Blog Strike

No more posting. No more music. I'm going on a blog strike until my sea shipment arrives. So all you groupies start a groupthink project for the Dickersons to GET THEIR STUFF.

In the meantime, here are pictures of my very boring villa and my incredibly ugly furniture. It doesn't feel like home, yet, but it will. With my stuff here. My cool leather rocking chairs I finally got redone (Gwen - are you reading?), our bed, the boys' beds, all my old, but loved plain white everyday dishes. More forks, spoons, knives. Real sheets that don't feel like sandpaper. A salad spinner, a cheese grater- all those little conveniences of life we take for granted. It's all coming - BUT WHEN??? It's been 11 weeks! Yes, I'm still counting.

Cooking 101 (oh man, no good cooking songs - anyone? anyone?)

I took my first ever cooking class. I know, I know - you all are saying "Sharon, you are a GREAT cook - you don't need this!" But my new friends were going, so I joined in. It was Italian cooking - led by the chef at Il Teatro at the Four Seasons Hotel. Ooh! We made "perfect" spinach flan with a fontina cheese sauce, homemade gnocci with tomato sauce and strawberries with balsamic vinegar and vanilla ice cream. Perfect - I'll be able to whip these right up for dinner.

I have the recipes for these items. But let me say this: Italian olive oil, good balsamic vinegar, fontina cheese - all somewhat difficult to find in Doha, based on conversations around me. Maybe Italian wasn't the cuisine to pick. Middle Eastern or Indian cuisine may have easier ingredients to find. But who's complaining?

I know you are jealous, but I got a certificate of completion for the class. Love this kind of continuing education, where you get to dine on the actual chef-prepared meal for lunch. Not a great way to start my Weight Watcher challenge, but I am in Doha and have to play along.

Beach Baby, Beach Baby

We went to the beach today. A true Doha excursion. About an hour's drive north, almost to the northern tip of Qatar, a place called Fuwairit. It was sandy by the shore, but rocky just off the beach. Cool rocks to sit upon, and cool rocks to climb under to get out of the sun. A large naturally occuring sun shelf, for those of you with pools.

We went with 4 other expat families and their kids and had the best time, out in the sun, being outdoors. Oh, and the weather really seems to be cooperating. A beautiful day, breezy, to keep the heat at bay.

The boys climbed all over the beach looking at all the shells and rocks.

All and all, a good day for the Dickersons in Doha. They say in a month, the water will be too cold to get in. We'll see. But for now, it was perfect!

The Boys get a Haircut

Finally! We've been here 9 weeks, as of today, in fact, for those of you counting along. And that's 9 weeks, plus 1 or 2 back home, that the boys have gone without a haircut. So, this morning, during the holiday week, my nameless husband took both boys to find a barber (I would have gone, but I was busy, busy on my laptop). You know Scott likes his hair long - well look at him now:




And, yes, both of them ended up with slightly longer hair in the back. Not the greatest haircuts they've gotten, but no more tangles!

I continue to be amazed at the attention my boys get while we are out and about. It's the blonde hair. John gets it the most. Cute, little 5 year-old - he just attracts all sorts of looks and stares. And almost always, someone pats him on the head or stops and talks to him. At first is was very disconcerting, but I've gotten used to it and he has too, for that matter.

Now it's my turn for a haircut. But I won't be posting pictures of THAT!

Happy Eid

Ramadan is over! Now it's Eid. Eid Al-Fitr. Translated it means the Festival of Breaking the Fast. Now, keep in mind that there have been feasts every night during Ramadan. You fast all day, then feast when the sun goes down. Now, now that Ramadan is over, you get to feast again.

And what's interesting about Eid is that you have to wait on the moon sightings to know when it starts. So we found out late last night that Eid had started and there would be no school today. It's like that. No one knows until it starts. Not a firm date on the calendar.

And it reminds me of Christmas, because all the stores close for Eid. The shopping during the days leading up to Eid - just like Christmas. Lines of cars at the malls, at night, no less. Traffic jams around the souqs and malls.

So, my husband is off work until next Sunday. My kids are home from school until next Monday. We should have been travelling, but because of delays in getting residence permit, we weren't able to find any hotels with available space. And we looked: Lebanon, Cyprus, Oman, Istanbul. Everyone travels during Eid, everyone, that is, except us. But we have some neighbors here and other new expats who didn't get RP in time, either. So it's party time in Doha!

Oh, and last, but certainly not least, Starbucks is open again. And I can take my water to the pool. And I can go out to lunch. All things for which I have been patiently waiting.

EID MUBARAK!
Kathryn knows how to write this in Arabic - cool, huh?

Shopping in Doha

My neighbor, Jacqui, has taken me under her wing and shown me some very cool places to shop. My favorites so far have been the Indian furniture stores. It's like puttering around the old antique shops in Warrenton and Canton. The Indian places are not antiques, but they have the most fascinating pieces of furniture. Odd and beautiful at the same time.

Anyway, you know how you have to make that first purchase? To get going? I did today. A lovely box to put by my bedside. I've always loved boxes, since I was little, and this one just said "buy me!" So I bought it and have it now upstairs. It's a big box, too, perfect for filling up with treasures.

I also put a piece on hold, for my anonymous husband to "okay" before I bring it home. Honestly, it won't be long before I'm buying without asking first. There is no stopping me, now.

No more Houston worrying

NOW everyone I know has power. What a long, long process. Thank God for cell phones, especially the cool red ones that worked throughout the storm.

Now if anyone knows how to set up wireless in Doha - I'd be much obliged. If anyone knows how to fix my Skype headphones, I'd be further obliged. If anyone wants to pay for Tim Raebig to fly to Doha, I'd owe you the world.

No word on sea shipment. Just waiting and waiting. My husband, who has forbidden me to use his name or the company he works for on this blog, will not appreciate my increased shopping as we wait and wait for all of our goodies. I need more plates, forks, sheets, towels - you name it, I need it. I do dishes and laundry ALL THE TIME.