Friday, September 28, 2012
It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a cloud!!
The first cloud we have seen so far in Doha! We got excited thinking maybe a drop or two of rain would fall but no. It was funny to think of not seeing clouds or rain in 6 weeks.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Hooray! The Truck is Here!!!!
We are thrilled to announce that Bobby's truck has finally cleared customs the day before yesterday! We have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of all the stuff we packed in it back in July. The kids were so excited to finally have their bikes! Avery was riding hers in circles around the house immediately! Chase likes having the freedom to go all the way to the playground in the compound and being able to keep up with the other boys he plays with who ride their bikes everywhere.
The truck arrived in the evening and Natalie almost cried when she was all tucked in bed and I brought up her "big dog". This is a huge stuffed dog that she sleeps with every night. She was so happy to finally have it again. Chase was equally excited to have his big snake and "diabetes dog - buddy". Avery spent several hours tucking all her stuffed animals, squinkies, and ponies into bed and slept in her dress up clothes. They are all so happy to finally have some things from home. Yesterday I was able to put Natalie and Chase's quilts from home on their beds (they fit even though the sheets don't). Avery has a queen bed so she got to get a new butterfly duvet cover that she loves. After school yesterday Chase brought over his friend George and they spent the afternoon building ships/weapons with the legos. It felt so much more like home with these things here. Natalie is still addicted to reading so she spends lots of time on the Kindle but is very happy to do so. She is excited to start some after school clubs in October. We still don't have our new furniture (looks like it will be another week) so I am not going to unpack all the clothes we took out of the truck yet.
Bobby and I went to open house for the lower school (Natalie and Chase) last night. It was a parent only event and since we don't have a babysitter here, Bobby's partner Lars and his wife Lynn graciously took the kids out to dinner and put them to bed. We are so thankful we were both able to go because Natalie and Chase's teachers were doing their presentations at the same time. I am a little concerned about both of them. Natalie's teacher is meeting with me today because she says Natalie is way ahead in reading and writing compared to the rest of the class. We are going to connect her with Mrs. Clarizio to see if there is some extra work that she can be doing that will keep her on track with the Florida curriculum. I was really shocked to hear from a couple of other parents in Chase's class that their kids are 6. They both turn 7 in a few weeks but I started thinking maybe I have Chase in the wrong grade. In different countries they use different systems for calling the grade levels. For example in UK they don't have kindergarten (that is called year 1). So on that system, Chase would be in year 3. Anyway, after not sleeping all night about possible having him in the wrong grade, I met with the principal this morning and they assured me that he is in the right spot and the couple of kids who are 6 are an exception to the rule because they are either from Arab schools that use different ages or are very academically advanced for their age. Anyway, I feel relieved to know he is in the right spot.
I was excited to finally get the phone numbers of some of the boy's parents in Chase's class. He would really like to have a couple of them over to play. I have signed up to be room mom in Chase's and possibly Natalie's classes. I told myself I was taking the year off of this, but when no one else signs up, what is a mom to do? It doesn't sound like a huge commitment so I hope they are right. Bobby was in Natalie's class so didn't get the numbers of any of the girl's parents. I hope since I am the room parent, I will soon be receiving parent contact info anyway for her. Avery has become best friends with a girl in her class named Nora. I found out yesterday that Nora is the granddaughter of the Emir (kind of like the king) of Qatar. She has a security detail that drops her off and picks her up. I hope to be in touch with her governess to set up a playdate. The teacher says they are best buddies and are always holding hands in class etc. Avery apparently has friends in high places. It would be like Avery being best friends with Obama's granddaughter. Pretty cool!
We miss home!
The truck arrived in the evening and Natalie almost cried when she was all tucked in bed and I brought up her "big dog". This is a huge stuffed dog that she sleeps with every night. She was so happy to finally have it again. Chase was equally excited to have his big snake and "diabetes dog - buddy". Avery spent several hours tucking all her stuffed animals, squinkies, and ponies into bed and slept in her dress up clothes. They are all so happy to finally have some things from home. Yesterday I was able to put Natalie and Chase's quilts from home on their beds (they fit even though the sheets don't). Avery has a queen bed so she got to get a new butterfly duvet cover that she loves. After school yesterday Chase brought over his friend George and they spent the afternoon building ships/weapons with the legos. It felt so much more like home with these things here. Natalie is still addicted to reading so she spends lots of time on the Kindle but is very happy to do so. She is excited to start some after school clubs in October. We still don't have our new furniture (looks like it will be another week) so I am not going to unpack all the clothes we took out of the truck yet.
Bobby and I went to open house for the lower school (Natalie and Chase) last night. It was a parent only event and since we don't have a babysitter here, Bobby's partner Lars and his wife Lynn graciously took the kids out to dinner and put them to bed. We are so thankful we were both able to go because Natalie and Chase's teachers were doing their presentations at the same time. I am a little concerned about both of them. Natalie's teacher is meeting with me today because she says Natalie is way ahead in reading and writing compared to the rest of the class. We are going to connect her with Mrs. Clarizio to see if there is some extra work that she can be doing that will keep her on track with the Florida curriculum. I was really shocked to hear from a couple of other parents in Chase's class that their kids are 6. They both turn 7 in a few weeks but I started thinking maybe I have Chase in the wrong grade. In different countries they use different systems for calling the grade levels. For example in UK they don't have kindergarten (that is called year 1). So on that system, Chase would be in year 3. Anyway, after not sleeping all night about possible having him in the wrong grade, I met with the principal this morning and they assured me that he is in the right spot and the couple of kids who are 6 are an exception to the rule because they are either from Arab schools that use different ages or are very academically advanced for their age. Anyway, I feel relieved to know he is in the right spot.
I was excited to finally get the phone numbers of some of the boy's parents in Chase's class. He would really like to have a couple of them over to play. I have signed up to be room mom in Chase's and possibly Natalie's classes. I told myself I was taking the year off of this, but when no one else signs up, what is a mom to do? It doesn't sound like a huge commitment so I hope they are right. Bobby was in Natalie's class so didn't get the numbers of any of the girl's parents. I hope since I am the room parent, I will soon be receiving parent contact info anyway for her. Avery has become best friends with a girl in her class named Nora. I found out yesterday that Nora is the granddaughter of the Emir (kind of like the king) of Qatar. She has a security detail that drops her off and picks her up. I hope to be in touch with her governess to set up a playdate. The teacher says they are best buddies and are always holding hands in class etc. Avery apparently has friends in high places. It would be like Avery being best friends with Obama's granddaughter. Pretty cool!
We miss home!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Qatari Talk at the Islamic Cultural Center
Last week I went to a talk put on at the Islamic Cultural Center. It was for women only and the speaker was Qatari. Right off the bat I knew it would be interesting because she came in the room and removed all the black coverings (robe, head, and face coverings). Underneath she was wearing a loose fitting, brightly colored, floor length dress with ornate beading at the neck and long sleeves. She wore her long black hair down with the sides pulled back in a clip. She was very pretty.
The topic of the talk was an overview of Qatari life/culture. Perfect for someone new to the country like me. In the upcoming months, more in depth talks on each topic will occur. I learned so many interesting facts about Qatari life that I wanted to share some with you who may be curious.
She began with how to pronounce Qatar. Even here everyone seems to say it a little differently but for the most part it sounds like KUH-tar with the emphasis on the Kuh not the tar part. Some Qataris pronounce it Guh-tar because that is more within their dialect but the arabic way is Kuh-tar. I still struggle to say it correctly because the sounds don't come naturally out that way. She then spoke about Qatari history. I won't touch much on that except to say that they relied heavily on fishing and pearl diving before the discovery of oil and natural gas here.
The most fascinating part for me was her description of marriage and family life. Most marriages are arranged and begin by a man aged 23-30 telling his mother he is ready to marry. The mother then begins the search for a wife for her son. Can you imagine if your mom got to pick your wife for you? I wonder if Carol would have picked me for Bobby? Hee Hee. Most mothers look for wives at weddings so if you are a girl aged 18-25 in Qatar and want to marry, you should attend lots of weddings. The son tells his mother what he wants in his wife as far as age, education level, job status, etc. When a possible girl is chosen, the mother of the son asks the father of the girl if they are interested. Then the girl's family does all kinds of research into the boy and his family. They ask friends and family members of the boy about his personality, they go to the local mosque to see if he attends regularly, etc. They are trying to determine if he is a good man for their daughter to marry. If the boy passes the research part, the two fathers then begin setting up the marriage contract. The actual marriage is not a wedding at all. The fathers of the bride and groom and the bride and groom go to the courthouse and sign a marriage contract. The bride has the right to say no at any time if she feels like she doesn't want to marry this man. Although sometimes the bride and groom meet ahead of time to see what the other is like, in most cases, this will be the first time they have even met/seen each other. Can you imagine what that would be like? The exception to this is that often, the families intermarry between cousins and therefore the bride and groom know each other quite well. The bride and groom don't actually live as a married couple until the wedding party which comes several weeks to months after the marriage contract is signed, even though legally they are married during that planning period of time.
After the wedding party, the bride moves in with the son and his parents. Typically, they will stay there until the next son in the family marries and then the first couple will move into their own home. In some cases, where the houses are huge, the family may all stay together with each group getting their own wing of the home. The woman giving the talk says the advantages to this are that you always have food prepared for you, cars to drive/drivers, housecleaners, and when you have children, the grandparents are right there to help babysit. The downside is obvious, living full time with your in-laws/parents can be difficult. And typically the youngest son and his wife/family remain in the family home forever.
Another interesting fact is they way they name their children. The first boy born is named after the paternal grandfather and the first girl after the paternal grandmother. (in most cases -- although you don't have to follow this custom). This means that Bobby, Brian, and Tony would all name their first sons Michael (after Mike) and first daughters Carol. Obviously that gets really confusing within one family so they also use the word bin (son of) or bint (daughter of) and then the father's name. For example, Natalie would be named "Carol bint Robert" and Chase would be named "Michael bin Robert". Michael would be named "Michael bin Tony". The second sons and daughters are typically named after the maternal grandparents or close friends of the family. On their passports the names go back 4 generations with the last name at the end. So my name would be: Kelley bint Gary bin Cline bin Howard Hickman. The women do not change their family name when they marry.
Several people asked why they dress the way they do. The Qatari woman spoke mostly of cultural history regarding the white robes the men wear and their head scarves. She said the women here wear black because it is less likely to attract attention than bright colors. When asked why some muslim women only cover their hair, arms, and legs, yet others veil their entire face, she said that different scholars interpret the Koran differently. The whole point of the covering is to not showcase your beauty to men other than your husband. They do not wear the black robes and head/face scarves at home around their spouse, fathers, father - in - laws, brothers, uncles, and male cousins.
I was intrigued by her and learned so much by going to the talk. As I walked through the corridors of the Islamic Cultural Center, I realized that I didn't know anything about what muslims believe. I could tell from my brief walkthrough that they believe in many of the same things we as Christians believe (especially the old testament), but also have many different beliefs as well. I will have to come back there to look around when I have more time.
The topic of the talk was an overview of Qatari life/culture. Perfect for someone new to the country like me. In the upcoming months, more in depth talks on each topic will occur. I learned so many interesting facts about Qatari life that I wanted to share some with you who may be curious.
She began with how to pronounce Qatar. Even here everyone seems to say it a little differently but for the most part it sounds like KUH-tar with the emphasis on the Kuh not the tar part. Some Qataris pronounce it Guh-tar because that is more within their dialect but the arabic way is Kuh-tar. I still struggle to say it correctly because the sounds don't come naturally out that way. She then spoke about Qatari history. I won't touch much on that except to say that they relied heavily on fishing and pearl diving before the discovery of oil and natural gas here.
The most fascinating part for me was her description of marriage and family life. Most marriages are arranged and begin by a man aged 23-30 telling his mother he is ready to marry. The mother then begins the search for a wife for her son. Can you imagine if your mom got to pick your wife for you? I wonder if Carol would have picked me for Bobby? Hee Hee. Most mothers look for wives at weddings so if you are a girl aged 18-25 in Qatar and want to marry, you should attend lots of weddings. The son tells his mother what he wants in his wife as far as age, education level, job status, etc. When a possible girl is chosen, the mother of the son asks the father of the girl if they are interested. Then the girl's family does all kinds of research into the boy and his family. They ask friends and family members of the boy about his personality, they go to the local mosque to see if he attends regularly, etc. They are trying to determine if he is a good man for their daughter to marry. If the boy passes the research part, the two fathers then begin setting up the marriage contract. The actual marriage is not a wedding at all. The fathers of the bride and groom and the bride and groom go to the courthouse and sign a marriage contract. The bride has the right to say no at any time if she feels like she doesn't want to marry this man. Although sometimes the bride and groom meet ahead of time to see what the other is like, in most cases, this will be the first time they have even met/seen each other. Can you imagine what that would be like? The exception to this is that often, the families intermarry between cousins and therefore the bride and groom know each other quite well. The bride and groom don't actually live as a married couple until the wedding party which comes several weeks to months after the marriage contract is signed, even though legally they are married during that planning period of time.
After the wedding party, the bride moves in with the son and his parents. Typically, they will stay there until the next son in the family marries and then the first couple will move into their own home. In some cases, where the houses are huge, the family may all stay together with each group getting their own wing of the home. The woman giving the talk says the advantages to this are that you always have food prepared for you, cars to drive/drivers, housecleaners, and when you have children, the grandparents are right there to help babysit. The downside is obvious, living full time with your in-laws/parents can be difficult. And typically the youngest son and his wife/family remain in the family home forever.
Another interesting fact is they way they name their children. The first boy born is named after the paternal grandfather and the first girl after the paternal grandmother. (in most cases -- although you don't have to follow this custom). This means that Bobby, Brian, and Tony would all name their first sons Michael (after Mike) and first daughters Carol. Obviously that gets really confusing within one family so they also use the word bin (son of) or bint (daughter of) and then the father's name. For example, Natalie would be named "Carol bint Robert" and Chase would be named "Michael bin Robert". Michael would be named "Michael bin Tony". The second sons and daughters are typically named after the maternal grandparents or close friends of the family. On their passports the names go back 4 generations with the last name at the end. So my name would be: Kelley bint Gary bin Cline bin Howard Hickman. The women do not change their family name when they marry.
Several people asked why they dress the way they do. The Qatari woman spoke mostly of cultural history regarding the white robes the men wear and their head scarves. She said the women here wear black because it is less likely to attract attention than bright colors. When asked why some muslim women only cover their hair, arms, and legs, yet others veil their entire face, she said that different scholars interpret the Koran differently. The whole point of the covering is to not showcase your beauty to men other than your husband. They do not wear the black robes and head/face scarves at home around their spouse, fathers, father - in - laws, brothers, uncles, and male cousins.
I was intrigued by her and learned so much by going to the talk. As I walked through the corridors of the Islamic Cultural Center, I realized that I didn't know anything about what muslims believe. I could tell from my brief walkthrough that they believe in many of the same things we as Christians believe (especially the old testament), but also have many different beliefs as well. I will have to come back there to look around when I have more time.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Inland Sea
We had a fantastic weekend!
Thursday night I went to the girl's night out and it was pretty fun. Unfortunately, we went to a hotel lounge that was playing REALLY LOUD music. I could only talk to the people on either side of me and even then it was yelling to hear each other. The group of ladies were mostly British and I was really surprised that almost all of them were smokers. I wonder if more people smoke there than in the USA?
We got up Friday morning and packed up our beach stuff and loaded the kids into the SUV that we are renting. We followed 4 other families on an hour trek out of town and saw petroleum processing plants in the middle of the desert. We then stopped to let half the air pressure out of the tires and turned off the road and straight into the sand dunes! Bobby was driving through the hilly parts but during the long straightaways we let the kids have turns driving. Even Avery got a turn at the wheel.
After about an hour of driving through the dunes (thank goodness we were following people who knew where they were going!), we stopped at the top of a super big dune (it looked like a 60 deg angle going down). A couple of the kids there took off their shoes and ran down. The sand was really hot so Chase took off down with his slides on. After about 10 feet, his slides came off and he kept running. I went down to get the shoes and found one but the other got buried in the dune. The sand was so soft that it went in there like quicksand. My feet were on fire because I was in one spot trying to dig up the shoe so I had to leave it and run the rest of the way down the hill. It was SO HOT that I had to hold my feet by the AC in the car the rest of the way because they felt like I had walked over hot coals! Chase was diappointed that his shoe was lost but the sand by the water wasn't hot so it all worked out okay. After us crazies ran down the hill, the cars all drove down it! It looked like they would tip over at any moment!
We spent the day playing in the water and grilling out and then made it back out of the desert just before dark. I can't imagine trying to find the way out in the dark! It was an amazing experience and I hope we can bring any of you who come to visit!
Thursday night I went to the girl's night out and it was pretty fun. Unfortunately, we went to a hotel lounge that was playing REALLY LOUD music. I could only talk to the people on either side of me and even then it was yelling to hear each other. The group of ladies were mostly British and I was really surprised that almost all of them were smokers. I wonder if more people smoke there than in the USA?
We got up Friday morning and packed up our beach stuff and loaded the kids into the SUV that we are renting. We followed 4 other families on an hour trek out of town and saw petroleum processing plants in the middle of the desert. We then stopped to let half the air pressure out of the tires and turned off the road and straight into the sand dunes! Bobby was driving through the hilly parts but during the long straightaways we let the kids have turns driving. Even Avery got a turn at the wheel.
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| Chase can barely see over the steering wheel! |
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| Natalie drove like a pro! |
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| Is 3 too young to learn to drive? |
After about an hour of driving through the dunes (thank goodness we were following people who knew where they were going!), we stopped at the top of a super big dune (it looked like a 60 deg angle going down). A couple of the kids there took off their shoes and ran down. The sand was really hot so Chase took off down with his slides on. After about 10 feet, his slides came off and he kept running. I went down to get the shoes and found one but the other got buried in the dune. The sand was so soft that it went in there like quicksand. My feet were on fire because I was in one spot trying to dig up the shoe so I had to leave it and run the rest of the way down the hill. It was SO HOT that I had to hold my feet by the AC in the car the rest of the way because they felt like I had walked over hot coals! Chase was diappointed that his shoe was lost but the sand by the water wasn't hot so it all worked out okay. After us crazies ran down the hill, the cars all drove down it! It looked like they would tip over at any moment!
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| View from the top of the dune |
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| Two kids at the bottom of the dune |
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| First car makes it down |
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| Chase at the top (shoes intact) |
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| Chase at the bottom - you can see one of the slides in the bottom right of the photo This is the one I was able to retrieve |
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| View from the bottom of the dune |
After a few more dunes we arrived at the Inland Sea. It is on the coast and Saudi Arabia is on the other side of the water.
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| Chase and his buddy from the compound George |
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| Cheetos in Qatar! |
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| Chase and George |
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| Ken (George's dad) |
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| Natalie with her friend Annie |
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| Avery loving the Inland Sea |
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| Our spot at the beach. We parked the cars all around to prevent other cars from flying over the dunes and hitting the kids |
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| Dunes |
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| It is an amazing site to see |
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| Time to head home |
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| Exhaustion sets in on the way home |
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| Beautiful Desert Sunset |
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Girls Night Out
Okay friends, I am about to head out to my first girl's night out in Qatar! I am a little nervous since I won't know most of the ladies there. My two British girlfriends in the compound have invited me so I am guessing it will be lots of British people there. Better watch out, I may come home with an accent! Natalie is already talking with a British accent because she has several friends at school from New Zealand, England, etc. It is too funny because she doesn't even realize she is doing it!
Wish me luck tonight. It seems like the British people drink quite a lot and I hope I don't have one of the crazy Kelley nights since I don't know these people all that well. I so wish it was a night out with my girl friends back home, but am trying to make the most of it while we are here. Just know that all you girls are being missed tonight!
Love,
Kelley
Wish me luck tonight. It seems like the British people drink quite a lot and I hope I don't have one of the crazy Kelley nights since I don't know these people all that well. I so wish it was a night out with my girl friends back home, but am trying to make the most of it while we are here. Just know that all you girls are being missed tonight!
Love,
Pics of the house
Here are some pictures of our villa from the outside. We have a huge oak type tree and palm tree in our front yard. As of now, the grass is overtaken by ground cover that is dying but we are working on getting grass in the front yard. It is very different how all the houses here have flat roofs with access from the inside of the villa. We have a set of stairs that goes up to a third level which is just a door to the roof. Also, all the houses are painted in neutral colors of sand, beige, off white to blend in the the desert I guess. It reminds me of Arizona in that way.
Most of the villas on our compound have pretty big back yards but ours had an addition put on at some point so our backyard is mostly terrace. As you can see in the picture of the ramp, it was an addition for a handicapped person so I am sure this ramp will be used for skating and scooter purposes if the truck ever clears customs.
The square of dirt that you see is also in our backyard and is going to have some grass or landscaping in it soon.
I am waiting to take pictures of the inside until our new furniture comes in another week or so.
Most of the villas on our compound have pretty big back yards but ours had an addition put on at some point so our backyard is mostly terrace. As you can see in the picture of the ramp, it was an addition for a handicapped person so I am sure this ramp will be used for skating and scooter purposes if the truck ever clears customs.
The square of dirt that you see is also in our backyard and is going to have some grass or landscaping in it soon.
I am waiting to take pictures of the inside until our new furniture comes in another week or so.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Publix, Where Are You??
Sorry for the delay in updates. We didn't get wi-fi in the house until yesterday and it is much easier to update from the computer than my phone.
We are getting settled in pretty well. Bobby's truck is still stuck in customs here in Doha somewhere so we don't have access to our stuff quite yet. Of course they tell us everyday that it should be ready tomorrow. Our appliances still have not been replaced. The compound management company had to go through the steps to make sure the appliances couldn't be repaired first, and now we are waiting on new ones to come in and be installed. All of you who know me or who have 3 kids and an exercising fiend husband can imagine the crazy quantity of laundry that is piling up. I am thinking of Tracy as I consider dropping it off to be done by a laundry service. Our furniture should be here in another 1-2 weeks. For now, we are getting along fine with the furniture we have. We love having a table in the center of the kitchen.
The grocery situation here is a little nuts. I think I have already posted about the fact that many of the grocery stores are in the malls which means fighting for parking just to get a few items. I have found a store very close to the kid's school that is not in a big mall so have been there a few times. Unfortunately, they don't have several items that we really want. There is another store here that is only about 15 min. from our house (in non traffic times) that imports in all kinds of American foods. I went there today and was able to find Quaker Chewy Granola Bars, my favorite chocolate chip cookies, and seedless grapes!! The price for groceries here is ridiculous. For example, I bought today what would be a week's worth of groceries at home. At Publix it would have cost me around $200. My bill here was 1370 Qatar Ryals which equals $375! Almost double the cost! It is shocking really how expensive everything here is. I am also surprised that even stores like Gymboree, Gap, Justice, etc won't take any coupons from the USA and don't have coupon programs here at all. Makes clothes shopping crazy expensive, too since I never buy kids clothes without a coupon. Guess I will be stocking up when we come home for Christmas. How I wish for Old Navy! Thanks to Carol for ordering us some cheap Old Navy Jeans that she is bringing with her in October!
Two days ago I went to a "coffee morning" for the American Women's Association of Qatar. AWA for short. I was so excited to finally meet some Americans here. This is an organization that has chapters all over the world. I decided to join so that I could sign up for small group things (tennis, walking groups, book clubs, cooking classes, you name it and there was a sign up for it). While there, I met two women who have children at the school where Natalie, Chase, and Avery go. I was able to get some tips on the commute route.
I am able to get them to school in 12 minutes in the morning but it takes 45 min. to get back home because of traffic.... Then I pick up Avery at 12:30 and have the same 12 min. drive approximately both directions. I have the same 45 min. traffic drive again back to school for the 2:30 pickup because all the other schools are getting out at the same time so traffic is a nightmare again. I signed up to hopefully find someone who lives in our compound who goes to the same school to reduce my time spent in the car every day.
We have met two great families in our compound. Both are from the England (or they say the UK). Wendy and Tony have 3 daughters ages 11, 8, and 4. Natalie is enjoying spending time with Annie (the 11 year old) and Avery likes to play with Lily. Wendy is unbelievably nice, helpful, thoughtful and even let me drop off 2 loads of laundry that she did for me at her house since mine is all piled up. Ester and Ken have a daughter who is 8 and a son who is 6 (George). Chase has been playing with George every day after school and seems to really like him (even though he is 2 years younger). Another boy in the compound named Jon (pronounced yon) who just turned 8 is also playing with them daily.
I am invited on a girls night out by Wendy and Ester with some of their other friends this Thursday night. I am a little nervous, but mostly excited. We are then going with their families 4 wheeling through the sand dunes to the Inland Sea (I think that is what it is called) on Friday to barbeque and swim in the water. Can't wait to see it and then post pictures for you guys! That is all for now! I promise to post some pics of the house this afternoon. Gotta go pick up Avery from school.
We are getting settled in pretty well. Bobby's truck is still stuck in customs here in Doha somewhere so we don't have access to our stuff quite yet. Of course they tell us everyday that it should be ready tomorrow. Our appliances still have not been replaced. The compound management company had to go through the steps to make sure the appliances couldn't be repaired first, and now we are waiting on new ones to come in and be installed. All of you who know me or who have 3 kids and an exercising fiend husband can imagine the crazy quantity of laundry that is piling up. I am thinking of Tracy as I consider dropping it off to be done by a laundry service. Our furniture should be here in another 1-2 weeks. For now, we are getting along fine with the furniture we have. We love having a table in the center of the kitchen.
The grocery situation here is a little nuts. I think I have already posted about the fact that many of the grocery stores are in the malls which means fighting for parking just to get a few items. I have found a store very close to the kid's school that is not in a big mall so have been there a few times. Unfortunately, they don't have several items that we really want. There is another store here that is only about 15 min. from our house (in non traffic times) that imports in all kinds of American foods. I went there today and was able to find Quaker Chewy Granola Bars, my favorite chocolate chip cookies, and seedless grapes!! The price for groceries here is ridiculous. For example, I bought today what would be a week's worth of groceries at home. At Publix it would have cost me around $200. My bill here was 1370 Qatar Ryals which equals $375! Almost double the cost! It is shocking really how expensive everything here is. I am also surprised that even stores like Gymboree, Gap, Justice, etc won't take any coupons from the USA and don't have coupon programs here at all. Makes clothes shopping crazy expensive, too since I never buy kids clothes without a coupon. Guess I will be stocking up when we come home for Christmas. How I wish for Old Navy! Thanks to Carol for ordering us some cheap Old Navy Jeans that she is bringing with her in October!
Two days ago I went to a "coffee morning" for the American Women's Association of Qatar. AWA for short. I was so excited to finally meet some Americans here. This is an organization that has chapters all over the world. I decided to join so that I could sign up for small group things (tennis, walking groups, book clubs, cooking classes, you name it and there was a sign up for it). While there, I met two women who have children at the school where Natalie, Chase, and Avery go. I was able to get some tips on the commute route.
I am able to get them to school in 12 minutes in the morning but it takes 45 min. to get back home because of traffic.... Then I pick up Avery at 12:30 and have the same 12 min. drive approximately both directions. I have the same 45 min. traffic drive again back to school for the 2:30 pickup because all the other schools are getting out at the same time so traffic is a nightmare again. I signed up to hopefully find someone who lives in our compound who goes to the same school to reduce my time spent in the car every day.
We have met two great families in our compound. Both are from the England (or they say the UK). Wendy and Tony have 3 daughters ages 11, 8, and 4. Natalie is enjoying spending time with Annie (the 11 year old) and Avery likes to play with Lily. Wendy is unbelievably nice, helpful, thoughtful and even let me drop off 2 loads of laundry that she did for me at her house since mine is all piled up. Ester and Ken have a daughter who is 8 and a son who is 6 (George). Chase has been playing with George every day after school and seems to really like him (even though he is 2 years younger). Another boy in the compound named Jon (pronounced yon) who just turned 8 is also playing with them daily.
I am invited on a girls night out by Wendy and Ester with some of their other friends this Thursday night. I am a little nervous, but mostly excited. We are then going with their families 4 wheeling through the sand dunes to the Inland Sea (I think that is what it is called) on Friday to barbeque and swim in the water. Can't wait to see it and then post pictures for you guys! That is all for now! I promise to post some pics of the house this afternoon. Gotta go pick up Avery from school.
Monday, September 17, 2012
So sad to say Goodbye
We dropped off Nana at the airport last night. It was really hard to say goodbye. She was such a HUGE help to us both physically and emotionally for this transition. I am so glad that she was able to come help us get settled even though it mostly involved driving around getting lost with me and a ton of shopping for groceries and stuff for the house. She didn't get to do much touristy stuff at all because of it. We sure hope she will come back to really experience Doha in the cooler weather.
We love you mom and miss you already!
We love you mom and miss you already!
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