Qatar International Food Festival 2015

Its their 6th year to hold Qatar International Food Festival this year, yet its only my first time to visit them. Qatar International Food Festival is a fair participated by 5 star hotels, high end restaurants, food chains and even the newly put up food businesses.

 QIFF is divided into several zones.
 Welcome and Stage Zone, where everyone especially families can enjoy different entertainment activities. They have a big screen where kids together with their parents can sit, relax and watch.

L-R : Genie, Sheila, and Me

 

They also have a fireworks display every 7:30 p.m. I personally enjoyed watching it, my friend Genie even record it on video.

 Food Zone features high profile restaurants that offers different cuisines from around the world, so if you haven't try them on their own place like in hotels, you can enjoy some of their dishes in small serving and of course at the low price.

 Here are some of the featured hotels that we checked.

Marriott Hotel offers Mexican food and even the theme of their booth look so Mexican. They also have some props on the corner if you want to have a souvenir photo. I've got mine!

La Cigale Hotel offers Lebanese cuisine.

For burger and fries lovers, Movenpick booth is for you guys

You know how much I love Oryx Rotana though its not their Choices restaurant on the food, still we enjoyed what the Cellar served. They serves best cuisine suited for Asians taste buds.

smile pa rin even mouth is full

 And look what I've got from them, a photo  in their IG frame. You just need to upload your picture to IG tag 3 of your friends, put #oryxrotanaselfie and you can have a chance to win 2 voucher to dine in on their hotel. Kaya if you have yours, don't forget to upload.

If you are a seafood lover whether a crabs or lobster, they have it here in Sheraton booth.

W Hotel offers pizza and other pica-pica treats.

Dinner in the Sky Zone is one of the activity that made QIFF popular. This year its Qatar Airways who sponsored the Dinner in the Sky, serving in a business class style of the 5 star airline.Its expensive but I guess its the experience of eating in height that you're paying.

Live Cooking Zone features celebrity chefs from different country but since I'm not much into cooking shows I'm not familiar to them. They have a big LED screen where you can see the actual scene of what they are doing in front as well as how the food was prepared and cooked.

IG Market Zone give way to small businesses which usually do selling through social medias or exhibits.

 

They really offers a variety of food - you can find a lot of sweets stands, ice cream as well as popcorn booth.
Kung sa Pilipinas ang carpet sa loob lang ng bahay well here hindi cos even sa park na may damo pwede ring gamitin.

 Its a picnic everywhere scenario every time na may QIFF. What I also love about QIFF aside from the food of course is its one way for the family to have bonding and spend quality time with each other, nakakatuwa makita na kahit nakakapagod (sa tingin ko lang), parents don't mind na isama at habul-habulin ang mga anak nila.

After you had a full dinner, there are some that offers tea and coffee but me I love smoothies from Jhonny Rockets!

Don't worry about your calories consumed, since car nor taxi is not permitted to enter inside MIA park you can take a walk and burn again some of the calories that you consume. But before leaving the place, don't forget to take a picture on their #QIFF2015 and when you upload to social media put the same hash tag.

 Hope you enjoyed QIFF 2015 like I do. See next year!

There's Always Something New, 2014 SOJV Staff Party

After a tiring and stressful working days, one of the break that company can offer is to have a party for its employees. Its been a year or two since last held a staff party outside the office. For some of the staffs its their first but for me I don't want drop numbers :-)

Although I've attended many times, I'm always looking forward for something new. And I guess you can find if you will just open your eyes not to criticize but to appreciate why and how the party was organized.

Usually company party was announced ahead of time 2 or 3 weeks before but this year, a memo just popped up in our inbox 2 or 3 days before the event but what its good this year they indicated a dress code and since its "smart casual" its easy for us to decide what to wear.

The venue is still in Radisson Blu Hotel but this year we just occupied a part of the banquet, we have a small crowd this year as few months from now the project will be finished :-)

The call time for the party is 6:30 p.m. Its early for a dinner party right? And voila! this year its not an hour delayed, at around 6;45 the party formally started. And I'm a bit shy when I arrived cos there are already many people although I'm still early for the call time but since I am the emcee I need to be on time or earlier.

 

I always want to have podium everytime I'm hosting, it hides my wobbling knees ^_^

No red carpet where you can see stunning beauties posing over hi-tech cameras. This year beauty out of simplicity was flaunted. I really love to be in a smart casual, you are not conscious on how to move, natural na natural and you can easily move.

The smaller the crowd the more chances to interact with others. That's for me is the essence of staff party to develop camaraderie to each other especially if you seldom talk to them inside the office. You can have a chance to see and know the other side of a person, not only the professional side or the "technical" personality he/ she has. 

  

 

All  staffs had their chance to have a photo with big bosses. And even the managers enjoyed siestas with everyone, how I wish that managers has a pleasant mood like while they are in the party hahaha...

SOJV Project Manager

SOJV Deputy Project Manager

SOJV Procurement Department Manager

 And how I wish someone took a clear and good copy of this, with all the bosses. I'm just passing when our PM called me to have a picture, its a privilege to posed with them. Guys if you have a good copy of this please please share it with me ^__^

 

SOJV Staff last standing as of June 26,2014

 Its been eight years. I spent 8 years of my life in this team, not an ideal years. I have so many sentiments and demands, sometimes I can't help to compare with those people who are working in the other companies but I always end up being grateful and thankful for them. As my mom told me, God put me into this company, into this team cos He has purpose and if the purpose was served already, I'm claiming that this year God will give me new.

I've been to all the staff parties before and of course I have so many comparisons but whatever it is I just keep it with me ^_^, all I know is I enjoyed the night, I enjoyed being with people and I will keep and cherish all the memories. 

There are so many new things to discover and realize in every event, so next time someone or your company invite you to a party, give a "yes".