Good Bye Doha......HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLO Houston

Its official-Good bye Doha!  I have spent the last week packing up my apartment while my husband has spent the entire week getting our Houston home in prepartion for my return (this is the end to the "man cave").  I have successfully packed all of my stuff in 5...no wait...6 bags. 

I am now sitting in the Qatar Airways Premium terminal where there is a chef preparing scrambled eggs and waffles. I am in Heaven!! Will I miss Doha?  Sure, I will miss Souq Waqif, the poshness of the Pearl, the GREAT Lebanese food, high tea at the Ritz, the expat lifestyle, running along the gulf every morning, and the fresh fruit juices.  There are a few things I glady bid-adeu; the 1.5 hour bus rides one way to work, playing the game of chicken while walking on the Pearl, having Friday and Saturdays as weekends, Carrefour (and the random dead carcus), and not being able to drive myself.

This has been a wonderful experience and I have met amazing people that I hope to remain in contact in the future. Good bye Doha...........Hello Houston!

On more thing before I go....Sybil this is for you....I tipped my waiter in the Qatar Airways Lounge 10QR.  You have taught me well. See you Stateside.....

Happy Valentines Day!

How do you celebrate Valentines day in the Middle East?  Well, I think it depends where you are. I saw an article on how Malaysia was thinking about banning the holiday in the country because the typical celebrations of flowers, chocolates, and going out to dinner can lead to pre-marital "relations".  Really?! I think for Qatar, the restaurants have taken down the Valentines day decorations and there is no special menu.  Wait-no cheesy hearts on the windows and I do not have pay a higher price for the same food because its Valentines day?  Yep, definitely not romantic anymore.  Good thing Rics Kountry Kitchen helped me ring in the holiday early by serving my "Death by Omelet" with a heart shaped sausage.....

Toto...We are (still) not in US.

The more time I spend here, the more I realize I am not in the US anymore (the good, the bad, and the ugly)....

• Humus is a regular condiment
• Chocolate Chips are a commodity
• You can go days without seeing anyone who has blonde hair
• Sharing a sidewalk is unheard of. Instead you just keep on walking like the other person does not exist.
• Woman wear expensive designer sparkly pumps at 10am
• Children in strollers are crying because thier I-phones are not working
• For every child thier is a nanny wearing a toss between a house coat and a bowling uniform
• You are lucky if anyone speaks English (and by Engish I mean "American"). Amazing how many conversations I have had where all parties are speaking English but no one knows what that other is saying.