Leaving Home

People always ask me, "Do you dread going back?" And I always reply,"Not at all. I look forward to getting back to Doha, to work, to all my friends and to new adventures." No, I don't dread going back, but I do hate to leave.
The weather in New Brunswick this summer was beautiful--warm, and sunny, perfect pool weather. I spent the summer watching the garden and the grass grow from my sunny veranda and biking back and forth from town.
I also made some new friends. A catbird couple had taken up residence in a shrub next to the deck and they visited me every day. The male would meow, meow in warning whenever I got too close to their home. He would hop onto the fence surrounding the pool and watch, his tail flicking up and down. I enjoyed their antics all summer, and finally got some pictures just before I returned to Doha.

Uncommon Beauty

While most of the world is fighting back from economic recession, Qatar has managed to move ahead with business as usual. The incessant construction of high rises, compounds, and infrastructure continues without let up. The papers report daily on expansions in the oil and gas industries. This apparent prosperity was nowhere more evident than at the Jewelery and Watch Exhibit at the Exhibition Center over the past week.



Over 200 jewelery vendors were present to show their wares, and Qataris were buying---at least they were doing a lot of heavy looking!



The Exhibition Center was dressed in its evening clothes to provide the elegant surroundings appropriate for such majestic goods. The doorways were draped in white satin and the floors were softly carpeted. A large fountain stood in the entrance lobby under four sparkling chandeliers, a soft blue light coloring the bubbling water.



Most of the jewels were placed in large elaborate settings, targeting the Arab population, as one salesman explained to me. They were the most exquisite creations that I have ever seen. I wandered around for almost 2 hours just looking in wonder. I've posted some pictures but they do not do justice to the beautiful stones.

The Gates of Doha

The Gates of Doha

Have I told you of the gates of Doha?
Have I spoken of their strength?
Have I told you of their beauty
Of gilt and patterns Arabesque?
Did I tell you how at night they shine
Under the Doha moon
And hint of elegance within
O marble, stone and glass?
Have I told you of the gates of Doha,
How they enclose and segregate
Protect and divide the inside from the out
And make me wonder about the family there?
Would they invite me in
If they could see me here
Outside the gates of Doha, outside of Arabie?

Garden Fever

We took a drive this morning out to the plant nursery close to the camel race track. Pam wanted to buy some bougainvillea to plant in the holes left where the bricks had collapsed in her back yard. Having not been to the nursery before, she asked if I would take her. Before long we had a truck full of people who wanted to go--Pam, Virginia,Tam and her mother, Ane, and me. Charles is a roomy little x-trail with lots of room for people and plants--or at least we thought there would be lots of room. After all, Tam was just going along for the ride, to show her mother the nursery. She didn't plan to buy anything. It turned out that we all bought lots of things, but we had room for it all. (Some of our purchases had to be nestled on laps like sleeping children for the ride home.)It was a beautiful sunny, clear morning--a lovely day for a drive.

The plant nursery is owned by the state or the Emir; I not sure if there is a difference. It supplies all of the flowering plants and shrubs that are planted around the city and consists of at least 12 large green houses that are open to the public. They grow vegetables outdoors with irrigation, as well. The green houses are packed with plants for inside and outside--bougainvillea, hibiscus, jasmine, ivy, philodendron, all types of flowering annuals, palmetto,and so many more that I can't name. They are staffed by friendly gentlemen from Sri Lanka, India and Nepal who are more than happy to give customers a bargain.

Walking through those green houses is a real feast for the senses. The smell of moist soil, of flowering plants, the steamy air is delightful. Colorful annuals fill 3 green houses-gerber daisy, geranium, petunia, marigold. The variety of shades of green is remarkable, each species adding its own unique variation, some tinged with red, some striped with yellow or cream. Large squealing fans keep the air moving, and air conditioning units lining one long wall in each unit keep everything at the right temperature. What a novel idea, the Canadian in me thought, air conditioning in a green house!

The need to surround ourselves with living plants is a common denominator among the nationalities, I think. Arabs, Europeans, Asians, and North Americans alike were there this morning gathering a little green to adorn their living spaces. It is no wonder, considering the dry, hot weather conditions and the barren landscape in this little country,that people are starved for green. Economically and environmentally speaking growing plants here probably uses too much water and energy. The mental health benefits, I think, are worth it.

I hurried to pot up my new plants as soon as I got home. I had purchased gerber daisies, and geraniums to fill new planters for my patio. Gardening in January still feels strange to me but this is prime growing season in this part of the world. I have only 2 more months to really enjoy my garden. By April it will be getting too hot for things to grow. But enjoy it I will. My tomatoes and peppers are blossomed. I've been eating spinach from my garden for the past month. And on my patio retreat I am surrounded with color. Not bad for a northern gardener who has had to learn gardening rules anew for this climate and bug population.

All About Islam

Eid al Adha is just about over. It has been quite a week of celebration. After the sacrifice and the feast on Friday last, the festivities began and have been going all week. There was special entertainment at the City Centre Mall, on the Cornish and at Souk Waquif. Dave and I went to the Souk early on Monday so that we could take in some of the sights and have a bite to eat before the crowds descended. We ordered a sandwich and sat at an outside table for some serious people watching. The place was full of families with young children and the entertainment was geared for kids. Twenty foot high giraffes roamed through the crowd; jugglers threw balls high in the air; magicians did their tricks; and dancers encased in transparent balls rolled through the streets. It was great fun to watch the reactions of the children and the parents as a giraffe lowered its pointed head to the face of a youngster or a shiney robot stopped to pose for a picture.
Last weekend, just prior to Eid, there was an exhibit at the Doha Exhibition Center organized by the Islamic Cultural Center. It was to inform the public, non-Islamic and Islamic alike, about the history, beliefs, cultural and scientific contributions of Islam, as well as its place alongside the other monotheistic religions. I was most interested in seeing the replica of the Kaaba and learning more about the Haaj. I also had a very interesting conversation with an Islamic scholar and a covered and veiled Islamic woman about the merits of polygamy. The scholar quoted Billy Graham as saying that in Islam they have more than one legitimate wife, but in the western world (I hesitate to say Christian) they have one legitimate wife and many illegitimate relationships. Which is the worse? Everyone has their point of view.
A few days ago I had an awakening that made me realize that I am in a very different culture. I was out of bread and decided to walk to Beteel Bakery-- get in my daily exercise and do my shopping at the same time. Walking through the neighbourhood, I became aware that outside of a villa across the street the wall and the pavement were smeared with blood. Then I noticed a large dumpster that was filled to overflow with sheep skin, intestines and various other organs. There wasn't any smell and the flies hadn't gathered so I must have missed the action by just minutes. Eid al Adha--the Feast of the Sacrifice!

Everybody's Got to Eat!

I have always enjoyed shopping for groceries. Many of my friends think that is completely insane. But for me the feeling of putting aside provisions, having a well stocked pantry, is very satisfying. I remember taking Paul and Cait with me when they were very little kids, and chatting with them as we walked up and down the grocery aisles looking for what was on our list. My habit at home was to shop only one day a week. If I ran out of something in between, or if I forgot something, then I made myself wait until the next week. Our little "Save Easy" store in Perth-Andover doesn't have the widest selection of goods, but it was always good enough for me. Besides the owners, Bev and Paul, are just about the nicest people that the Good Lord ever created and I looked forward to visiting with them every week.
I still enjoy buying food, but my habits here in Doha are a bit different. There are lots of big beautiful supermarkets here with a great variety of goods, produce from all around the world, and ethnic foods to suit a multicultural society. Carrefour is a company from France that is frequented by many western expats. There is a new LuLu Hypermarked just around the corner from Al Zahour. We watched it being built most of last winter, and it finally opened sometime in the summer. LuLu is a fun place to shop, great bread, fresh fish, and lots of lovely fresh fruits and vegetables. It is also the newest landmark for expats who are still finding their way around the city. It is lit at night with a million lights flashing and swirling and twinkling over the massive walls. Talk about your carbon footprint! I'm sure that the scientists in the space station use LuLu to orient themselves in orbit.
But I am drawn to Al Meera, the little neighbourhood store frequented by locals. Though I haven't become acquainted with the owners, I am becoming familiar with the regular staff. Not everything is available there, so a trip to LuLu may still be in order, but for the most part it meets my needs. It is only 5 minutes from home (I can even walk there if I like), and is an easy stop after work.
I'm finding that in Doha one stop once a week just doesn't work. First of all, you probably won't find everything you want at one store. For instance, LuLu has the best fresh fish, and bread. Al Meera has good produce at the lowest price. And since bread and bananas seem to reach their full potential, so to speak, so quickly, I find that I'm running into the store more than once a week to pick up bread, and my ubiquitous bananas.
And then I have to regularly visit my friends at the local fruit and vegetable stand. It is a pleasure to go there for the friendly smiles, and the beautiful colors of produce from around the world. The boys there can give you the natural history of every piece of fruit you pick up--bananas from the Phillipines, strawberries from Egypt, tomatoes from Syria. Where are the grapes from this week? And the pomegranates? They always seem to know, or at least they make up a good story.
My good friend Loralie, gone but not forgotten, introduced me to the Automatic Bakery in Gharrafa last winter. I've been there a couple of times this fall, but going there frequently can be hazardous to your health. There are practically miles of counters filled with all kinds of Arabic sweets-marmouls, baclava, sesame bisquits. I've become familiar with one of the workers there. When he found out that I am from Canada, he began to speak French to me. One of the best parts of grocery shopping in Doha is the friendly people that you meet. Surprisingly, they never forget who you are, and are glad to see you when you return.
So my shopping habits have changed some, but in many ways they are still the same. Grocery shopping is a bit of a social event in Doha just as it was for me in Perth-Andover. I enjoy seeing the same faces on a regular basis and feeling like part of a community. Just the same, I have to shop around, not for the best prices, but because I know that the only place that has ground chicken is Family Food at Al Rayyan. (They also have the best smoked turkey cold cuts.) And because the salmon is consistently the best at LuLu.

It's Good to be Back

I arrived back in Doha on the last day of August, smack dab in the middle of Ramadan, jet lagged and stuffed up with a cold, and exhausted from 24 hours of travel. Orientation was over by the time I got here and school was about to start. My first class was at 8 am the morning after I arrived. Feeling a little dehydrated, I filled my big water glass before heading to class and commenced to sip for the next 3 hours in front of a room of Muslim students. I must have really been out of it! Even after receiving an e-mail notice from the Dean warning faculty and staff to be careful of consuming anything in a public area, I didn't realize what I had done until later that afternoon. My students, like most people here, are gracious and my apologies during the next class were readily accepted.
Westerners cannot fully appreciate the significance of Ramadan. We stand outside the celebration of this season and assume that it has nothing to do with us. To Muslims, however, the Holy Month has great significance and I suspect that the presence of Westerners is more intrusive during that time. This year, thanks to daily articles in the Gulf Times, I came to a fuller appreciation of the season. It is intriguing how much Ramadan mirrors the season of Advent as a time of spiritual seeking and preparation. It is a time for families as each day the fast is broken with a special meal. The month is completed with the holiday Eid al Fitr, a time for celebration, feasting, gift giving and family visits. Does that sound like a Christian celebration familiar to you? Dave and I were delighted to find, on one of our walks around the neighbourhood during Eid, a villa decorated with "Christmas" lights in grand style.
Forty days after the end of Eid al Fitr, is the second Eid--Eid al Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice when sheep and goats are slaughtered to celebrate the faithfulness of Abraham as he was called by God to sacrifice his son Isaac. This is a more solemn feast and recalls the sacrifice of Christ, in the tradition close to my heart. I can't help but feel that we have more similarities than differences.
It was wonderful to be back in Doha--great to get off the plane and feel at home, so familiar, a thrill to get in the taxi and give the driver directions. "You get me to Landmark, and I'll direct you from there." I am a seasoned member of the faculty this year, giving support and advice to the new faculty--who would ever have believed it! Getting reacquainted with students, making acquaintance with new faculty and staff, putting together two new (for me) courses, and trying to have a bit of a life outside of school has made it a very busy fall.
I am a member of the Doha Singers again this year, joined by two of my neighbours in the compound.We are preparing for a Christmas concert and the music is so much fun and so nostalgic that I think we all leave rehersals feeling home sick. As well, after having a successful audition, I am 3rd trumpet in the Doha Windband. Now I have a reason to practice my trumpet and I am enjoying it immensely.It's is not as professional a group as The River Valley Show Band, of course, but I guess it will have to do!
As if that wasn't enough,I have volunteered to teach "Friday School" at the Church of the Epiphany once a month, and I plan to regularly visit the Qatari Foundation for Elderly People Care (I love that name!). I'm anxious to hear the stories of these old people, and learn from them about this country and culture.
Today I joined the Think Pink Walk organized by the Qatar Cancer Society. Our students were instrumental in building awareness of the event so it was a pleasure to support them in their efforts. Many of the faculty and staff from UC-Q took part. People from all over the world, dressed in pink, spent an hour walking the length of the corniche in support of breast cancer awareness.
It sounds like I'm becoming part of a community. I'm growing attached to this little city and the people of Qatar, to our students and the work that we are doing here. I've become familiar with the place and the people. It almost feels like home.