My classes and students...

I've now got a full week of classes under my belt, and I can now say I am very excited about the semester! : ) I have 6 classes total, 4 women/2 men, all of which are unique and fabulous in their own way. The guys have been great from day 1, sussing me out, trying to figure out what I'm like, etc. Once they figured out that I understand Arabic, they chuckled nervously, but thought it was great. They also get a kick out of the fact that our last name, minus the first "a", Hmar, means donkey in Arabic, and is not a very nice thing to call someone. Quite a bit more offensive than how "ass" is used in the States. Add to that the fact that my brother's name, Matt, means "dead" in Arabic, and you've got a howling class, even the ladies. Seriously, what's not to laugh at?! His name means "dead donkey" ~ hehehehehehehehehe......I laugh every time I think about it. I'm seriously cracking up while I write this!!!! I love you, Matt, and I know you have the right sense of humor for this : )

The ladies are really starting to loosen up with me, and today all three of my classes were laughing. I think I'm a fairly unconventional teacher for them. For example, I told them one of my expectations of them is this: in return for my respect for them, they respect me and their classmates as well. Cell phones are huge here, and they all keep them on their desks, trying to sneak in text messages. So, to make my point, I pretended that my phone, which was on silent, was ringing, and answered it, as if there was someone there, and started making dinner plans, saying no no...not busy...just teaching. I turned to the class, telling them I'd be right back, and then I left the room. I came back in and they were completely unsure of what to think! they were laughing, but not sure if they should be. I asked them how they would have felt if it was a real situation? Does this action show respect? Of course, they all said no, so I explain that I expect the same in return. Good thing one of our units is "Actions Speak Louder Than Words", and it all fell nicely into place. : ) Sometimes I wonder where I pull this crap from, but it sure is a lot of fun at the time.

Speaking of classes....I've got to get back to planning now, but I'll try to keep posting frequently. Camera should be arriving soon, and I'll send photos asap.

Mani/Pedi

Had a fabulous manicure/pedicure the other night, and for minimal funds. No joke either. Helen spent a full two hours meticulously scrubbing, rubbing, shaping, and trimming my nasty hands. It was heavenly. The massage chair, quiet soothing music.....what more could a lady ask for??? Nada!

the food scenario....

I have decided that since there are soooo many American restaurants and fast food places, I needed to try them out to compare them. So far I've tried the following:

McDonalds ~ same as the States, but the burgers seem to have more to them, but the fries don't compare....perhaps I should try a different location....

Hardees ~ don't like it at all there, don't like it here either

Pizza ~ a variety of places....I must say that most places make a pretty tasty pizza

Applebees ~ one would think you'd stepped into American suburbia....everything looks exactly the same. Though they do have a fabulous non-alcoholic drinks menu. This place is HEAVEN for non-alcoholic drinks. I've never seen such a selection of juices in my life! Well...not at Applebees, but at the grocery store and small shops.

Subway ~ the same....but the chips weren't quite what I'd imagined they should be....I'm particular about my chips if you can't tell.

I've also had Thai, but it was nothing in comparison to the restaurant near our old place in San Francisco.

Needless to say, I'm all fast-fooded out, and won't be eating gross, slimy, fattening fare for some time. At least a week or so....though I must say I'm craving brussel sprouts and everything else that supplies my body with the appropriate nutrition! : )

The roads of Doha....

I've had my rental car for about 2 weeks now, and thank God for that! Public transportation is virtually nonexistent here, so I am praising my little KIA every chance I get. Granted, the car has little power, a 4 cylinder, but it serves me well. You may wonder why having power is essential....anyone who has driven in a city with multiple roundabouts can tell you why power is an essential feature in a car, especially when aggressive, and defensive, driving is a must. Some people think I'm crazy, but I actually like driving here because I looove to drive aggressively, maneuvering my through traffic....only when necessary, however. Here, one must always be on their toes, or they will be under someone's SUV for sure. In fact, even other little cars seem to think they can just cut across three lanes of traffic without looking to exit, forcing a person to slam on their breaks, thanking their lucky stars no one is behind them; otherwise, the said someone slamming on their brakes would have a nice car smashed into their driver side. Yes, I'm speaking in the 3rd person...annoying for many, so I'll stop. Driving here can be interesting, frustrating (20 minutes at one stop light), time consuming (see prior comment), fascinating, dangerous, titilating, and a more than a little heart-stopping at times.

The radio keeps me company for now, but if anyone feels the need to get rid of some audio books (casettes for now), please feel free to send them my way! : ) The radio stations are fascinating to listen to. I can practice multiple languages on one radio station. One station has Arabic, English, and French programming ~ thank goodness I understand enough French and Arabic to sometimes get the gist, but the various music the programs play is nice. I can listen to Kenny Rogers, followed by Nirvana, a few minutes later some old French jazzy music, and then Garth Brooks. Ha! I must say that I do enjoy it, and find myself laughing at the choices the DJs make. Doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to what they choose though people can request music as well. I also like to listen to the Hindi station for a good chuckle as well. Don't know if many of you have heard Hindi music, but it's quite fun to listen to, especially if you've seen some Indian movies (they're pretty much all the same....mostly a romance story filled with the leads singing their songs, popping out from behind pillars/trees, followed by a group dance to the music). I have a nice movie going in my head while others are flicking their lights and honking at people going to slow for their liking. All in all, every day is quite fun in the car! : ) Obviously, I am trying to focus on the positive....it's working so far.

Keeping promises and beautiful friends...

OK, OK...I know that I promised to keep up with the blog, and I've been sincerely lacking lately, so now that I have a moment to breathe after the first week of teaching, I'll satisfy your reading quota for the next few days. First things first....friends are a beautiful phenomenon in life, and good friends are simply beyond anything words could describe. I've met some wonderful, helpful people here, and I am eternally grateful to them all for their help in getting me settled and connected. The first story is about a very dear friend, Oresta. So, Oresta lives in London, and I haven't seen her in ages...sob sob....I treasure her friendship for a number of reasons, but mostly because she balances me as a friend. She is calm, and thinks carefully before she speaks. I, as most of you, am a bit chaotic, and tend to blabber on, getting to my point later at the end of my diarhetic shpeel. When I talk with her, I am reminded to slow down and think. How does this relate to Doha you ask??? Well, I was driving home from the mall the other night, and for about 10 minutes was thinking about how I could best connect with her, as my internet phone only calls the US for free. So, at the same time I'm thinking about this, my phone rings, and who do you think it is???? ORESTA!!!!! : ) Completely made my day.

As for friendships and connections here, June, a lady who's been here for a few years, decided to think I am cool enough to invite to her get togethers with people who work in various sectors in Doha. These are people from across the world, and it's been a pleasure to meet them all. Just the other night, she had a book swap at her house, and one of the gentlemen in attendance is one of her Qatari friends, who also happens to work for AlJazheera. He's arranging for us to have iftar (dinner at the end of fasting) on the Al-Jazheera compound, and then a tour of the studio! What an amazing opportunity, and how gracious of him to offer this chance.

Time delays

Hello again to all of my patient friends and family! I apologize up and down, to myself and you as well, for my delay in writing. I had many different obstacles, but the major was internet access, or should I say the lack of internet access. I finally, keep your fingers crossed, have a stable internet connection, and hope it stays this way. : ) I've kept a running tab of things that I need to write about, and I'll be doing this in stages so stay tuned!

All in all, life continues to go well. I had my first class today, and I had 9 of my 20 women show up. It's Ramadan, and apparently missing the first classes is expected. I expected a few to be missing, but over half?! Oh well...a nice easy start is OK by me. The girls were all quite nice, and are just beginning to understand that they are now in the university system; last semester they were all still in the Foundations program, which meant that they were finishing the intensive English courses that prepare them to enter the university. I've been told to "play nice" with them. Hmmm....I think I can play nice, but with an authoritarian air....

to be continued....