WAS walking barefoot on the Playa Del Carmen coast.

I come here every year all my 17 years, and each year it seemed to get better. I could feel the cool relaxing grains of sand pushing up against my naked feet. The windy breeze blew the soft brown hair out of my face and into my organic lip balm. The beach had a peculiar aroma. It did not smell shy, but the odour was unwinding and it made me feel soothed and at peace. The air was heavy with mist from the waves. You could hear the erce waves crashing onto the rocks and boulders lying down on the shore. The moonlight on the dark water emphasised the dangers that lurked in the hidden depths of the salty void. It was like nothing mattered in this world, even though, deep inside, I was empty. A very handsome man with an unclean shave and messy dark hair approached me. Hola Seorita. Hola, I said with a fake friendly smile. Necesita ayuda? English, please. I said with a bemused expression. Oh. Sorry, Seorita. I will not be good at the English. But I will Qu es nuevo? He asked with a strong accent and a cute smile. I was immediately enchanted. Try? I couldnt help but laugh at his adorable lost puppy face. S, I will try I will meet my amigos for a cerveza. You want to join? Cerveza? Whats that? Just come. You can trust me. He stooped down to my height and looked me in the eye. His eyes were so exotic. They were deep brown and his eyelashes were so hypnotic. He was very convincing. I dont know I replied hesitantly. Would it be responsible to go off with a stranger I just met? It would get my mind off of things. Plus he really does

The moonlight on the dark water emphasised the dangers that lurked in the hidden depths of the salty void. It was like nothing mattered in this world, even though, deep inside, I was empty Fatima Hassan AlKhal
Student of Qatar International School, Doha, Qatar.
look like a nice guy... Okay, Ill go. But only for a little while. Magnco He was way too happy. I kind of liked that he was giving me that much attention. So, where is the place? I asked. Just walk straight. You see light? Those are my amigos; they are sitting around a re. We do this every Saturday night. Tradition?

re night Bizar
TEENS ZONE
Si, tradition. He smiled. My name is Javier, if I have not said. Oh, Javier? Thats a pretty cool name. Mine is Bella. Bella? He said in surprise. That is beauty in Mexico. Blushing, I walked close to Javier until we reached the re. He began chattering rapidly to his friends whose faces kept on getting more excited as he kept on going. To me he said, This is Antonio,Carlos,Enrique,Fernando,Amora and Estefani. Chicos, this is Bella. Has anyone been to a cafeteria at a new school and has immediately felt awed by those few popular and almost beautiful people at the table havingfunandmindingtheirownbusiness? Thats exactly how I felt. They were those cool,socialpeoplethateveryonelookedatas they were passing by. I sat on a log next to Amora and Estefani, and Javier threw me a drink. Whats this? This is drink in Mexico. All Mexico people drink this I just felt stupid, so I drank it. As soon as it touched my mouth, I was blown over by the taste. It was just so satisfying and colourful in every single way. This is how I always thought heaven must feel. I felt so at peace and so calm, yet so energetic. I managed to calm myself down just a

Monday, June 27, 2011

www.qatar-tribune.com

35

in Mexico
little to ask Javier for more. Even then I mustve sounded excited because they were all smiling at me, but I didnt even stress. I wish I could feel this way everyday I might as well make the most of it. I basically drank every single green glass bottle that was left in that big coffee brown box. This is Perfecto! I declared in joy. They beamed and nodded as if they expected this. This happens to all rst-timers, said Carlos. I had a moment of joy because he could speak English, but I didnt think I could talk. If it wasnt for the drink I would be blushing strongly right now. You want to take a stroll across the beach? Carlos asked with a kind face. We dont have to go alone. I could bring one of the girls if you like. Without even thinking I said, No, alone would be ne. I couldnt help but put a huge grin on my face. Where all Mexican men so beautiful? He was dark, tall and tanned and in his twenties. He had a mischievous look on his face which made him even more intriguing. We were walking tipsily, it was getting colder and the wind was blowing intensely. I didnt even realise I was shivering until Carlos took his Jersey off and put It around me. It was seriously cold now. I could feel the hairs on my neck standing on end. Mexico isnt usually cold, let alone in summer. It wasnt this arctic back home in

Michigan, and believe me when I say it was more than just freezing there. All of a sudden, the ravishing waters of the Caribbean Sea opened up and it was like there were two split waterfalls in the middle of the deep blue sea. Carlos and I jerked back in alarm. The sea just split open. How does that happen? I got to admit that that sight was unearthly. Slowly, something started to emerge from that supernatural scene. It was an abnormal creature coming out from in between the two waterfalls. I can not quite describe the creatures outlandish features. It was so magical yet so bloodcurdling. The face was calm and soothed, yet angry and irritated. It was beautiful and magical, yet beastly and hideous. The beast had a erce look like it wanted to attack. Ejecutar! Carlos said. Its misteriosa bestia. The dangerous waves slammed onto the shore. The currents were getting stronger by the second. I had to hold on to Carlos, so the wind couldnt blow me away. My heart was beating so fast and hard that I swear it couldve ew out. I looked around for help but I couldnt see anyone. Even Carlos was gone. There wasnt light back where Javiers group was sitting. Where was everybody? Without warning, the waves hit my body painfully and knocked me down. The rocks hit my scalp and I couldnt see. There was a light. It was so bright. I could almost feel me going towards the light. The light was brilliant and blazing and it just kept on getting brighter. Despertarse! Por favor, Seorita. I rubbed my eyes open to nd myself lying alone in the deserted beach with a poor Mexican guy staring at me. What happened last night? I couldnt seem to remember anything. There was this one thing that I just couldnt get out of my head. But it couldnt be Could it? I lied there hung-over and helpless, wondering whether the epic events were real or just my wild imagination

Dynamic Doha, reinvents itself

H
OW does an average American know or see Doha? Asked that question, I would say that the average American does not see Doha at all. And, the ones aware of its presence, think of it as a city in the desert, where camels are the only mode of transport, where dune bashing and smoking shisha are the only activities. Some would even know this is the city that houses Al-Jazeera television Network. But that is about it. Dont get me wrong, the sand dunes are there, but they are somehow restricted beyond the citys everexpanding boundaries. Within those limits are the shining, glazed skyscrapers, new malls, and beautiful luxury hotels. The divergence between the image and the actual has somewhat narrowed with the city getting the World Cup Football 2022 host tag. So, for someone stepping off an international ight, the Ferraris and the BMWs all around and the absolute absence of poverty in Doha now come less as shock than as a pleasant surprise now. The city has much more in store for a visitor. After all, this is the place that outbid, among others, US and Australia to bag the coveted right to host the World Cup 2022. The citys architecture with its traditional Islamic elements is such a change from what the American eye is accustomed to. Among the many domed buildings that dot the cityscape is Katara, the cultural centre of Doha. The opera house of Doha, as it is called, does nothing to hide the inuence of its architecture, nor does it shy from aunting the Arabic touch in the domes and traditionally Islamic carved windows around it. Katara is also where the city hosts the Doha Tribeca Film Festival once every year and where it offers cuisines ranging from Indian to Japanese round the year. It is where Hollywood actors like Salma Hayek and Benjamin Kingsley come to share their insights about the industry that made them stars. It is a place to experience Doha that preserves its own culture, but accepts what is good in others. If you long for something close to back home, there are the malls, several of them. Villaggio is a A view of the Arabian Gulf from Katara Amphitheatre.

Driving all around Doha to visit the various tourist sights, a common word appears on the billboards: Reinvent. This word has become Dohas new motto while it is trying to establish its place in the world Rayva Khanna
High School Student in Connecticut, USA.
particular mall that tourists tend to enjoy. It houses every designer present in New York Citys Saks Fifth Avenue. The Villaggio resembles the Venetian mall in Las Vegas. People can ride in gondolas throughout the mall. The food court is vast and the choice includes everything from Arabic to like Pizza Hut. If Villaggio is enjoyable, Pearl Qatar is breathtaking. The huge outdoor mall is in the shape of an octopus and is built on reclaimed land. The architecture is once again Islamic, with inuences from places like Italy and France shining through. The waterfront location allows tourists to enjoy the view of the Arabian Gulfs turquoise waters and standing on the bridges, you feel like you are in Venice. Design houses from Giorgio Armani to Versace are all represented. Not surprisingly, Pearl Qatar surprised Dr Brandon Phillips, an American visitor. Malls like this in the United States of America would prosper rapidly. I am amazed that a city I had never even heard of before could produce a mall such as this one, which has every thinkable designer, was the least he could say. To take a walk down the lanes of the Doha of yore you will have to drive down to Souq Wakif. Narrow paths lead around the old style building with little shops lined on either side. The shops hold dates, nuts, carpets, and traditional Qatari trinkets. You can also buy pets on the streets and see children playing among hundreds of pigeons in courtyard. There are bird shops, and kittens being sold on the street. The Souq preserves a slice of the past as the city zooms into the future. Many people have mixed emotions about Dohas construction. It is extremely different from when I was growing up, but most people are proud of Dohas (Qatars) progress as a country and support this growth.

The city can also provide you glimpses of the Islamic world history if you go to the Museum of Islamic Art. Each work of art has a special signicance in the history of Islam and it shows that Islam inuenced many cultures around the world. Rugs and textiles from countries all over including Egypt, India, Iran, Syria can be found here. The museum houses the worlds biggest carpet, and holds some of the most exquisite pieces of jewellry from the Mughal period in India. Victor Sisson, another American tourist said, I was astonished by the wealth and intricacy of these works of art from the diamond encrusted pigeons to the pure silk Persian Rugs. Recently, the museum got a Dutch section and now it boasts of works of artists like Rembrandt and others from Amsterdam. Qatar is not only prospering economically, but is also reinventing itself educationally. Ten years ago, Qataris would travel abroad to receive a quality education, but today, they have access to top American schools in their own back yards. The Qatar Foundation has six highly rated American schools such as Cornell Medical School, Georgetown, Virginia Commonwealth, Northwestern University, Texas A&M and Carnegie Mellon University. Professors from these schools are own in from the United States of America in order to teach the local students. This Qatar Foundation resembles Texas or California in appearance, but the student body could not be more different than the student body of the United States of America. The campus itself is approximately $12 billion affair. Many American tourists commented it was like being in miniAmerica. This campus and its facilities show how Doha has grown educationally in the past ten years. Driving all around Doha to visit the various tourist sights, a common word appears on the billboards: Reinvent. This word has become Dohas new motto while it is trying to establish its place in the world. Dohas constant construction and architecture has paid off with creations such as the Villaggio Mall, and Katara. The changes taking place in Doha allow a modernisation of Doha, while still keeping cultural factors in tact.

Katara Amphitheatre

Souq Wakif

The author at The Pearl Qatar.