After the holidays, we returned to Doha enshrouded in fog. The night of our arrival, after sleeping most of the daylight hours away, we went to the 20th ExxonMobil Open and watched Jo-Wilfried Tsonga crush Gael Monfils in the final match. It was my first live tennis match, and I really enjoyed it. There was actually a fog delay at the beginning of the match, because the word Qatar, painted on the court at both ends, was too slick and was caused the tennis players to slip. You can see the stadium in the lower right of the photo and the city center with the moon peeping in the background. The tournament concluded with a dramatic light show during which a montage of winners from previous years were highlighted. In fact, some of the previous winners were in attendance to thrill the onlookers. Unfortunately, all the delay and hoopla made for a long evening.
I had to go back to work at the Academic Bridge Program the next day. It was only for a meeting, so I wasn't teaching, but regular classes resumed midweek. The jet lag was slight and, as we had been traveling for more than 24-hours, we weren't quite 100%. Vito's school had also resumed, but he stayed home another day to rest and regain his energy. Everything should be firing on all cylinders next week, however.
It has been foggy almost every morning since we've been back, which is quite nice and refreshing. It burns off by late morning, and then there's the usual sunshine. The weather is warmer now than it was before we left on our Christmas / New Year's adventure. We had run into a little cold spell before the holidays, which seemed a little colder than usual, although my perspective is limited.
Today, we were invited by some friends to go on an adventure with our kids to look for a desert rose, a kind of stone that forms its petalled appearance under the sand in certain places. After taking Vito to soccer practice and despite having a great deal of work to do to prepare for the onrushing semester, I threw caution to the wind and we all rode out into the desert together.
The quest certainly took us too some remote parts of Qatar. Among the many unusual things we observed, the baby camel pictured here was, perhaps, the most striking. It couldn't even walk yet. The way the other camels crowded around it was interesting to watch.
Holiday activities are going as planned with one exception: the three of us have picked up a raggedy cough. We seem OK during the day, but last night, weirdly, Vito and me both woke up at 3AM with serious coughing fits that kept us going for a half hour. Vito has been receiving an aerosol treatment, and I'm utilizing cough drops.
Since we've been in Putignano, the weather has been ice cold. It rained a little and the sky has generally been cloudy. I tease Angela that it always rains here. A couple days ago, I thought it would snow, but it only hailed briefly. Today, however, Christmas Eve (or as they say here, La Vigilia), it is spectacularly sunny and warm outside. I went out this morning without wife or son to get some last-minute Christmas gifts and the stores were bursting with shoppers, the sidewalks were crowded with people, and the streets were choked with traffic. It put me in a great holiday spirit despite the various delays that such activity induces.
Time in the blogsphere moves faster than it actually appears to...
We got home about an hour ago after a huge dinner at Angela's sister's house, and Santa (Babbo Natale) had left his mark. It was just about midnight. There were a few gifts under the nativity (il presepe), namely a guitar. Vito was ecstatic. It wasn't the bass guitar that Vito had asked for, but I'm sure Santa did his best. We don't have a Christmas tree, either, but there is a large nativity scene, which is why Santa left the gifts there. To add to the post-Santa excitement, Angela's Aunt's family (celebrating the arrival of their daughter from England that evening) joined us and, after daddy tuned the guitar, listened to Vito's one-chord renditions of "We are the World" and "We Will Rock You."
With this post, I've exceeded my blog output in any year since 2007, which largely comprises the last four years in California. Clearly, living in the states and blogging (and writing in general) don't go hand-in-hand. We lived in California for four hard years made more difficult by simultaneously working two jobs and studying. Things got even more hectic last year when Vito started going to school and Angela started working, but we made it out. I didn't die and I feel stronger. Anyway, I'm happy to be blogging more and plan to ride the writing wave into the new year with a more emphatic return to greater poetic intentions. Wish me luck...
The last week before a long holiday is busy. I'll spare you the business minutiae, but a vacation couldn't have come at a better time.
We're leaving the Q tomorrow night for three weeks. A cab (inshah'allah) will arrive at 11:15 and take us to the airport. Then, Turkish Airlines at 2:55AM to Turkey before a transfer to our final destination in Zurich, Switzerland. We really had no particular reason for stopping in Switzerland. Anyway, from there, we will meet Milanese friends and, after frolicking and fondue and fun, journey south to Milan with them for more of the same on more familiar soil. Then we'll catch a train even further south to our final destination, Putignano. We'll spend Christmas and the New Year with family there, and return to Doha on the 7th of January.
I still have four essays to grade in the morning, but that is the only deadline on the agenda tomorrow. Grades are due by 11AM so I should have plenty of time to get everything finished. Hopefully, there won't be too many distractions in the office.
Later on at home, we still have to pack, of course. As usual, we leave it until the last minute...
Winter's here. It has been windy outside, but also sunny and clear. In the throes and humidity of never-ending Summer, I didn't think it would ever get so cold here. We had a little rain spell in recent weeks and, since then, it has been cold. Our apartment is made of stone and tile, and we're thinking about picking up a space heater. Actually, Angela's not, but I am because I'm more delicate.
Vito had his final soccer practice of the season last weekend. Soccer practice happened two times each week: once indoors at Doha College on Monday afternoons (when Angela took him) and the second time outdoors on the Education City campus on Friday mornings (when I took him). I was never thrilled about waking up at 8AM on Friday mornings (which is the first day of the weekend here). Practices will resume again at a different location after the new year. It has been fun to watch lately. In the last few weeks, Vito has finally started to get the hang of it—chasing after the ball and running in the right direction instead of looking at the clouds or whirling dervishly. I suppose he takes after his father in that way.
We're friends with a German couple and their kids—the first friends we made here in Doha—but they are moving to Bahrain next month. They went out of their way for us at the beginning of our stay here, and we'll miss them tremendously. Anyway, they're packing and sorting through their things, and they asked us if we wanted a Christmas tree and their fish. We passed on the fish, but the Christmas tree is blinking and sparkling away in our living room right now. Angela found some colored bulbs and lights, and the three of us decorated it a couple nights ago.
Christas comes to the Q.
On Monday night, I wanted to celebrate Angela's first substitute teaching gig here, so we all hopped in the Honda and drove to Souq Waqif to try gelato at La Dolce Vita, a little gelateria here in Doha, and we came across these Christmas ornaments with Arabic imagery on them. We bought three, one for each of us, and added them to our little Chrismas tree when we got home.
Despite the lack of Christmas overkill that can usually be found in the states at this time of year, there is a festive spirit throughout the city. Qatar National Day takes place on the 18th of December. Apparently, a parade will march along the corniche. Flags and banners and bunting and lights and grandstands are being erected toward that end, and it looks it's going to be a nice party. Unfortunately, we depart on our Winter extravaganza on the 16th, so we will miss all of the holiday hullabaloo here. We're happy, however, that we will be able to visit family in Italy as we haven't seen anyone there in about 18 months.
It's hard to believe the school year's almost over. Today was the last day of regular classes at the Academic Bridge Program, too. Next week is finals week!
Busy weekend. Thursday evening we went to The Pearl to eat and, aside from the unusual customized cars waiting for valet parking, we were quite impressed. We had only driven around the exterior of The Pearl once way back in August when it was really too hot to get out of the car and do anything. So Thursday, after parking and walking to the interior, we weren't really prepared for what we found there: a gigantic promenade (we only walked half of it before we were exhausted and realized that we had to walk all the way back) encircling a harbor full of yachts, high-rise luxury accommodations (some buildings were still unfinished), lights, fountains, music, shops (many still unoccupied), restaurants (we ate at The Noodle House and were quite pleased on all accounts), cafés, and water taxis. It wasn't very crowded, but the restaurants were full. Vito was in heaven running up and down the exotic marble stairs and brick walkways and playing in the water. We didn't have our camera with us or we certainly would have taken some photos. In any event, we'll be returning there to discover more of the treasure.
Then on Friday night, we attended Doha's First Traditional Dhow Exhibition at Katara Cultural Village. There was much more traffic than we had anticipated, but that simply generated more excitement about the happenings. The exhibition was a display and events celebrating the old wooden Arabic boats that go by that name, and included food, artisans, and live music. People from many different Arab nations were in attendance, and, everywhere you looked, there were different groups of people wearing their traditional garments. The dhows were all anchored together close to shore, and visitors could actually board many of the vessels that were on display.
Later on the beach, we ran into an Italian couple we know and their kids amid all the mayhem and merry-making of the exhibition, and went with them for a gelato. The kids watched Tom and Jerry inside as the adults talked outside while the cars trundled past.
Doha City Center in the Background
Finally, today, while Angela was helping judge the Academic Bridge Program's debate competition, which was an all-day affair, Vito and I went to the Corniche to catch some of the hydroplane boat races that were taking place all weekend. Since we've been here in Doha, we hadn't really made time to stroll along the Corniche, which is a beautiful landscaped area along the bay here, so we were excited to find an opportunity to explore part of it. Unfortunately, after arriving, Vito vomited on me while we were waiting for the people that we were going to meet. That didn't deter me, however. A trip to the bathroom took care of most of the unsavory side effects and we stuck around to enjoy the rest of the afternoon.
We met one of my colleagues at the park there, a neighbor of his (they both had two kids), and while us fathers sat on the grass and talked, the kids played together. Vito seemed to recover enough to play a little. Soon, though, as helicopters got in position above the water, the hydroplane heats started, and we all moved closer to the water to get a better view. The races were fun to watch, and followed by the French Air Force aerobatic team.
So, there you have our weekend of water-centered activities. Back to work tomorrow. Counting the weeks until the Winter holiday. In the meantime, next week, Arabian Thanksgiving considerations?
Today, we were invited by some friends to go on an adventure with our kids to look for a desert rose, a kind of stone that forms its petalled appearance under the sand in certain places. After taking Vito to soccer practice and despite having a great deal of work to do to prepare for the onrushing semester, I threw caution to the wind and we all rode out into the desert together.
