dealing with doha qatar...good, bad, ugly

What else do I write about? How about what it is really like here. I had a tough weekend. I had great people around me who are becoming my very close friends and who are always kind and fun. I had a bad weekend anyway. On Thursday one of my really great high school students had said, "Miss, they trick teachers into coming here, promising culture, and then you get here and find out there is no culture." I laughed, but I had to think about that one a lot. I pulled out my empowerment staple, "Eat, Pray, Love" and thought, this is not what I signed up for. The thing is that it is almost impossible to learn another language here because everyone speaks English. And Qatari people are very private, so it is hard to get to know anyone but westerners. The city is so NEW, that there is not much even in the way of historical architecture.

I was feeling down. Then I realized a few things. This is the normal adjustment time for culture shock, and that is what I am now experiencing. Vacation's over. I LIVE here now. Opportunities for travel and culture have happened, and will continue to do so. I am going on a State Mosque tour Friday for good ness sake!
I got chased down the street by a man who wanted to take me for a ride, but people with more experience taught me what to do about that one. I am learning how to ignore the unwanted attention and use the blonde hair to my advantage when I really need a cab. I am learning to balance going out to eat camel or lentil soup or mystery curry, with evenings where I just stay home and read a book and eat buckwheat pancakes so I don't get too worn out.

School has been a little tough because the Supreme Education Council (pictured directly above) has commanded that we teach Islamic, Ararbic, and Qatari History. That, combined with the requirements to get the school accredited by Alberta Learning has caused complete upheaval and strain on the leaders and teachers and kids. But slowly and surely we are working it out. Now I team teach Grade 5/6 PE, teach 7/8/9 Art and 10/11 Drama. And I am the visual and dramatic arts resource person for elementary. And I like it. All of it. Each day is an experiment. The kids are good. The staff is good. The rest sorts itself out.

I was frustrated because I couldn't get my fingerprints to show up and thought my residency would never come. Now they have worked. Still waiting on residency, but one more frustration has passed. (New people: Olive oil your hands for days before you go...moisture is good). I was frustrated because I didn't know how to transfer money home. Now I do. The key is ETERNAL patience, and a sense of humour, and LETTING GO of things that I would usually classify as uber-important. The key is to be grateful for a fiance who I miss, a mom who I miss, a sister who I miss, and is home planning ALL the details of my wedding for me. I focus on gratitude for the fact that I have friends and family at home who send me messages of love and support. I am so blessed to have that. I am so lucky to have this experience. I need to enjoy every moment while I can. I had the opportunity to go home. And I turned my back on it. This is amazing. This is too good to miss.

Remember how fast university passed and then soon felt like someone else's lifetime? The present fades so quickly. We must cherish it.

Daily Life in Doha

Well, things have become somewhat normal at times, and I am adjusting to life here, which is good...and bad, at times. I have to be cautious with what I write in my blog because blogging is monitored for obvious reasons. All in all, this is a GREAT place to be. I especially realize this when I read the blogs of friends and colleagues in other countries right now. I then feel that I have nothing to complain about.

So this is what life is like. Sunday I get up at 4:30 and get ready for work. The air-conditioned coach-style bus comes to the lobby of this executive suite hotel every day at 6:15. Teachers at my school live in a few different residences. If you have kids, you automatically live in a large villa. They remind me of homes in Costa Rica, as they are gated on the outside and at each residence, and contain a large tiled countryard which can be used as outside seating or a parking spot, or both. These villas are in a gated compound and have a clubhouse and pool. Married people may live there if they can get one (and if they want to). Lots don't because the one drawback of them is that there is nothing else around there except other houses. People who live there often end up buying or renting cars to get out of the compound once in a while. The rest of us live in various types and locations of apartments within Doha. Those of us who lived in the apartment building in Muntazah neighborhood are currently without apartments, as we wait for new ones to be completed. Which will happen any day now. Whether a couple or a single, you get a similar apartment. They are furnished and quite large, though size varies slightly. There is no open concept living. Every room is its own room with a door, including living room, dining room, and kitchen (in most places). All have at least two bedrooms with large beds, tables couches, etc. They all have a stove and oven, fridge and washer dryer combo machine, which seem to always have issues. While I wait for my new apartment, I am living in an executive hotel downtown, just off La Corniche. It is very fancy and I get maid service and a view of the Persian Gulf. However, it is touristy and I miss my neighborhood for its local walking distance shops and services.

The best deal here is cabs. Cabs are sooo cheap compared to anywhere else I have been. And that is good because you need one constantly. Especially in summer, when it is hot enough to kill you outside. Doha is just like any city its size. There is a lot to do if you go do it. Maybe even better because expats form groups easily to explore mutual interests. However, if you choose not to partake, life here can be dullsville. So, I partake. I fill my days and nights with enjoyable activities and adventures.

School is great. Class sizes are tiny and the pace and demands are much lighter. However, the pay is random and makes no sense to anyone. Some people make lots of money. Some don't. It seems like they spin the wheel of fortune to determine your salary. It is very puzzling. But the kids at my school are tremendous and so is the staff and I am loving the new principal.

A lot of food here is pricey or the same as home because everything is imported. It is a desert. Nothing grows here but sand dunes. Smoking is hugely popular. So is eating. So is eating and smoking together. So is KFC and Pizza Hut. Seriously.

Anyway, after teaching a combo of 5 or 6 Gr1-11 classes per day, I come back, go to the gym and then do whatever. The beach. Sightseeing. A social activity. Learn something new. Then I chill, get ready, and go to bed.

Weekends I try to get out in the sun at the pool early in the morning and then find something fun or educational or both to do.

There is a lot of hooplah to get residency status here. It is important because without it I can't get a home phone or other services, a driver's licence, nor can I leave the country. With a week long break coming at the end of October for the holiday Eid, I would really like to get that. Blood work twice, xrays, fingerprints, a stack of documents to sign. Blech. It takes forever.

So far, I am thrilled that I'm here. I have very little to complain of, other than missing my loved ones. And the fact that people drive like maniacs. And that men stare openly and rudely constantly unless I wear a homemade hijab. So sometimes I do it, just so I don't feel like a circus act.

More Qatar isms From the End of Week 2

This is one of the empty buildings that I referred to in my last blog. See through the windows? Nada. And it is not a new building. Doha is starting to have ruins, and it is only a few years old.

This is where I live right now. All the way up, four floors from the top. Yes, I lucked out where the view is concerned.

 Just another shot from the pool of my building. It was neato.

This is the glass exhibit from the Islamic Art museum at the beginning of the week.

I ate at this Indian restaurant at Hyatt Plaza Mall with Sigrid last night. It was the first Indian food I have managed to find. I know it is out there, because there are so many Indian people here, but I can't find it. Maybe because there are so many cultural influences to choose from.

I thought the DQ sign in Arabic was pretty amusing.

 Razor wire to keep out anyone who might want to attempt to play tennis on this rundown court.

 

I think the beige appliances are hilarious. I don't know why. Maybe because everything is BEIGE BEIGE BEIGE. Oh, and one other colour...SAND.

See?

Doha Point of View

 

If you missed these on facebook, they are pics from my "temporary" apartment, Ezdan Tower 4. I learned from a co-resident who has been here many more times than I, that many of these impressive structures are, in fact, empty. They were built to impress the International community, but there are not enough clients to lease all the space. I watched a man in the building in this bottom picture last night, from my spot at the pool. He started at the top and went down, floor by floor, gradually turning on lights. What is the point of a building like this, if it is not lit up at night? But perhaps you can see in the top right corner of the building, the two smashed out windows. I am beginning to sense that this is a metaphor for this mentality in this city. But I have been here only eight days. What do I know?

 I am taking full advantage of my new spot. Before I was living in a very...local...neighborhood. At first it made me nervous, but after one week of venturing out, I had fallen in love. Now I am seeing the other, more toursity, or business side of the city. It has its own glamour and charms. Maid service, room service, stunning views, restaurants, a fitness club, and a great Olympic-sized pool. It makes me feel like I am on vacation. The only problem is that all the cute neighborhood places I was getting to know are far away now, and all around me is corporate Qatar. Steel and concrete. I don't even know where there is a grocery store.

Miracle of miracles: Exactly two months to the day after sending them, my six shipped boxes arrived at the school today! I got my art books just in the nick of time, and I could hardly remember what I had packed, so it was pretty fun to unpack. I wish I could show you the condition the boxes arrived in. They looked like they had literally been run over by a truck. Some things were smashed, but nothing of sentimental value was destroyed, and even most of the dishes I sent myself made it, minus a bowl or two. Quite amazing. When I finally get to move into a real apartment, I will be all set. For now, I am bringing one box per day over here on the teacher bus after work, once I check that it does not contain anything that should be left at school.

Which reminds me: Getting bussed to work is weird. This week the bus is picking us up at the residence at 8, and coming to the school to take us home at 1. This means my days are not as productive as they should or could be. I realize I could work at home, but when I get here, I want to go to the gym, the pool, the souk to spend more money, anywhere and everywhere. Plus I don't want to haul all my resource books around. People RENT cars here for not too much money, just one school year at a time, then turn them in June 27th. Eventually I might work up to it, but I need to wait until I am more confident in my mental map of the city. The drivers are unforgiving and super aggressive, and there is no way I want to get out there on my own right now. I kind of like relaxing in the back while a driver takes me around. The only thing is, when you want to work later, earlier, or grocery shop, things get a little crazy. But lots of urbanites do it their whole lives, and thankfully cabs are cheap, cheap, cheap here. Plus, we get a transportation allowance. It will help.

There is a student who pops in every day because her mom works at the school. She is a grade five cutie. Today she asked me how long I was going to stay here. I said I didn't know and that I left all my friends behind to come here. She said, "But you're making lots of new friends, like the red-headed science teacher that was just in here!" Nice to know she wants me to stick around, though we will see what happens when the semester is in full swing.

I have already been to the gym, and tomorrow night is beach night at the Intercontinental, so I'd better get out in the desert and get me some shopping done. Or else just find some good take out. I also need a SIM card for my blackberry today. This ancient cell phone they gave us is driving me bonkers. Even more bonkers. It is like a play phone. A prop. I confess. I love my crackberry.

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!

Staying in Bed, Stampede Training, Mail to Doha & Creating Stampede Fashion

Today was full and interesting. Due to a late bedtime, I stayed in bed quite late this morning, languishing beneath the sheets. You friends know this is very out of character for me. I bound out of bed to get to my morning workout without fail. I can only explain it by saying it must be the magical charm of Chez Bath that inspired me to remain in the cozy sheets.

Anyway, I eventually made my way to the doctor's office AGAIN. For those considering working abroad, I must confess that the paperwork is endless. It helps if you actually know where you want to go and stick to it (UNLIKE me). Every country has a different set of requirements for you to become a resident, or get a work visa, and so does every employer. Some have wanted certified copies of my degrees, most wanted a fingerprinting and police check. Some wanted to know my entire educational history right to kindergarten (no exaggeration). Some needed a doctor's note, or a medical exam upon arrival. In the case of Qatar, I had to have three reference letters, teacher certification, a passport, a digital photo, scanned copies of degrees, a nationwide police check with fingerprints, a doctor`s note of general good health, an HIV blood test, and a TB chest x-ray. This turned out to be something of a pain in the...chest. I had to make an appointment with the doctor, because unlike the Americans, we can not just order our own x-rays up here. Then I had to go get the x-ray done at a private lab. Then I had to wait for them to send the results to the doctor. Did I mention that the doctor didn't want to do it because there's a more reliable test for TB? I explained that, "What the Emir wants, the Emir gets" so the doctor agreed. But when I went to pick up final results today, nowhere was there a mention on them that the x-ray showed no TB. I had to wait 30 minutes so the doctor could grumpily scratch a hand-written note on the lab results. Awesome.

While downtown, I asked the marvelous Amber to scan and email the results for me, since I no longer have access to the HWW scanner. She did so, and we hung out downtown, and bought her some shoes.

Next stop was to mail six paper-sized boxes at Canada Post, containing a few trinkets. My Wizard of Oz poster from NY, a favourite pillow, art books for my new job, plates, cups, and glasses, pictures of friends and family for my new home and so on, were the contents of these boxes that were between three and nine pounds each. So guess how much it cost to mail them? $750.00! Please note international job seekers: If you plan to take more than the shirt on your back, be sure your employer helps you out with moving expenses. I am happy to say that mine does, and $750 is well within the budget they gave me, but I was still shocked.

Tonight I went to training for my job serving at Stampede that starts on Thursday. It was pretty standard. The girls I work with are all gorgeous and nice so far. They gave us t-shirts that we have to wear as our uniform. They are ok in design, but the ugly standard t-shirt cut that makes you look like you're wearing a potato sack. I had permission to "modify", but I couldn't just cut, I had to sew. Upon returning to Chez Bath for the night I immediately designed something I can live with, a lower neck line, shorter sleeves, and I cut off that ugly finish on the bottom that looks bad on everyone, whether you are 110 pounds, or 310 and sewed a cute scalloped edge instead. NOW I can be a kick ass beer girl.

That's what's going on today. Lastly, I will leave you with an Arabic saying (part of my research on my new home). 

 “A foolish man may be known by six things: Anger without cause, speech without profit, change without progress, inquiry without object, putting trust in a stranger, and mistaking foes for friends.”

Farewell HWW

That's all folks! It is the last day of the 2011-2012 school year here in Alberta, and the end of my time at Henry Wise Wood.

It is so easy to get caught up in the negative, and I don't always remember to be grateful. Today, I have only been thinking of how blessed I have been to have been at HWW since my first year of teaching. It's a gig some people never manage to land, due to circumstance, no matter how much they deserve it. I am not sure that I deserved it at all, but somehow I got to do it. I learned so much.

The final lesson learned is this: I do not regret one good or generous or loving thing I ever did in my job. However, there are times that I was selfish, self-indulgent, or spiteful. At the time I felt so justified, but now all of that seems childish and wasteful. Those moments, I wish I could erase. I learned a lot from them, but I wish that I had not harmed students or colleagues in the process of my personal growth. At times, I fear I did. The important thing to do now is to demonstrate that as a result of these frailties and mistakes, I have grown to be a better woman, a better teacher, a better friend, and a better colleague. That is how I can show my gratitude and I intend to.

Now I am off to go through my jewellery and pack it into tiny storage ziplocs so that it arrives safely at my new home. I have lemon and San Pellegrino and the warm summer air blowing in the balcony window. Life is good.

bubble tea in calgary

We generally see bubble tea in Calgary as depicted in the top photo, but check out how it comes to a table in Asia. Yuuuuummmmy! I mentioned on fb that I have become a bubble teaer of late. In my search to replace food with liquid meals, I have rediscovered bubble tea. It has been popular around here for quite a few years, but I have not been interested until now.

What I have found is that I am becoming obsessed with bubble tea. The way some people crave cappuccinos, that is the relationship I am developing with these bubble teas. I think about them all the time. While I sleep, work, and play.

This is what I have found so far: Bubble tea is supposed to consist of yam-based tapioca pearls, tea, ice, and cream, much like the more authentic picture here. The problem is that around here, they make bubble tea for westerners. So some people skimp on the tapioca, and make what is basically a slurpee of powdered fruit-flavoured sugar, and ice, which they pour over sweetened pearls.

In my bubble tea quest, I have found some great places and some terrible places to get bubble tea in this city. The worst place by far is Buddah's Veggie restaurant on Macleod. The pearls have a strange hard consistency and the drink itself is watery and overly sweet. I didn't drink it, even though it was $4.25. The Bow River Vietnamese Restaurant is close to work on Heritage and Elbow, and the food there is great. The bubble tea is tasty. They put lots of big, soft pearls in it, soaked in maple syrup (yum), and the drink, while made from flavoured powder, is blended beautifully for a refreshing, icey, satisfying flavour. The thai Pho place on Macleod and 42nd across from the World Health where I work out has fairly abysmal bubble tea. They don't know how to do the pearls propery and they stick together. Although they do have the jelly option. While jelly is delicious, it gets stuck, even in the giant bubble tea straws.

China Town has multiple places with really great bubble tea, served in massive to-go cups. The one problem is that WHO WANTS TO DRIVE DOWNTOWN just to get bubble tea? $15 in parking? No, thanks.

So, my solution so far is The Calgary Farmer's Market. There is a Vietnamese booth there that makes amazing bubble tea in all sorts of varieties. They have the powdered stuff, they have the iced tea and iced coffee variations, but the menu item that I like best are their REAL FRUIT bubble teas. They come in a variety of flavours, including lychee, mango, watermelon, avacado, and others. They use TONS of soft and delicately sweetened pearls, and you can order extra for just 50 cents, should you be a pearl fanatic, like me. And of course, they use real fruit and green tea instead of flavoured powder for $5.25. That's just $1.00 more than most places charge for the powdered drink!

I love them. Love them. I have been known to order two at a time. Every time I go I try a different flavour, so I can see them using the real fruit. The only problem? The damn market is only open Thursday - Sunday, so Monday - Wednesday you have to go find inferior bubble tea elsewhere.

I must face the fact that, like most things, bubble tea would likely be best made in my own kitchen. Any day now I am off to superstore to buy tapioca. My students assure me that it is the only way to go, and they usually know what they're talking about.

China On My Mind

The results are in. After reading the Korea contract carefully and noting the demanding schedule, I was nervous. Last Monday morning the private school in Ningbo, China emailed to offer me a position. I agreed without hesitation and have not looked back. I had to get a health letter, and some more paperwork (the paperwork to do this is mountainous) done, but everything is in motion. So this is what has happened in the past seven days: I have gone through my closet, ruthlessly sending to charity all the stuff I never wear, I have emptied my office and given away or stored my teaching supplies, I have purchased a plane ticket for August 21st, and have this very day....resigned. I know some dear ones out there will think this is a bad idea, but I am clearing out the debris of the past. I will be left debt free and with nothing material tying me down. I will always be tied down by those I love, but I consider THAT a very good thing. As long as those relationships stay strong, I am free as a bird to go out and explore the world at a deeper and more intimate level, that only comes from becoming a citizen of a new place and establishing a life there. Here's the other thought that occured to me. I made a big fuss at Chinese New Years because it is the year of the luckiest sign: The Dragon. And I am...a dragon...and I have always identified strongly with that sign. I have been buying little dragons all year. I feel nervous, but mostly just ELATED. I believe that this is my next step in life, and the one that my Higher Power wants me to take.

Oh, by the way, my play was a smashing success. What a great way to leave my school.

And also....TWO WEEKS UNTIL NEW YORK!!!  I can barely sleep sometimes, I am fantasizing about it constantly. Can you believe I have never been there? I know, right? As Mary M said at work the other day, "Oh Karie, that's YOUR town!"...

Major Overhaul to Usher in Travel Thoughts

I have not used this blog in nine months. Most friends realize I've had some things going on since I last blogged in August. Let's see. I am now...separated...and living in a small, but cute apartment. I took a little time off work in the winter to get healthy, and now here I am.  Better than ever. Next week I have my last three nights of shows at the high school where I have taught for the better part of a decade. I am ready for a change and asked to leave.

So, what next?

Here are the possibilities:

1. Stay in Calgary and accept whatever job I am offered by the CBE. I should find out what that is by the end of May.

2. Teaching Abroad: I have been actively pursuing this option, and right now there are three possibilities on the horizon.

a) CAIRO, EGYPT
b) ULSAN, SOUTH KOREA
c) NINGBO, CHINA

Regarding Cairo, I received a call from a recruiter about this on Thursday night. The advantages are that it is a position teaching drama for students from grades four to eleven. The salary and benefits are good and the school year is only ten months, which means my contract would be completed by June. Other circumstances of this situation are that I would live with one female roommate, also a teacher at the school. I can see this having huge advantages if the right person is living with me, and a potential disaster should my roomie be a crazy or a huge slob. The school is state-of-the-art, and has very demanding parents and spoiled children, but I would be teaching in my field, in a HOT country, with a great salary and benefits paid for. I make even more money if I commit to extracurricular. The most obvious hesitation is due to the political upheaval there right now. news in Cairo this morning
The School in Cairo

South Korea has, at this time, offered me a job with the public school board in Ulsan. The pay is very good. I would be provided with furnished single housing. The job goes from August to August and has bonuses attached to it. I would be teaching English at normal school hours Monday through Friday. Ulsan is a factory city. Though it is on the ocean, even the people who own the little restaurant here in my building say that Ulsan is "factories". I am finding info on the web that claims Ulsan has lots of beauty and culture, but the Koreans downstairs are from Seoul, so they likely think Ulsan is a bit like Detroit. Ulsan web site

Ningbo is a really "cute" city of a mere 2 million in China. I had a really great interview with a school there, and the school is lovely. They hire four English speakers each year to teach English. There are all ages at the school, but I would be teaching secondary students. I would have a small living space to myself, and then a shared kitchen and laundry area with the other teachers living on campus. The contract pays the lowest of all of these possibilties, though I would still be making four times the salary of the Chinese teachers there. Ningbo is on the coast and is 200 kilometers south of Shanghai. There are many more days off than I would have in Korea.  I would be teaching English at normal school hours Wednesday through Friday, and extra classes Saturday and Sunday afternoon and evening. Days off would be Monday and Tuesday. The contract is August to August. All utilities, internet, and so on are included in the contract. All About Ningbo

I could use some comments and/or advice. So far most people are freaked out by the Egypt idea, but my former students think that would be their pick. I am confused. In the mean time, I am moving forward on processing the Ulsan paperwork, since that school board has actually made the offer at this time.

A Strange and Lovely Spot

Mom and I embarked on what turned into a mammoth drive on Thursday to arrive where I am right now, at Lake Wallowa, Oregon (accent on second syllable). We undertook this craziness to attend a family reunion of people from my grandmother, her mother's side of the family, the Marsden's. They are mostly Mormon, and very fun and nice, though I found myself relieved to see one of the young in-laws smoking this morning, so clearly there are a few special cases in the mix, not unlike myself. Not that I smoke, but y'know…

To begin with, it took two days of driving to get here. I left Calgary on Thursday morning at 9:30, and we got to Sandpoint, Idaho at 6:00 pm PST, so that was 9 ½ hours of butt-numbing. The next day we went from Sandpoint at 10:00 and did not arrive to the camp spot until 5:00 pm. The wild thing is that on Sunday afternoon we start the reverse journey. Egad. However, we have been very adventurous and tenacious, especially when it comes to quality food. On Thursday we stopped for lunch at the organic café in Fernie. I just love it there. They create a menu of fresh, local food and serve it in this quaint old house, converted into a café. For dinner that night we were determined not to get stuck eating fried chicken or burgers, so we adventured through Sandpoint until we found Jalapenos for Cilantro Chicken. Oh, yummy and a great patio. Searching for cute restaurants in a new town that you fall in love with the instant you enter it…I just love that. She said we should ASK someone. I mean seriously. This is one of those times when you just don't want to ask because finding that special place yourself is truly magical. Friday we found the Café Sage quite by accident in Lewiston, right on the border of Idaho and Washington. Again, fresh and delicious homemade soups, salads, sandwiches, art up everywhere, the owner is there working, not a deep fryer to be found. In fact, the owner came out to talk to us about our map and I doubt we would have made it so easily to our destination without her wise advice. She even told us where to go to get camping groceries. So, we arrived finally, after driving through cute town after cute town and warm, beautiful lake after hot, sandy beach, and the Rattlesnake Gorge, to our spot in the low mountains of northeast Oregon to the camp itself…

In order to avoid high costs, the family booked the local boy scout camp, expecting anywhere from 30 – 100 family members to attend. I have been taking pictures madly, but it is a little bizarre, to say the least (see facebook). There is a costly metal suspension bridge, which abruptly ends in a staircase that goes down to the middle of the river. There is a Sanitorium next door (check me in, already). There are no real camping spots, just fields and hills, so our tent gives the distinct impression that you are in a dentist's chair while you sleep, it is at such an angle. There are old, abandoned and derelict cabins, which only make me more determined to stick it out in the tent. We are using an old stump as a table.

Today, as always, I got up early, so decided to go for a jog. I ran down the hill twenty minutes to the state park, then hiked 30 minutes back up the hill. Small branches of the family invited me for breakfast all along the way, and though I like them and so appreciate the generosity, was determined to have my nut bar for breakfast and THAT's IT. This was not to be, however. When your Grandmother's brother hikes up to your tent, and demands that you come eat his hot breakfast, you damn well go, no matter how "pot belly" the food may be. White flour blueberry pancakes, fried spam ("sausage") and Camper's Blend (potatoes, eggs, onions) awaited me, in addition to a big glass of milk. Ok, the ONLY thing in this breakfast that I eat are the blueberries, the eggs, and the onions, but I sat down with a smile, and a plastic fork to eat my bloody breakfast like only a grandniece can. It could not be helped.

Breakfast completed, I felt the need to escape for two reasons; 1. My ardent desire to come to the lake and lay on the beach, and 2. My burning passion to not be force-fed last night's leftover pork on a bun for lunch today. Mom dropped me off at the beach at 10:00 am quite graciously, and with apologies for my being alone. Lol. I told her not to come back until 4:00. It is currently 1:30. If I get sick of myself before then, I can pack up and walk back to camp, though so far I have been leisurely reading every single article in the Vogue magazine with Sarah Jessica Parker on the cover, that my sister gave me a week ago, and now doing a little journaling and a little blogging.

The beach is as odd as all the other spots here. It feeds out directly from a huge mountain creek, though is strangely warmish. I left my diving shoes in mom's truck of course, so am forced to suffer like all the other hapless flipflop wearers. There are all types of people out here today. On the right is another huge family of Mormons, though very good looking and posh ones…not too traditional. On my left are the family of three lesbians and their sundry children…either that or they are girlfriends who just like to kiss a lot. The three of them seem to have perfectly well-adjusted kids who all get along better than anyone else out here, and their party includes a yellow lab puppy that makes my heart MELT. There is everything from ocean kayaks and paddle-boats, to elaborate BLOW UP yacht that fit 8 people, and motor and speed boats on the water. Dogs are allowed. Dogs are never allowed! Oh….wait…a wooden canoe just took off from this beach with two dudes in it (I took canoeing as a one credit course in university, so I think I know everything about it), and a sailboat is motoring out of the tiny marina. There is a family from Brasil speaking their beautiful Portugese…what the hell are they doing in the middle of nowhere, northeast Oregon? But then, what am I? See, I try to avoid fried canned meat, and end up with a rich and entertaining world splayed out before me. There are no accidents.

Sunday night: Side notes: the huge family on my right turned out to be Marsden's attending the same reunion. The kids who swamped the canoe are in my family. Oops. Didn't recognize each other. Lol. After the beach I hiked back to the camp with all my gear and had the BEST outdoor shower you can possibly imagine. It felt amazing.

Mom and I have returned to Sandpoint, and I am crazy about this little place. It has the best lake beach I have ever seen, it is in a valley, not the mountains, so it is warm, it is full of cute shops and restaurants, people from all over the States, the music festival, the bridge, the cute hotels on the waterfront…I just can't believe I haven't been here before, but I will be back.

Seven Jeans, Piercings, Acrylics, Carrie Diaries and Laptops

Caught in a classic conundrum...is it better to wear the slightly too tight Sevens to dinner, so that I order less, or the slightly too loose ones, so that I am comfortable? Or better yet, a skirt...hmmm...

I was thinking today about things that are slightly over-rated. I got a small nose piercing at the end of May that I was oh-so excited about. The damn thing never healed properly though, hurt constantly, and I swear it gave me headaches that STARTED in my nose and travelled to the base of my skull. Now my lovely massage therapist, Lisa, amongst others, would tell me that this is not surprising since piercings screw with your body's meridians and can totally mess you up. I was willing to suffer for sexy, but honestly, it just wasn't worth it.

Then I was thinking about the acrylic/gel nails that I have never bothered to get until about six months ago. I finally caved because although my own nails have always been strong and decent, I was fed up trying to keep them looking good, since no one seems to be able to invent polish that won't chip immediately. So I went for fakeys. They have been a disappointment. The cost of keeping them done is astronomical, my own nails grow so fast that I constantly had to have them filled, weird stuff gets in them when they start to "lift" or come unglued, and trying to use my blackberry was a true nightmare. The spelling mistakes were often humiliating. When I finally had them removed, my own nails were left looking like I had tried to scratch my way to safety out of prison.

NOT a disappointment: My new cute little lightweight laptop. I love this stinker. I can carry it anywhere, and if I find myself waiting for someone, bored, excited, or just in the mood for internet, there it is. Absolutely mandatory is the little stick from Telus that allows me to have internet anywhere, even when I can't find an available network. Because honestly, how useful is the internet on the blackberry? Sorry, but for anything beyond a phone number, trying to search for something or someone on handheld devices is still almost annoying as it was three years ago. i can't stand it. Love my laptop. I have named it Ruby in honour of the ruby slippers, even though it is silver, because so were the ruby slippers. They were made of silver in the book, not rubies. Get it?

Lastly, most people know that I am crazy about Sex and the City. I finally broke down and bought The Carrie Diaries, the prequel book. I resisted for a long time, wanting to avoid disappointment. It did NOT disappoint, so I just went out yesterday and picked up #2: Summer and the City. So far, so good. I know it's not "The Incredible Lightness of Being", but it makes me happy. I have done the phase where it was all about reading profound literature, seeing French films, and absurdist theatre. You know what that leads to? Tears! I am doing escapist entertainment, and smiling my little lips off.

Impossible

When you hear of someone being impossible, that someone is me. I am absolutely impossible to control, impossible to maintain, impossible to please or make happy for any period of time. I always think I know exactly what I want until I get it and then I somehow lose it. Like a child I am selfish, difficult, and demanding. I am adventurous but then become terrified of the adventure when it is actually happening. I like feeling settled, then the moment I do, I start to hyperventilate and feel trapped. It is almost impossible to maintain any kind of relationship with me, because either my demands, my perfectionism, or my pride will destroy it. I have no idea how to stop this change it, or what to do next. No one knows how to advise me on this because after all, I am impossible. I make rash desicisons constantly, convinced I am doing the right thing, convinced I see the path clearly, then instantly regret them, but find the choice irreversible. I am so frustrated with myself right now, I can barely think straight. I am impossible. Impossible to love.

(This is all ficitonal of course...any relation to those living or dead pure coincidence).