aunty still had shopping left to do! How much do these people shop? And Subway sandwiches were on the menu!

PP Visits Doha – Day 14

Aunty’s trip was almost coming to an end. So for the final leg of shopping, momma and aunty went to the Landmark Mall. They wanted to visit all the popular malls, you see! And they went back home, to make sure all the fairy lights were up and running, and to clean up the house a little bit – since dada was coming back that night!

In the evening, we went to the Pearl. How can a visit to Qatar be complete without a walk along the Pearl Promenade? We wanted to grab a bite to eat at Madinat Centrale but it was too busy, so we just drove around.

And for dinner, we picked Indian food at 7st Mumbai Spices. Butter Chicken, rotis and Ras Malai for dessert. Aunty also got to try dabeli for the first time!

And wooohooo! My dada came back from London that night! Yay! Yay! Yooohooo!

PP Visits Doha – Day 15

Friday is here again! Gotta get down on Friday Friday! Lazy morning, doing nothing at all. But it was a big day ahead! Since dada was back, and it was PP aunty birthday celebration time!

For lunch, we did Korean food at Yee Hwa in Al Nasr. Bi bim Bab rice – delicious! and the table top BBQ chicken called Dak Bol Ko Kee – super yum! It was a truly satisfying meal!

And after lunch we rested for a while, and then went to the Qatar Bowling Center! I don’t know why they didn’t let me play. So what if the ball is actually heavier than I am? I still think I would have scored better than my momma! It was a close game between aunty and dada though but aunty emerged victorious – cue winning music! –

And for birthday celebrations dinner, we had Chinese food at Ruby Woo’s at the Radisson. Another family favorite! And we surprised aunty with cake and everything. Aunty even got her first ever fortune cookie! It was super cool!

PP Visits Doha – See You Again!

And finally it was time for aunty to go back! L We picked up mango milkshake from Jamaica Cocktail. A little tiny shop in Al Nasr which has been around for twenty years – which also makes the most fantastically amazing mango milkshake in the world! And dropped aunty to the airport!

And just like that with a hug and a kiss and a tata, aunty went back!

Thank you so much for visiting me aunty! Hope you had a great time exploring Doha, and hope to see you again soon! We love you!

 

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