Time to Hire a Maid

I found out this week that I will be temporarily joining the American School of Doha. They have a teacher who had to leave unexpectedly for medical purposes. The last day of school is June 15 so I will be there full time for the next 3 weeks! I know...you are all wondering...what will I be teaching...7th grade science!!! (Gene, the best 7th grade science teacher ever, please hold back your laughter!!!) One of the things we will be unable to do in this teacher's absence is dissect a shark! He and I talked about it briefly but I would literally have to go to the fish market and buy like 20 sharks...and that just was not going to happen...not to mention the dissection!!! The kids are very disappointed but I told them that I have already found a shark dissection online that we can watch! (I know, not the same!!!)

So if the blogs seem a bit sparse or I am not available for morning phone calls...you will know...I am working AGAIN!!! (Big surprise!!!) This is not too tragic as I have my eyes on a very large rug!!! The rugs here are amazing (and the rug shopping experience is a blast in itself!) The one I am looking at is not silk but it is still very beautiful!

A Trip to the Souqs!

This morning we met another couple for a trip to the souqs. We were there by 8:30 to get a parking spot as parking becomes a challenge the later it gets. On the weekends the souqs get very crowded, so it was nice to go early and be able to take some pictures (as you are not supposed to take photos of the locals). The souqs are open from about 9-12 and then again from 4-8.

First we went to Souq Waqif. This souq recently received a major transformation but still closely reflects the spirit of the olden day markets. Here you will find winding hallways with store after store spilling their goods onto the concrete. You can find anything here from perfumes, to spices, to tools, and chocolates!

I wanted to take a picture of Michael by all of the candy because he has quite a sweet tooth! Of course everyone thought that I needed my picture taken...but where??? Thanks to Michael's wonderful recommendation, my picture is among the nuts! I believe I heard Michael say something about me having something in common with baskets of nuts...but he promises he said nothing of the sort!

You can actually make a meal out of sampling at the souqs. They will let you taste anything...you can even unwrap candy just for the taste!!! Spices and nuts are priced per kilogram (about 2 pounds).


We also stopped by the Gold Souq. Talk about gold!!! Store upon store of GOLD bangles, necklaces and earrings.

We Won!!!

We attended a large company family fun day this afternoon and evening. It was about 110 degrees and outside. But, it was all worth it when we won a raffle prize! I was so excited as we won a microwave oven!!! (Yes Bree, they have microwaves here!) For some reason microwaves are not provided at our compound and I have been determined not to buy one. Looks like now we don't have to! I was very excited and caused quite a commotion, probably embarrassing Michael...but it was all worth it after I popped a bag of popcorn!!!

"It Wasn't Me" - Take Two!

First of all, Michael is fine. Unfortunately I have yet another accident to report. I won't give Michael too much grief about it as he feels EXTREMELY BAD AS HE WAS DRIVING MY JEEP!!! You know Michael isn't usually allowed to drive my car...lol...just kidding (couldn't help it!)!!! However we have a guy who washes our cars every Friday afternoon. My car had already been washed and Michael's was in the process when Michael decided to go to the store. So off he went, in the Jeep. He was very close to the house, just two roundabouts down! Each Roundabout has a name and usually some sort of ornament in the middle, this is how you learn where you are going in Doha. There is the Treasure Chest Roundabout, The Mall Roundabout, Burger King Roundabout, Civil Defense Roundabout and so on and so on.

Well, Michael was at the now most civilized roundabout called Green Steps Roundabout (and yes there are four sets of green steps in the middle of this roundabout). It is civilized because unlike most of the others, it actually has traffic lights which makes it a lot easier to get through. Many of the roundabouts are either being taken out or are receiving traffic lights due to the increased amount of traffic and accidents.

Michael was going through the roundabout when the light turned red and he stopped before actually coming out of it. A taxi hit him from behind reporting that the light was yellow. When an accident happens in Doha, you are not to move the car. It doesn't matter if you are blocking all lanes of traffic and no one can get through...you don't move your car. The police arrive, assess the incident based on the location of the cars and then a ticket is written. Because most of the dialogue is in Arabic, Michael had to call a designated Qatari coworker to come and represent him (for a second time...sorry...I said I wouldn't do that!). We are so appreciative of his assistance!!!

Luckily the fault was placed on the taxi driver and the incident was handled quickly. Michael is safe, my Jeep received some minor damage and will need to be repaired, which will be a memorable experience I'm sure! You might be interested to hear, that the taxi was damaged pretty badly and was not drivable! GO JEEP!!! And yes, I know what they say about paybacks! lol

Late Night Out

We had a company event this evening. Here is a picture of Michael and I from that event. I know it is quite odd to see me in this color...but I went shopping today and thought I would try something different! The stores/styles are all very European. I feel completely out of place stepping into a store that is not Ann Taylor Loft. I just keep telling myself it is all about new adventures!!! (I guess my wardrobe is included in that too!)

It's a Miracle!!!

We finally found....MIRACLE WHIP!! While this may not seem like a big deal...this is one of the many products that are extremely hard to find. When a shipment of Miracle Whip comes in, the expat ladies call all their friends and it flies off the shelf in hours! (And of course the Qatari people buy it too because they see the Westerners going crazy and join in!!! I am not joking either!)

It's a Jeep Thing!

We attended a Jeep event this evening! Qatar finally received a large shipment of Jeeps (including the 4-door Wrangler) and so the dealership (there is only one Jeep/Dodge/Chrysler) hosted a celebration. There was a lot of food and some interesting entertainment. They also demonstrated some of the off-roading capabilities of the Wrangler. It was fun, but most importantly it was something to do, sometimes it can get a bit boring here. They got 14 of the 4-doors in and within only a couple of days, they are all spoken for! Personally I prefer my 2-door model!

I love my Jeep!!!