New Zealand for Christmas

We thought we had arrived in New Zealand, but it turned out to be Middle Earth!

Another Trip to Addis

Last week I meet Kimberly in Addis Ababa for another workshop with the Ethiopian Nurses Association and Aga Khan University.

The view from our hotel window.

I arrived on Tuesday evening and we were in workshop from Wednesday to Friday, flying back to Doha on Friday night. Facilitating workshops is tiring business but it is also pretty satisfying. We have really been privileged to meet and work with these Ethiopian nurses.

With some of the workshop participants.

Kimberly and Asrat


Jackie, the "motivator"

A Relaxing Friday

Dave and I had a lovely day yesterday, the first day of our Eid break. I leave on Tues for Addis Ababa, continuing work with the Ethiopian Nurses Association. Since Dave won't be going with me, we're trying to have some fun together on the few days that we have off.
After a sumptuous breakfast of our specialty oatmeal pancakes, we relaxed with the newspaper out on the patio. The morning weather is lovely now and the sun doesn't track around to that side of the villa until about noon. We decided to make a pot of chili to warm up quickly for supper then took off for a long walk on the Cornish. I also wanted to make a trip to the Gold Souk to look for a couple of items that Kimberly wanted me to get for her. We planned to park on the Sheraton end of the Cornish then walk around to the Gold Souk, do our shopping and walk back. That way it's easy to get parking and to make a quick escape through the traffic that would be gathered by late afternoon-early evening.


The air is soft and moist in the late afternoon, and a cool breeze comes in off the water. The walkway is about 5 km in total from the Sheraton end to the Museum of Islamic Art. We stopped for pictures along the way.



After crossing the busy 6 lane highway, we proceeded up Grand Hamad Street to the Al Fardan Auto Showroom. I could see brand new Jags through the large windows. Then to the Gold Souk area to do our shopping.



The walk back to our vehicle (Charles) was pleasant in the early evening twilight. Even though my hips were stiff and sore from the walk, it was a lovely day. A good start to our week off.

DCWB at DTFF

Yesterday, the Doha Community Wind Band played its first concert of the season at Family Day at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival. It was the first time that the band has played in that venue. There is such a festive atmosphere around the festival, and Katara Cultural Village was full of flags, kites, lights, parasailers, and so many children.


Stages were set up all along the Village Corniche and various community groups and schools performed all afternoon and evening. Our little friend, Julie, performed with her Compass School choir. There were Bollywood dancers, and Qatari sword dance troups. Quite the afternoon.




Julie is the one in the front, on the left. I do yoga twice a week with her mother, Bridgett, and her father, Brad, is the director of our Teaching-Learning Center.



The band played a selection of movie music from Colonel Bogey March, to a John Williams medley, and a medley of music from Chicago. I think we sounded pretty good. The trumpet section was particularly good!



DCWB trumpet section.

Sweet Jasmine

I've had this Jasmine plant since Sept. 2008. After a traumatic start on our patio (I think the sun and heat in Sept. was just too much for a young plant) it has grown and prospered. But I despaired that it would ever blossom. Behold! Last fall it had one beautiful pink flower that smelled as sweet as a jasmine should.


Last weekend, when I was out back hanging out laundry, I noticed not one but four! buds on my jasmine vine. Later this week I spied another bud. So I have to share these pictures with you all.

Home Baking--Just Like Home!

For some reason, I have been doing a lot of baking this fall. It makes the place seem more like home, I suppose. Besides I have to take some home baking to work on Tuesdays for Donna's tea time! My oat scones get the best reviews.

Oat Scones

1 3/4 C flour
1/3 C sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 C butter
3/4 C oats
1/3 dried cranberries or chocolate chips
lemon or orange zest
2/3 C buttermilk

Mix dry ingredients, oats and zest. Cut in butter until coarse crumbs. Add cranberries or chocolate chips (Or both if you dare!) Add butter mild and stir until everything is moist. Pat into a rectangle or a circle and cut into pieces. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

I made a date loaf last weekend that was pretty good. Full of local dates and walnuts.

Date Nut Loaf

1/2 C chopped dates
1/2 C sugar
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 C boiling water
1 1/4 C flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg, fork beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 C walnuts
Combine first 4 ingredients . Stir and let stand until cool. Add flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Stir. Stir in egg, vanilla and walnuts. Turn into greased 7 3/4x33/4x21/8 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes.
This recipe is from the Company's Coming Cooking for Two cookbook.

And of course Dave's famous Maritime Brown Bread, mixed up in the bread maker.

Thanksgiving Dinner in Doha

The Thanksgiving weekend in N.B.--Paul and Jenn and little Anna will be visiting with Dave. I think he probably has his pork roast in the oven as we speak! But think not that I have been left out of Thanksgiving just because I happen to be in Doha. CJ and Donna and Kathy B. invited everyone to a potluck dinner at the new apartment building Umm Bab, in West Bay. They cooked the turkey and everyone else brought the rest. My apple pie was a hit! The new apartments are quite luxurious, with lovely furnishings and finishes. Everyone is quite happy after their move from the Regency apartments. The meal was so good--just like home with mashed potatoes and gravy, squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, and lots and lots of desserts.

CJ in the kitchen stirring gravy

The dessert table. It filled up more than this as the evening progressed.

Some of the gang in Donna's apartment across the hall from C. J. The party filled the two apartments.

Alice, Carolyn, Brooke and Eric in the hallway between the two apartments. Eric has been car pooling with me this semester. He puts the seat back as far as it will go but still has his knees up under his chin!

Tam and Brooke in C. J.'s living room looking out over the downtown lights of Doha.

Not much for left-overs! What a bunch of gorbies!