Estoy en Espana

Hola!
So, Summer is not in Doha anymore.....
I have finished my 2 years in Doha, and I will soon start Medical School at the University of Washington. Some friends/family have requested an update on my summer travel plans, and this is the best I can do:

Until June 11th I will be in Spain
From June 11th until June 14th or 15th, I will be visiting Ithaca. I'm looking forward to exploring some of my old haunts (eating mintchip Purity IceCream and running in the plantations), visiting a professor or two, and hopefully seeing some of the students from Qatar doing summer research.
From June 15th until June 25th or so, I will be in Iowa.
Then Idaho, Montana, Las Vegas, California, and some places in between. I plan to see family and friends along the way and visit some national parks.
School starts August 10th.

Hopefully I'll see some of you along the way. I'll try and write a couple more Qatar posts, and then my already sporadic blog posting will cease.

Thanks for reading!

McDonalds - so good, even the cow looks happy.

Hello everyone. This McDonalds advertisement made me laugh out loud in the theater when I saw it yesterday. It was my second time to see it as it plays just before the movie previews. I even considered going to the theater early to be sure to catch it, and I cheered a bit when it came on.

You can watch the commercial at the McDonald's Qatar Website
Scroll down on the page and select the first box under "Quality"

Other than the cow appearing to be happy, I find the commercial both amusing and disturbing for the way it advertises the freshest, highest quality meats (100%), dairy, and vegetables, just like you'd serve to your own family.

Enjoy! I'm off to get a Big Mac!

My night as a Qatari

Last weekend WCMC-Q students, faculty and staff celebrated International night. The celebration consisted of attendees dressing up in either their own or someone else’s national dress. The purpose was to celebrate diversity, as the past 3 entering classes have students from over 25 countries!

My co-worker (Jenn) and I decided that after 2 years in Qatar, we would dress in abayahs (black robe) and sheilas or hijab (head scarves). This is the national dress for women of several Arab countries including Qatar but also of Saudi Arabia. Knowing that we couldn’t pull it off ourselves, we enlisted the help of the lovely Arwa, one of our students from Saudi.

When we arrived at Arwa's dormitory, she was running around like mad trying to get us all ready, but managed to take the time to serve us Arabic Coffee and dates.


We then watched her carefully iron our abayahs and hold them over the incense burner to make them smell pretty. Another student applied our thick eyeliner. Many women here, with only their faces or even just their eyes showing, wear heavy make-up, particularly around their eyes. After 15 minutes filled with giggling and being stabbed in the eye with an eyeliner brush, I looked like this:
Also completing the outfit, 3 inch strappy heals and a handbag. Both necessities, I am told.
Here is a photo of Rama (from Syria, wearing Moroccan national dress), Me, Arwa, and Jenn, ready for the night out:
The night was full of dancing, skits, and yummy food(lots of sushi!). However, the most interesting and worthwhile part of the evening for me was realizing how it feels to actually wear an abayah and hijab. Seeing the women walk around the streets and malls, gliding gracefully in their heals with yards of fabric flowing around their legs and ankles, I thought it would be easy.

HA!

I must have tripped 3-4 times in the first hour getting in and out of the car, sitting down to eat, and just walking around. Also, I could not, for the life of me, keep my headscarf on. Even with a pin! I had it arranged and rearranged at least 15 times by my experienced Muslim students. They kept laughing about how different I looked, and one student even remarked “you are so cute, I can tell it is your first time!” Everyone within earshot laughed at this as Muslim girls usually begin covering at the onset of puberty, and I suppose they spend a couple of weeks trying to figure out how to wear everything just right.

I wanted to be respectful of the dress, and I tried to be sure not to let my hair show. However, it became evident to me on several occasions throughout the evening that my diligence was not necessary as I am not Muslim and have made no commitments to dress accordingly (observe hijab).

For example, early on in the evening, Arwa told us we shouldn’t wear hijab because our hair “is so pretty.” Also, several of the girls who adjusted my hijab throughout the evening would push it off my forehead to show my bangs, or just drape it casually over the top of my head with half my hair showing, insisting I looked prettier that way.

Me, getting my headscarf fixed for the 10th time:
Some of the male TAs dressed as Qataris too, and they also had difficulties with their attire. Here is a photo of Jenn helping Jad, with me pointing and laughing (I'm so rude):

Next, a photo of Chris and me (I'm the one on the left). Chris is dressed as an American. In particular, an American living abroad who has only 5 changes of clothes and doesn't like to shave, iron, or do laundry.

Chris gave me a ride home, and before getting in the car I made sure to remove my headscarf. I didn't want to get in trouble as an unmarried Qatari female driving around with such a sketchy looking Western boy. ;-P Just kidding....

Photos of the first years:

Dancing:

Qatari girls, giving us a glimpse of part of a wedding ceremony:

Anticipatory Aggression (read: Doha Driving)

One of my friends referred to driving in Doha as "anticipatory aggression"

I find I like this expression. At times frightening, at other times thrilling, Doha driving has improved my overall skills behind the wheel. Occasionally, I feel like I'm in a video game.
I have learned the following:

1. I can now change lanes without checking the blind spot with massive head motion as I am constantly checking all mirrors to look for oversized land cruisers or hummers approaching or bearing down on me at 145 km/hr (around 90 miles/hr) in all lanes.
2. While checking mirrors constantly, I also somehow manage to keep my eyes focused ahead for men dashing across the road in front of me, other vehicles swerving into my lane when the cars in theirs are moving too slow or crashing, and construction cones or potholes that appear suddenly and without warning.
3. Although now not afraid to use my horn to suggest others not side-swipe or bump me while merging or changing lanes in traffic circles, I have also developed the use of "alternative signals". When I want to merge, I toss my long blond hair, signal "stop" with my right or left hand depending on my target, and gently merge while smiling at the other driver. If needed, I'll roll down the window in order to toss the hair out and smile.
4. I am no longer afraid to drive up a shoulder or over a curb if needed in my tiny Mitsubishi lancer. Although this may seem rude or like I'm a careless rule-breaker, it really is the norm here, and I'm confident it has saved me hours of time stuck in traffic.
5. The use of flashing high beams (brights). Drivers flash brights either to A) let you know you are going too slow and to get the #$%# out of their way, B) to let you know that you may merge into their lane, or C) to warn you that there is no chance they will allow you to merge into their lane. Understandably confusing, the key is knowing which suggestion they are making. Believe it or not, it has slowly become second nature to me, and my interpretations are as follows:

• A) is obvious - a car approaching from behind flashing brights wants you to move out of their lane, no matter if the lane next to you is blocked or you are approaching astop anyhow.
• B) rarely happens, but is readable if the car is moving at a steady pace, stopped, or slowing down. Or, if you are female and the other driver is male, there is a good chance he'll let you in.
• C) If the other driver flashes brights and then aggressively moves forward 3 inches or so, glares at you, or speeds up - don't try it!

If you don't believe that these skills I've acquired might be helpful to me here, please read this address from OSAC, the Overseas Security Advisory Council, which inspired this post:

"Driving in Qatar is likened to participating in an extreme sport; drivers often maneuver erratically and at high speed, demonstrate little road discipline or courtesy, fail to turn on their headlights during hours of darkness or inclement weather, and do not use seat belts - all resulting in a high vehicular accident rate (in excess of 70,000 annually). In fact, traffic fatalities are Qatar's leading cause of death (estimates are in excess of 130 annual foreigner deaths and in excess of 300 annual Qatari deaths)."

Some of the favorite "maneuvers" I have witnessed:

• a land cruiser taking the roundabout at 150 km/hour on its two left wheels.
• when caught in heavy traffic due to road work, cars cutting across three lanes of traffic, hopping the median, and then cutting off cars in the opposite-moving lanes to escape.
• when left turn lanes are "too long", cars will go through the straight lane only to turn left, cutting off several others.
• Drivers so impatient that they will move into the median or shoulder, pass two cars, and then merge back in. They will do this repeatedly, whether stopped in traffic or not.
• When traffic slows or stops, many drivers will move into the side streets, traveling at two - two and a half times the speed they should in order to move up in the line of cars 100 meters or so.
  

I could really go on and on about this, and so I will stop now. I'm not sure which skills I will take home with me, but I hope not to terrify too many of you.
Doha Driving amuses us all endlessly, and I'm confident it will provide stories to tell for many years. The best part about the driving though....
although a generous police force exists, I've never heard of anyone being pulled over for traffic violations or given parking tickets. A camera may take a photo of your license plate if speeding, and a ticket will be mailed to you. That is all. Wild.

Chris Jones recently posted about parking in Doha, which is also entertaining.
http://prufrockstar.org

I'm a fool for foule!

Oh Foule! How do I love thee? You are the food I crave most when away from Doha, the food I want every time I feel very hungry, and the food that tastes best when combined with oil, sweat, and grime.

I write it foule, but it is actually spelled "foul" and pronounced like "fool"

What is foul? Only the most delicious bean dish on the planet. It is actually fava beans, ground up with olive oil and tahini, and then sprinkled with a variety of spices.
The preparation varies depending on the country you are in or who makes it, but the best foul I've had in Doha is from a small restaurant along what we call "restaurant row". Our favorite dish is the foul mix, which is as described above, but also "mixed" with cheese, boiled egg, and diced tomatoes. MMMMMmmmm....
Also found near the foul restaurant are schwarma and felafel stands, a samosa hut, and delicious arabic mezza shops with mutabel, hummus, cheese bread, zatar bread, and so much more. I've been known to eat there (as have the other TAs) 3-4 times/week.

FYI, when going out to get foul, one says "I'm going to foul," or if feeling social, "want to go to foul?" The restaurant does have a name and even produced a menu with English translations recently, but seeing as how it has the best foul anyone I know here has ever tried, I will continue calling the small blue shop with only three tables, 12 men cooking, and a large floor area for sitting with crossed legs "FOUL"

Some photos to whet your appetites:

Inside the restaurant.

FOUL MIX!!!!

Summer and Maga, last year.
I like to share with Maga because she eats the least.

WCMCQ People in August, 2006. Although appearing unhappy, Chris Jones loves foul too. It just got a bit uncomfortably close in there. Plus, everyone took his foul, and he felt like a fool. :(

Regular Foul (no mix) and the yummy veggies.


This will be licked clean, really.

A new Al Jazeera

Some WCMC-Q students, professors, and TAs recently visited Al Jazeera English Television Station. It opened in November of 2006, and it appears to be off to a good start. Across from the original Arabic language Al Jazeera in a guarded compound near what is known as "TV" roundabout (hmmmm...where does that name come from), stands the brand new, state-of-the-art studio for Al Jazeera English.


Greeted by a representative of HR, we proceeded on our tour. Our guide did her job - telling us of Al Jazeera's mission, explaining how it was different from Arabic Al Jazeera, and expressing pride and satisfaction with her employer. Some in our group were, how shall I put it????.... Obnoxious. I felt the guide did a good job fielding their unfair and biased questions, and I hope the few did not leave a negative impression of the rest of Cornell and WCMC-Q

Anyhow, it was overall a good experience. I feel that the mission of Al Jazeera English - to be an unbiased newsource for the Middle East and eventually the world, although not yet perfect, is noble. What I find especially refreshing is that their homepage has headlines focusing on important events from around the world in an effort to inform and educate rather than entice and entertain.
For example, I'll give some "breaking news" headlines from different websites this week.

Al Jazeera English:
"US imposes fresh sanctions on Iran."
"Japan Quake triggers small tsunami"
"Hong Kong Tsang wins elections"
CNN:
"Woman guilty of killing boyfriend with antifreeze"
"Alice Cooper Judges Jailhouse rock stars"
"Anna Nicole Smith Diaries go fetch $512,500"
FOX:
Nintento "Wii catches on at Retirement Homes"
"Murdered Co-ed's body burned"

I don't think I need to comment further.
A link to the website:
http://english.aljazeera.net/English
And to their statement of ethics:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/4B3ABFB8-9082-4B05-B399-7BF68D4A39D6.htm

Some shots from around the station

The Newsroom


A Picture of Doha Skyline on the largest NewsScreen in the World!The set-up Chris Jones wants to have for his.......um....future work.


The TAs last year went to Al Jazeera Arabic because one of the TAs made it on the news while being interviewed about co-education in Doha. We all benefited from her fame.

I'm just not meant to publish a blog....

It is hard for me to believe I haven't written anything for 3 months. I feel terrible. There actually hasn't been much to report from Doha. After returning from my trips to Egypt, the U.S., and the Bahamas in January, everyday life in Doha has been great, but unfortunately would not be very interesting for most of you.
The best news ever: I was just accepted to the University of Washington Medical School. Yipppppeeeee Skipppppeeeeee!!!!
The University of Colorado Medical School had accepted me long ago, but I applied to Seattle because of the crazy costs at Colorado. After a $1,000 and 65-hour roundtrip flight, my interview experience could not have gone better. I found out I was accepted only one week after the interview, and did a sort of sob/laugh/cry/body-shake kinda thing around my living room. Then, I may have done a celebration dance. Maybe. :)
Thanks to all my friends, family, and teachers for your support.
With a discount of $120,000 over 4 years (almost a house!), and it being one of the best medical schools in the nation, I will be moving to Seattle rather than Denver in July.
Actually, my first year is in Moscow, Idaho. It will be nice after all this time away to live in a place that feels so much like home.

So, that is all I have to offer for an update my dears.
Perhaps in the following weeks, I'll write something interesting or clever and post some photos.