Well, there isn't a million dollars at stake, but we have felt as if we were competing in a race the last few weeks, jumping through all the hoops to get moved and complete all the steps and paperwork necessary for us to get our housing allowance!
But, for almost a week now, we have been living and breathing Al Khor. Our villa is wonderful. I didn't know how much of a difference it would make in my life to sit at an open window, listen to the birds in the morning, or to sit at an open window with the moon and the stars shining down on me. I can see the lights twinkling in the distance, though not sure if it's Doha or not.
I have two little window planters full of petunias outside my window. My mother is with me always, wherever there are petunias, whenever I pick the dead blossoms and relive the days of my childhood helping her in her flower gardens and "tattling" on Dad when he would pick the dead blooms, too. Today, as a reward for doing the unpacking I plan to work on (doubt I will finish), I will plant some more things....some marigolds and petunias, some herbs (MINT is my favorite) and a couple of little citrus bushes we bought. Imelda, our friend next door who is from the Phillipines says they grow in her country, but I can't remember what she called them. The little green fruits will turn orange and can be eaten. We also want to get some lemon trees that we saw at the plant souk the other day. And more bouganvillea. And some flowering trees and little green leafy trees....I can't remember what they are all called. One was gardenia, I think. They are not terribly expensive, but we need to get that housing allowance check first! :)
So we are slowly settling in. Nelson is doing more and more horses and feeling really good about it. He is bummed he hasn't gotten the "big" job yet, but for now, I think this works out best, so he can start back slowly and build himself up again! It's hard to wait for your dream job when you're already 54 years old. But people are taking notice of his work. Things just happen slowly here sometimes. And then when something breaks, it breaks NOW. I don't have a horse yet. I still want Hattan, but he it out of commission with a snake bite right now. I haven't even SEEN a snake here yet. Apparently, this bite has become infected. God help him...he is a special horse. I am just going to start riding whenever and whatever I can to keep myself sane. I've had enough horsey contact to manage lately, but riding is my real psychotherapy. We will pit crew for Avril (our Irish friend) at the first ride on the 6th (or is it the 4th? Whatever the first Friday of Nov is!). I can't wait. I enjoy her company so much as it is and she is such a smart rider. AND she really appreciates our knowledge and help.
The guys are coming to hang the curtains today. After we get some things unpacked and straightened up, we'll take some photos of the villa and post them on Facebook, and see if we can put some here. I have never figured out how to do the photo album with this site, so there won't be many here.
Keep in touch. Please write. We miss our friends and family and sure wish we could have you here to spend a few nights in our guest bedroom. :) It's always open!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
It's raining! It's pouring! The old man is snoring!
OK, OK! I haven't had a lot of sleep lately so old nursery rhymes and songs are easy to recall. Nelson is not an old man, but he IS snoring. I am so jealous that he can sleep in. My brain wakes up at 5 a.m. nowadays no matter how long I could sleep in if I wanted!
We're still in Al Zuhoor as of this morning, but so much of my stuff is in Al Khor that I can't brush my teeth or even have tea or coffee! We only have the odds and ends left to haul up in boxes now.
This morning, we are meeting our truck/furniture moving guys at the villa with the last of the furniture for now. We found a small counter top that will fit between the stove and frig with room underneath for the gas tank. We found a nice little cabinet for our spices and miscellaneous cooking stuff to sit right next to the stove. We were very happy with a nice, slightly used living room set. I can't really describe it, so will post photos on Facebook and this blog as soon as we are internet capable again. They came yesterday, but somebody transposed a number and they can't get things working just right yet. Martin has internet next door so we can go there. Martin has been by two or three times to haul boxes and misc. in his Escalade for us. He claims it is for "the greater good" and refuses to allow us to do something nice for him in return because he hopes it will help him get to heaven (or stay out of hell). :) We WILL have a nice dinner celebration after we get settled in the next few days!
It has been an eventful week for us.....poor Nelson is so stressed from driving us to work and back, running errands, doing some work himself shoeing some endurance horses.....he needs a break! We had our first accident this week when a large cab-over truck decided it wanted our lane. Not a lot of damage, just the passenger door. But the guy didn't stop and kept on going. A local who saw what happened forced him off the road for us with his Landcruiser so we could call the police and make a report. The truck guys didn't want to call the police and just wanted to know how much. They tried to tell us with the limited English they knew that it would take hours for the police to arrive. It only took about 45 minutes. The policeman knew little to no English, so we had no idea what the truck guys told him, but they told him plenty. We were never even asked any questions. We had to go to the Traffic Department the next day. We were a bit nervous because we weren't sure what would happen. Well, the policemen at the Traffic Department were so very nice. We were surprised after some of the horror stories we've heard! And really got nervous when they asked for our debit card! :) One of them is going to Las Vegas next month and we had a fun time working out the English. He wanted to know what to wear....I told him to take a warm jacket for this time of year. While we would consider it perfect weather, he will freeze after the heat of Doha. When we tried to find out from him what he is going there for, it is "to see." :) No casinos or anything. He asked if Las Vegas is safe. I asked him if he ever watches CSI. They had a good laugh about that! Anyway, the debit card was because we needed to pay 20QR (about 5 bucks) for the report, completely in Arabic. We didn't understand at first why he was telling us to go to Doha Insurance. I guess in Qatar you make your claim directly with the other guy's insurance company instead of turning it in to your own. Fine by me! And we even found the place yesterday when we went to the furniture souks.
So.....it feels as if it's pouring for us right now. There is so much going on. I have to get to work on my action research for the presentation I am doing in Boston next spring with some colleagues about reading. The majority of our students really don't like reading and motivating students to read so they can subsequently improve all of their English skills. We really hope to find some ways to motivate students to read more! I love teaching Level 3, but I have to really work hard to help them achieve our learning outcomes...the leap from Level 2 to Level 3 is a big one and they are taking some time to adjust to the new level of difficulty. However, I am pleased with their progress. One student asked me this week what I eat for breakfast. Apparently, I seem very energetic to them at 8:00 in the morning! It was so funny. I do feel energized when I am teaching and move around the room to keep everyone on task. They don't see how exhausted I am in the middle of the afternoon though! I'm hoping Dr. Cabot's Liver Cleansing Diet will help me improve my health, and give me more energy! We'll start next week. It's really an extension of what we've already been doing. Here's the site if you want to take a look for more info: http://www.liverdoctor.com/.
Anyway, so much to do, so little time. I need to get to work this morning packing a few more things that need to go and sorting and tossing some junk that doesn't need to go! Stay tuned!
We're still in Al Zuhoor as of this morning, but so much of my stuff is in Al Khor that I can't brush my teeth or even have tea or coffee! We only have the odds and ends left to haul up in boxes now.
This morning, we are meeting our truck/furniture moving guys at the villa with the last of the furniture for now. We found a small counter top that will fit between the stove and frig with room underneath for the gas tank. We found a nice little cabinet for our spices and miscellaneous cooking stuff to sit right next to the stove. We were very happy with a nice, slightly used living room set. I can't really describe it, so will post photos on Facebook and this blog as soon as we are internet capable again. They came yesterday, but somebody transposed a number and they can't get things working just right yet. Martin has internet next door so we can go there. Martin has been by two or three times to haul boxes and misc. in his Escalade for us. He claims it is for "the greater good" and refuses to allow us to do something nice for him in return because he hopes it will help him get to heaven (or stay out of hell). :) We WILL have a nice dinner celebration after we get settled in the next few days!
It has been an eventful week for us.....poor Nelson is so stressed from driving us to work and back, running errands, doing some work himself shoeing some endurance horses.....he needs a break! We had our first accident this week when a large cab-over truck decided it wanted our lane. Not a lot of damage, just the passenger door. But the guy didn't stop and kept on going. A local who saw what happened forced him off the road for us with his Landcruiser so we could call the police and make a report. The truck guys didn't want to call the police and just wanted to know how much. They tried to tell us with the limited English they knew that it would take hours for the police to arrive. It only took about 45 minutes. The policeman knew little to no English, so we had no idea what the truck guys told him, but they told him plenty. We were never even asked any questions. We had to go to the Traffic Department the next day. We were a bit nervous because we weren't sure what would happen. Well, the policemen at the Traffic Department were so very nice. We were surprised after some of the horror stories we've heard! And really got nervous when they asked for our debit card! :) One of them is going to Las Vegas next month and we had a fun time working out the English. He wanted to know what to wear....I told him to take a warm jacket for this time of year. While we would consider it perfect weather, he will freeze after the heat of Doha. When we tried to find out from him what he is going there for, it is "to see." :) No casinos or anything. He asked if Las Vegas is safe. I asked him if he ever watches CSI. They had a good laugh about that! Anyway, the debit card was because we needed to pay 20QR (about 5 bucks) for the report, completely in Arabic. We didn't understand at first why he was telling us to go to Doha Insurance. I guess in Qatar you make your claim directly with the other guy's insurance company instead of turning it in to your own. Fine by me! And we even found the place yesterday when we went to the furniture souks.
So.....it feels as if it's pouring for us right now. There is so much going on. I have to get to work on my action research for the presentation I am doing in Boston next spring with some colleagues about reading. The majority of our students really don't like reading and motivating students to read so they can subsequently improve all of their English skills. We really hope to find some ways to motivate students to read more! I love teaching Level 3, but I have to really work hard to help them achieve our learning outcomes...the leap from Level 2 to Level 3 is a big one and they are taking some time to adjust to the new level of difficulty. However, I am pleased with their progress. One student asked me this week what I eat for breakfast. Apparently, I seem very energetic to them at 8:00 in the morning! It was so funny. I do feel energized when I am teaching and move around the room to keep everyone on task. They don't see how exhausted I am in the middle of the afternoon though! I'm hoping Dr. Cabot's Liver Cleansing Diet will help me improve my health, and give me more energy! We'll start next week. It's really an extension of what we've already been doing. Here's the site if you want to take a look for more info: http://www.liverdoctor.com/.
Anyway, so much to do, so little time. I need to get to work this morning packing a few more things that need to go and sorting and tossing some junk that doesn't need to go! Stay tuned!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Sometimes happiness isn't getting what you want, it's wanting what you already have!
The keys are in hand! We will sign the lease today (or Wednesday) depending on how the schedule works out.
For reasons I can't explain right now, Nelson and I ended up in the desert north of Al Khor yesterday. Basically, we were looking for a way to cut across from Al Khor to the stable in Al Samriya. You know, a short cut. HA! You know there is no such thing in Qatar! The first one took us out in to the desert, past camel poop, rock, rocks, more rocks and a lizard and then STOPPED at a deserted villa that was falling down. Very lovely. We then tried again a little farther north. This is when we saw the most beautiful skies! I had wondered earlier in the day if the approaching clouds over QU would actually yield something. They never did. But farther north, the clouds took on this amazing quality--the edges had a ring of bright light from the sun, encased in a darker cloud which then radiated rays from the sun....it's just indescribable. I was so bummed we had no camera, but maybe it's one of those moments that is best kept in a snapshot in your heart. A camera could not have done it justice! Then there was lightning. It never amazes me how excited we get over lightning here! :) And thunder arrived. Finally, big, fat, split splat rain drops started hitting the windshield. At first, they were so few that we counted them....when they were too many to count, we deemed it a real thunderstorm! I rolled down the window and got all wet, breathing in that fresh smell. There is nothing like the smell of fresh rain and you don't know how much you appreciate it until you rarely have it! It was a splendid storm and continued as we attempted another shortcut across the desert. The water pooled on top of all this bedrock and looked like ponds and small lakes. We watched rivulets like miniature rivers run down the small hills (well, if you can call them that....more like inclines!). It was fantastic. We continued on and finally met some guys dressed in thobes in the middle of nowhere, at a roundabout in the middle of nowhere (signs said North Army Camp-this way). They gave us some directions. Apparently they had been in the desert playing with their falcons when it began to rain. One guy's falcon sat on his armrest next to him as he drove. They are such gorgeous creatures...someday I am going to witness them doing their thing! We just missed it yesterday!
We continued on, knowing where we were (basically in the middle of NOWHERE but the road was good....go figure!). We finally made it to a little "town." We knew we were back in civilization when the mosques started popping up here and there. As we finally headed toward Al Shahaniya, we saw herds of camels roaming free in the desert. We had seen plenty of camels in pens at farms. These were roaming free...my favorite way to see them! The lead camel was so dark, he was almost black! I love the huge variety of colors in camels....who know they weren't just "brown?" I also saw one a couple of days ago that was so light, it appeared nearly white.
In any case, we passed by the Camel Track where there was scores of camels and riders exercising, getting ready for race season. We didn't stop at the farm because we had to get home. We didn't really find a SHORT cut, but we had a great time, got to experience a rainstorm, and simply enjoyed something different for a change!
Updates on moving will be forthcoming shortly.
For reasons I can't explain right now, Nelson and I ended up in the desert north of Al Khor yesterday. Basically, we were looking for a way to cut across from Al Khor to the stable in Al Samriya. You know, a short cut. HA! You know there is no such thing in Qatar! The first one took us out in to the desert, past camel poop, rock, rocks, more rocks and a lizard and then STOPPED at a deserted villa that was falling down. Very lovely. We then tried again a little farther north. This is when we saw the most beautiful skies! I had wondered earlier in the day if the approaching clouds over QU would actually yield something. They never did. But farther north, the clouds took on this amazing quality--the edges had a ring of bright light from the sun, encased in a darker cloud which then radiated rays from the sun....it's just indescribable. I was so bummed we had no camera, but maybe it's one of those moments that is best kept in a snapshot in your heart. A camera could not have done it justice! Then there was lightning. It never amazes me how excited we get over lightning here! :) And thunder arrived. Finally, big, fat, split splat rain drops started hitting the windshield. At first, they were so few that we counted them....when they were too many to count, we deemed it a real thunderstorm! I rolled down the window and got all wet, breathing in that fresh smell. There is nothing like the smell of fresh rain and you don't know how much you appreciate it until you rarely have it! It was a splendid storm and continued as we attempted another shortcut across the desert. The water pooled on top of all this bedrock and looked like ponds and small lakes. We watched rivulets like miniature rivers run down the small hills (well, if you can call them that....more like inclines!). It was fantastic. We continued on and finally met some guys dressed in thobes in the middle of nowhere, at a roundabout in the middle of nowhere (signs said North Army Camp-this way). They gave us some directions. Apparently they had been in the desert playing with their falcons when it began to rain. One guy's falcon sat on his armrest next to him as he drove. They are such gorgeous creatures...someday I am going to witness them doing their thing! We just missed it yesterday!
We continued on, knowing where we were (basically in the middle of NOWHERE but the road was good....go figure!). We finally made it to a little "town." We knew we were back in civilization when the mosques started popping up here and there. As we finally headed toward Al Shahaniya, we saw herds of camels roaming free in the desert. We had seen plenty of camels in pens at farms. These were roaming free...my favorite way to see them! The lead camel was so dark, he was almost black! I love the huge variety of colors in camels....who know they weren't just "brown?" I also saw one a couple of days ago that was so light, it appeared nearly white.
In any case, we passed by the Camel Track where there was scores of camels and riders exercising, getting ready for race season. We didn't stop at the farm because we had to get home. We didn't really find a SHORT cut, but we had a great time, got to experience a rainstorm, and simply enjoyed something different for a change!
Updates on moving will be forthcoming shortly.
Friday, October 9, 2009
The Waiting Game
Well, we're still waiting for the phone call to go pick up the keys and sign the lease. Sheesh. This country is so full of contradictions; hurry up and wait being one of the most frustrating! Sometimes I wonder if anything will ever happen. My mom had a sign in our bathroom when I was growing up that was so true: The hurrier I go, the behinder I get. :) How is that possible? I don't know, but it's so true!
So, I've designated today my get caught up on rest day. And guess what? I was awake at 5 a.m. So, I'm up and hoping to get sleepy enough to go back to bed and sleep some more!
Even though we aren't moving this weekend as we had hoped, there has been other positive things happen: 3 of my colleagues and I submitted a proposal for the TESOL conference in Boston for March 2010 and it was accepted. Although we may not be able to get it completely funded, it is an honor (only 25% of all submissions were chosen) and we will find a way for me to make it!
More good stuff: Nelson put shoes on a horse for an endurance owner/rider last night who has had a lot of problems with lameness due to poor shoeing (mostly cutting the heels off!). He put St. Croix shoes on with pads (needed a 2 degree wedge pad on one foot to get the angle to match) and padded them with EquiPak. He was able to buy EquiPak from the track's farrier section. The guy who is acting as head farrier currently (though we don't know if it is official or not) did not know the difference between EquiPak, Superfast, SilPak, etc. These are all hoof products made by Vettec and which Nelson has lots of experience with. And this is the guy running the show. Unfortunately, when Nelson was there, he ran into the woman with whom he had an interview for the job at the Federation. She was showing around a friend of hers, someone who it seems she would like to have the job. We are a bit concerned if she is on the up and up. We are taking another proposal, CV and letter to the chairman and the Federation manager just to make sure they are all aware of his availability and superior qualifications. I guess earlier in the year, they hired a guy from South Africa who left after a month because he hated it here. Gee, why not do the smart thing and hire someone who has been here a year plus and plans on staying? Go figure! In any case, Nelson has decided to freelance until something happens....he's going to do some horses for Peggy at Al Samriyah and she is promoting him to the sheikh who owns the stable next door and to the new manager of Al Shahaniya Stable. Nelson would prefer to do endurance horses anyway. He did a great job on that horse last night as everyone stood around shaking their heads, thinking Megan (the owner/rider) is crazy. This is the opportunity to see exactly what he can do and how well the horses he shoes can do! :) And they will...if they don't, it won't be for lack of good shoeing!
So, that's what's happening up to today. I'm having a hard time adjusting to life without a horse and riding again.....sometimes missing Malik is an ache that is impossible to shake. Waiting for the opportunity to own and ride and compete a horse here is going to make me insane. I guess I just need to go out and go for "hack" at the stable one day soon. Maybe that'll keep the English teacher from losing her mind permanently. :)
So, I've designated today my get caught up on rest day. And guess what? I was awake at 5 a.m. So, I'm up and hoping to get sleepy enough to go back to bed and sleep some more!
Even though we aren't moving this weekend as we had hoped, there has been other positive things happen: 3 of my colleagues and I submitted a proposal for the TESOL conference in Boston for March 2010 and it was accepted. Although we may not be able to get it completely funded, it is an honor (only 25% of all submissions were chosen) and we will find a way for me to make it!
More good stuff: Nelson put shoes on a horse for an endurance owner/rider last night who has had a lot of problems with lameness due to poor shoeing (mostly cutting the heels off!). He put St. Croix shoes on with pads (needed a 2 degree wedge pad on one foot to get the angle to match) and padded them with EquiPak. He was able to buy EquiPak from the track's farrier section. The guy who is acting as head farrier currently (though we don't know if it is official or not) did not know the difference between EquiPak, Superfast, SilPak, etc. These are all hoof products made by Vettec and which Nelson has lots of experience with. And this is the guy running the show. Unfortunately, when Nelson was there, he ran into the woman with whom he had an interview for the job at the Federation. She was showing around a friend of hers, someone who it seems she would like to have the job. We are a bit concerned if she is on the up and up. We are taking another proposal, CV and letter to the chairman and the Federation manager just to make sure they are all aware of his availability and superior qualifications. I guess earlier in the year, they hired a guy from South Africa who left after a month because he hated it here. Gee, why not do the smart thing and hire someone who has been here a year plus and plans on staying? Go figure! In any case, Nelson has decided to freelance until something happens....he's going to do some horses for Peggy at Al Samriyah and she is promoting him to the sheikh who owns the stable next door and to the new manager of Al Shahaniya Stable. Nelson would prefer to do endurance horses anyway. He did a great job on that horse last night as everyone stood around shaking their heads, thinking Megan (the owner/rider) is crazy. This is the opportunity to see exactly what he can do and how well the horses he shoes can do! :) And they will...if they don't, it won't be for lack of good shoeing!
So, that's what's happening up to today. I'm having a hard time adjusting to life without a horse and riding again.....sometimes missing Malik is an ache that is impossible to shake. Waiting for the opportunity to own and ride and compete a horse here is going to make me insane. I guess I just need to go out and go for "hack" at the stable one day soon. Maybe that'll keep the English teacher from losing her mind permanently. :)
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Quick update!
The villa is ready. We have to go sign the lease and get the keys tomorrow (inshallah).
I'm exhausted from the second week of classes. Classes are going well, but adjusting to morning shift, keeping up with my sarcoidosis treatment and trying to keep up with grading and lesson planning are taking their toll. And now we have to get moved!
Nelson is busy hobnobbing at the track and Federation. Things are buzzing. People are unhappy with the quality (or rather lack thereof) of hoof care with jumping competitions coming up, the marathon/endurance season beginning next month, etc. Our friend's young daughter (12 or 13?), Amani, continually picks Nelson's brain about her horses' hoof problems. We have decided we should just have her lobby for him....he'll have the job in a heartbeat if she does! :) And I do believe she is!
Well, it may be early, but I need to start winding down for an early bedtime. I have been trying to go to bed earlier and earlier every night....sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.
More soon!!!
I'm exhausted from the second week of classes. Classes are going well, but adjusting to morning shift, keeping up with my sarcoidosis treatment and trying to keep up with grading and lesson planning are taking their toll. And now we have to get moved!
Nelson is busy hobnobbing at the track and Federation. Things are buzzing. People are unhappy with the quality (or rather lack thereof) of hoof care with jumping competitions coming up, the marathon/endurance season beginning next month, etc. Our friend's young daughter (12 or 13?), Amani, continually picks Nelson's brain about her horses' hoof problems. We have decided we should just have her lobby for him....he'll have the job in a heartbeat if she does! :) And I do believe she is!
Well, it may be early, but I need to start winding down for an early bedtime. I have been trying to go to bed earlier and earlier every night....sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.
More soon!!!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
One month home!
Hello all!
I can't believe we have been back in Qatar for a whole month already! So much has happened in such a short time! We visited the villa this week and they are hard at work installing ACs, appliances and literally cleaning and polishing everything. I am very impressed that the workers are actually cleaning the window tracks and screens and buffing the floors with a buffing machine! It was hard to wait but nothing much happens during Ramadan and even less during the Eid holidays that follow!
There has been another recent development, only this week. We had a phone call from friends that the Qatar Equestrian Federation is in desperate need of a head farrier and had not been able to acquire someone to their satisfaction. They have someone in contention, but he was asking for more money and benefits than the QEF is willing to give. So.....Nelson went to the person in charge, a British vet who was recently hired into a position that is "Horse Welfare" or something like that. I'm not sure. To make a long story short, they talked and we went back with a job proposal and are hoping to hear in a few days. We have heard next week or next month for so long from the track, that it's hard to believe that any kind of decision could truly be forthcoming that quickly. But I have always believed that nothing would happen at all until after Ramadan and the Eid holidays. So, perhaps something WILL happen. This job would be even better, fewer horses and men to manage, thus less stress, with the opportunity for Nelson to pass on his knowledge and expertise and make a decent living at it. It would be a 50 km commute for him, but most of it is highway driving, so not so bad all in all. We probably won't hear anything until next week, but that's not too bad when you consider how long we have waited for the track to give us some kind of answer! Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers or cross your fingers or send positive vibes our way or whatever you do for good luck and fortune!
In addition to all of the above hoopla, I started teaching this week. I have a delightful group of girls in both of my classes, some who are so bright and intelligent! I have had some wonderful conversations with some of them and am so anxious and happy to be their teacher. This semester I feel so much more confident and secure in myself and my teaching abilities. I can't help but wonder if part of that is that I am feeling better physically. I know the sarcoidosis symptoms have improved. I lost a little weight over the summer, became more fit and still feel fresh from that, although I am still battling some jet lag....maybe not jet lag, but trying to catch up. I have been slow to catch up on enough sleep regularly. I now have to teach myself to get to bed earlier so I can get up at 5:00 a.m. and be in the classroom at 8 a.m.
One more awesome thing that happened this week: we found the Al Khor Riding Stable and met its owner/instructor, Emad. He is absolutely awesome. He is Kuwaiti/Californian. No wonder I couldn't place his accent! He is one of the most intelligent and capable horsemen I have met here yet. We have many of the same philosophies about training, feeding, riding, working with horses in general. His board is not cheap, but not much more than others I know of and MUCH, MUCH nicer. His facility is beautifully laid out, with open air stalls with ceiling fans, AC stalls for horses in distress, turn outs, a huge arena with a giant sprinkler to keep the dust down....now, if we can just find a way to get Hattan. Even if Nelson doesn't get the job, the money we will save by sharing expenses with Nettie would cover his board....and if nothing else works out presently, I can still afford to go take jumping or dressage lessons with him. We are soooooo excited!!!
So, that's the update for today. Nelson is chopping up some veggies to make dinner and I have a function for a friend to attend to later. I can't publicly state what it is as it is a surprise. :) PLEASE keep in touch.
I can't believe we have been back in Qatar for a whole month already! So much has happened in such a short time! We visited the villa this week and they are hard at work installing ACs, appliances and literally cleaning and polishing everything. I am very impressed that the workers are actually cleaning the window tracks and screens and buffing the floors with a buffing machine! It was hard to wait but nothing much happens during Ramadan and even less during the Eid holidays that follow!
There has been another recent development, only this week. We had a phone call from friends that the Qatar Equestrian Federation is in desperate need of a head farrier and had not been able to acquire someone to their satisfaction. They have someone in contention, but he was asking for more money and benefits than the QEF is willing to give. So.....Nelson went to the person in charge, a British vet who was recently hired into a position that is "Horse Welfare" or something like that. I'm not sure. To make a long story short, they talked and we went back with a job proposal and are hoping to hear in a few days. We have heard next week or next month for so long from the track, that it's hard to believe that any kind of decision could truly be forthcoming that quickly. But I have always believed that nothing would happen at all until after Ramadan and the Eid holidays. So, perhaps something WILL happen. This job would be even better, fewer horses and men to manage, thus less stress, with the opportunity for Nelson to pass on his knowledge and expertise and make a decent living at it. It would be a 50 km commute for him, but most of it is highway driving, so not so bad all in all. We probably won't hear anything until next week, but that's not too bad when you consider how long we have waited for the track to give us some kind of answer! Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers or cross your fingers or send positive vibes our way or whatever you do for good luck and fortune!
In addition to all of the above hoopla, I started teaching this week. I have a delightful group of girls in both of my classes, some who are so bright and intelligent! I have had some wonderful conversations with some of them and am so anxious and happy to be their teacher. This semester I feel so much more confident and secure in myself and my teaching abilities. I can't help but wonder if part of that is that I am feeling better physically. I know the sarcoidosis symptoms have improved. I lost a little weight over the summer, became more fit and still feel fresh from that, although I am still battling some jet lag....maybe not jet lag, but trying to catch up. I have been slow to catch up on enough sleep regularly. I now have to teach myself to get to bed earlier so I can get up at 5:00 a.m. and be in the classroom at 8 a.m.
One more awesome thing that happened this week: we found the Al Khor Riding Stable and met its owner/instructor, Emad. He is absolutely awesome. He is Kuwaiti/Californian. No wonder I couldn't place his accent! He is one of the most intelligent and capable horsemen I have met here yet. We have many of the same philosophies about training, feeding, riding, working with horses in general. His board is not cheap, but not much more than others I know of and MUCH, MUCH nicer. His facility is beautifully laid out, with open air stalls with ceiling fans, AC stalls for horses in distress, turn outs, a huge arena with a giant sprinkler to keep the dust down....now, if we can just find a way to get Hattan. Even if Nelson doesn't get the job, the money we will save by sharing expenses with Nettie would cover his board....and if nothing else works out presently, I can still afford to go take jumping or dressage lessons with him. We are soooooo excited!!!
So, that's the update for today. Nelson is chopping up some veggies to make dinner and I have a function for a friend to attend to later. I can't publicly state what it is as it is a surprise. :) PLEASE keep in touch.
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