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!
It was off to the Sony Ericsson Women's Tennis Championship Tournament last night here in Doha. The weather around here has been great, but Mother humidity decided to make an appearance and put a damper on the evening. It was almost unbearably hot. My hair looked straight out of the 80's by the time the tennis ended at 11:00pm. Yes, six full hours of nonstop tennis. I was exhausted. We're heading back out in just a little bit to watch the semi finals. It's down to Venus and Serena Williams from the U.S., along with Jelena Jankovic of Serbia and Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark. Ten minutes prior to the first match, I wondered where all the fans were as the stands were nearly empty. People slowly trickled in to eventually fill in the blanks. It was a great evening. Who says Doha has nothing to offer? Gotta get myself ready. I'm thinking hot pants and a halter top today. If I could get away with it, trust me, I would. Hmm, arrested in a Muslim country for indecent dress...that would definitely give me something to blog about. Later!
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There will be no blog today due to being poo-pahed via email by a reader that shall remain nameless (KONNIE ARISCO MATTE). She (KONNIE ARISCO MATTE) thought yesterday's Hello Kitty post was absurd. In protest to her (KONNIE ARISCO MATTE), no more words or pictures shall erupt from my fingers. Well, until tomorrow that is. I apologize for any undue stress that this may have caused you now, or in the future.
P.S. I think she was just jealous that she doesn't have a picture with Hello Kitty.
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if you normally mute me (shame on you!), turn up the volume for this one...
Strolling through Landmark last night, I eyed a furry creature that I've longed to take my picture with. It disappeared behind the swinging doors of Columbus Coffee, as I was screaming, "Hello Kitty, Hello Kitty, Come back!". Kitty didn't hear me, but fortunately a nice gentleman nearby asked me what the problem was. I put on my best pout and said that all I wanted was my picture with Kitty. He said, "No worries", and he then also disappeared behind the swinging doors. Ask and you shall receive. Hello Kitty made an encore appearance and posed with me for a mug shot. She is so photogenic.
Now, as I was trying to figure out how I could devote an entire post (times are hard) to this one photograph, I kept repeating Hello Kitty over and over in my mind. Suddenly this song from the 60's popped into my head. Yes, Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah. Then after listening to the words for the first time in years, I thought what a great song for expats in Doha. I mean, on first reflection this place could send you packing right away. But, if you sit back and give it a chance, it ain't quite so bad. In fact, it might even grow on you. So, Muddah and Faddah, I just want to let you know that I am enjoying Camp Granada. Don't send for me too soon!
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I've been accused of being vague or mysterious, at the least about my work status. Yes, I have taken on a small job that gets me out of the villa a day or two a week. It's something I really enjoy, and I hope it works out for both employer and employee. Thus far, the most challenging force in my new endeavor is the traffic I face on my commute. You know, a missed roundabout here, a wrong turn there all because I'm fussing at the idiot drivers on the road. I wouldn't have it any other way. Back to the "job". I'm helping out at a photography studio run by my friend, Sherry. The idea of any of her photo genius rubbing off on me is really exciting. Did you know that you shouldn't cut anyone off at the joints in their photos?? Ha, I'm such the expert already. I laugh, but it's tiny things like that I just don't think about. She wasn't that impressed with my draft copy of a business card that I presented to her. Such a party pooper. My creativity was above and beyond the call of duty. Maybe my second draft will work. My very favorite part of working for her is lunch. Ooh, la, la. She can make the best tenderloin salad, broccoli soup, and panini in town. It doesn't hurt that she's married to a man that loves to cook, so I'm reaping the rewards. She definitely knows how to keep me coming back for more. So, there's your answer. Patrizi Photography is where I've been punching the clock these days.
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The unimaginable happened yesterday. The Qatar Football Association offered online ticket sales for the upcoming Brazil vs England game in Doha on November 14th. The fact that the offer was there was not that crazy, it's the fact that it worked! I knew(well, you neverreally know in this country) that the tickets were supposed to be available yesterday at all the local malls and Khalifa stadium. I wasn't relishing the idea of getting in line, again, after my hours waiting in queue for the Sony Ericsson Tournament (starting today!). When I noted that they could be purchased via the QFA website, I thought what the heck?. I went to the site, clicked on tickets, and voila, the automated system supposedly picked out the best tickets...wow, row 1, seats 2 and 3 at the corner (my favorite spot!). One caveat, they rejected my credit card. It's the ONLY credit card I use in this country. I had to start over. Now it gives me seats on row 21, same section. Geez, going fast. I entered a different credit card, but this time received confirmation. Woohoo, I tweet to the world! I always chalk everything up to fate. There was a reason that the first row was ripped from my grip. I'll let you know why after the game. Play ball!
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After an outpouring of responses (ok, maybe just a sprinkle) regarding yesterday's post via phone calls, emails,instant messages, and comments on behalf of the kittens in question, I feel I must reply. Every one of you felt that we should keep both inside. You people really know how to toy with my sense of compassion, or perhaps lack of. It's not like I was going to ignore the screaming scrawny orange kitten. He would be well fed and cared for. I just wouldn't have quite so much poop to scoop, if he were outside. I've always heard that if you have more than one kitten, they socialize with each other and not with the owners. I'll take all your concerns to the jury and see how it plays out. My aunt sent me an email with an observation that the orange cat was male and that the gray one was female. We pretty much knew the orange one was indeed male, as he's a bit older and more "developed". As for the gray one, David thought the same. After a Google search and an up close and personal interview with the subject, we have concluded that it is female. Good call, Aunt Marge. So, now for names. Shea suggested Smoke and Fire. I like the thought of that if we keep both. I was thinking Ashley or Ashton, but then David had to interject, "how 'bout Ash Hole?". After that comment I wanted to ask him if he was raised in a barn, but then thought better. Obviously not, if he didn't know the difference between a male and a female. Right back at ya, Big Dave.
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It's the battle of the kittens here in the Knox Doha household. In the top left (catty) corner representing Sybil is the cutest kitten ever. "Ever" would include the whole of Riviera Gardens. In the opposing bottom right (catty) corner representing the pink villa master, David, is a kitty a bit lacking in the looks department. They are vying for the top cat position or who gets to stay indoors and wreak holy terror in our home. Don't even think it. I do not run a multi cat household. So, just how did we end up trial testing two kittens? The orange kitten followed me home the other day, so I fed his scrawny little body. David came home and let him have the run of the house, but then I tossed him out back and he ran off. David was a bit forlorn afterward so I reminded him of that old high school boyfriend/girlfriend saying, "if you love someone set them free, if they come back to you they are yours, if they do not, they never were". Haha, we shall see. My evil heart thought the cat was pretty ugly, anyway. So, I enlisted my man maid to corral me a kitten in the neighborhood that David and I had run across during an evening walk. In the meantime, ugly kitten spotted us night before last on another walk and David coaxed him home. He fed him and let him stay overnight. Yesterday morning the doorbell rang and it was a special delivery of the charcoal grey kitten we had seen a few nights before. While David was retrieving him from our man maid, I was tossing the orange one out the back door. So, we've gotten ourselves in a pickle. There will be only one winner. I guess we'll name the inside cat Lucky and the outside cat....hmm, I don't know, the Scrawniest Loser? Aww, that's not nice. Later.
I just can't imagine who the lucky cat will be?!
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No news is....well, just that. No news. Actually the following pics could qualify as news in Doha. Yes, that would be today's scattered clouds. Monsoon season must be near ;)
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It would be a grueling eight hours of "disconnection". So, exactly what would I do with no computer? Go to the gym and workout? Ok, that took a grand total of fifty minutes. Head to the pool and read? Sounded good, but after one full hour of calm and quiet, my adult a.d.d. was becoming unbearable. Headed back to the villa in hope that my man maid was finished cleaning. Perfect timing. He told me he was coming back later to iron David's shirts. Not no, but heck no. That'll give me something else to do. Wow, twenty more minutes used up. Flipped on Fox & Friends. Will those ACORN people ever stop aiding and abetting all those imitation "pimps and hos"? Enough of that. Time to break out that puzzle I bought a year ago. Fifteen minutes into it my body was already aching and my bent limbs stuck in place from sitting on the floor. What the heck? Am I really getting oldolder? Desperation set in. Called David. "Babe, I need you to come home early today. My computer is ready for that surgery you've been wanting to do. I know. You tried to get me to go the prevention route, but nooooo, I wanted to wait for it to die. Well, it's dang dead now. I need you to perform a miracle."
And as they say, "The rest is history".
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My lifeline is fixin' to go. For the last couple of weeks I've had to finagle the power cord to my laptop to get it to charge. Just a few little tricky adjustments here and there and voila, the charge indicator would come back on. We've hit a few stores in the area to purchase another, but it looks as though I'm going to have to mail order the part. Unfortunately, that could take anywhere from two weeks to never. As I sit here before you desperately "wiggling" the cord, while the battery is on its last leg, nothing is affecting it. No more charging icon. No more glimmers of hope. No more Facebook chatter (your Vegas updates were fun while they lasted, Fran), no more twitter, no more text emails from the kids, no more BLOGGING. My only recourse will be to have David do surgery on my power cord tonight. I'm sorry it had to come to this. Over and out. Let us pray.
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It was off to the Sony Ericsson Women's Tennis Championship Tournament last night here in Doha. The weather around here has been gre
at, but Mother humidity decided to make an appearance and put a damper on the evening. It was almost unbearably hot. My hair looked straight out of the 80's by the time the tennis ended at 11:00pm. Yes, six full hours of nonstop tennis. I was exhausted. We're heading back out in just a little bit to watch the semi finals. It's down to Venus and Serena Williams from the U.S., along with Jelena 
Jankovic of Serbia and Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark. Ten minutes prior to the first match, I wondered where all the fans were as the stands were nearly empty. People slowly trickled in to eventually fill in the blanks. It was a great evening. Who says Doha has nothing to offer? Gotta get myself ready. I'm thinking
hot pants and a halter top today. If I could get away with it, trust me, I would. Hmm, arrested in a Muslim country for indecent dress...that would definitely give me something to blog about. Later!
