FRIENDS COME TO DOHA!

Yesterday's post, continued... FRIEND VISIT!
(Can you tell I was just a little excited to see familiar faces from home?)

So our friends S and J came to visit this week- for a potential job!  S is an academic advisor like me, J is a faculty member.  He was interviewing for a faculty position starting in the fall, and she could be working with me in the advising office if everything works out.  They got here about 11:00pm on Tuesday night, and since their hotel is a block away I walked over to see them for a bit.  SO good to have hugs from home!  Also, they needed an adapter...

So J spent most of the next day in meetings, but I got to spend time with S.  We had some time to talk about the current advising situation (my boss is leaving Wednesday of this week for good.  The other advisor is likely to be gone by the end of the semester, leaving li'l ol' me...) and also showed her around for a campus tour.  Thomas joined us for that, then we all went to lunch and caught up.  Lots of questions asked and answered on both sides, then we went back to campus for a couple more meetings.  We brought her back to our apartment to relax and see the place (it will be one of their housing options if they decide to come over) and just chat... and nap.  They had a dinner scheduled later that evening with the faculty bigwigs.  Thursday we went down to the Corniche, to the coffee shop there, and had breakfast and a tour of the waterfront and park before heading into work.  It's been a bit hazy the past few days, but while they were here the weather was perfect.  They had their housing tour that afternoon, and had visited a school the day before (they have small children), and then J had a dinner so S came over to hang with us.  Then on Friday we did breakfast again and they headed out for a city tour with another faculty member.  They headed back to the States very early on Saturday- too soon for my taste.

But really, the best part was just seeing my friend again.  We easily fell into our old rhythm, and it was so wonderful to have that again, however briefly.  Don't get me wrong, I really really like it here; and the longer we are here, I know this is where we are supposed to be.  But DAMN I miss the people.  I knew this would be the hardest part, and some days are better than others.  As we were driving in to campus on Wednesday (S and J would meet us there later) I was so excited to see her I was literally in tears.  And when the door closed behind them, I turned to Thomas and sobbed.  (But then they called me and said, "We still have your adapter!"  So I ran over to get it and stole a bit more time with them waiting for the car to the airport.)  Anyway... I Facebook chatted with another couple of good friends today, and Skyped with my parents.  Ten years ago, that would not have happened- we are so lucky to be living in this age of super connectivity and I can type something or say something on Skype and my people will hear or see and respond instantly.  That has eased the transition somewhat, and definitely eased the homesickness.  If I'm honest, though- I might be a teensy bit jealous that they are still in CS together and can see each other regularly.  There is an advising conference coming up this week, one I've attended with a tight group in the past- they are going and I am not.  And it will be great yet hard to see the photos and know I am missing the fun and adventures, and I won't be part of the stories told from this trip.  And knowing this group, there will be EPIC stories.

I will have other opportunities, I know, and I will make friends.  I'm not shy. And the community here has been nothing but helpful and welcoming- I just wish there were a way to combine the two and have them all... BUT! I don't have to wait as long as I originally thought to see them all again!  Thomas has a conference to attend in San Antonio at the end of April, so I will tag along and we will get to see everyone soon.  I'm counting the days 'til I can have a beer with my Binnie, a Sazerac with Sam, froyo with Huong and Sarah... soon!  Very soon!  I.  CAN'T.  WAIT.

These are two of our new friends, Kerry and Eric, that we work with and also live in our building.  This was taken at the Doha Aggie Club's annual Boot Scoot dinner and dance, which was a GREAT night.  Tex-Mex, good music, cold Corona... happy Mathers!  And they are Aggies- and Aggies take care of Aggies.  They have certainly taken good care of us, and I am grateful for their friendship.

Make new friends, but keep the old.

One is silver and the other's gold.

The Last Two Weeks...

...have been a whirl!

T+ 6 weeks.

I know, I am falling down on the job... the last couple of weeks have been super busy, but this week is Spring Break for our campus so it should be slightly slower.  So... how are you?  What's happening in your life?  So let's see, where did I leave off...?

We are continuing our city explorations on the weekends; last Saturday we went to the Souq Waqif (pronounced Sook Wakeef) and poked around there.  Exactly what I had always pictured in my mind of a traditional Arabian bazaar.  No photos there because I was trying to be culturally sensitive (many folks over here don't like to be photographed), but let me tell you, it was amazing.  The site is on the historical location of the souq that has been there forever, but about ten years ago the government rebuilt it- looks like it's always been there, with it's warren of shops and twisty alleyways.  There are stores selling just about everything- from bulk spices, to shoes, to hardware, colorful fabrics, traditional handcrafts and jewelry, to birds and bunnies and puppies.  (Thomas said he debated leading me down that particular alleyway... but I survived with very few tears.  The puppies were so cute, piled in their corner and snoring away...)  The fabric shops there were amazing, a riot of color and pattern- you can have just about anything made there for a very reasonable price.  It was hard for me to not buy a scarf in every pattern!  And the smells wafting from many shops, either incense or the spices parked out front, were just heavenly.  I took lots of deep breaths just to smell it all.  There were also lots of tiny little perfume stalls, souvenirs, accessories, you name it.  All for sale from a shopkeeper willing to haggle with you.

After all that, we were peckish so we decided to get some lunch.  We'd been given a restaurant recommendation for Syrian food, so we found the place and were led to a lovely terrace upstairs with comfy chairs and couches.  The food was really good- grilled meats (chicken, beef, lamb), fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, olives, and fresh bread- hollow loaves that steamed when split open.  Also hummus with olive oil, grilled lamb, and pine nuts.  So good, so very good.  Since the terrace was open-air (like a patio), there were a few cats around; likely keep mice away.  One sweet little expectant mama befriended me (of course, cats love me because I am highly allergic.  They ALWAYS know...) and jumped right up in my lap, licked my hand, and began purring away.  I had to shoo her away gently, but she didn't seem to mind... she just parked it under the table for a while then wandered off.  So that was Saturday...

Sunday was driving test day 1 for me.  Thomas had completed his testing and gotten his license a couple of weeks ago- now that we had our residence permits, it was my turn.  This was a fun adventure... told to meet the drivers license "fixer" at 7:00am on campus, that meant we had to leave the house at about 6:30am.  Urgh.  Coffee helped.  (Also, we are learning about "Qatari time"- generally, means about half hour AFTER the scheduled time for anything.  So our guy didn't even get there until 7:30.)  I used the extra time to make a quick review of the road signs I'd be tested on.  Not too terribly worried about it.  We got to the driving school at about 8:05 or so, paid our fee for the eye exam, took the eye exam- yes, I can see.  Good.  Then over to the traffic office to do the computerized test... not so fast.  Apparently they didn't have spots for the four of us to be able to test there that day, but we could come back another day.  Mohammed, our fixer, not having this- he took us to another driving school where we were able to get right in and take the test.  There was one other lady in our group, and we've made friends!  She is Jordanian, a new mom, and had lived in Plano before moving to Doha, so we bonded over Dallas traffic!  Anyway, she speaks Arabic and so she was kind enough to translate for me.  We both passed the exam with flying colors (20/20, what what!) and also were able to tell the proctor where the battery, radiator cap, and oil dipstick were in the engine compartment of the car there in the lobby.  Passed that test too!  Jimmy Roberts didn't raise no girly girl clueless about what's under a car hood!  So now, we've completed everything but the road test.  Which, at that school, we can take at the end of the month, no problem.  Mohammed not having this either- back to the other school we go, where Hibba and I get appointments for the next Tuesday... Ladies' Day.

And they tell us to be there at 6:30am.  So now, we have to leave the house at 6:00am.  Poor Thomas had to take me there, but he gave me some tips about the test, having already taken it.  We get there right at 6:30, and I'm hoping it won't be too crowded... and I walk in and find that it's full of chattering women already.  OK, then.  Check in and settle down to wait.  There are about five lady police officers that do the driving test for women, and they don't even show up 'til 7:30.  They get the paperwork and we start hearing names called a bit after 8:00, and I get called in about the third group.  While we were waiting, I found Hibba, and also met one of the faculty members of the program I advise for, so at least I had someone to talk to.  So, heart thumping, I meet the examiner: large, beautiful, INTIMIDATING.  Girlfriend has PRESENCE.  Now, I'd been told to try to drive second or third, so I could see the route and have an idea of what I needed to do.  So as we are walking to the car, the other two make beelines for the back seat... OK, I'll go first.  Buckled up, seat forward, mirrors adjusted, deep breath... go time.  She signals left, right, etc but doesn't say much else; then she sends me down a road, tells me to turn right into heavy traffic, and to go left at the roundabout.  SHIT.  (Have I mentioned that I very strongly dislike roundabouts?  I strongly dislike roundabouts.)  But I manage to worm my way in, get over two lanes, and when I get up to the roundabout there is a nice policeman directing traffic! YAY, not bad.  Drive a bit farther, straight thru one more easy roundabout, and then she tells me to pull over, park.  She smiled and said, "Finish!" Phew.  So I swapped places with the next victim driver, thank the Jesus for letting me get thru that, and humbly ask to make it back to the driving school.  Apparently this lady is a local, and it's clear she doesn't have the experience- very timid behind the wheel, except when she didn't slow down for a speed hump and bottomed out.  She was also very unsure about her lane placement, so she decided to drive in the middle of two to be safe.  Pull over, park, next!  Hopefully this one will be better, she's not a local... nope, pulls out in front of oncoming traffic during a left turn, stopped in the middle of the road after a (legal) U-turn... my heart rate is pretty elevated at this point.  The examiner tells her to pull over and park, and then looks at me and points me back into the drivers seat. WHAT?  Actually, probably safer that way.  She directs me back to the school, and again when we pull in smiled and said, "Finish.  American, you pass.  Others, fail, fail!"  Uh... thank you.  So then I just had to go in and wait for the paperwork to be processed.  But apparently, instead of handing it in as each group was completed, they keep it until they are done.  So I had another hour and a half to wait... Hibba finally got called, and she had the same lady.  She told Hibba that we were the only two that she had passed that day!  Dallas traffic was good for something, I guess!  So once the examiner came back in, she handed in all the paperwork.  Hibba went to check how much longer, and told me that I was already known as "the American lady" that day and wouldn't be much longer.  We finally walked out with two shiny new Qatar Driving Licenses now, yay us!  Thomas and her husband Mohammed, who had actually met on campus previously, were outside chatting and waiting for us.  I am so thankful to be done with this process, it was the last bit of official documentation I needed.  Back to campus just in time to make my third meeting in three days with the Associate Provost from main campus.

This week we were also really excited to have some friends from home visit as well.  He's faculty, she's an advisor, they are both awesome.  They get their own post tomorrow, this one is long enough already and I have THOUGHTS.  BUT!  We went to another new grocery store today- MegaMart- and we found this:

More comfort food from home!  Happy dance!  We also found another Southerner!  Nice gent saw Thomas' shirt today, and he stopped to ask where we were from. We said Texas, and he said he's from Montgomery, AL.  We chatted for a few minutes, he's been here since September and we talked about how we were making the rounds to get "stuff from home."  So lovely to hear that Southern accent!

AND, almost forgot- Monday we went to the opening round of the Qatar Total Open, totally watched Venus play.  Pretty damn cool.  (Literally.  It was in the 50's.  We were CHILLY.)

So... I'm not done, I have more to write... Part 2 tomorrow!  

Weekend Update (apologies, SNL)

T+1 month.
Yesterday was our official one-month anniversary here!  It feels like we have been here much longer, and yet at the same time it feels like we just got here yesterday.  Friday the 13th is a pretty auspicious day for an anniversary, don't ya think?

To celebrate, we got out of the city!  We decided to do a little "out of town" exploring, so we went west.  More specifically, to Dukhan, on the west coast of the Qatar peninsula.  Dukhan is a very small town, not much there besides a McDonald's, the Cuban Hospital, and massive production facilities for Qatar Petroleum.  It's about 90 kilometers from Doha, and there generally isn't much traffic on Friday mornings, so I bit the bullet and drove.  Super windy, and very dusty, but overall not too bad.  The water is crystal clear, and wasn't very deep where we were, so we went wading for a while... the water was really cold, but our feet went numb after a couple of minutes so it was all good.  That's what we get for going to the beach in February!  The beach was deserted- no one around for miles.  Literally.  No one but us and the critters in the water.  It really was gorgeous and I am looking forward to going back when it's warmer.

From Dukhan, we went to the even smaller hamlet of Umm Bab- not even a McDonald's there, just a turnoff for the cement plant.  Not another car on the road, and there was even a spot where sand had blown completely across it.  We found the beach, and the lovely cluster of palm trees that give it it's name (Palm Tree Beach)... and another oil production facility.  This beach area wasn't quite as nice, so we waded a bit, took a few pictures, and headed back.

We took an alternate route back to Doha, a smaller road across the peninsula and the desert that, actually, reminded me a LOT of West Texas.  Flat, dry, you can see for miles, and oil production equipment here and there.  But you generally don't see this sign off of I-20:

Yep, that's a camel crossing sign.  We saw several (signs, not camels) on the way back, rather like the deer crossing signs you see in the US.  There was actually quite a bit of flora to see along the way- most people think of the desert as vast and sandy and nothing living, but it's actually rocky and there are lots of trees and small plants and native grasses that manage to eke out survival here.  Quite pretty when the sand isn't blowing all over.  Our small car was buffeted quite a bit by the wind, and I had to fight to stay in my lane a few times.  (We've been given a Nissan Sunny, the international version of the Sentra) as a loaner car til we get one of our own.  It's decently zippy.)

Let's see, what else?  We received our RPs, our Residency Permits, on Wednesday this week.  We are now legal residents of the State of Qatar!  We also got our passports back- phew, relief.  It was a bit worrying to have to give them up for an extended period, but they did get returned. I'm somebody again!  Now for the drivers license, which I hope to get soon.  We also got our "liquor letter" from our employer; this allows us to go get a license to purchase adult beverages (and pork!) at the one liquor store in the whole country.  We plan to put it to the test tomorrow!  We've been ordering stuff from Amazon in the last few weeks, and it's all arriving... so now I have Ro-Tel and Velveeta and Bisquick in my pantry, I have a sponge with a handle on it for dishes (apparently not a thing here, can't find one anywhere!) and a crockpot is on it's way.  Just about got everything I need for a fully-functioning kitchen!

Work is good, I have begun to see students on my own and each appointment is a little better than the last.  Picking up the degree plans (I have good cheat sheets!) and the prerequisites and learning more each day... the students are really great.  They are unfailingly polite, and have all asked how I am liking Qatar, the campus, the job, and they are really curious to see how it compares with the College Station campus.  Some of them are surprised when they notice my Ring to see that I am an Aggie too. I've added some plants and my photos to my office, and the handyperson will be by to hang my diploma sometime soon.  (All our walls are concrete and have to have holes drilled with masonry bits, otherwise I'd have done it myself.)  I have a nice window that overlooks a courtyard with a pretty little pond and palm trees.   Speaking of which, it's a school night!  So I must say goodnight for now... type at you again soon!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

What a week it was...

T+26 days.  (I'm losing track, I had to count...)

OMG what a week the last one was.  We have made some new discoveries here in Doha...

1) PLANT SOUK.  Wow, this place was amazing.  We wanted some greenery for the apartment, and I'd already bought two small pothos ivy plants at Carrefours for way too much- but I needed to see green.  Our new friends Kerry and Eric, who have shown us a ton about the city, told me under no circumstances to buy any more plants at retail prices- and this place... well, let's say it put Lowes and Home Depot to shame.  It's about 20 minutes outside of Doha, near the camel racing track; it doesn't look like much to see, but once you get past the gatekeeper (no, really, a man comes to open the gate and let you in and back out) it's amazing.  HUGE greenhouses, full of all kinds of plants- indoor, outdoor, trees, succulents, flowers, greenery... and cheap.  We ended up with a large Chinese pine tree (looks very much like a Norfolk pine), a Chinese citrus, a huge mixed planter with anthurium, dracaena, and some other variegated foliage plants, more pothos (for my office)... and a tea rose.  Tyler girl gotta have her roses.  All of these were potted in nice, glazed clay pots that we would have paid a fortune for in the States- they were included in the price.  Our apartment now looks homey with the strategic deployment of greenery.  Happiness.

2) Oriental Carpet Company.  Y'all, I had NO idea about the beautiful, hand woven carpet tradition.  I'd seen the "Oriental" rugs, but those were machine woven with synthetic fibers and cheaply made.  THESE carpets are truly works of art, made by hand of wool and silk in Kashmir, Iran, Afghanistan- places that have an incredible tradition of carpet-making.  They're made in tiny villages, patterns and techniques being handed down for generations in the same families.  They ARE meant to be used as floor covering, to be walked all over, but I felt bad doing so because they were just so gorgeous.  We will be acquiring some as soon as we've saved up a bit (they are very reasonably priced, but not exactly inexpensive.)  AND- the store has a second floor with really beautiful handmade jewelry from some of the same areas, as well as handmade furniture and textiles.  Now you know I cannot resist the shiny, so I did walk out with a beautiful pair of sterling silver, handmade earrings.  They are so pretty.  And of course, when the shop dude said, "For you, I give discount- very good price!"... well, sold.  (It WAS a good price for sterling silver.)  We're going back there... soon.

3) Strata, the bar at the top of the Intercontinental Hotel (the City one- there's another one a little ways away on the beach.)This one's walking distance from our building, and Kerry and Eric invited us for drinks and dinner on Thursday evening to end the week.  The view from up there is incredible- fifty-five floors up makes you about even with the moon (or so it seemed that night.)  They also had good Happy Hour drink specials, so who am I to say no?  We then had excellent Chinese food at the restaurant on the second floor.  With good company, it was fantastic way to end a long week.

4) Sunrise on the Corniche.  Spectacular.  We both randomly woke up before 6 on Friday morning, so we walked over to the water to see the sunrise.  So peaceful.  If all mornings were like that, I just MIGHT turn into a morning person with enough coffee.  (Speaking of coffee- I don't really do fancy, just brewed coffee with hazelnut and cream.  Hard to find over here, so my best bet is an Americano with hazelnut.  No cream, but cold milk'll do in a pinch.  But they look at me funny when I ask for that...)

5) CAR SHOW.  OMG.  Cars I had only ever heard about and seen on TV were there.  Ferarri, Lamborghini, Maserati, Bentley, Rolls... and my favorite, the Bugatti Veyron.  World's fastest production car, which I'd seen a few times on Top Gear (shout out to Captain Slow!)  They had one there yesterday, and I just stood and drooled for a while... Of course, they also had cars the average person could purchase as well- Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Toyota, Honda, Chevrolet... they had a new 'Vette and a gorgeous new red Camaro that I looked pretty good behind the wheel of (got the pic to prove it!)  That was a fun couple of hours that made my Top-Gear-loving heart happy.  Now something like this in the States would have had a moderate entry fee- but this was totally free.  Even better.

6) Powerboat races.  Another free event, held two blocks from us on the Corniche.  It was the Qatar Cup Offshore Powerboat Races, and it started on Thursday and ended today.  Big speedboats, little speedboats, even jet skis (called "aqua bikes" here) racing around a course on Doha Bay.  So I got up and went down there this morning with my mug and my book and found a nice shady spot by the finish line and alternately watched the races and read.  Nice morning, really.   They use cranes to lift the boats in and out of the water, also pretty neat to watch.  Things like this happen all the time here...

Oh! Also, Christmas came early (or late, depending on how you look at it...) this week.  We had ordered things from Amazon, and Thomas' parents and one of my friends had also sent us care packages.  About half of the packages were delivered this week!  YAY!  Now we have Whataburger Spicy Ketchup(!), Honey Nut Cheerios, beef jerky, tortilla chips, and other assorted goodies in our cabinets.  So life is pretty good here...

We have a day off on Tuesday for Qatar National Sports Day, so more explorations to come... also, Thomas should have his temporary drivers license by tomorrow (please cross your fingers, this has been an extended process- bureaucracy!) so we're hoping to get out of the city and maybe to a beach next weekend!

Is it really Feb. 1?

T+19 days.

Where did the rest of January go?  How is it already February?  Eeesh.

Let's see, last week's adventures... OK, here's a good one!  Even though we had bloodwork done in College Station before we left, certifying we were negative for TB, Hepatitis C, and HIV... we had to do another medical exam for the Qatar government.  It's part of the process to get our residency permits, and it's quite an experience.  Fortunately, the university and Qatar Foundation helped us thru the process by scheduling the exams, and getting us there.  The Supreme Council of Health governs this, and they give you less than 24 hours notice.  Not a problem, we got an email telling us where to go and when to get on the bus.  OK.  On the bus, three other people, all nice, off we go to the Medical Commission.  About a 20-minute drive, not bad for Doha traffic!  I told my boss when I left that I wasn't sure how long it would take, and she laughed and said she didn't expect me back that afternoon.  Oy.

So we get there and are met by a QF rep- for the men.  Women have a separate facility, and men are not allowed- so we have to navigate this ourselves.  Fortunately, there was another young woman there who had been thru the process previously, so she pointed me in the right direction.  Once in, we took a number, and when called we got in line to check in and pay (if needed- apparently mine had been prepaid.)  The receptionist took my paperwork, stamped it, and told me I needed a photo, it wasn't in the system, and to go upstairs.  Upstairs where?  Who do I see?  I tried to ask, but this is a very busy place and she had no time for a dumb ginger with questions, next please!  But the nice lady security guard overheard and pointed me where I needed to go, and so upstairs I went... to join the queue of about 50 men.  And me.  White girl.  Stick out like a sore thumb?  Maybe just a little bit.

Not long after I got in line, a man came out and started telling everyone to go back down, the servers were resetting and no more photos for a while.  The men started leaving, and I was all, "What did he say?"  I pretended I didn't understand, so I went to the door and asked him what I needed to do- and asked why the photo on my receipt and taped to my passport cover wouldn't work.  As we were talking, I could see the computer screen behind him- he took my paper, scanned the barcode, and what pops up?  My photo.  He says, "Is OK now, you go back."  OK, thanks, dude!  Off I go, back in line, hand in paperwork again, stamp, proceed to next station.  Whew.

First stop, blood draw.  Check in, another stamp, receptionist verified name and country of origin- and I think my red hair made her smile, her eyes were crinkly and friendly under her burqa and she laughed as she pointed where I should go.  The phlebotomist was a beautiful young woman in a really pretty hijab, and she was GOOD.  Had no trouble finding my vein, quick stick, done.  Best blood draw I've ever had- given that she probably does this 2-300 times a day, she's certainly practiced! Tiny bruise and a bandage, off to next step!

Which is the chest X-ray.  Herded into a small hallway, told to grab a gown and change... fortunately, in the email about the medical exam, it had been suggested I wear a sports bra so I didn't have to completely strip.  Gown on, hair up, jewelry removed, into line in the X-ray room, paper taken, scanned, stamped, X-ray, NEXT!  Redress, out the door, ask doc there where to next?  Apparently I was done.  All of this was about 20-25 minutes.

The medical commission is an extremely busy place, people were swarming all over that building and parking lot.  Every new entry to the country must have this done to be granted residency, and there are tons of workers coming in every day.  However, while everyone I dealt with was... brusque... they weren't unkind or flat-out rude- just busy.  And there were several who did answer my clueless questions, and a few smiles.  Thomas finished his process on the men's side about the same time, and we met outside to get back on the bus.

Did I mention that the transport mode of choice for large groups of people here is the white (always white) minibus? 15-30 passengers or so, and there were, no joke, about 30 of them in the parking lot.  Ummm... we just started wandering the lot, looking for ours.  Thankfully, our driver recognized us and found us and guided us back.  Everyone else was on the bus also, and the QF rep took our paperwork, checked it, and it must have been OK as he kept it to go on to the next step.  Sent us on our merry way back to Education City.  We were back by 3:00pm (again great for Doha traffic!) So, what we had been hearing about, and were kinda concerned about, was really relatively painless and fairly quick, all things considered.  One more thing checked off the to-do list and one step closer to our residency permit.

Now for the weekend... more on that soon!  We were introduced to Doha's version of Mexican food.  For now, I leave you with this...

New Normal...

**This was written on Saturday, Jan 24- but for some reason was marked as "draft" instead of published.  OOPS!  Sorry!
**********************
T+11 days.

Well, this new normal is starting to feel just... normal. We finished working this week in what I suspect will be the usual and are starting to get into a routine.  We still have a few odds and ends and new employee trainings to take care of in the weeks to come, but we should be settling down to the daily grind.

A friend sent me a Facebook message with some questions, that I suspect more than one of you (maybe at least three of you!) are also wondering.  So here are some answers, based on my observations of the past week.

What is the clothing like?
Pretty normal, like what we would see just about any other place.  Many women choose to wear traditional clothing- some wear the burqa, with just their eyes visible.  Others choose the abaya, a long black garment that covers everything; but, it's anything but basic black.  Many of them have beautiful embroidery or trimming in complementary colors; even saw one the other day that had sequined red hearts along the hem and sleeves.  The abaya is usually accompanied by a matching scarf covering the head and neck, but the face is visible.  And then there are also many women who dress like we do, and choose to wear just the hijab, which covers the hair and neck.  These can be quite colorful and beautifully patterned.  As for "Western" women, we can wear pretty much anything we want, as long as it's not disrespectful.  Modesty is the key, and the rule of thumb is to be covered "elbows to knees."  I bought a bunch of three-quarter length sleeved shirts before we left, and this fits in perfectly.  Jeans and skirts, knee length dresses (can be slightly shorter with tights underneath) are all fine.  I have noticed, much to my amusement, that the Muslim women are QUITE stylish under their abayas or burqas- I have caught glimpses of jeans, nice slacks, skirts- and fancy loafers (think Cole Haan-ish), sneakers- even saw one woman wearing a pair of Chuck Taylors with her abaya!  Made me smile, as I happened to be wearing an identical pair!

What about school?  Are classes co-ed?
They are at TAMU-Q!  We only have aound 500 students, and the curriculum is pretty set.  Also, we don't have a huge faculty, so the classes are mixed, male and female.  There are a handful of Kinesiology classes that are men- or women-only.
As for the younger school levels, it depends on the school. Most of the international schools are co-ed, but there are a handful that have single-sex classes too.  It's a very cosmopolitan city, and really very tolerant.

What's the food like?
Wellll... I'd like to say I have more experience of the local cuisine, but we've been naughty.  We have eaten way too much crap so far- we have been to Chili's, TGI Fridays, and ordered Pizza Hut one night.  In our defense- there are a TON of American chain and fast food restaurants, and everyone else is eating this crap too.  We did discover a great place with Moroccan food near our apartment on Wednesday, and we will definitely be back there soon- it was fantastic!  We don't have a full complement of kitchen stuff yet, so while I have cooked, it's been pretty basic stuff like spaghetti and tacos.  We went to our local market today though, and stocked up on stuff for the week: fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, beef, chicken, fish, lamb kofteh, and some sides.  We also got some spices and good olive oil and balsamic vinegar, so I'm all set to do a little more in the kitchen this week.  (And, of course, a frozen pizza for when we're just like, "Screw it."  But it's ORGANIC!  Also the only frozen pizza they had.)

We're also working on the apartment, and it's starting to look more like "us" than a hotel.  We've hit two Home Centers and Ikea twice, and we've rearranged the furniture some to make it feel more cosy. Thomas came up with an arrangement to give me a spot by the window where I can see the water and the TV.  Our stuff should be delivered sometime this week, then we'll really be in business!

We went to the American Embassy last week to get our police clearances notarized, THAT was fun.  It was a whole lot of waiting, in series- go in here, get a number, wait.  Go thru the security checkpoints (pretty much like an airport, had to take my shoes and belt off), get another number, wait some more.  Go into the next waiting room, wait for your name to be called this time, sign form, done.  Walk out, collect ID, get back on the expressway and go home.

Thomas goes super-early tomorrow morning to take his test for a temporary drivers license, which should convert to permanent once our resident permits are approved.  Then I can go and get mine, but I have to wait for Thursday- Ladies' Day.  There are some places and certain times set aside for women to go and do things, but for the most part I can go anywhere/do anything I need to.  The traffic is less and less scary the more time we spend in it, and Thomas has pretty much mastered it.  The roundabouts are the only part that still worry me- but the more I observe, there is a system and I think I understand it now. So yay for that!

We went for a nice long walk along the Corniche, the waterfront, yesterday morning, down to the Oryx statue- it's the national animal and they are everywhere.  Really cute too.  It was such a nice sunny, cool morning and we sat and listened to the water lapping and watched the dhows (traditional pearl diving boats) cross the bay.  I needed that morning- each day I'm here, I feel more at peace that this is where I am supposed to be now, but the homesickness is still fresh and fierce.  My friend Suzanne, also an expat living in Australia, put it best: she described it as waves, sometimes huge and crashing, sometimes small and lapping, sometimes rolling swells... but always there.  So far this is exactly what I have felt- I'm doing well, chuggin' along, and BOOM- I see a picture, I hear a song, something triggers the tears.  Sometimes they dry quickly, other times my eyes leak for a while.  But I am dealing... and there are plenty of great folks who have offered me sympathetic ears and shoulders and have encouraged me.  For that I am extremely grateful.

So yeah... hope that answers some of your questions, Rachel! : )

 

Work, Interrupted

T+7 days.  We made it a week!

We had a nice day off yesterday for MLK Day- even in Qatar!  Since we are an American and Texas school, we get those holidays off too.  So we met some of our new colleagues- friends- for lunch at the W Hotel and had a really nice get-to-know-y'all session that we thoroughly enjoyed.  Also got to Skype with my parents (hope you're feeling better, Daddy!) and sister with nieces, so YAY!

One of the great things about our housing location is that we are within walking distance of lots of great restaurants (and bars) at the downtown hotels, as well as the City Center mall.  We've been there just about daily since we got here, and each time we discover new stores.  Yesterday, we needed to make a quick pit stop at Carrefour (the SuperWalMart of Doha) for an alarm clock, so we decided to stop on our way back from lunch.  We went in the main entrance, which we hadn't been in before- y'all, this mall is so damn big there is a freaking Toyota DEALERSHIP in it.  That mall really does have everything.  Clock acquired, along with twenty (each) passport photos on blue background for various paperwork applications.  Then we went home and moved some living room furniture into a better arrangement; back to the mall for a quick dinner and movie with new friends.  Go see The Theory of Everything- Eddie Redmayne is phenomenal.

And back to work!  So Thomas did the driving today, and you'd think he's been living here longer than a week.  His driving style fits in nicely with the locals.  We have one more week to be able to drive on our Texas licenses, then we're stuck until we get the Qatari ones.  I'm a bit more nervous about driving here, but I suppose I will need to do it soon- although, TBH, I'm content to sit in the passenger seat in the city.  We have a loaner car to use as needed until we get our resident permit.  Tomorrow we get to navigate to the American Embassy to have our FBI background checks notarized.  Yay.  More bureaucracy to navigate.

Anyway, I digress.  I spent a good chunk of my time today cleaning out office drawers and cabinets from the previous occupant(s).  Threw away a good bit of stuff, boxed bunches more for shredding, and attempted to file some more.  Marginally successful with the filing, but at least the office now looks somewhat organized.  Once I get my Box O' Stuff in, should feel a little more like mine.  Still don't have an ID badge or desk phone yet, but those SHOULD be taken care of tomorrow.  I hope.  Judging from some of the conversations I've had with some of the academic affairs crew over here, I think I am in for some culture shock, advising-style-wise.

Speaking of stuff, we got notification today that our shipment of household goods is now in the country.  They will come get our passports on Thursday to do the customs clearance, and if we are lucky maybe we can unpack this weekend.  I'm so ready for my stuff to be here, so maybe this won't feel so much like an extended holiday, and this apartment less like a very nice, large hotel.  Albeit, one with incredible views!  It does seem awfully empty without my dogs welcoming me home, though.

Weather has been fantastic, cool to the point of cold when the wind blows.  Yesterday I actually needed my jacket, and today I wore a sweater and long sleeves to work and was quite comfortable.  We even had some rain yesterday (one of the approximately three times it'll rain this year.)  Everyone has asked when we arrived, and they always say we came at a good time, "it's not so hot!"

As I write this, it's 9:30pm in Doha, so it's about 12:30pm back in Aggieland- which means most of my friends are going thru the first day of the spring semester on Main Campus.  I'm thinking of all you guys, and hoping it's going well for you.  I miss y'all.

Funny:  I moved halfway around the world, and found this today when I was cleaning out the office:


Another little reminder of home.  Made me smile! I was given a couple of these during my time in CEHD, but somehow managed to lose them.  Nice to have this one.  Full circle, I guess!