Saturday, December 29, 2018
Glamping: Beach on the Arabian Gulf
Way back in the beginning of October, a group of us went glamping (glamorous camping). Instead of writing much about it, I will just share photos and videos. It was a great time with great friends, and I definitely plan on going back!
Friday, December 28, 2018
Brunch: The All-You-Can-Eat and Drink Madness
Ah, winter break! I thought this would be a fantastic time to go back and update all of you on our time in Doha. Little did I realize that would be a tall order! I haven't blogged since September, and it's the only post about our time in Qatar. So, what better way to introduce you to Qatar than talk about brunch?!
I bet you're thinking, "Brunch. Big deal." Well, that's exactly what it is - a big deal! However, when I first heard about it, I thought the exact same thing as you, especially after I heard the price! Let me explain. There is one store in the entire country - ONE STORE - that sells alcohol and pork. There are hotels and bars where you can get alcohol, but that one store (the QDC) is the only place to buy for personal consumption. When you go out to a hotel/bar, you will spend about 50 Qr on a beer (~$14). Happy Hour is about 35 Qr (~$10).
So, back to brunch. Brunch is an all-you-can-eat and drink (alcohol) affair which will cost about 300-500 Qr (~$80-$140) per person. Now, I know brunch is not specific to Doha, but it's the first time I've ever heard of it, and I was blown away by the cost. However, if you break it down, it's actually a pretty great deal. Brunches usually last 3.5-4 hours. Again, it's all-you-can-eat and drink. If you have two drinks per hour, you've already gotten your money out of it. (But who just sticks to two drinks per hour when it's a never-ending flow??!) Most brunches are on Fridays from 12pm-4pm.
I've been to two brunches, but they've both been at the same hotel, so I can only vouch for the one, but it was really good! Here are some pictures of our brunch days!
I bet you're thinking, "Brunch. Big deal." Well, that's exactly what it is - a big deal! However, when I first heard about it, I thought the exact same thing as you, especially after I heard the price! Let me explain. There is one store in the entire country - ONE STORE - that sells alcohol and pork. There are hotels and bars where you can get alcohol, but that one store (the QDC) is the only place to buy for personal consumption. When you go out to a hotel/bar, you will spend about 50 Qr on a beer (~$14). Happy Hour is about 35 Qr (~$10).
So, back to brunch. Brunch is an all-you-can-eat and drink (alcohol) affair which will cost about 300-500 Qr (~$80-$140) per person. Now, I know brunch is not specific to Doha, but it's the first time I've ever heard of it, and I was blown away by the cost. However, if you break it down, it's actually a pretty great deal. Brunches usually last 3.5-4 hours. Again, it's all-you-can-eat and drink. If you have two drinks per hour, you've already gotten your money out of it. (But who just sticks to two drinks per hour when it's a never-ending flow??!) Most brunches are on Fridays from 12pm-4pm.
I've been to two brunches, but they've both been at the same hotel, so I can only vouch for the one, but it was really good! Here are some pictures of our brunch days!
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| Fancy Food |
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| All. The. Drinks. |
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| Sam's birthday celebration |
Sunday, September 9, 2018
Our Apartment in Doha, Qatar
Here's the video of our apartment in Doha, Qatar.
I've compiled a list of videos of all of the apartments we have lived in while abroad. Which is your favorite??
Iksan, South Korea - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEbW44_CnxE
1st apartment in Busan, South Korea - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFwmSeGiwDU
2nd apartment in Busan, South Korea - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUjSn-BGzJ8
1st apartment in Cairo, Egypt - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWPAJghkZEQ&t=291s
2nd apartment in Cairo, Egypt - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irO9UtwjbD8
Sunday, August 19, 2018
No Clinically Significant Variants Detected
It's been a couple of months since I last posted. We have made it to Qatar and are in the middle of orientation. Everything is going well! But, I will write another post about that in the next few days. I wanted to keep you all updated on something I did during the summer.
In the middle of July, I took the step to get genetically tested for "the" cancer gene. Why? For those who don't know my family history... My maternal grandmother had breast cancer when she was in her 50's. My mother passed away from breast cancer when she was 39. Learning from the geneticist, I found out that having cancer at a young age could be due to a mutation in the genes. Now, we will never know if mom had a mutation, but I wanted to find out if I did.
I DON'T. Two days before moving to Qatar, I found out that I don't have a cancer gene. Good news, right?! Well, it's a mixed bag. Yes, I am extremely thankful that I don't have the gene. However, that does not really mean what you think it might. I will try to break this down how I understand it.
**You cannot take what I say to be gospel. If you are concerned about yourself, please seek genetic counseling yourself.**
The average person is at an 11% risk of developing cancer. Since I have a family history, and mom was so young when she got it, that bumped me up to a 32-34% chance of developing cancer. With that, I am supposed to get yearly mammograms and MRI's, and I should have been doing that since the age of 30. I'll be 32 in November. Every gynecologist I've been to has said that I'm too young for that. Thankfully, the geneticist is prepared to fight for me, and will issue a letter from her office to any gynecologist who refuses to give me an exam, discussing my risks. That's good news for me. If I had the gene, that would put me at an 80% risk of developing cancer. At that point, we would have had to discuss possible surgical procedures to prevent the likelihood of getting cancer.
Now, the reason it's a "mixed bag". Just because the genetic test came back negative does not really mean that I don't have a cancer gene. There are thousands of genes in humans. I was only tested for 17. Not even 1% of my genes were tested. So, potentially, I could have a mutation in a gene that has not yet been linked to cancer or was not tested. Or, I could have a mutation in the genes tested that cannot be found with current testing methods.
This means that I will have on-going communication (every few years) with the geneticist to see if there have been any updates or findings within the scientific community about genetic testing.
This might sound like I am not excited about the outcome. I am excited that my chances of getting cancer have not gone up. I am also excited that I will have proper testing going forward. However, the geneticist kept going back to the fact that mom had it at such an early age. Sure, it could have been environmental. Maybe she had a mutated gene that was not passed on to me. We'll never know. And, that's the scary part. I guess none of us really know, and that's scary to me.
Anyway, I wanted to keep you all updated. Zach and I will continue to live our lives to the fullest. We will continue to explore different places, and we'll continue to take you along for the ride.
Qatar updates to be posted soon - I hope! 😉
In the middle of July, I took the step to get genetically tested for "the" cancer gene. Why? For those who don't know my family history... My maternal grandmother had breast cancer when she was in her 50's. My mother passed away from breast cancer when she was 39. Learning from the geneticist, I found out that having cancer at a young age could be due to a mutation in the genes. Now, we will never know if mom had a mutation, but I wanted to find out if I did.
I DON'T. Two days before moving to Qatar, I found out that I don't have a cancer gene. Good news, right?! Well, it's a mixed bag. Yes, I am extremely thankful that I don't have the gene. However, that does not really mean what you think it might. I will try to break this down how I understand it.
**You cannot take what I say to be gospel. If you are concerned about yourself, please seek genetic counseling yourself.**
The average person is at an 11% risk of developing cancer. Since I have a family history, and mom was so young when she got it, that bumped me up to a 32-34% chance of developing cancer. With that, I am supposed to get yearly mammograms and MRI's, and I should have been doing that since the age of 30. I'll be 32 in November. Every gynecologist I've been to has said that I'm too young for that. Thankfully, the geneticist is prepared to fight for me, and will issue a letter from her office to any gynecologist who refuses to give me an exam, discussing my risks. That's good news for me. If I had the gene, that would put me at an 80% risk of developing cancer. At that point, we would have had to discuss possible surgical procedures to prevent the likelihood of getting cancer.
Now, the reason it's a "mixed bag". Just because the genetic test came back negative does not really mean that I don't have a cancer gene. There are thousands of genes in humans. I was only tested for 17. Not even 1% of my genes were tested. So, potentially, I could have a mutation in a gene that has not yet been linked to cancer or was not tested. Or, I could have a mutation in the genes tested that cannot be found with current testing methods.
This means that I will have on-going communication (every few years) with the geneticist to see if there have been any updates or findings within the scientific community about genetic testing.
This might sound like I am not excited about the outcome. I am excited that my chances of getting cancer have not gone up. I am also excited that I will have proper testing going forward. However, the geneticist kept going back to the fact that mom had it at such an early age. Sure, it could have been environmental. Maybe she had a mutated gene that was not passed on to me. We'll never know. And, that's the scary part. I guess none of us really know, and that's scary to me.
Anyway, I wanted to keep you all updated. Zach and I will continue to live our lives to the fullest. We will continue to explore different places, and we'll continue to take you along for the ride.
Qatar updates to be posted soon - I hope! 😉
Sunday, June 10, 2018
The Holy Month of Ramadan
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| The entry-way to our apartment building |
Ramadan is a month of fasting, repentance, donating to charity, and getting closer to God. Fasting typically means no food, drink, smoking, or intimacy from sunrise to sunset. It is also a time of abstaining from sinful thoughts and actions.
What does all of that mean in regards to someone who lives in that culture, but does not share in the faith? It means being respectful and supportive. For us, the school day is shortened so that families can be together during the sunset feast. Iftar is the breaking of the fast in the evening. Think Thanksgiving feast every night for one month.
As a 6th grade teacher, I have students who are fasting for the first time. I've been told that the students leave school at 2 pm and immediately go home to nap. Then, they wake up in time for Iftar. They may stay awake or go back to sleep for a little while. Then, right before the sunrise prayer, they will wake up to eat for the last time before sunset. This cycle continues for a whole month.
As a teacher and as someone who lives in the community, it is up to me to be respectful and empathetic of those who are celebrating Ramadan. I should not eat or drink in public, unless it's at a restaurant or another place where food is served. I should be a little more conservative with my clothing. Most importantly, as a teacher, I need to be aware that my students are tired, hungry, and a little crabby - which can be super hard when it's the last month of school, AND it's Ramadan!
I'm sure I could go into more detail about this 30-day holy month. But, these are the basics. As an outsider, I have so many emotions about Ramadan. I respect those who participate. I am dumbfounded at why anyone would put themselves through it. And, I am super happy that it's almost over!
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| Ramadan Kareem |
Sunday, May 6, 2018
Quick Trip to Abu Simbel
Our trip to Abu Simbel was a quick one. We left Cairo at 10 pm on Thursday night and flew to Aswan. We returned to Cairo mid-afternoon on Saturday. We knew that it would only take us an hour or two to visit Abu Simbel, so it was a quick, easy trip to make.
First thing's first. We arrived at our hotel around midnight. We knew it was a slightly nicer hotel than we usually stay in, but we had no idea what we were getting. We stayed at the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan. When we checked in, we were given an upgrade to suites. Come to find out, the hotel was built in 1899. Several famous people have stayed at the hotel. Agatha Christie even wrote a book with the setting in the hotel. We had a fantastic time at the hotel, and we would definitely go back if given the opportunity. Here is a video of our room.
Little did we know, Abu Simbel was about a 3-hour drive from Aswan. Great! That gave us a chance to sleep on the ride. Pretty much immediately, though, we were given a video watch. However, I am SO glad we watched it. The video gave us perspective. In the 1960's, Abu Simbel was in danger of being swallowed by the Nile River. The Aswan High Dam was built in the 60's and was significant for Egypt's economy. However, that meant that Abu Simbel, and about 20 other ancient sites, was in danger of being submerged by the Nile River. Luckily, smart people around the world were able to come up with a way to move the entire structure. Below is the video we watched about moving Abu Simbel. I HIGHLY recommend you watch the first 20 minutes of the video.
As I've said in past posts, I am terrible about remembering things our guides tell us. I will give you the basic rundown of what I remember, but I will also put in links so that you can read about it yourself.
Abu Simbel was built around 3000 years ago by King Ramses II. The temple was built, basically, to let people know that he was in charge. It is 66 feet (20 meters) high. The facade of the building contains four statues of Ramses in different stages of his life. It also has his children, his mother, and Queen Nefertari. A smaller temple was built next to it and was dedicated to Nefertari.
Being there was pretty amazing! Oh, yeah! It was also 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius).
I hope you enjoy the videos and pictures below. Please know that while there were signs that said no photography, our guide told us that the Antiquities Ministry just changed the rules about photography. If we paid a fee, we were allowed. I hope we were following the laws!
First thing's first. We arrived at our hotel around midnight. We knew it was a slightly nicer hotel than we usually stay in, but we had no idea what we were getting. We stayed at the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan. When we checked in, we were given an upgrade to suites. Come to find out, the hotel was built in 1899. Several famous people have stayed at the hotel. Agatha Christie even wrote a book with the setting in the hotel. We had a fantastic time at the hotel, and we would definitely go back if given the opportunity. Here is a video of our room.
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| Room with a view of the Nile River |
So, we got in around midnight and didn't get to sleep until almost 1 am. The next morning we got picked up at 8 am. We had a wonderful breakfast at the hotel before meeting our driver.
Little did we know, Abu Simbel was about a 3-hour drive from Aswan. Great! That gave us a chance to sleep on the ride. Pretty much immediately, though, we were given a video watch. However, I am SO glad we watched it. The video gave us perspective. In the 1960's, Abu Simbel was in danger of being swallowed by the Nile River. The Aswan High Dam was built in the 60's and was significant for Egypt's economy. However, that meant that Abu Simbel, and about 20 other ancient sites, was in danger of being submerged by the Nile River. Luckily, smart people around the world were able to come up with a way to move the entire structure. Below is the video we watched about moving Abu Simbel. I HIGHLY recommend you watch the first 20 minutes of the video.
As I've said in past posts, I am terrible about remembering things our guides tell us. I will give you the basic rundown of what I remember, but I will also put in links so that you can read about it yourself.
Abu Simbel was built around 3000 years ago by King Ramses II. The temple was built, basically, to let people know that he was in charge. It is 66 feet (20 meters) high. The facade of the building contains four statues of Ramses in different stages of his life. It also has his children, his mother, and Queen Nefertari. A smaller temple was built next to it and was dedicated to Nefertari.
Being there was pretty amazing! Oh, yeah! It was also 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius).
I hope you enjoy the videos and pictures below. Please know that while there were signs that said no photography, our guide told us that the Antiquities Ministry just changed the rules about photography. If we paid a fee, we were allowed. I hope we were following the laws!
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| The Key of Life |
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
On a Boat in the Red Sea
This past weekend was a 4-day weekend for us! Wednesday was Sinai Liberation Day, and we were also given Thursday off. Several of us left right after school on Tuesday and drove the 6-7 hours to Safaga, a city located on the coast of the Red Sea. For the next three days, we boarded a boat daily to get in some diving. Friends of ours were also able to do some snorkeling and swimming.
The second day on the boat was cut short because of a sand storm.
The first video was taken during the sand storm. The second video is the next day - extremely clear! The third video is of one of our dive sites.
One of the evenings we were there, we rode quad bikes into the desert and had a Bedouin dinner. All of the food was cooked over a fire, and it was all so delicious!
It was such a relaxing weekend!!
The second day on the boat was cut short because of a sand storm.
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| Having lunch |
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| Zach jumping into the water |
The first video was taken during the sand storm. The second video is the next day - extremely clear! The third video is of one of our dive sites.
One of the evenings we were there, we rode quad bikes into the desert and had a Bedouin dinner. All of the food was cooked over a fire, and it was all so delicious!
It was such a relaxing weekend!!
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