Doha Travels

Salam-alaikam from Doha!

Max, Angie, Adrian and Nina arrived a couple of nights ago. They got over their jet lag pretty quickly, gave us their colds, and so we started our adventures.













Libby took us to visit the local souq (marketplace). Twisting cobbled passageways and pointed archways lead you through an incredible assortment of both antique Arabian artifacts and cheap crap from China.

































I'm not sure how half the structures remain standing here, but they do.

An unassuming little shop we popped into turned out to be a falconry. It's a popular sport here. There was a video loop showing the falcon hunting and killing another bird. These things are fast and deadly, and often worth incredible amounts of money.

I bought Jesse a robe, and myself a head covering (a dish-dash) like the man in the above picture is wearing. It really came in handy the next day when we drove out into the desert.

Yesterday, we rode out in a convoy with other Westerners to the inland sea. Driving in SUVs across the dunes was totally exhilarating and unlike anything else we had ever seen or experienced. We all took turns driving - I was pretty good too!

The dunes were beautiful.

The inland sea. The dunes just end at the sparkling turquoise water. Although it was cold and unrelentingly windy, Max went snorkeling. All he saw was a sunken SUV. Saudi Arabia is just across the water.

Today, we are driving across the country to the other coast to dig for 'desert roses' (crystals structures) and fossils. Yahoo!

Arrival

After 24 hours of travel, we arrived in Qatar around 10:30 last night.
Totally tired but very excited!
My Dad and Step-ma arranged to have an escort meet us at the airport.
While we (and others who had paid for the same service) sat in a glass enclosed
designer lounge drinking mini-cokes and popping roasted nuts, this lady took our passports and then sailed us past the waiting lines through Customs. Sweet.













It is wonderful to see my family again. They drove us back to their villa in the scary fashion that driving is accomplished here, stopping along the way to get a shawarma which from now on will be the benchmark I hold all shawarmas to. Ditto for the Indian meal we had tonight.
The food here is good.

Today Jesse and I slept in and had a leisurely cappucino filled morning chatting with the lovely Libby (Step-ma). At lunch we met my dad at a Lebanese restaurant.










We ate fresh grilled fish, just baked bread, lentil soup and salad. After dinner, we tried Turkish coffee. Jesse didn't know that the grounds settle to the bottom of the cup and are not meant to be ingested, and took a swig to finish the last bit. We all almost fell over laughing.













After lunch we went to the mall, as shopping is the national pastime. We wandered around,
mainly staring at the black shrouded women buying trendy and expensive European fashions to wear under their veils and robes.
A sand storm blew in this afternoon.













We drove home and settled in to relax with a movie and some
fine Indian cuisine. The rest of the party is being picked up at the
airport right now (my sister, brother and their partners). I can't wait!
We have plans to drive out to a desert cave tomorrow, and
visit a Souq. This might fulfill Jesse's trip requirements:
Find a scorpion
Buy and wear the regional male dress (a thobe).

I called home last night to say that we had arrived, and Violet was
doing really well. We are so lucky to have Oma, Grandpa and Aunt L
looking after the girl. I don't have to worry about her, so I can enjoy
myself here fully.

Hope you're all well!

Holla from the T dot

We hadn't been to Toronto in ages, so it's especially nice to be here.
Violet's main agenda since we've arrived is to not let Nana! out of her sight and to watch as much tv as possible.
As soon as we arrived, she was running ornaments to Nana! to help trim the tree.
I started to get that Christmas feeling about then.
























I've been so distracted with the adjustment to working and planning our trip that I haven't really thought about the holiday. We are also trying out a 'gift free' holiday, so no malls or shopping. As a side note, the gift free concept only works if you remember to tell everybody, otherwise there are awkward moments where you are explaining this great no-gift concept with a present in your hands.

Right now, Violet is carrying her new pink shoes around and saying "shoes! no no no no no". Yesterday we went to the shoe store, where UV started a meltdown when she tried some shoes on that lasted the whole walk home in my arms. It was weird.
I think it stems back from when I took her to buy shoes a day after her immunizations, and the clerk holding her foot still to measure her sasquatch sized feet was too much like being held down for a needle. So, the result is that she loves her beautiful shoes, and carries them around, but will not wear them.

This week has been a big one in terms of new tricks. Some highlights:
-Counting to ten. She has a little trouble with 3 and 4, but otherwise it's perfect.
-Finding a bobo on my hand and kissing it better
-Singing the theme song to "Elmo's World" perfectly
-Saying "thank you, mama" as I changed her diaper
-Picking up a piece of pita in one hand, a spreading knife in the other and daintily smearing dip on the pita. She put the spreader back, took a bite, and said "hummus!". It was hummus.













She also spent some time with her Great-Babcia


















It's been just me and UV so far, as Jesse has to work until the end of day Friday. I'm glad for the time it's just Mama and UV, but we are both looking forward to seeing Daddy this evening. I've been missing this handsome man and his sassy hair.

Opa

There are some people that you want your kid to especially appreciate. Jesse's grandfather, Opa, is one of those people. He has a young spirit and is remarkable spry, even in his 90's. He and Jesse's aunt came for a visit a couple of weekends ago.
Violet bonded instantly with her Great Opa - it was so fun to watch. He won her over right away by taking her picture, and then letting her see it on the screen. Three minutes later she was grabbing his hand and taking him to her room (yume!) to play. Quite the honour.
















UV had a good time with Aunt Rhea too!
She taught her some sort of nutty Dutch game
that Violet liked.










In other news:

The job's ok. I'm working for The Government. I certainly work with lovely people, but my days are nowhere near as fun as when it was me, Oma and UV just hangin' out. I only have a couple of days left before I'm on holidays though! We'll be in Toronto next week to visit Nana! and then...then...Jesse and I are off to Qatar for 12 days to visit my Dad and Stepmom. Eeep! UV is staying home with Oma, Grandpa and Aunt Lauren - her closest family after me and Jesse. I have ended any discussion of bringing her. I know it is possible, and single parents with 3 children under the age of 5 do it all the time, but we're not going to do it. I'm trying not to think of how much I am going to miss her, and just concentrate on the incredible experience we get to have.
Eeep!

A Christmas Party

Violet really enjoys going to Jesse's school for visits,
as there are usually 15 students crowded around
her at all times saying "aaaaawwww, she's so cute!"
Tonight we went for a sweet little Christmas party just
for the teachers' children. It was really fun.

The jazz band was in full swing when we got there.
Violet stood for a long time and stared, but then got into clapping and dancing.












I cannot resist a drumset (I was a drummer for
two days for a band called Satan's Child...but that
is a story for another day....Hi Mom!).
UV and the Mama Machine
rocked it out pretty hardcore.














She ran and ran and ran around the library.
AND THEN SANTA CAME!












In this picture, Santa is pointing at the only parents who forgot to bring a present for their child (for Santa to distribute). Violet received a present, despite our goof, because friends came to the party even without their niece (who couldn't make it because she was sick), and brought two presents anyway.
She was pretty unhappy
about the Santa situation
until he handed her the present.
Then she could have been
sitting on a bunch of snakes
and wouldn't of cared.












Thank you, S&E. She loved the monkey.
Lots of hugs and kisses for the monkey.




































After the Santa excitement wound down, Violet moved on to other pursuits.She got the concept of a chalkboard very quickly.












Tried to explain it to Jesse.












But that was tiring work.














She snuggled with her monkey all the way
home in the car.
N

Smile

I asked her to smile for the camera.