December 22, 2007

    We just returned from a night of desert camping “Arabic” style! After picking us up, our driver took us about 40 KM south of Doha to a place called Sealine Beach Resort. 
    Getting there was half the excitement…our driver apparently has nerves of steel, or else he’s just young and still full of testosterone…he passed in places I didn’t think were possible…to the right of the vehicle in front of him, on corners, with trucks coming at us so that sometimes we were 3 abreast on a two lane road. 
    At the resort the road ended and we got out and watched kids taking rides on camels while the driver let some of the air out of the big over-sized tires on the Toyota Land Cruiser we were in. Then we all piled back in for an exhilarating, roller coaster ride through the sand dunes (picture dropping off of steep cornices at a near 45° degree angle both vertical and horizontal), that eventually ended about 30 minutes later at a “compound” on the beach. As we were driving there were hundreds of little 4-wheelers and big four wheel vehicles like ours racing around like ants on an ant hill, it was an amazing sight. The compound was about a half acre in size surrounded by a fence. There were eating areas covered by palm frond thatched roofs and sleeping tents with Persian rugs on the floor and ‘single bed’ size cushions with pillows propped up against the walls to sit and sleep on. At the compound there were some kids using something that looked like a snowboard “surfing” the sand dunes. RD wanted to try it but it got dark before the kids got tired. The other group with us at the compound was a group of Engineers from Singapore who are here building the new airport. I didn’t realize that they are taught English as their primary language while in school. They said everyone in Singapore speaks English to some extent, again I realize how lucky we are. They served a Bar-B-Q of skewered chicken and beef, kebabs (a seasoned ground lamb), rice with honey and saffron, 4 different salads, pita and hummus. A glass of wine to wash it down with while watching the waves would have been amazing but alas I had to settle for a Sprite. Dessert was some sort of “pudding” like substance with cardamom, raisins, pistachio, and some other flavor that I could not identify. Actually quite tasty, coffee would have been good with it but they are big into tea over here. RD and I had a tent that was about 45’x18’ to ourselves…it must be their slow season (they had covered seating for 220 and 3 tents the size of ours!) They gave us each two sleeping bags because it was so “cold”…maybe 60F…I rolled up one as a pillow and spent most of the night kicking the other one off of me. In the morning RD announced it was the “hardest soft spot” he had ever slept on, I agreed whole heartedly and gladly accepted the anti-inflammatory he offered me. Hey Marie…they have mice in tents over here as well! This guy was itty-bitty, with practically non-existent ears, and fur the color of the sand…unfortunately the black cat saw him as well and spent the 30 minutes before we left flipping him around the tent! Cats are cats in any language.
    Today the forecast is for “Dust”. At the beach this morning it was clear blue sky’s but as we were driving back into town it appeared to be enveloped in a beige “smoke”. The wind is about 10 mph out of the NW but apparently that is enough to kick up a dust storm.

December 23, 2007

    I read in the paper that last month alone they had 46,730 foreigners undergo the mandatory medical check-up you must have to receive a resident permit and work in this country…that’s an astounding number. RD already had his medical check-up and should get his “RP” on the 26th once he goes back to work, then, I can start the process of getting mine. The RP will allow us to buy the Chevy Trail Blazer, get a credit card, and buy alcohol. It will also extend my “visitor’s” visa past the 30 days you get when you come into the country. I may have to fly to Dubai next week and go shopping so I can renew my visa…oh darn.
    Five times a day we hear Islamic prayers that are broadcast over speakers all over the city. Just before sunrise, just after noon, mid-afternoon, just after sunset and night. At first I found it fascinating, then annoying, now it helps me keep track of my day. Prayer or Salat is one of the 5 Pillars of Islam, along with Faith/Witnessing or Shahadah (the belief that there is only one true God – Allah), Charity or Zakah (they look at it like pruning a bush…it makes your fortune grow fuller), Fasting or Sawm (obligatory during Ramadan – to better understand the plight of those less fortunate than yourself) and Pilgrimage or Hajj (the once in a lifetime trip to Mecca – to confess and be forgiven for all your sins). It is only the zealots of the Shi’a sect that claim Jihad (war against enemies of Islam) as a 6th pillar. In Qatar, 97% of the Muslims are Sunni.
    And that concludes the religious lesson for the day…

December 24, 2007

    Christmas Eve and our refrigerator decided to go kaput. Freezer still works but all of our produce has spoiled. It was apparently a slow death because lettuce doesn’t go bad over night. We have asked them to fix it immediately but that probably means it will get done some time after Christmas…good thing we are eating out!
    Oops! Spoke too soon, knock at the door and it was 4 Sri Lankans with a new fridge…
    Off we go, first stop – the Mall to return a pair of earrings I bought yesterday. I thought it was kind of odd when the guy told me I could return them if I wanted to. Now I know why. They were so heavy (of course I had to pick the biggest, longest, glitziest ones he had) I couldn’t keep them in my ears for more than 30 seconds. He laughed when he saw me walking back to the counter. He said “those are only for Arab women”, they must have some tough ears. I’ve seen earrings that are up to a foot long and they weigh a ton! Next stop - the Four Seasons for our Christmas celebration. We spent the afternoon doing a 3 hour spa treatment in the same room…I won’t make that mistake again…RD’s snoring really spoiled the ambiance. Jacuzzi with lemon/lime/grapefruit scented oil and lots of candles followed by a salt scrub, a hot stone massage and a mud wrap of seaweed, Australian green clay and spearmint (she tells me it tightens and tones…I tell her to pour it on).
    After being pampered we dressed for dinner and went to a cocktail party being given by the manager of the Hotel (somewhere along the line RD got an invitation). I even got to sit on Santa’s lap! 
    We met the most wonderful British couple (she thinks I look like Sharon Stone so of course I love her). Their names are John and Eve and they have the most delightful love story. They were “lover’s” (sounds so European to say it that way) in England 35+ years ago. She wanted to get married, he didn’t (same old story). After breaking up she married and 18 years ago moved here to Qatar. A year ago, finding herself suddenly single after 32 years of marriage (her husband had an affair), she tracked down John in England and gave him a call. Turns out he had never married. Within 3 months he was visiting her here in Qatar and they are finally getting married next year. She promised to introduce me to a woman from Arizona who is involved with a group of American women, her name is also Eve and she is out of the country until the end of January. Dinner was a buffet, truly international…I had Sushi and Chicken Tikka on the same plate as English Christmas pudding!

December 25, 2007

    Merry Christmas! RD got me a bracelet I fell in love with at the Minneapolis Airport and some fabulous limited edition BVLGARI sunglasses. After a leisurely buffet we spent several hours on the beach followed by a workout in the gym here at Four Seasons…they bring you cold wet towels from the refrigerator while you are doing your cardio work-out, I could definitely get used to this. Each machine had a built-in TV with headphones, I watched the Charger’s beat the Bronco’s. Sorry Molly and Korby, but your offensive line stinks. I do have to note for the record that the Charger’s quarterback showed no class during the 4th quarter.    
    After leaving the hotel we took a different route home, just to get more familiar with the layout of the city. I have to say, we are doing pretty darn good as a team (RD driving, me navigating), we have not gotten lost yet. I have no illusions that I will do as well on my own.

December 26, 2007

    WooHoo! I drove for the first time all by myself…actually it’s the first time either one of us has driven alone without a navigator. Cranked up the AC because I was sweating bullets but I didn’t get lost, I didn’t get run over and I didn’t get honked at! I’m really starting to recognize roads, buildings, landmarks, etc. One thing that is driving me nuts over here is that most stores are closed from noon to 4. (As we all know, a morning girl I am not). I waited all morning for a guy to come fix a loose tile…of course he didn’t show up. Now everything is closed until 4. RD is working until 8 this evening, which will give me time to continue my quest for decent living room furniture. I’m going to move the sofa and love seat they furnished the “villa” with upstairs to the office and put the TV in there as well. It’s comfortable but NOT our style at all. If we’re going to live here I want the place to look like Lisa & RD.
    This evening we went to the Mall (I don’t think RD has been to “the Mall” as many times in his whole life as he has been these past three weeks) and ran into Eve and John! I think we are definitely supposed to get to know these people. We’re going to try and get together on the 29th for her birthday before John goes back to England on the 30th.

December 27, 2007

    We went to the horse races tonight. They are held every Thursday night from 4 to 7:30 and are free! Fabulously gorgeous horses from all over the world, mostly Arabians but one race was Thoroughbreds. We missed the first two races because we were running a little late. Unfortunately the third race was a heart breaker…one of the horses stumbled about 25 meters from the finish line (the one I picked to win the race). He went down, rider came off and when he came up his (R) front leg was broken. It was just heart wrenching to watch. They finally put a screen up around him to get him loaded into a trailer. The poor jockey was lying on the ground for 5 minutes before anyone thought to check on him… RD assures me this doesn’t happen often, that it was just a freak accident. The next 4 races were great and in one I even picked 1st, 2nd and 3rd place…to bad they don’t have betting. We even ran into one of the Engineers from Singapore that we met on our Desert camping trip! In the parking lot we walked through a sea of white cars and SUV’s to get to our white rental car. Earlier in the day I had lost the car and had to hit the door lock button on the key to get it to beep for me so I could find it…it’s extremely uncommon to see a vehicle any color other than white.
    After we left there RD stopped to get his haircut at a “Gents Saloon”. I sat out in the car and watched. He assured me it would only take a few minutes because we were both hungry and headed to dinner. As they finished his haircut they proceeded to give him a 10 minute head and neck massage followed by two quick neck manipulations…all for 17 QR or about $4.67! (That included the tip). It was also interesting because I was able to watch several Qatari’s put their “head gear” back on. They wear this little white knit cap, followed by the big triangular scarf with the black ring with tails down the back sitting on top. Watching them is pretty funny, they all wear them but they each seem to have their own style…how far down the forehead the scarf sits, the ring can be “in neutral” or tipped forward or to one side…and then they flip the long scarf tails around like a girl playing with long hair! Most of them are pretty effeminate, they tend to be slim, wear a dress (Thobe) and then play with their head gear more often than a woman fuses with her hair! RD noticed that they all have their rear view mirror’s turned so that they can see themselves…not what’s behind them.
    Dinner was back at the little Lebanese place close to our “Villa”…I had Camel Shawarma! It tastes a bit like a cross between lamb and elk…I will definitely order it again. RD had their grilled chicken…sounds so boring but it was awesome, it must be the seasonings they use. And their Tabbouleh or Tabouli as we more commonly call it was amazingly fresh.

December 29, 2007

    RD had his first run in with the law yesterday… We were trying to get out of the parking lot of yet another mall when RD noticed a police officer writing a ticket for an SUV that was parked in front of the entrance, partially blocking the road. RD made some kind of comment like “good for him” then promptly turned the wrong way on a one way street coming right up along side the police officer who motioned for him to stop. I was so shocked I was speechless (I know this is hard to believe), I knew it was a one way and thought RD did as well. RD being ever so polite rolled down his window and said “Good evening sir”, the officer gave him a “look” (you know, the kind only a cop can give when you’ve done something stupid right in front of them) and said “Where are you going?” RD, being Mr. Literal (and apparently not realizing he had done anything wrong) said “the Doha Sailing Club”, which is way across town. At that point I busted out laughing and finally found my voice enough to tell RD he was going the wrong way on a one way. Lucky for us the cop must have been in a good mood (or was trying hard not to laugh at RD) because the fine for going the wrong way on a one way road is steep and I believe involves some jail time. For the next 30 minutes every time I thought of RD saying “the Doha Sailing Club” I would bust out laughing to the point of tears. We finally made it to the “sailing club”…they have little Lasers and other dinghy-like one man sailboats. I prefer to have a bit more boat underneath me… but RD was excited. I would like to check out the other sailing club to see what they have to offer before we jump into a membership.
    We had dinner last night with a Sports Medicine doc from the states and an Orthopedic Surgeon from Belgium, and their wives. RD brought along a “memory stick” (I have no idea what those things are called) with pictures of our wilderness adventures in Montana to share with everyone…they are all excited about him being a real live cowboy!
    Turns out our shipment won’t arrive until the 3rd of January. It apparently got stuck sitting outside of several ports before ours because of Eid. I am trying really hard not to buy anything to decorate the “villa” until it arrives but it is getting harder every day. We need to pop over and renew our rental agreement as it runs out today. Since RD does not have his RP yet it will be a while before we can get Dave and Glenda’s Trail Blazer but the boys have got a transfer intermediary worked out so we don’t have to rush and try and get it done before they leave. Tonight we met Eve and John for drinks before dinner for her birthday. Her daughter Hannah, as well as Michael and Christian, a couple from GB that Eve had met at the Four Seasons the same night she met us, were there as well. The plan was to just have drinks and then let John and Eve go out alone but we were all having so much fun we made an evening of it.