More firsts

T+... Oh, about 2 1/2 months, give or take.

This week was another week of firsts for us, in a couple of ways.  We had our first really big sandstorm (we've had our share of dusty days, but this one was epic.)  Like, so big as in the campus and all other schools closed because it was dangerous to drive, as in zero visibility.  Can't say this was on my bucket list, but it's now checked off...
We were in the bedroom at about 10:00pm on Wednesday night- Thomas was piddling on his iPad and I was reading, the TV was off so it was quiet in the room.  I was sitting near the windows, and kept hearing them creak.  Eventually I turned around and looked out, but all I could see was what looked like white fog- but was really sand and dust in the air.  I couldn't see the street in front of our building, no lights in the buildings by ours- everything was blocked by dust.  The wind was blowing hard (eventually we read it was up to 70 km in some places!) and we heard things hitting the windows.  We went to bed a little later with it howling, and we were woken up at 6:30am the next morning (well, I was, Thomas was already up.  He's weird like that.) saying that due to the storm, driving conditions were hazardous and our campus would be closed for the day.  Well, hello, 3-day weekend!  No complaints here... we got up a little later, and the air was starting to clear.  By the afternoon it was mostly clear.

Which was good for today, as today turned out to be gorgeous.  Even better as we had plans to walk over to the W Hotel for their Easter Brunch.  We had heard about Friday brunch in Doha- apparently it's quite the thing to do, and most of the hotels have a lavish spread each week for this.  The W did theirs from 12-4pm, and silly me, I thought it was a come-and-go anytime between those times.  Dummy.  You ARRIVE at noon and STAY 'til 4, eating and drinking the whole time.  It's a marathon, not a spring, and you seriously have to pace yourself.  Can you say bottomless mimosas?  Also the signature cocktail, which this week was a Pimm's something or other which was absolutely delicious.  Yes, please.  And then there was the food.  Sushi? Yep.  Waffles?  You got it.  Steak, lamb, veal, mac and cheese?  Just over there.  Oysters on the half shell?  Of course, have some!  Creme brulee, cupcakes, cheesecake, ice cream, chocolate mousse (anyone else think of the movie Top Secret when you hear those words?  No, just me?  OK.) chocolate cake, caramel popcorn, crepes, chocolate fountain?  Sure, have at them! OMG  it was all SO GOOD.  We staggered home.  I felt like Mr. Creosote:

I don't have the foggiest idea HOW people do that on a weekly basis.  I have to walk to Ric's AND BACK tomorrow to work that off... but it was certainly a great time with great people.  I should be ready to do it again around Thanksgiving...

 

Happy Easter from Doha!

Random Musings...

T+... 2.5 months...ish...Sorry y'all, I'll do better!

So Thomas is at a work training session, and I am rattling around the apartment waiting for dinner to thaw.  Random things I've thought this week...

-Baby-sister-who-isn't-really-a-baby-but-she'll-always-be-to-me moved to Chicago in November, giving me tons of inspiration to do this thing.  She flew home to visit this weekend, and I got a precious few minutes to Skype with her (as well as the rest of the family) this weekend.  SO hard seeing them all gathered together and not being a part of it... brought a lump to my throat and maybe a few tears to my eyes.  But one thing I noticed- she looks SO happy.  Happier than I have seen her in a long time, and that makes ME happy.  She and I are far more similar than different, we have so much in common, and I am so proud of her for taking the big step she did.  Also, her Sig.Other is pretty awesome, I blame him for a lot of this.  Thanks, man, for making my sister happy and taking good care of her.  (Not that she isn't fully capable of taking care of her self- she is- but you really make her light shine in a way it hasn't in a long time. Y'all really complement each other.)

-I had an advising appointment today with a student, who had some questions, wasn't sure he was on the right track but thought he might be... and after we hashed it all out he said the greatest thing to me.  "I thought I'd be OK, I just wanted to hear it from someone who knows what they are doing.  Kinda like going to the doctor!"  Made me smile so big.  He thinks I know what I'm doing!  Must be doing something right, then!

-Officially the only academic advisor here now.  The other girl has now moved into her new role on campus, so it's just me.  Yikes, no pressure to get May grads cleared, degree adjustments submitted, schedules planned...

-Thank goodness, then, that I got MY liquor permit this weekend!  Gonna need that... just kidding but seriously... I can also now officially buy pork.  Delicious, delicious pork.

-Also discovered the Jarir Bookstore this weekend!  Not quite Barnes and Noble, but they had a decent enough selection of English language books that I can keep myself occupied for a couple of weeks.

-We have found heaven, and it is called Ric's.  Ric's Kountry Kitchen, to be more specific.  It's a bit of a hole-in-the-wall place (which is exactly our type and what we've been looking for) but they have damn good breakfast and we've heard good things about lunch and dinner too.  The menu has lots of familiar foods- migas, breakfast burritos, Texas toast, CFS, grits... and ICED TEA.  Honest-to-goodness real ICED TEA.  Strong, crisp, caffeinated, SO GOOD.  I can drink a gallon of it.  We wer introduced by some friends, who invited us to walk over for breakfast a couple weekends ago.  We accepted, and met them in the lobby really early on Saturday morning.  Should have been a warning to me that they were dressed in workout clothes and we were in jeans... the walk was a BIT farther than we were expecting.  About 8 kilometers farther, around the Corniche and about three long blocks off of it.  Still, it was a great morning, sunny and breezy and the company was great, and the food was worth the walk.  We earned our breakfast burrito that day, and liked it so much we walked back this past weekend too (we caught a cab home both days.)  There's a tentative plan to go back this weekend as well, and if the weather's nice, I just might try walking both ways.  I do love being outside in the breeze when I can be, before it gets too damn hot.

-We were in one of the grocery stores this Saturday, and I was poking around looking for something when I heard someone say, Happy Mother's Day!  I turned to see who it was, and realized she was talking to ME!  Apparently Mother's Day was this weekend in the Middle East, and she was a rep for a baby formula company and they were giving roses to moms.  I told her I wasn't one, didn't have kids, and she said, "That's OK!  You get roses too!"  Uh, OK then!  So now I have two beautiful roses, one deep red and one peachy-pink, blooming on my dining table... unintentionally, a lovely reminder of Tyler, TX, Rose Capital USA!


-It rained this week.  HARD.  Surprisingly so, thunder and wind and all.  There aren't many people over here who know how to drive in the rain, since it happens so infrequently... also, very little drainage so no place for the water to go but over the roads. Was an interesting ride to work.

Dinner is just about thawed, and Thomas is on his way home... so I will sign off for now!  Four weeks to Texas!

In the Groove...

T+ 2 months.  Already? Time flies when you're having fun!

So we realized walking back from the grocery store this morning that today is our two month anniversary here in Doha.  An anniversary on Friday the 13th... that's got to be a good omen, right?

We have pretty much settled into our groove and things are rocking right along... work is going smoothly and as each day passes I feel more and more confident in the position.  I'm swimming in the deep end- the manager who hired me left last week, and the other advisor on staff will be leaving soon- so it will be just me.  But, I'm swimming!  There are people here who are really great about understanding that I don't know everything yet, and are more than willing to answer my questions and help me.  So I got that going for me, which is nice...  I am also excited about the opportunity to take everything I have learned in my previous position and thru my NACADA networking and implement it here. I think I have some really good ideas that can improve our services and really help our students better.  Those will have to wait until the end of the semester, though- right now, we have to get thru preregistration for summer and fall, and I'm learning that the process works slightly differently here than on main campus.  So much to learn, and I'm excited!

Outside of work, we are still taking every opportunity we can to explore and try new things; there are certainly a wealth of those!  Last weekend, we attended the finals of the CHI AlShaqab International Equestrian Competition; we saw the dressage and grand prix jumping.  Those were things I knew nothing about, and had really only seen on TV.  But up close and in person, really QUITE incredible- there were Olympians in both events.  And did I mention that since we are employees of the Qatar Foundation, we got FREE tickets?  Very cool...

Random thoughts... things I miss: aside from the obvious (family and friends)
-The sound of trains- no rail lines here, but they are building a subway system.  Right outside our bedroom window, all night long, they are building a sub way system...
-Albert's Hot Sauce- my favorite salsa from home; it's refrigerated, so not shelf-stable and therefore not orderable from Amazon.  You better believe I am eating a TON of it in April when we visit...
-Moderately insane traffic- like in Houston or Dallas.  Doha traffic is BATSHIT.  My heart rate is elevated just getting in the car. I do drive on the weekends when traffic is a little less nuts, but I leave the weekday driving to Thomas- who loves it.  I am more than happy to drive across Texas and back, and probably will next month when we visit...
-My patio- I miss being able to sit outside in the mornings with a cup of coffee and a book and enjoy the breeze... I can do that here, but I have to walk two blocks to the coffee shop on the waterfront. That goes right along with...
-My dogs- Casey loves to join me on the patio loveseat or in the swing, and I miss absently rubbing her belly or head as she was curled up next to me as I read.  Pudge would often jump in my lap and nudge my reading material out of the way in a demand for attention.  But, I have it on good authority they will be more spoiled than I left them... I am really looking forward to puppy snuggles...
-Mexican food- 'Nuff said.
-My Pampered Chef whisk- it's pretty substantial and can stand up to thick mixes and doughs.  The one I found here was bent out of shape after one spin thru my beer bread... I will be grabbing this from my kitchen at home (sorry, Laura Ann!)

Things I have discovered and I love here...
-The people!  Qataris have a reputation for hospitality and friendliness, and that has absolutely proven true.  Everyone has welcomed us with open arms.
-Urban living! I have never lived in a city larger than 150,000 before, and until Jan 13th had lived in Texas all my life.  College Station was a wonderful place for us, but in order to go anywhere we had to jump in the car.  Here, we can walk to just about everything but work- two grocery stores, a mall, the waterfront, tons of restaurants and hotels with bars, movie theater, dry cleaners in the basement of the apartment building... pretty much all we need on a daily basis.  Really convenient.
-Cooking more (not a new discovery, really, but I AM enjoying it.)  We were SO close to multiple fast food establishments in College Station, and it was so easy to just hit the drive-thru on the way home from a long day of work.  But here, even though there IS fast food, it's not exactly convenient- to get to the drive thru IS kind of a hassle with traffic, and it's cold by the time we get it home, because TRAFFIC.  Also, we have a much smaller fridge and freezer here so we can't just keep buying stuff and throwing it in there for later... so I've been cooking more and really enjoying it.  I've become quite domestic in that regard...
-Grocery shopping (also not a new discovery!) I really didn't enjoy grocery shopping at home- most times, the store  was crowded, I was on my way home and tired and cranky and hungry, and there wasn't just a quick "run in and grab it..." solution.  Here, though, the store is smaller, and generally less crowded; also, it's always fun to see what they have in store week to week.  It's always slightly different.  It's been inspiring!  And, Thomas can drop me off on the way home, I can "run in and grab" what I need, and then walk home and enjoy it.  I like walking here (this may change when it's 110 degrees... but for now I enjoy it.)  Also, since we have to carry it home, it has really stopped us from grabbing random things and throwing them in the basket!  We've actually been eating much better since we've been here- a lot less crap.
-Reading time!  I've had more time to read here, since I don't have something to do almost every night, and I am really enjoying that luxury.  I've finished five books so far! I will have to bring some home since I don't want to cart tons of books back when we eventually leave, but that's OK.  I have a library that has some room...

On the "Pick up in Texas" list...
-My kitchen notebook; didn't have room or weight to bring it, but all my treasured family and favorite recipes are in there and I miss having it.
-My whisk.
-Kitchen trivet for cooking utensils.  Hard to find here, apparently not a thing...
-Olive oil bottle with pour spout.  Same deal as the trivet...
-Girl Scout Cookies from the nieces- if they survive at my parents' house til we get there!
-Vanilla beans.  Can't find them here, and I want to make my own vanilla.  I can get the vodka, but not the beans!

So, yeah... in the groove.  My favorite routine so far is our Friday mornings (we work Sunday-Thursday.)  Friday is the religious day here, so those mornings are pretty slow.  We've gotten into the habit of waking up early, heading down to the coffee shop on the waterfront for breakfast, and hanging there reading (or in Thomas' case, playing on the iPad) for a bit, and then going to the grocery store for the week.  It's a nice way to start the weekend.

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!