Safe & Sound

In case any of you were wondering - we are safe despite the unrest everywhere else.

I thought I would post this article from the Huffington Post -"Qatar: Why Protests Won't Happen Here"

Also, we were fortunate enough to receive a very kind care package in the mail. Thank you (you know who you are) for the great magazines (I was in Rachel Ray withdrawl) and we really needed the Tim Horton's as well (supplies were critically low). When I read the lastest blog post "What are you packing?" from Shamozal it really explained why the items in the box were so needed.

The last update is that Big C is no longer employed by Sterling Water. It happened about a month ago now, they decided to part ways. The job was turning into something different than what C signed up for and it wasn't working for him or for the owner. He is looking for something new, taking it slow and weighing a few options in his mind. It isn't going to be about the first job that comes along this time. It has to be something that he wants to do and that will help him meet his futre career goals. Patience from all - me, family and friends is going to be needed. When he decides what he wants to do or finds the right job...he will let you know.

That's it for now! Hope everyone is well.

Lots going on...

Blog seems to have taken a bit of hiatus lately...lots going on really... and lots to blog about!

There was the day of protest that didn't happen in Qatar and the stuff that really is happening in Bahrain.

Casey isn't working anymore. We have visitors from Bahrain (escaping the "heat") and then we had respective boys nights and girls nights and are planning a Canadian style bash with the Canadians in Qatar.

Wow.

Hope to be back soon!

Friendships New & Old

I know an expat who made it just one year. The comment was later made that "Joe" was "never there" (in his expat country), his mind was back home and he "couldn't get over the fact that his friends' lives were moving on without him". I am not going to say that's how we feel, we knew people would carry on with things and we knew there would be many birthdays, weddings, hockey games, festivals, camping, dinner and just good old nights out on the town that we would miss. We were okay with that, even though it is hard. But we thought it would be easier to stay connected. The time difference gets in the way and well, "out of sight, out of mind"...

Most importantly, we thought it would be easier to make new friends. It hasn't been easy.

Now that I realize the effort to making new friends, I look back at our friendships back home and I have respect for the work that went into them and I realized how blessed we are to have some truly amazing friends. I have come to realize that friendships and time are precious and I am not prepared to lose those people from my life. So I am going to have step up the effort while balancing making new friends and new connections here.

Pictures from the Desert Classic

Entrance

McIlroy shaking hands with his partner on the 18th green
McIlroy

Woods & Garcia

Can't remember who this is...but was in the top 10.

View from the stands on the 18th hole

Garcia thinking.

Westwood in action

The first hole and the trophy

Woods warming up

Nadal, the Other Guy & the Boys in the Zorb

Pics of Federer & Tsonga - Jan 2011 Men's Tennis

Fabulous Fridays

Today was a fabulous Friday!

It started with us getting up early as Casey was going diving and I decided to make him a lunch since he makes me one every other day! Off he went at the very early hour of 7:15am. I had a wonderful lie-in. It was so nice to toss and turn with the whole bed to myself!

Then I woke up and had my usual Bailey's & coffee (just a splash and only on Fridays) and tried out my new yoga video. Did the warm up and the flexibility mini routine. It was a great way to start the morning. Breakfast, shower and got ready for the Friendship Festival at the American School.

I managed to make it to the American School all on my own! A big accomplishment for me because I really only drive 1) to work, 2) to City Centre Mall or 3) to MegaMart (for gluten free food). I still hate driving and I really hate driving to places that I haven't driven to on my own. But I was able to formulate a route that avoided most scary situations (Jaidah flyover, yields on 100km roads, etc).

Friendship Festival is a fundraiser for the American School with all kinds of booths, fundraising games (dunk tanks, etc) and my friend was playing in the Doha Community Orchestra so I watched that for a bit. Then I wandered the silent auction and managed to meet some really interesting people including a Canadian entrepreneur who is willing to sit down with C and I and tell us about what it was like to start a business in Qatar.

Then I came home and made WW "Rainbow Slaw" before going to meet two awesome new Canadian friends for a chat and some "Canadians in Qatar" business.

Finally, I made it home (and C was home from diving by now). Big C made homemade BBQ sauce (found a really good new recipe...best way for me to ensure gluten free is to make it ourselves!) and we are sharing a bottle of red after a yummy dinner.

Life is good!

We have lots to be thankful for and it is good to be reminded when the going gets tough with days like today.

Staying Focused...

When the going gets rough...there are two things that keep you going as an expat...money and travel. The tough part is balancing these two things.

So...we have started thinking about all the wonderful places we might be able to see this year...

1. Bahrain (friends of ours say it isn't nearly as bad as the media is making it out to be)
2. Oman (diving trip)
3. Seychelles
4. Istanbul
5. Russia
6. France

I will post the "Travel Bucket List" later, but we are thinking Bahrain for a weekend in April (it is a really short flight) and then Istanbul in early May.

Joy.