Today is National Day in Qatar and this post was supposed to be totally different but there is no celebration, no parades, no parties. I am at work and there are no firework just lonely decorations. Half my class showed up adorned beautifully in their National day clothes but their show that they rehearsed weeks for is not to be. The Emir cancelled all celebrations across Doha as a show of solidarity with Aleppo. Several restaurants have posted that all income will go to Aleppo.
Could you imagine Independence day being cancelled all across the U.S.? I could not. There is a huge difference in a monarchy and a democracy. I was planning to book a hotel on the Corniche so that we could be amongst the festivities but that is not to be. It would have been nice to experience National day celebrations in Qatar for the first time but instead I am experiencing something else. Now I wish I had booked a flight away.
I came to Qatar to teach yet I am learning so much about myself. I used to think, I was a ‘go with the flow’ type of person easily adaptable to change. Here I am learning to be tolerant and patient, although I still shrink back when there is chaos. I think by the end of my years here, I will be a changed person.
On a more positive note, the weather has changed here. It is too cool to swim in our outdoor pool but warm enough for a nice stroll. The nights and mornings are the coldest times. By the afternoon it is warm. The first cold night, I thought I was freezing. I turned on my small room heater and wedged myself between two pillows. I sure miss the warmth of my husband’s body. Our villa is a single and there is no insulation, so it gets really cold. It took me by surprise. However, it is nice to see the different colored Thobes that the men wear and the blue sky again.
I experienced desert rain for the first time too and when it rains, it floods. It rained for about 3 days off and on. The rain came through my windows and small floods formed in my villa. Thankfully no real damage. Streets were flooded all over and they were unavoidable. Some cars got stuck in flooded streets and many roads were closed. I was glad I have a truck. I enjoyed the few days of rain. It may be a long time before it shows up again.
Teaching Abroad- American Teacher Overseas 