Qatar - the country of almosts

As in, they ALMOST got it right.

"bettertan"   - Spelled just like it sounds.  

The instructions were to write the words "Diesel" and "No Smoking"  in Arabic.  Almost got it.

This one is so chock full of funnies, but notice especially....

the upside down comma.  

What does "taliban" mean, exactly?

"The Taliban said they tentatively agreed to open a political office in Qatar" according to the Wall Street Journal. But I don't think this is it.

I love seeing camels in town

He's kinda cute, isn't he?

Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling

My son John

Rode his rip stick with his trousers on

One shoe off and one shoe on

Diddle, diddle, dumpling

My son John

Live in my world

and experience the ridiculous.

What I love about our new compound...

I said I would do it, name the things I like about our new place:

There are so many kids in this compound, that my boys disappear all day long, and I don't know where they are. This is good. This is small town living.

We are now 10-12 minutes max from the school.

The compound clubhouse has its own mini-market, so buying bread, eggs, milk, candy, chips, juices, donuts and yes, the occasional fruit or vegetable no longer requires getting in the car.

The clubhouse has its own gym, literally 50 feet from my house, making it impossible for me to not workout. It also has a "library" of donated books, a mail room, and one day, a coffee shop. Ahh.

See - I told you. It's not all bad.

Our New Home

We had to move this summer. Remember the villa drawing? Turns out the villa we drew was not the one we ended up in (damn those dangling prepositions). We received lots of lovely furniture and neighbors so close I can practically touch them while sitting on my back patio. So here our some pictures, for it's my job as family chronicler to document this, right?

Here we go:

View from the front door. Yes. Cavernous. Is that what came to mind?

And look at all that white tile on the floor! Love it.

Lovely white leather sectional sofa. S0 easy to keep clean.

I get to watch my neighbors drive right by my kitchen window. I wave.

Have I mentioned we all work for the same company?

This lovely leather couch and love seat is at least not white.

Hello neighbor number one. Yes. Our backyards abut each other.

Oh, hello neighbor number two! Didn't mean to leave you out.

Wait! More neighbors! View from the upstairs balcony.

Our new home. Sorry, not a home. Not yet. It is simply a villa. In a compound.

Okay - it's not all bad. But I miss our privacy. I miss the lovely, large green space where the kids played. I miss our lagoon beach. I miss hearing the birds. All I hear now is air conditioners humming. But it's not all bad. I'll focus on the good stuff another time.