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]
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