The best of Qatar in 2023: Falconry, geeks, and Korean barbecue

euronews (in English)

Qatar 365 looks back on some of the most iconic moments of 2023, from ancient traditions like pearl diving and Sadu weaving to diverse culture with Indonesian theatre and anime geek events, with some of the best food experiences to have in Doha.

Transcript

00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:03 Very nice list.

00:12 Here we celebrate pop culture and overall talented young

00:15 people.

00:16 Sedgw is a beautiful textile that

00:18 can be revitalized and used in our day-to-day life.

00:21 [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:29 Hello, and welcome to Kata365 with me, Laila Humaira.

00:33 On this episode, we're looking back

00:35 at some of the most colorful and interesting moments of 2023,

00:39 showcasing the country's diverse traditions and culture,

00:43 including falconry, pearl diving, and sadu weaving.

00:47 We also went behind the scenes with a special Indonesian

00:50 ensemble and met some anime geeks.

00:53 But first, in the pursuit of finding comfort food

00:56 and fine dining, here's how Adel Halim and I

00:59 ate our way through Qatar.

01:03 Yi Hua first opened its doors in Qatar in 1998,

01:06 years before the Korean cultural wave.

01:09 Today, Seung Moon is continuing what his parents started,

01:12 opening two more branches and spreading

01:14 the love for Korean barbecue.

01:18 For someone who's never experienced it before,

01:20 what makes up Korean barbecue, actually,

01:22 and what makes it a truly interactive dining experience?

01:26 Korean barbecue is indifferent in the sense

01:28 that everyone around the table is involved.

01:32 Our meat is thinly sliced so that it cooks easily

01:36 and at your own pace.

01:37 We also offer a different variety of side dishes

01:40 that complements your meat in a lettuce wrap.

01:43 It's a sound that would entice any meat lover,

01:50 and the smell makes it irresistible to taste.

01:54 And once you've taken a bite, it will leave you wanting more.

01:58 Whether you're new to Doha or just trying

02:04 to find a new food joint, what better way

02:07 to expand your taste buds than through a food tour?

02:11 Adel went on one such tour with renowned food blogger Rachel

02:14 Morris, exploring three cuisines under one roof.

02:17 [music playing]

02:21 We've now come to the vibrant Ben Mahmood area

02:27 to try not one, two, but three different Asian cuisines--

02:30 Thai, Burmese, and Vietnamese.

02:33 Let's dig in, Rachel.

02:34 Let's get into it.

02:35 I've never tried Burmese food proper,

02:37 and I'm a convert, I've got to say.

02:40 One of my favorite dishes on their menu

02:41 is what's called a Burmese spaghetti,

02:43 and it's like--

02:43 really hits all my notes.

02:45 It's like sweet, savory, crunchy.

02:47 It's got pickles in it.

02:48 It's very cool.

02:49 The Burmese is new here.

02:50 People get excited to try the new things in Doha.

02:55 Tuk Tuk Saigon opened its doors during the World Cup.

02:58 With football fans from all over the globe

03:00 descending upon Qatar, food offerings also became

03:03 significantly more international.

03:06 [music playing]

03:12 While Qatar has rapidly evolved into a metropolitan country

03:15 with an impressive skyline and world-class infrastructure,

03:19 it stands proud of its Arab culture

03:21 and rooted to keeping its traditions alive.

03:24 We took to the skies with some agile falcons

03:27 and met the woman passing on an ancient art.

03:30 And to learn more about Qatar's pearling past,

03:33 Charlotte Dubinsky jumped on a boat

03:35 and ventured into the country's turquoise waters.

03:37 [music playing]

03:42 [music playing]

03:46 You don't have to dive deep into Qatar's past

03:50 to know that these waters have always

03:53 been abundant with riches.

03:54 [music playing]

03:58 Today, it's oil and gas.

04:00 But for centuries, wealth came from oysters on the seabed.

04:03 [music playing]

04:08 Mohamed is one of the few divers who's

04:10 still seeking his fortune at the bottom of the ocean.

04:13 [music playing]

04:17 Ooh.

04:19 It's very nice, this stuff.

04:22 An incredible haul for Mohamed, because natural pearls

04:26 are incredibly difficult to find.

04:28 Those smaller beads are perhaps more common.

04:31 But to find an oyster with a large natural pearl inside,

04:34 it's more like one in every 10,000.

04:39 That gives you a sense, an idea, as to why they're so expensive

04:44 and for many, so desirable.

04:47 But for Mohamed, this isn't about making a wage.

04:50 Natural pearl diving is a calling, a link to his past.

04:56 This is part of us.

04:57 This is our culture.

04:59 That's what our grandfather was doing for a living.

05:03 From one ancient skill to another,

05:06 the art of sadhu weaving is becoming increasingly rare.

05:10 But I met two women from different generations

05:13 joining hands to keep sadhu alive.

05:17 [non-english speech]

05:19 The ancient style of sadhu weaving

05:31 is so rare that it was inscribed in UNESCO's Intangible Cultural

05:36 Heritage List in 2020 as an art form that

05:39 needs urgent safeguarding.

05:41 So efforts to empower and support these sadhu weavers

05:45 have stepped up to protect the art from being lost forever.

05:50 In a race against time, Caravan Earth Foundation

05:53 set up a creative residency program

05:55 with Qatar's Hinat Salma Farm.

05:58 Joining forces helped widen the search

06:00 to find as many sadhu weavers as possible.

06:04 Sadhu is a beautiful textile that

06:06 can be revitalized and used in our day-to-day life.

06:09 This is why we have a team of people

06:10 who work with product development,

06:12 but always sticking to the principles

06:14 and values of that textile and what it means

06:16 and what it symbolizes.

06:18 And it's through weaving these threads

06:20 of old and new ideas together that the Caravan Earth

06:23 Foundation hopes will make the art of sadhu

06:26 last through the test of time.

06:30 One local tradition that's set to keep flying high

06:33 is falconry.

06:34 Many consider the popular pastime a sport that

06:38 even includes a beauty contest.

06:40 Adil met a number of falconers determined

06:43 to pass on the tradition to the next generation.

06:46 Deep in the Qatari desert, hundreds of falconers

06:57 from across the region gather prized birds in hand.

07:02 Described as a living human heritage,

07:04 falconry can be traced back 4,000 years.

07:09 It's an ancient tradition that's

07:11 become an annual tradition.

07:12 Ahmad Saeed Al-Mahri has never missed the Al-Mahri Festival

07:16 in its 14-year history.

07:18 And in addition to making sure his falcons stay on course,

07:21 he's also training his sons to carry on a family tradition

07:24 that's been passed on for generations.

07:27 While they have all the same tech gadgets as their peers,

07:46 Al-Mahri encourages the youngsters in his family

07:48 to go offline as much as possible.

07:51 And it seems to be working.

07:53 His 15-year-old nephew, Saeed, has spent a decade

07:56 learning the tools of the trade.

07:58 And if the Al-Mahri family is any indication,

08:21 the sport will continue to soar in Qatar for years to come.

08:25 While traditions like falconry and sadhu weaving

08:32 are kept sacred, Qatar's diverse population

08:35 creates a vibrant community.

08:38 The Years of Culture initiative by Qatar Museums

08:41 aims to bridge and embrace differences between countries.

08:44 I got to see a special Indonesian performance that

08:48 celebrated those differences.

08:51 Backstage at the Katara Opera House,

08:53 these actors and actresses are getting ready for a big night.

08:57 The troupe was flown in from different parts of Indonesia

09:01 to perform Hayati, a musical interpretation

09:04 of some of the oldest and most treasured Indonesian epics.

09:09 It's a story about life, tree of life, balance of life.

09:13 This life, this world is being made by amazing creatures

09:19 that are together.

09:21 And Borobudur is representing of that.

09:23 The costumes for Hayati were specially put together

09:27 by one of Indonesia's acclaimed fashion designers,

09:30 Eras Sukamto.

09:32 Gold headpieces, traditional theater masks,

09:36 and colorful, flowy batik.

09:39 Batik is a profound art.

09:41 It's not only the way to put the wax and the coloring

09:45 techniques into a cloth, but it's also

09:48 a visual communication.

09:50 So it's a very profound way to presenting

09:54 all the philosophies, all the wisdoms into one cloth.

09:59 The curtains come down as Hayati comes to an end.

10:02 But the whole process is still ongoing.

10:05 But the hope is that the appreciation

10:07 for Indonesian theater will linger a little deeper

10:11 and long after the echoes of the standing ovation.

10:16 Qatar is clearly committed to strengthening

10:18 cultural exchanges with other countries.

10:21 But it also provides platforms and spaces

10:23 for unique subcultures to find a place in the community.

10:28 Adol spent some time at GIKEN, a biannual gathering

10:32 of gamers, anime lovers, and cosplayers,

10:35 and a place where it's cool to be nerdy.

10:38 Last year, Simrin Kadam came to GIKEN as a fan.

10:48 This year, she's back to cosplay as Kamisato Ayaka,

10:53 a Japanese video game character.

10:56 I wanted people to see a character that they love

10:59 and take photos with me.

11:00 And you know, just have something to look back on.

11:02 I really love entertaining people.

11:04 GIKEN is a safe space to geek out

11:06 and embrace your inner nerd.

11:08 Organizers hope it's also a place to be engaged

11:11 and inspired, where visitors can comfortably celebrate

11:14 all things nerdy without judgment.

11:17 Here we celebrate pop culture.

11:19 We celebrate people who love, want to showcase

11:21 their love for anime, for video games, for board games,

11:25 and overall talented young people.

11:29 From Qatar's diverse food scene,

11:31 to the geeky trends of Gen Z,

11:33 to the timeless traditions showcasing

11:35 the country's heritage, we hope you've enjoyed

11:38 reminiscing some of our favorite moments with us.

11:40 But that's all the time we have for now.

11:43 For more, check out euronews.com

11:45 and connect with us through our hashtag.

11:47 Thanks for watching, and we'll see you next time

11:49 on Qatar 365.

11:51 [music]

11:53 [music]

11:55 That's our 365.

11:56 (upbeat music)

11:58 [BLANK_AUDIO]

Category

Transcript

Recommended