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!

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