It is Friday in Doha, Qatar. The Holy Day. I have been here now for one full week. Friday and Saturday are the weekend here. I would be blogging more regularly but I do not have home internet yet, so I am at an internet cafe.
Cool stuff: Light switches go in the opposite direction here. Plugs are HUGE metal contraptions, not unlike an industrial plug at home. Work is wonderful and amazing. I love the school. I love the attitude of caring and balance in life. I love that the start of school has been delayed until Sep 9 due to supplies stuck in transit. The attitude is, we can't do our jobs properly without the materials we need. Teachers are NOT babysitters here. I love being driven around by drivers. Taxis and private drivers are so inexpensive. I attended a cultural orientation session, where we were given the best, softest, most delicious dates I have ever eaten in my life. The city is so exciting and I feel very safe here. Other than lots of looks (especially due to the blonde hair), people are quite kind. There is lots to see and do. I put my feet in the Persian Gulf this morning for the first time. It is so salty! But very clear. I can't wait for the swimming party next week. Megamart has a great selection of healthy gluten-free international foods, and is a seven minute walk from where I live now and where I will live later. Every room in my flat has its own air conditioner, except the kitchen. It is a requirement in order to keep up with the heat. The hum of the air conditioners provides white noise. When the call to prayer comes over the loud speaker, I can hear it softly in the background, and I lean out my window, bow my head, and take a few moments to meditate or pray. It is wonderful. The dragonfruit is dynamite. There are so many beverages on the menu...and no alcohol in sight. More than just Diet Coke to choose from at a restaurant. Lots of new people to meet and have fun with, who are also adventurous. This city feels incredibly safe. Looking for a tailor the other day, I walked into her shop and realized that she was closed. Door was unlocked. This is common. I have not seen a single act of violence or even disorderliness. With all the cultures colliding here, everyone is very careful and gentle and sensitive (so far). There are cultural influences from all over the gulf, the near east, the far east, Europe, North America and Asia. Qatari cooking is simple: protein and rice. But they have adopted a passion for the spice of Indian food and Indian culture is big here.
Tough Stuff: I miss my family and friends. I miss talking on the phone for long periods of time with someone who really gets me. The segregation of women and men is hard to get used to. Men are respectful, but it is hard to remember all the rules. I am new. I will get used to it. I love the heat, sand, and palm trees, but it is so HOT. 52 first thing in the morning this week. The water comes out of the tap hot, no choice because there is no way to cool it. Cool water is only achieved through refrigeration. I went for a walk this morning at 7am to see the ocean. Because it is Friday I could not find a cab and was almost done in by the time I stumbled into the Qatar Bowling Club, desperate for water and an air conditioner. And you know me, I like it hot. But this is beyond hot. It is sneaky because it is humid, so it doesn't take your breath away like dry Vegas heat. You go out and think, "this isn't bad" and then all of a sudden you are soaked through and through, like you jumped in a pool of boiling water and you are DYING. Pools offer no relief unless they are at swanky hotels where the jacuzzi tub is purposefully COOLED. Even the ocean is as hot as soup right now. You have to open the packaging on EVERYTHING here to make sure it works or is in one piece before you take it home because if it doesn't, no one wants to give you a refund.

All in all, life is very, very good here. Everywhere is wealth and prosperity and someone willing to do the work for you...clear your dishes, carry your shopping, do your laundry, cook your food, drive you around. And they smile at you while they do it. People nap. They take their time. They don't struggle. Except when they drive and then they are insane. They focus on family life. There is Western influence, but not too much.

I have to move tomorrow because my building does not meet fire code. After the Villagio Mall fire last month, many buildings are being reassessed. I get to live in the West Bay. If you look up pics of Doha on the internet, the skyline you see is the West Bay. It will be exciting. At some point in the next three months, I will move again, into a brand new and fire SAFE apartment back in my current neighborhood. I am pleased with that, because I like where I live. I live in a district filled with art supply stores! Can you believe it? That's all for now. More to come. If you are reading this, thanks!

First Few Days in Doha, Qatar

I must begin from the beginning. I got home from a wonderful holiday with my mom in Kauai on August 19. In a wild fury I finished my last few preparations to come to Doha. I left early in the morning on August 24th. My flight to Montreal aboard Air Canada was actually an excellent experience. I had a nine hour layover in Montreal, so went to the Hilton Garden Inn, swam, relaxed in the sun, had room service, and then went back to the airport. I met up with another teacher who I had made facebook friends with earlier. We have hit it off and it has been so nice to have a travel buddy from almost the very beginning. It is reassuring. And when one of us gets tired or frustrated, the other one is there to provide a boost.
The flight on Qatar Airways was pretty great. Not terribly spacious in coach, and jam-packed on all seats of the 777. First class is AMAZING. Maybe one day. Anyway, in economy we got two meals, dinner and breakfast. Dinner was excellent. We had a choice of three meals. After our 12 hour flight we were met by the Meet n Greet service. This was amazing. We never lifted a finger all the way into our luxurious hotel rooms at Movenpick; a Swiss hotel chain that has a property here in Doha. We had a wonderful two days there, with free, delicious meals, a pool and fitness facility that were outrageously good, and rooms the size of my apartment back home.
The school has taken us shopping twice for setting up our apartments. The "flats" are large, at least 1400 square feet, with a dishwasher, washing machine, two HUGE bedrooms, the master has a king size bed, and two bathrooms. Just for little old me. The only down side is that I have to move twice this fall because the school is no longer going to use the building that I am in as a residence. First I move to a luxury flat where I have everything provided, including a maid. Then when the new building is completed (which will be sometime before Christmas), I move again into my final flat. I am having a blast with it all. It is cool to try out different neighbourhoods and ways of living here.
Traditional garb is much more common here than in other parts of the "new" middle east and women clothed in the abaya and full face scarf, and even gloves, are a comon sight in the beautiful malls.
Shopping here is expensive to buy North American, more reasonable for European, and cheap for local brands, such as made in the UAE. We have already found a souq (market) where one can find anything from spices, to luxury clothing and kitchen items, to parrots for very reasonable prices. And the cool thing is that most of the vendors OFFER you a barter price if you are nice to them. I went to buy a prayer rug to hang on my wall for 16 riyal (about 5 dollars) and the guy only charged me 10 riyal!
Is it hot? To quote Matthew Perry, it feels like you are living on the sun. Catherine and I went for a short walk and we were both soaked through. I had to blowdry my clothes before I put them back on. On my mom's advice, we all carry absorbant white cloths to mop our brows, though that does little for the sweat running down my legs and soaking my clothes right through. Even people who do not sweat much, are drenched here when outdoors. It is the hottest time right now. Even pools do not help because they are as hot as the air. I am loving it though. My whole life I have been cold and now I never am. It feels so good.
I am at my new school for the first time today and I feel like I have died and gone to heaven. The principal started off by asking me if I would be willing to teach high school drama next semester and I literally jumped for joy. I am so excited. My timetable is unreal. I have one junior high art class twice a week in the mornings. Then one elementary class every day in the mornings. Then I go with them for snack (which I get to eat, too). Then my second elementary class of the day every day. Then lunch. Then high school art from 12:30 - 2:00. Then I go home. After school stuff not allowed due to bussing. :) Semester 2 is the same, except my last class of the day is high school DRAMA in the afternoon. I am so ecsatic and overwhelmed with joy, I can not even tell you.
Stuff that is different about here: not having the freedom of a car, the fact that every room in your house has keys and locks, even the kitchen, missing my blackberry, the smells, sights and sounds, the bidet in EVERY bathroom, the whole country is 100% metric, the fact that there is a secretary who calls parents for me, and one who photocopies for me. The bond that the staff share due to the fact that we are all little survivors experiencing this together, the beautiful architecture, the frequent call to prayer from the multitudinous mosques, which disrupts everything, including television programming, the fact that your whole home and work environments are tile, tile, tile, the fact that the sun rises and sets pretty much at the same time all year, so by 6:30pm the sun is down and you can shop. Shops are open in early morning and then close until late afternoon to accomodate heat.
I miss family and friends so much, but I wish I could bring you all with me, because today, after the first decent night's sleep, I can tentatively say I never want to work as a teacher in Canada again. This ROCKS. Please see facebook for detailed photos. More to come. Oh by the way, I am addicted to their many varieties of dates, all the raw cashews and pistachios, and soup from Marks & Spencers. Jill! There's a Mark's & Spencers!!

Aloha from Kaua'i, Garden Isle and home of the wettest place on Earth, though you would never know it this week. The sun is scorching hot, and while the trade winds bring relief from the heat, they also fool you into thinking that the sun is not as intense as it is. Mom has spoken for years about bringing all of us kids here together, so when choosing a place to say bye to her before my big move, there was only one option.

Mom spent most of her time in Maui and a bit on Oahu. In fact, she has spent time on all the islands, except the forbideden island of Ni'ihau. We tried to charter a helicopter to take us there, but they are down for servicing until September at the earliest.

I am soooo glad we came to Kaua'i. And I am so happy that we chose the property we did. For one thing,, Kaua'i is still small town. There are no high rises, in fact, not that many roads. The commute from here (Kapa"a) into the city of Lihue where the airport is and the Kaua'i Athletic Club, is not lined with buildings, but with palms, ferns, beaches, and jungle. Honestly, I don't know how I would ever make it into work. There always seems a more pleasant diversion. Anyway, the locals agree that it is more like old Hawai'i here, which is what I was so hoping for when I booked this.

As for our hotel, it is just a small hotel, with low rise buildings, a small pool, a bar, and oceanfront rooms, which we have. We are literally twelve steps away from the water and sleep with the balcony open all night to listen to the pounding surf and have the breezes cool us off. The air conditioner we leave on during the day when we are not here and then shut it off when we arrive.

We have visited the Hyatt and Marriott properties for dinner. They are beautiful resorts, but having spent so much time in Mexican resorts, I am glad that we are where we are. Staying in a luxury resort is so wonderful, but I have to be able to tell the difference. I want to be in a property where it FEELS like Hawai'i so that I remember to say Aloha and Mahalo instead of Hola and Gracias. Plus this way we must scout out fruit stands, restuarants, shopping and activites on our own, which I love.

I have been so blessed this summer to get to spend time in Kelowna with Catherine, Costa Rica with Scott, and now Kaua'i with Mom. I feel very spoiled. But now I feel fortified to do what I am going to do in ten short days. Get on an airplane and fly away from everyone I love to start my new life in Doha. Gulp. Well, I am almost fortified.

The sun is just rising here. I am off to Lihue to the gym. Gotta get back by the time mom is up to get to the farmer's market and try to find her a pineapple. So far we have nailed down papaya, mango, coconut, and guava, but we are still on the hunt for real Hawaiian pineapple.

Aloha and have a beautiful day!