Camel Sighting

I saw my first camel yesterday.  It was around 7am on the bus to Ras Laffan City. You could clearly tell I was the "new kid" on the bus because I got really excited and was pointing out the window like a small child. To bad I was not fast enough to get the blackberry out for a picture.  Now I want to ride one...you think I can also work the pink pumps at the same time???  Hmmm...

I've been Pearled!

I have been pearled! Even got up and close and personal for a sword fight celebratig Ramadan Kareem!  The knife fight started with the two gentlemen holding hands and ended with a swashbuckaling fight.  Very entertaining!!  Happy Ramadan.

What do groceries say in Doha...".Weeee"

Every weekend I head out to the grocery store with optimism to find chocolate chips (I have been here 6 weeks, only found them once.  Score: Doha 5, Courtney 1) and the skepticism of "its Doha".  This weekend was no different. A friend and I ventured all the way to Villagio only to find all those stores still closed at 4pm and the indoor gondola ride all dried up.  Our saving grace was the the Big "C" (aka Carrefour-sure I misspelled that). After an hour going  up and down the isles with my shopping (I mean "wish") list, we left with 6 bags  a piece.Once we get home, it is the inevitable adventure to get all the bags up to the 2nd floor.  However, thanks to the great staff at the Pearl, my groceries ride in style, the gold style....

The Holy day of November 10th

Holy Crap...I knew there was a reason why every time I go out with Sybil and David, I end-up laughing so hard I cry. Breakfast took 3 hours yesterday because we just kept chatting and laughting and chatting and laughing...(you get the point, rinse and repeat)

So why do we get a long so well, like two gals who have known eachother forever....because we have the same birthday day!! And how are we going to celebrate? Car baked cookies...for all my foodie friends you have to check this out. Its hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk and bake cookies in your Tahoe (http://qatariadventures.blogspot.com/2010/07/so-how-hot-is-qatar.html)


And this year, I want a hot pink Toyota.

Ramadan for dummies

Wednesday, August 11th marked the start of Ramadan. Ramadan does not occur on the same day each year or even the same time of year. Actually, it a fluid holiday marked by the sighting of the crescent moon. Very different than we are used to in the States. We always know what to do on Feb 14th, 4th of July, Dec 25th, etc)is not a set holiday like we are used to in the States (Feb 14th, July 4th, Dec 25th, etc)

The holy month for Muslims is marked by fasting during daylight hours and (Iftar) feats at night with friends and family to celebrate the breaking of the fast. The top 10 things I have learned/experienced about Ramadan:

10. QTel (the local telephone company) sends everyone a text message in Arabic to let everyone know that the crescent moon was spotted and Ramadan has officially begun. At least that is what I think the text message said...
9. Extra conservative dress is expected. Definitely cover knees, shoulders, and wear loose fitting clothing. Rules apply to men and women.
8. Abstain from drinking, crewing gum, or smoking during daylight hours (good thing Ramadan this year is happening during the hottest part of the year-those poor outdoor workers)
7. After the month, there is a EID holiday which enables Muslims and non-Muslims to get several days of work off. My understanding this is a crazy time for travel. Very interested to see how crowded the Doha airport is at 2:15am for my flight to Istanbul, Turkey. :)
6. Each day of fasting is celebrated by a breaking of the fast or Iftar dinner. Most of the local holidays host an Iftar dinner so the non-Muslims can experience a true Muslim tradition. Hoping to attend one myself....
5. Grocery shopping during Ramadan is worse than the day before Thanksgiving. I was shocked! A Muslim lady gave me the dirtiest look because apparently my shopping cart was impeding her cart's space.
4. All non-Muslims are expected to "respect" our fasting friends by concealing any food or drink during daylight hours. What does that mean.....all non-Muslims crowd into the pantry at work to get a few precious sips of coffee. Or it could mean that non-Muslims stick water bottles down their pants to get the water from the pantry to one's office (or maybe that last one was just me??)
3. The floor where the "canteen" is located is known to non-Muslims at the "sin floor"
2. Stores, government offices, etc all have modified hours,which means they are closed during the day and open around 7pm and are open late. (or if you are the Asian restaurant I visited with Sybil and David last night, your hours are fluid-see picture below) When I asked a Qatari what is there to do during the day during Ramadan, he replied with a smile "sleep". So, yesterday I did as the locals did...took a nap!
1. There is no telling Americans they can not eat during the day. All you have to do is fog the restaurant window so no one can see what is going on inside and enter through a side door. What do you have inside...A lot of happy Americans eating a nice breakfast buffet. Thanks to Sybil and David, I was able to experience eating out during Ramadan the American way.

Hello neighbor, can I trouble you for a cup of....chili?

One of the loudest messages I heard before moving to the ME (Middle East) is that the expat community in Qatar is a close group of strangers. Stay in Qatar for a week or so and you can see why. Western foreigners stick out like a sore thumb.

This past Friday night, I experienced 1st hand the kindness of a "neighbor" and the closeness of the expat lifestyle. My neighbor in appartment #209, whom I met once geting off the elevator after work, rang my doorbell unexpectantly. Much to my surpise, the conversation went just like this:

Graham- "Hi, I thought you might be lonely over here and I am making chili. Would you like to come have dinner? I am making a big pot and will have to throw the rest of it away. I know I dont know you, but wanted to see if you want to come over for dinner"

Courtney- "really?" (as I thought in my head-is this really happening"

Graham- "Yes" (with a friendly smile).

Courtney- "Sure, I love chili. Give me 10 minutes". (At which point,lots of thoughts ran through my head including how much I trusted the company hiring practices)

We spent the next two hours talking about our families and the uniqueness of Qatar. After a large bowl of chili and a cup of coffee, I returned to my apartment happy to have met my new friend and neighbor.

Safety & Scrambled Eggs

First things first-safety. That is at least the moto in Qatar and on the Pearl project. Doha is a relativly young city with a majority of the buildings currently under construction. "Safety first" signs are abundent at the differnt construction sites. Safety is equally important at Shell. I went through the safety induction for the site. I was given a blue onsie Nomex PPE (personal protective equipment), a floresent yellow safety vest, a yellow hard hat, and safety boots. I was a little skeptical of the "rental" gear so I put them over my street clothes. I did even more skeptical of the rental boots. Luckily for me, I was able to fit my shoes inside the boots. After I got thought putting om the Put it all together and you have me sitting in a classroom barely able to flift my leg because my foot was so heavey. If Only I had a camera...


Now to scrambled eggs. Sybil and her hubby took me to Ricks Kountry Kitchen. What a hole in the wall-teal walls and all. The food is total comfort food down to the hash browns and texas toast. I did find a few things that made me feel at home...