Doha: Almost Pretty

Qatar may not be known for its gorgeous landscapes, but I have now discovered that in fact, there are some pretty areas.

A few of us have dubbed Doha's new motto "Doha: It's almost pretty." There are drives along the corniche when the sun is rising and it is gorgeous. Sometimes you turn the bend and the lights of West Bay look amazing. But, then you turn your head and have a view of the huge National Museum construction or a huge lot of cranes and you're like "ohhh, nevermind." Doha is still building itself up so it seems to be trying very hard but it's not quite there yet. So, as I said- almost pretty. Read More...

A Little Family in the Desert

Living abroad has been relatively easy to adjust to. Doha is fairly modern and anything you need is easily accessible. I do have to say I was very naive before coming here and had no idea what I was getting myself into. Would there by cow's milk for my cereal? Was the water drinkable? 

I realize how stupid my questions about Doha are now that I have been here for eight months. Bringing my Pur water filter with me and recipes for breakfasts that are not cereal and milk were wasted. I sometimes forget that I live in the Middle East when I run to the mall to go to the grocery store and pick up some bath bubbles at Lush.

Truly, the hardest part of living abroad is the time difference. Read More...

From The Beach To The Backwaters

On the cab ride to our next hotel in Alleppey, I have never wished for a seat belt more. I have been trained since a child that the first thing you do when you get in a car is put on your seatbelt. Driving in Doha is not an safe nor easy feat and seat belt safety is not a huge thing. I constantly have to tell my students how important it is to wear your seatbelt but mostly get back a chorus of "they are yucky, I don't like."
Driving in India was even worse- in a different way. Lane dividers seemed to be a slight suggestion. I have seen drivers in Doha decide to just use the lane for oncoming traffic to further their place in the traffic, but only a few times. In India, it seemed like it was just a free for all. The car horn is also used as a "hey, heads up! I'm coming through!" signal, so when you are constantly in the other lane, it becomes a steady string of honks that eventually give you a headache.
While playing the ever fun game of "Spot the celebrity that is clearly not getting paid for this advertisement work" (which included a picture of Michael Jackson on a beauty salon sign- no joke), we wound our way through Kerala to Alleppey where the famed backwaters are located. We eventually made it alive and checked into our new hotel. Read More...

Surfing With A Little Soul

The best part about living in Doha is leaving.




...but not in a bad way.

Doha is still growing and although it isn't quite ready for the mass amount of people that live here, I do really like it. I like when I get to go out to breakfast or brunch at Jones and (sometimes) just wandering the malls with my friends. The rugby club is always fun and getting to watch friends sing on a Wednesday night is a good break to the week.
Even the long car rides aren't so bad when you have good music and good people in your passenger seat.

But, teaching abroad in a place that allows for easy travel and being able to take advantage of this is by far the number one benefit. I have been able to see things that there is no way I could afford to do if I was paying $2,000/ month for a closet in San Francisco. And although I do miss my family and friends and sometimes feel like their lives are continuing on while I am missing out (hello, engagements!!???), I know that what I experience here will continue with me for the rest of my life. 

After only three weeks of work after arriving back from South Africa, I got to set out on a plane to India! Read More...

The Last Days

After arriving back from shark diving, we took the opportunity to take a nap (much needed). After waking up, we ventured out and got one of the most amazing burgers ever just down the street from our hostel. After, we headed out on the back patio and drinking some of our Reyneke wine in cheap glasses from the communal kitchen. Early the next morning, we decided to take a drive down to Camp's Bay which we had heard from multiple sources was an amazing beach. Read More...

Cloud Porn

We headed back to Cape Town after finishing at Reyneke Wines. We quickly checked in to our hostel and had some lunch. We were staying at a hostel that had a bar and restaurant included downstairs so it was nice to get something quick and easy before our next excursion: Table Mountain! Read More...

Wine, Wine, and More Wine

We drove into Stellenbosch after checking out of our hostel in Cape Town. After dropping our bags off, we decided to walk around and explore. We hadn't done much research but we knew we needed to get some wine immediately. Read more...