Posts from May 2008

Last weekend I got to spend some real quality time with Rory. I'm not going to go into detail but, as my little extended family, you should know that the boy is a diamond in the rough. He invited me over for a quiet night in. He cooked me dinner - tofu fajitas. He actually bought me tofu! But it gets better. He served it to me alongside a crisp cool glass of DR. PEPPER!!! Liken finding Dr. Pepper here to finding some rare exotic fruit that shows up every 3rd blue moon in Buffalo that you just adore - and your significant other went out and got it for you. Seriously, I was melting. He is incredible!



Next day we went out to "Party on the Pitch", a fundraiser for the rugby club. I took on his buddy Mark in the sumo ring, and Rory and I danced to the live music. I love being outside, having a drink on a warm night, and listening to live music. ; Especially since I've been lacking it for so many months. Lately it seems ALL I do is hear live music! Ha! Anyway, enjoy the photos. Cheers!


huwaaaaaaaaaaaaa


i challenge you to mortal kombat, *slap slap*


i am the champion!


i put him out of commission


so he took it out on ian


and i drank almost an entire bottle of champagne



P.S. Feliz Cinco de Mayo! AND....Feliz Cumpleanos Jenks!!! Happy 32!

I went to my first proper concert in Doha last night. We had a special showing for Education City only. Great stuff! There was such a variety of tempos and influences. Arabian, Latin, Oriential....blended together like smooth creamy ice cream at marble slab. I just thought I'd share some culture from the other side of the PM. I think I'm going to have that woman's dress made, but with a built in bra because my boobs are way to big to dance around without.

So there's this wonderful event called Dunestock that I was able to attend this past weekend. It's a 12 hour music festival in the middle of the dunes. Fun!

Unfortunately the first half of the day was plagued by a sandstorm. Special. It's like the ONE day there's a big outdoor event, bam.


visibility was shit. it's not easy driving in the middle of nowhere when you can't really see


i don't know if you'll be able to see how hard the wind was blowing the sand...it hurt


one of the scottish bands i think


people playing on the dunes (this is one of the few places in the world where there is 'singing' sand)


people started getting a little loopy by nightfall (byob events produce many drunken monkeys)


the music got better at night too, lots of singing along and really bad stage diving- that guy attempted to back flip...


i was guilty of loopy behavior too. i think we were trying to imitate 'cyclops' from the x-men


cheese

This weekend was full of more Doha firsts. I went to my first beach party at the intercon, I went to my first Dunestock, and I finally camped out in the desert for the first time. Here's a few from the beach party. More photos tomorrow. Right now I'm exhausted and really need to go to bed. Looooong day tomorrow.



it was like a baby rave


my friend wael


painting with the lights



rory....he's so sweet, i wish you could meet him

Opa wasn't my grandfather. He's the father of my 'babysitter'. Sylvia was the babysitter for all us kids, and we used to live next door. It's one of those deals where you kind of become family with some folks. Hence, I called her parents Oma and Opa.

On Thanksgiving day they were in a bad car accident. He never recovered from his injuries. It's sad. Good-bye Opa.

Rory.

I had a crack in my bathtub and they couldn't fix it; they had to replace the entire tub. I've been 4 days without a bathroom. I'm really hoping they will finish tomorrow!

I was shocked half way through when I saw the new tub in place, but not yet tiled in. Sand! They filled it with sand!






On a high note, I have a second date tomorrow night :)

Since I've been here there have been a lot of firsts for me. First time living overseas, first new car, first dune riding experience etc. Then there are a lot of firsts which are not necessarily my first, first, but are a first since being here in Doha. Such as my first conduct hearing, driving lesson, alcoholic beverage, birthday, etc.

The point of all that is to say I had another first last night that made me happy. I had my first date in Doha. By chance the guy happens to be the roommate of the girl I bought my car from. She invited me to the Rugby Club where I met him among 20 or so other people. Apparently we were getting along well enough for others to notice and so began the plotting of getting the two of us together. I guess it worked.

We had a nice dinner at a Thai place then got some ice cream and walked along the canal. It was simple, it was sweet. Maybe the fact that I haven’t been on a proper date in 6 years played a part in my happiness, but overall he’s just charming and highly entertaining. Cheers!

I cannot find the words to express how incredibly happy I am. I lost contact with a friend some 8 years ago. Our relationship was special, conflicted between love and hate. So much so that when you're 20 you simply don't have the emotional intelligence to deal with it. When he moved away and we lost touch.

3 years ago he was visiting me in my dreams almost nightly. He told me I had to find him. I tried. I tried so hard. The dreams lasted for several months. I cried in frustration because I couldn't find him. Then, the dreams stopped and I thought he was dead. I was convinced I would never hear from him again.

Until two nights ago, when I get an e-mail out of the blue. I almost didn't believe what I was reading.; I couldn't believe it was him. I don't want to go into detail about how my dreams eerily parallel his life at that time, but it makes so much sense now.

I'm just so happy to have him back in my life. I really am.

Damn if I didn't have a fine time last night! I was finally NOT working and I took up the opportunity of going to the human foosball tourney at the rugby club. I met SO many new people and they are incredibly fun, and just the kind of folks I've been searching for to hang out with! The night took an interesting turn as well ;)


It was sponsored by Corona. This was my spot about 1 hour into the event :)


the girls


we did tricks on the jumbo slide (resulting in many injured bodies this morning)


kangaroo boxing


and of course the always entertaining sumo wrestling


with which the boys were occasionally distracted by the large boobs on their suits and felt each other up


the foosball pen


going through my camera this morning i really had no recollection of this moment. how did i end up wearing a kangaroo head and holding a 1 USD bill?