We’ve found out from a friend that McDonald’s started serving their breakfast menu last week through facebook. Being in Qatar for 5 years, it was actually surprising that McDonald’s didn’t bring their breakfast menu earlier as people here in Qatar are usually up early in the morning. So after having an early appointment with the doctor at 6:45 and ending at 8:45, Mavis decided to try out the McDonald’s Breakfast in Qatar and see how it differs from the Philippines or other places where we’ve had Mcdonald’s breakfast. When we were in Hong Kong, McDonald’s had Congee as part of their breakfast.

The McDonald’s Breakfast is available from 5 to 10 in the morning at Al Suhaim Bin Hamad (C-Ring Road along Toys R’ Us) and Markhiya. You have several options like the Big breakfast (14QR) which consists of 2 scrambled eggs, a sausage, muffins, hash brown and coffee. You also get a choice of jam; strawberry or apricot. You may also opt for the Value McMuffin Meals; Sausage McMuffin (7QR), Egg McMuffin (8 QR), Sausage and Egg McMuffin (9QR). The 3-piece hotcake would set you back for 10QR.

Big Breakfast in Qatar

As you can see above, the breakfast is served in carton boxes instead of the styrofoam plates we usually get in the Philippines. I don’t know which is better for the environment as styrofoam is inorganic while paper means cutting down trees for this purpose. Let the environmentalists decide. Anyway, I wasn’t too thrilled about the the whole thing as it seems it has been prepared minutes before we even ordered. The taste is your usual standard fare. The Sausage is good as they’re my favorite since way back. Xianelle had the3-piece hotcakes which we’re also ok. Again, nothing different nor better than any other Mcdonald’s breakfast.

3-piece hotcakes

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However for our daughter Xianelle, what should have been a regular cleaning turned out to be the day when she’d have her very first tooth extraction.  This of course is one of the most significant milestones in a child’s life as much as having his/her very first tooth.  A month ago, she started growing her 2 front teeth on the lower jaw.  We took her to the dentist then, however the dentist suggested that we wait for a month to see whether the milk teeth would then become wobbly.  A month later, the milk teeth stayed intact.

So today the dentist, who’s a very nice Filipina, reckoned it would be best to extract the teeth as the new ones are about to come out completely.  Upon knowing this, we of course had to condition Xianelle’s mind at such short notice.  Of course she was a little whiny about it at first but as always she understood it eventually.  Plus her dad promised to give her something special as long as she tries to be brave.  Tian and I were the first to go, saving Xiane for last. 

When it was her turn, the dentist gave her a pep talk to make her feel relaxed.  Then she applied topical anethetic on the gums to numb it a little for the injection.  After a few minutes, the dentist administered the injection on her gums.  I had to cover her eyes to make sure that she didn’t see the syringe as it might scare her.  I also had to hold Xiane’s head to make it steady.  However, once she’s been injected, her eyes started to well-up.  She was crying although very quietly.  We thought she was just anxious of what’s going to happen next.  But  tonight we found out that she was crying because she actually felt the pain from the injections. 

Being the brave girl that she is though, it only took a short time to console her.  Then the dentist was able to extract a tooth at a time in no time at all.  Tian and I were so relieved to see that Xiane has surpassed this ordeal triumphantly.  But most of all we were relieved to see her so happy when she got hold of her 2 front teeth which were placed in a tiny clear. plastic  After biting on cotton for a few minutes to stop the bleeding, she was completely ok.  Then we ate sundae from McDonald’s.

It’s such a relief that Xianelle didn’t have a traumatic first tooth extraction today because as the saying goes, "first impressions always last."

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Tian and I didn’t have plans of throwing a party for our daughter’s birthday this year.  But upon her request we just might give in.  She’s been talking about her birthday for months now.  I guess she still couldn’t get over party last year.  We’ve been reminding her though, that if and when we celebrate her birthday this year, it wouldn’t be as grand as last year’s.  But knowing kids, they’d be happy when they see some balloons, a birthday cake, gifts and have games on their birthday.

We were thinking of having the party at McDonald’s.  Having attended a number of these parties as well as those in other fast food joints, Tian and I have come to a conclusion that McDonald’s has the best package and is the most fun.  What we like most about a McDonald’s party is that they have a lot of games and prizes for the kids, which gives life to the party.  Children are happy just to get a piece of sticker as long as they get something.  So we are more inclined to holding her party at McDonald’s, well not until Xiane was invited to a classmate’s birthday party at Café Ceramique.

Café Ceramique is a Café cum restaurant at The Mall which can also be a venue for birthdays and other events, like team building purposes.  There, they had face painting and were able to do some artwork like painting mugs, figurines, etc.  They also had a “closed-door games”, where parents were asked to go out and wait at the dining/café area.  I was sure that my daughter had a great time during the party because on our way home she was already telling me that she wanted to have her birthday party there.

So it’s from McDonald’s to Café Ceramique.  But after a few weeks we got to talk about her birthday again and this time she changed her mind again.  Now she wants her party to be held at McDonald’s again.  So I had to ask her what made her change her mind.  I sensed that it could be the fact that they didn’t give out prizes at Café Ceramique during the games.  But my daughter said that the place/the game room was “too tight”, meaning not having enough space to move about.  Well, I could see her point having seen the place myself.  I agree that the place was quite small to accommodate 20 or so children.  So there you go, if and when we finally decide to give a party, it’s going to be at McDonald’s.  I am just amazed that my daughter is now making her choices and she’s only turning five.  In any case, we only want her to have fun and enjoy.

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Tian tried to talk me out of going to the trade fair but I was persistent.  In the end, he gave in although not without consequence.  The trade fair is being held at the new Qatar Exhibition Centre, Ad Dawhah going to the Ritz Carlton and The Pearl.  As a condition of him agreeing to go to the fair, he asked me to locate the venue on the map.  We had an old Marhaba in the car so I went looking.  I also had to call my friend who has been there and give me directions.  But since there were conflicting directions, an incomplete and my poor sense of direction, we spent a good 30 minutes going around and around.  Though I had a hunch that my husband already knew how to go there and was just fooling around with me.  He had a good time laughing at me and teasing me as I struggled to understand the directions on the map.

Then finally, he decided he has wasted enough time and just drove us to the place.  I wanted to give him a smack, not on the lips! I knew it! I was right all along.  He was just messing with me!  From a far, you would see so many cars already parked in a very big vacant area in front of a building that looked like an airport.  Then the entrance (which is more than one) leads to a very large hall where they put up numerous stalls.  It was like Divisoria Mall and 168 Mall in Manila all over again.  The International Trade Fair which was organized by Qatar Expo features an array of international products under one roof.  It is said to feature International Cultural shows although at the time of our visit there wasn’t any.  Exhibitors bringing their products come from China, Iran, Syria, India, Kenya and many others.  Surprisingly, there seems to be no exhibitor from the Philippines.  There were various products such as traditional clothes, children’s and ladies’ clothes, lingerie; blankets and comforters; rugs; perfumes and cosmetics; bags, shoes, accessories; dried fruits and nuts; and other gadgets. 

But the thing is a lot of the stalls are just duplicates of each other, probably 5-10 of each kind.  That’s why, roaming around would turn out to be less interesting the more you spend time there.  Aside from that, the prices are quite expensive especially because they aren’t branded ones.  Well, we couldn’t blame them for the mark up because for sure they paid a costly price just to be able to join the fair.  We ended up buying 3 pieces of small animal figurines from one of the Kenyan stalls for 10 Riyals.  Xiane was so happy to have her very own giraffe, elephant and zebra figurines which she named Alice, Dumbo and Nini respectively.

When we realized that there was nothing more to see, we left the place but as we were leaving, more people were coming.  I guess a lot of people are also as curious as I was just a while ago.  In any case, at least we got to experience going to the International Trade Fair which whether we like it or not, is an event that only happens once a year here in Doha.

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As usual, we were at Carre Four as soon as they opened.  I wasn’t really planning on buying anything but then I remembered I needed new mats for the bathroom and the kitchen and a new shower curtain.  Our Disney Princess shower curtain that we bought because of Xiane is about to retire as the end that holds the rings starts to rip one-by-one.  It is made of plastic, so I had to make sure that the new curtain is made of fabric.  Aside from it being tear-free, it is also washable.  I swear I would wash it as often as I should so as not to accumulate mild dew.
After Carre Four, we had our usual breakfast at McDonald’s.  I got a Happy Meal so that Xiane would have another Furby toy.  She’s been talking about it since she saw it on a billboard last week.  We had a nice chat at breakfast then it was time to window shop.

A lot of stores are on sale right now. I was able to buy a few items for Xianelle at H&M.  Who could resist buying 3 pairs of gloves for only 9 Riyals? A pack of 7 Hello Kitty under wears for only 19 Riyals, a 7-Riyal muffler?  I just had to get them while it’s still cold.  I patiently looked at the items on sale but there was nothing that I really found interesting so I didn’t buy anything for myself.  Then another friend of ours, also a parent from school met with us.  They say, time flies when you’re having fun and flew it did, thus we were only able to visit a few stores. 

We had to cut our window shopping short to fetch our children from school.  Nevertheless it was still a fine morning spent with friends.

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