Humping It, Qatar Style

Yes, this week I ticked off yet another item of my Doha to-do list while further feeding my unhealthy affinity for camels.

Camels Chillin'

TAMU-Q Liberal Arts Program sponsors a Liberal Arts Lecture series, and I was invited on several excursions to show our guests for this past week the sights, sounds, and smells of Qatar, which included:

JZog and Camel Friend

. . . the chance to ride a camel! (By the way, camels = taller than horses. For some reason I did not expect that.) Though clearly a tourist trap - I paid 20QR for a tour of approximately 1000 yards - I care not a damn! 

Noble Camel

My camel ride occurred at the beginning of a dune-bashing trip to the Inland Sea in the south of Qatar. One of the most popular activities in Qatar, dune-bashing involves securing an all-wheel drive capable vehicle (typically a Toyota Land Cruiser), often by hiring a driver, to traverse the sandy terrain on the southern coast. Rumors circulate of the high speeds and questionable credentials of some of the drivers, but ours proved nothing but competent and considerate of the desire to stay well under 100km/hour.

JZog in the Inland Sea with Saudi in the (Near) Distance

As close to Saudi as I ever need be. Gorgeous landscape, though.

Dunes on which we Bashed

Our Ride

After our bash through the dunes, we stopped at a "camp" for barbeque (shish kebab, kofta, and beef hot dogs) and a couple of hours of lounging by the beach. None of us brought a swimsuit, so we mostly waded and watched the crabs scamper into the sand as the waves retreated. I'm not altogether sure I could have swum anyway (without controversy), as there were some Qataris around.

Beach Barbeque

Only four days now until I take off towards TX. Due to an epic fail on my part in making this flight reservation, I have a one-day layover in London. Changing my ticket would have cost as much as staying the night in the UK (yes, even in London), AND I would have had to go to the airline office to pay for the changes and update my ticket. I have not the time for that nonsense. So, I resolved to make the most of my snafu and enjoy my under 24-hours in town to the best of my ability after an eight-hour flight!

XO,
JZog

Doha Dhow

Friday afternoon I checked another of the "things I hope to do before I leave Doha" off my list. My friend FH generously invited me on a dhow cruise that she had been invited on (thank you, thank you, FH!). What is a dhow, you ask? Well these are dhow:

Dhow in Harbor

And so are these:

Other Dhow in Harbor

Like "boat," "dhow" covers many different sizes and classes of vessels, though they tend to share long, narrow hulls, wide, open decks and one or more masts with lateen sails (says wikipedia; I have next to zero knowledge of boats or ships). According to Qatar International Adventures, the dhow and dhow cruises follow Bedouin traditions of hospitality and craftsmanship (even though most of those working on the dhows do not hail from Qatar or any Bedouin tribe, but I digress). 

Woodwork on Dhow in Progress

Dhow Hulls

View from Dhow Harbor

We had near-perfect weather for the cruise. After about 45 minutes, we anchored off an island (really, a sandbar) for barbeque dinner - chicken, shish kebab, and kofta. Some took a dip in the Gulf, and others of us enjoyed the breezes and views from the top deck as the sunset over West Bay.

Sunset Over West Bay

Sunset and Lights-Rise in West Bay

Doha at Night from Dhow

The tempo of activity has ramped up here considerably with the end of the semester, grant application deadlines, job applications, some reading and writing, and preparing to return to TX. As of now, I will stay in TX for the spring semester. Though Doha has been quite good to me - hooray for home!

XO,
JZog

Giving Thanks in Doha

TAMUQ Thanksgiving

Tuesday evening TAMUQ celebrated an early Thanksgiving dinner on the grounds of the Sharq Village and Spa, south of West Bay. We relished quite an impressive spread. Some notable absences included: dressing, dressing with oysters, cornbread, cranberry sauce, and green bean casserole. A spice-less, soggy pumpkin pie left me wanting, so I did not even try the pecan pie. Luckily the mini-eclairs with crumbled pistachios and some kind of apple cake almost made up for my traditional dessert disappointment.

The Spread

They did, however, offer many different kinds of scrumptious salad. I enjoyed one with shrimp and squid, and another of cheese and vegetables in addition to green beans, corn, hummus, potato, tomato, salmon and other vegetables I'm sure that I'm missing. I wonder how many turkeys we gobbled - TAMUQ has over 500 employees, many of whom attended with their families - but I do know that carver got a workout last night. True to form, I did not eat any turkey, and instead enjoyed chicken and roast beef au jus, smothered in mashed potatoes.

Salad Spread

Nothing beats homemade, of course, but I had a great time with a great meal with some great people. And after this, I have a new demand for future Thanksgivings - live music. We had a live band (whose name I cannot remember now) of the lounge-y cover band style. Though they opened with Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean," (which I found hilarious - I don't think many shared my sentiments given the stares directed at me when I belly-laughed at that moment) overall the lead singer proved solid and her backing quite proficient.

TAMUQ Thanksgiving - Sound Check

Centerpiece

TAMUQ Thanksgiving - View of the Sharq

I have many, many things to give thanks for over the past year: ten rockin' years with KZog, a new niece, fabulous friends - old and new, the health and happiness of my family, and this opportunity in Doha among them. I am also especially thankful for everyone's support for me and KZog (and Roni and Brownie, too!) while we navigate this long-distance adventure. Though it looks fairly certain now that I will return to College Station for the spring, we never know what lies in front of us, and it renders me warm and fuzzy when I remember all the wonderful people around the world in our corner.
We're in yours, too.

Thanks, says the Beaver

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

XO,
JZog

Radio Silence

Many apologies for my radio silence over the past two weeks. The whirlwind of travel, home, conference, and a longer-than-planned-but-with-a-happy-surprise journey back, I have very much dropped my blogging ball. In another couple of days I will pick it up again as I wrap up the semester in Doha and prepare for another visit home for the holidays.

XO,
JZog

Yes, Please

 

Touchdown in TX in 24! 

Will I make it? 18 hours on a plane broken up by 2 hours layover in London. 

Sedated? At minimum, I hope . . . 

Who knows what my condition will be when I arrive, but, KZog, here I come!

XO,

JZog

Bright Lights of Doha

A couple of nights ago my camera and I took a stroll along the Corniche in West Bay to practice taking some night shots.

I realized I have much to learn about photography beyond "point and click."

In taking a close look of the photographs I have made over the last couple of years, I believe that I have succeeded most in framing my pictures, in crafting a compelling composition. But, boy, do I need to work more on dealing with lighting, and especially lighting at night. Doha offers several competing and difficult lighting scenarios to navigate: the varied lights from the buildings, reflections of the water, and humidity that may create hazy conditions. Using the flash creates spots on the image because of all the reflection, and some of the camera settings result in a basically black image. Right now I am also working without a haze, or any, filter on the lens that might help reduce some of the extra noise. As far as I can tell (which is no great distance), the aperture priority and pre-programmed landscape settings took the best shots.

Outside The Gate Mall

Docked Dhow

We Three Views, I

We Three Views, III

We Three Views, II

Tornado Tower, Blue Haze

Tornado Tower, Side

The photos of Tornado Tower best show how the haze plays with the lights from the building. My favorites, though, are the three views of the Qatar World Trade Center (with the flying saucer) and the Burj Tower. I took them in that order, left to right, between 5:15 and 5:45 pm. The glow from the World Trade Center building affects the Burj, but I am convinced that after about 5:30 the Burj begins a lighting program. It is hard to see in the second photo, but in the last one, I swore I saw a ghost!

Much work lies before me in the next few days before I jet home: some dissertation writing, a conference paper, and at least one job application. I cannot wait for the KZog smooch waiting on the other side of this desert/pond/mountain of to-dos! 

XO,

JZog

Tricks? Treats?

Happy Halloween!

If that's your thing, that is. I loved it when I was little, and many of my early birthday parties involved costumes. One year Mom refashioned one of her bridesmaid's dresses into a "princess" dress paired with a crown re-purposed from a ballet recital. Really, Mom made most (possibly all) of my costumes - clown, gypsy, and my all-time favorite, Rainbow Brite. (Oh yes, complete with yellow yarn wig! I think Mom still has the pattern . . . ) But now, I really have zero desire to dress up, hand out candy to kids or otherwise generally participate in any spooky, goul-y revelry. Call me curmudgeonly.

Of course I have to relent when KZog thinks up fun costumes for us. Two years ago he dressed as D.B. Cooper and I as the Northwest Orient stewardess to whom he handed his extortion note. He has another great idea, but I'm holding on to that one for next year . . .

No tricks or treats in Doha.  Hotels likely throw parties, and I hear that some of the expat compounds organize trick-or-treating for the kiddos, but otherwise Halloween barely registers here.

For me, this Halloween marks one week until I travel home!

Decidedly not a treat is the length of time it took for a book I ordered off Amazon to arrive in Doha. Turns out the censors singled out this book for inspection:

Controversial Book?

I had heard of people having their books checked by customs, often medical texts or books discussing aspects of sex (even in academic, non-smutty contexts), but I didn't believe that I had ordered anything that would raise the maroon and white flag. Evidently, the music and dance of Native Americans requires further examination. Yes, "they" would have known the title of the book, as anything arriving in the country must be cross-checked against a detailed inventory. Perhaps "dance" provoked suspicion? Maybe "heartbeat"?  The world may never know. 

XO,
JZog

RiP RP Process!

I began to compose a lovely post reviewing my trip to Katara, the "valley of cultures," last weekend when I received an email letting me know that my Residency Permit was ready for pick up.

Woooooo hoooooo!!!

Really, given that I completed the fingerprinting only on Thursday morning (and that every other piece of the process had taken so very, very long), this seems quite quick. My exit visa will arrive by tomorrow, therefore clearing me to make my College Station stuff/conference trip to the States next Thursday. Hooooooray! Steak and bacon, comfy bed and puppy, friends and family, beer and whiskey (in no particular order or combination), here I come!

So, for what did I wait seventy-five days? A plastic id card and a page in my passport that allow me to live and work (and get paid) in Qatar legally, go to expat bars in the hotels, purchase a liquor license, and secure a permanent Qatari driver's license. All-in-all, not so terrible, I suppose (isn't hindsight, lovely?).

Happy beginning of the work week, State-siders!

XO,
JZog

20 October

Thank you to everyone for the birthday wishes!

Even my Google home page posted digital delights all day long - cake and cupcakes and macaroons. My Polar Heart Rate Monitor gave me a cake, complete with candles, which I have to say I find pretty funny. I mean, the whole point to the fitness monitor is to measure my fitness . . . and cake might interfere with that . . . Maybe it's saying that once a year is ok?

Happy Birthday from my Heart Rate Monitor!

Despite all the moving and shaking we've done, this is the first birthday since 2002 that KZog and I have not spent together. While in Florida, we celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of the Lynryd Skynryd crash in Jacksonville, FL, by going to a Little Richard concert. In New York, we boated in Central Park and walked across the Brooklyn Bridge in between rounds at dive bars on the Lower East Side and gentrified fare in Union Square. Last year, I made my professional singing debut with HollowPoint at the Thirsty Parrot. While clacking away on the dissertation 8000 miles from home without even half a beer to celebrate surviving another year does not make the list of top ten ways to spend my birthday, at least I know that in two weeks I'll touch down in Houston to the biggest hug ever. No pity party for me here, as I finished a draft of Chapter 3 to a Led Zeppelin soundtrack and knit while watching season 5 of Fringe (finally!).

Today I should go for my fingerprinting, the last piece of this bureaucratic puzzle that comprises the process of obtaining an RP and exit visa in Qatar. I admit to no breath-holding here, and I have imagined all sorts of elaborate contingency plans if needed. In the meantime I will occupy myself with Chapter 4 and preparing for a conference in November.

XO,
JZog

On the Shores of Qatar

To those who claim there exists nothing to do or see in Doha, I submit: snorkeling.

Entalek, a relatively new company specializing in eco-tourism, organizes snorkeling trips during October, the best month for bearable water temperatures, clear water and lots of fish to see. As a happy holidays, happy birthday gift I treated myself to a snorkeling adventure at the Al Fuwairit beach (near the northern tip of Qatar). KZog and I snorkeled nearly every day we spent in Aruba, and ultimately we preferred it to scuba diving.

How did the Qatari reef compare with those in Aruba? Well, like the Caribbean, the Persian Gulf water was very clear. I saw damsel fish, angel fish of a deep blue with electric green accents and fish that use their fins to crawl along the sea floor. I also saw brain coral the size of ottomans (ottomen?), blue coral and sea urchins perched everywhere. Overall the reefs in Aruba cover a greater area and have more, and a greater variety of, marine life. But, I spent an entire morning at the beach, in the water, swimming with fishes. Hooray!

I also made a new puppy friend named Dillon (Dylan? I didn't ask how to spell the dog's name.) who happily posed for some photos for me. He is a flat-coated Newfoundland retriever and quite a sweet and handsome dog. Of course he reminded me a bit of PeppeRoni Pizza, who would have loved swimming in the Gulf, too.

Before I took this trip, I looked into buying a GoPro camera for some underwater shots (we had borrowed Dad's for Aruba and ended up with some neat footage), but I thought the prices here too high, even considering the instant gratification factor. A new, top-of-line model in the US costs around $400; the same here would run me about $540. So no-go on the GoPro for now.

Sun Over Al Fuwairit

JZog on the Beach, "Shell Ya"!

New Puppy Friend

Edge of the Fish Trap

Tidal Pool

Clear Water

I do believe this takes care of numbers four and one on my Doha Countdown list. Entalek also has kayaking trips, which I plan to take advantage of in the next couple of weeks. I hope to convince some of my colleagues they should give it a try. 

And . . . Go Cardinals! Did you know they won the 1982 World Series on my birthday? 

XO,
JZog

Happy Holidays!

Tuesday through Monday Qatar celebrates Eid al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, which marks the close of hajj, the annual pilgrimage to mecca.

What is it like? Why, it's just like Christmas!

Well, sort of.

Like Christmas, children receive gifts, the malls bulge with shoppers day and night (and into the early morning - some days the malls close at 3am) and people spend time with their families. Early Tuesday morning, Muslims attended Eid al-Adha prayers. Banks and other government agencies close (which further holds up my residency permit process, ugh). Oddly, one of the major hospitals will only operate on a limited basis.

Unlike Christmas, the national government sponsors and organizes activities around and for the holiday. Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) has scheduled twelve days of festivities. No Nutcracker or Santa Claus visits here, but live performances of The Smurfs, Ben10, and The Pink Panther at malls across the city, fireworks, circus acts, magic shows and even Bjorn the Polar Bear. Many people leave the country, but QTA has advertised these events as ways to make the most of one's "staycation".

I had hoped to catch the fireworks (more Fourth of July or New Year's Eve than Christmas, yes?) from my balcony last night. Either it was not much of a show, or all the buildings from West Bay blocked my view. Only the swirls of smoke made it to my sight line. Hopefully tonight I can convince someone to walk down to the Corniche with me for a better view.

As with everything not retail or restaurant, Education City closed Tuesday and will reopen on Monday. Two days into my week-long break I have nearly completed my draft of Chapter 3, finished some long overdue reading and caught up on some much-needed sleep. I ventured out to a mall yesterday to witness for myself the Christmas-ish frenzy and quickly decided that sipping tea on my balcony would prove a far better choice. Lest anyone worry that I work too hard, I have planned two super-fun activities for this weekend . . .

XO,
JZog

The Joys of Bureaucracy

Good news, everyone! I do NOT have TB!

Now that I have (finally!) survived the medical segment of my Residency Permit (RP) process, I feel that I may fully comment on it.  Waaay back on September 19, I had completed, or so I thought, the necessary chest x-ray to confirm my lack of Tuberculosis (TB). After nearly two weeks of radio silence on when I would move forward to fingerprinting, the last step before issuance of the RP, I consulted the Human Resources department at TAMUQ. The Supreme Medical Commission (not a joke, real name) did not like my chest x-ray. I had to return to the Medical Commission for another series of x-rays.

So I boarded the non-air-conditioned bus for the third time, sat in line for the chest x-ray, learned that there is an entirely different process if it is your second time for x-rays . . . waiting . . . waiting . . . Eight more x-rays taken . . . They still did not like my chest x-rays. I needed to return AGAIN, of course not the next day, but the following week, for a TB skin test. The injection for the skin test came out of an Igloo cooler sitting on someone's desk. Following the injection (which hurt a little), I went to the Medical Commission for the fifth time to confirm to their satisfaction that I do not have TB. Until this last visit I had not seen a physician. Why did *they* not like my chest x-rays? I suspect they did see "something", as they kept asking for images of my left side, the side on which I have sustained repeated dance, bicycling, motorbiking injuries. Yeah, I imagine they did see something on the x-ray. Evidence of living life. Or of living my life, anyway. 

For the record, I appreciate that Qatar does not want TB rampant in the population here. I don't want TB, either. Could they devise a way for people to take care of these requirements in their home countries? Could they have people in my situation visit with a doctor far sooner? Maybe. But as I have learned, and as a wise Professor I know has said, once in place bureaucracies prove notoriously difficult to dismantle. It exists and now likely exists for a long, long time to come.

In honor of my not having TB, a TV station here aired Moulin Rouge. And I watched it. I figure at least half of the characters in that film must have ended up with TB thanks to Satine. 

We have a holiday, Eid al-Adha, next week, though practically speaking it has already begun. Since my RP is not complete, obviously no travel for me, but I will use the time to make further headway on dissertation, edit one chapter for submission to a journal, and work on my upcoming conference presentation. I need to make some time for some fun stuff, too - shopping, a SUP-ing trip and maybe even log some beach time. Or, maybe I could hang out in the apartment and enjoy some Slow TV . . .

XO,
JZog

Number Six - Check

Today I give you a photo-heavy, word-light post on number six on my Doha Countdown list. Last Wednesday evening I had the opportunity to tour the Imam Mohammed bin Abdulwahhab Mosque in Doha, also known as Qatar's State Mosque. It accommodates 30,000 for prayer, though our guide admitted attendance rarely approached that number. We saw the library, ablution area and the prayer area.

After a demonstration of the ablution ritual, we women had to prepare to enter the prayer area. Though I said I would not don the garb of the region, in order to enter this space, each of us received (our very own!) black abaya and head scarf. Though really quite comfortable, I confess that I felt quite awkward having to cover up. Yes, that is me in my abaya in one of the photos of the prayer area. I know I am quite small there, but it does give a sense of the immensity of the room.

Doha and the People Who Build It

JZog in Mosque Courtyard with West Bay Background

Inner Courtyard

In the Daylight

Inside the Prayer Area

When in Rome . . .

In the Night Light

Time passes quickly, and in just over four weeks I will make a trip Stateside for a conference in California. I fill my days with writing the dissertation and applying to jobs for next fall, which leaves little time for anything else. Usually I manage to carve out enough in my day for a swim or yoga, but, as tends to happen with me, my plate has become piled, though this semester with the steak and potatoes kind of stuff. Mmmm, steak . . . 

XO,

JZog

Doha Countdown

As some of you know, I will likely return to the US for the spring semester, as my supervisor has requested to teach in College Station instead of Doha. These plans remain contingent on several factors. However, given even the possibility that this will happen, I find myself faced with the prospect of squeezing in all the things I had hoped to do in Doha over the course of a year into a couple of months. Some are thinking, "What in the world is there to do in Doha, anyway?" But, really, a world does exist outside of the air-conditioned malls and working in Education City.

So, I give to you:

JZog's Top Ten Things I Intend to Experience Before Leaving Qatar:

10. Clothes Shopping. I have to take advantage of the many malls at some point . . .

9. Horse Races. 

8.  Partake of Hookah. Because, why not?

7.  Sunset in the Desert.

6. Visit a Mosque. Confession - I have already done this and will post about it soon.

5. Dhow Excursion. I probably won't take a long, fancy cruise. But, dhows line the Corniche in West Bay to take people on hour-long cruises for about 50 riyals (just under $14).

4.  Go to the Beach. Apparently October and November are the ideal beach months in Qatar. I just need to convince someone with a car that she needs to go to the beach, too . . . 

3. Camel Races. Camels. Enough said.

2. Dune Bashing. High speeds! Sand! Photo opportunities in the desert!

1. SUP-ing (Stand Up Paddleboarding)/Snorkeling. I have found a company that specializes in SUP and snorkel tours and am (somewhat) patiently awaiting a response!

XO,
JZog

Something Rare in the Air

I saw something in Doha on Friday that is as rare as witnessing a native Qatari driving under the speed limit . . . Clouds!

Ok, there are not many of them, but they appear rarely enough that I certainly noticed their presence.

Shutterbug!

The weather has tempered enough for me to walk along the Corniche in the mornings and evenings. Even though the daily high temperatures still hover between 95 and 100, relative to a 130 degree heat index, 95 does feel cool. Perspective, perspective, perspective! The cooler temperatures have meant that many of Doha's residents have begun venturing out from their air-conditioned cocoons. Friday night the Souq buzzed with people shopping, eating and hooka-ing.

Here's to the glimmers of a Doha autumn! 

XO,

JZog

PeppeRoni Pizza

I miss all of you, and I suppose I should blush with embarrassment because of how much I miss my dog.

But, I really, really miss my dog.

(Taken with 100 ASA film on my manual camera)

Many of you know PeppeRoni Pizza the Wonderpup and her wiggly welcomes. I miss scratching her bum in the mornings as she barrels between my legs, nearly knocking me over in my barely-awake stupor. I miss her laying on my feet until they fall asleep while I write and read during the day. I miss her excitement as she greets me when I leave for 30 seconds to retrieve the mail.

Lickin' Chops

I miss watching when KZog expresses frustration, or even thinks about it, actually, she lets herself into the backyard and hides under the barbeque pit until he walks out there and apologizes to her.  I miss driving in the Subaru with her in the front passenger seat with her head out the window until we reach 50 mph, when she curls up in the backseat, with her muzzle nuzzled over my armrest.

Sigh.

To be fair, I stole Roni away from KZog last summer for two months to keep me company while I labored over archives in Chicago.  For a dog, she is quite worldly. Or United States-ly, anyway. I don't think I could shuttle her to a foreign country in cargo . . .

Chicago Dog

I hope she misses me, too.

XO,
JZog