Souq Wakif

I realize I didn't have the comment setting turned on so readers should be able to comment on these posts from now on. It's hard to explain in words just how amazing the Souq Wakif was so I thought I'd post a few pictures from our excursion today.

 (above) Here we have Diana, our instructor, shortly after bartering for a couple of pashminas. After several prior trips to India, she's an avid haggler.

 Tanis, trying on a necklace (which Laura later bought).

 Me and my new hat (thanks Sears!)

 For lunch, we went to an Iranian restaurant. We thought we were going to a little cafe in the centre of the market, but it turned out this place was more like a palace. This is one of the private rooms, which the Amir uses to entertain guests. The owner was kind enough to give us a bit of tour when he saw our eyes bulge out of our heads (Natalia) when we first walked in off the street. Best. Picture. Ever.

This picture doesn't really give it justice: this place was literally glowing!

Look at this hallway! And the intricate detail on the wall! It was probably one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen. I don't know about the rest of my group but I was giddy with joy just to be out of the heat and in an air conditioned building again. Mark my words, I will never complain about the heat in Toronto ever again!

 Natalia and Tanis modeling pashminas.

Laura, with her new necklace.

 The owner brought us tiny plates with mint, goat cheese, walnuts and radish when we sat down.

An eggplant appetizer with burnt onion (top), fresh watermelon juice with mint (bottom).

 Mint tea with mint leaves, sugar and a nougat.

La crème de la crème: home made pistachio and saffron ice cream.

Day 1

Managed to spend about 10 minutes total outside today, going from apartment to car, car to shopping mall and back again. Given the temperature, we didn't see very many people walking around outside on our drive to the City Centre mall. This building, Tornado Tower, houses the Canadian Consulate.

 Right now it's 34 degrees with 71% humidity and that's only because it's dark outside.  That's not to say there aren't people working outside during the summer months. There are many people working outdoors in construction jobs, many of whom come to Qatar to work and send money home. Workplace fatalities in this line of work are high, I'm told, but the government is trying to make it safer for employees working in construction. By the way, did I mention how much construction there is? Every street seems to be full of brand new or partially built buildings. The architecture here is absolutely incredible, just look at some of these buildings we passed on our way to the mall:

This one's my favourite. What's with the gold ball in between the two towers? Is that someone's office? The lunch room? Is that real gold? We didn't realize that everything closes from about 12-1 for prayers so we spent our  first hour at the mall window shopping and people watching. It's all so interesting. To be honest, it's hard not to stare sometimes. You can always distinguish the Arabs from non-Arabs here from the way they dress. Men dress in white from head to toe and women in black. While almost all Arab women cover their heads, only some cover their entire face.

I'm reading a really interesting book called "Don't they know it's Friday?" It's basically a cross cultural guide for business and life in the Gulf. I've learned that instead of referring to this region as the "Middle East,"  it's better to use the term "Gulf Cooperation Council" or GCC which includes the countries of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE and Oman. Also, the Persian Gulf is also called the Arabian Gulf, depending where you are.

Oh yeah so back to our shopping excursion. We spent most of our time sauntering through a grocery store called Carrefour picking up some supplies for the week, including more of this tasty bevvie:

It's instant coffee with the milk and sugar already added! How great is that? Most of the same foods are still available in Qatar, like yoghurt, granola and fruit, also known as the best breakfast ever.

Oh and the dates! Dates are a local delicacy. I saw some chocolate covered dates at the grocery store and will certainly have to go back and buy some before I leave. Ice cream is also really popular here. I've also seen: KFC, McDonald's, Starbucks, Domino's Pizza, and there is a Tim Horton's here somewhere too (built specifically for the soldiers stationed here, I am told).
Tomorrow we head to one of the largest outdoor markets in Doha, the Souq Wakif. Click here for a really cool interactive view of the market. We're going in the morning but I'm told there are lots of restaurants we can run into if we need a burst of cool air.

The heat

Arrived safe and sound and was met by our instructor, Diana, at the airport. We went back to our apartment (which is fully air conditioned, I should mention).
Oh my goodness it's hot here! I knew it was hot, but I could not have possibly imagined just how incredibly hot it is. And this is at night! I have yet to experience the heat's full wrath during daylight hours! I'm a little worried.

(l to r) Laura, Lauren, Tanis, Natalia shortly after arriving in Doha around 7 p.m. I was told it was a "cool" night tonight.

My room

Kitchen

 Dining room

 Something called "Mixed Iskander" which is basically a lot of meat, on top of cubes of bread, on top of yoghurt with hot sauce. Quite good.

Oh sure let's walk through a mall at 11 p.m. Why not! Thursday is the start of the weekend here so everything is open late, and by late I mean, open all night. It's too hot for people to shop during the day so they do their shopping at night. Tomorrow we're going to a different, larger mall to buy some groceries and anything else we need. First shift at the hospital is on Sunday.

Al-Zubarah

Sitting at O'Hare with a couple of hours until my flight to Doha, I take advantage of the extra time to do some research on Qatar. I come across an article from CNN (not always the most accurate source of information, I realize) about the country's first world heritage site: Al-Zubarah. It says: "The fortified ruins of the 18th century pearl fishing town will be Qatar's first world heritage site. The coastal town's exceptionally preserved remains provide an invaluable insight into the daily lives of the traders who populated the region in the 1700s."

 You better believe I'm going to try and get there sometime in the next four weeks. Hopefully my travel companions, all of whom are lovely I should add, are game. I'll introduce them shortly.
On a side note, if you're hungry and happen to be killing time at the Chicago airport, the selection of eateries is most impressive. I'm currently sitting across from a place that sells gourmet candied applies!

Jeff

 The second question I get asked most often after "Do you have to cover your head?" is "What does Jeff think of you leaving for four weeks?" So, here is what Jeff thinks, in his own words:

"Nearly one year ago, Lauren and I were married beneath an oak tree in her parents’ backyard. We just celebrated our one-year anniversary at a lovely Calgary bistro called Cucina. 

The evening also marked a farewell. For much of September, Lauren will be in Qatar. In Doha, she’ll work in a cardiac unit at a hospital as part of her final semester in the University of Calgary’s nursing program.

That much you know. What’s less clear – to judge by the raised eyebrows in some corners – is what I think about the trip. I’ll tell you: I think it’s wonderful.

A bit of background: Before we decided to get married, Lauren and I agreed that traveling independently was something we both valued. We also like exploring new cities together, of course, but there’s something special about arriving in a new place with only your wits as a guide. (Long before we met, Lauren volunteered at a women’s shelter in Nepal. I worked on a blueberry farm in New Zealand). 

My wife is leaving this week for the Middle East at a particularly volatile time (Google Syria and chemical weapons and you’ll be up to speed). There’s good reason to be worried – if you only read headlines. But I’m trying to resist the urge to conflate one country – its people, cities and culture – in the region with another. Which only makes sense. After all, we would hardly judge Canada by the actions of one province, never mind the decisions made by a lone Member of Parliament from Calgary Southwest. Or maybe we would.

Regardless, I feel lucky my partner is engaged in the wider world. I’m a richer person for it."

 

Covering up

People keep asking me: do you have to cover your head? The answer is no. In Qatar, non-Muslim women aren't expected to wear the hijab, a traditional veil that Muslim women wear over their head and chest. That's not to say I won't cover up as a sign of respect say, if I'm entering a mosque or something. All men and women are expected to dress modestly and for us, this means covering our shoulders and our knees and everything in between. One of my colleagues also suggested choosing pants and skirts in bold prints to cover up..um...how do I put this? Bum sweat. You learn something new every day.

Hungry for a bargain and on a budget, I went to Value Village earlier this month to peruse the ladies section. I quickly discovered that if I want to dress modestly, I had come to the right place. There were tons of dresses that covered my ankles and my arms at the same time!

But to my utter horror, most of the dresses also had shoulder pads which I tried to imagine wearing in 40 degree weather when I'm an other wise sweaty, frazzled mess. Actually this definition could probably be used to describe my appearance anytime I'm outside for more than 20 minutes over the next four weeks. OK, I thought, maybe I'll have better luck in the skirt section. Bingo bango!

Modest, yet cool and comfortable, fingers crossed.  No pattern though. Hope that's not a problem. Now I just have to find a hat and I'm set! Of course I'll still have to wear my scrubs in the hospital, "old blues" as I like to call them. Yep, these University of Calgary-issued scrubs have helped me through a lot of messy situations. All U of C students wear the same colour so patients can spot us a mile away (and nurses can run from us). Can't say I'll miss wearing those scrubs once I'm finished school. Sometimes, putting on old blues is empowering, like putting on a cape must have felt for Clark Kent. Putting on my scrubs also helps mentally prepare me for a busy day on a hospital unit as I feel around for my notepad, med cards, hospital ID, coffee money, pens and gum, each squirreled away in different pockets. Oh that reminds me, gotta dig out my hospital shoes!

Getting to know you

Several weeks ago, my colleagues and I attended a presentation put on by the university about the history and culture of Qatar. Here are some highlights:

-Qatar is a constitutional monarchy.

-In 1970, Qatar passed a provisional constitution that lead to the individual state that it is today.

-The country is governed by Sharia Law, a customary practice of law based on the Koran, that details what is allowed and what is appropriate.

-Foreigners are not subject to Sharia Law.

-Of a population of 1.6 million, 20% are Qatari nationals, 20% are other Arabs, 20% are Indians and 40% are others.

-Only Qataris can be citizens.

-Doha has a population of 900,000 people and is where the Qatari government is based.

-The city is the economic centre of the country, focused on oil and gas development.

-The city was originally established as Al-Bida in 1825.

-In September, the average temperature is 39 (oh boy!) and the minimum is 27.

The Big Tree

First, the name. I’m traveling to Doha, Qatar at the end of August, 2013 to complete a four-week clinical rotation in the cardiac /coronary critical care unit (CCU) at the Heart Hospital. Qatar is a tiny country sandwiched between several big ones: Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq (Kuwait and Bahrain are in there too). The trip is part of my final semester of nursing school at the University of Calgary. When I get back, I'll spend two months working in chronic disease management at a clinic in Calgary (also for school).

Doha literally means “The Big Tree,” but I'm not exactly sure what kind of tree the city is named after. I sort of assumed there weren't many trees in Qatar to begin with so this was probably a pretty special tree.  So, I did a little research and was surprised to learn that Qatar actually has a lot of trees. One of them is the Carob Tree or St. John’s Bread:

You can't really go wrong with a tree like that. Mighty, some might say. It's a type of flowering evergreen shrub or tree in the pea family, widely cultivated for its edible legumes. Delicious legumes. According to a recent article, Qatar recently launched an initiative to make the country greener by planting 160 saplings in two areas of the country: Lusail and West Bay.  Those trees were part of a pilot project and supposedly use 90% less water than those planted directly into the ground. But I digress…..

Maybe the city is named after the Floss Silk Tree:

Also a fine looking tree. Doha could also be named after a Palm Tree too as there seem to be plenty of those judging by the pictures I've seen.  Either way, the name is apt as “The Big Tree” is an important part of my (scary, anxiety-inducing and yet very rewarding) journey as a nurse. (Warning: nursing analogy coming up) Nursing is also like a big tree (hey, you were warned), with its solid foundation (the nurse?) and its branches (branches of knowledge? care branches?) forever extended, providing care, reaching upward, healing...blah blah blah. Can you tell I just finished writing a paper on caring? Back to trees. OK, so I assumed Qatar didn't have many but apparently it does. Well would you look at that! Most of the country is bordered by the Persian Gulf! (thank you Google maps). I wonder what other preconceptions I'll dispel during my four weeks abroad? I also wonder why kinds of birds I'll see? (dad = birdwatcher). Ok...time to start packing!