Part One : Spring Break - Doha!
Hello Hello from Spring Break!
This was a bowl of candy globe pieces at an International Teaching Job Fair I attended in February 2018, fully aware of what I was accepting by moving abroad.
Fully ready to accept the challenges of living as an ExPat.
Fully ready to take a giant step forward. Fully ready to get living.
SPRING BREAK TIME!
//sunshine
//hot weather
//fancy non-alcohol fruit drinks and beach chairs
//city streets, fancy restaurants, exotic nightlife
//staying out until sunrise over the Souq streets //no set agenda except adventure
When I returned from The Emirates in February, realizing I had been moving on the globe geographically and mentally for 14 months, and that I was actually a personified version of overtired - I decided a Staycation in Doha was exactly what my brain needed during our two-week break!
Why, after all, I live in an Exotic Global Vacation Destination, cruise ships arriving weekly, and 48 hour tourist visas issued at the airport for the most-modern-and-hip-layover-experience!
(Not an advert, but Come And Explore Qatar, link above!)
The capital city of Qatar is Doha. I live in a neighborhood named Al Sadd (I think after a plant found along the east coast of Qatar?) and a few blocks outside the 'official downtown' area - think of "Hill Section" to "Downtown Scranton" - and (you know this, I've showed you) life in Doha is filled with as many activities and as much metropolitan extravaganza found in nearly every other capital city on the globe... but there's just something different about it here. Magical? A calling to explorers and adventurers? The sculptures? Souqs? People? Little neighborhood amenities? My best friend in an apartment just 5 minutes walk? (Mark and I are in competitive race now to see who can walk fastest between places, but I'm sure he cheats...) I'm not exactly sure what it is about Qatar, but I know it brings people together and it brings out the best in people. I decided to stay in my own apartment (and a stay at a regal hotel) and examine Qatar further, with some things during the calendar week I cannot experience because of work schedules and job tasks.
Hey, it's my apartment, with my luggage for the glam-glam regal hotel. Thanks to My Cece and My Annabel for the wall decorations, and life for the travel photos!
While my countries/sights/cities travel list is growing
ExPat-en-tially (Exponentially as an ExPat), I did book summer excursions, so don't fear! I haven't lost my adventurous spirit. The Summer of 2019 will be perfect, I just know it.
You've been following my Doha Experience through social media photos and blog posts and you know I've not sat still since I moved here in August. Six days into moving into this country, I went to The Black Orchid Club at The Mondrian Hotel and met my first set of international, global friends through a meet up group called InterNations, the largest Global ExPat Network hosting over 3.5 million members. A community of trusted expats, with membership by approval, and I've seen some people dismissed, their motto is "Nobody stands alone" - and quite honestly the words I've always wanted to hear about life on the globe. Their founding on the fact there is something unique about Expats, is this "strength and spirit that drives us to move toward the unknown and embrace it". (For more on InterNations: click here)
My life here has only become more glittery and enchanting since The Mondrian Event. I was bewitched by Qatar during initial "global music experiences" searches when I was simply planning on taking a sabbatical for research and travel, and each day here in this new experience I pray I never lose the sense of awe and wonder I have for Qatar. Finding an InterNations Network has been an influential factor in my transition here and keeping a healthy work/life balance. A "We Met In Doha" Dinner in Souq Wakif the other night confirmed many of my personal strengths and still-in-awe-that-I-really-live-here feeling. (More about InterNations later, #adspot!)
Our school works on a trimester system, and I cannot believe we just finished number two. The third begins when we return and runs through 27 June. (mini-break the first week of June for the end of Ramadan... my dad says to me it is just like teaching in PA with all the make-up snow days, except you can plan for the 20+ days of break when they're built into the calendar and the weather is always great here, 96F the other day and getting warmer, it was 117F when I arrived in August, so bring. it. on.) I cannot believe we will be in the 23rd 6 day cycle (it's how I do my lesson plans) and I cannot believe that this week I am celebrating 7 months in Qatar. The Head of School (my boss) laughed at me when I thanked him for assigning me to an "extra project" - and I said when you do what you love, you never work a day in your life. He smiled - and it reminded me of the smirk he gave me at the end of my interview, when I knew I had just landed the chance at doing something really great with my life.
So, Spring Break : Doha!
"Become part of a new history". ~ Qatar Travel Authority
Wednesday 3 April
(Wednesday, technically still working week, but hold up...)
I attended an evening presentation by The New England Center for Children (Autism Education and Research) at Marsa Malaz The Kempinski Hotel. One favorite thing about going to these presentations is a rose floral black tea from Cafe Murano, sitting with a seaside view, and an exquisite pastry. A quiet, refreshing moment in a silent, elegant cafe, a cute little teapot and some cakes, all Alice in Wonderland-ish, because often I feel like her on this adventure. (My friend Essam is my Cheshire Cat.) Another favorite thing about these presentations is listening to research regarding special education factors (in an international climate, we are/not often/ever bound by regulations/restrictions, each case is unique), research on behavior analysis plans, and this time learning about Bilingualism in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Research Consensus: if children are from a multi-lingual home, use all languages to access their educational needs, as limiting their access to the one school/therapy used language inhibits other factors contributing to any success in their life. Hm. Ponder.
Evening view from Marsa Malaz, The Kempinski ... and that little cake, berry flavor this time, with a nice little teapot!
Thursday 4 April
(Thursday, after work)
Rose and Thistle, Irish Pub, for Brian Brody (direct from Dublin) and some Shenanigans! Shenanigans, International had been called! If I closed my eyes, it was as if I was sitting in The Banshee. Brian took requests (written on credit card receipts and napkins, tossed onto the stage, no lie) and created his acoustic guitar sets from such - calling me out on having best submissions (Galway Girl (not Ed Sheeran), If I Ever Leave This World Alive) which he played in kind. I stayed as long as my April heart would allow me... but I sang every word in every song (he noticed!) and decided to remain perched on my barstool one meter from the stage instead of doing any dancing.
Friday 5 April
(Friday, vacation begins!)
I went with a really awesome new friend to The Hilton Hotel Beach, with a Buy-One-Get-One-Access coupon from our Entertainer book (Remember those tear off coupons? This one is digital with typed codes!) We arrived just before 9am to a very quiet, pristine hotel beach area, chose our chairs in the front row by the water, sat and swam all day in the shade and sun, chatted about life with soda waters and coca-colas. When he reached for the sunscreen and said "My lifestyle is changing...", I burst out laughing because I thought, oh man... if you had any idea how mine is changing too. We stayed over 6 hours in these chairs and seawater, and if it's possible for two new friends to get to know each other while catching up on conversation (??) you'll understand the connection between ExPats and that the people I've met here feel like friends I've had for decades, though we've just met. Friday evening I went to Nobu, an InterNations event. Nobu, with it's "hip crowd and celebrity following, dramatically perched above the Arabian Gulf" - because everything about the food, drinks, boats parked on the marina out front, etc. etc. etc, motorcycles/Suzuki bikes driven in by USAF pilots on one night leave, is all "hip and dramatic" there - and the weather there was... dramatic. The weather in Qatar is changing back to "too much hot", so the dramatic lightning before a really great rain shuffled us all inside danced in streaks across the sky and into the water far out in the Gulf. I am happy to have met a nearly 7 foot tall Finnish/Frenchman, equally as gorgeous as he is tall and as good of a dancer as he is gorgeous but that is a story for another day because maybe I was standing directly next to him as a lightning rod... maybe I was just happy to see my friend. But whatever. I went for late night cheese fries, shisha, tea pots at a place called Tche Tche (Chick's Diner replica experience) and our conversation went early into the morning hours... like 4am early morning hours. Jim and I used to giggle and say if the newspaper was delivered when we arrived home, it was "tomorrow". No paper? "Still today." I hadn't received my NYTimes travel blog update, so by Eastern Standard Time, it was still Friday night.
Tche Tche nights!
Saturday 6 April
(Saturday, a day for sleep)
Because I slept like a dead woman until 1pm, and I didn't really care, it is Spring Break, no agenda, I went to The Mall of Qatar in the afternoon. Think "Mall of America" but larger... if possible. I was greeted at the doorway of the Mall by a flying Swan Fountain and I have to admit I cried a bit. The bright white of the swans flying against the dark slate background, the detail of each bird, the water cascading, it was a little bit much for a grieving April heart. I'm adjusting as the years pass though, fly on, indeed. Amusement park at this place? Not needed because the most green and serene Oasis serves as food court (trees and vines growing freely from pots and planters, waterfall area) providing cozy seating in little cafe places with unpronounceable desserts and sandwiches. You can smell the greenery. (Fake or not, you decide, but it smells like a forest.) Too many high end designer shops (I did purchase clothing items at some mid-range stores) with unparalleled window fashion displays made me feel like I was walking the Fifth Avenue streets of New York. It is decadent to see. At this point I'm not sure what surprises me more here in these malls, pastry displays or clothing store windows. I ate at my favorite place for a Turkey Sandwich: Paul. With a 35% off Careem/Uber code for round trips to that mall, and my friend Amy working there, I'll be going back... (when I get paid this month).
Swan Fountain and Mall of Qatar diorama, ground floor view only.
Sunday 7 April
(Sunday, first actual day of no work)
With 560km (about 348 miles) of coastline on this peninsula, I decided to hit up another beach area at the InterContinental Hotel Beach with our school Counselor, and my Best Life Ever Friend. She has been an inspiration to me since the day we met, with her poise and grace, her style and class, her charisma and intuitive thinking, humor, and spectacularly engaging, and tenacious classroom skills. I have learned so much from her in these months and yet I feel like I have known her 20 years. I was so excited to sit on chairs with oversized fluffy purple towels and talk about dreams and goals and girly things and wave to the planes (and cute pilots, I know a guy, remember?) as Qatar Airways and IndiGo planes flew overhead (Hamad Airport can be seen across the bay). We had salad lunches and non-alcoholic fruit coconut cocktails and giggled. I think our Grade 6 selves would be pretty proud of the lives we crafted and were gifted, no compromises, no settling, and making it big time. The one thing I really took from the beach chat and books that day is that I have to stop taking myself so seriously (say what?) and laugh lots more. With a good girlfriend and a good city view, I really do have the #bestlifeever.
April 8-9-10
(Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday off the clock, but kids still around)
I have a Cinderella Castle, and it is the St. Regis Doha. Founded by the Astors (John Jacob IV) in NYC, it became America's first high-society registry location, with only a select set of Astor Family friends invited to the St. Regis location for meals, galas, and gatherings. Want to talk about continued commitment to impeccable luxury services? Let's talk about St. Regis, Doha.
The St. Regis Hotel on the far left, but matching buildings on the complex make it quite a lavish view!
I was very lucky to meet someone who works here too (#DohaPerks) when I stayed here for my 40th birthday and was treated like a most valued, affluent guest - despite my modest spending ability. You can find my reviews on TripAdvisor and Hotels.com - but this is the most Prestigious, Elegant, and Classy hotel I have ever stayed in on Earth. Truth be told, for this Qatar Staycation, I took the total budget from my UAE Trip and halved it. Deciding to only spend that amount on a two week "trip" (since my apartment and my fridge/pantry would serve their purpose) I crafted an affordable stay-at-home experience - but splurged on a two-night (squeeze out three-beach-days) Grand, Deluxe King, Sea View, Balcony Patio, Extra-Large-King-Sized-Bedroom (sleeping solo all over that canopied Bedouin Bed with Teddy Bear Fred, my favorite travel partner, tucked in so nicely by the evening room service butler). It also had a luxurious bathtub and TV in the tub area. After comparing Spa prices to my travel budget, I went to LUSH cosmetics at Mall of Qatar when I was there, and purchased a green turtle immersion jelly bath bomb and a pink and yellow wild butterfly crumble glitter bubbly soap bar thingy, and planned two nights in the tub with vintage VH-1 music videos. Check. Although, the second night when I left the tub covered in body glitter that took almost 3 days to remove, and after a night dancing in a club 2 days later and my friends noticing I was 'sweating glitter' -- I'm not sure my 40 year old self is up for that butterfly glittery nonsense again, but the green turtle that made the water like gelatin? Sign me up.
Turtle Soap, Green Turtle Jelly Bath, Orange Sparkly Nightmare.
I love the resort area at St. Regis and I just flat out love staying at this hotel. Even to visit there for dinner (Entertainer Coupons!) or drinks, it is a high-class evening. You can even "text your butler" to have things delivered at the beach or your room, make dining reservations, address concerns and issues, it's actually really crazy to think about, but is always of the highest quality service. "Allow Me" and "My Pleasure" are always their responses. A day pass is a bit pricey for the beach/pool (no coupon), but when you consider the atmosphere it is worth it. St. Regis Doha is in the Marriott/Bonvoy chain so you earn points and receive a discount on food/drinks... but you seriously cannot beat the food and the beach/pool view. I found a very quiet chair Monday morning - prior to check in, bag dropped and delivered to the room later! - and I sat in the warmer sea water, all day in the sun until it went too far below the hotel spires. I was hungry, texted for room service on my balcony, with a cool breeze and nauseatingly romantic view, comically shared via photos with my friend "GQ Cover Rami" who is in Russia (or wherever he is now when he's gone) for work, and we laughed about the gorgeousness of the country we reside.
Nauseatingly Romantic View from my balcony and Room Service Dinner.
Cups of tea in the morning sun. Delicate fruit drinks served attentively. Striped Soft Cotton Towels refreshed. Coolers of water. Quiet beach umbrellas shading sunny skies. Perfect turquoise color, warming sea water, revitalizing breeze. Ridiculously Large Steel Oryx Statues placed like a Safari. ALL IN MY OWN BACKYARD. Staycation? St. Regis! #nofilter #teacup
I had dinner at Astor Grill with the "lightning rod" and we talked about things only ExPats talk about. If you're not an ExPat it is hard to explain, but things that you do that make you just a "little bit more" than everyone else, living on the globe, and "a whole lotta adventure." It was a fabulous dinner, with a really great friend I look forward to meeting on the globe again someday.
Astor Grill Dinner
I stayed on the beach Wednesday until well after 5pm, returning with a relaxed soul, refreshed mind, and a desire to return to St. Regis for another Cinderella Experience.
Thursday 11 April
(Sleep, the thing about break we wanted, right?)
I slept all day, feeling at ease in my own skin. I realize now in my 14 months of moving on the globe, I wasn't sleeping. I no longer have the "want to crawl out of my skin" feeling I had for 10+ years, I feel rested when I sleep and I enjoy a bit of the Khaleej life. I'm no longer "NYC That Never Sleeps". I'm sleeping. Fully-rested.
Four Seasons The Pier where we sat and "chose our boat" over good laughs! Nobu is the large circular building behind the wooden Dhow boat,
the upper roof area serving as a perfect night out!
I met my girls-posse at Four Seasons Pier for a happy hour set of snacks, and we realized since the night we met in October all 5 of us have not been back together as a group of 5, in 2s and 3s but never all 5! Something good was going to happen that night, the magic of us together! We had some snacks and drinks at the marina, across from Nobu, and my "Park This" joke extended to a few boats we each picked out for ourselves, given the chance to own a boat and/or have someone to drive it for you. We attended a birthday party at Wahm Club for a friend's birthday, and while it was humid and there was no breeze, I did wear a killer, flowing, pleated white dress and sweater (I remembered that club had blacklights, nothing was by accident) and "Mr. Shisha Rami" (I know 3 Rami's) told me I looked positively angelic, with my dress floating as I danced a pretty decent set of moves. I told him my secret was that dress... but he said it was my own happiness making me radiant and no one disagrees with Shisha Rami. I am happy, and it's for real. Ana Sa3da. (I think that's it "Anna Sai-ee-dah", my Arabic is slower than slowly coming along)
Pardon the humidity/dancing/crazy hair falling down,
but I was glowing in this dress! #fashionforfunction
After the birthday dancing and cake, I went to a place called "Cairo Nights" (in Arabic) at Souq Wakif for Moroccan Tea (black tea with mint, no sugar for me) and a "language club" meeting, as I try to pick up new words and phrases of the various languages my friends speak: Egyptian Arabic (conversational), Lebanese Arabic (all the side street dirty words, Mr. Shisha Rami says "The only words worth knowing"), and Turkish (the food words)... Souq Wakif is much like the market alleys in Aladdin. It is both tourist area and popular local hangout spot. It was a very fun evening, and it was really great to see Mark that night. I have been slacking on my workouts (it's break) but it was good to see him for a night out. Since he moved to the neighborhood last month, our schedules have been opposite, we have had many individual tasks to complete, but it has been really good to see him over this break. His kindness is most gracious and his persistence on some things is downright charming.
Friday 12 April
(Wishes Granted, back to St. Regis!)
I used to make fun of "Girls Who Brunch" like the rest of you... but I'm warming up to this idea. Think of going to a wedding reception with 600 of your relatives and the decorations by a Vogue-type Magazine. (Remember the exclusiveness of Mrs. Astor's guest list? Yea, think that for ambience too.) Gluttonous as it is in both setup and experience, I eat in moderation and I'm currently not drinking from Lent, so skip the <insert cocktail> for me. For a triple birthday event among some friends, I attended the Glitzy St. Regis Brunch. If you can imagine the cuisine on display, there is a chef there dishing it out. Cooktops and Grill Stations on the perimeter of the patio area, looking out over that St. Regis Beach and pool, the marina boats traveling in and out, sun shining down, if you want to feel like 3.5 Million Qatari Riyals (about a Million USD), grab your chinos and sundress, a pair of sandals and Versace sunglasses, and get yourself to St. Regis Brunch.
If you think my review of the hotel stay made it sound ritzy, you should see their Brunch Display. Drink stations with every kind of martini/mojito/mimosa/alcohol you desire. Sushi stacked two meters high. Fire roasted beef pieces sliced by knives which shimmer in the sun beams. Vegetarian cuisine. Homemade al dente pasta with hand crafted, made to order sauces, bubbling while you wait. Arabian meats and Indian platters. Asian stir fry. Tiered cakes and parfait among fruit and chocolate platters.
I choose not "To Brunch" much, and to be honest I've done only 5 since I've been here (2 at Oryx Rotana, and 3 at a discount at St. Regis, #IKnowPeople) but I know people who go Every.Single.Weekend - who also go to the gym 100 times as week - and I'm kind of over Expensive Gluttony In My Life - but it is a great day with friends in the lap of luxurious living.
I could write a whole blog on Brunching, and in fact my friends RamierzOnTheRun did one about their experiences - click the link for Daniel's humorous brunching experience - but the Three Brunch tricks I've learned are:
1. Pacing on drinks and food. They'll fill your champagne glass after two sips, so keep an eye on that, I think I drank 6 whole bottles of champagne on my own the first time I went to brunch. They also will remove your plate the second it is empty, and you have about 20 minutes between plates before your brain and stomach agree "enough", so get up and get a new plate or plan to eat slowly but often. Do not take 33,333 pieces of "one thing". One or two will do, go back for more if you're feeling it, there's volumes of food types to consume.
2. Stick to one "type" of cuisine and/or drink. The sauces and seasons and oils in the varied cuisines can be overwhelming to your digestive system. Beef Wellington, Smoked Salmon, Duck Pancakes, Chicken Biryani, etc. etc. all overwhelm my own stomach. I stick to just fish and just pasta or just red meats and pasta. I personally have a hard time mixing alcohol types, that's just me though, so I stick to just champagne (as I'll drink enough of that to cover the cost of attending) but one guy at this brunch had 14 Espresso Martinis, and the guy next to me had 13 Gin and Tonics.... uh, Slainte.
3. Plan for an afternoon Thanksgiving-style nap for true success. Many people plan a Three Step Day: (1) Brunch, (2) Liquid Brunch after, (3) Dancing all evening. These people are my hero. I know I'm not that old, but my liver has seen its hey-day, and moderator that I am, I usually skip step 2 and come back for a nap, a shower, and a change of clothes. Ready for step 3 and you can power through the night.
Skipping the Liquid Brunch Step, I came home for a nap and a shower and a change of clothes. Mark called and said "The Language Club" was meeting at Souq Wakif and he was going to pick me up in an hour. Not, "would you like to attend" but "I'm arriving in a hour to collect you.". Oh, Mark. We sat at a Moroccan restaurant and I learned more words among these friends and realized, "I did that really big thing I always wanted to do." I'm grateful for the experiences I had to lead me here, mentally and physically, and I am really really happy.
So, that was week one of Spring Break! Much more to say about week 2 coming up shortly, but I wish you the best in your pin on the globe, hope you are making your way the best you can too. You have the tools, if you are ready to use them.
Slainte.