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Our laptop had been running very slowly for about the past ten months..  VERY S-L-OW-LY..  Starting up took at least twenty minutes, it was impossible to use wi-fi, every key stroke was accompanied by waiting.. and waiting... and waiting.  I like to blog, it's my way of processing things and keeping friends and family informed and involved in our life while we're away.  I blogged last year, but it was difficult with the computer's "issues."  We were going to take it in in Doha, but the guy I talked to indicated that it probably wouldn't be worth fixing due to the cost of parts etc...  We decided to stick out the year and attempt to get it fixed on our summer break.

We thought possibly it just needed extra RAM, so A ordered it and after a short youtube video, he popped it in and ... nothing..  No change, so we went ahead and took it in last week.


Boom..  hard drive was bad..  We had it replaced before we left the States, but apparently the guy who fixed it didn't use a new hard drive..  It only took a day and we're up and running like new again..  So now, we have a new hard drive and it's running SUPER fast!  Excellent..

Now I can really blog how I want.  I can't guarantee that I won't miss weeks, but I'll try..
I'm going to work on catching up on our summer travels, but the good thing is that we are spending the summer with a lot of my readers :)

Traveling internationally (overnight) with kids.. alone.. (pre-travel)

In about 8 hours the kids and I are headed to the airport and back to the States for three months of summer travel!

Yes.. we're excited.

It's 108 degrees today.. not exactly conducive to getting the kids outside to run off the tremendous amounts of energy they wake up with.  P called me into her room the other day to see what she was doing.  I held back a scream when I walked in and found her at the top of her door frame, so proud..  She'd shimmied up the sides of the frame.  M was on the other frame, and while his limbs are exactly long enough for shimmying, he was doing his best to monkey climb up the side.  We're taking "climbing the walls" literally. 



We're leaving a month earlier than A, who has to stay behind and finish out the school year.  We wouldn't normally leave this early (even with the crazy temperatures), but we are attending the wedding (and I'm making the cake) of a dear friend from our Morocco teaching days.  It didn't make sense to fly back here only to return a month later, so we get an extra month. 

The three of us are pumped for the extra month...  however...  the getting there is cause for a bit of anxiety..  We head to the airport at 11pm for our first flight around 1 am to Germany (overnight).  We have three hours in Germany before our next flight to Washington DC.  We grab our luggage, get our rental car, stop for cake supplies (and the toy they are promised for keeping calm on the flights), and head to the hotel (where I start baking). 

We have our essential oils (peace and calm and lavender for sleep), pillow/blanket combos, coloring pages, books, extra clothing, snacks, etc...  We've been talking for weeks about how everything will go..  now we will see.  I'm hoping that we'll get on the flight and after the usual food/drink service (Who needs that at 1 am???) the lights will get turned off and we will all sleep for several straight hours.  The crew will serve breakfast and a short movie later, we land in Germany.  We have three hours in Germany - perfect for a walk around, then settle in for toys and games before we get on the next flight.  A couple movies, nap, lunch, and we'll be there... greeted by all of our luggage (cake making stuff inside).  I realize, after writing this, that it's a bit delusional, but a girl can dream right? 

Some mild concerns:  getting everything into the airport without losing the kids (I can't do the airport goodbye, A must leave us at the curb.), the kids not sleeping on the plane (we have a history of not sleeping), bathroom visits (enough said), long flights with little movement, luggage arriving, driving to the hotel without getting lost..  and there's just handling both kids alone for days not at home..

I'll blog on the flip side and we'll see how it went..

One thing is certain, time will always pass.. we're going to make the best of it, even if it's not the best. 

Top 10...

The kids and I have just under a month before we fly back to the States for three months.  I've been taking some time to think through the past 9 months.  The kids and I made books for them to show family and friends when they are asked the inevitable question:  So.. what's Qatar like?  Making the book with them got me thinking, so I decided to start my thinking/processing with my top 10 list for our first year in Qatar. They aren't really in order, except #1 really is #1..

I feel like I need a drum roll...

10.  Traveling..  I know it sounds weird to say that one of my top ten for living in Qatar is traveling outside of Qatar.  I'll explain.  Living here, we are in a great position geographically to travel to a lot of different places.  Sri Lanka, UAE, Romania, Turkey, Spain, Zambia, Vietnam, and Thailand are just a few places friends experienced over Spring Break.  It's affordable and easy.  Since we love new places, it makes the top ten.

Family shot UAE

Family shot in Morocco.

9.  Lot 2..  We live in a compound that is perfect for our family.  There are always people out and about and since we're on the first level, people stop by frequently (sometimes just at my kitchen window to chat or get a snack.. love that).  The compound is gated and safe, which is so nice.  There are many parks within the compound where the kids play and meet friends, a clubhouse with pool and restaurant are a short walk, the clubhouse shows movies several evenings a week, and there are activities organized often.  It's really ideal for us and has helped our family make a good transition to life here, which is why it makes the top 10.

8.  Conveniences..  Living overseas can be difficult for a wide variety of reasons.  One is that it can seem very inconvenient compared to the person's home country.  While living in Qatar is very different, we have found many conveniences..  Familiar restaurants and stores, grocery items, common language, ease in buying and servicing vehicles, technology, and IKEA!! (I know I mentioned stores, but IKEA goes in its own category!)  to name just a few...  For our first "home" overseas with a family, convenience has been GREAT, so it makes the top ten.

7.  Jarir Bookstore..  One of our favorite things to do in the States was to spend a chunk of a day at a bookstore.  The kids and I (and A when he wasn't at work) would look for any reason to head to Half Price Books.  We've wanted to instill a love for reading and learning in the kids and books are a great way to do that.  I was concerned when we moved that we wouldn't have a bookstore, so I used a large portion of our shipping on kids' books..  I was VERY pleasantly surprised to find Jarir Bookstore only a few kilometers away!  They have a decent kids' section complete with the 'bargain book' display.  As both kids have gotten into reading books more independently during this school year, we have frequented Jarir.  I love the look on their faces when I tell them we're going to the bookstore, so it makes the top ten.

My first trip to Jarir..  I was thrilled!  M was not thrilled to wait while I took this picture.  

6.  Beaches and other outside spaces..  When we got here it was WAY too hot to be outside during the day.  It was a huge change to keep the kids inside all day.  They begged to go out, but just a step out and we'd go right back in.  It took until mid-November before it was decently comfortable outside and we could begin exploring a bit more.  We've enjoyed several parks, including Aspire park, which is a favorite with the small people.  It's so lovely to let them take off their shoes and run in green grass and sit in the shade of a tree!  We've also loved spending time on a few of the many beaches in Qatar.  We've definitely enjoyed getting outside very often these passed few months, so it makes the top ten.

Cool festival at a local beach.  Love the contrast with the city in the background.

5.  Kunafah and lemon-mint ice..  Yum..  A's favorite thing here is a dessert called kunafah. It's crazy good..  It's a cheese pastry soaked in sugar-based syrup.  Just yum.. The lemon-mint ice is like lemonade with mint in a blender with ice.  M and I love them..  Yummy things definitely make the top ten.

Kunafah..

M enjoying my lemon-mint ice..

4.  Ease in communication with family and friends..  I know I mentioned technology in #8, but this one gets its very own spot on the top ten.  Being able to communicate with loved ones is essential to living internationally (for us).  Skype, Facetime, Facebook, this blog, e-mail etc...  such an incredible gift.  It isn't the same as being there.. but it helps so much.  P has been able to have regular (well as regular as we can) skype dates with her best friend in IN, we've been able to "see" nieces and nephews grow, chat with our realtor (friend) about the sale of our house, and make countless phone calls using Skype, so it makes the top ten.  

3.  Chances to learn and grow.. Learning and growing isn't always easy.  In fact, at times, it can be really tough.  Living here has helped us all to learn and grow a lot.  At times, it has seemed like life back in the States was "easier..." but, we didn't leave everything we knew and move overseas for easy.  We've learned to navigate a new city, driving and all!  I had to leave the kids (and A) for the first time to travel back to the States for my Aunt's funeral.  We bought a car!  We've been stretched and stretched as parents to learn and grow and adapt to what our children need.  We're striving to achieve a good balance between family and time with others.  Learning and growing.. learning and growing.. it makes the top ten.

Here they are having tea at a camel herders house.

These two little loves have had so many new experiences..

2.  The ability to save and pay off debt..  A and I decided before we had kids that I would be home with them for the first years of their lives.  It's been an incredible gift.  It's also made finances tough at times.  We've had a goal for a long time to be financially responsible and secure, but life in the States made that goal really tough.  Living here has allowed us to progress in this very important area.  The fact that we are almost debt free is AWESOME, so it makes the top ten.

1.  Our community of friends..  People make the place, and this is no exception.  When you live in an international community (of expats), tight bonds are forged quickly.  People become your friends, but also your family away from family.  The community here is amazing and has truly made this transition so much easier.  People stop in just to say hey, and we regularly have friends come for dinner or invite us over.  Spending so much time together really allows us to support one another in the transition to international life.. I lost my Aunt in November and though we'd only been here a few short months, I felt an amazing outpouring of support.  Then again early in the new year, another of my Aunts passed away very unexpectedly.  A and I decided that I needed to travel back to the States for the funeral.  In one day, arrangements were made and I was gone for six days.  I'd never left the kids before (even for a night) and I was totally confident that the community here was supporting both A and the kids.  They didn't have to worry about food, friends helped out with childcare, and upon my arrival back there were plenty of friends to help me with my grief.  That kind of support is invaluable, and it tops the top ten.

Living internationally is amazing.. it's life changing.  If you ever have the chance, jump on it!

Off to the beach...

Fridays are normally "church" days.  Since our weekends fall on Friday/Saturday, we meet for church on Friday mornings.  Today, however, people are still traveling for spring break, so we decided to head to the beach with another family that is in town for a day of soaking up the sun.  We've been to a few beaches here, but they've been mostly close by and with minimal off-roading to get to the water.  Today, we got to use our 4-wheel drive and try our luck with the sand.  We followed our friends to the beach, stopped to have some air taken out of our tires (that was a first, but it helps when driving on the sand).  Then we were off-road and on the sand driving for a while.  A and I were both a little nervous at first, we've never really taken our KIA off roading, but after a bit, A declared driving in the sand a lot like the snow..

Driving in.  P was so nervous about crossing  the little stream.

There was a jeep rally going on..

And I was nervous about that dune to our right..

We drove for a while, rounded a large dune, and found a great spot.  J and S brought a great canopy to block the sun and we quickly set up for the morning.  The kids played and explored and we got to relax and chat with friends..that's a good morning..  We got to see some little crabs marching around the sand and found some little jellyfish in the shallows.  You have to be careful because they are totally transparent, like a glob of hair gel...but you can see the shadows.

After several hours, we decided to head back out.  I could tell A was having more fun on the way out (I think he may enjoy the off-roading more in the future..).  We got the tires aired up, and were off.  It was a really relaxing morning and as much as I enjoy our travels, sometimes hanging out here is just what we need.

Little man working construction.

She loves shells.. We have SO many of them..

Checking out the critters.

Snack time..

A helping P with a mask.

Silly girl ready to check out some fish.

Little jelly fish.

See the jelly?  And the tiny crab?

Silly kids.

First hair cut..

I was brushing P's hair the other day and we were having our usual battle of the wills...  I pull too hard, she screams...

Me:  Look, if you're going to have long hair, we have to brush it and keep it neat.  If you aren't going to let me brush it, we need to cut it..  (thinking this would spur her on to let me finish)...
P:  YES!  Let's cut it off!

...that backfired...

We discussed it for a while and she was determined that she wanted to get a hair cut.  I'm not attached to having long hair, nor am I attached to her having it, but I didn't think she'd be into having it cut.  I haven't had her hair cut, aside from times where I trimmed a little off the ends, so this was a big deal for her.

She and I went today and she LOVED it and is excited to do it again..  I reminded her that it would take time to grow... but she was sure it would only take a few days.. We'll see..


Here she is before:

And after...  she was thrilled! 

Time to travel..

One of the (many) perks of living where we are is that travel is accessible and fairly easy.  We decided a while back that we wanted to travel somewhere relaxing, not too far, and really just to be together for part of A's spring break.  The kids and I are leaving in less than five weeks for a wedding on the East coast and A will be here sans family until the end of June (when he will join us Stateside).  That leaves us apart for about a month, so time away together was what we wanted. 

We decided on a four night/five day trip to Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates).  We found a GREAT deal using Expedia's travel bundles and started the countdown.  We were pumped to have some down time together and to be able not to have any distractions. 

We drove to the airport, took a one-hour flight, a two-hour bus ride, 30 minute taxi ride, and arrived at the Al Raha Beach hotel/resort, our home for a few days.  After some annoyance during check-in, we settled into a nice view with a great view of the water and beach.  Check-in took a lot longer than it should have, so we decided to get some sleep and enjoy the water when we had some rest. 

We woke up to this... 

M and P enjoying the view and ready to get in.. 

After breakfast, we headed to the beach for some relaxing.. and that's pretty much where we spend a couple of solid days.. except for a walk to the mall for a movie and to play at the arcade (the mall was attached to the hotel).

Beach bums!

M feeding the tickets into the counter..  "Do I have enough for the car???"

P was obsessed with the fishing game.

Poolside at night..

We decided, after a couple of full days of hanging out at the resort, to do a little exploring around Abu Dhabi.  Our goal for this trip wasn't sight seeing, but we did want to get out a bit, so we hopped on the 'Big Red Bus' and road around the city.  The hop-on, hop-off buses are a great option if you have limited time in a city.  The kids LOVED riding on top of the double decker bus!  It was over 100 degrees though, so they got cranky pretty fast.  We decided to stop at the grand mosque and then the souk (marketplace).  The mosque was HUGE and very ornate..  The souk was.. well.. modern and not very authentic, BUT the items inside were lovely.  Traditionally, souks are open-air markets with vendor stalls etc.  This one was in a multi-story building with AC, which I appreciated..   I (of course) found two beautiful paintings to bring home.

Not the best family photo, but at least we're all there..  Mosque in the background.

Back side of the mosque.

Inside of the prayer room.  Women must be completely covered..  It was hot!

Amazing work on the chandelier.

At the souk.

On the top of the double decker bus.

We spent our last morning at the beach enjoying the lovely relaxation of vacation..  I had a mani/pedi, the kids played with resort friends, and then we were off..  It went by fast, but was just the right amount of time.  We got back to Doha around midnight, and even though we were a bit cranky after hours of traveling back, it was good to see the familiar skyline and sink into our beds again (without kids).  Resort travel isn't really our thing, but for this break, it was EXACTLY what we needed!

A getting some needed R&R on the beach.

New Vocabulary an other changes...

Living in a totally new place means there's a lot to learn.  It seems at times as though you know nothing useful at all. There are new experiences daily and there are days where staying inside really is the best option...  One thing that comes fairly quickly is the new vocabulary in a place.  I don't mean language, I mean vocabulary.. 

Here are a few examples: (these may overlap to many other places)

We live in a compound.  No, not like the branch dividians in Waco, TX (1993)..  I've had that question asked on more than one occasion..  A compound is basically a walled in group of houses.  There's a gate with guards to make sure everyone who comes in the gate is supposed to be here.  There don't seem to be many stand alone homes, just compounds.

We live in an apartment, not a villa.  Villas aren't a fancy Italian home..  It's a term that people use for a multi-story home (we used the same term in Morocco). 

People in the States talk about going on vacation.. people here travel or are traveling.  There's a break coming up and the question you'll hear is, "So, are you traveling?"  On breaks from school here, it is almost assumed (rightly so) that people will travel)..  It allows time away as a family or group to recharge and energize for more school/life here.

You're sick!  Bummer, better head to the clinic..  Most people here use the clinic, a free medical service in Education City.  There's a dentist, several doctors, a pharmacy etc. all in one place, and it's free for employees of the Qatar Foundation.  So, while you may go to the doctor, it's the clinic for us..


Here are some "other" new things:

Fast food delivery...  yup.  Mc Donalds, Burger King, Hardees, KFC etc.  all have delivery services, and many have curb-side service as well.  There aren't a lot of stand-alone restaurants because they are mainly located in strip malls, so not many drive thru options.  This makes delivery a nice option.  We haven't used this option yet (for fast food), but I've deemed next year, the year of delivery!

Malls..Malls EVERYWHERE...  There are literally malls everywhere.  In Ft. Wayne, we had THE Mall..  Here, when I say mall.. the kids know to ask, "which one?"  There's Ezdan, which is our favorite - it's not as busy as some of the others, I know the stores (Children's Place), and the kids' play area (indoor amusement park and games) is bearable...  There's Landmark, which we go to for movies, a few restaurants (like Fridays), and the big Careffour (European super market).  Parking is always awful, but sometimes we deal.  There's Villaggio, which is like a destination..  It is themed after Venice, complete with a river down the middle and a sky painted ceiling.  You can easily forget you are inside.  We've gone a couple of times for Crispy Cream donuts (don't judge) and gondola rides..  Parking is atrocious and there are WAY too many people, but sometimes the donuts call..  City Center has ice skating, Lagoona Mall, The Gate Mall, The Mall, Dar al Salam Mall, Parco Mall,  and there are two (that I know of) being built.  With the weather so hot for a lot of the year, people just go inside (malls) to socialize and get out.  Each has a indoor amusement place for kids, restaurants, shops etc. 

P and M watching the gondolas at Villaggio Mall.. 

FunVille at Ezdan mall.. 

Beaches..  Yes, they are everywhere, but they're not exactly all white and sand beaches..  The only nice sandy beaches we've found are the private ones (either compound or hotel beaches - you have to pay to use these ones)..  Beach shoes are a must for us. 

One of the nice sandy beaches (a private one)..

One of the not so nice ones..  We had to rescue some shoes from that mud/clay.. 

The Driving.. dear Lord the driving..  That's an entire post, for another day!


There are so many more examples, but this gives you an idea.
If you live outside of your home country, what were some vocabulary differences that you noticed?