Monthly Archives: September 2011

Well we made it – of course we did.

Honour’s first day of school didn’t go well at all…not at all! Thankfully every day after that picked up and by the end of the week she was a happy camper.  Her extra credits have been decided and she’ll be taking Drama (of course she will), Psychology, Information and Communication Technology (computers) and Media Studies. Whew! What a roller coaster the week has been for her (and us on her behalf).  Tonight she went out with friends to the mall. How very normal. How very wonderful.

Dave’s first week with students went well. He enjoys his students – mostly. As a high school teacher we weren’t sure what teaching elementary would be like for him but it turns out it’s just fine. There is a big gap he tells me between the grade 4 student and the grade 5 student.  This will be his challenge.  He’s not really that fond of teaching grade 4′s. Hopefully this will be the only year though.

I don’t think I’ve explained this before – he’s teaching what they call humanities here. We would call it social studies. History, geography, current events and issues.  It’s never been taught in english in this school before so he’s pioneering (this is a theme in his life, if you’re new to the story). He’s developing curriculum and navigating the delicate issues that come with teaching these things in this culture. That’s all I’ll say about that.  The school only goes up to grade 7 right now. The school itself is new and just starting its 4th year. They will be adding a grade each year. So the curriculum development will continue for Dave…but the grades will get higher, until there is a full high school. And Dave (if all goes as planned) will move up with the grades.  Hopefully leaving the grade 4′s in the capable hands of …someone else! He is enjoying the challenge.

I started a job this week tutoring at Sylvan Learning Centre. I’ll be working a couple of nights a week and one Saturday a month. Just enough to give my week some structure. I’m not really excited about Dave and Honour being away all day and then me leaving in the evening, but it’s not every night and I will still keep my eye open for something else to come along.  For now, it’s pretty interesting.  I’m getting a glimpse into a number of cultures that I wouldn’t otherwise get. It’s interesting teaching them with an American curriculum, especially when most of what they’re learning is vocabulary.  ”What is that picture? Oh…mittens…what are mittens? What is that picture? It’s thunder and lightning.  What’s thunder and lightning?”  And on it goes. Fascinating.

I’m also enrolled at Athabasca University for a couple of courses that start on October 1st. Sociology and World Religions. What a great environment I’m in to study those subjects! Can’t wait.

So the end of our week has come and we rewarded ourselves with an excursion to the souq. We arrived this time in the daylight.  It is one of the first times I really felt the heat! Luckily not for long – but wow, I wouldn’t want to get stuck out in that sun!!
I’ll leave you with some of Dave’s pictures taken this afternoon.

The Souq Waqif

*the Qatari women, who go to all the trouble to cover up, are not really excited about having their picture taken.  Dave was sneaky today and got some pictures with his camera dangling at his side. Women cover up to varying degrees. In one the pictures you will see the very extreme of this – face completely covered and hands and feet as well.

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twas the night before classes

and all through the house

the jitters were palpable

from the kid…AND the spouse.

They’ve prepared and imagined

they’ve made purchases and plans

but of the night before fear

there aren’t many fans

there’s no way around it

you have to go through it

there’ll be tossing and turning

until finally a ‘screw it’.

the alarm will go off

at a rude 5 o’clock

and they’ll be off on their day

with the rest of the flock

You’ll both be amazing and

We wish you the best

But the people you’ll meet

Are the ones who are blest.

Good luck tomorrow!

Ok – I didn’t go for a walk in the desert.  My heat-loving-husband ventured out last night around sunset.  He says it’s cooling off.  That means the temperature dropped beneath 40.

All of the buildings you see here are our compound from different vantage points.  The sunsetting pictures are from the roof top of the club house over top of our house.  The ones after dark are the compound lit up.  As you can see, we live right on the edge of the desert.  This is my view while I’m walking on the treadmill.  I often have a little conversation with myself that goes something like this “see those people out there walking in the desert? (and yes, there are people walking across it during the day) Keep moving princess…you have A/C blasting and a bottle of water in your hand…don’t you dare quite too soon or I’ll send you out in the heat.”

Gorgeous pictures provided by my husband who was so pumped by the beauty he discovered.

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Last night we were taken to the Souq.  It’s a traditional Qatari Market…but all jazzed up.

You could buy everything there: cookware, spices (oh the spices!), fabric, shoes, fancy dinners, Baskin Robins ice cream, even animals.  I think the pictures this time will speak volumes, so I’ll keep the chatter to a minimum.

It was 5000 degrees and we dripped with sweat the whole time but I actually didn’t care.  I was having too much fun.

I’m sure we’ll be regular visitors to the souq.

First was a stop at Villagio Mall. Those pictures are mixed in (they are of the river, gondola, ice rink and carnival)

And then on to the Souq!!  Black and white photos compliments of Jeff Epp.  Click here to find more of his take on the evening.

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I’m ashamed to admit that we have been here for 2 weeks now and I have allowed myself to be confined by walls and weather and other people’s vehicles (well, the lack of a vehicle of our own).

We live in a very small town (30,000 people) and apparently close to the sea.  I’ve now seen the sea from the roof of the club house at the compound so I know it’s true now.  When we heard that others in our compound had braved the weather and gone exploring in town we felt enough shame to get our ….eh hem’s in gear.

Dave and I and a very reluctant Honour went for a walk at about 9:00 p.m. last night.  The sun goes down at about 6:00 so you would have thought it would have cooled down a little.  It was like swimming through the air.  The last few nights have not been that hot.  We should have gotten our …eh hem’s in gear a little earlier.  We arrived home drenched, but we’d been to town and were the new owners of yellow lychee, mangos (from Pakistan and Egypt for taste testing) and a few oranges.

We did not make it to the sea.

Dave was determined though and headed out at 5:00 a.m.  He walked for 2 hours and was exhausted when he returned.

We do indeed live in a fishing village.  Here’s the evidence.

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