Sundays are hated in this region. Why?
For the same reason why Mondays are hated in the rest of the world – it’s the first working day after the weekend.
Mondays, on the contrary, are more productive and less stressful (at least this is my experience). You’ve already taken the back-to-work-punch and today you’re playing ball rather than chasing it.
This Monday, I left home at 8:00 am, heading to West Bay. I parked the car in front of Al Rayyan Al Qadeem Station on the Green Line, and took my first train, to Al Bidda Station and then to West Bay QIC Station on the Red Line.
I noticed that all the stations are much busier than day one (in case you haven’t read our article, read it here) and even if you think that the commuters’ traffic is a bit shy, I see that it’s significantly increasing by the day.
I had to drop a document to the Palm Tower (7 mins walk from West Bay QIC station) and then move to my next meeting at Salam Tower.
Now If you are using Doha Metro and walking around the area, it’s good to know that there is some construction work in that neighborhood. The work starts from West Bay QIC Station going through the Tornado Tower plaza and all the way to DECC Station. If you were used to cruising the space between The Ministry Of Islamic Affairs, and the Tornado Tower you have to make a small detour now.
While all the construction work is happening, you are very safe to walk the pedestrian paths, which have been established to keep the flow of people moving around probably the busiest street in West Bay.
After I finished my meeting at Salam Tower, I took the train from DECC Station to Corniche Station as I was going to the Qatar Post Office Q-Post to get a package.
Even in the scorching heat of summer, it is refreshing the see the green tunnel as you exit the Metro walking to the Post Office. When I was walking through the tunnel, some maintenance and landscaping work was being done after some time off. The work of these dedicated men (and women) will flourish in the coming few months and people get to enjoy it as the weather gets better.
I collected my package in no time from the Post Office and it was time to head back home and finish some “office work”. I looked at my Health App and my step count was close to 9,000 steps. If you compare it with Sunday (yesterday) you would realize that my walking day started at 3:00 pm with a pathetic 523 steps only… and barely reached 5,000 steps by the end of the day.
If you’re thinking “steps geek” then you’re wrong. I am not expecting to lose weight from walking between my stops and my stations. But what I am really looking for here is the experience and a little bit of motivation to move more and push myself away from the chair! Discovering Doha and seeing it from a different perspective, seeing it in different days, in different moods, breathe in and breathe out and thank God for every day I get, to experience the little and simple joys in life… a coffee in the morning, a smooth meeting with the client, a productive day at work, everything coming together to make it a good Monday!
Have a great day ahead!
