Um - Nothing Happening

But I did drive again by myself this week! And my new neighbor has introduced me to the joys of gin and tonics! You all thought it would be so exciting to live in Doha. The excitement is killing me.

Ramadan starts "on or about" September 1. Something about spotting the moon at a certain point. No one knows exactly when it will start. But once it starts, life really slows down here. You can't eat out, you can't drink water in your car, you can't buy alcohol at all (but we can't do that yet, anyway.) All stores are open only in the mornings. Run all your errands by 11 or 12, because everything will be closed. Kids get out 30 minutes earlier from school all month - YES!

I'll keep you posted.

Kathryn's First Day of School in Doha

Well, the day finally came. Sunday, although I've thought it was Monday since I woke up this morning. Kathryn finally gets to go to school and hopefully start making some new friends. See, there just isn't anyone her age in the compound. So while the boys have made one new friend, a boy from Finland named Alecks, Kathryn has been watching movies, playing golf with her dad, and wishing school would start.

School bus comes at 6:45 am! A little early - but she was ready to ride it the first day. She obviously does not take after me, because she was so sure of herself and ready to take on the day.

FREEDOM!

You cannot underestimate how important this is to me. This simple SUV (I'm not allowed to refer to it as a car. There is a difference, you know) is my escape from my villa, where I have been spending all my days. I drove, for the first time, yesterday, to the mall (with all 3 kids, yes, but that is a different story.) It's a little scary driving in Doha. Lots of roundabouts, no street names that you can rely on, trying to find landmarks that identify where you are. (Oh look, there's the white stucco building - or wait, is it that one?)

I didn't get lost. I had written out directions on a piece of paper so Kathryn could navigate me from the back seat. We ate at Subway! And then we came promptly back home. But I did it. And I didn't get lost.

Gas is so very inexpensive here, and you really must have a bigger car so no one bullies you on the road. It is very common to have a ubiquitous Toyota Land Cruiser come barrelling up behind you driving way too fast. Cars pull out in front of you with no warning. Lane markings come and go. Turn lanes? Apparently not for everyone. Construction everywhere. But I am set in my had-be-white Nissan Pathfinder.

Now, if only school would start.

Kathryn is 10! Finally!

This is Emily, her cousin that also just turned 10. We miss you Emily!

Happy Birthday, Kathryn Lynn! (no - none of these pictures are from Doha). And happy birthday to her cousins, Emily and Ana-Carlin.

Poor Kathryn - in Doha, only one friend here, celebrating her 10th birthday in grand style. We might go to Chili's or Dairy Queen for lunch. And that's only because our (only?) friends here have a car and drivers lisence. (You cannot imagine how the lack of those 2 things significantly impact your life.)

We bought her a digital camera for her birthday (I'll post later how HIGH prices are here) and poor thing, we got it home and no battery in the box. Supposed to have rechargeable battery. None - Gone. Lots of crying. I will be attempting to resolve that problem today with limited English-speaking saleslady. At a Walmart-type store. I'm sure I'll be successful.

Anyway - this is one for the memory books!

Social Outing for the Dickersons!

Well, it finally happened. We had a social engagement. A family one, of course. It was family movie night at a nearby compound. We were were 1 of about 5 new families that showed up, along with a couple of long-timers. We all had a great time chatting with others, as most of us (wives and kids, that is) have been stuck in our villas with no car to drive or lisence to do so. It's been a long 9 days my kids (and I) have endured with no playmates. The movie? ET - The Extraterrestial. Long movie - lots of time for chatting and sharing moving stories.

My kids loved the whole shebang. Movie, pizza for dinner(!), candy - new friends. What else is there? Scott has met two new friends going into second grade. Poor John, no new Kindergarten friends, yet. He just wants to share Scott's friends and Scott is not too happy about that. Kathryn is thrilled to have her friend Ashlyn from Spring around. They are convinced they are going to be the only 5th grade girls at the school.

It was a fun night and we were thankful to meet other people. Maybe this grand adventure is beginning after all......(next outing - haircuts for the boys.) Love to all!


Kathryn and Ashlyn, hanging out at the movie. Kathryn got to have her first sleepover here in Doha.
Scott and John playing around, having the best time they've had so far.

Scott with Nahmad, a boy he has met from Calgary.

Arabic saying for the day

In light of no new exciting developments, I will occasionally post an arabic saying of the day, which you will be able to work into your daily conversations. Here's one for today (and here's hoping that we get out of the house soon):

"The son of a duck is a floater."

Ibn al bat 'awwam.

or

Like father, like son.

Happy day to all.

10 points to whomever can name this flag. It's flying on the building across the lagoon. My excellent Doha map says the Dominican Republic, but that's not right.

Well the kids and I have been spending much quality time together, as we still have no second car to drive. After previewing Doha traffic from the passenger seat, I may decide to never drive. It's a good thing the kids can ride the bus to school, or I would be homeschooling. And, really, that would never be a good idea (for me, that is.)

We have a small beachy lagoon, not 30 or so yards out our back gate. Scott and John have started tiny little shell collecting, great for early mornings when tide has gone back out. I believe Scott would spend all his time out there, if not for the afternoon heat. In what is a questionable decision, I let him go out by himself and check on him periodically.

Notice the big, open skies. It looks like this all the time. Clouds apparently do not exist in Doha. Just slight, dusty haze. Thankfully, allergies and asthma in children have disappeared.

Our new life - the Villa

Many have asked about our new villa (what a fancy word for house). Everything is white stucco, here, but very pretty buildings. Here are a couple of pictures:



Back of house (excuse me, villa) at night:
Front of villa, small children on porch.

Kids in kitchen - eating frozen chicken burgers for dinner. We hadn't yet made it to grocery store for real groceries.

More to come later. Still learning!

Moving Day

Well, moving day finally came, and while we may have been physically ready, we were not all emotionally ready. In the course of a week, we sold the cars, had the house packed, moved into a hotel and then, before you knew it, we were off.

We packed 11 suitcases for us to take with us on the plane. I wasn't sure they would all make it to Doha, but success! The flight was long, but the kids managed to stay entertained with in-flight TV's and movies. As for me, I think I cried during the entire flight. Such emotional goodbyes and sheer exhaustion, I'm sure, were to blame.

We landed in Doha on Thursday night, a full 24 hours from leaving hotel in Houston. We were driven straight to our new villa and the kids had a ball picking out their new rooms immediately. Right now we all have queen beds, but our king bed and the boys' twin beds will arrive in several weeks with the rest of our sea shipment.

It is now Tuesday afternoon, and for the first time here I have internet access. What a difference that has made in my disposition! For those of you who know the Kerseys, I have spoken to Susan and she is stuck at home right now, like me, having no car to get around and kids with no immediate friends! That will all change soon, I'm sure.

It is my hope to use this space to keep all our friends updated on our new life. I may not be good at this, as is my friend Jennifer, but I will do my best to entertain (well, maybe) and share. Here's to all of you that wished us well. We are here.