Ok, there are not many of them, but they appear rarely enough that I certainly noticed their presence.
 |
| Shutterbug! |
Here's to the glimmers of a Doha autumn!
XO,
JZog
September 30, 2013
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.
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.
Ok, there are not many of them, but they appear rarely enough that I certainly noticed their presence.
September 26, 2013
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.
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.
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 . . .
I hope she misses me, too.
XO,
JZog
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 |
XO,
JZog
September 23, 2013
Kodachrome
Last week I *finally* received the new camera kit I ordered from the US. As with most everything else here, transporting something across time and space took a few minor bureaucratic miracles. But, after 11 days, I may retire my 10-year-old digital Nikon in favor of this:
I follow in a well-established family tradition of shutterbugging (I'm looking at you, Dad, Aunt D and CMit!), and will work hard to live up to the standards set. The new Nikon had its first trip out to the Souq last Friday:
Nikon D3100, Courtesy en.wikipedia.org
I now have both a 18-55mm lens and a 55-200mm lens, a combination with which I can capture pretty much anything on film. I also ordered an independent flash, though I had to send it to Texas, as shipping it to Doha would violate export controls. (I could write an entire post on how I do not fully understand the ins and outs of export control and compliance, but that would bore everyone.) The quality of the photos is fantastic, and despite its fancy schmancy appearance, the cost did not break the ol' Zog piggy bank. Of course a generous donation from JZog's dad certainly helped. (Thank you, thank you, thank you Dad!) In fact, this camera kit proved such a steal that Dad ordered one, too. Instead of dueling banjos on the ranch, we'll have dueling cameras!
I follow in a well-established family tradition of shutterbugging (I'm looking at you, Dad, Aunt D and CMit!), and will work hard to live up to the standards set. The new Nikon had its first trip out to the Souq last Friday:
Souq and Spiral Mosque
Camels - I cannot resist!
Public Transportation?
Souq Interior
Ewers and Swords
Rosebuds
Souq Spices
Camomile
Souq Shuttle
A Refreshing Lemon-Mint
Friday Night at the Souq
I still have a soft spot for my 10-year-old Nikon. It has documented most of the Zogs' travels and other exploits,
took nearly all of the thousands upon thousands of research photos for
my dissertation, and snapped hundreds of pictures of PeppeRoni the
Wonderpup. So, especially because my new camera does not exactly
qualify as "compact", I keep the ol' girl charged and tucked in my
satchel in case of a photo-taking emergency.
And with any new Nikon, one must have Kodachrome:
(For even more information on my new camera, see Ken Rockwell, who runs a wonderful site for anyone looking for any camera-related reviews or advice.)
XO,
JZog
September 20, 2013
Medical Mayhem
Part I.
As I mentioned before, Qatar requires a medical exam of sorts - blood drawn and a chest x-ray - in order to secure a residency permit. They keep tight reigns on who enters and exits the country.
Earlier this week I received an email instructing me to reclaim my passport (hooray!) and report to a shuttle bus the next morning for the medical visit (boo!). Fortunately for me, a friend of mine had to endure the medical exam as well, so she picked me up from my building and we arrived with a few minutes to spare before the scheduled time of departure. Unfortunately for everyone, the air conditioning on the bus did not work, making for a very long ten minutes that we sat and waited for some unknown reason an even longer twenty-some-odd minutes on the road to the medical center.
Now part of the benefit in working for Qatar Foundation, which sponsors Education City, which contains the campus of Texas A&M University - Qatar, is that we receive expedited processing for those administrative tasks associated with obtaining our residency permits. In the email directing us to retrieve our passports, we also learned that upon our arrival at the medical center someone would meet us and help guide us through the process.
After our mobile sauna experience, our guide arrived over 10 minutes late, by which time three-quarters of the group had split up to try to figure out how to navigate the hellish labyrinth that is this medical center dedicated to residency permit processing. Once our guide did manage to grace us with his presence, the ladies and gents had to part ways, meaning that we ladies still had to flail through on our own. After receipt of a stamp for "registration confirmation", we stood in a line to have blood drawn. No names called here; only waiting in lines and barcodes - on the paperwork, on the test tube for the blood sample.
Unusually for me, I escaped any troubles giving blood. They then herded us into a waiting room for the chest x-ray where we waited for over an hour before discovering that "the systems were down" and would not function again for at least a few hours.
With no other options we regrouped and schlepped back to the non-air conditioned bus where we were told that we would have to return the next day for the chest x-ray. Confoundingly, we were also told that we could not return on our own and that this x-ray required an appointment. I saw no evidence that day that having an appointment mattered.
Part II.
Our second visit transpired much more smoothly, though it involved much perspiration since we still had to travel in the steam machine. After separating the ladies from the gents, we walked into the waiting room, sat down, and immediately the workers shuffled our party to a different x-ray area. There they took us in groups of about ten where they directed us to change into gowns in either one doorless room or the hallway. (Nothing like a shared physical experience to grow closer to one's colleagues.) Luckily the x-rays took little time and soon we had all re-enrobed and trekked back to the bus. After roasting for another half an hour waiting everyone to finish, our guide collecting our passports and paperwork (ugh) and we sweated back to campus.
While terribly inconvenient and uncomfortable, I now find myself one step closer to securing my residency permit, and, more importantly, my exit visa, so that I may leave and reenter Qatar. In the meantime, I have devised a Disneyworld Epcot national experience ride for Qatar in which park-goers step onto a bus with the heat turned to 105 degrees and have to navigate different tasks in return for stamps, including giving up your passport, stripping to your skivvies and organizing paperwork in order to exit the ride. Think Disney might be interested?
In other news, my new camera has arrived! I'll write another post all about it, but for now I leave you with a couple of photos I took from my balcony.
As I mentioned before, Qatar requires a medical exam of sorts - blood drawn and a chest x-ray - in order to secure a residency permit. They keep tight reigns on who enters and exits the country.
Earlier this week I received an email instructing me to reclaim my passport (hooray!) and report to a shuttle bus the next morning for the medical visit (boo!). Fortunately for me, a friend of mine had to endure the medical exam as well, so she picked me up from my building and we arrived with a few minutes to spare before the scheduled time of departure. Unfortunately for everyone, the air conditioning on the bus did not work, making for a very long ten minutes that we sat and waited for some unknown reason an even longer twenty-some-odd minutes on the road to the medical center.
Now part of the benefit in working for Qatar Foundation, which sponsors Education City, which contains the campus of Texas A&M University - Qatar, is that we receive expedited processing for those administrative tasks associated with obtaining our residency permits. In the email directing us to retrieve our passports, we also learned that upon our arrival at the medical center someone would meet us and help guide us through the process.
After our mobile sauna experience, our guide arrived over 10 minutes late, by which time three-quarters of the group had split up to try to figure out how to navigate the hellish labyrinth that is this medical center dedicated to residency permit processing. Once our guide did manage to grace us with his presence, the ladies and gents had to part ways, meaning that we ladies still had to flail through on our own. After receipt of a stamp for "registration confirmation", we stood in a line to have blood drawn. No names called here; only waiting in lines and barcodes - on the paperwork, on the test tube for the blood sample.
Unusually for me, I escaped any troubles giving blood. They then herded us into a waiting room for the chest x-ray where we waited for over an hour before discovering that "the systems were down" and would not function again for at least a few hours.
With no other options we regrouped and schlepped back to the non-air conditioned bus where we were told that we would have to return the next day for the chest x-ray. Confoundingly, we were also told that we could not return on our own and that this x-ray required an appointment. I saw no evidence that day that having an appointment mattered.
Part II.
Our second visit transpired much more smoothly, though it involved much perspiration since we still had to travel in the steam machine. After separating the ladies from the gents, we walked into the waiting room, sat down, and immediately the workers shuffled our party to a different x-ray area. There they took us in groups of about ten where they directed us to change into gowns in either one doorless room or the hallway. (Nothing like a shared physical experience to grow closer to one's colleagues.) Luckily the x-rays took little time and soon we had all re-enrobed and trekked back to the bus. After roasting for another half an hour waiting everyone to finish, our guide collecting our passports and paperwork (ugh) and we sweated back to campus.
While terribly inconvenient and uncomfortable, I now find myself one step closer to securing my residency permit, and, more importantly, my exit visa, so that I may leave and reenter Qatar. In the meantime, I have devised a Disneyworld Epcot national experience ride for Qatar in which park-goers step onto a bus with the heat turned to 105 degrees and have to navigate different tasks in return for stamps, including giving up your passport, stripping to your skivvies and organizing paperwork in order to exit the ride. Think Disney might be interested?
In other news, my new camera has arrived! I'll write another post all about it, but for now I leave you with a couple of photos I took from my balcony.
XO,
JZog
JZog
September 18, 2013
Victory is Mine!
After over a month, my search is over. The battle is won!
I found pepper! That tasty, speckled dust is mine!
I thought that I had searched everywhere, high and low, near and far, for ground black pepper. Alas, I neglected the bulk kiosk at the Carrefour, which actually offers three varieties of black pepper: peppercorns, slightly less round than peppercorns, and ground up into the delicious powder that I know and love and use on everything. It did not occur to me to buy pepper in bulk, I suppose, because I have never bought pepper in bulk. Still, I cannot understand why I can purchase salt in a shaker but not pepper.
Right now, my precious commodity remains in its "original" packaging.
As a bonus, this entire bag cost 2.79 Qatari riyals, which amounts to 77 US cents. (By the way, does everyone realize the cents sign no longer appears on computer keyboards?)
Luckily I managed to smuggled one pork-related product in Qatar.
Salty Sow lives with KZog in TX. Anyway, now I may enjoy my perfectly poached eggs with black pepper. Huzzah!
Elevator Update: Since Monday, only three of our six lifts have returned to operational status, though, really, that suffices to keep all us residents mobile.
Dissertation Situation: On Monday, I sent my second of five chapters to my adviser and began working through the next one. Though my brain feels a little fuzzy, I think I can keep this pace and turn in the third chapter within three weeks.
Next Episode: Parts I and II of "Medical Mayhem in the Middle East" or "Liaison Schmiaison".
'Til then!
XO,
JZog
I found pepper! That tasty, speckled dust is mine!
I thought that I had searched everywhere, high and low, near and far, for ground black pepper. Alas, I neglected the bulk kiosk at the Carrefour, which actually offers three varieties of black pepper: peppercorns, slightly less round than peppercorns, and ground up into the delicious powder that I know and love and use on everything. It did not occur to me to buy pepper in bulk, I suppose, because I have never bought pepper in bulk. Still, I cannot understand why I can purchase salt in a shaker but not pepper.
Right now, my precious commodity remains in its "original" packaging.
As a bonus, this entire bag cost 2.79 Qatari riyals, which amounts to 77 US cents. (By the way, does everyone realize the cents sign no longer appears on computer keyboards?)
Luckily I managed to smuggled one pork-related product in Qatar.
Pepper Pig
Salty Sow lives with KZog in TX. Anyway, now I may enjoy my perfectly poached eggs with black pepper. Huzzah!
Elevator Update: Since Monday, only three of our six lifts have returned to operational status, though, really, that suffices to keep all us residents mobile.
Dissertation Situation: On Monday, I sent my second of five chapters to my adviser and began working through the next one. Though my brain feels a little fuzzy, I think I can keep this pace and turn in the third chapter within three weeks.
Next Episode: Parts I and II of "Medical Mayhem in the Middle East" or "Liaison Schmiaison".
'Til then!
XO,
JZog
September 15, 2013
Lows and Highs
First the lows.
Low #1: Envision arriving home after a long day of staring at a computer screen and numbly entering edits to a dissertation chapter you cannot even remember the thesis statement for anymore, and one of the concierge staff conveys to you in a hybrid dialect of Thai, American English and gesture that, no, you cannot use the elevator because it *mysteriously* has ceased operation. With no answer to when it might begin to function properly again, nor, for that matter, any evidence of someone working to correct the problem, you begin the trek to your fifth floor apartment. Ugh. Oh, such fond memories I have of my semester in Brooklyn (where I shared a fifth floor walk-up apartment)! Here's to hoping that they find and fix the issue soon, as my overactive imagination cannot handle the thought of taking an elevator that may or may not work. Too many heist movies and television dramas, I know. Thank the maker that I do not live on the 32nd floor.
Low #2: I truly detest the chapter I have labored over for the past three weeks.
Low #3: I would very much like to be home tomorrow, but I cannot be home tomorrow.
And now, the highs (it's always better to end with the highs!):
High #1: Camels! And pictures of camels!
Low #1: Envision arriving home after a long day of staring at a computer screen and numbly entering edits to a dissertation chapter you cannot even remember the thesis statement for anymore, and one of the concierge staff conveys to you in a hybrid dialect of Thai, American English and gesture that, no, you cannot use the elevator because it *mysteriously* has ceased operation. With no answer to when it might begin to function properly again, nor, for that matter, any evidence of someone working to correct the problem, you begin the trek to your fifth floor apartment. Ugh. Oh, such fond memories I have of my semester in Brooklyn (where I shared a fifth floor walk-up apartment)! Here's to hoping that they find and fix the issue soon, as my overactive imagination cannot handle the thought of taking an elevator that may or may not work. Too many heist movies and television dramas, I know. Thank the maker that I do not live on the 32nd floor.
Low #2: I truly detest the chapter I have labored over for the past three weeks.
Low #3: I would very much like to be home tomorrow, but I cannot be home tomorrow.
And now, the highs (it's always better to end with the highs!):
High #1: Camels! And pictures of camels!
Camel Ham
This camel likes to ham it up for the camera. He would scoot as close to the fence as he could (they are tethered) and flash his gums like a horse. I call him Scooby.
The next photo perfectly encapsulates Doha: Traditional against the backdrop of the modern.
Camels and Construction
High #2: Trip to the Souq
The camels are part of the Souq, of course, but they merited separate consideration. In addition to stocking up on a few
items I like to keep on hand (dates and dried mint - oh! and I bought some new fabric, too . . . that counts as an "on hand" item right?), I saw two new-to-me areas: the
Gold Souq and the Art Center. Yes, there really are enough areas of the Souq to visit three (or more!) times and still not see everything. As one might expect the Gold Souq has stall after stall of gold, and gemstones and pearls and any other fathomable combination of precious metals and stones. The shopkeepers kind of frown upon photographing the jewelry, so I instead took several pictures of the inside of the Gold Souq. While most of the Souq shops face the outdoor pathways, the Gold Souq has own, quite lovely, stand alone building. I especially love these colored, patterned lanterns:
Lantern Inside the Gold Souq
More Lanterns in the Gold Souq
Inclusion of this picture should not require explanation:
High #3: I have survived, nay, thrived in my first month in Qatar. To date I have submitted one complete chapter draft and will complete another in the next two days. I have kept up with my blog and my fitness routines, gotten enough regular sleep and almost finished knitting project number one. Doha has proven a wonderful place to work thus far.
The lack of American football on television has contributed to this unusual spate of fall productivity. But, the wonders of YouTube have allowed me to partake of this football-related weirdness. In honor of the Manning Bowl today may I present:
Happy Sunday!
XO,
JZog
September 12, 2013
JZog and the Beast
Many apologies for the dearth and brevity of my posts of late.
I have crawled into my cave to do battle with the next chapter of the dissertation. Beastly, really beastly, it is.
Still, I called a truce with the beast this morning to walk down to the bay and practice my photography skills. While still not cool, in any sense of the word, the heat index has finally dipped below 100 degrees in the mornings, making it comparatively bearable to spend some time outside.
I have crawled into my cave to do battle with the next chapter of the dissertation. Beastly, really beastly, it is.
Still, I called a truce with the beast this morning to walk down to the bay and practice my photography skills. While still not cool, in any sense of the word, the heat index has finally dipped below 100 degrees in the mornings, making it comparatively bearable to spend some time outside.
Sunrise at the Sheraton
Established in 1979, this Sheraton holds the status as one of the oldest hotels in Doha. It remains popular as a conference center even though several newer hotels have popped up in downtown Doha. Of course none of those has their own peninsula that juts out into the bay.
Near the Sheraton, I discovered this monument to the ewer.
Pouring Sunshine
Ewer on the Bay
I also had a different vantage point to some of the buildings I see every day from the apartment.
Yes, That Appears to be a Flying Saucer
And, last but not least, a decent photo of my apartment building.
Now, time to return to my cave to slay the beast!
XO,
JZog
September 9, 2013
Uneventful Events
Saturday Morning Scene - Proof of Uneventful-ness
I wish I had some new adventure to report, but I have to admit that I had quite an uneventful weekend. Should I really have something exciting to share because I am 8000 miles from home? While I feel obligated to regale everyone with tales of my daring-do, truthfully, I spent all day Friday with this:
Pile of Knitting
Pile of Knitting, View 2
Sadly, no Souq for me last weekend. Instead, Friday evening I treated myself to dinner and shopped for this week's groceries. I discovered some yummy salads and dips in the deli. Saturday, after my swim, I clawed my way through some sections for the new chapter, knit, and then wrote some more. This week looks heavy on navigating bureaucracy, more writing and probably more knitting. This week will also mark four weeks since I first arrived in Qatar. Though the newness has worn off somewhat, I have settled in quite nicely, and anticipate more adventures soon.
Within the next four to six weeks, the weather should cool down enough to make outside activities bearable. By November, Katara, the cultural center in Doha, will begin its "winter" programming, and enjoying the outdoor cafes at the Souq will prove far more pleasant. I had truly believed that a decade in southeast Texas would have adequately prepared me for the heat in Qatar. How wrong I was. Already, though, the heat index has dropped from an average of over 120 degrees to about 105 degrees, going from "I just walked into one of Andrew Carnegie's steel furnaces" to "eh, it's a little warm out". How quickly one's perspective can change!
XO,
JZog
September 7, 2013
The JZog Music Project
I need your help. I need new music for my iPod to help drive this dissertation and to listen to while I work in my shared office on campus. Please post your favorite motivating tunes in the comments!
XO,
JZog
XO,
JZog
September 5, 2013
I'm Official - ish!
Though still only holding the lowly title of Graduate Assistant, it somehow feels grand:
TAMU-Q Liberal Arts Program
Sometime soon the page will also include my photo. But, for now, I think this one should do:
XO,
JZog
TAMU-Q Liberal Arts Program
Sometime soon the page will also include my photo. But, for now, I think this one should do:
JZog in True Form
Mid-sentence or mid-laugh? Who knows?!? Doesn't everyone who knows me have a picture like this? I also realized that I am wearing the same thing in this photo as in my "About Me" image, even though this was taken in Corpus Christi and the other, in Aruba. I do love my beaches, and my beachwear, apparently . . .
Also, with a visit to the US Embassy yesterday, I took one more step towards obtaining my residency permit, or, colloquially, my RP, which will give me (temporary) resident status in Qatar and allow me to travel in and out of the country freely. Way before I left the States, in May, in fact, I had to request an FBI clearance in order to enter Qatar. Upon arrival I made an appointment with the US Embassy to have this clearance notarized in order for the Qatari government to continue processing my RP. I would post a photo of the embassy, but one cannot take cell phones, cameras, usb drives, music players, or really anything beyond your paperwork and money, into the embassy. After parking, I first entered a trailer outside of the embassy compound, took a number from a broken ticket machine and then sat and waited for said number to appear on a screen at the end of the room. Once the correct number flashed, in my case after about twenty minutes, I then exited the trailer and approached the window as directed by a security guard. With confirmation of my appointment I entered a "cage" in which another security guard used a metal detecting wand to assure that I did not have any disallowed materials. She then pointed me towards another trailer - still outside the embassy itself, though inside the walls of the compound - where I surrendered my photo identification in exchange for a visitor's badge, passed through a metal detector and out the door where I walked about a quarter of a mile to the embassy. Songbirds, the first I have heard in Qatar, and some sort of saccharine-smelling blooms lined the pathway. Had the heat index dipped below 120 degrees that day, the scene would have perhaps proven appealing. At the entrance to the embassy I again surrendered my paltry belongings so that I could pass through yet another metal detector and into another waiting room where I secured another number that I waited to post on another screen so that I could tell the person at one window what service I needed (though I had noted that in my appointment registration), pay a different person at a different window, have my basic information filled out on paperwork at the first window and have my documents notarized at yet another, different window, with another, different person. This entire event took only a tad over an hour, but I felt exhausted following it, nonetheless.
This move has required much paperwork and many run-arounds such as this, though TAMU-Q has a system in place to help us navigate the bureaucracy much more smoothly than if we had to complete the process on our own. Only the medical exam and fingerprinting remain, and I should complete these two pieces within the next couple of weeks. Now, if only I could move so quickly through the bureaucracy of the Office of Graduate Studies . . . Ha!
I have nothing new and exciting scheduled for my weekend. This past week I made significant progress on my next chapter, which I hope to have prepared to submit by the end of the next week. I think that means that tonight and tomorrow I have bought myself some time to relax, drink some tea, curl up on the couch and watch vapid movies while knitting. If only I had a puppy to lie on my feet . . .
Happy weekend, everyone!
XO,
JZog
September 3, 2013
Subliminal Bacon
Yesterday I made the 15 minute trek from my apartment to the grocery store. Not too far under normal circumstances, even in 100 degree weather. But the heat must have affected me something awful because when I arrived at the mall, I somehow translated a travel advertisement that directed me to "Get a Piece of the Action" into "Get a Slice of Bacon". I had encountered some sort of evil Qatari mirage offering me a porky treat (maybe with some eggs and toast, too) only to have myself disabused of my notion that I could find a slice of crispy goodness once I attempted to take a nibble from the false oasis. At second glance, the giant ad had nothing on it for me to confuse with bacon - a sailing boat tears through glassy blue water with a Western-looking couple smiling blandly at one another as the wind whips through their hair. No one's hair looks like that when on a boat. Or when they eat bacon. Especially since I usually eat bacon at breakfast, my hair looks like a lion's mane. Rawr. Also, no one only eats one slice of bacon. I should have known then that my brain had played a terrible trick on my taste buds.
I had no idea I would miss bacon so much.
In other completely bizarre news, I took a Zumba class today on campus. While under usual circumstances I would not take a "dance-fitness" class (I find it difficult to only think of dance as a means to fitness goals!), the likelihood of taking dance classes in the traditions to which I have grown accustomed remain slim to none.
I knew of Zumba from my years of teaching at YMCAs, and I think I even took a class once in College Station. Apparently, people really, and I mean REALLY, enjoy these classes. Proponents of Zumba claim the classes combine elements of several Latin dances (broadly construed, I assure you) into a "fitness-party". They promote all manner of varieties of Zumba, including Aqua, Zumbini ("for ages 0-3 and their caregivers") and Zumba Gold (for "older adults"). Our class of nine plus instructor shimmied and sweat our way through the hour-long class. Overall, I had fun shaking my groove thang, but, my inner dancer/dance teacher kept screaming at me over the organization and approach to the class.
Check it out: Double-tasseled cargo pants "that bring a touch of color contrast to the table (and the dance floor, of course)":
http://www.zumba.com/en-US/store/US/product/ultimate-orbit-cargo-pants?color=Black
Zumba certainly delivers on high energy, but it seems to lack any instruction. Not once does the "instructor" break down anything. The entire class relies on following along. From what I can tell on the website, this is the method of Zumba and not the predilections of a particular instructor. I understand the argument that stopping to teach the steps would slow down the pace; however, there are ways to make sure that the class has a minimum level of competence before adding on another movement pattern. Maybe people taking the class do not actually care about learning how to move and, in fact, like to look around confusedly taking a couple of steps here and a couple of steps there while nearly running into the one person that has taken this class every week for the last six years and is now in teacher-training, so she has every single moment of the hour memorized?
I will return to class next week.
XO,
JZog
I had no idea I would miss bacon so much.
In other completely bizarre news, I took a Zumba class today on campus. While under usual circumstances I would not take a "dance-fitness" class (I find it difficult to only think of dance as a means to fitness goals!), the likelihood of taking dance classes in the traditions to which I have grown accustomed remain slim to none.
I knew of Zumba from my years of teaching at YMCAs, and I think I even took a class once in College Station. Apparently, people really, and I mean REALLY, enjoy these classes. Proponents of Zumba claim the classes combine elements of several Latin dances (broadly construed, I assure you) into a "fitness-party". They promote all manner of varieties of Zumba, including Aqua, Zumbini ("for ages 0-3 and their caregivers") and Zumba Gold (for "older adults"). Our class of nine plus instructor shimmied and sweat our way through the hour-long class. Overall, I had fun shaking my groove thang, but, my inner dancer/dance teacher kept screaming at me over the organization and approach to the class.
Check it out: Double-tasseled cargo pants "that bring a touch of color contrast to the table (and the dance floor, of course)":
http://www.zumba.com/en-US/store/US/product/ultimate-orbit-cargo-pants?color=Black
Zumba certainly delivers on high energy, but it seems to lack any instruction. Not once does the "instructor" break down anything. The entire class relies on following along. From what I can tell on the website, this is the method of Zumba and not the predilections of a particular instructor. I understand the argument that stopping to teach the steps would slow down the pace; however, there are ways to make sure that the class has a minimum level of competence before adding on another movement pattern. Maybe people taking the class do not actually care about learning how to move and, in fact, like to look around confusedly taking a couple of steps here and a couple of steps there while nearly running into the one person that has taken this class every week for the last six years and is now in teacher-training, so she has every single moment of the hour memorized?
I will return to class next week.
XO,
JZog
September 1, 2013
Camels and Cameras
Friday evening I ventured out to the Souq again with my friend and colleague. We hope to keep this a regular, "Hurrah, we made it through this week, now let's do something fun" event. This time we experienced an entirely different section of the Souq, beginning with . . . Camels! The camels stay in an large outdoor pen, where the proprietors have tethered them in pairs. (Do they jump fences? I have not a clue. I do know that they may run at speeds up to 40 mph.) Somewhere around two dozen munched on their dinner of hay as we approached. None of them spat at us while we took photos. In fact they kind of hammed it up . . .
We also discovered the "handicraft" section of the Souq, where many of the proprietors perform their craft in view of passersby, including glassworks, metalworking, leather goods and musical instruments. I purchased a lovely little candle holder made of metal and alabaster that mimics a traditional lantern:
Just as we had decided to sit down and cool off with a lemon-mint (a tasty drink with orange blossom water, lemon, mint and sugar popular in Qatar), I heard drumbeats in the distance. Within a few moments about fifteen women in abbayah and hijab singing in Arabic and drumming paraded through the main vein of the Souq. Several men, most not in traditional dress, followed. Some of the women carried bolts of ornate fabric and other household goods. Many shoppers gathered to watch as they walked by and others joined, falling in at the end of the line. This wedding parade reminded me of the second lines in New Orleans, though without booze and crazy people throwing things at you. But, the expression and announcement of an important event remains the same. Does anyone else smell a comparative study?
JZog, you might wonder about now, why do I not see photos of camels or the wedding parade? Well, because I took those pictures with this:
Say hello to my Olympus OM-10, a 35mm film camera likely manufactured in the 1980s. I grew up using film cameras, though mostly point and shoots with auto focus instead of one with manual settings, and my Dad gave me one earlier this year to see if I might like to mess with them again. Truth is, even an entry-level camera like this takes better quality images than many digital cameras. Check out this picture of PeppeRoni taken with the Olympus:
Colors tend to look richer and details, such as wet fur, turn out clearer with film. I still have much to learn about all the manual features, but I have done pretty well with focusing and the f-stop.
Clearly the primary drawback is that I do not instantaneously have photos to include with my blog posts. Many times when I go out I take both cameras, but that becomes quite a pain. The Olympus weighs at least three times a compact digital camera, and proves especially burdensome when I attach the longer multi-focal lens. This trip I only lugged the film camera. Unfortunately I have not found anywhere here that processes film, so I have no idea when I will manage to have these rolls of film developed. Maybe by next August I'll have a post dedicated to the 10 rolls of film I took in Doha. Who's up for that marathon? On the flip side, my poor, old, yet loyal digital camera has almost had it. After nearly ten years, way past its planned obsolescence I'm sure, my Nikon P-4 Coolpix has reached its last legs. Some days the photos turn out as only a blue haze, and it isn't the sand and humidity creating that illusion. I do have a plan for a new digital camera purchase, though, so soon I will have more (and hopefully better quality!) photos for the blog. In any event, I had an excuse to post a picture of my sweet puppy princess that I miss like crazy.
XO,
JZog
We also discovered the "handicraft" section of the Souq, where many of the proprietors perform their craft in view of passersby, including glassworks, metalworking, leather goods and musical instruments. I purchased a lovely little candle holder made of metal and alabaster that mimics a traditional lantern:
Mini-Lantern
JZog, you might wonder about now, why do I not see photos of camels or the wedding parade? Well, because I took those pictures with this:
Olympus OM-10
Say hello to my Olympus OM-10, a 35mm film camera likely manufactured in the 1980s. I grew up using film cameras, though mostly point and shoots with auto focus instead of one with manual settings, and my Dad gave me one earlier this year to see if I might like to mess with them again. Truth is, even an entry-level camera like this takes better quality images than many digital cameras. Check out this picture of PeppeRoni taken with the Olympus:
PeppeRoni the Wonderpup
Colors tend to look richer and details, such as wet fur, turn out clearer with film. I still have much to learn about all the manual features, but I have done pretty well with focusing and the f-stop.
Clearly the primary drawback is that I do not instantaneously have photos to include with my blog posts. Many times when I go out I take both cameras, but that becomes quite a pain. The Olympus weighs at least three times a compact digital camera, and proves especially burdensome when I attach the longer multi-focal lens. This trip I only lugged the film camera. Unfortunately I have not found anywhere here that processes film, so I have no idea when I will manage to have these rolls of film developed. Maybe by next August I'll have a post dedicated to the 10 rolls of film I took in Doha. Who's up for that marathon? On the flip side, my poor, old, yet loyal digital camera has almost had it. After nearly ten years, way past its planned obsolescence I'm sure, my Nikon P-4 Coolpix has reached its last legs. Some days the photos turn out as only a blue haze, and it isn't the sand and humidity creating that illusion. I do have a plan for a new digital camera purchase, though, so soon I will have more (and hopefully better quality!) photos for the blog. In any event, I had an excuse to post a picture of my sweet puppy princess that I miss like crazy.
Also Go 'Cats and Whoop! (Though I strongly disapprove of Johnny Football's showboating shenanigans. Sheesh.)
XO,
JZog
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