Our five year adventure in Doha, Qatarended June 1, 2012, but the memories will always remain. It's back to Texas where I have decided...Qatar isn't cornering the market on "quirky", as I once believed. Thanks for opening my eyes to the world,Doha!
Eid has arrived. Ramadan officially ended last night when the first sliver of the crescent moon was sighted. This was pretty much unexpected as the American School of Doha calendar, as well as Chevron Phillips' holiday schedule had it listed as beginning on Wednesday. Apparently some Imam with really good eyes saw a sparkle and said, "let the party begin", and so it did. Only problem was that David didn't get the memo. He got up this morning at his usual 4:30, dressed for work and waited on his buddies to pick him up, but no one showed. Duh, Eid is pretty much the equivalent to our Christmas and NO ONE goes to work on Christmas day, so it seems would be the same with Eid.
Sykes trying to get on with his Eid celebration
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Are you in need of some "dudu" perfume? Well, I have just the store for you in Villagio Mall. I've seen this store many times while walking down the canal area, but yesterday the name struck me as a little funny. Does the word oxymoron mean anything to you? I wonder if Shaun Cassidy's heart would have stood still if Jill had been wearing dudu perfume?
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I just have to share the lovely forecast for our Austria trip that starts out in Vienna this Thursday afternoon. It looks like the rain might slow down just enough (wishful thinking) on Sunday for us catch the train to Salzburg. Maybe we'll be so lucky as to adopt Gene Kelly's outlook. Somehow, I doubt it. In light of everyone else's mother nature woes these days, I'll try not to whine too much. Maybe the Good Lord thought we might enjoy a little rain since we certainly don't see it in Doha. Thanks, for looking out for us (as always!). We are anxiously waiting for the trip despite the cold, rainy weather....brrrr.
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I'm going to let the pictures do most of the talking about the time we had at our Suhoor Buffet last night at The Ritz. "Wow" is the best term I can think of for it. Jugglers, magicians, Arabic music, shisha, henna, falcons, dancers, food, food, and more food. It was a night to remember and one I will treasure of times spent with our Doha friends. No one should let the Ramadan season end without experiencing this cultural event.
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Many mornings since "The Storm", I've sat down and tried to peck out a few words of wisdom or consolation for those affected. I was always at a loss of what to say. I have an aunt in Cameron, La whose home was filled with water and a niece and close friends in Bridge City that I still haven't heard the "official" report, but I know it's not good. I have friend here in Doha that has a home in Labelle that Ike wreaked havoc on. I know there are numerous others facing the daunting task of putting their homes and lives back together. As of yesterday, I've been duly scolded (I think, or that's what I thought) by my former boss, Jan, It was in an email I received from her yesterday letting me know of the devastation of Ike. She and her office staffed finally were able to return to their offices in downtown Beaumont to find windows had been blown out and the carpets torn out due to water damage. She's one of my much appreciated, faithful blog followers. She knows I like to talk about current events, so I guess she made the jump that I didn't know of Ike's wrath on my old stomping ground, since I didn't report it on the blog. When I first opened her email, I thought she was chastising me for not elaborating on it, then I came to the realization it was just a heart felt letter pouring out her concern of the devastation Ike had caused. I'm not sure what caused my "writer's block". Maybe it was because the televisions were covering it 24/7 and I felt that just perhaps someone would like to click on something on the internet that wasn't about the ruins and lives left behind. Or maybe, it's because I've always been known as the queen of denial... if I don't talk about it, it didn't happen. Trust me, I know it happened. I for one, did follow the news nonstop. It was like I had read and seen so much that there was nothing more that I could add. So, let it be known now, I didn't mean to ignore anyone's plight. I truly, for once, was at a loss for words. My prayers go out to everyone who's facing losses during this time. May God bestow his peace and guidance upon you.
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Ok, Ellen...maybe my creative juices were flowing yesterday. There was just one minor problem, there was nothing in particular that I wanted to talk about. And, gosh knows I've already met my quota in rambling posts. Today I choose to talk about the common shopping cart (so, you say, "You still have nothing to talk about!") Well, that's neither her nor there, so stop interrupting me. You know, the shopping cart (or trolley as it is referred to here) is pretty much the same, but the wheels are a little different. They are designed for the ever present escalators in this country. Many of our "hypermarkets" are located in malls with parking garages, which will require you to transport your buggy via the ramp style escalator. It's a scary thing the first time you encounter it. Your cart may roll just a bit, but then the specially designed wheels grip the escalator belt (thank goodness!) just as you begin to envision yourself chasing a basket all the way down to the next floor while running over a few unsuspecting mall browsers along the way. Who knows, they might have the same dang wheels in the states. I can't honestly say that I've examined them. Y'all can research that and get back with me. Enough already! It's not just any cart I wanted to talk about, it's the cart that's parked outside a store, while the driver of the cart stops to shop in other stores. I hadn't really thought about it until Karen conveyed her amazement to me the other day about people leaving their loaded carts, handbags included, unattended. I was caught off guard and didn't even have the nerve to tell her that I, as well, am guilty as charged. So, as I was at the mall today, I got tickled when I saw this cart parked outside with unwrapped loaves of bread sticking out. I did think to myself at that moment, now that's where I might have to draw the line. Now that Karen is on her way out the doors of Doha, who would ever have thought a random cart of groceries will be what conjures up her smiling face.
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No blog juices running trough my veins this morning, only coffee I'm afraid. Thanks, David! Speaking of coffee, I'm fixing to (fixing to...I think that could be a blog unto itself) run down to Karen's for a small coffee gathering and top off my tank. So, I'll leave you to keep an eye on Sykes for me while I'm gone. You decide on the caption...like I said, no wit emitting from this brain this morning. Tootles.
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You may not know this, but in my life before Doha, I was known in some circles as "The Zone Nazi". I'm not even sure I'm allowed to use that term, but I'll throw caution to the wind. It was never so evident as yesterday when David and I were eating out with friends that it must still somehow be emanating from my soul. I'll just stop there and let Karen tell the story...Jamocha Espresso Crazy (click)
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I'm having a small get together at the pink villas tomorrow to teach some of my fellow Doha ladies the gift of blog. I'm excited for them because they will learn to stay in touch in a new way and never feel removed, again...if they follow through, that is. Their friends and family can tune in if they want or opt out if they don't want to hear about the bloggers' exotic if not a bit strange life in the land of "almost" (as my friend Freda likes to call Doha). They will begin to see Doha through blog eyes and never see it the same again. I'll have to pick my brain a bit on how to get a new blog started, since it's been nearly a year and a half since this one was born. Time flies when nearly everyday brings a new experience to the table. So anyway, come one, come all ladies. Your days in Doha will never be the same!
Time: 10:00 - till your blog is officially "born" Place: #63 the pink villas Bring: Your laptop if you have one, if not, just bring your happy hiney
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Shea spent the last two weeks of his Psyop stint at Fort Bragg, N.C. on what I like to call a "field trip". That's a nice sugarcoated term for it, anyway. Right before tropical storm Hanna hit North Carolina, Shea and his comrades were released out into the wild to play the role of guerrillas that were being hunted down by a Special Forces unit that was in training. He said the storm wasn't bad and it only rained one night which was good enough to give him a good cleansing. I hadn't heard from Shea in two weeks and I wake up yesterday morning to a text picture message via email of him very proudly showing off his beard from his back to nature adventure. No message, but "hey, check out the beard!". Geez, how 'bout a little update every now and then for your mother, son. Well, I got an update from him last night. I might be sorry I ever asked how things were going for our "Army Strong" boy. And here, my friends, is the rest of the story...
Nothing like putting your momma at ease :)
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It's more like, you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. That's the game we were playing this week when Karen and I took a trip to Patrizi's. Sherry is an accomplished photographer and Karen is wanting to learn what the heck to do with the Photoshop program that she has recently purchased and loaded into her computer. Sherry gave her a few quick lessons on touching up faces and I was pretty impressed on what these programs can do. With a click of a few keys, she gave the eyes a new definition that took on a vibrancy that was missing. Being one that believes that the pic that you snap should be the pic that you print, I was pretty amazed. I'm thinking I could be swayed to join the 21st century of photography. Sherry's itch was to bounce some ideas out there about her new photo business that you can visit at patriziphotography.com by the way. She needed someone to be bluntly truthful about some ideas she had...enter Sybil. My motto is "Don't ask and I won't tell, but if you ask...shame on you". That might be a little untruthful. My family and friends will attest that you don't have to ask and I'll tell you anyway. Ouch. So now you're wondering (or actually could care less) about what I got out of the afternoon...a gourmet lunch, some good laughs, and something to blog about, duh. Sherry prepared the most awesome lunch in about five minutes (she was so fast, see the blur?) and it was absolutely delicious. And, that my friends, is the ultimate talent to behold in Doha.
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...With the "Sound of Music", that is. Move over Von Trapp family, here we come. Yes, David and I are Austria bound for our Eid Al Fitr getaway. I have the hot little tickets in my hands or the e-tickets, anyway. E-vouchers, e-tickets, e-confirmations...if it starts with an e, I have it. When I first brought up the idea of Austria to David, he mumbled his usual, "whatever you want to do, dear". Then when the word train came out of my mouth, he instantly looked up and said, "now, you've got my attention". The plan is to fly into Vienna and stay there a few nights,then take a train to Salzburg for a couple of nights , and then on to Innsbruck. I did a little a lot of internet searching and emailing and acquired a couple of tickets to see the Vienna Boy' Choir at The Musikverein Hall, which I'm very excited about. Actually the "Boys" are just making an appearance at the hall and are not the main event. There was somewhat of a German barrier when I spoke to the person in Vienna regarding the concert, so you can only imagine how excited David is to go see, or listen rather, to who knows what. Classical isn't his thing, and I'm pretty sure that's what he's going to get. It won't hurt him to get "cultured" a bit (me either, for that matter!). We leave October 2nd, returning October 9th. Cross your fingers for us, as I opted out on the package tour that Qatar Airways offers. I'm putting on my travel agent hat and booking everything myself. With the Euros that we're saving, maybe we'll be able to afford to eat while we're there. Oh, and your ears aren't deceiving you. The hills are not alive with the Sound of Music at the moment. I swapped out when I ran across The Vienna Boys' Choir singing Edelweiss...sorry, Ms. Andrews.
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To all my Ike evacuees out there...I pray that all is well and that even under the worst case scenario you can get back on path and move forward through the devastation. That being said, I'm sure you're not visiting my blog to be depressed and dwell on the worries of life. You're here to escape it and visit my somewhat removed life in the quirky world of Doha, so on with the blog. It all started about 9:30a.m...breakfast at The Lagoon Restaurant at The Ritz. I know it sounds a bit hoity toity, but we save up days at a time not leaving our pink little houses and go out and whoop it up on occasion. We had a round of eggs and a couple of pots of strong coffee that made Seaport taste wimpy. The best thing about the breakfast was the company and the fact that we sat there for THREE whole hours jacking our jaws. We considered asking the waiters to bring on the lunch menus, but we thought better. After begrudgingly breaking away from the table, we meandered through the hotel stopping for photo ops here and there. We stumbled upon a hallway that had been transformed with a welcoming Arabic flair to an entry way to The Ritz' late evening Suhoor meal. Historically the Suhoor meal during Ramadan is the pre-dawn meal that one has before beginning their fasting at sunrise. All the hotels here set up extravagant ballrooms and furnish a lavish buffet for the Suhoor meal beginning at 8:30pm and running until 1:00am. One of the managers saw us oohing and aahing in the hallway and invited us to help ourselves to a tour of the Grand Ball Room where the preparations were all in place for their evening celebration. We just thought we were impressed with the hallway when we entered the main area our jaws dropped. Ok, so now we have reservations for next week to partake of this Suhoor extravaganza. It is a bit pricey , but for the money we will receive hours of food, fellowship, entertainment and an abundance of cultural diversity. Sounds like a bargain.
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Here are a few of the pictures from our Sundown Mosque Tour that I was telling you about last week. Karen and I (and occasionally Kim) had a lot of fun chasing the sun. We discovered how hard it is to get the sun at the angle you want it without stopping in the middle of the street and that, my friend, you do not do in Doha. We did, however, do a lot of off roading in the Tahoe...over the curbs and through rock lots heading to the next mosque to see if it was lined up with the sun. Never fear, there's always another mosque down the road if the one you are at doesn't work out.
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Most of you by now have had the opportunity to view the "Only in Doha" video that I posted. I forgot to put the disclaimer, however, that no one in the making of this video was harmed in any manner...that is, if you don't count my fibrillating heart when I witnessed this Qatari's first drive by on two wheels. It's just one of those things you hear people talking about around here, but no one ever actually sees it. You know, it's always a friend of a friend of a friend type situation. Well, Karen and I were destined to be at the right place at the right time. As we were standing in a vacant sand lot taking pictures of a beautiful sunset over a local mosque, these guys whiz by and I exaggerated to Karen, "those guys almost got on two wheels". She laughed and said something to the affect that they were lucky to be on four wheels by the sound of their sputtering vehicle. We continued snapping pictures when they started flying around the parking lot across the street and then proceeded to enter the street and get up on two wheels as they made the turn. They were no fools. They knew that if they showed off for us, we'd take their pictures. Sure enough, I set my camera on video mode, while Karen aimed her bazooka camera their way for still shots. Here they go, again, careening around the turn to get up on two wheels while the passenger is leaning his full upper body out the car window and celebrating. They did one more round for us, then waved goodbye as they rode off into the sunset. A private showing just for us....aren't we special.
Photographer: Karen Logue (Thanks, girl!)
and here's my video...
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To my dear sweet sister in law, Sherry, who remembers EVERY birthday with a birthday card without fail. Every time I receive one of those cards in the mail for David, the kids, or myself, I cringe with guilt and think..."I'm going to remember to send out cards and be a good sister in law, sister, daughter, daughter in law,wife, mother, friend...!") You know, it is true what they say about old dogs. Anywho, Sherry, David and I wish you the best birthday ever and pray that you are blessed with many more to come.
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I know what your thinking. Just what the heck would I have to talk about if I didn't have that crazy cat, Sykes. He is most entertaining and can be quite the conversation piece here at the villa. I even got an email from Aunt Marge predicting that Sykes was going to be able to do the repairs around here after she noted his intense studying of David crafting my newfangled battery charger (which, by the way, worked!). Well you know how Sykes loves to retrieve things, whether it's a sock he's dug out of a shoe or a wadded up piece of paper. He's always bringing something to one of us to throw for him so he can keep up his skills. He really outdid himself yesterday while David and I were sitting on the couch. Here comes Sykes, with not only one sock in tow but a brand new package hanging from his mouth that he had found on my dresser upstairs. He handily jumped up on the couch and dropped them next to David to signal, "game on". Is it just me, or is he awesome?! The picture below is a reenactment in which Sykes was more than happy to do for his faithful followers.
If you knew how long I spent trying to find a song to go along with this post, you'd appreciate this blast from the past a little more. Now, when's the last time you heard that song?!
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You know, it's hard to remember everything when you pack up after being home in the states a couple of months. Well, I went off and left one of my lifelines...my camera battery charger. My battery totally bit the dust last night and is useless to me without my charger. Kristi has kindly packaged it up for me and put it in the mail, but it will be several weeks before it arrives. I'm a little nervous about how long the charger will take to arrive, because we are planning to take a vacation beginning October 1st for Eid Al Fitr. That's the Muslim celebration that follows the Ramadan month of fasting and all work and school in Doha ceases. As for the battery, there's hope yet...enter Tim the Tool Man. David did a little brainstorming and collected a few things around the house...he confiscated our phone power supply, some extra phone wire, a twist tie and something else that I have no idea what its original use was. It looks like an episode of Bill Nye, the Science Guy. Of course, I have no idea how this is supposed to work, but David has assured me that it will and most likely without blowing up my battery. In the mean time I've dusted off my antique digital camera to capture the Kodak moments. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
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I'm so glad that the conventions have come to an end. Getting up at 4:30 a.m. to catch the "main event" that is happening prime time in the states has been quite taxing on my body. All the speakers were great at both conventions and I can see that this presidential race will be one to go down in history. I really don't mean to lean too far either way for the sake of the blog, but...Sarah Barracuda Palin has me energized. She's just such a breath of fresh air with a lot of pizazz to boot. It seems the race has changed to Obama vs Palin, with McCain and Biden being on the back burner. You know Obama must be thinking about right now that maybe, just maybe, he should have chosen Hillary. Well, it ain't over til it's over. I'm all about injecting excitement into the race and trust me anything that makes me get up at 4:30 a.m. is pretty darn exciting in my book. It looks to be tooth and nail down to the finish on November 4th. Buckle your seat belts, we're in for a ride.
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Ok, so it may not be an apple tree and I don't particularly want to sit under it, but for Pete's sake did the villa people have to butcher it? You know, it is a bit hot in this country and it is a rare source of shade for the house and the small patch of grass we have beneath it. Look closely. the flowers above the tree do not belong to it. Can you believe this is the same tree that Sykes used to climb up and hide from us? And then we'd have to get the ladder out to get him down. I think our yard people got their training from "Supercuts", the home of the $6.95 haircut.
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I woke up this morning stretching into reality, oh, I do still live in Doha. Making my way drearily down the stairs, I head straight to the coffee that David has so lovingly prepared for me. Oops, not today. I have to take that dreaded Sally Fields pill, aka Boniva. If you only knew how much I disdain that pill. It's only once a month, but no drinking or eating for an hour after taking it. Do you know how long an hour is in Doha time? I down the dang pill and look longingly at my awaiting coffee while setting my timer. I think about going to workout. I turn on Fox news to see what late breaking earth shattering news I'm missing. Another live broadcast of a plane with a faulty tire circling the L.A. airport only to land thirty minutes later smoother than any landing I've experienced. Hmm, the V.P. nominee elect's daughter is pregnant. Oooh, that is a bit earth shattering. I think about going to workout. I check my email...Aunt Marge must still be evacuated. Looks like all my email buddies are evacuated. Yoohoo, Grandaddy in Tennessee...did you evacuate, too? No exciting emails, unless Viagra is your thing. I think about going to workout. I check the obituariess from my local online newspaper. That's so sad. Is that what old people do, check the obits daily? Everyone seems to be alive and well. Well, not actually, I just didn't know anyone listed. Ahh, the buzzer is buzzing signaling coffee time. I savor my first cup, and then have my toast and eggs with the next. I think about going to workout. I try to think of what in the world can today's blog be about. No brilliant musings come to mind, so I give into that pesky little exercise monitor screaming in my ear. Later, y'all. I'm gone to workout.
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I've been back a week and I can definitely tell that I'm in Doha. If yesterday's pharmacy run didn't confirm that fact, here are a few more. Top Ten List of How I Know I'm Back In Doha:
10. I'm screaming out loud in the car, again.
9. No hurricanes in sight
8. My washer takes exactly 1 hour and 55 minutes to wash a load
7. Kumar, my gardener, is heisting plants from empty villas and selling them to me at a premium.
6. No bacon or pork roast to be found
5. Gas is 80 cents a gallon.
4. My name has been changed back to "Madame"
3. I'm back to saying, "Excuse me, I was here before you."
2. I never hear, "Thanks, Mom...that was delicious!*
..........and the #1 reason that I know I'm back in Doha......
(JUST SHOOT ME NOW)
1. The temperature is higher than my weight.
*No matter what we have for dinner, this is Kristi's canned response. She can eat a bowl of cereal in the kitchen and walk through the den saying her usual, "Thanks, Mom. It was delicious!" She has done this without missing a beat, since kindergarten. To leave a comment, click on the title of the post and then click on "Post a Comment" at the bottom of the post.
Just when you think you've seen it all, Doha begs to differ. I made a run to the pharmacy yesterday for some much needed antihistamine for my awful sleep pattern since arriving back in Doha. I don't sleep during the day, but I don't sleep at night either. Anyway, the cashier rang me up and gave me the price of QR 6.75. As I've informed y'all in the past, coins are rare in this country. Instead of coins, it's not unusual to receive gum or even a candy bar for your balance due. Well, guess what the pharmacy gives you? Yes, I got a pill. A pill, a random pill. A single pill in a foil and plastic wrap. What the heck is it for? Who, knows...no instructions included. I tossed it in my Arabic "Cialis" bag (yes, erectile dysfunction apparently has no borders) and was out the door. Now, I have new homework to do. I'm off to Google "Panadol" and see what I can do with my newly acquired pill.
Follow up:
Panadol is the GlaxoSmithKline brand name of the phamaceutical paracetamol (para-acetylaminophenol), which is administered to reduce pain and fever. There are many similar products marketed under other names. For example, in India, paracetamol is sold as Crocin and in Colombia it is marketed as Dolex. It is sold in more than 85 countries.[1] However, in North America, Johnson and Johnson's Tylenol is the leading brand of paracetamol.[2]
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