I HATE driving in Doha. I have almost had it!!! I get so frustrated at the sense of entitlement that many drivers, particularly those in Land Cruisers, believe they possess. The rules, according to them, do not apply to them. Anyway, here are some clips from YouTube of driving in Doha.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lExlCOp1BXc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD8SuZnHfho
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF7HGhdHF7c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OUhQtEhozY
But these clips still do not convey the true madness that is driving in Doha.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Go to Kerala, India!
I have no idea how to do this in one post without it going on and on and on...but I am going to give it a go! My trip to Kerala, India was absolutely amazing (but I feel like that does not really capture it)! My favorite part was the people. They were so kind and generous. I loved my time in Kerala and did not want to return to Doha (but that does not take much...). FYI I went with Kristin, one of my co-workers. ANYWAY, all our pictures (over 400...but I did my best to group them by day) are on my Shutterfly page (no WAY I was going to post them all here): adventuresofjade.shutterfly.com. Let me know if you have any questions or whatever about the pics.
So here is the trip breakdown (location, lodging, dates):
Cochin at the Avenue Anex - 18 Jan to 19 Jan and 21 Jan to 22 Jan
Munnar at Ayur County - 19 Jan to 21 Jan
Kottayam at Puzhayoram (for wedding of George and Shilpa in Tiruvalla) - 22 Jan to 23 Jan
Houseboat from Kumarakom to Alleppey - 23 Jan to 24 Jan
Kovalam (near Trivandrum) at Uday Samudra - 24 Jan to 26 Jan
Sunday
The flight over was full of workers from Doha going home (we arrived in Cochin very early in the morning on 18 Jan). I heard that many families in Kerala have at least one family member working (or, really, busting ass) in the Gulf to support family back home. These workers, as I have said before, are building Doha and other places in the Gulf like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, etc. Anyway, you could feel the energy of people on the flight - they were full of emotion coming home for the first to last time.
On this flight I learned that Indians love to pickle just about anything. And pickled anything is just nasty.
The roads are full of all sorts of crazy modes of transportation that I have only seen in photos or on the television - Nash Ambassadors, rickshaws, crazy decorated trucks, super old buses, bicycles, mopeds... And lots and LOTS of honking. And there really are no such thing as lanes.
We have a massive suite to ourselves! And a dude named Sebastian who is possibly the happiest guy on the planet (he does not stop laughing) comes to our place to make us breakfast!
Indians sure love their music videos. Channel after channel of addictive music videos.
India is dirty. But is it really? Or do we in the West just hide all our garbage really well? Makes me think of The Story of Stuff: http://www.storyofstuff.com/.
The Chinese fishing nets in Cochin are sweet! They are like a cross between giant spiders and really good climbing trees.
Cochin has been influenced by many different cultures - Indian (obviously), Jewish, Portuguese, Dutch, Arab... This place is so rich with culture (the opposite of Doha...)!
Antique shops here could kick the ass of any antique shop in the States or in the U.K. Even better than most museums.
Grrreat dinner (with APPLE PIE and BEER) for only $20! And lunch only costs us $3! I heart this place.
Monday
Four hour drive to Munnar plus crazy driving by all on the road equals Jade a bit carsick. But the drive was sure beautiful!
MUNNAR IS STUNNING. Hills filled with tea plants! I have never seen anything like this before.
Tuesday
Lots of people staring at us (usually with smiles), asking us questions (all they want to know is our names and where we are from and then they walk away), and taking pictures of us. That is right, people, you have two white ladies from America in your presense. We are not a figment of your imagination nor do we only exist on television. But it does not bother me at all. I think Doha has prepped me for almost anything (not sure if this is a good or bad thing...).
The isms are alive and well here (and, really, all over much of the world). The ranger guys at the national park we visited wanted to let these British tourists take cuts in front of everyone waiting in a line to catch a bus back down the mountain. But this Indian lady would not have any of it! She told them nearly all of us in the line had paid the same amount as them and believed they should wait in line like everyone else. She then pointed at Kristin and I (we were the only white folks in the line) several times saying that we looked just fine waiting in line (and we were). Finally, the ranger guys and the group of British tourists caved and they had to wait like everyone else. Keep fighting the system, lady!
I have been in India a little over 48 hours now and there are loads of power outages. But life goes on...
I rode an elephant today. Yep. Not sure how I feel about it...
I love Munnar. I really, really love Munnar.
A ayurvedic massage is one of the most bizarre experiences a person can go through. It is a head to feet massage using lots of oil and ends with lots of steam. Put it this way: I was naked except for a paper sumo wrestler thong thingy, caked in oil that smelled like soy sauce, and locked with a giggly girl in a dark room that looked like it was used for torture. I am not sure if I came out of it feeling very relaxed, but it was quite the experience (still makes me laugh). But my skin was amazingly soft. And the nearly two hour treatment cost me about $20. Kristin had it done too and I could hear her chatting it up in the room next door like she gets it done on every damn day.
We saw a Kathakali show right after the massage, but I had a hard time focusing because I was so pooped out after the massage.
Inauguration of President Obama. Does not matter who it is, it was quite memorable to watch it from Munnar...and I wish him luck because that is a thankless, tough job, a job I never would want. And I loved Ms. Aretha's hat.
Wednesday
I feel like Tata runs India. Mobile phone service, tea, steel, cars and trucks... The company is everywhere.
Ablilash, our sweet and patient driver, showed a little asswipe on a motorbike not to mess with him in his little Tata (see!) Indira.
Saw my first wild monkeys! But I did not want to get close to them because I was afraid they would attack me and then I would get Ebola or something.
India is the land of the mustache. Dudes love the 'stache here.
Shopping in India is quite fun and CHEAP! Thomas, the guy who made all our travel arrangements, had his wife (she had some crazy name that translated to Mary Elizabeth of Thomas and thus that is what I call her...) take us to the best shops in Cochin. I got the cutest pair of shoes for $5 and several sarees (to make dresses) and wraps for $30. And I am not much of a shopper!
I love wandering around the market stalls. Love the noises, smells, action...
I still smell like soy sauce.
I want a slurpee.
Thursday
I have a cold, an Indian cold.
Singing to myself - my tactic to not get carsick or freak out due to the insane driving
I have realized that honking is a form of communication and Ablilash always has one hand on the horn. Want someone to move? Honk. You are passing? Honk. Saying hello? Honk.
Briefly met Ablilash's wife and little girl. They are sweet just like their ol' man!
"Was that an elephant in that truck that we just drove past?"
I made the observation today that the size of one's body is a sign of how much money one has or what class one belongs to. The bigger you are, the more money you have. And most people here are rather poor and thus are quite little (I cannot get over the lack of muscle in the legs of the men here). But they are motherfucking (sorry...) tough. For example, I saw a couple guys at construction site in traditional skirty things and no shoes moving a massive boulder (this job would be reserved for machines and the workers would have to wear boots and hardhats just to watch in the States). These people amaze me!
Wedding time! It was a lot like a Christian wedding back home, but in Mayalam (sounds like they are gargling) and all the ladies are in sarees. Rekha (Kristin and I work with her) and her mom wrapped me painfully tight in my saree (it should not be so tight, but they were afraid it would fall off). But I looked good! The reception was rather short and really just about feeding roughly 1000 people. Kristin and I felt like we got more attention than the bride and groom and they thanked us before they thanked their parents. Then everyone met at the groom's parents' (the groom is Rehka's nephew) house. No partying. It is all about ritual. But Rehka's family was so generous with us. After everything was done, Rehka's sister and mother took us to their family homes in the area and shared so much with us. I was beyond exhausted by the end of the day.
Still want a slurpee, but now I want a big basket of french fries and a milkshake. And, of course, chicken strips.
Friday
India news is silly. Top story: "Obama makes all the right moves. Is he the best ever?" Yo, he has only been in office for like 48 hours!
Watched a little Discovery Channel. I did not know FARC is also in Panama!
Beautiful and completely unique houseboat trip from Kumarakom to Alleppey. Probably one of the coolest things I have ever done. It was just Kristin and I on a boat with three staff guys (two of them ran the boat while the other cooked). We floated by rice fields, super friendly locals (lots of smiling and waving) living in huts along the water or paddling around in canoes, other houseboats (I think they look like something out of Star Wars). And amazing food - everything was fresh, including fish and prawns from the water right off the boat! And our houseboat's name is Ganga (and thus I snicker to myself...).
Is this really real? I am listening to music ranging from Jay-Z to traditional Irish music (and of course M.I.A.) on my iPod in remote India!
I love mini bananas. I like bananas, but can usually eat only half of one before I am over it. Therefore, Jade-size bananas are perfect.
When we docked for the night, a local villager came up to our boat in his canoe just to say hello. He asked us where we were from in his broken English and we answered we were from the United States and his reaction was, "OBAMA!" Too funny!
"Holy crap, Kristin! Is that a UFO? No, my mad, it is just a FIREFLY!!!" But the big bats did freak me out a bit.
Saturday
I hate Kristin's alarm clock. It sounds like a rooster. Not a good way to start a day.
Only in India: Elephant walking down the highway (or 'higway' as it appeared on most signs) with dudes drumming around it...
Ablilash treated us to a really wonderful visit to a Hindu temple in Alleppey, his hometown.
After the four hour drive to Kovalam, we were ready for some fun in the sun! I am swimming in India!
I cannot eat anymore Indian food. I am 'naaned out.' Or 'Naan no more.' So we ate Mexican food for dinner, but it was really Indian food with sort of a Mexican twist.
Sunday
Kerala is such a special place with such friendly people. It is our last day, but I want to stay!!! And everyone should seriously think about a trip here...so I can come back! :)
The village of Kovalam is prepping for a big Hindu festival and thus there are massive speakers all over the place playing super loud music 24 hours a day. It is quite humerous because you will be driving through basically the woods, but then you are assaulted by music coming from a speaker randomly placed in the brush.
They even have the NBA on television here! Watched the Celtics spank the Magic!
Everyone obviously knows I am not from here (look at me...), but whenever someone assumes my nationality without asking, they think I am Scandinavian (particularly Finnish for whatever damn reason) or German (thank goodness not British! I kid, I kid...). But I am more than happy to say I am from the States! Love me some America!
My feet are in dire need of serious cleaning. I have been wearing mostly my new sandals and I have to frequently take off them off to go into temples, museums, stores, etc. So they are super dirty and as a result I think I am due for a pedicure.
More shopping for Kristin (the girl is a shopper...and a talker) and thus I am basically in agony since I am not much of a shopper. She can shop and shop and shop and spends a lot of time looking at one item. For instance, we have probably spent nearly five hours shopping for tableclothes. Tableclothes! But I did buy three things of art for about $25 (it took me less than 30 minutes to complete these transactions because I do not mess around).
More fun in the sun time for me in India! Kristin continued to shop.
Last sunset in India...for now. I am so fortunate to have had this opportunity. I am really beyond fortunate to have the life I have. Gotta make the most of it. Gotta do good.
I asked Ablilash what is his secret to living such a joyous life and he said in his broken English, "Live full, live right." Beautiful! Might be my new motto!
I did not get one mosquito bite the entire time. Ha ha, suckas!
Monday
Fly back EARLY to Doha. Damn it!
So here is the trip breakdown (location, lodging, dates):
Cochin at the Avenue Anex - 18 Jan to 19 Jan and 21 Jan to 22 Jan
Munnar at Ayur County - 19 Jan to 21 Jan
Kottayam at Puzhayoram (for wedding of George and Shilpa in Tiruvalla) - 22 Jan to 23 Jan
Houseboat from Kumarakom to Alleppey - 23 Jan to 24 Jan
Kovalam (near Trivandrum) at Uday Samudra - 24 Jan to 26 Jan
Sunday
The flight over was full of workers from Doha going home (we arrived in Cochin very early in the morning on 18 Jan). I heard that many families in Kerala have at least one family member working (or, really, busting ass) in the Gulf to support family back home. These workers, as I have said before, are building Doha and other places in the Gulf like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, etc. Anyway, you could feel the energy of people on the flight - they were full of emotion coming home for the first to last time.
On this flight I learned that Indians love to pickle just about anything. And pickled anything is just nasty.
The roads are full of all sorts of crazy modes of transportation that I have only seen in photos or on the television - Nash Ambassadors, rickshaws, crazy decorated trucks, super old buses, bicycles, mopeds... And lots and LOTS of honking. And there really are no such thing as lanes.
We have a massive suite to ourselves! And a dude named Sebastian who is possibly the happiest guy on the planet (he does not stop laughing) comes to our place to make us breakfast!
Indians sure love their music videos. Channel after channel of addictive music videos.
India is dirty. But is it really? Or do we in the West just hide all our garbage really well? Makes me think of The Story of Stuff: http://www.storyofstuff.com/.
The Chinese fishing nets in Cochin are sweet! They are like a cross between giant spiders and really good climbing trees.
Cochin has been influenced by many different cultures - Indian (obviously), Jewish, Portuguese, Dutch, Arab... This place is so rich with culture (the opposite of Doha...)!
Antique shops here could kick the ass of any antique shop in the States or in the U.K. Even better than most museums.
Grrreat dinner (with APPLE PIE and BEER) for only $20! And lunch only costs us $3! I heart this place.
Monday
Four hour drive to Munnar plus crazy driving by all on the road equals Jade a bit carsick. But the drive was sure beautiful!
MUNNAR IS STUNNING. Hills filled with tea plants! I have never seen anything like this before.
Tuesday
Lots of people staring at us (usually with smiles), asking us questions (all they want to know is our names and where we are from and then they walk away), and taking pictures of us. That is right, people, you have two white ladies from America in your presense. We are not a figment of your imagination nor do we only exist on television. But it does not bother me at all. I think Doha has prepped me for almost anything (not sure if this is a good or bad thing...).
The isms are alive and well here (and, really, all over much of the world). The ranger guys at the national park we visited wanted to let these British tourists take cuts in front of everyone waiting in a line to catch a bus back down the mountain. But this Indian lady would not have any of it! She told them nearly all of us in the line had paid the same amount as them and believed they should wait in line like everyone else. She then pointed at Kristin and I (we were the only white folks in the line) several times saying that we looked just fine waiting in line (and we were). Finally, the ranger guys and the group of British tourists caved and they had to wait like everyone else. Keep fighting the system, lady!
I have been in India a little over 48 hours now and there are loads of power outages. But life goes on...
I rode an elephant today. Yep. Not sure how I feel about it...
I love Munnar. I really, really love Munnar.
A ayurvedic massage is one of the most bizarre experiences a person can go through. It is a head to feet massage using lots of oil and ends with lots of steam. Put it this way: I was naked except for a paper sumo wrestler thong thingy, caked in oil that smelled like soy sauce, and locked with a giggly girl in a dark room that looked like it was used for torture. I am not sure if I came out of it feeling very relaxed, but it was quite the experience (still makes me laugh). But my skin was amazingly soft. And the nearly two hour treatment cost me about $20. Kristin had it done too and I could hear her chatting it up in the room next door like she gets it done on every damn day.
We saw a Kathakali show right after the massage, but I had a hard time focusing because I was so pooped out after the massage.
Inauguration of President Obama. Does not matter who it is, it was quite memorable to watch it from Munnar...and I wish him luck because that is a thankless, tough job, a job I never would want. And I loved Ms. Aretha's hat.
Wednesday
I feel like Tata runs India. Mobile phone service, tea, steel, cars and trucks... The company is everywhere.
Ablilash, our sweet and patient driver, showed a little asswipe on a motorbike not to mess with him in his little Tata (see!) Indira.
Saw my first wild monkeys! But I did not want to get close to them because I was afraid they would attack me and then I would get Ebola or something.
India is the land of the mustache. Dudes love the 'stache here.
Shopping in India is quite fun and CHEAP! Thomas, the guy who made all our travel arrangements, had his wife (she had some crazy name that translated to Mary Elizabeth of Thomas and thus that is what I call her...) take us to the best shops in Cochin. I got the cutest pair of shoes for $5 and several sarees (to make dresses) and wraps for $30. And I am not much of a shopper!
I love wandering around the market stalls. Love the noises, smells, action...
I still smell like soy sauce.
I want a slurpee.
Thursday
I have a cold, an Indian cold.
Singing to myself - my tactic to not get carsick or freak out due to the insane driving
I have realized that honking is a form of communication and Ablilash always has one hand on the horn. Want someone to move? Honk. You are passing? Honk. Saying hello? Honk.
Briefly met Ablilash's wife and little girl. They are sweet just like their ol' man!
"Was that an elephant in that truck that we just drove past?"
I made the observation today that the size of one's body is a sign of how much money one has or what class one belongs to. The bigger you are, the more money you have. And most people here are rather poor and thus are quite little (I cannot get over the lack of muscle in the legs of the men here). But they are motherfucking (sorry...) tough. For example, I saw a couple guys at construction site in traditional skirty things and no shoes moving a massive boulder (this job would be reserved for machines and the workers would have to wear boots and hardhats just to watch in the States). These people amaze me!
Wedding time! It was a lot like a Christian wedding back home, but in Mayalam (sounds like they are gargling) and all the ladies are in sarees. Rekha (Kristin and I work with her) and her mom wrapped me painfully tight in my saree (it should not be so tight, but they were afraid it would fall off). But I looked good! The reception was rather short and really just about feeding roughly 1000 people. Kristin and I felt like we got more attention than the bride and groom and they thanked us before they thanked their parents. Then everyone met at the groom's parents' (the groom is Rehka's nephew) house. No partying. It is all about ritual. But Rehka's family was so generous with us. After everything was done, Rehka's sister and mother took us to their family homes in the area and shared so much with us. I was beyond exhausted by the end of the day.
Still want a slurpee, but now I want a big basket of french fries and a milkshake. And, of course, chicken strips.
Friday
India news is silly. Top story: "Obama makes all the right moves. Is he the best ever?" Yo, he has only been in office for like 48 hours!
Watched a little Discovery Channel. I did not know FARC is also in Panama!
Beautiful and completely unique houseboat trip from Kumarakom to Alleppey. Probably one of the coolest things I have ever done. It was just Kristin and I on a boat with three staff guys (two of them ran the boat while the other cooked). We floated by rice fields, super friendly locals (lots of smiling and waving) living in huts along the water or paddling around in canoes, other houseboats (I think they look like something out of Star Wars). And amazing food - everything was fresh, including fish and prawns from the water right off the boat! And our houseboat's name is Ganga (and thus I snicker to myself...).
Is this really real? I am listening to music ranging from Jay-Z to traditional Irish music (and of course M.I.A.) on my iPod in remote India!
I love mini bananas. I like bananas, but can usually eat only half of one before I am over it. Therefore, Jade-size bananas are perfect.
When we docked for the night, a local villager came up to our boat in his canoe just to say hello. He asked us where we were from in his broken English and we answered we were from the United States and his reaction was, "OBAMA!" Too funny!
"Holy crap, Kristin! Is that a UFO? No, my mad, it is just a FIREFLY!!!" But the big bats did freak me out a bit.
Saturday
I hate Kristin's alarm clock. It sounds like a rooster. Not a good way to start a day.
Only in India: Elephant walking down the highway (or 'higway' as it appeared on most signs) with dudes drumming around it...
Ablilash treated us to a really wonderful visit to a Hindu temple in Alleppey, his hometown.
After the four hour drive to Kovalam, we were ready for some fun in the sun! I am swimming in India!
I cannot eat anymore Indian food. I am 'naaned out.' Or 'Naan no more.' So we ate Mexican food for dinner, but it was really Indian food with sort of a Mexican twist.
Sunday
Kerala is such a special place with such friendly people. It is our last day, but I want to stay!!! And everyone should seriously think about a trip here...so I can come back! :)
The village of Kovalam is prepping for a big Hindu festival and thus there are massive speakers all over the place playing super loud music 24 hours a day. It is quite humerous because you will be driving through basically the woods, but then you are assaulted by music coming from a speaker randomly placed in the brush.
They even have the NBA on television here! Watched the Celtics spank the Magic!
Everyone obviously knows I am not from here (look at me...), but whenever someone assumes my nationality without asking, they think I am Scandinavian (particularly Finnish for whatever damn reason) or German (thank goodness not British! I kid, I kid...). But I am more than happy to say I am from the States! Love me some America!
My feet are in dire need of serious cleaning. I have been wearing mostly my new sandals and I have to frequently take off them off to go into temples, museums, stores, etc. So they are super dirty and as a result I think I am due for a pedicure.
More shopping for Kristin (the girl is a shopper...and a talker) and thus I am basically in agony since I am not much of a shopper. She can shop and shop and shop and spends a lot of time looking at one item. For instance, we have probably spent nearly five hours shopping for tableclothes. Tableclothes! But I did buy three things of art for about $25 (it took me less than 30 minutes to complete these transactions because I do not mess around).
More fun in the sun time for me in India! Kristin continued to shop.
Last sunset in India...for now. I am so fortunate to have had this opportunity. I am really beyond fortunate to have the life I have. Gotta make the most of it. Gotta do good.
I asked Ablilash what is his secret to living such a joyous life and he said in his broken English, "Live full, live right." Beautiful! Might be my new motto!
I did not get one mosquito bite the entire time. Ha ha, suckas!
Monday
Fly back EARLY to Doha. Damn it!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Girl fight!
I am supervising the ladies football/soccer tournament every Thursday night for the next few weeks. The QF Rec Center needed a female with a good amount of football/soccer experience to supervise and somehow found out about me. And since I believe there is a dire need for more opportunities, especially sport ones, for females in this country, I said I would do it. However, I thought it would be all rainbows and unicorns since most of them have only played football/soccer in a closed gym their entire life (could you imagine never playing on a real field?). But I guess not! These girls can be fucking (sorry...) brutal and tough (I saw the worst 'hit in the face with a ball' action I have ever seen and the girl was practically unfazed)! With only 30 seconds left in the first game, a couple girls from a local Sudanese team went after some of the players from Carnegie Mellon and their supporters. It was pure bananas! I normally avoid fights, especially since most people are bigger than me, but I had to get right in the middle to stop it. Few punches and kicks were thrown, but there was a whole lot of yelling (in Arabic and thus I had no damn clue what was being said) and holding people back to avoid direct blows and it went on and on and on... I have never seen such madness at a ladies football/soccer game in my life and I have played since I was five! I had one of the CMU player I know get Security. However, the security dudes had to wait outside the gym since the girls were not covered and only female security guards were allowed in the gym and they did not do shit. So it was a mess, but eventually we got everyone to sort of calm down (I saw one of the girls over an hour later in the parking lot and she had the look of an angry bull on her face) and leave. So we will see what happens next week.
But I still had a lot of fun. It was great to be involved again in probably my favorite game to play and watch girls actually have the opportunity to move freely and have fun (and yell...they love to yell). I particularly enjoyed the maid of one of the girls (there are several students here who have personal assistants usually refered to as maids and originally from the Phillipines following them around) totally getting a kick out of the game. She was laughing, cheering and clapping. And I laughed a bit at the expense of one of the goalies from the second game who was super afraid of the ball. She would flinch every single time the ball came her direction, but she was having a lot of fun (lots of smiles). Luckily, her team was good at defense and they only ended up losing 2-0. I also got to kick the ball around during the various breaks with the refs. It felt so good to play again and the skills came right back. The refs are female players with a Qatari development program (to form a national team) and they invited me to join them at their sessions at Aspire (a fancy training facility). So we will see how it goes. A colleague of mine told me that this development might conclude with me ending up on the national team or something meaning Qatari citizenship (but I supposedly would still be able to live elsewhere in the world) and lots of gifts from the Emir. But I am not crossing my fingers. I just look forward to playing again.
But I still had a lot of fun. It was great to be involved again in probably my favorite game to play and watch girls actually have the opportunity to move freely and have fun (and yell...they love to yell). I particularly enjoyed the maid of one of the girls (there are several students here who have personal assistants usually refered to as maids and originally from the Phillipines following them around) totally getting a kick out of the game. She was laughing, cheering and clapping. And I laughed a bit at the expense of one of the goalies from the second game who was super afraid of the ball. She would flinch every single time the ball came her direction, but she was having a lot of fun (lots of smiles). Luckily, her team was good at defense and they only ended up losing 2-0. I also got to kick the ball around during the various breaks with the refs. It felt so good to play again and the skills came right back. The refs are female players with a Qatari development program (to form a national team) and they invited me to join them at their sessions at Aspire (a fancy training facility). So we will see how it goes. A colleague of mine told me that this development might conclude with me ending up on the national team or something meaning Qatari citizenship (but I supposedly would still be able to live elsewhere in the world) and lots of gifts from the Emir. But I am not crossing my fingers. I just look forward to playing again.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Hold tight, people!
My post on my trip to India is coming soon! This weekend. Hopefully. I have been swamped at work and I have lots of photos and stories to go through. Plus, I actually have things to do this weekend - I am supervising the ladies football/soccer league every Thursday night for the next several weeks and I need to go to the dry cleaners (my saree is a bit smelly and dirty) and frame shop (I bought a couple great little pieces of art in Kerala). In the mean time, I am going to share with you a couple of my favorite clips (I have sooooooooo many - if you ever need a entertaining pick-me-up, let me know) from the internet and a picture of a dog:
Friday, January 16, 2009
M.I.A.
I went to the brand new Museum of Islamic Art (M.I.A.) today. The building was designed by I.M. Pei and is stunning on the outside and inside. The art inside is pretty sweet, but there are no real masterpieces yet. Contrary to the NYT article (basically calling Doha a new culture hotspot), it still has a long way to go to get to the same level as The Met or MoMA in NYC, Prado in Madrid or The Tates in London. But finally something to do other than go to the damn malls! So here are some photos from my visit:
Here it is! Pretty sweet, right?
Looking up towards the ceiling from the atrium. I kind of felt like I was inside a cruise ship.
There were a lot of bowls and tiles from Iran and Turkey (and a few things from Granada and Cordoba in Spain!), but I really loved this door knocker for some reason. When I have my own place some day, I want a cool door knocker like this one. Rawr!
This is a map of the world created in, if I remember right, the 15th century in Syria. First of all, I love maps, but I like how this one is not from the European perspective that we are so used to seeing. I could not tell you what is what because I do not know Arabic, but, nonetheless, it is super fly!
And this is a painting of Mary with little baby Jesus. It was painted by some dude in Italy way back when. You think it is a Christian piece when you initially look at it, or at least I did and thus wondered why it was in the museum, but you realize after closer inspection that there is Islamic text in Arabic throughout it. As a result, I loved it...and I want it!
So this was my visit to the M.I.A. in a nutshell.
And I am off to India tomorrow! Probably no posts until I return.
Here it is! Pretty sweet, right?
Looking up towards the ceiling from the atrium. I kind of felt like I was inside a cruise ship.
There were a lot of bowls and tiles from Iran and Turkey (and a few things from Granada and Cordoba in Spain!), but I really loved this door knocker for some reason. When I have my own place some day, I want a cool door knocker like this one. Rawr!
This is a map of the world created in, if I remember right, the 15th century in Syria. First of all, I love maps, but I like how this one is not from the European perspective that we are so used to seeing. I could not tell you what is what because I do not know Arabic, but, nonetheless, it is super fly!
And this is a painting of Mary with little baby Jesus. It was painted by some dude in Italy way back when. You think it is a Christian piece when you initially look at it, or at least I did and thus wondered why it was in the museum, but you realize after closer inspection that there is Islamic text in Arabic throughout it. As a result, I loved it...and I want it!So this was my visit to the M.I.A. in a nutshell.
And I am off to India tomorrow! Probably no posts until I return.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
More picture goodness of life in Qatar
This old beater of a car has been parked next to a road near Education City for a long time. And every single time I roll by it I think of Radiohead's video for their stellar classic, Karma Police. I also have the urge to blow it up like they do in movies.
And here is a window display at Adidas featuring KG of the Celtics (come on, guys, get your shit together and win me another championship!).
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
A couple photos for your viewing pleasure
Today is 14 January 2009. This package was mailed by my amazing friend, Allison Laske, on 26 November 2008. I just now got it.
This dress was waiting for its owner to claim it at the same tailor my sari was made at. Who gets shit like this made? More than the dress, look at the drawing! I thought it was awesome, but the tailor dude did not think it was so amusing and thus I had to secretly take the picture.
Here is a sort of distant picture of part of Education City. I counted over 2 dozen cranes in Education City alone a couple days ago! I also had to be sort of sneaky with this photo because Security will hunt you down if they catch you taking pictures of anything inside Education City. So I took it right before I entered Education City.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Phone Bill
I got my phone bill today.
How much for last month? About $3!
It is a 'pay for what you use' plan and thus since I make such few calls and send so few texts, I only gotta pay a little over QR 9! Yes, I was out of the country for a good part of the month, but I also had a couple international charges on it.
Makes you think that mobile companies in the States rip you off with their expensive plans, extra charges, etc.
There is not much to love about Qatar, but I love my mobile plan!
How much for last month? About $3!
It is a 'pay for what you use' plan and thus since I make such few calls and send so few texts, I only gotta pay a little over QR 9! Yes, I was out of the country for a good part of the month, but I also had a couple international charges on it.
Makes you think that mobile companies in the States rip you off with their expensive plans, extra charges, etc.
There is not much to love about Qatar, but I love my mobile plan!
Monday, January 12, 2009
India!
"I am going to India!"
I keep saying this to myself, but it does not sink in.
And I leave this Saturday...
I am going to Kerala, a state in the south of India (see map: http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/kerala/keralalocation.htm). I am going with my boss, Kristin, and we are going to the wedding of a co-worker's cousin. We are also going to travel around Kerala for several days before and after the wedding. Nearly everything has been planned for us by our beyond excited co-worker (I think she is stoked to show us off). All I have had to do is visit the Embassy of India to get a visa (talk about one of the gnarliest experiences of my life!), get a sari made (yep, I have to wear a sari to the wedding and I LOVE IT!), and pay my way.
Anyway, just to give you a quick taste of where we will be going, see these links (I honestly do not know much else...):
Kochi/Cochin (we fly into here): http://www.flickr.com/photos/kasugai_sean/445491913/
Munnar (hill station): http://www.flickr.com/photos/arunar/2928438162/
Kottayam (wedding is around here): http://www.flickr.com/photos/barnause/2203856345/
Alleppey (backwaters houseboat): http://www.flickr.com/photos/maapu/437577352/
Thiruvananthapuram (we fly out of here...and, yes, that is the official name of the city): http://www.flickr.com/photos/anntatti/2282713697/
So there you go. You now know just as much as I do...
I keep saying this to myself, but it does not sink in.
And I leave this Saturday...
I am going to Kerala, a state in the south of India (see map: http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/kerala/keralalocation.htm). I am going with my boss, Kristin, and we are going to the wedding of a co-worker's cousin. We are also going to travel around Kerala for several days before and after the wedding. Nearly everything has been planned for us by our beyond excited co-worker (I think she is stoked to show us off). All I have had to do is visit the Embassy of India to get a visa (talk about one of the gnarliest experiences of my life!), get a sari made (yep, I have to wear a sari to the wedding and I LOVE IT!), and pay my way.
Anyway, just to give you a quick taste of where we will be going, see these links (I honestly do not know much else...):
Kochi/Cochin (we fly into here): http://www.flickr.com/photos/kasugai_sean/445491913/
Munnar (hill station): http://www.flickr.com/photos/arunar/2928438162/
Kottayam (wedding is around here): http://www.flickr.com/photos/barnause/2203856345/
Alleppey (backwaters houseboat): http://www.flickr.com/photos/maapu/437577352/
Thiruvananthapuram (we fly out of here...and, yes, that is the official name of the city): http://www.flickr.com/photos/anntatti/2282713697/
So there you go. You now know just as much as I do...
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Dirtiest ride in Doha...and Fudge.
I have an annoucement to make: I am going for the dirtiest ride in Doha. I am going to see how long I can go without washing my Jeep, or "dumpy, little Jeep" as I call it (I think I might be giving it a complex). If the windows get too dusty, I just wipe them off with a rag, but no washing! I am doing this sort of out of spite because people here are so obsessed with getting their cars washed on what seems like a daily basis (BTW It is illegal to wash your car at your home, you must have it done at a car wash...). It is excessive and a complete waste. It is just a car! Plus, I get mixed information regarding if it is illegal or not to have a dirty vehicle in Qatar. Some people say yes it is like in some other Gulf countries while some people say no it is not. And I say, "I do not care." Gives the phrase ridin' dirty a new meaning.
Also, I must say I just made some divine peanut butter fudge! Super easy recipe with a couple Jade twists = yum! I should totally open up my own little shop because I am a damn good maker of yummy things. Perhaps one of these days...
And thanks, Susan, for the encouraging chat.
Also, I must say I just made some divine peanut butter fudge! Super easy recipe with a couple Jade twists = yum! I should totally open up my own little shop because I am a damn good maker of yummy things. Perhaps one of these days...
And thanks, Susan, for the encouraging chat.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Malcolm singing "Frosty the Snowman"
I just posted this video to YouTube today. I sort of forgot about it last week.
I present to you Malcolm (his momma is my cousin, Marlena):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Myz1I3a3aUU
I present to you Malcolm (his momma is my cousin, Marlena):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Myz1I3a3aUU
Friday, January 2, 2009
The ultimate lost shoe story!
I ran almost daily during my time in Syracuse and noticed lots and lots of random shoes on the side of the roads. High heels, sandals, kids shoes, sneakers, flats...even a ski boot! So I had this really bizarre idea to do a fartsy coffee table book or website about random shoes (98.1% of the time it was just one) found in rather random locales (not just roads, beaches too). I always wondered who in the world loses a shoe like that? Or what is the shoe's story? Anyway, I noticed this story on Yahoo today and got so excited:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/odd_expressway_shoes
Do not steal my idea.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/odd_expressway_shoes
Do not steal my idea.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
And now some pictures of Mexico!
Here y'all go (in reverse order...I am too lazy to put them from the beginning of the trip to the end):
I love this escalator at LHR Terminal 5. I basically like escalators period, but prefer taking the stairs (I just do not like it when people stop on escalators). Anyway, this one is massive.
Malcolm eating food off the table. Do it while you still can!
Cutie Miranda in my reindeer ears (yes, they belong to me).
Family photo from our ATV trip.
Jayson crashed! He is 2 for 2 on ATV trips.
My crash site. My ATV would have consumed most of this photo, but I would be on my back in the upper left corner.
Mom going down the zipline. That is Bryan and I chillin' on the raft.
I am the first to go! Arika was the lone one who did not go and missed all the fun.
Where we stayed...hmmm...
Who finds this flattering? I am always amazed at the number of tourists who do this to their hair. Stop the insanity, people!
I asked Malcolm to give me a pose and he gave me this...
Miranda and Marlena playing in the pool.
Skyler pestering Dad on our day trip to Akumal.
Striking my 'damn, you, world!' pose with my little bro.
Road construction in rural Mexico - an old man with a bucket.
Biking around Ek Balam on an old bike with crappy brakes, but I loved it! Freedom! I miss my bike!
Behind this wall of jungle is a massive Mayan ruin that archealogists (spelling?) have not got to yet.
The view of the village of Ek Balam from the top of highest pyramid. You can see the lookout tower and baseball field dugout. The rest of the village is tucked in all the trees. And this structure used to be covered like the one in the photo above!
A photo of yours truly from the top. I totally needed a tan...
And another photo of Ek Balam (BTW the ruins and the village share the same name).
And another...
And some cows next to the ruins. Moo.
And here is a last one.
Some local kids hammin' it up with me. They gotta kick out of me taking pictures of them and then checking them out on my camera. I loved their giggles!
My little BFF Morris sharing seeds he found with local kids.
Making a hammock takes forever! It was great to 'help out' for about an hour, but I could not imagine doing it day in and day out. I would need to find a way to sit down and do it.
A fly Spiderman pinata!
My tortilla is on the left... But at least it tasted alright!
This lady is the tortilla queen of Ek Balam. She makes over 200 a day! And she was maybe as tall as my shoulders when we were standing next to each other (I am a giant here!).
Making corn into dough so we can make some yummy tortillas. That stone thing I was using is at least 300 years old.
My lovely little cabin.
I experienced some of the best showers of my life here in the outdoor shower (no worries because it was completely private).
Welcome to Genesis! These pups serve as the doorpersons.
A gang of damn noisy poultry...
A woman working on a hammock in front of her home. Most of the crafts created by villagers are sold in Merida.
Pretty! I love me some pretty plants!
Dude just chillin' on the side of the road reading with no shirt on... Do your thang, mi amigo!
So this is where old school video games end up!
I think this is the lone Christmas tree I saw this holiday season... Sad.
I love this escalator at LHR Terminal 5. I basically like escalators period, but prefer taking the stairs (I just do not like it when people stop on escalators). Anyway, this one is massive.
Malcolm eating food off the table. Do it while you still can!
Cutie Miranda in my reindeer ears (yes, they belong to me).
Family photo from our ATV trip.
Jayson crashed! He is 2 for 2 on ATV trips.
My crash site. My ATV would have consumed most of this photo, but I would be on my back in the upper left corner.
Mom going down the zipline. That is Bryan and I chillin' on the raft.
I am the first to go! Arika was the lone one who did not go and missed all the fun.
Where we stayed...hmmm...Who finds this flattering? I am always amazed at the number of tourists who do this to their hair. Stop the insanity, people!
I asked Malcolm to give me a pose and he gave me this...
Miranda and Marlena playing in the pool.
Skyler pestering Dad on our day trip to Akumal.
Striking my 'damn, you, world!' pose with my little bro.
Road construction in rural Mexico - an old man with a bucket.
Biking around Ek Balam on an old bike with crappy brakes, but I loved it! Freedom! I miss my bike!
Behind this wall of jungle is a massive Mayan ruin that archealogists (spelling?) have not got to yet.
The view of the village of Ek Balam from the top of highest pyramid. You can see the lookout tower and baseball field dugout. The rest of the village is tucked in all the trees. And this structure used to be covered like the one in the photo above!
A photo of yours truly from the top. I totally needed a tan...
And another photo of Ek Balam (BTW the ruins and the village share the same name).
And another...
And some cows next to the ruins. Moo.
And here is a last one.
Some local kids hammin' it up with me. They gotta kick out of me taking pictures of them and then checking them out on my camera. I loved their giggles!
My little BFF Morris sharing seeds he found with local kids.
Making a hammock takes forever! It was great to 'help out' for about an hour, but I could not imagine doing it day in and day out. I would need to find a way to sit down and do it.
A fly Spiderman pinata!
My tortilla is on the left... But at least it tasted alright!
This lady is the tortilla queen of Ek Balam. She makes over 200 a day! And she was maybe as tall as my shoulders when we were standing next to each other (I am a giant here!).
Making corn into dough so we can make some yummy tortillas. That stone thing I was using is at least 300 years old.
My lovely little cabin.
I experienced some of the best showers of my life here in the outdoor shower (no worries because it was completely private).
Welcome to Genesis! These pups serve as the doorpersons.
A gang of damn noisy poultry...
A woman working on a hammock in front of her home. Most of the crafts created by villagers are sold in Merida.
Pretty! I love me some pretty plants!
Dude just chillin' on the side of the road reading with no shirt on... Do your thang, mi amigo!
So this is where old school video games end up!
I think this is the lone Christmas tree I saw this holiday season... Sad.
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