A Taste of the Middle East

Sunny Kim

Elisabeth Brokaw (12), Sunny Kim (12), and Miss Danneker explored the Qatari Souq and got their first true taste of the Middle East.

On March 17, these ladies set off for Doha, Qatar in order to participate in the AMIS (Association for Music in International School) Honor Band. Arriving at 1:30am Doha time, the tired girls looked around their destination and saw a rather empty and quiet Doha. However the next day they were all in for a treat, literally; after a successful first day of rehearsal, all of the AMIS participants went to the Souq (a traditional Qatari market) to sightsee the beauty of Qatar and have a taste of true Arabic food.

The Souq was a hodgepodge of various shops, restaurants, and cafes. At first glance it seemed rather small, but more and more shops kept appearing as shoppers strolled along. Some shops sold pets such as birds, rabbits, and cats. One of the stores had two falcons! Interestingly their heads were covered with a hat that had small pom-poms attached, like that of a clown’s hat. Elisabeth said, “The souq was really fun to visit. There are so many different things to see there! It certainly was something to walk down an alleyway and see cages of all sorts of animals lining both sides of the road. There were tons of birds, and we got to see camels on a little detour! ”

Everyone, foreigners and locals alike, enjoyed the Souq. Miss Danneker said, “It was fascinating to see Qatari life intermingle with the modern and international world while we wandered through the Souq. I loved seeing the locals in their traditional dress, smelling fragrant Arabic food, and hearing their lively music and singing while seeing tall skyscrapers in the distance and intermingling with AMIS people from all over the world."

After admiring the unique architecture of the souq and looking at Qatari trinkets, Sunny, Elisabeth and Miss Danneker stopped for food. In the middle of the Souq was a quaint Qatari restaurant. The generous hosts, Cheryl (a former Dalat student) and David Waters, ordered hummus, cheese and honey bread, and a platter of meat. Filled with delight, everyone stuffed themselves with good Qatari pita bread straight from the traditional stove and dipped it into a good amount of humus.

After a nice full meal, the girls strolled along and found a store that sold all sorts of baklava. Each looked so different but so appetizing at the same time. Not knowing which type to buy, everyone ecstatically bought a little of each to share with family and friends. Finally to conclude a true Arabian night, the girls stopped by a tea shop and drank some lime and mint tea, a very refreshing and unique drink.

Photo credit: Laura Danneker