Epps in Qatar

It was her day.

2012-01-28T11:27:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday. And it was. The coldest, windiest day we have yet experienced in Doha. I wore a shirt, a sweater, a jacket... and bare feet. At one point, our pizza even flew away.

But it was her day. And she didn't care. In fact, she loved every minute of it.

Can you tell?

Final cake preparations the evening before were intense. I have realized that when it comes to moms, there are two very black and white camps in the world of birthday celebrations : those who love planning parties, making decorations, and organizing games and activities, and those who are stressed by every last detail, wishing they could sit back, put up their feet, and let all those in the first camp take care of the work.

Guess which side I belong to?

Putting on final touches before going out Friday night. She wanted a princess birthday cake, and I'll be damned if I wasn't going to make her one. Look at the intensity! The sheer focus!!

There she is, in all her glory. Kaiya helped me put on all the beads and sparkles in the end, but she definitely ate double the amount that actually made it on to the cake.

The actual party was simple. After all that cake stress, it's all this mama could muster. ;) We gathered at our favourite park, Dahl Al Hammam and watched the kids while they ate and played (and tried to keep all the food and presents from flying away.)

My favourite part was when we sang to Kaiya. We couldn't light the candles because of the wind, but oh how she loved being sung to! Just as everyone began singing, she stole me a look, placed her hand on my leg, and kept it there for the song. It was the best feeling in the world. Kind of an "I'm growing up, but I still need you" gesture. These sweet moments remind me why I'm so happy to be her mom.

All in a row, enjoying the cake.

Larissa and Caleb.

Sweet Adrian, her best boy buddy.

And Laura, Adrian's sister.

Playing in the sand with her best buddy, Kylee.

Hey you, what surprises do you have in store for your mom and dad this year? Will you continue to amaze us with your storytelling, with all the big words you pull out every day, with your amazing, booty-shaking dance moves? What will 4 be like? How will you grow and change?

"What's it REALLY Like?"

2012-01-23T13:16:00.000-05:00

I now know of three friends - three! - who are thinking of coming to Qatar. This excites me to no end. The thought of adding to the pals I have here with me to walk this leg of the journey with... wow. It would be a very good thing.

A question that has come up with these friends, as well as with many other followers of the blog is, "What's it really like?" This question always makes me laugh. Like, whaddaya mean? You don't believe all the happy, glamorous faces I post here on a weekly basis? But truth be told, as I look back over my posts since we've come here, much information is lacking. There's a lot of the usual family stuff, as well as our exciting little day trips, but actual info on daily life here, as well as info about Qatar in general? Kinda not so much.

I've wanted to do this, but life has been a tad overwhelming here, and time for pontification somewhat rare. Heck, I still haven't even written an entry on the college where I work, and I still haven't sent my mom and dad that picture of all three rows of seats in our Nissan.

So here we go. Little by little, I'm going to provide a bit of an education here. Don't expect amazing. I don't have time to do a ton of research. Honestly, it's going to be mainly my perspective as a white North American working mom. Anyone else you talk to might have a completely different take on some of these issues. But I'm all for spreading the word on how great I think this little-country-that-could is. I want people to know how safe it is, how amazing the weather is, and how great the job opportunities are.

And if I could sum up the best trait of Qatar, it would simply be this: its sense of optimism.

The economy is not falling apart here; it is thriving. There are jobs galore to be had... particularly in the oil and gas industry. However, Qatar is also aware of the finite resource that oil is, and so as a country, it is moving towards becoming a knowledge-based economy. Thus, if you are in the teaching field, it's kind of job heaven here. There is an overall sense here that the future is bright and can just get brighter. And I believe this is true. FIFA 2022 will do much to boost Qatar. Already, there are countless world-class events that take place in Doha... too many to keep up with. Sporting events, film festivals, concerts, motor shows, famous artists. It is truly an exciting time to live here.

For today, I'll leave you with some links to videos that have impressed me. I hope they help to convey some of the optimism in the air here. My personal favourite is the 60 Minutes segment that just aired last Sunday.

1. How to say "Qatar"
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504803_162-57359444-10391709/qatar-easy-for-you-to-say

2. 60 Minutes piece
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7395216n

3. A promotional video just a tad heavy on the promotion...
http://vimeo.com/33143072

4. This is an older 60 Minutes segment, still interesting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kU9gkmrmxg&feature=related

5. And this is part two of the older segment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huXgOqBsJLU&feature=related

(Huh, I didn't do too bad, now did I? You'd never know this has been my worst week of homesickness and culture shock, now would you?) ;)

Happy Birthday, Dave!

2012-01-21T13:41:00.001-05:00

Friday night, we were privileged to be a part of one friend's 50th birthday celebrations. A friend we figure Jeff has known for 20 years now, a man who has weaved in and out of our lives over the years, and who is becoming a more prominent part of it now... Dave Giesbrecht.

As many of you know, we ended up coming to Qatar with Dave and Tracie and Honour mostly by fluke. Dave and Jeff went to the same teaching abroad fair at Queen's, and when Dave's hopes for a job in Dubai didn't pan out, Jeff suggested Qatar. And by the end of the weekend, both of them had landed jobs at the very same school.

Friday night was a wonderful night, orchestrated by Tracie, the master finder of all fun things to do in Doha. We went to the Oryx Rotana, a hotel I had not even heard of, very close to the airport. It was a swanky evening, starting with wine at The Cellar, where we enjoyed live Latin music. As my last couple of posts have revealed, this past week was pretty up and down for me, and you could say the homesickness and culture shock have definitely been kicking in. Just five minutes before we stepped into The Cellar, I had been listing to Jeff some of the many things I was missing while living in Doha. And as soon as we stepped in the door, a good chunk of that list simply dropped away. It's amazing what live music, a warm, inviting atmosphere, and good company can do. Ya, and quality red wine never hurts...

Carlo and Lourdes

Darren and Larissa. I like the soft, fuzzy glow of this shot.

Dave, the birthday boy, and Tracie

I believe I was saying, "This is so fantastic! Just what I needed!!"

After our drinks, we headed over to the Jazz Lounge, where we enjoyed more live music (what a treat!!), more wine, and tapas.

I love how the bar and most of the tables were facing the stage. The music was no afterthought here. Fantastic band from South Africa.

Enjoying the tunes

Dave contemplating the meaning of "50." Actually, I think he was just texting someone...

Thank you Dave and Tracie, for a wonderful night out. I am not out of the homesick blahs yet, but this night was a good step in the right direction. We look forward to many more good times with all you folks.

And Dave, I hope this year brings you much joy as you continue to discover yourself in the land of sand and sun. God bless.

Now you're 4.

2012-01-17T14:44:00.001-05:00

Hello, Beautiful...

Your mama's been a weepy mess for three days straight. Last year's birthday letter came so easily to me, but I've been pondering this year's for days, weeks even, and I'm still struggling to string together the words.

Kaiya, I want to tell you right now:

You are loved. You are safe. You are secure.

When you walk into a room full of people, and you grimace and pull into me, and start licking your lips, a part of my heart breaks. Because I wonder, "Have I done this to you? Have I brought on this shyness by moving you here?" And I remind myself of my own awkward childhood shyness, and I pray that you, too, will find the courage deep within to keep putting one foot in front of the other to overcome it.

Because when you let go and let out that free, free spirit, my heart bursts with joy and your dad's bursts with pride, and we tell everyone stories about our singing and dancing girl who is ready to take on the world one exuberant shout at a time. Your love is big and strong and fierce and protective. And your silly jokes and dances light up every room you enter.

I'm so proud of you. I'm proud of how hard you have tried to take it all in stride this year, and I'm sorry for all the hard parts. The day we left Canada back in August, you were so excited for our new adventure. You insisted on pulling your own luggage, as you loudly declared to anyone who would listen that we were moving to Qatar. A fellow traveler winked at your dad and I saying, "Three going on fifteen, huh?" You sure were.

When we arrived in Doha, you excitedly pointed out the new sights and sounds. You were thrilled to go swimming every day, and you tried, oh you tried to be good while we dragged you through shopping malls those first few tiring weeks when you should have been sleeping in your bed. You are a bold and spunky trooper, yes you are.

I'm proud of the little cross-culture communicator you've become. When we were at the park last week, and I explained to you that the little boy who was playing with your sand toys couldn't speak English, you knew just what to do. Instead of yelling or grabbing back your toys, you quietly made eye contact, insistently pointed to your bucket and then pointed to yourself. He understood and gave it back, didn't he? And later, when I tried talking to him, you loudly reminded me, "Mom, he speaks Arabic! He doesn't know English."

You've taught me a lot this year. I've been stubborn, you get it from somewhere, but yes, I'm slowly learning. You're bringing out a gentler me, a me who's learning to give a little more, to slow down and play a little more, to love and hug instead of push away and discipline. Be patient with me hon, I'm still learning to listen to you, and I still worry too much about what everyone else thinks. But I promise to keep working on that, to keep softening my heart, and to keep putting you first.

I know I've said it before, but don't grow up too fast, okay? You don't need to play with the older kids, getting anxious as you try to impress them. You just be four, okay? And if that means you still want to suck your thumb and hold onto your blanket, that's just fine by me. You'll be off and running around with the neighbourhood kids before we all know it, so take your time. This turning 4 thing is a little tough on your mom, you know? You are most definitely a little girl now. So anytime you want those hugs and snuggles, you know where to find them.

Happy birthday, Kaiya bear.

Tonight

2012-01-15T12:48:00.001-05:00

To my faithful Niagara (and Winnipeg) followers:
(sorry for leaving out everyone else; I hope you'll understand...)

I miss you tonight.I miss the easy-breezy way we have with conversation. I miss the knowing looks, the inside jokes. I miss going to Starbucks, the Feathery, and Cat's Caboose with you. I miss the big backyard parties in the summer and the small, cozy get-togethers with blankets and tea during the winter months. I miss how we know each other. You know what pushes my buttons and I know what pushes yours. And we respect and we do our best not to judge. I miss the comfort in knowing that I don't have to impress you anymore. You like me, strangely, just the way I am. And I so miss you stopping by our place. So very much. Impromptu get-togethers that remind us how much we're loved.

But tonight, I'm missing you for Kaiya.

It's a delicate dance for me here, this blogging thing. I love writing; that much is a fact. But putting myself out there, for all to see, that's much more difficult. And being here, I have often wondered at which new path this blog will follow. I'm putting a brave face on for all of us, family and friends. It's a wonderful adventure here, full of amazing opportunity, but I'd be a full-out liar if I said it was all yippy-skippy happiness every day. There are struggles to be sure, just as there are struggles for all of you. But the distance makes those struggles trickier to explain and to navigate. I want you to know that ultimately, we're okay. Posts like this one will just make some of you sad, so that's why I simply can't do them often. I don't want to bring you down.

But tonight I miss you. I miss how you love us, and how you love Kaiya. She's turning four in just a couple days, and if we were in Niagara, there would be the "problem" of too many birthday celebrations, too much cake, too many presents. There would be grandmas and grandpas, aunties and uncles, and even more adopted aunties and uncles, all coming together to shower our girl with love. And as I lay beside her tonight, watching her fall asleep, I cried, missing all of you. Tuesday night will be quiet here, too quiet. We'll have dinner and cake and presents, but we'll miss the comings and goings of all of you. Saturday will be a happier day, with a small kids' party at the park and a pink princess cake, but Tuesday... Tuesday will be tricky.

Kaiya seems none the wiser. All she can talk about is her princess birthday cake. Every day I receive elaborate instructions from her on how to decorate it, what colour the icing should be. But my momma's heart is a little achy this week as I watch my not-so-little girl turn four, and I feel all the everything that goes along with that, and I miss the love and friendship and support of each...one...of...you.

Take care.

This post brought to you by... K-bear

2012-01-08T10:59:00.002-05:00

The Kaiya-ism of the day:

We were making cakes out of green and red playdough yesterday (thank you, Maria!), when Kaiya wiped at her teary eyes (she's sick with a cold). I said, "What's the matter, hon?" She responded, "Just sometimes I have some cry in my eyes." I said, "Oh, we usually call those tears." She stated, "Actually, they're cry-ness. I have some cry-ness in my eyes."

(Geek moment: The ESL teacher in me is amazed at how she recognizes that the suffix -ness is used in noun formation. I'll stop here before my sister throws eggs at me...)

***
And this is what happens when you give an art-happy almost-4-year-old a tile wall and endless amounts of paper and sticky tack:

The kitchen has always been my favourite room here, and now I like it even more.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-07T13:39:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I'm a little late, I know. But with flying back to Doha on the 2nd and then enduring haunting, ever-lingering jet lag since then, you could say I've been a bit ... brain dead.

I'm still brain dead, but work starts for me tomorrow, which may just lead to more of the same. So I figure if I'm going to get that "new year's" post out, it's kind of now or never.

We had a good night. My sister bought the tickets back in, oh, October? We went to John Michael's in Thorold, beside the detention center. Classy. No but really, it was. A massive antipasto buffet, and then dinner. And a midnight buffet, with fruit and pizza. And a complementary bottle of champagne at midnight. Yesssss!

We were excited (and no, silly, Kaiya didn't come with us):

Look at HER, please look at her. She's being cute; I'm just being ridiculous.

The dance was great. All the crappy pop music I have missed (sort of), with Pitbull appearing in like, every second song. Seriously North America? You've got to get over Pitbull. There is far greater talent in this world. (But ya, his tunes are pretty dance-able). The younger crowd (ie. our table, minus us) was mostly self-conscious, but the rest of us 30+ folks really just let loose. Even Jeff danced with me. All night. If standing and bobbing your head qualifies as dancing. (And in my world, it does.) According to Dustin, he "participated." :) Whatever, I was happy, over the moon even. I had a dancing partner all night!

I love this picture of my sister dancing. I hope she does too. Lovin' that free spirit!

Midnight came, and we got the whole bit: champagne, countdown, even balloons and confetti. We'd never been to a New Year's Party like this, and I'd have to say, it rocked.

We're back in Doha now, having survived a very long flight with too many crying infants. I'll philosophize on our return and how we're feeling in another post. For now, I just want to wish you and yours a fabulous 2012. I feel hopeful. I feel good. I think it's going to be a good year.

Cheers, my family and friends!

xo
Kathy

We're 'home'!

2012-01-03T17:02:00.001-05:00

Just so no one worries - we made it home! 22 hours of door to door traveling. I'm glad it's over, but now the three-year-old with jetlag syndrome sets in. Wish Kathy the best of luck the next two days as I struggle to stay awake in class - she has to deal with our sleep-deprived child.

We'll write once we get settled.

Good night (1 am and I get up for work at 5!)

Kaiya's Little Tribute

2011-12-19T09:46:00.002-05:00

Ya, you could say we're enjoying our time in Canada. :)

"It's really great!"

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

2011-12-15T06:32:00.000-05:00

I have not dared to wear the green sweater again. I am afraid of what might ensue. I was, however, winked at by another Qatari man on Saturday while grocery shopping. It seems the natives are friendly. I was wearing a red sweater at that time.

Interestingly, these winks never happen when I am in the company of my husband or my boisterous 3-year old.

No, the green sweater will not be accompanying us to Canada.

***

We've been getting into the Christmas spirit here. We bought a little tree (you can buy big ones too, don't worry) and even made our own dough ornaments this year.

I'm not the most relaxed person you'll ever meet (ahem). I'm not very good at sitting and playing. I'm generally just not very good at sitting and ... anything. But one category I excel in is moving and doing. So I'm so glad my daughter's now at the age where we can do fun things together. I can finally stop feeling guilty for not sitting on the floor and shaking a rattle in her face, or worse yet, playing My Little Pony with her.

I love her little hands. It's amazing to me how the feeling never goes away. When Kaiya was born, we took so much delight out of her little hands and fingers. We were thrilled every time her tiny, precious hand grabbed a hold of one of our fingers. And now, at almost four, I still feel the same. I still feel a rush of warmth every time she grabs my hand. I love that she gives me high fives, holds my hands to pray, and strokes my cheek to show tenderness.

And I am glad we share a love for working with our hands.

And Kaiya, in true taking-after-her-mommy fashion, takes all of her doing very seriously. She wants to do it all by herself, thank you very much, and she makes a mess, yes, but it's a fine mess, and she's happy to take responsibility for it, even if she doesn't really want to clean it up.

There's nothing quite like making Christmas ornaments in your ballerina tutu.

Thankfully, we were able to benefit from the assistance of our brand-new "movable stick," purchased just that morning. And yes, that's a clover, crescent moon, and cherry blossom. They happened to be beside the large star at Daiso, the Japanese dollar store, and Kaiya insisted. We've never really been traditionalists around here...

Our final product: a tree covered in dough ornaments, crafts from the winter carnival, and a few odds and ends. At one point Kaiya said, "Let's put a Canada flag at the top of the tree!" And we finally decided it was time to draw the line. I mean, seriously.

***

Every December, the college hosts a lovely Holiday dinner at the Diplomat's Club in Doha. We get treated to a buffet-style feast with all the fixings: turkey, mashed potatoes, salads, cranberry sauce, scrumptious desserts, and hummus and pitas. What? Not a Christmas standard? Yes, every single buffet I've attended here (and there have been many) has included hummus and pitas. Well, all but one. And I was really excited about that one.

There were two sittings for the dinner. We went to the afternoon one, as it was the one meant for families, complete with caroling, Santa, and goody bags. It was a great experience of barely contained chaos. Kids were running, screaming, having tantrums, and generally not cooperating. It was wonderful. When people asked me later what I thought of the dinner, my main response was, "It was so good to see that everyone's kids are like that. We're normal!"

Well, mostly normal. :)

These guys have become best buddies at daycare.

Out in the courtyard, trying to get some pictures. Gotta love the fakey-fake smile.

And with dad, shortly before things started falling apart...

And Santa... did Kaiya get to sit on Santa's lap? Well, yes, she did. But when we finally got to the man in red after having waited in a long line, Jeff was mysteriously absent. Turns out he was outside, busy photographing someone else's family. Has yet to live that one down. Luckily, a colleague's husband saved the day, managing this shot:

I don't know how he did it. Kaiya was sticking her tongue out most of the time!

At the Christmas dinner, I was hit, quite forcefully, with the realization that the Epps are NOT going to have a nice Christmas picture this year. In fact, we may not have a nice family picture any time in the foreseeable future. Kaiya is in the "catch me if you can" phase, and my smile somehow lacks any genuine flair as I try to gently yet forceably pin her to my lap. And Jeff? Well, we all know Jeff is a little photo-challenged. We're just happy if he manages to stay still. There's a reason he's usually the one behind the camera (HE said it, not me!!)

So I present to you our "Christmas photo." (And if this picture ends up on that "Awkward Family Photos" site, I will not be impressed.)

So here we go. I'm slightly frazzled and totally pre-occupied with last minute details. At 3:45am we will be boarding a flight to Dubai and then Toronto. You read that right. 3:45am. This will either turn out to be a really smart or really, really dumb move. I'm hoping to get in bed with Kaiya at 7:30 tonight for even just a few hours of sleep. We're really looking forward to being surrounded by close friends and family for the next two weeks. Especially friends and family who watch Kaiya for a few hours here and there while we nap... Got that? ;)

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Is it really December??

2011-12-12T11:16:00.003-05:00

Lest you think I've forgotten the blogging world, well, I haven't. I'm just getting silly excited over our trip to Canada, and most days my brain is in this awkward space somewhere between here and Niagara... possibly hovering above the Atlantic Ocean. You could say I'm feeling scattered... at best. And to think at work they're expecting some productivity out of me! Pshaw!

So in the spirit of being neither here nor there, I present to you a lot of pictures, and not so many words. Honestly, how many of you read my wonderfully thought-out stories, anyhow? I know how the Internet goes. Gloss over the pictures, and skim over the words. The carefully selected words. Sigh.... No matter.

Exhibit A: The Camel Races

We've only been once, but we're sure to go many more times. This little half-day trip rocked.

A trainer and his camel.

I love the angle and the colours of this shot.

Getting the camels ready for the race.

And they're off!

See that thing on his back? It's a robot jockey. The owners drive alongside the camels on a paved track, and they can control the jockeys remotely, making them whip those poor camels be-hinds!

We drove with all the owners on the outside track. Never seen so many Landcruisers all together. We were clearly expats in our Pathfinder. It was so exciting! I felt like we ourselves were in a race as we drove along with the camels. Many of the drivers honked their horns to encourage their camels to go faster. And yes, it was raining. Also very exciting.

The trainers are always ready to smile for the camera.

Exhibit B: The Horse Races

Our pictures for this event aren't nearly as fabulous, and for more (and better) commentary on the event, you should probably see Tracie's blog. (She also includes a picture with THE biggest Jeff-smile I've ever seen!) Qatar Foundation, Jeff's employer, invited us all out. Free popcorn, light boxed dinner, pony rides, and a chance to see beautiful Arabian horses race.

Kaiya has no fear, once again. My girl loves animals.

Funky lighting. The sun was setting, but the lights were so bright it was like daytime. And notice the - GASP! - sweaters! Yes, it was cool.

They brought the horses around for us to check out each time before the races began. No betting though. Not allowed.

I was going to give you exhibits C, D, and E, but I think I'll save them for one more post... our last one before coming back to Canada for Christmas.

As usual, your comments and questions are more than welcome. Share the love, share the love.

Just a few more days, and I'll be done my swim through the Atlantic Ocean. :)

Florence

2011-11-30T13:22:00.052-05:00

It is my turn. I was the one who went to Europe for a long weekend. I was the one who's company paid for it all. I was the one who had the freedom five days without a three-year-old provides. I was the one who got to meet up with Andrew and Emma so far from home. I was the one who spent time in the birthplace of the renaissance. I was the one who got to see Ponte Vecchio and the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. And in the end - I got to take the pictures.
I usually get to take the pictures.
So when I came home from Italy, I got to work choosing and editing photos. Once I was done editing the photos, I exported them to the appropriate folder and waited.
I usually get to take the pictures. But Kathy usually does the writing. My waiting was in vain. I just have to write this one myself - I was the only one who went.
And I was the one who took the pictures...

So if you haven't heard, I went to Florence, Italy last weekend for a conference put on by the International Baccalaureate Organization. My school in Qatar sent me. And Andrew and Emma (who were and are backpacking around Europe) managed to make their way over to Florence to take advantage of my company's generous per diems.

The short version is: Europe is great to take pictures of.

The longer version includes stories of having very little daylight hours to explore the city because of my workshop schedule, meeting Andrew and Emma at my hotel at 10:30pm the first evening after not even knowing if they were going to make it out of Greece, getting minuscule amounts of sleep because "you're only in Florence once", going out for pizza, pasta, and wine every night I was there, and desperately trying to get good pictures without having any daylight.

The short version concludes the same way the long version does: I loved it. I texted Kathy after the second day simply, "I could live here!"

So enough said. Here are some pictures from my three days in Florence, Italy:

florence, italy, originally uploaded by Jeff Epp.

restaurant in florence, italy, originally uploaded by Jeff Epp.

pillar, florence, italy, originally uploaded by Jeff Epp.

ponte vecchio, florence, italy, originally uploaded by Jeff Epp.

The Green Sweater

2011-11-27T04:20:00.005-05:00

I'm wearing an Unremarkable green sweater today. Very conservative and boring. The kind with one of those fake white shirt collars that you annoyingly have to iron every time you wash it. I bought this Unremarkable sweater at Cosco, I kid you not, close to two years ago. It's the kind of sweater my sister would make fun of, telling me I need to find some more fashionable places to shop. And well, she's right.

But the sweater is starting to make me wonder. I have worn it to work twice so far. The first time, one of my male colleagues noticed it, saying he wishes he could wear sweaters to work (it's shirt and tie for the men here), and one of my female colleagues, whose tastes are far more high-fashion than mine, commented on how well the colour suits me. Hm.

Today is the second time I've worn the sweater. In my first class, one of my 19-year old students complimented me. I mean, I almost fell over. "What did you say, Hamad? You like my sweater? You think I look nice today? You're actually noticing me beyond asking me when class is finally going to be finished???" (He must be looking for a higher mark).

And then, I slipped out to Landmark to buy a few supplies for class tomorrow. On my way out of the mall, I treated myself to a "take-away" coffee. As I sat and waited for my coffee to be prepared, I felt the glances (stares) of three significantly older Qatari men who were sitting next to me. I hesitantly looked their way, and the oldest one WINKED at me. I did a bit of a double take, but there was no mistaking it. He had winked. At me. Let me tell you, there has never been a longer wait for a cup of coffee. I just sat there, no books to bury my nose into, and a dead mobile, so I couldn't even feign texting someone (although I should have). I resorted to sheepishly playing with my coffee receipt, folding it over and over again, ever so slowly and precisely.

Finally the barista yelled, "Number 51!" As I grabbed my coffee and booked it out of there, I nodded politely at the three men. Each of them smiled and said, "Ciao." I've hardly received so much as a nod from a Qatari man until today, and now this?

The green sweater has had its day.

I can't help but wonder...what will happen the next time I wear it???

The Last of our Eid Posts

2011-11-22T13:24:00.003-05:00

Ahhhh.... I am enjoying a much-needed evening of ME time. Jeff was gone in Florence, Italy for a conference for 5 days. He is now officially MYP certified, which means a lot in the world of international schools, but sadly, not so much in Ontario schools. The first of many, many, many discrepancies. But I digress...

Kaiya and I held the fort pretty well, but oh, were we happy to see daddy again. Last night, Kaiya spent over an hour in full concentration making him three different cards to welcome him home. She dictated to me what to write (in dot style), and then she traced each and every letter perfectly. I'm in awe of her developing mind and focus. Then she asked me for a plate, which she traced, and then drew a hilarious face inside of. (Apparently she learned this skill from the "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse," one of her favourite TV shows here.) She wasn't initially impressed by his gifts of string bracelets and a purple leather belt. Thank God he bought the little Pinocchio whistle in the airport! And then, she asked him to tell her the Pinocchio story over and over again as she fell asleep with him snuggled in beside her in her bed.

Life can be so good and sweet and simple when you're three years old.

I have so many thoughts to report and share, but I am well overdue for our last Eid post. So the deeper (and not so deep) thoughts will have to wait for now. I uploaded these photos over a week ago. It's time to get them out to you!

Our last two big events during Eid were seeing the light show and fireworks at Katara, and joining some of my college colleagues on a dhow trip. The fireworks happened Wednesday night; the dhow trip Thursday night. But I'm going to choose to believe the opposite. Because really, the fireworks were an absolutely perfect end to a busy, fun-filled week. So let's just pretend that that's what happened, okay? Because truth be told, we were kind of burned out by the time we went on the dhow trip (shhhh! Don't tell!)

The Dhow Trip

A dhow is a traditional, wooden boat, used in the past for fishing and pearl diving, but mostly used now for tourism. Last weekend, while Jeff was away, Kaiya and I went to the first dhow exhibition at Katara, and let me tell you, these boats can be a thing of beauty, with intricately carved wood benches covered in beautifully designed cushions.

During our Eid week, Chad, another newbie at the college I've bonded with, kindly invited our family to join his and a few others on a dhow cruise hosted by Qatar International Adventures. The cruise we chose took us past Doha's fantastic West Bay skyline and to Al Safliya island, including "watersports" (a couple of jet skis and a banana boat), and a BBQ dinner. By Doha standards, it was cool and windy that day, and I was feeling particularly wimpy, so I chose to stay on board, apart from my brief motorboat ride to the island (which is a bare stretch of hard sand). But as you'll see below, Kaiya and Jeff were a little more adventurous.

The dhow had two levels. This is up on top. Kaiya kept singing the theme song for "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" while she "steered" our ship.

The banana boat was very popular. Even though it was still on the dhow, no one could wait to get on!

Another dhow with the West Bay in the background.

No fear whatsoever. She was all smiles the whole time.

Seriously... LOOK at that smile! Have you ever seen anyone happier?

I had to include this... she just looks so "old" here...

Jeff took a number of sunset pictures. This was his favourite one.

The Katara Fireworks

Our grand finale to the week... you're all still playing along with me, right? ... was the light show and firework display at Katara. We have been to Katara more times now than I can remember, more than Souq Waqif, which I thought would for sure be our favourite haunt (it still has potential to be, mind you.) Katara never disappoints. Every single time we have gone, we have been amazed. The beautiful buildings, the stone walkways, the beach, the merchants, the pockets of live music and dance, the amazing and expensive restaurants placed in and amongst the cheap but equally good "street" vendors.... this is what I dream Qatar will one day have more of. These give me my necessary and regular cultural fix. Mmmhm!

For four nights in a row, there were Eid celebrations at Katara. We managed to just squeeze them in on their last night. And by chance, we also managed to meet up with Dave and Tracie and Honour. The lightshow was impressive. Two screens were set up, depicting the history of Qatar. It was all in Arabic, so we couldn't really understand a thing, but the pictures gave us an idea. At the same time, there were different coloured laser lights shooting out and up into the sky. This show was then followed by 30 minutes of fireworks, all set to soul-stirring music. The fireworks were amazing... a bit much, really! Think of the "grand finale" of fireworks in Canada... this was 30 minutes of grand finale.

We all stood on a bench, with a fantastic view of the night show. As the show went on in front of my eyes, I got to feeling sentimental, remembering the last time we watched fireworks with friends. It was this past Canada Day, one of our favourite family memories of all time. We ended the evening at Fort George with Rose, Nathan, Sue and Brent. On my desk in my office, I have the picture of all of us, looking extremely Canadian with our Canada t-shirts and our Tim Horton's cups in our hands. Kaiya was so mind-blown by all the events of the day and the fireworks at night ... she was a complete chatterbox. "This is such amazing!!!" she kept repeating again and again. She told us that it was the best day of her whole life.

I stood at Katara with the Giesbrechts, remembering that night, feeling the music around me, watching the lights explode in front of me, and when I saw the sets of three orange fireworks, each shooting off in different directions, I got teary-eyed. Here we are, having left many of you, firing off in our own, unique direction. And though it was time for us to go and follow the path we've been given, I wonder about you daily and the paths you are on. I have been impressed, once again in our time here, by how large and how very small our beautiful world is, all at the same time. We are no longer a part of your daily lives, your comings and goings, and yet at any time we wish, we can tap in, connect, and be a part of your path for a little while. This life is so rich and so fragile, and I'm so thankful for this opportunity to drink it deeply.

It was a wonderful night.

Enjoying the light show

Jeff's favourite... it's so sparkly!

The 30-minute grand finale

We have another great week and weekend of activities lined up, including a female-only Wanasa night at the college for me tomorrow. And in three weeks and three days, we'll be Ontario-bound, home for Christmas to see the ones we love the most.

Life is good.

Parks and Pools and Sweet Little Girlfriends

2011-11-14T13:17:00.001-05:00

Today is not a very good day. Yep, after 11 sweet days off, we were back to work. And the harshness of life over here came crashing down on me... at about 3:30am. That's when Kaiya decided she wanted to be awake. While she was very sweet, talking with me and cuddling me, and telling me she loved me, she did not fall asleep again till about 5. I tried to sleep beside her, but I was stressed, mulling over the pros and cons of life here, and worrying about my first drive in to work (my first drive in to work!!!!! I've joined the crazies on the road now!!!)

5:30 came quickly, and I got up, gritting my teeth and telling myself over and over, "You can do this. It's just one day." And I did it. (And rocked the roundabouts, I gotta say...) But it was stressful. The early mornings, the rush into traffic and to daycare... they are always stressful. And I get to missing home and what we left... and I'm not going to say anymore. Because I have in fact been up since 3:30 this morning, and I've promised to give life here a year before evaluating it too much, 'cause God knows we would have booted out of Canada if we had not committed to that first year, and I risk becoming an overly sentimental pile of mush if I don't stop right now.

Anyone else notice my overuse of italics when I'm tired?

So what I really wanted to share with you was more of last week. Because it was such a sweet week, and a wonderful reprieve from what is kind of a hectic life here. Yes, we had a few major day trips. But we also took the time to explore some of Doha's wonderful parks (and to go back to the Intercontinental). I've said it before, and I'll say it again: having a 3-year old changes things. In the past, we would have been quick to get the heck out of the country for a holiday, but this past week we were quite content to take our time settling in, exploring Doha, and making new friends. I'm so glad we did.

Here's more pictures of the fun:

Seriously, is this not a postcard? This is either Al Bidda or Al Rumaila Park. I'm not quite sure. But it has very much of an "in the middle of the city" feel. I loved it. It was huge, with many different parts... playgrounds, shaded spots, shops... I absolutely loved the view of the West Bay and the Corniche.

Kaiya and I lounging in the park, finishing off our bag of popcorn.

***

One of the daycare moms very kindly organized a playdate at Dahl Al Hammam Park, our favourite park. It's the best, because it's HUGE, with an amazing amount of greenspace, and a fantastic playground (and a fenced-off cave that I think we Epps need to look into). It attracts expats and Qataris alike, and it's super close to our house, and on the way home from Kaiya's daycare.

Anyhow, Dia's mom organized a little Eid get-together, saying it would be a good chance for the parents to meet and "break the ice" and for the kids to play together. Only four families ended up showing up, but it was a treat to see these girls play together. I love watching Kaiya make little 3-year old friends.

They tossed around and chased this ball for a bit...

...until they realized it would be much more fun to tackle Dia's mom.

The group of us at the park. This was the day I got downright cold once the sun set!

***

And finally, we spent another day at the Intercontinental Hotel. We went with Kylee (our daycare/trick-or-treating friend) and Katie. These girls had so much fun together! It really warmed my mama heart to see these friendships forming.

One of my favourite pictures right now. It's on our fridge.

Katie had to go, but Kylee and Kaiya just kept on playing.

I could eat these two right up!!

And then the two adventurous girls went kayaking on their own. HA. Kylee's dad is there with them, promise!

Four weeks and four days till we're home for Christmas!! Four weeks and four days! (oops, there go those italics again.)

We are settling in, bit by bit, but we are SO excited to see family and friends over the holidays again.

Love to you all. It's to bed I now go.

Our Trip to the Inland Sea

2011-11-11T15:40:00.001-05:00

The weather has changed here. Suddenly, the nights are cool, and we're donning sweaters I was beginning to think we would never don. Although daytime temps are still in the 20s, when it gets to around sunset, if I'm still in a t-shirt, I actually start getting goosebumps. It's downright embarrassing. Am I really Canadian? A woman we met at the park who's lived in the Middle East for many years said it like this: "If you think of the 50 degree weather we were living in, 20 degrees is quite a drop! So it makes sense we feel cold. " Um, ya, I guess... but I still feel like a wimp.

I hear it's going to get hotter again this weekend, but for now we've really been loving Doha's "winter" temps. These temps were brought on by an equally surprising but welcomed occurrence: RAIN. Yes, Monday morning we awoke to the sound of rain drops. Our first Doha rain. Jeff was so excited he moved the truck out to get it "washed" (wishful thinking) and took some pictures. Look at that: real rain drops.

The rain was exciting except for one fact: we had planned a trip to the Inland Sea that day. But really... rain schmain. We weren't about to be deterred. So around 9am, we set off for our meeting point: Sealine Resort, where we would meet up with the three other vehicles that would be part of our caravan for the day.

Sealine Resort, just under an hour south of Doha, is the point at which the road ends. Everyone driving to the Inland Sea pulls off to the side of the road at this point, deflates their tires, and then stands around for awhile till someone in the group deems it's time to go. Then we all pile into our vehicles and head into the desert. There are no marked roads, but there are more and less commonly used routes. For the most part, we followed the "salt road." It's flat and feels like a paved road, but it's salt. Yes. And at other times, we hit a few of the gentler dunes. Just enough to get one of us stuck. It took us about another hour to get to our destination.

For your information, I found this little bit of information from the Qatar Tourism Authority:

Khor Al Adaid (80 km south from Doha)Also known as the Inland Sea, this breathtakingly beautiful area, surrounded by crescent-shaped sand dunes, is one of Qatar’s finest treasures and a prime tourism asset. A shallow tidal lake with a narrow outlet to the sea, the many-lobed Khor Al Adaid lies between Qatar and Saudi Arabia and has shores in each country.
Four-wheel-drive vehicles are necessary and only experienced drivers should attempt the journey.

And for your viewing pleasure, I have a rare treat for you... corny videos narrated by yours truly. I promise, each one is short... a minute or so. And yes, they are slightly lame... but maybe they'll give you a better sense of what the day was like. If nothing else, they will make you smile and remember us Epps a little better. Enjoy!

Video #1: Getting Ready at Sealine Resort

Video #2: Going to see the camels (please insert the phrase "dune buggy" where needed. Honestly, I can't believe I forgot the word "dune buggy!")

And in case you're curious about the camels we saw, here's a picture:

Video #3: Here we go!

Video #4: Stuck Vehicle

Here's Kaiya just before we climbed the dune to where Tom's vehicle was stuck:

Video #5: Getting Unstuck

And finally, some pictures of our time at the Sea. We stayed till around 2:30, wanting to make sure we were back well before sunset. But till then, we enjoyed swimming, picnicking, collecting shells, watching fish, and just hanging around. The way back was crazy busy, with loads of Qataris coming in to spend the night.

We stopped to help someone with a flat tire.

Kaiya has loved each of our day trips. She still is crazy about water.

Looking around for seashells.

Enjoying the shallow water.

Many Qataris camp throughout the winter... in style, with air conditioners, lights, running water...

Enjoying lunch

Kaiya and Jeff spent most of the afternoon swimming, while I went for a nice, long walk along the shoreline.

It was a really great experience to go off-roading, but I think next time we'll overnight it with an organized tour. That way we can leave the preparations to someone else, and stay to enjoy the beautiful Qatari sunset.

There are just too many great pictures! ... the Singing Dunes

2011-11-06T14:54:00.001-05:00

Our Eid break is shaping up to be something pretty amazing. I still have pictures to upload from yesterday evening's trip to the Souq, and this morning's outing to Al Bidda Park. But for now I'm pretty stinking overwhelmed by the beauty of these shots from this afternoon's trip to the Singing Sand Dunes. Thank you, Mr. Jeff Epp. You did a fiiiiiiine job.

The Singing Dunes are located about 40 kilometers southwest of Doha. Darren and Larissa kindly offered to lead the way there this afternoon. Word got out, and before you knew it, there were six vehicles in our caravan. We left at 2:30 in order to escape most of the day's heat and sun, and packed a picnic dinner to enjoy at the bottom of the dunes. Here's all the cars, and most of the people:

As soon as we hopped out of the car, Kaiya was crazy excited. I mean, it was the biggest sandbox she had seen in her LIFE! We hurriedly joined our friends on the steep climb up the dunes.

The idea's pretty simple, really. Climb up the dune and then scootch down on your butt. But the cool thing is, when you do it, the dunes "sing." Get it? "Singing Dunes?" Ya.

But I'm serious. When you scootch down, there's this weird low vibration that you can both hear and feel. It's wild! And a little disconcerting, really. To think that your butt can cause so much action. Jeff thought at first it was a distant airplane. But no, it was the dunes. And the butts. Here's a picture depicting the scootch (and all of us going "wow... do you hear that??)

Kaiya wasn't sure at first, I think mostly because Caleb (Darren and Larissa's one and a half year old son) cried while him and daddy were going down. But soon she was sold. We went down together at least three times, with me half dragging her back up each time.

And yes, we all showered when we got home. There was sand everywhere.

I simply couldn't choose from amongst all the photos. I admit, I'm a very bad editor of my husband's work. So enjoy! I don't have a lot to say, except that it was pretty much a perfect afternoon: friends, food, perfect weather, a great location, and an escape from the crowds and noise of Doha. We'll be back.

You can see how the wind was blowing the sand.

Feeling on top of the world.

It was a long way up.

You could also kick or run your way down. That's what Jeff chose to do.

WOW!

Little girl who just can't get enough.

Tracie and I gabbing through the sunset.

You can be sure this will be on the list of things to do if any of you come to visit.

Tomorrow, it's a trip to the Inland Sea with a family Jeff works with. Take care, and good night!

Halloween, Qatar/Canada Style

2011-11-05T15:48:00.003-04:00

Some friends have asked if we got to celebrate Halloween here, and the answer is, oh yes, and in a BIG way! Halloween is not celebrated by Qataris, no, but with such a large expat community, you can find Halloween events going on all around Doha through the month of October. In addition, a lot of daycares and schools put on Halloween parties and such. For us, the highlight was definitely going to AJ 1 for trick-or-treating. The college puts families up in one of three compounds, all around the corner from each other: Al Jazeeraland 1, 2, and 3. AJ for short. AJ 1 is the biggest of the three compounds, with over 100 villas. And since the compound is full of Canadian families, Halloween is a pretty big deal there. We drove in to find crowds and crowds of kids and parents strolling the streets, large bags of loot in hand. It was a really fun night. Many villas were lit up and decorated, and the adults took the night as a great excuse to sit outside and enjoy a cool one. Here are some pics from the night...

Kaiya and I, right before we headed out. She made the hat at daycare, and insisted on wearing it all night.

We went along with Kylee and her parents who work at the college. Kaiya and Kylee are in the same class at daycare.

Waiting for loot. Notice the Canadian flag??

She was pretty excited about this one...

We only live about a 5-minute drive away, but she was out immediately. And yes, we have a HOT PINK car seat. You got somethin' to say about that??

Kaiya was of course a princess. We want to get as much mileage out of her flower girl dress as possible, and Jeff, being the sucker daddy that he is, went and bought her a pair of wings and a wand from H & M before we left Canada. So it was perfect.

Good morning!

2011-11-04T04:54:00.002-04:00

The house is filled with quiet music, the window’s open, and I can hear echoes of the call to prayer in the distance. Toys and sand and other evidences of last night’s party are all over the floor, and all is well.

Jeff and Kaiya are out with some neighbourhood kids, riding the purple bike that arrived from Canada this week, Mamma Bear got 10 hours of sleep last night, and the peace I’ve been looking for is finally here.

It helps that it’s Eid, and we get a full week of holiday now, together. We can finally get off the speeding treadmill we’ve all been on since the end of August and just be together and relax. A lot of plans are up this week, so you can be sure that a lot of blog posts will be following. But for now, I’m just so happy for the calm that is here. I’m not frenetically picking up toys or making plans. I’m good with leaving all the crap all over the floor and just enjoying the peace of the morning. This is honestly the longest time I’ve sat still and in my pajamas in all the time we’ve been here.

Last night was SO GREAT. We had our first party, inviting many families from Jeff’s work. I spent a couple hours sweeping up the sand pit that is our back yard, and setting up our new patio furniture. And then the people came. We don’t have a single stinking picture from the night, but that’s okay. Kaiya played all night with the kids, and we got to enjoy adult company. Real, live conversations! I think all three of us needed this. A house full of people. This morning, it feels a little more like home. Even One-Eyed Pirate is content, lounging on one of the chair cushions.

We are slowly making the shift from survival mode into day-to-day living. Survival mode was not very fun. The daily exhaustion I felt was numbing. I think it’s safe to say that I really carry my emotions physically. I know the shift is happening because for the past two weeks, I have felt rested. Five-thirty in the morning no longer feels like it’s of the devil.

Watching Kaiya start to settle into new friendships probably warms my heart the most. Did you see what I wrote above? Jeff and Kaiya are out with some neighbourhood kids. That’s right. There is a little gang of under five year olds that are riding their bikes and playing together. These little things are the most important to me. Yes, we may be living in a somewhat exotic locale, and our pictures might look amazingly foreign to you, but ultimately, we Epps haven’t changed. Same hopes, same dreams, same fears. Your presence in our lives, your emails, phonecalls, Facebook notes, and comments on the blog are very important to us. We are still struggling sometimes to articulate LIFE here… the joys and the struggles. Some of that is because we have just been so focused on managing the day to day. But as we gain more and more breathing space, I hope to convey more of that to you, in as honest a way as I can.

For now, I guess I just wanted to say a heartfelt “hello.” I’m here right now. Fully here, fully present. And I’m hoping to inhabit this space a little more from now on. My soul has been hungry for it. It’s good to be back.

Doha Delivers

2011-11-03T01:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, as I was unpacking the big and beautiful boxes that finally arrived from Canada, I experienced a weird glitch in my matrix. One item I had packed was a small but beautiful Japanese calendar, covered in delicate illustrations depicting the changing weather and seasons from month to month. There it was, open to August. Hot, sunny, glowing August, illustrated with bright and sparkling colours. I flipped the pages to November where I found drawings of falling leaves in duller brown hues. And for the first time (a little slow on the uptake, yes) I was really hit by the different climate we're now living in. I stared at that calendar, imagining the November I remember of Canada, filled with cooling temperatures, frosty mornings, warm sweaters, the hum of the heater, and cups of hot tea. And then I looked up and out our (open) window to see the ever-present sun, the sand, and to hear the sounds of Kaiya riding around the compound on her bike (while wearing a skirt & a t-shirt, of course). And my mind had trouble making the proper connections. It hasn't been that strange to me yet. September and October still see their share of warm, sunny days in Canada. But let's face it... it's November now, and you guys are in for it. And while I sometimes wish I could snuggle into a warm sweater, that desire passes quickly as I remember the gray skies and the months of constantly feeling chilled. It may feel a little surreal, but I'll gladly embrace the heat and sun while I can!

So in the spirit of heat and sun, I present to you some pictures from last Friday... Family Day at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival.

Doha rocked it big time at this Festival. Things can be a little, shall we say... disorganized (?) here at the best of times, but Family Day was second to none. It was held at Katara, which has quickly become one of our favourite places to hang out, with its traditional-style buildings, pedestrian-only walkways, and of course, proximity to the beach. We received a little DTFF "passport" where we got stamps for every activity Kaiya participated in. There were eight, and if you completed them all, you won some sort of a prize (we never made it that far). First things first, Kaiya got herself a little kite. There were kites all over the place, and there were even guys on jet skis flying kites. It was really great.

The place was swarming with people, including famous ones like Robin Williams and Antonio Banderas. But we weren't really there for the movies or the fame. We were just there for the fun.

.... and for the popcorn. Kaiya finished most of this one off by herself!

She went straight for the princess one. Are we surprised? No. Candice, she still always quotes what you wrote in the "Little Miss Princess" book. "Candice says that I'm a true princess." (!)

There were all kinds of free, live performances. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see any of the big ones, held in the open air theatres, because we were kind of crunched for time, with a Halloween party to get to after. But we saw this whirling dervish. He must have spun for about 15 minutes. And then walked a straight line to get off the stage. Crazy!

A Qatari woman gave me my first henna. It's still wet in this picture. You wait about 30 minutes for it to dry, and then you can wash it off. It's starting to fade from my hands now, after having it for about a week. Jeff wanted to take pictures of the process, but the woman asked him not to.

Some of the beautiful buildings:

This was definitely one of our best days out yet. Kaiya had her face painted, got a little kite, decorated a mask, read and created some books, and we all enjoyed the people and the culture. Thank you, Doha, for showing us a good time.

To All Lovers of Cats

2011-11-02T04:24:00.000-04:00

You need not fear anymore. Palm Spring Compound cats will no longer be fed milk. At least, not at villa number 4. Cats are lactose intolerant. You have spoken (some privately... J*n), and I have heard.

We wouldn't want One-Eyed Pirate to suffer from cramping and bloating. My side of the family understands cramping and bloating well, oh yes we do, and we would not want to inflict such discomfort on any other living thing.

Thank you for the education. We value your comments! ;)

Updates (along with some frustrations...)

2011-11-01T14:32:00.003-04:00

Tonight is probably not the night I should be blogging. Tonight, after spending 3 hours out, most of it on the road, about 45 minutes of it in a crummy little food court in some forgettable shopping center. Hours of sitting in traffic. The goal was simple really. Our first trip to QDC (Qatar Distribution Center) to get alcohol. Alcohol is highly controlled here, as would be expected in a Muslim country. In all of Qatar, there is one place to buy alcohol. And to buy the alcohol, you need a "no objection letter" from your employer, which also includes a statement of your salary. Apparently, the amount of alcohol you can buy depends on how much money you are making.

We're having some folks from Jeff's work over this Thursday, so we thought it was time to finally make the drive. We had heard it was rough, and so we went prepared. Lots of snacks and drinks and colouring books for Kaiya. But it was more than rough. Waits for roundabouts were half a kilometer long, and the drivers were ready to display their aggression. After one wrong turn, we were pretty much messed. In this land of roundabouts, you can't make left turns. No, no. Instead, if your destination is on the left side of the road, you have to first pass by it, get to the next roundabout, make a u-turn, and then come back to it. When the traffic is bad, this process is downright painful.

Let's just say more than one u-turn was made tonight. We were about ready to abandon our mission. But seeing my worsening mood, Jeff soldiered on. We are going to the **** store, yes we are! And just as we were about to turn in to the road leading to the store, we looked at one another and realized we had left the "no objection letter" at home.

Insert cartoon sketch of smoke rising from my head. It was definitely a "Doha Day." That expression, let me tell you, is far too mild. But it will have to do for this very public blog.

So as I was saying, tonight might not be the best night for me to be blogging. But I miss you all. So here are some quick updates:

1. Our stove-top is back!! It's actually been back for about 2 weeks. I was hoping to include a lovely picture here, but that will have to wait. I'm just so happy to not have a hole in our countertop anymore, and to not have to maneuver around an extra appliance in the middle of our kitchen.

2. The only thing broken in our villa right now is our kitchen faucet. It works, but it's so loose the whole thing is going to pop right off one day, I swear. But it could be worse... our neighbours had their upstairs bum washer (what else do you call a spray hose that is placed next to the toilet?) explode and flood the entire upstairs. All their flooring had to be ripped out. We're more than happy with a broken faucet.

3. Jeff, poor Jeff, is being forced to go to Florence, Italy for five days of PD in November. I feel so sorry for him I could throttle him. Wait, that didn't come out right, did it?

4. Our Eid break is starting... very soon!! Jeff is off tomorrow at noon, and I'll be finishing up on Thursday. Then we get a full week off. We were going to go to Greece for the week, but for a variety of reasons, we're not. But that's okay. It'll be good to spend a week here, settling in more, and hopefully making our place a little more homey. It turns out we know a lot of people staying for the week, so there are already lots of plans in the works for day trips. Stay tuned...

5. Oh ya... I got my residence permit!!!! This means... a lot. I can leave the country for travel now. And I can go and get my driver's license and join all the crazies on the road. And I can finally be medically insured. And we can start getting coverage for Kaiya's daycare. It's a beautiful thing.

6. And finally, we seem to have kind of adopted this cat. Doha has strays everywhere. But this one-eyed pirate (Kaiya's name for him) is sweeter than the average stray. He sneaks into our backyard whenever we're there and meows at us like it's the end of the world. I give him milk, he drinks a bit, but then keeps meowing, very very loudly. We've realized he wants love. The stray wants love. My allergies keep me from petting him with my hands, but I let him rub against my legs. And Kaiya loves to play with him. We have become guilty of feeding him almost daily. Today, while I swept up the back and Kaiya helped cut the plastic off our new patio set, he lay there on a patio chair, as content as could be. We like him.

It's funny, because if you talk to the other kids in our compound, they all say he is "their" cat. They love to follow him around and coddle him. But I think he hangs out at our place the most. Don't tell the other kids... ;)

Coming soon are pictures from Family Day at the Doha Film Festival as well as Halloween. But for now, it's me, a book, and bed. Good night!

Scenes from Last Weekend

2011-10-26T14:06:00.000-04:00

It's been an incredibly busy week. It kind of snuck up on me. Midterm exams at the college were held last week, and I had no idea what a BIG DEAL exams at the college are. They are invigilated by two teachers per classroom, and you never invigilate your own class. A long list of rules is played out, in both English and Arabic. After the exam, all exams have to be triple marked by teams of teachers. Then you have to fill in tally sheets, where essentially each student's every answer is input into Excel. Grades are finally put into some not-very-friendly software called Gradebook, and then they are finally published. And of course, there are timelines and deadlines associated with each task. We're only allowed to pick up our exams during certain times, and then every single exam-related item needs to be dropped off as well, but only at certain times. Over the top? Understatement.

In addition, I was observed today by the Associate Dean of Language Studies. Each new instructor at the college is observed twice, once in each of their first two semesters. It's a formal observation, where you're graded on a number of items. I thought the week after midterms would be a good time to get observed, but I failed to take into consideration the post-exam stress of triple marking, yadda yadda...

Oh, and Kaiya was sick with a mystery fever for a couple of days, and I had crazy swollen glands that started last Wednesday and that I finally got antibiotics for on Sunday. (Yes, I took the penicillin, mom and dad...)

Hence the silence on the blog.

But tonight is sweet. We are healthy. My observation is done (and nailed, I must say), and the midterm drama is all but forgotten. (Just have to make sure I return all my materials between precisely 8 and 12 tomorrow!)

So before I crawl into bed, I want to share some photos with you. These were taken last weekend when we took a little impromptu road trip down to Al Wakra. Here's a map of Qatar just to show you. It's just south of Doha.

In Al Wakra, we simply drove along the water. It was clearly a fishing village. Here's some of what Jeff captured:

There were a ton of Indian men hanging out together, fishing.

Fishing dhows

Cool, traditional-style walls

We all know Jeff likes his doors

Wanna go to the beach? Just pull up your Landcruiser. Better yet, get three Landcruisers together to make a little enclosure for your family. I had read that the beach in Al Wakra is popular. But I'm not sure why. It was covered in litter.

This is my absolute favourite. I love the Qatari flag.

Off to bed.

Good night.

Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving

2011-10-17T12:32:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Tracie, on Saturday night we enjoyed a wonderful belated Thanksgiving. The festivities were held in Al Khor, the city where Jeff works. We gladly drove our lovely new vehicle there, even though we had already been driving all day. When we entered the compound, we were greeted by this:

Dave, Dean and Carlo, three teachers Jeff works with, playing guitar

The night was warm, but pleasant, and people slowly gathered together in and out of the clubhouse, bringing all the treats they had prepared throughout the day. We stood around, introducing ourselves and chatting it up, getting to know one another just a bit better.

Lovely Honour and her friends

After a while, Jeff took over Dave's spot on the guitar, and Hovig took over his camera, snapping most of the pictures of the night.

Kaiya wanted to help her dad strum.

Can I just say how happy it makes me to see Jeff with guitar in hand?

Listening to the guys play

Dave took on just a little bit of that pastor role, formally starting the meal, and asking us to find a little space in our hearts to give thanks.

It was an impressive spread. Many people became honourary Canadians that night, eating turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and Tracie's wonderful apple and pumpkin pies.

The desserts were pretty amazing. My favourite was this homemade carrot cake.

It was the perfect way to end the weekend. I met some great people, had some good conversation, and for the first time since arriving in Doha, felt part of a community. Thank you, Tracie, for bringing us together.

Picture Time!

2011-10-15T04:26:00.002-04:00

No time for storytelling today. Just time for pictures. I know you all love them, because I'm always getting requests for them. So here's your feast for today:

Kaiya is amazing us every day with her word knowledge. She regularly spells out words now, and is trying to sound them out. Lower case, even! When I was out the other night, her and Jeff made these great letters. Jeff rolled out the "Play Clay" (as Robert Munsch calls it) and Kaiya surprised him by forming the letters... mostly by herself. She informed him that the one on the right is Arabic, and it actually does closely resemble a letter they studied in her Arabic class that week. We're proud parents, yes we are!

Our bathtub is FIXED. This is our old one, by the garbage behind our compound. Looks lonely, doesn't it?

The crazy clouds the other day. It never did rain. The wind picked up though, and we had some sand whip around a bit. I wouldn't go as far as calling it a sandstorm, but we Epps were pretty excited by something other than sun, sun, sun.

We made it to the "Green Market" yesterday, and these are some of the plants we brought home. We are crazy excited by the GREEN. I even bought some bamboo shoots in a pretty blue pot for my office. They made me think of you, Beth, and your kind housewarming gift to us some five and a half years ago. My office will feel a little more homey with a green reminder of a good friend at home.

This is our new "car," the car we have been waiting for. The best result of Jeff getting his RP was that we could finally purchase (and drive) a vehicle. And a vehicle means freedom, something we have seriously been craving. This Nissan is in all likelihood the nicest vehicle we Epps will drive in our entire lifetime. And we are going to enjoy it, for it is a thing of beauty. And it gets along quite nicely with all the other 4-wheel drive vehicles on the road. Those pesky Landcruisers don't feel so intimidating anymore. We drove 100 clicks yesterday, just booting around the city. As Darren said, "You must have circled the entire city three times!" Ya, in between getting lost on our way to each destination, that's about right. Four-wheel drive means we'll be able to take trips to the desert... and there's enough room for FOUR of you to visit us at once. (hint, hint)

Our license plate. You can teach yourself some Arabic by studying the numbers. These are the little things that excite us in the day to day...

Oh, and we filled up for a cool 54QR. That's 15 Canadian dollars. Knowing how much ire talk of gas prices generates, I will make sure that this is the only time I mention these facts on this here blog. I want to keep my friends, after all. ;)

Kaiya of course wants to drive. Sixteen is suddenly feeling far too soon! But I love this picture of her, so I had to share.

Hope you're having a great weekend. We'll be enjoying a belated Thanksgiving dinner tonight with friends from Jeff's work. Any excuse for pie and good company.

Take care...

"Camping"... and other updates

2011-10-12T13:15:00.002-04:00

I had a really good teaching day with my "boys" yesterday. When I told a fellow newbie about my luck, he said, "Oh ya, I had one of those a couple weeks ago. And never again. Don't get used to it." And knowing how my students like to keep me on my toes, I certainly wasn't expecting a repeat. So today was a very pleasant surprise. I introduced our second two-hour block with the topic "camping." I know it's a popular past time here amongst the young men, so I figured it would get them talking. And it did. Twenty minutes into the lesson and I had to work hard to rope them back in to the focus of the class.

As we talked, I shared a bit about what camping in Canada is like. "It's different," I said, "because we don't have desert." "What do you have?" they asked. "Well, forests. Trees. Lots of really big, green trees. And green grass. And water. Lots of lakes and rivers. We often like to camp next to the water." They nodded, but I could see they didn't really understand.

I had them complete a checklist of items they would and would not bring camping with them. The checklist including such silly items as TVs and DVDs. So I was very surprised to find out that almost all of them think these are camping necessities. They described their midnight desert TV-viewing habits, including the satellites they sometimes rig up. I stared at them, dumbfounded. Finally I said, "You know, in Canada, when we camp, we usually want to just be in nature, connect with nature, you know?" One student said loudly, "But Miss, we don't have any nature." I burst out laughing. The look on his face and the expression in his voice were priceless. But the next student's comment was the best (completed with his body language): "Go left, desert. Go right, desert. Qatar finish." It was a good moment.

Look at the focus!

Speaking of camping, I meant to include this picture in our last post. In preparation for our own desert day trips, I bought Kaiya this little tent. (She's been obsessed with Cars and Lightning McQueen since she watched the movie at Hannah & Wren's house.) She loves the tent. It has become her special crafting zone. It's packed full of all her goodies: paper, old crafts from daycare, glitter glue, markers, crayons, scissors... And she sits and concentrates. We all love the tent.

And in other news... We get our Pathfinder tomorrow!!!! We are so excited that we don't know what to do with ourselves this weekend. There are so many things to see and do... once you have a little freedom. Here are a couple of little outings we're considering for Friday:

Jeff and I both get weekly emails at work with all kinds of activities listed. Of course, there is a very good chance that we will simply hop intp our hot new car and just DRIVE. I seriously can't wait!

And the bathtub... yes, Jeff cracked through it at the end of his shower on Saturday. Amazingly, Kamal has been quick to act on this one. Almost apologetic even. It was supposed to be replaced today. Knowing how things work in this country, I was not at all surprised to receive his phonecall while at the college today: "I'm sorry ma'am, but while the driver was bringing the new bathtub to the villa today, it broke in the truck. We'll try to get another bathtub and do it tomorrow." Sigh... And no, we still don't have our stove top. That's been a month and a half. He apologized openly for that one, assuring me that he is pressuring LG for an answer. Whatever. We have a "temporary" stove for now, so it's not a problem. There's just a big hole in the counter where our stovetop should be.

Tomorrow's Thursday, and another week is done. I can't believe how fast the weeks are flying by here. Soon it will be Eid, and then soon after that, Christmas!! We look forward to seeing Canadian friends and family again. Take care, everyone!

Thankful

2011-10-07T15:54:00.005-04:00

So you may have felt more hope and happiness in the last post. And it's true. We have definitely turned a corner. Jeff getting his RP this week was a big one. But Kaiya. Kaiya has been the main one. Things changed this week. One day, when she was pulling some of her tricks, I simply sat her down and told her "no more." I explained that we've been here over a month now, and that everything is okay. And that I won't accept this behavior anymore. And something clicked. She got it. I can't explain it any other way except to say that we were both ready for it. That was Tuesday. And each day since then we have seen a happier girl, one that seems more settled and comfortable and relaxed. And we have relaxed right along with her.

Let's set the scene: Simple, really. The temperatures have cooled. Evenings are beautiful. Last night was night #3 of no air conditioner blasting in our room. We slept like babies in our peaceful, quiet room. For the first time since we've arrived, I slept in. Till almost 8 (yes, that's big-time sleeping in here!) I awoke relaxed, and just lounged in bed for a while. Jeff opened the window, and we listened to the birds and the breeze. And I thought, "Yes, this is what I've been waiting for." I finally felt relaxed and rested.

Missing from our bed was Kaiya. Because she had slept the whole night in her bed. Instead of crying for us in the middle of the night, she did something quite funny. Around 2am she said, loudly, "Dad." (no crying... that's a big deal!) Jeff went into her room. "What's wrong?" he said. Sleepy Kaiya looked at him and said, "I don't know." Jeff said, "You just wanted to check that I was here?" "Ya," she said. "You gonna go back to sleep now?" Jeff added. "Ya," she repeated, while rolling over and falling back to sleep. Again, a BIG DEAL. No crying, and no crawling into our bed. This morning she also slept in for the first time, till 8am.

This morning my English Breakfast tea tasted better. My morning routine felt just like that... routine. I was overjoyed. We have been waiting for this, not knowing when it would come. I had been anxious about Jeff being gone all day at a conference, but honestly, Kaiya and I ended up having one of our best days together ever. Laughter, spontaneous hugs and dancing, singing and acting out the Barney song, cooking and baking together. It was so good.

We are thankful, so thankful this Thanksgiving, for these little things.

We were invited to a birthday party for Kylee, who is in Kaiya's class at Tiny Town, and whose parents work at the college. This was our best time out yet. Really friendly folk, a good vibe amongst the kids, and hey, who can go wrong with face paint?! The guys did a really great job.

Kaiya and Kylee, flower princess and puppy :)

The kids all loved their McDs Happy Meals

The girls were so sweet together, they even opened the presents all together. "Let's open this one next!" And they'd all tear in.

Back at home. She got the mask in her goody bag, and they made the party hats at daycare this week.

It's Thanksgiving back in Canada this weekend, so I went all out for our dinner: roast chicken, roasted potatoes and carrots, asparagus with walnuts, and even Jenn Rekker's wonderful banana-date muffins! And I bought some jarred cranberry sauce from Lulu Express this week to make it feel a bit more festive. It was good.

Dinner. Yum.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

And just so you can see where Jeff was hanging today... This is Qatar Academy, Doha campus, where the conference was held. Neither of us have seen this much green in Doha. Jeff said he actually stopped the guys he was walking with and told them to smell the flowers. He was overwhelmed by green.

Wow!

Beautiful, huh?

Apart from the architecture, this really makes me think of Canada. My eyes are bugging out from all the green!

Little Changes

2011-10-06T08:11:00.003-04:00

The "seasons" are a-changing out here in Doha. The last couple of days both Jeff and I have noticed. There has been a lot of wind. Wind is my most favourite form of weather. I love the playfulness I feel in it, and watching the changes it brings. Here it mostly brings sand into your eyes, as evidenced by Kaiya shielding her eyes and running into our driver's car as quick as she can when I pick her up from daycare. But the temperatures are definitely cooling. Our recreation newsletter at work is full of outdoor activities for October, including a boot camp I'm thinking of joining. And when I step outside, I enjoy the warm breeze, instead of feeling like I'm on the wrong end of a blasting air conditioner. And two nights ago, we slept with our bedroom a/c unit off for the first time. It was amazing (and a little weird) to sleep in the absolute peace and quiet. I'm sure the temps are still well above 30, but I don't really know. Why check the weather, when it's always hot and sunny? But I'm sure we're out of the 40s.

I have updates for you... lots of little updates. First and foremost, Jeff got his residence permit!!! We feel almost dizzy with the possibilities. What do we do first?? Call QTel for better internet? Get to Nissan to seal the deal on the vehicle they're holding for us? Boot over to QDC (Qatar Distribution Company) to buy the red wine that helps take the edge off a bad teaching day? The possibilities are endless! Of course, nothing is quite that simple. Most of these transactions first involve us getting a number of "no objection" letters from our employers. It all takes time. But the various balls are definitely rolling! QTel has been contacted, and within 10 days we'll be able to Skype and actually download videos again. And Jeff made an appointment with Nissan tonight to get in and get going. That's right... in about another week we should finally be tasting the freedom! (while cursing the roundabouts)

Our water pump: About one week ago, our water pump was fixed. When we first moved in here, we had zero water pressure. It turns out it was because our pump was broken. New pump was installed, but voila... along with our cherished water pressure came an unwelcome addition to the noise levels of our home. Imagine, if you will, an old, beaten up, obnoxiously loud pool pump that happens to have a broken propeller. This pump is located directly above your bedroom. Every time it turns on (in our case, with every toilet flush, use of the bath/sink/shower/dishwasher....) you hear a loud, brain numbing noise, for the duration of the water flow, and about half a minute longer. And then, imagine that you have mystery water leaks. You can't find them anywhere, but suddenly, in the middle of the night, the pump will go off, at completely random intervals. This went on for a month, until one night I blew a gasket and said I couldn't take it anymore. I either kept waking to the sound of the pump, or to the expectation of the sound of the pump. So, we called Kamal, who by now is quite sick of us (we feel the same, mind you). He brought out his goons, and we didn't expect much. The day it was fixed, Jeff was home before me, and as I was being driven home, I wrote him a text, more as an afterthought, saying, "So is the water pump fixed?" And he said, "YES. You can't even tell when it's on." I let out an audible cheer, mildly startling my driver. I couldn't believe it. But it was true. I came home, went up to the bathroom, flushed the toilet, and listened. I heard nothing. As I wrote to Larissa later that night, "You. Have. No. Idea." This single change has caused a massive improvement to our quality of life. Massive! Mind you, both Jeff and I still heard the sound in our heads for the next few days. Every time I flushed the toilet I would yell out, "BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!" (I still have the tone down pat).

My students. I still don't love them, but I'm slowly figuring out what makes them tick and how to connect with them. Last week it was camels. At the end of one class, after retrieving their mobiles out of the cardboard box I carry around for this purpose (I kid you not), some of them gathered around, eager to show me pictures of their... camels. One student proudly showed me pictures of his uncle's camel, a racing camel which he said is worth 4 million riyal (that's about a million bucks). The students also showed me pictures of pails and pails of their camels' milk. And they bragged about how much milk their camels produce. I was kind of ... speechless. You could say that I'm still getting used to this culture (severe understatement) I finally asked one student, "Do you all have camels?" "Yes, teacher, of course!" "And what do you do with your camels?" "Milk." And then, after a pause, I feebly stated, "In Canada people have cats... And dogs."

Kaiya. We've had a rough patch with her. This adjustment has been tough. But I think, after week #3 of solid routine, we are finally starting to see the glimmer at the end of the tunnel. She's laughing a lot more, picking fights less. And with the help of an encouraging email from a friend (thanks, Robyn), I've been able to re-focus, see the bigger picture, and love her harder, even when she's pulling her stunts and pushing me away. And thank God for crafts. I'm going to buy out this country's supply of glitter glue. Glitter glue, scissors, tape, stickers, and paper... and we get a content Kaiya, happy to sit on the floor and just be. Those are our best moments these days.

Overall, I think we're starting to settle in. Jeff's RP, and the prospect of freedom has really really helped to shift our thinking. We're looking forward to booting around this country, exploring all its corners, and taking tons of great pictures along the way. We've also talked about driving through Saudi and maybe into Oman. We hear there's great hiking and camping there. And there's nothing we Epps like better than a road trip.

This weekend's plans include my first night out with a girlfriend (YAY! I am so desperately in need of some coffee and deep talk time, and as wonderful as Jeff is, it will be amazing to go out without him... sorry, hon ;) ) Then, sadly, Jeff will be at a conference all weekend. But Kaiya and I have our own plans. A birthday party for a daycare friend (whose parents work at the college), and the Doha Mums Halloween party! Let's hope this is our last weekend car-less. :)

Date Night at Katara!

2011-10-02T11:56:00.002-04:00

I'm blogging on a school night. At this point in our lives here, this is kind of a big deal. I already uploaded the pictures a couple days ago, so all I have to do now is string a few sentences together, right? But after a day of teaching and attending a TESOL conference, even that may be a bit of a challenge!

Here we goooooo...

Friday night, two Fridays ago, was our first ever Doha date night. Our friends Larissa and Darren watched Kaiya for the evening so that Mr. and Mrs. Epp could finally go out alone. It was wonderful. I was giddy with excitement. After some hemming and hawing (sp???) we decided to go to Katara, a sort of cultural village right by the water. Watch the intro on their website. It's very worth it. Gives you a good feel for the place and what it offers.

It was pretty smoking hot, enough that I finally ditched the scarf covering my shoulders. But honestly, I've seen so many knees and shoulders out and about in this country, I'm really starting to wonder. We had a simple plan: walk around, checking out the very cool new/old style buildings, eat at one of the many great restaurants, and then take in the photography exhibition on Indonesia.

This is where we were first dropped off. There was a "cupcakery," a cafe, and then the "Friday mosque."

We noticed groups of expats coming out of the mosque, with women fully covered in black abayas, so we're assuming they do tours of the mosque. And you can bet we'll do that one day.

This is the massive archway leading to the even more massive amphitheater.

A funky stitched-together shot of the impressive amphitheater. The things Jeff can do with his iphone, I tell you...

At 5:30pm the beach officially "closes," but the security guards will allow you into this one section. (This country has a bit of an obsession with its security guards.) On the right you see the stalls they have set up. Very cool. The stalls had a variety of artists, local and not. We will go back one day for some beautiful and colourful art that was a fantastic mix of Indian/Qatari.

They had these really great curtained gazebos all along the beach. Inside were cushioned seats, and the curtains swayed beautifully in the breeze. We sat in one long enough to take this picture. :) So romantic, I know. When the cooler weather comes, perhaps we'll sit a bit longer...

Notice the bit about the "unruly behaviour." :) We made sure not to do any of that!

We finally settled on a Turkish restaurant. It had the most amazing ambiance. The whole restaurant was in a series of air-conditioned tents. (They are those white things in behind me) The lighting was dim, the music soft, and the waiters helpful and friendly. We both ordered the pricey set menu and ended up with enough food for an entire second dinner the next day. But we figured we were celebrating: my birthday, our anniversary, and "Phew! We made it through the first month!" So a splurge was in order. Don't worry, mom. We'll make sure to save a little money too. I loved smelling the shisha all around me. I'm not usually a fan of second-hand smoke, but all the different shisha flavours smell so good!

This is the Turkish restaurant from the outside. We sat on the right side by the window.

I dragged Jeff over to these guys after we left the restaurant. They were cooking street meat, in the super hot heat (yes, that rhymes ridiculously). It smelled amazing, but of course we were pretty stuffed. Next time.

And this is the view we sat gazing at while in our tented Turkish restaurant. I believe the hotel on the far left is the Intercontinental, where we spent that really great day back in August.

Unfortunately, we missed out on the photography exhibit. When we first walked by it, the security guard said it was open till midnight. (I know that sounds late, but in this country, not so much). But when we came by after our two-and-a-half hour dinner, they were closed. The security guard then told us it was only open till nine. (Again, not so strange here, but disappointing nonetheless). But it was still a great night, and I know we'll be back again... perhaps sooner rather than later. We heard they have a Latin festival happening for a couple of weeks in October. Now THAT should be interesting. Will we be drinking margaritas and breaking out the merengue? Perhaps no. But we will certainly go and find out!

A sandier look... because our other background was just too green...

2011-09-29T16:33:00.005-04:00

Hi all,

I was going to write and be witty tonight and tell you stories.....

But then it was Thursday (our Friday, remember) and Jeff went out with some guys, and I put Kaiya to bed and lay down with her to help her fall asleep and then somehow it was suddenly 10pm and I didn't know where I was, what day it was, or even WHO I was, and all wit had left the building.

So here I am, dazed and confused now at 10:30pm, but I'm dang determined to post something, because when I mentioned the blog the other day, Jeff teased me and said, "Oh, do you blog? I seem to remember you blogging..." And I know that in order to KEEP your readers you do actually have to ENTERTAIN them from time to time. So here I am.

My original blog idea will have to wait for at least a bit of clarity to return. For now I will present to you some completely random shots of our little lives here. Cause let's face it, you need some time with the Epps, you do. :)

A few Fridays ago, we went to Darren and Larissa's place along with Dave and Tracie and Honour. Here we are strolling around their compound in the evening. I know we've been in Qatar for a while because I kept commenting on how "green" their compound is. Ya, they've got a few trees...

I need to get together with this gal more often. Soon we will have vehicles, Tracie, soon!

Enjoying a light lunch at one of the many many mall coffee shops. I believe this one is in Hyatt Plaza. I love Kaiya's sneaky look.

I don't know why I'm including this picture except that I'm really hungry right now, and this Jeff-made dinner was to die for.

This was how Kaiya felt about it. I know Candice will like this picture. :)

At Ray's Reef, an indoor play area. You have no idea how much fun this was. Kaiya and I laughed and squealed the entire time.

We crashed them boys, oh yes we did!

I love this shirt. This pic's for you, Robyn. I can hear you laughing all the way in Doha.

And these two pics are for Rose. Kaiya loves doing yoga with me. Pretty good downward dogs, huh?

But Kaiya liked it even better "under" me. I'd show you our cat and cow, but you just don't need to see that much Kathy-bum. Jeff's photo angle was a bit... off.

Kaiya running loose at Lulu Hypermart (our usual grocery store) with our neighbour's daughter. What can I say? Thank goodness they really love kids in this country!

The trees/bushes in our compound have these beautiful little flowers on them. One day I'll find out what they're called.

So you may wonder why I have included this. I wish I had a picture looking out of our kitchen on 20 George Street to compare. This is my view, out of our kitchen window. When I wash dishes, prepare dinner, this is what I see. That wall is the wall of our compound, and there is a small yard, enough for a future patio set, inside of it. That green hedge is on both sides of the yard, and I love to feast my eyes on the green. But most of all, I love to gaze at the sunset and the palm trees. I remember, when I look at this view, that we really are in a different land, and our adventure is just beginning.

We've got a pretty good weekend lined up. We're trying out a new playgroup tomorrow morning, and heading to Darren and Larissa's for dinner. Saturday morning is our Gondolania playgroup; it'll be our third time going to that one, and in the afternoon I'll be heading over to the TESOL conference at the tree-like convention center. Every day's been getting better, as we meet more people and get more settled. And that residence permit is just around the corner, which will equal a vehicle to drive and a heck of a lot more freedom. Can we say Road Trip!!?

I never cease to be amazed...

2011-09-24T07:53:00.003-04:00

...at all manner of items that break in this country, and the ways in which they break.

Scene #1:
It's the first week of classes for me at the college. Me and my family are all very sick with fevers and colds. Thankfully, no students actually show up to any of my classes. After one such student-less class, I go to the washroom. I sit, do my business, and then reach for the toilet paper. Imagine a t.p. dispenser that looks a little something like this:

As I'm pulling out the toilet paper, the entire dispenser crashes to the floor, missing my baby toe by millimeters. Somehow, I find the humour in this, and have a good laugh, by myself, while sitting on the can.

I check the next day, and the dispenser is no longer on the floor, but it is also nowhere to be found... just some loose screws sticking out of the stall wall.

Scene #2:
Last week, in the computer lab. I have somewhat successfully managed my unruly 19-year old boys through yet another two-hour block in the lab. But at the end of class, my monitor starts playing tricks on me, fading to black. The boys leave, and I try to somehow log out of the computer. I realize that if I turn the monitor off and back on, I get about 2 seconds of screen time before it fades back to black. I do this a number of times, trying to click and type and click as fast as I can in order to log off.

The back of the monitor starts to smoke.

I work these puppies pretty hard, yes I do.

I smirk at first, but then mildly begin to panic as the smoke thickens and continues to pour out the back of the monitor. I realize my emergency skill set is sorely lacking, and not knowing what else to do, I turn off the monitor (again) as well as the computer (for good measure). As my eyes locate the fire extinguisher (which I wouldn't know what to do with), the monitor suddenly stops smoking.

I immediately call IT, relaying the entire story... monitor fading to black, turning monitor off and back on, trying to log off... I dramatically pause, thinking a crew of IT people will storm the room as soon as I deliver the next vital part of the story...

"and then the back of the monitor started to SMOKE!"

The IT person does not gasp, does not laugh, does not panic. She merely says, in a completely neutral tone of voice,

"Oh ya, that happens sometimes. We'll send someone down to check it out."

That happens sometimes? We'll send someone down to check it out? Carry on, folks, life as per usual.

Nothing here surprises me anymore, folks. At least nothing that involves breakage. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go make my daily phonecall to the landlord. Our water pump is acting up, our stovetop is still MIA, and the four broken pieces of gym equipment in the clubhouse (there ARE only four) are still very much broken.

Kathy, reporting live from Doha.
Peace out.

Random Thoughts on a Thursday Night

2011-09-15T14:31:00.001-04:00

I am home. The house is quiet. Jeff is out with some CNA-Q guys tonight, a much needed adult-conversation-type night for him, and I am home. A much-needed quiet evening at home. The dishwasher is on, and lo and behold, I nearly jumped up in shock when I walked into the kitchen tonight to find a surprise wash machine installed... a surprise wash machine that works (for now, anyhow). So that is on too. Documentary Heaven is loading up a video for me, and I'm slowly working my way through an entire pot of organic peppermint tea. Life is slowly beginning to come to a new normal. It's good.

Jeff and I have successfully navigated our first full week of teaching. The week has been quite wonderful for him. He is still very much in awe of his new reality: classes of eight students, minimal behavioral problems. It's a long shot from some of his ghetto-like teaching experiences back in Hamilton. For me, the week had a rough start. I started out with three students. Three, well, duds. I was questioning everything as I worried about Kaiya's daycare situation, grew tired of our reliance on drivers and lack of freedom, and wondered at all the new college policies I was trying to learn, and emails I was trying to wade through, all while trying to scramble together lessons for my overwhelmingly enthusiastic and motivated students (insert strong sarcasm here, in case you didn't whiff that one...)

But the tide has turned. On Wednesday, new students joined my class... 6 of them. And today, another three. Bringing my total to twelve 19-20 year old men. (That total's not going to change... right, Darren?) I am no longer weirded out by men in thobes. It's all cool. And the duds in my class are now greatly outweighed by positive, sweet, respectful, and quiet (for now) students. I'm suddenly motivated to teach again. Amazing how that happens, huh?

We also bought a desk and an office chair. No more putting my back out while leaning over a coffee table composing emails. Unfortunately, our internet connection has become more and more spotty, but we'll get all that sorted once we get our residency. Heck, we are going to party once we get our residency!

And I have to share some of the strangeness of life here.... It's Thursday, the end of the work week. So we celebrated by going to TGIFridays, all three of us, for an early dinner before Jeff went out. As we entered, the mostly Asian servers were singing "Happy Birthday" to a table of Western expats. This was then followed by a funky recording of the same song in Arabic. Once we were seated, we looked over the menu, while listening to a variety of American pop. The Black Eyed Peas "Imma Be" came on, and the song was about half over when it was interrupted by the Muslim call to prayer, also broadcast over the speakers. I turned to Jeff and said, "This is so weird." We are quickly becoming accustomed to the strangeness of life here, and the contradictions in the every day.

And finally, some photos. Because we all need some. They aren't necessarily "new," but they offer some continued impressions of life here.

A very common laundry detergent here

Starbucks (and high-end coffee shops in general) is very popular here. Thank goodness!

Well, they say it's good for you!

Mmmmm... who needs bacon when you can have "Breakfast Beef?" You know you want to try some...

Haagen Dazs is also popular here. The Arabic version of the sign.

A very cool (and HUGE!) building in Education city, near where we live.

Peace out, friends. Have a good weekend!

A few updates...

2011-09-12T14:21:00.002-04:00

My friend Kate, who is blessed with a wonderful imagination, sent me birthday greetings that went a little something like this:

I hope you will be properly feted tomorrow: under a tent by an oasis, luxuriating on silk carpets, Jeff hand feeding you dates as the camels sing low in the distance.

In reality, my birthday, including the days immediately before and after, looked something a little more like this:

Perhaps we'll aim for the silk carpets next year, huh?

You can expect fewer blog posts for a little while over here. It's safe to say I'm kind of overwhelmed at this point. I'm trying to get my body used to going to bed by 10pm every night and waking at 5:20, three days a week, and thankfully a little later the other days. Life in Qatar is early life, and my non-morning personality is not digging it.I'm not used to coming home and having a few hours free before dinner, but then only having a couple of hours to myself once Kaiya is in bed. Never mind having to adjust to the work week being Sunday to Thursday.

A few quick updates... We have students now! Jeff says his students are cute, sweet, and well-behaved. Mine are none of the above. I've heard over and over this past week that teaching EFL in the TPP program is more about managing behaviour than actually teaching English. Great. But honestly, I haven't seen enough of my students yet to make that call. I've only had 3 so far. Though I've been told I now have 12. We'll see how that goes. But so far all my boys have complied in handing over their two-three mobile phones at the start of every class. I haven't had to wrestle them out of their hands... yet.

We are getting closer to obtaining our residency here. Jeff went for his "medical" today, and I go for mine tomorrow. (a blood test and a chest x-ray). It's a long day of just sitting around, but it's a day off work. ;)

Residency for us will mean the ability to drive (already know what car we're going to get!), get faster internet, and get alcohol permits. All very good things. We're getting tired of not having a car, and not having the freedom to just hop in that car and go exploring. The drivers are great here, but I'm dying to try driving a roundabout all on my own (and maybe just once!)

Kaiya hasn't started daycare yet, but will go twice this week, Wednesday and Thursday. She was supposed to start Sunday, but Sundays are my longest day, and Kaiya was still kind of sick. In the meantime, Kaiya has been going to our friend Larissa and Darren's villa, where she has been taken care of by their nanny, along with their son.

Our quiet little compound is slowly coming alive. And there are kids, lots of kids! I met a Romanian/American couple across the street a couple days ago, and I'm hoping to meet the Canadians who live next door to them soon. Today Jeff met a mom with a 3-year old son, who is going to stop by with an invitation to his upcoming birthday party. And we actually went to our little park after dinner today, enjoying the cooler weather while Kaiya played with our neighbour's two kids and another boy and girl we met at the park.

I'm going to leave it at that... it's after 9:00pm, you know... practically past my bed time! There are many of you I owe emails to. Please be patient with me, friends. It's all I can do to just go through the motions right now without having my head explode. But soon, soon, we will somehow settle into this new routine, and this crazy life will start to look more normal.

no pictures today...

2011-09-07T00:48:00.000-04:00

We miss you. I think that's a good place to start. It's been a very difficult couple of days. Work started for Kathy, I had to go in at regular time (6 am), we've all been pretty sick, Kaiya is sleeping in our bed again and is afraid of her room, and the wash machine broke again.

Of course there are exciting things going on. Everything will begin to go well once we settle in. And we will eventually get a car and have some freedom.

But for now, if you can picture this:

All your friends are only available by long distance phone call. You no longer have a car (or bicycle for that matter).

Your furniture has been replaced so you aren't used to it (and you're missing key stuff like lamps and a desk).

The light switches turn on upside down (when everything else bugs you this could be the last straw).

Most of your appliances are new but are inexplicably broken. It takes multiple phone calls to get them fixed (and even more days to wait) with no real explanation or timeline other than "maybe tomorrow".

It's hot. At least now we can venture outside - it's like a really hot summer day in Canada. But there no where to walk to since we live in compounds.

The electrical outlets seem to me to be crazy dangerous. They have three holes - one is a ground. But most small appliances have two plugs. For your safety, you can't insert anything into the outlet without a ground plug. The solution? Stick your keys (or other sufficiently straight and metal object) into the ground hole in the 220V outlet to release the safety switch so you can plug in the lamp, DVD player or otherwise. I'm constantly reminding Kaiya that only daddy's are allowed to do such stupid things.

Nothing is simple - for anyone who has been in another culture before you'll know that feeling - "I used to do this at home and it would only take a five minute stop at home depot", or "I could pick that up at walmart for five bucks", or "I knew exactly who to talk to at the bank to get that done". No walmart or home depot here.

They won't let you pay for your fruit and veggies until you've got them bagged and weighed.

And we're sick - (getting over it now).

Two and a half weeks in is about when we should first be experiencing culture shock. We are.So. We miss you. No pictures today.

Jeff

Souq Waqif

2011-09-03T14:06:00.001-04:00

I feel like titling this post "The Epps Have Arrived," but I won't, because I'm already corny, and that's just crossing the line. But there's something about looking at the pictures I'm sharing here that gives me this overwhelming sense of "It's going to be alright." Half the time I don't know exactly what the heck we're doing here, and my cultural experiences have so far been mostly, and unfortunately, limited to the shopping malls. But the souq.... ahhhhhh, the souq. Even in the heat and humidity and dripping sweat and dirty toilets, it was a truly inviting place.

Yes, everything is going to be alright.

A souq is simply a traditional marketplace. Souq Waqif is the largest and most popular one in Qatar. I like this little description I found on Qatar Visitor:

Souq Waqif was an old Souq, so the government decided to knock it down and build a new Souq that looked like an old Souq. And, to my surprise at the time, they did a very good job at it.

I also read that its busiest time is Friday after 4:00pm. We were there Friday from 6:30-8:30.

We saw many elderly men in thobes pushing around full wheelbarrows, like the ones pictured here. I was going to say that I didn't know what that was all about, but I just read on Qatar Visitor that

Men with white beards and grey turbans wait in the pathways with wheelbarrows ready to carry your purchases.

What do you know, I'm learning new things every day.

Jeff did a nice job, wouldn't you say? Those of you who've been following us since we started this blog in Japan get to see firsthand how his photography skills have exploded. Mad skills, I tell you! It's wonderful being married to a photographer!

The souq is like a crazy maze, with one narrow alley leading to another. Fabrics, spices, traditional dishes, clothing... it's all here. I'm waiting for another trip to the souq to buy a lot of my spices. Our tour guide pointed out one of the popular spice shops, and I made sure Jeff got a picture of the sign.

This is one of my favourite shots of the evening. The center of the souq is spacious and open. Pedestrian only, cobblestone streets, lined with traditional and modern restaurants. The seating spills out of the restaurants onto the streets, but there are these misting fans everywhere, helping to ease some of the heat. This photo reminds me of a movie set.

There is also an "animal" section of the souq, with mostly birds, but also fish, rabbits, cats, some dogs, and the occasional snake. Here I'm admiring our neighbour Jabbour - at a safe distance - for his fearlessness.

Jabbour's children, Celine and Jimmy checking out the snake, along with a cautious Kaiya.

Kaiya wanted to hold the bird, but said it hurt her, so I stuck out my hand.

I don't really want to talk about these, because I'm definitely not a fan of dyeing animals...but yes, there were lots of these to go around...

Our tour guide, Nasser, who works for Qatar Foundation (on the left), and his cousin (who he kept referring to as his "assisstant.") :)

Men around here are constantly adjusting their head-piece thingies (I'll find out what they're actually called, promise.)

Okay, so when we were standing around taking pictures of one another, this guy walked up and wanted us to take a picture of him. So of course, Jeff did. He leaned in and told Jeff proudly that he was King Abdullah from Saudi Arabia. Er, um, okaaaaaayyy...

Nasser took us to a small restaurant right in the heart of the souq, run by this wonderfully warm woman. She treated us to ice cold water and a variety of sweets and other foods. We were also given a chance to try traditional coffee, which is flavoured with cardamom, saffron, cloves, and cinnamon.

While I was taking Kaiya to the bathroom, Jeff was "dragged" to a restaurant nearby to smoke some shisha. (Eye witnesses report that no actual dragging took place.) That whole contraption, including the thing he's sucking on and the stand beside him (a hookah), is used for this purpose. His was strawberry-flavoured. Yummy, until I actually inhaled and then coughed for five minutes (such an amateur, I know). Our more health-conscious neighbours informed me that smoking a shisha is like smoking an entire pack of cigarettes. I had to laugh. This was the first time Jeff had ever smoked in his life. Starting with a whole pack? Not bad, hon.

Tracie, exhaling her grape-flavoured shisha. She also blogged about the evening; you can find her take here.

Dave, clearly in his element...

The shisha group, saying good night.

When I took Kaiya to the bathroom down one of the many alleyways, we had to wait for a minute by another open-air restaurant. Up on the wall, giant screen, the restaurant was broadcasting American music videos. I had to smile at the scantily-clad J-Lo singing and dancing down at me. I'm still figuring out the rules and contradictions of this country. But then came OneRepublic, with their song, "Good Life." It's a great song that's been in my head in the months leading up to our move here. Seeing them belting that song down at me somehow was a sign.

Yes, everything's gonna be alright. Much love to you, friends. Tomorrow begins my first full work week. This is it.

It's been two weeks.

2011-09-01T16:34:00.002-04:00

I have learned...

that using drivers and nannies is not as overwhelming as I thought it was back in Canada. Drivers: call number, give directions and time, hop in car when it arrives, get driven! Nannies: call up friend's trusted nanny, arrange days and time, welcome her when she arrives, leave for work, call once or twice, arrive home and say good-bye. It's different, to be sure, and something I'm not completely comfortable with yet, but it works. Not so difficult.
that you can dust, but you will never get rid of the dust. This is the desert, after all. And everything, including my skin, including the back of my throat and my nasal cavities, is covered in a fine layer of sandy dust. I am hoping I get used to this. Until then, I am hoping to soon find a good allergy medication.
that CNA-Q (my employer) ROCKS. Orientation impressed me so stinking much, I could talk about it for days. In fact, the only reason I haven't blogged about it is that I don't know how to condense all of the interesting information I learned, and I'm afraid of totally boring you. But I could have listened to our dean tell stories all day. The history, the Qatari culture, the college's plans for the future... I was completely enthralled.
that I may never come to understand the English our Sri Lankan driver speaks. In fact, there are so many Englishes I don't understand represented in this country that I'm sometimes embarrassed to call myself an ESL teacher. Surely I should be able to understand more than just Asian and Latin accents!
that bananas ripen really quickly in this country. I'm going to be making a lot of banana muffins.
that our villa may never get totally fixed. And if something does get fixed, more than likely something else will break. All I can say is, thank goodness we have three showers in this villa, and functioning a/c in all our most-used rooms.
that being sponsored by the Qatar Foundation also ROCKS. They are slowly taking over this country (well, our section of the city, anyways). And their list of staff perks and discounts is unending.
that listening to too much Mumford and Sons is dangerous right now. I invariably start imagining myself with all my friends, beer in hand, arms locked around each other, bodies swaying as we belt out the lyrics to the songs. Not that this has ever in the history of Kathy actually happened, but wouldn't it be a beautiful scene? I also imagine it happening at the Feathery. Could we all go there at Christmas and make this a reality? 'Cause I tear up every time I imagine it.

Today:

We went to Hyatt Plaza, another mall. Thankfully, this one wasn't as big. But the food court was packed. It's Eid, after all, and there was some kind of show or something that was going to happen (we left before we found out what it was.) There were the most Qataris we had seen in one place. Thobes and abayas were everywhere. Eid is a bit like Christmas to us: a time for family, gifts, new clothes, special foods. All the little girls had beautiful dresses on, and henna covering their hands and arms. It was an amazing sight. My favourite was a Qatari family, mom in black abaya, dad in white thobe, little girls in beautiful dresses, and two young sons with bright orange t-shirts that read: "My dad is cooler than your dad." Man, I wish we had gotten a picture of that one!

As you look at the pictures, please make sure to look at what is behind each of us. We're trying to -discretely- give you a sense for the national dress and the locals.

The mall we went to today was in the Aspire Zone, the area of Doha which hosted the 2006 Asian Games. Help me out Darren & Larissa... what is that tower? The "Aspire Tower"??

This is what Starbuck's Coffee looks like here. I have not yet figured out the cream situation in this country. But I had better soon. I need my cream!

In the very busy food court. At the far end is a stage set up for we-don't-know-what. But there were lots of excited kids waiting in line.

Using our 3-year old as a prop to take pictures of the locals. :)

The "Jungle Zone." Most malls here have some sort of amusement/play area set up for kids. Jeff and Kaiya played here while I shopped at Giant, a store quite reminiscent of Walmart...

Yesterday:

We were taken to the Education city clubhouse, a wonderful place that we get free access to, with a beautiful pool, fitness center, exercise classes, steam rooms, saunas, jacuzzis... you get the picture. We're being spoiled. But the most memorable part of the day was our 2-minute walk in the heat to Lulu Express, the grocery store next door. No one walks in this heat, and as cars passed by us, I leaned into Honour and said, "You know what they're thinking: 'Crazy people. They must be new here.'" We did actually see one expat in running shoes, walking along the road. One lonely expat.

The pool at the Education City clubhouse. Not too shabby... and I hear they have BBQs in the pavilion on the left every Friday.

The security building by the gate to the clubhouse. Everything is gated in this country, and there are tons of security guards everywhere.

A bridge leading from the Ed. City housing over to the clubhouse. We thought the whole area was quite pretty.

The walk to Lulu Express. Do you see the heat radiating? And the sweat percolating?

Yay for air conditioning!

And a totally random sign inside the Lulu. Check out the small red part of the signage.

By the way, I was going to post about a couple of grocery store experiences, but my friend Tracie did a stellar job of that, so let me just refer you to her post here. Let's just say that between finding Megamart and Lulu Express... I was lost but now am found. Even my old-fashioned oats! And every kind of flour and sugar under the sun! The only thing I absolutely can't find here is natural laundry detergent, but the search will continue.

In the future, I hope to post up a nice wordy post that gives you the lay of the land. What's going on in terms of our schedules, Kaiya's care, and how the adjustment is going. 'Cause you've been asking. But we visit the souq tomorrow, and something tells me there might be some sweet pictures to post from that visit. We'll see.

Jeff's school, part 2

2011-08-31T02:38:00.001-04:00

About a year and a half ago, when Jeff was still working at Cathy Wever elementary, he was making one of his regular stops at a convenience store around the corner. He struck up a conversation with the Middle Eastern man running the store, and mentioned our hopes to go to Qatar one day. The man lit up, clearly impressed with the country, and said, "You must work for the Qatar Foundation. They are doing great things for the country, and they are an excellent organization." That night, Jeff looked around at QF's website and was impressed, but then mostly forgot about it. In January 2011 he was hired by Qatar Academy, part of the Qatar Foundation, but it was yesterday that he remembered the corner store conversation and made the connection. Cool, huh?

So if you just couldn't get enough of Jeff's school, here's a special treat for you: video footage from part of his drive. Try not to get too overwhelmed. It's pretty exciting!

But seriously...

The one downfall in our set-up here is Jeff's commute. Back in Canada, he got incredibly tired of the drive to Hamilton every day... a 45-minute slog through crazy traffic, and of course, unpredictable Canadian weather. One of his big wishes for living overseas was to be able to say good-bye to the commute.

Well, that didn't happen, now did it?

His drive is 35-40 minutes long, minus the Canadian rain and snow, of course. Now he just gets to stare at endless sand. Sand and more sand, with the occasional building thrown in. The fact is, the chance to work for Qatar Foundation was just too good to pass up. And the class sizes and math specialization didn't hurt either. And neither did the benefits. He's been amazed so far at his school and the treatment he's been given.

And just think of all the podcasts he'll be able to listen to while trying to keep himself awake each day, leaving the house at 6 in the morning! Jeff, the endless repository of information, expanded version. :)

Happy Eid!

2011-08-29T15:09:00.000-04:00

My turn.

I wish I could just talk. Writing and me don't get along. But those who know me, know I'd be happy to just tell you about it all...for hours...and hours.

As far as we know, Eid starts tomorrow. Someone has to see the moon tonight to declare Ramadan over. I can't say I understand completely, but it doesn't really matter - by anyone's calculations Kathy and I have nearly a week off now.

So as the holidays begin, I'll show you briefly around my school. Let's start on the drive:

Today our driver decided to take a short cut to pick up a colleague. Why stay on the road when you have a minivan? As you can see, between the compounds (villas) and roads is desert. Not sand dunes, just barren, dusty, rocky desert. Hence the desire for people to own 4X4s. The compounds you see are for people who work in Education city - and are the compounds we had secretly hoped to be in. Maybe next year!

School. I've only got a few pictures (all I have with me normally is my iphone - so these will have to do). Once you enter the front gate and pass security, you are on a covered walk:

This looks out from the school to the front gate.

Through the front doors past the security office and back out into the internal courtyard. The main building is like a big square donut with the courtyard in the middle. Here it is:

Through the opposite side of the "donut" and out back is the second building - the middle school - where I teach:

That's my building. I've got a fantastic room with a smart board (on the way...), four iMacs, and a rolling double blackboard (old-school). I could easily seat 25. I have 8 students in each class.

And a few shots of some architecture around the buildings:

I had to include this, it's of the front doors on the villas that Dave and Tracie and Honour live in.

That's it for me.

Jeff

In case you were worried...

2011-08-27T15:50:00.003-04:00

... that the only thing we ever get to do around here is SHOP, let me show you a little bit of what today was like. Jeff's employer, Qatar Academy, took all their new staff to the Intercontinental Resort in Doha. (Click on the link and watch the "Concierge Video Tour." It's short, and it gives you a good overview of what Qatar has to offer. I'm excited!)

The new staff included teachers from all three of Qatar Academy's locations: Doha, Al-Khor (Jeff's location) and Al-Wakra. And after we registered and got our fuzzy purple towels, we stepped outside to be greeted by a bit of this:

I haven't really done any resort-style vacations, so I didn't have a lot to compare this to. I can simply say that it was absolutely breathtaking.

The beach. I dipped my toes in the water, and it was stinking hot! There's a reason most of us stayed by (and IN) the pool:

The view of the Doha skyline:

Looking the other way towards The Pearl development (this entire country is under serious construction):

We got to see aiplanes flying overhead all day (and Kaiya pointed out most of them):

I wasn't sure how we would all fare with spending a day out in 40-something-degree weather, but you know, funny thing, we did just fiiiiiiiiiiiine. Of course, it helped that the pool was not bathwater temperature, but actually a little cool. But I think the best part was just being with people. We met a load of new people, all of us just floating around in the pool, swapping stories of where we're from and how we got here. And we got to spend a lot of time with our old/new friends, Dave and Tracie and Honour. Dave and Tracie have floated their way in and out of our lives through the years, and now here we are, all together in Qatar of all places, with Jeff and Dave teaching the same grades 5-7 students in Al-Khor.

Kaiya loves having new pool friends. More fun people to toss her around in the pool:

And she has a special fondness for Dave (must be something about the name...) Here she's doing the little trick Jasmine taught her, right in Dave's face. Thanks, Jasmine!

Do I look happy to be here?

I know Kaiya sure was. She took a real liking to Honour (although I hear many kids do). When Honour had to go at the end of the day, Kaiya insisted we swim her back to the steps, holding hands, and then she jumped up and gave her a big hug. I love how my girl loves.

At 12:30 we were served a grand buffet lunch. Cold dishes, including salads, hummus, baba ganoush, and other dips I didn't know; hot dishes including chicken, lamb, fish, and beef; and tables full of dessert. Extravagant.

If we had been quick enough, we could have sat in one of the "tents" lining the sides of the banquet hall:

But it wouldn't have been very practical with a 3-year old, I guess.

Here is our actual lunch table. Dave and Tracie and Honour sat with us. The other couple is our neighbours from Lebanon, very kind and friendly people we're slowly getting to know. They have a 7-year old girl and a 9-year old boy, but I believe they were at the dessert table. :) Kaiya spent the afternoon swimming with them.

And one last picture of the resort. Jeff worked hard on this one tonight, merging about 15 photos to bring you this beauty. He wants you to know that it is a 110 megapixel photo. Crazy! I can tell, because it's taking forever to upload. Sadly, the version you see here is much scaled down. But after all that work, it deserves to be posted.

As our Lebanese neighbours drove us home today, Jeff followed the map on his iphone. We're working hard to get a feel for this new place. As he zoomed out, he nudged me and pointed to the map of the world, with the red dot on Qatar. "We're HERE now, Kathy. Right here. We're not there anymore (pointing to Canada)." We both kind of shook our heads in disbelief. Really? Is this really happening? We definitely need more time to get this to sink in.

Tomorrow is Sunday, the beginning of our work week. Jeff has some more orientation before Eid begins, and I'm in for two full days of EFL orientation at the college. Perhaps a couple full days of work will help this new reality set in?

Later, friends...

A Little Bit of Extravagance...

2011-08-26T14:00:00.003-04:00

Villagio...

Because every mall should have a canal running through its middle, complete with gondola rides (and you know we Epps will one day take one!)

And a Porsche displayed in the center, somewhere between the Burberry, Louis Vuitton, and Dolce and Gabbana stores.

Pretty to look at, yes it is. But something tells me we won't be shopping at this high-end mall too often. Although the ice rink right by the food court is kind of nice... :)

Shopping Insanity

2011-08-25T17:35:00.000-04:00

Get used to a lot of posts about shopping. Shopping is probably this nation's #1 past time. The folks here love their malls... and there are so many to choose from. Jeff's school has set up drivers for all of us newbies for every night of the week... to go shopping. We don't go every night because it's just too exhausting. With jet lag, by the time 7:30 comes around, we're pretty much ready for bed. Never mind the fact that we have to drag Kaiya through all of the shopping... Kaiya, whose bed time used to be 8:00pm. Qatar has changed all that! These days, we're lucky if she gets in bed by ten.

But tonight we were up for the challenge. It's Thursday, after all, the Middle East's equivalent to our Friday, and so we were ready to get up and get out. Especially since the destination was City Center Mall, located, believe it or not, in the center of Doha. :) The mall is amazing, and overwhelming (I've used that word a lot this past week, haven't I?) It goes up four, maybe five stories, with halls of stores spreading off in every direction. I lost count of the many escalators and elevators, and I started experiencing some serious vertigo on the top floor, looking down to the hustle and bustle below. We're just lucky we found our way back to the driver through the maze of people and stores.

Here's a collection of some sights we experienced tonight:

Kaiya and Jeff hanging out in some random tent that was inside the mall.

Kaiya and I by the skating rink in the middle of the mall. You can look down onto this skating rink from each floor of the mall.

Kaiya meeting the characters of the show Freej. I saw this show once when I stayed with Darren and Larissa in Doha last June for 10 days. Even though Kaiya has never seen the show, she was completely enchanted.

She insisted we meet each and every one of the characters... It was so funny to see all the people come running to meet the characters, dragging their often crying, frightened children along to take some snapshots. We saw one Qatari woman whip out a huge Nikon SLR from under her abaya to take some shots.

Shopping for basics in yet another Carrefour. It was 9 o'clock by this time, and the mall came alive! During Ramadan, the shops are all closed till 7:30pm. But then, the later it gets, the crazier it gets. Thankfully, we were still awake enough to enjoy the buzz of all the excitement. When we left the mall at 9:45, swarms and swarms of people were just coming in. I asked our driver, "Do Qataris ever sleep?" And he just laughed. "Maybe around 5 in the morning, maam, they go to sleep."

Jeff getting more produce weighed at the "weighing point."

The number of checkouts is kind of unbelievable, and they all were a-buzzing.

I like this advertisement... always makes me smile.

One view from the outside of the mall, as we waited for our driver to appear among the masses of cars.

There were cars and people everywhere. All the drop-off points to the mall were overcrowded, so cars just randomly stopped on the side of the busy street to let off passengers.

My favourite picture from the night... the impressive entrance to City Center Mall.

We do intend to get back to our normal schedules one day, really we do. But as long as it's Ramadan, it's late night a-shopping we will go!

Was it only a week ago??

2011-08-24T14:01:00.001-04:00

I feel like it has been months. So many new sensations, so little sleep. We managed the flight, have gotten Jeff through almost a week's worth of orientation, have had many trips to the bathwater pool, and have made even more negotiations regarding broken appliances.

I have been promised a little bit of something something tomorrow that will hopefully help me sink into a deeper sleep tomorrow night. I sure could use it. Somehow TGIT has less of a ring, especially considering they have TGIFridays restaurants here.

But yes, as for tomorrow... TGIT!

And as for right now...

Karen and Josh's van filled to the hilt. I can't believe we managed to fit everything in there! (and get the computer here in one piece)

Me locking the door on George Street one last time... (won't be seeing those shoulders in public for some time...

Sigh. Miss you all... in this week-that-has-felt-like-much-longer!

Bird's Eye Views

2011-08-24T07:22:00.005-04:00

Villas around here have long ladders reaching up to their roofs. That's where the air conditioners, TV satellites, and often water cisterns are held, and since everything around here seems to break fairly regularly, you need this kind of handy access.

Of course, in Jeff's case, this is just an invitation to some roof top photography. He took the following photos right around sunset, but still came inside totally and completely drenched.

I LOVE this picture. You can see the little grassy playground area. Diagonally through that is where the clubhouse and pool are.

The ever-important necessity: air conditioners.

Another view from the rooftop, looking the other way...

Satellite dishes (one day soon ours will hopefully work!) and a water cistern.

This gives you an idea of the crazy building going on in this country. This is our landmark, the building we see clearly from our compound. We've been told it's going to be... a hospital!

And another angle. Our compound is small; just one block.

And a better shot of the pool:

K-bear, conqueror of the world:

I've got some storytelling I want to do, but I'm beat today. It'll have to wait. Up tomorrow: a day of orientation for me at my new workplace: CNA-Q. I'm pumped! Kaiya will be watched by Nelly, our friends' nanny. She's here right now, getting to know our girl. Her comment so far: "I like her laugh. It sounds like an old lady." (I know some of you will appreciate that!)

Have a great day, folks...

Here you go.... some pics of us and our new home

2011-08-22T15:21:00.023-04:00

So, this isn't yet complete, but it'll have to do for now. First of all, a few factoids for you. Our villa has 3 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. One bathroom comes off of a small, maybe 8 x 8 room which we were told was the "maid's quarters." We just use the room for storage, and don't even enter the bathroom.

The villa is a "semi," but with concrete walls, you really don't hear a thing. In fact, we even have trouble hearing each other when we're in separate rooms! When you walk in the front door, the stairs are on your left, and the living/dining room is on your right. In the back is a 2-piece bathroom, with a kitchen to the left and the "maid's room" and bathroom to the right. Upstairs there are 3 bedrooms. Ours is huge with a king-size bed and ensuite. Kaiya's and our rooms are at the front of the villa. In the back are yet another bathroom and a larger bedroom with two twin beds. All in all, it's a whole lot more space than we're used to!

So here are the pics we have so far. Sadly, the master bedroom is missing. (We could only do so much cleaning in one night!) You'll get to see that another day.

Here are some shots of our living/dining room. It is SO wonderful to have all this open space (if you've been in our George Street living room, you'll appreciate this).

Taken from the other end. We were so happy to see colour on the walls, and even some pictures. Stepping in the front door was a huge relief to me!

From this angle, you can see to the front door and stairs.

The main floor bathroom. We are still getting used to having one, but it sure is nice not to have to run up the stairs all the time.

The "maid's room." AKA storage space. I won't bother showing you the bathroom. It's blue, and it has the tiniest shower I've ever seen in the corner.

Time for a Kaiya and mommy break:

Aw, heck, let's do one more:

The kitchen. I spent a while cleaning this puppy for you guys tonight! Let's pretend there's a black stove top and a white wash machine there as well, shall we? Hopefully they will be returned soon...

Another angle, so you can see our back door. It's actually a regular-sized door. Jeff merged two photos, and that's why the door looks so huge! We plan on buying a couple stools for the island-thingy.

Kaiya welcomes you upstairs...

View from the top of the stairs. Yes, there's a strangely placed window there, so people can check us out as we walk around, I guess...

Upstairs hallway. It feels so long!

Kaiya and Jeff hamming it up in her room.

And Kaiya's actual room. We all have these wonderful closets.

Another not particularly pretty bathroom. We never ever use this one.

Our third bedroom. It has a message for you.
"Hi family and friends of the Epps. I'm feeling kind of lonely right now 'coz no one ever uses me. Please come and sleep in my beds. I promise they'll buy nicer (and comfier) sheets for you. I'll be waiting..."

And finally, Kaiya says,
"Hey, don't forget me and my crazy laugh or I'll have to beat you up!"

(I know I'm corny. Blame it on the jet lag... at least for a couple more days...)

Oh, and one last one. The pool! Well, the shallow end of the pool. Yes, we do go every day, and yes, it mostly feels like you're wading in a bath tub. Very odd sensation.

We'll post more pics of the outdoors as well as our massive master bedroom sometime soon. For now, good night!

Iftar

2011-08-22T00:55:00.009-04:00

Saturday night, QAK (Jeff's employer) took us all out to the Four Seasons Hotel (swanky!) for Iftar. According to Wikipedia, the source of all knowledge, ;) ...

Iftar (Arabic: إفطار‎), refers to the evening meal when Muslims break their fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan. Iftar is one of the religious observances of Ramadan and is often done as a community, with people gathering to break their fast together. Iftar is done right after Maghrib (sunset) time. Traditionally, a date is the first thing to be consumed when the fast is broken.

It was definitely a feast:

Even if for some, that feast only included spaghetti and chocolate ice cream with chocolate sauce:

The view from above: (That's Tracie way over on the left)

And just one more...

It was a pretty amazing feast. Admittedly, I woke up at 2:30am that day, and I was slightly distracted by the antics of my little girl, so some (much?) of the extravagance was simply lost on me. But I'm sure it was beautiful. ;)

Jeff was being very careful about not including people in the photos, at the request of the Four Seasons staff. Everything in this country is a little more conservative than usual right now because of Ramadan, and we are very green here, so we're doing our best to be ultra-respectful. But I promise that will loosen. In fact, it already has. Jeff had a wonderful first day at work yesterday, where his Qatari employers explained a lot of customs and "rules" and helped relax everyone a lot. More on that later. I promise. I just have to get a shower in before my monkey girl wakes up!

What we really want to do (and I know you want too), is to blog a little more about the day-to-day, complete with pictures of the villa, and US! We are working on it. Timing is tricky, because during the day Jeff is at work and I'm entertaining K-bear, and then in the evenings we're taken out by QAK, and then at night we mostly just collapse into bed. The villa is NOT FIT for taking pictures right now... toys everywhere, shoes everywhere, Qatari sand and dust accumulating, items that have not found their homes... oh my!! It's a bit of a (fun) disaster here right now. But I'll still aim for the goal, I will.

Off to shower!

New Experiences

2011-08-21T02:16:00.009-04:00

We've been so focussed on all the little details of getting ready for our move (and then actually getting through that move) that I think we somehow forgot that we were actually going to be living in a foreign country. Sounds funny, right? But every day we look around and at each other with this sense of "where the heck are we, where is everyone we know and love, and HOW the HECK did this happen??" Admittedly, the jet lag has greatly contributed to these feelings of confusion.

Now that I finally have one night of proper SLEEP behind me, I want to introduce to you our first completely overwhelming cultural experience:

(Duh duh duh duuuuuhhhhh..........)

Shopping.

Two days in a row, we've been taken shopping for basic necessities, mainly in the form of food. Both times we ended up in two different stores of the chain "Carrefour." The first time I told the driver, "Give us an hour," thinking this would be like my usual whip through Food Basics. Ya, dead wrong. Mind you, we couldn't have mentally handled more than an hour of jet-lagged wanderings, so perhaps I wasn't so foolish.

I forgot what it's like to live in a foreign country where very few products are recognizable, and if they are, they're crazy overpriced. We walked aisle after aisle of this superstore, in a dim and foggy haze. I stared numbly at the rows upon rows of rice, cereal, sauces, and various other assortments of goods. How is one to know what kind of rice will be good, or what kind of pickles you will like? (the ones we chose taste like pure vinegar, by the way) On many items we ventured into new territory, choosing brands unfamiliar to us, covered in Arabic script. But on others we were firm. Heinz ketchup (for Kaiya) and Kikkoman soy sauce (for me).

A difference here that really stood out to me (and kind of made me laugh, to be honest) was all the bagging. In Canada, we use re-usable bags as much as possible, or pay out our 5 cents per bag. I've gotten to the point I hardly even use bags when purchasing produce. I let the cashier do the work of rounding up all my stray oranges to weigh them and price them. Plastic bags are used sparingly (and rightly so, considering the plastic vortex in the Pacific Ocean). It's become so natural to me I don't even have to think twice about grabbing my re-usable bags on my way out the door. Well, all our habits are about to change, and swiftly! In the grocery stores here, you have to bag all of your produce separately and have it weighed and stickered in the produce section before checking out. Speeds things up in the checkout, I suppose.

Here is our lovely bagged produce: Note the lonely pepper.

And then, when checking out, your groceries are all meticulously bagged for you (admittedly, we have missed this kind of service). Your bags are even tied. This I could do without. The cashier asked me if I would like to use re-usable bags, and I had to smile when he showed me more plastic. A thicker, more durable type, mind you, but hardly something I would use for years to come.

And here's Jeff and Kaiya, modelling our beautifully wrapped groceries and home items. Can you tell how exhausted we all were?

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go enjoy some toast and tea with the kettle and toaster that just arrived at my door. It's 9:30am, Jeff's at work, and Kaiya is still sleeping. Life feels pretty good today. It's the simple things, I tell you, all starting with a good night's sleep.

Sleep... It's Overrated.

2011-08-19T22:19:00.004-04:00

5 am. My family is tucked in nicely upstairs, but I've been awake since 2:30. Better than yesterday. That was 1:30. Blame it on the girl. She woke me both times. Yesterday, I managed to keep her in bed for another two hours before she demanded to get up. Today I used my special mommy elixir, and she was asleep within the hour. Too bad I can't buy red wine till we get our residence permits. No elixir for me!

Jet lagging with a 3-year old in tow is a whole new experience. But there is something to be said for being wide awake at 5 in the morning. Since I am decidedly NOT a morning person, it's kind of nice to be up to enjoy the early daylight hours. It's light here by 5 in the morning. It's also dark here by about 5:30 at night, but that dark is welcome this time of year. We can swim at the pool after dinner without the sun blazing down on us. And slowly stroll around our little block, thankful for the air conditioning that awaits us.

Our flights went fabulously. Kaiya was in full director mode, lugging around her own adult-sized carry-on, and demanding to lead the way. Jeff and I were slightly frazzled, as evidenced by me leaving our boarding passes and passports at security. Sheesh! The flight from Toronto to Montreal left late, leaving us only about 30 minutes to walk a couple kilometers through the Montreal airport. Thankfully, they were looking for us, and a kind shuttle driver zipped us the rest of the way. We boarded a packed, very multicultural flight. Kaiya had one screaming freak-out right at the start, when we demanded she get her pull-up on, but the rest of the 12.5 hour flight was easy-peasy. Seriously. And we didn't even have access to our carry-on bags full of goodies. Since we were so late, the stowaways were full in economy, and we were gently forced to leave our bags in first class. But no matter. She slept most of the flight and spent the rest of the time watching Dora on her little screen or using my ipad. Phew! Jeff and I both had our own individual moments of panic about 3 hours into the flight. By that time, she was asleep, and so were we, but a few twitches from her, and we thought she was waking up. Both of us had moments of "What were we thinking?" But thankfully, she went right back to sleep.

We've quickly realized our little firecracker may be our best gateway into this new culture. Throughout our travels, so many men and women smiled her way, made comments about her precociousness (3 going on 15, huh?), and generally found her amusing. In the Doha airport, we got more of the same. Airport workers all smiled her way and spoke with her, and when I shushed her for her gregarious song-making, one woman remarked, "Oh, but they are such happy sounds." I'm definitely feeling a family-friendly vibe here. And that's good.

Oh, and just a note about the security in Doha airport... after the international shipper warned us about Qatar's "100% inspection policy" for shipped items, I was afraid the same might apply to our suitcases. Ha. I could have had a suitcase full of pork, and they wouldn't have known! Our carry-ons were passed through a scanner, but the two men working the machine were so deep in their conversation they hardly even glanced at the screen. And the room marked "customs" was filled with some stainless steel tables and nothing else. No people, no questions, no nothing. A breeze.

We've had a lot of hiccups here in our first day, and I'm looking forward to Jeff going to work tomorrow (yes, Sunday) to start slowly working through these matters. I knew it would be this way. Since the school is in Al-Khor, everyone employed by the school is living there, and so of course, the school's attention is focused there. Except for us. QAK (yes, that's the abbreviation... gotta love it) was very gracious in providing us with accommodations in Doha, since that is where I will be working. (And hey... it's the capital city and where all the action is at, so it's where we want to live) However, while we love our villa, with its 3 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, it definitely is lacking in some of the essentials we were promised. I won't make a list here, mostly because I don't want to worry my mother. :) At this point, the only one that is really a concern is the non-functioning stove. And no cell phones, so no ability to call a driver if we need one. But the cell phone issue, at least, should be resolved soon. I'm in contact with my employer, and it looks like they may be dropping one off soon.

I'm not overwhelmed with first impressions. I think this is partly due to me having been here last June, but mostly due to the fact that I'm very mindful of the 3-year old in my care. This adventure is so completely different than the Japan chapter. Of course they are totally different countries in terms of culture and climate, but both Jeff and I feel that at this point, most of the difference is because of Kaiya. Our trip to the grocery store yesterday was that much more overwhelming because of the severely sleep-deprived little girl we were caring for. Caring for! "Managing" would be a better expression, I think! I just have to remind myself that my usually meticulous style of searching the aisles and inspecting each new product will have to be temporarily put on hold. Till we're in a regular sleep pattern. And I have a cell phone. And I have better access to a driver/my own vehicle. And it's not Ramadan, so we're not scurrying around before the store closes... You get my drift!

Well, it's now after 6, so I think I'll sign off. I would like to leave you with pictures, but we haven't yet figured all this out! We do have wireless though, so we'll have to try using Skype soon. Take care, everyone!

Farewell... for Now...

2011-08-17T19:00:00.000-04:00

A little blessing I've been thinking of in the past few days. Take care, friends.

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Things I Will Miss

2011-08-16T19:00:00.004-04:00

This post came about at the end of June, but I decided to save it for now. I was waiting for the right time, and I know that today's the day. It was inspired by a visit from Edgar. As I wrote, I processed a lot of emotions and felt the love. I hope you feel the love too.

Things I Will Miss... the George Street Edition

Walking to Sukha Yoga once a week to enjoy an amazing time of exercise and meditation led by Jackie Frans, a warm, friendly, intuitive, and fantastic yoga instructor. And walking home with Rose, turning a 5-minute walk into a 45-minute one.

Les. Whenever anything happens in our neighborhood, Les knows about it. We're not sure Les sleeps. You can see him any time day or night walking the streets of our neighbourhood, greeting folks, often with a Timmie's in his hand. If anything happens, Les knows about it, even if no one knew he was there. Once when I said to a fellow neighbour, "What would we do without Les?" she quipped, "Lock our doors, for one." (well, we still lock our doors around here, but you get the idea... ;) ) When Kaiya hit toddlerhood, we started to receive random toys placed on our front porch. They were from Les, it turns out, toys his grandkids had outgrown.

Our local gelato/chocolate shop on the corner of George and Welland. Kaiya once got a free second cone of ice cream just for telling the owner how delicious his ice cream was. He's that kind. And when he talks to her, his eyes sparkle. A winning combination for faithful customers.

The sound of clinking beer bottles in children's wagons as our colourful local neighbourhood returns its empties to the Beer Store a block away.

Edgar, the kind, roughly worn man who knocks on our door semi-regularly to collect our empties. When a couple of months went by in the winter with no Edgar, I was getting worried. All I knew was that he lived somewhere on Russell Avenue. But spring came, and Edgar came back. Whenever he comes, Kaiya excitedly runs to the kitchen to bring him wine and beer bottles, and then she bounces around him, teasing and playing, while we check in and see how he's been doing. Life will feel less rich without Edgar.

Our immediate neighbours, Sue and Dave, and Bryan and Sarah. In the winters, it's kind of a joke to see who will get to the sidewalk to shovel it first. You know you have good neighbours when THAT is the kind of competitions you engage in. As well as the "who can put everyone's garbage bins away first" contest. And I actually can't remember the last time we cut our front lawn. We used to feel bad, but we let that go a long time ago. When I'm home with Kaiya, there is something incredibly comforting about seeing Dave's head bob above the fence as he walks past our house in the laneway. (He's rather tall). His regular stops at home throughout his workday have always provided us with a sense of safety and security. And Sarah... how many times has Sarah saved me during "arsenic hour"? Popping by with a glass of wine, or inviting us to hang out for a bit in the backyard till Jeff gets home. Her presence has changed many a grumpy-late afternoon into something light and cheery. (Well, okay, the wine she brings admittedly helps with that transformation).

Our almost-immediate neighbours, Dave and Ericka and Hannah and Wren. These are the folks who helped round out the neighbourhood volleyball team. And playdates, oh so many fun backyard playdates. I will miss Ericka's thoughtful and concerned mother-hen nature, always wanting everyone to be happily married with children, extended family, and lots and lots of love. And our girls' nights, together with Sarah, where we couldn't talk fast enough to fit in all the juicy bits we wanted to share about our lives. And the rolemodel Ericka has been to me, a woman extremely passionate about both home and work, and determined to succeed. Thank you, Ericka, for your inspiring integrity in these matters.

Our Henry Street friends, Nathan and Rose and Maelle, and Sue and Brent. We were so excited when you joined our neighbourhood, and we've been so happy to have friends to regularly pop in on, and to share a lawnmower with. :) As neighbours, our time together has been limited, but as friends, I know the connections are strong and deep and lasting. Words cannot express my thankfulness to you for the ways you have supported us these past few years. If anyone understands (and embraces) the changes that have happened in us, it's you folks.

Our laneway. In every season. Sipping tea while strolling. Watching Kaiya collect stones, jump in puddles, pick flowers, chase bugs and birds. On a still summer Sunday morning, the laneway can actually trick me into believing we're in cottage country. It's that good. Of course, the laneway has also seen its share of drug deals, teen loitering, random dudes pissing on our neighbour's house, and other random dudes sipping beer tucked in behind our back fence.... but I'm focussing on the positive here. :)

The couple from just down the street. After having lived in the neighbourhood for many years, they are making their own new transitions into the Lutheran home on Russell. When their granddaughters grew out of the doll pillows and doll blankets she crocheted for them, she passed them on to Kaiya. I'll miss seeing them sitting out on the front porch, watching the world go by.

Downtown. Whether it be walks to the market, walks home from St. Thomas, walks to the library, or walks to and from favourite bars and restaurants, downtown delivers. It has played a large part in my time at home with Kaiya, so it's kinda hard to let go. Downtown, I have very high hopes for you. All of your revitalization plans have fallen down hard, and you're not looking so pretty. But I believe in you. I believe you can pull yourself together yet and make us proud. I get the late bloomer thing, I do. So while we may be moving far far away, know that I'll be cheering for you all the way from Doha.

Catherine Street park. If I ever need to kill an hour or more, Catherine Street park is there for me. Kaiya and I walk or bike down, and she swings on swings, climbs rock walls or plays in the splashpad while I daydream. And thankfully, the Russell Avenue community center has a bathroom. If you know me (and Kaiya), you know this small detail is very important!

Our flyer deliverer, known by Kaiya as "Hey, Mailman!" He's a shy one, pulling around his wagon delivering the flyers. But as Kaiya grew and developed her personality, he took a shining to her. We knew something had changed the day he first brought her some of his wife's baking. She instantly became his biggest fan. The first time we had the UHaul in our driveway, about a month before our leaving date, he quietly arrived at our back gate and just stood there. "You're not leaving, are you?" The shocked and crestfallen look on his face just about broke my heart. The next day he arrived with more treats and a school bus pin (His wife drives bus). We will dearly miss "Mailman."

Many friendly folk we see day-to-day whose smiles we'll miss: Wendy and Stefan and their family; Sheryl and Blair; Wayne and Trish and Justin. Take care, guys.

Our house: 20 George Street, we love you. You've witnessed a lot. Thanks for being kind to us. We know your exterior needs a little more TLC, but we hope you're happy with how we've finished off your insides. I think you're beautiful. You helped welcome Kaiya into the world, so I hope you help welcome Josh and Danielle's baby too. Try not to let the garden get too out of control, and don't let the ants in anymore. We're so through with them.

Peace and love to all of you. One big, fat, giant neighbourhood hug.

Today

2011-08-11T09:22:00.002-04:00

Today is picture perfect. It's the kind of day I will miss, living in hot, dusty Qatar. Perfect blue sky, clean fresh air, windows wide open to allow the cool breeze in, ruffling the curtains and causing me to reach for a sweater.

Thank you for delivering today, Canada.

As I continue to pack and purge, purge and pack, I'll make sure to stop regularly at the window, take some deep sniffs, and thank God for the beauty that's all around me today.

It'll be 45 degrees tomorrow in Qatar. Ha!

A Great Day of Pictures

2011-08-07T18:00:00.002-04:00

Well, the way life is going these days, we might as well be in Qatar. Our bodies are still technically here, but our minds are wading in long to-do lists as we ourselves wade through swarms of boxes, Rubbermaid bins, and last-minute renos. I hardly have time to eat these days, never mind blog!

But there's a special day that requires some capturing: Jeff's birthday party. It was last minute and rather haphazardly put together. As my heart swelled with the joy of school almost being done (ie. getting to have my husband back), I thought, "We gotta have a party!"

So although it was over a month ago, it's a day I want to capture in blog-land. Especially since it was the last big party our little backyard got to host, with us anyway...

The cake pre-lighting: (I thought the "Happy Birthday" candles were so fun)

My mom and Kaiya sharing some Barbie time together:

Dad:

Beth:

Dagmar (I know she'll just love this picture):

Karen and cutie Liam:

Nathan with his sweet Maelle:

Devon and Jeff, volleyball buddies. There are some uncanny similarities between these two. Perhaps it's something about sharing June 19th as a birthday? Oh, and Devon... see? Your smile DOES look a lot more natural (and nice!) when you show those pearly whites.

Thanks to Josh, we got to OWN the laneway for a while, playing petanque. This was Jeff's favourite moment of the night. (And you all have very cute bums):

An intense moment, as Josh throws the ball:

Where did it land?

Okay, so I actually thought Jen might take this cat home:

Blowing out the candles. Thank God that goatee finally disappeared for grad!

Clearly, the "Happy Birthday" candles were overrated:

Kaiya and Hailey enjoyed the cake while sitting in the turtle pool:

These two were such a ham that day!

Dear Robyn (and silly Devon):

Me and Candice:

Rose and Lisa:

I said I wouldn't include it, but heck, I will:

And isn't this one so much nicer?

Thank you, friends and family, for coming out that night and making it a wonderful night to remember. We are our happiest when hosting you all in our little backyard. Hopefully next summer will see many more parties!

It's in the details...

2011-07-24T14:44:00.004-04:00

My silence on the blog is simply a testimony to the fact that things are heating up in the Epp household. When we're not outside enjoying friends, family, and the heat, we're inside, busily sorting, purging, and packing. Last minute renos are getting done, done, done, and any that are not completely essential have, thankfully and finally, been scrapped from the list. Phonecalls are being made, addresses changed, endless accounts cancelled, and the house is looking more and more... boxed.

In the midst of all this frantic activity, life is blurring by. My quiet introvert side is being temporarily shelved in order to squeeze in as much LIFE with friends and family as possible. I long for time to slow down and process, but then quickly remind myself there'll be plenty of time for all that in those first quiet weeks in Doha, Qatar. More than enough time, really. And so we go, go, go. Until a day like today when my two favourite people crash for the afternoon after many days of fun in the sun, and I enter a much-needed peace and space for quiet thought.

I continue to be up and down regarding our decision to leave. But I think that's a really good sign. When Jeff and I came back from Japan, we, quite frankly, greatly disliked Canada. There was a certain temptation to ... book it. But we made a conscious decision not to. Five years, we said. We need to stay a minimum of five years to make sure we're not just escaping. To make sure we're really making a go of it... of relationships, jobs, our home and native land. May 2011 was our five-year mark. The fact that I'm feeling so crummy about leaving all of you and our sometimes-sketchy George Street neighbourhood shows me that we really did engage and invest, and I'm thankful for that. And I know that spirit of living will travel with us to Doha, and that's a good thing.

On Thursday, smack in the middle of my upping and downing, I received a small but wonderful boost of encouragement. Kaiya had just completed a tough but successful swimming lesson. It had been a really off day, with about half the kids in the pool crying. Kaiya got out of the pool about half a dozen times for "potty breaks" and hugs of encouragement, but she made it. Our girl did it. So we decided to stop at Dairy Queen for a treat on the way home. Jeff and Kaiya both got ice cream while I settled on an Orange Julius smoothie. I can't remember the last time I had one of those... maybe some time before we went to Japan? Say 8 or more years ago? Well, as I start sucking back my smoothie, don't I read the following little blurb on the side of the cup: (click on it to see a larger picture)

Seriously?? Most people I meet on the street have either never heard of Qatar or have no idea where it is... but here it is, being mentioned on the side of an Orange Julius cup?

Yes, dear friends, say what you will, but I took it as a sign. A small one maybe. But definitely a nice little pat of encouragement.

All will be well. We will somehow get this house all packed up and get everything on the list crossed off. And August 17th we'll board that plane and fly over to sunny Qatar. And all will be well.

Just a Glimpse

2011-07-05T10:06:00.002-04:00

Our little girl had fun on Canada Day:

More to come soon.

Just Plain Weird

2011-06-27T11:24:00.005-04:00

A few faithful readers have been mentioning that lately my blog always makes them tear up, choke up, full-on cry. And I keep saying, "Sorry, but I don't think it's going to get better any time soon." This space serves as my thought-processing arena, and when you're getting ready to say good-bye, those thoughts can be kind of heavy.

But you're lucky today. Today we have news straight from the "WTF" channel. I mean, seriously out-of-left-field, bizarro news.

Last week I was checking out the stats on the blog, and I noticed some wildly unprecedented blog traffic. Usually it's a really good day if we get say, around 30 visits and page views. But last week those numbers were completely blown out of the water. Suddenly, in one day, we had about 700 visits and page views. "Hey!" I thought, "We're famous! Some really cool blogger out there for some unknown reason has found our blog and linked to it! Cool!"

So I quickly checked out the "referrals" section, wondering what wonderful site was helping us to generate all of this amazing traffic. And my jaw promptly dropped. Fell to the floor. And I moaned, "Oh noooooooooo.... You've got to be kidding."

What I found was a link to "Bloody Disgusting: Your #1 Source for Horror." It appears that our homely little blog was found worthy of being linked to through this lovely "news" site. Why? you ask. Yes, yes. I asked the same terrifying question. And in shocked, well, horror, I soon found out. It appears that under the category "OMFG of the Day," (so creative, aren't they?) this awe-inpiring site features an article about a Jurassic Park-style love hotel in Japan. A love hotel that we happened to pass by and snap a picture of during our southern Japan travels. The site displays three pictures of the exterior of the hotel, and while it credits us with taking all of them, in actual fact, only the last one is ours. In the article, they also state, "The site scored a slew of weird images that come from this link." And "this link" links directly to our humble blog. To this page actually (please check it out and have a laugh at our expense): "Home Away from Home"

There we are, Jeff and I, in Beppu Japan, posing next to all the famous hot springs. And oh yes, there is a nice little picture of Jeff, taking a self-portrait while bathing in one of the hot springs. And yes, a little further down is one tiny little picture of the Jurassic Park-style love hotel. "A slew of weird images," huh? I guess WE were the weird images. Bet THEIR readers were disappointed!!

On the upside, I told Jeff, "Just think. Hundreds of people around the world have now seen you bathing in a hot spring naked." :)

If you want to read the article yourself, just click on the link below. It's really edifying material, I tell you. And hey, we might as well return the favour. After all, we are STILL getting hits from this link. Sheesh. The Internet is truly a thing of beauty.

OMFG of the Day: Japan Hosts 'Jurassic-Park' Love Motel

One Step at a Time

2011-06-12T21:02:00.009-04:00

On Friday I listed our house for rent on Kijiji. We received a number of serious inquiries, enough to make us hold an "open house" today. This was our second open house. The first happened about a month or so ago, back when we were looking for students and a 10-month lease. But a lot of shifting has happened in that past month. Shifting and a subtle sense of letting go.

All along, the one thing I held on to was the house. That was the one thing I wanted. Just give me the house every summer. Our old neighbourhood, our busting out garden, the laneway, the friends, beer on the porch and wine and dinner on the back patio. Our own space. HOME.

And all along, there was a tiny voice in my head saying, "It ain't gonna work, Kathy. You're gonna have to let it go."

And it turns out the little voice was right. If we're going to be non-residents of Canada, we really do have to be NON-residents of Canada. Of our house. Even if it's just for a few weeks every summer.

I've been good. I've been letting it go, bit by bit, letting it sink in that this really IS our last summer in this home. I've been lovingly weeding the garden, spreading the mulch, transplanting tremendously large and healthy plants to the laneway side of the fence. Just doing it. Not really thinking too much about this that or the other.

But last night, as I prepared for our second open house, it hit me. I realized that this time, we probably would find the right renters. This time would probably be it. A passing of the baton. Please take care of our baby. We've given her lots of love these past five years.

And as I was racing against the clock last night, trying to dig out weeds and plant more flowers by the laneway before it became too dark, that really fabulous part of the evening settled in. The part that coincides with the time the mosquitoes decide to come out to play. If you want to relish it, you have to suck it up buttercup and deal with the biting mosquitoes. Cause this part of the evening rocks. There was good reggae music and the sounds of talk and laughter from someone's backyard party. And there was the smell of a campfire from another. And the peace and quiet that comes once the kids are tucked in bed and it's too early for the drunks to start coming out. And while I dug, I took some mighty deep breaths and thought, "I am going to MISS THIS."

See this?
This is the room Kaiya was born in. This very room, on that very bed. This is also the room that has seen the most of my tears over one thing or another. It has seen Jeff and I fight... and make up... It has seen us collapse in exhaustion after long and busy days, and has held us while we have slept. And it's finally the right colour. This room.

And see this?
How many of you have sat in this room with us? Laughed with us, argued with us, even cried with us? How many good, life-changing conversations have been had in this room? This room.

It's just a house, I know. But this house has seen so much. So much more than the other houses. And this house has watched us journey and transform and grow-up. I'm happy to be who I am now. And that change happened here. In this house.

This morning, 10 minutes before our first potential renter was due, a song popped into my head. A song from long ago that will surely date me. And foolishly, I looked it up on Youtube and choked back the tears as I listened and remembered. It's perfect.

And, as always, it's for you, Jeff.

If These Walls Could Speak

If these old walls,
If these old walls could speak
Of the things that they remember well,
Stories and faces dearly held,
A couple in love
Livin’ week to week,
Rooms full of laughter,
If these walls could speak.

If these old halls,
If hallowed halls could talk,
These would have a tale to tell
Of sun goin’ down and dinner bell,
And children playing at hide and seek
from floor to rafter,
If these halls could speak.

They would tell you that I’m sorry
For bein’ cold and blind and weak.
They would tell you that it’s only
That I have a stubborn strreak,
If these walls could speak.

If these old fashioned window panes were eyes,
I guess they would have seen it all--
Each little tear and sigh and footfall,
And every dream that we came to seek
Or followed after,
If these walls could speak.

They would tell you that I owe you
More than I could ever pay.
Here’s someone who really loves you;
Don’t ever go away.
That’s what these walls would say.

It's Summer

2011-06-08T14:45:00.023-04:00

Do you feel it? The hot, sticky air that dampens your skin and makes you want to dash to the 7-11 to buy a box of freezies. Do you smell it? The fresh-cut grass, the flowers in bloom, the sweetness of ice cream, the scent of BBQs and bonfires. Do you taste it? Hamburgers, summer salads, roasted marshmallows, and my latest summer favourite... a bottle of sparkling Pinot Grigio.

It's summer.

All around us is the green, green, green of a good Canadian summer. Kaiya and I went to the park down the street today. As I lay back on a towel, I smiled at her squeals and screams. I LOVE that my daughter is the one who thinks a splash pad is the COOLEST invention on earth. While the other kids quietly run and play, she's the one running in circles, squealing through fountains, screaming as buckets of icy cold water dump on her head. Splashpads. Guaranteed long afternoon naps. Bliss.

Life is incredibly rich right now. The waiting game is ending, my friends. A number of little things came together last week to finally make me mentally, internally flip the page. The new chapter is beginning. I still alternate wildly between excitement and anticipation over the adventure coming our way, and digging my claws back into Canadian soil, terrified of the change and the letting go. On tough days I think, "What are we doing? We're crazy to leave." And on good days I think, "Yes, we are crazy. Bring on the crazy. And bring on our next adventure!"

Time is short. So let's get to the point today: some fabulous pictures.

We love Uncle Dave. And we love that a trip to "Auntie's" house now means a trip of adventure and exploration. There are trees to climb:

Clearly, Uncle Dave does a better job than I do:

There are toads to squeal at, and other interesting bugs to find and touch:

(She carried that ridiculous farting gnome around the whole yard with her. Yes, a motion-sensing farting gnome. Seriously.)

There are trampolines to jump on...

...and an older cousin to admire:

There are fires to build (and newspapers to hide behind)...

...and giant marshmallows to roast...

...and enjoy:

We also love neighbour Bryan and neighbour Sarah. Because when we visit them, mommy can enjoy a glass of bubbly with Sarah...

...while Kaiya gets to act crazy with Bryan...

...and point out airplanes...

...and stand holding a glass on her head while Bryan aims the Nerf gun right at it:

(Who knew that was the secret to getting this kid to stay still??!!)

And we love Maelle...

...because there's just so much to love!

And because being with Maelle shows us what being a big sister would look like. Beautiful.

We are inhaling deep breaths of all this love and friendship. Deep breaths because we know that in just two short months, we will be experiencing solitude, and loneliness, like we haven't in some time.

There will be a lot more of this:

So in the meantime, we enjoy this...

...and this:

Not forgetting for a second how rich we really are. And thanking God we'll get six weeks of this every year.

Happy summer to you!

Regarding Wednesday...

2011-05-26T22:34:00.001-04:00

Only the Epps would celebrate the promise of new adventures in the Middle East with a fancy lunch at a Japanese restaurant. But after our session with a taxation specialist, I was feeling mighty overwhelmed and mostly in need of a stiff drink. When our accountant recommended "Nami," a high-quality Japanese restaurant, we were in.

As we entered the room, greeted by kimono-clad servers, my heart sighed and I reflected on my near-forgotten love. Japan. I was amazed by the authenticity of the restaurant. Only Japanese chefs. And mostly Japanese servers. There were booths on the side for privacy, and a tatami room in the back. I half-anticipated a lively "Irashaimase!" but no, we were in Toronto after all.

In the end, no stiff drinks were served. But the delicious green tea we delicately held in our hands brought us both back to many chilly days sitting in poorly heated Japanese teachers' rooms. There we would sit, muscles tight, huddling over our steaming mugs of tea, inhaling the warmth they brought, all while silently cursing the lack of central heating and the Japanese spirit of "gaman" that upheld the belief that freezing your buns off in the winter somehow produces character.

The food today showed me that we have been wise in our decision to stop frequenting the Japanese restaurants of St. Catharines. The sushi was fresh, melting in our mouths. Not the gummy, sometimes slimy portions we have gotten used to here. We both ate food we had not eaten since leaving Japan. Salted yakitori with sections of green onion, pickled vegetables, and zaru soba. And there were new surprises too, particularly a delicious grilled cod marinated in Saikyo miso for three days.

Friends, there is NOTHING like thoughtfully prepared Japanese food.

As we ate, we remembered. And we talked about things we missed about the culture. Like how they would savour their meals, loudly exclaiming "Oishii!" with every new bite, as if it were the most delicious morsel they had ever tasted. And how they held their mugs, as if each handmade piece deserved respect and admiration. I miss the reverence and respect of the Japanese culture. There was a sense of spiritual connection in the day-to-day mundaneness that is lacking in North American culture. The simple rituals of green tea and "Itadakimasu." I miss these things.

Qatar, in its expat-edness, will not offer the same experiences as our lovely Japan. And that is something I remind myself of regularly, to prepare myself for this unique journey. But you can be sure that we Epps will dive in, eyes wide open, looking to suck out all the adventure this new opportunity provides. I can't wait for the new routines, favourite haunts, and friendly people we're going to call our own.

Picture Kaiya, with her rainbow hat on, shouting out her favourite cowgirl word, "Yeeeeeehawwwwwwww!!"

A Little Bit of Heaven

2011-05-25T16:12:00.000-04:00

I promised I'd be back. Let's pretend it's Tuesday. This is the post I was actually going to write:

A writer was discussing on CBC what she believes heaven will be like. She described how every weekend morning, her daughter tiptoes into the bedroom and quietly snuggles beneath the sheets between her and her husband. They spend a few minutes there together, healing in one another's warm embraces, before starting the day. Heaven.

This writer's description awoke within me my own strong sensation of heaven. And it is quite simply this:

And this:

As the sun has finally come our way and the days have warmed, I've been reminded once again of what a solar-powered creature I am. But more than that. Of my need to be outside and to feel the sun warming that wonderful spot on the back of my neck as I walk down the laneway or dig in the garden. Life never feels more perfect than the mornings where I hold my mug of tea and stroll with Kaiya through the back gate, down the gravel road, to see what treasures we may find. Or the evenings where I sit at the patio set, glass of wine beside me, enjoying a meal with my family while gazing at our small patch of grass and the gardens we have worked hard to grow.

We all mellow together outside in the sun. The stir-craziness disappears, and the dark squiggle above my head grows faint. Our rhythm changes. Mealtime naturally fades into putter-time, and we all find our places in our little yard, bending down to pull weeds, admire blossoms, or simply build piles of dirt and stones.

August 17th looms large on our calendar, and there is nothing I will miss more than these easy-breezy days of enjoying the quiet calm of nature. So if you call and we don't answer, come to the backyard. There's a good chance you'll find us there.

I'll just let the words do what they will today.

2011-05-24T14:32:00.007-04:00

If I wished to describe to you my feelings over the past few months, many of them could be summarized with the following picture:

Or even the next one:

What I had in mind was actually a cartoon of Lucy with that dark squiggly over her head, but sadly, I couldn't find that imagined picture. Let me know if you do.

I've been spinning and spinning in my Waiting Place. Spinning in useless circles, not knowing where to go, or better yet, how to rest. I purposely didn't take on more work in the winter and spring because I knew we'd be leaving in the summer, and I figured it would be good to make myself available to Kaiya and Jeff and friends and family to help us all get ready for this change. Looking back, I may have done more of a favour to both my husband and my child if I had just worked. A happy wife = a happy life, right? Instead, I left myself with far too much time to think, process, worry, and basically just stare at the house with a building sense of overwhelm-ment as I got frustrated with all the things I couldn't do to help Jeff and help us all push forward with this move... building and finishing closets, painting trim (without it getting all over the carpet... don't worry, that didn't actually happen, and take one look at the trim in the bedroom that I taped to find out why I didn't even try), fixing the drywall in the bathroom... you get the picture. A weekly rant has become common around here: "I don't want our last summer here to be full of renovations!"

You could say that two themes in my life this past year have been giving up control and waiting. I don't like either theme very much, and you'll all be the first to know if those two themes ever change. Ever.

As items on my "Waiting List" get crossed off, I realize I'm still waiting. I'm not celebrating as much as I thought I would be. A little more excitement in my bones? Yes. Absolutely. But still waiting. You and I both know one big thing I'm waiting for, but let's save that for another post, okay? Ultimately, I know this waiting goes deeper somehow, so I keep listening, whenever the dark squiggly above my head lightens enough for me to do so.

The Waiting has made me vulnerable. I have often likened this place to the feeling of stepping off a cliff and not knowing when I'm going to land or what I'm going to land on. Or perhaps I used that analogy to describe my loss of control? Oh, one of those two. But as I was saying... I don't have answers like I used to, or thought I used to. It's hard for me to come to this space to write, even though I know the good it does. And I can't always control the waves of joy or sorrow that wash over me when I hear a certain song, or connect with a friend, or even hold a certain pose in yoga. So forgive me if the tears come unexpectedly at times, friends. At least you can be certain that I'm living life deeply. ;)

I'm trying to listen a lot more. Isn't that, somewhere deep inside, what we all desire? To be listened to? And on a deeper level, to be known? Not to be judged as good or bad or needing a little tweaking, but just to be known and loved for who we are right at that very moment? I've been hearing that Gandhi quote a lot lately, about being the change you want to see in the world. So I thought I'd start there. Cause I'm not a big fan of people putting words in my mouth or pigeonholing me, and I know how good it is when you feel that connection with a friend and you know you've truly been loved and understood. So while my attempts may not always look like much, that's something I'm really trying to do... just listen. I hope you'll humour me. :)

Sheesh, where am I going here? This post is not at all what I thought it was going to be. I mean, not even a speck. Weird. It seems I can't even control my writing these days... Ha.

The pictures I wanted to share just don't fit with all this somehow. No problem. Let's let it stand, shall we? And come back tomorrow and I'll share with you what I thought I was going to share today. (!)

Blessings on the journey...

I should be doing laundry...

2011-05-16T22:15:00.013-04:00

This is how shocked we were by the nice weather last Friday:

Sun, swimsuits, kiddie pool. What the heck is going on? Where did all the rain and cold go?! Thank goodness it came back Saturday and is supposed to stick around for, oh, two weeks or so. I mean, really, our hibernating Canadian bodies could hardly take it! Shock, I tell you! ;)

Picked up these babies today. About the only semi-cool shades they sell in my mostly blind prescription. Gonna be needing them a lot in another three months or so. Oh ya, that's right. Doin' the chicken strut. Somebody got a contract at CNA-Q in Qatar. Yes, yes I did...

So let it rain, let it rain. My future's so bright... I gotta wear shades.

As Kaiya would say: Moooo-ah-ha-ha-ha!

One of the best parts of being Kaiya's mom: she likes hugs and kisses *almost* as much as I do.

The past few days have been a flurry of fun activity; my inner introvert is seriously needing some quiet days and nights at home. Today's rain was a satisfying excuse to blast some Mika and clean the house. That video's awesome, by the way.

I've also been spending some time mentally trying on my new position as full-time employee of CNA-Q. The cold feet have become a little warmer knowing that I have this fiiiine position to look forward to. I have even felt a bit of what could be called "excitement" since receiving my conditional offer. I know, I know, let's not get carried away, right? But I'm slowly stepping out of this strange Waiting Place we've been in, getting ready to try on something new.

I think, it might just possibly be, perhaps, a good fit.

But I'll let you know.

In the meantime...

I scored a bunch of "new" clothes for Kaiya last week. And, as always happens, I'm marveling at how very grown up my girl is looking. She's picking dandelions here, her latest hobby. It's very sweet. She gives everyone she meets a dandelion like it's the most precious gift there is. And I kinda think it is.

Some of the dandelion bounty, stored in her oh-so-favourite rainbow hat.

She makes me catch my breath sometimes. Last week the heat made her hair curl ever so slightly, and I just couldn't get enough. I stared at her like I hadn't seen her for weeks.

It's getting easier and easier to imagine her as a world-traveling, culture-crossing adventurer, don't you think? You go girl. Don't you hesitate. Grab those dreams. They're yours for the taking after all.