The Update

Well, after I posted the last posting, the urge to blog suddenly returned. So here I am. I'm kind of surprised that I haven't posted anything substantial since last Eid...did a month and a half already pass by? Where did that time go? How is it November already? In any case, I'll try to fill you in on what's transpired since September 17th.

First off, my classes this semester are for the most part, fine. I can honestly say that I like my girls in both classes, minus a few bad apples. The girls are more at ease with me and it very well could be because I think I'm more at ease with myself. I am more relaxed this semester in my teaching style, less anxious. Some of my students have even felt comfortable enough with me to tell me personal things about them, something that other Qatari students in the past have not done. Not that this is my goal or anything, but it does signify that something has changed in my demeanor and/or my students this year are simply more open and receptive. In any case, I feel that the girls are doing the best that they can and I appreciate the effort. Other aspects of work are a bit more toublesome, with committee and administrative tasks consuming a good bulk of my time and mental energy. Let's just say that I've lost a few weekends doing work that does not involve lesson planning or grading my students papers - which is usually done during the week in the evenings. My life sounds so exciting, I know. Does that give you an idea of what I've been busy with (rather than blogging)?

Personally I am trying, but mostly failing, at making the best of my situation here. Going out to movies, dinners, and shopping is standard fare. Recently, we had a treat and got to see films at the first ever Doha Tribeca Film Festival. Happily, a few friends and I watched various western and foreign films - some of which would otherwise NOT have been screened in Doha due to their R-rated nature - alongside other film lovers. The tickets were cheap and we tried to take in as much as possible. It was a nice distraction from our everyday lives here. As mentioned awhile ago, I now go to the gym regularly. I've taken up ashtanga yoga (progress is slow but noticeable) and try to do at least one cardio class a week. Fearful of getting sick and wanting to be healthy, I am trying to stay on this bandwagon for as long as possible.

As an aside, I would say that my life is pretty mundane and routine, with the exception of one week when a certifiable psycho, also a guy I had met once eons ago, recently contacted me in an effort to take me out. I declined...persistently...to the point that the guy actually had a pseudo-tantrum on the phone and told me emphatically to f**k off, before cutting the conversation. I know, WTF!?! So this is, in a nutshell, what my life is like here: quiet, punctuated by the occaisonal weird/surprising/freaky diversion. You may be asking yourself at this point why I wouldn't consider going out for a coffee or something with the guy, considering how bored I am? I would answer that by stating that based on what I already knew about the guy, I'd have rather stayed at home and cleaned my bathroom with my hair (the one I haven't cleaned since I got back) than go out with this guy. He is a) a toddler in a 40+ year old body, b) a deadbeat dad with an ex-wife that hates him, and c) literally the Tasmanian Devil in personality, (like the one in the cartoon, yes). To say that I wouldn't want to ever see him again would be an understatement.

Okay, so that was my comic relief/nightmare to make up for all those weeks of not blogging. What else.... I also received a great care package from a friend in Portland (thanks S!) which came to me during a week when I thought I was going to collapse from exhaustion. So that was a nice, small treat as well. I had my car checked out and maintained, during which I had met a really nice guy who sort of took me under his wing at the service center to make sure I wasn't going to get fleeced by the mechanics and such. Given that I was the only female in the entire building (imagine about 30+ men and then, me), I will be forever grateful to this guy. The reason it's pretty rare to see females in such places is because most women here, if they're lucky, have a man to do the dirty work for them. It's their husband, boyfriend, brother, uncle, next-door neighbor or the like, who'll usually go in and deal with these sorts of things. The thing is, it doesn't bother me so much that I don't have some "manly man" to do these "manly" things for me - I don't mind doing them, really. What bothers me is the way I get perceived in these places, that basically I'm a lone female with no male to take care of these things for me. Poor thing. Sexist? So 1960s? Yeah, maybe - in the West. Not here. Here the thinking is that no self-respecting man would let their 'woman' deal with such matters...so a woman who's seen doing these very things might been looked upon with pity, suspicion, as an opportunity, or all of the above. In the end, I really wanted to say that there was this nice guy who took care of me and that I was really appreciative...:) Thanks, nice guy at Nissan!

Okay, I'm going to stop here before I sound even more magnoona (crazy) than I do now. That was my update, for me, mainly. I'm still alive and kicking (or rather, meditating). Until next time, namaste.

Still Alive

I am still here, I swear. Will post an update, hopefully sooner than later. I'm certain that there's no one out there who reads this anymore, but I'll do it for myself. Still breathing...!