Holidays in Europe (not Nights in Rodanthe)

Yes, I know – the holidays were a long time ago. However, since we’re about to spend our Spring Break in Indonesia, I figured I should post some pictures and thoughts on our December trips first. I’m also assuming that Jess will eventually write a more exhaustive review, so I’ll just touch on highlights and impressions. Then eventually (I swear!) I will post some pics of and thoughts on Doha; I even spent yesterday walking around downtown taking pictures. Anyway, Turkey and Greece…

To start with we realized that the Eid al Adha holiday (and the associated week off) was only four days away, and we still had no travel plans. Like any good former airline employee Jess was not going to let an opportunity to travel pass her by, regardless of the last minute fare price. Somehow Expedia had a fantastic fare available to Istanbul, and we jumped at it. Istanbul is an incredible city, and as it straddles Asia and Europe I believe that it’s the only city in the world to be located across two continents. The heart of the city (and of course the most tourist-filled district) is Sultanahmet, where old world met new world in breathtaking fashion. The central park is ringed by some of the oldest churches and mosques in the Western world; the Hagia Sophia, a monstrous red rock cathedral-then-mosque-then-museum built by Justinian in ~320AD, faces down the Blue Mosque and its airy minarets and domes across the center fountain. But just a hundred meters downhill from the center you have a city that is (at least in my mind) the quintessential picture of a European city: cobblestoned streets filled with shops and street vendors with cafes and coffeehouses everywhere you turn. The people were incredibly friendly and warm; from the guy on the street who stopped and helped us find our hotel to the shopkeeper who invited us in for dinner and entertained us for hours, the experience was fantastic. This short little paragraph in no way does the city justice; hopefully the photos (follow the links at the bottom) will do a better job.

Then just a short week later we were off to Greece. I have fantasized about Greece since I devoured all the mythology books in the Glenmore Elementary School library. I mean, I was 23 at the time, but some of us develop reading skills at a different pace. Anyway, I made an offhand comment before I left for Qatar about how close I would be to Greece, and my suddenly world-traveling parents decided that Athens would make a lovely holiday destination. As the day drew closer we tried to ignore the fact that Athens had apparently degenerated into riots and clashes because, as one newspaper story put it best, the Greeks like to riot just to keep the police on their toes. To be honest, the only signs of riots we saw were ATMs that we had used a few days before smashed into pieces. I mean, it makes sense; instant cash machines are truly a symbol of our enslavement to totalitarian governments, or something.
I really can’t describe the sights of Greece very well; it truly is something you have to see. When you climb the steps to the Acropolis and stand at the gates of the Propylae, you feel like you have ascended to heaven and are about to stand before God. But just like Istanbul, there is this incredible juxtaposition between historical treasure of the ancient world and a vibrant, pulsatingly modern city (according to spellchecker, I just made that word up). The café lifestyle is in full effect; you can sit (and smoke) for hours off of one glass of wine. The Greeks go to supper about the time I go to bed, and they have the “What, me worry?” attitude that seems to be pretty consistent with socialist countries. This was even more apparent after my parents left when Jess and I took a ferry out to Santorini for three days. Santorini is a volcanic island where only the caldera (rim of the volcano) remains after the mother of all volcanic eruptions somewhere around 1700 BC wiped out the Mycaenaen civilation. It’s a major party spot during the summer, but only the locals are there during the winter. There were times we felt like we were the only people on the island as we wandered through deserted villages dug into the sides of the volcano and built from ash. There was only one other person staying at the hotel with us, so the hotel owner treated us to an incredible spread for New Years’ Eve. After 4 bottles of champagne, two bottles of his homemade wine, and all the spanakopita and roe we could eat, we left for the club. At 1:30AM. Look, I know I’m not THAT old, but really? Homey don’t play that. Yet club we did, until five in the morning. It was an incredible time and a beautiful example of Greek hospitality and lifestyle.

All in all, my first two stays in European cities were pretty memorable. The lifestyle is so different from the American one; the city layout is made for walking and in some places has probably changed very little in a few hundred years. Cafes and shops line the streets, and mass transportation combined with tiny roads makes driving pretty undesirable. Both Jess and I loved wandering the streets with no plan or set direction. The people are very friendly to tourists and very proud to show off their country, and their attitude towards life is definitely different; there isn’t that overwhelming drive to work your life away. Again I attribute a lot of that to socialism and the fact that it’s pretty difficult to own or save anything; people spend their money on high-fashion boots and designer clothes instead of saving for houses or cars. I’m not really criticizing it; sometimes I wish I could live a little less focused on the future and a lot more focused on enjoying the moment. It’s definitely a different culture. In my memories I keep coming back to that incredible setting of a modern, bustling city set against a backdrop of beautiful and amazing ancient civilizations. It can give you a real sense of the enormity of time, especially when considering that from the start of those civilizations to the flaming and spectacular end of our own will be but a drop in the bucket.

Anyway, enough of that. Here are the links. I didn’t post any pics of the Parthenon because I thought both Jess and my mom took better pics; hopefully I can post some of those as well.

Istanbul pictures
Greece pictures

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year (Belated)!!
Well, 2008 has certainly been memorable and eventful. I quit my job in February, moved to Texas in March, went on a few vacations and several weekend trips, got a temporary job, drove back to Virginia in September, moved to Qatar and started a new job in October! In fact, it has been so action-packed that I have made very little time for blogging about all of our activities and travels since my move to the Middle East. Even worse, I haven’t been very good about keeping up with friends (New Year’s Resolution #1)…So, let me begin by summarizing our activities.
Let’s start with my favorite four-letter word…FOOD! One of my very favorite things about my current life in the Mideast is all of the good, cheap cuisine. The first several weeks were a little tough as my stomach was not ready to succumb to the different flavors, preparations, and ingredients. But, not being a picky eater (there is no food that isn’t worth trying), I kept on pursuing my “dream”: a perfect harmony of happy taste buds and intestinal bliss. Now I am enjoying the fabulous life of a Middle Eastern food critic (without getting paid, unfortunately). Although I have had food from this region on several occasions, I have never been exposed to it in this quantity (and quality!). We have eaten at some delicious Lebanese, Persian, Turkish, and Yemeni places. Nick has developed a bit of an obsession for shawarma—lamb or chicken (usually) from a huge round of meat on a rotisserie, similar to a Greek gyro. It can be served plain, on a pita, or with flatbread. Speaking of bread, or Naan, it is served with just about everything and is unbelievably delicious. Rather than eat with a knife or a spoon, you can choose the option of scooping everything up with flatbread and multiplying your calorie intake. We all know that I am a bit of a “Carbovore”, so this is my version of heaven. I am also discovering a true love for Indian food—there are a couple of great restaurants that we frequent, one catering to vegetarian cuisine, the other with more meat options. We also have a friend here that has made some wonderful, homemade Indian dishes for us at his home.
For more Indian culture, we were honored with an invitation to the associate dean’s home for a Diwali celebration at the end of October. The holiday is known as the “Festival of Lights” and their beautiful home was illuminated with candles. They had a monstrous spread of delicious food and desserts catered by a local Indian restaurant. The best part, however, was when the dean’s wife opened her closet to all of the female guests and we were able to choose from her collection of over one-hundred saris. She wrapped us each in the extremely long pieces of fabric—the wrapping alone was practically an art form—and even gave us each a red dot to stick on our foreheads!
Thanksgiving in Doha was actually much better than expected, although never the same as spending it at home with family. We celebrated with faculty, staff, and some students—over 200 people!—by having a pot-luck at the university. It was really quite nice; the Ritz Carleton catered the turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes and all the guests contributed side dishes and desserts.
Another excursion, albeit completely unrelated, was an afternoon spent at the Doha Zoo. Nick and I had heard that it was a bit “sad”, but didn’t quite know what was meant by this statement, so we went to investigate for ourselves. We quickly discovered that the diminutive size of the animals’ accommodations was the implication, not the variety of animals available for viewing. I must say, despite the depressing amount of space allotted to each animal, they were the most active and entertaining I’ve seen in a zoo. This place would be PETA’s nightmare—people feeding the animals, ill-behaved children and parents tapping loudly on cages and glass, and animals within an arms’ length of human contact. I literally found people feeding ostriches, which I find to be pretty frightening and are known for their aggression, and monkeys were reaching their arms through the bars begging for food. The big cats were pacing just a couple feet away in their cages which, unfortunately, did not appear as sturdy as we would have liked. I truly believe the tigers, panthers, and lions were preying on the extremely annoying children that taunted them incessantly, an attack would probably have been well-deserved (sorry to say). I’m afraid I did join the debacle when I fed the giraffes and attempted to feed the elephant…When in Rome…right?
One of our fairly regular activities is venturing to the souks (i.e. markets). This will possibly be one of the most memorable parts of Doha that I take with me. It is really what I imagined a Middle Eastern marketplace to be—wandering alleys, persistent shop-keepers, beautiful and random wares, and buildings straight out of Aladdin. We love to aimlessly peruse the shops, people watch, listen to the local music, and visit with friends over sheesha, tea, or gelato. Even Nick doesn’t mind shopping here! It is truly a cultural experience and one that we certainly will expand upon later.
Lastly, our entire month of December has been spent traveling. Nick and I spontaneously decided to spend some vacation time we received for the Muslim Eid holiday in Istanbul, Turkey. What a beautiful and unique European city! We loved every minute of our five day stay there and will definitely be sharing our stories soon. In addition, our Christmas holiday was just recently spent in Greece with Nick’s family. We had a fantastic time spending seven days exploring Athens and some surrounding areas. It was festive and cold for Christmas and we truly enjoyed each others’ company as we toured the impressive ancient ruins (or “ru-eens” as Stewie would say) and spent time in tavernas eating delicious Greek food and drinking wine. But this is all for another blog…
Hope everyone had a happy, healthy holiday. Take care and best wishes for 2009!

National Ride-on-the-Roof-of-a-Moving-Car Day

What is Qatar National Day? Most of the expats here aren’t exactly sure. Part of the problem stems from the fact that Qatar’s actual independence day (from the Ottomans? from another tribe? from the st
rictures of polite driving?) is in April, and part stems from the fact that this is only the second year that QND has been celebrated on December 18. Back in 2007, lucky Qatar fanatics got to celebrate on the original day in April as well.

True Qatar fanatics aren’t going to let silly questions like this stop them from celebrating like it’s 1399, so they throw a big party. Have I mentioned that Qatar is the largest supplier of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in the world? Yeah, it’s a BIG party. The government installed monster light shows up and down the 5km of the Corniche, which is the boardwalk that runs along the water downtown. Big projection screens and water displays were set up every 500 meters or so and displayed plenty of Sheikh Emir Khomeini Yassin Rich Guy types praising the glory of Qatar (well, it was in Arabic, so they may have been saying “Death to the infidels” for all I know). Massive speakers played some kind of “Arabian Nights” theme, which actually made a pretty cool soundtrack to run to. It was honestly very impressive.

Several of us gathered later that night for a fireworks display that would supposedly rival the grandest spectacles ever heretofore seen. After sitting there for an hour after the start time without so much of a fizzle, the “Doha time” jokes started to roll. (“Mohammed, you were supposed to bring the matches!” “No, that was the other Mohammed’s job!”) Man, that sentence will probably get me thrown in jail. Anyway, just as we were starting to pack up, the fireworks finally went off.

And man, what a show it was. Four shut up into the air at the same time, and then they kept going steadily for about 40 minutes. There were four barges out in the bay, which I’m pretty sure is more than even DC uses for its celebrations. They did not skimp; it was pretty damn impressive. I’ve posted a couple of photos which frankly don’t do it any justice. But the fireworks definitely weren’t the most enduring images I’ll take away from QND.

As I’m sure you’re aware, the Wahabbi Muslims that run this place aren’t particularly fond of liquor. Well, officially at least. Single men and single women aren’t allowed to communicate with each other. There’s just not a whole lot of opportunity for wild partying, so the young ‘uns here have to look for alternative ways to spend their time. So they do the same things that we did back in the days before alcohol when we weren’t cool enough to score a date but we DID have a car...they cruise the strip. All of them. For hours upon endless hours. They honk. They burn the rubber of their tires. They force their $75,000 Land Cruisers to backfire unmercifully while waving plastic AK-47s from their sunroofs (which is better than the real AK-47s they waved five or so years ago…) Frankly, I’m glad this wasn’t the first thing I saw when I got here; it literally looked like an 80s terrorist movie. And they do stuff like this…

These guys were insane. Three Land Cruisers would drive side-by-side at 10kph blocking traffic while guys would hang out the doors, sprawl across the hoods, and even stand on the car roofs. Guys would jump out and wave a massive Qatar flag in the middle of traffic. It was the most incredible chaos I think I’ve ever seen – and it was pretty cool too. They love their country here, and on this day they loved everyone else too. Every single car would mug for anybody they saw with a camera. I actually stopped taking pictures because I was pretty sure I was going to be responsible for someone’s death; it was the Qatari equivalent of “Here, hold my beer and watch me do this!” People covered their cars with Qatar flag stickers, which I’m sure seemed like a good idea at the time. And while it certainly wasn’t the most intelligent way to celebrate (a Land Cruiser dealer need never worry about job security here…), it was definitely a friendly atmosphere and a lot of fun. Even if no one is sure exactly what they’re celebrating…

A couple of weeks ago, Nick and I went with six others (Texas A&M grad students/employees) on a desert excursion. We had a fantastic time! We left the city at about 2:00pm on Friday (the weekend is Friday and Saturday here) and were transported in two Land Cruisers by Abrahim and Adel, two native Qatari men. We drove for a little over an hour with Arabic music blasting from the car stereo until we found mountainous dunes that seemed untouched by humans. It was then that we began the trackless roller coaster ride they call “dune bashing”. Abrahim started out easy at first, accelerating over bumpy plains of sand, taking the occasional sharp turn. Then we began to climb steeper inclines, still moving rapidly until, suddenly, we’d look ahead and find nothing around us! Down we went over steep cliffs of sand with nothing to stop us from flipping the vehicle except for our driver’s experience and expertise as a self-proclaimed “man of the desert”. We went over dune after dune, some straight down and others sideways (the scariest!). It couldn’t have been more fun or exciting.
After a couple hours of dune bashing, we stopped to admire the sunset over the dunes and the inland sea. We walked on the shore and soaked in the ambiance, which included a view of Saudi Arabia across the water. It was windy, but peaceful in its vastness. It made me realize how small I am, like a grain of sand, in an unfathomable universe. The nothingness of the desert can be so spectacular, yet it is so different from my conventional definition of beauty in landscape. As an East coast girl who has always admired changing leaves and green panoramas, I have now been confronted by an exotic contender in nature’s beauty pageant.
Since we were such a small group, Abrahim and Adel decided to take us to see their friend’s camel farm. The owner of the farm, a weathered Bedouin man, lived in a large tent in the middle of the desert. He had a herd of about 25 camels outside and a rambunctious kitten—his only other living companions for miles. However, in all his simplicity and isolation, he still managed to have satellite television and a mobile phone (which is understandably necessary, yet comical). After taking pictures of the camels, we went inside his tent and he fed us dates and the most sugary tea and coffee I’d ever had. He made the coffee from scratch—pounding and grinding the beans by hand—and served it to us in somewhat clean cups with an unbalanced coffee to sugar ratio. After we finished “tea time” with our Bedouin friend, we hopped back into the Land Cruisers and headed for camp, speeding over the sand in the darkness.
Our guides’ tour group had a permanent camp set up among the dunes on the inland sea. They had several tents, outhouses, a makeshift kitchen/grill, an eating area, and even a sand volleyball court (on which we all successfully embarrassed ourselves). The camp was surrounded by small lights powered by a generator. They had two men waiting for us with dinner made—kabobs, rice, hummus, bread, etc.—and cold drinks on ice. We ate and, after digesting, we went to attempt our first “sand boarding” experience (i.e. using a snowboard on the dunes). I didn’t bring tennis shoes so I used it as a sled instead, cruising down the slope on my butt. Some of the guys were actually pretty good. In the dim light, the sand could have been mistaken for snow and the guys looked like a bunch of crazy surfers (wearing shorts and t-shirts) going north for a weekend to try their “sea legs” on land. Nick held his own and stayed up most of the way down, but gave us some laughs and entertainment during a dramatic spill. Nick and I also decided to take a walk to the top of the tallest dune nearby (a great alternative to the “Buns of Steel” workout) and check out the night scenery and views. It was gorgeous, yet eerily quiet and desolate. It made me imagine how scary it would be to be lost or alone in the desert. I am definitely not one to find that type of solitude comforting.
After dune boarding and climbing, it was time to relax. Our guides brought out the shisha pipes to a square wooden platform covered in large pillows and rugs. Smoking shisha (hookah in other cultures), a water pipe filled with flavored tobacco, is a social custom in the Middle East. Since drinking in public is not only frowned upon but illegal here, it is their version of having a glass of wine with friends. Although I am not a smoker, it is part of the local custom, so why not? Abrahim and Adel came and sat with us, laughing and telling stories. It is hard to get to know the locals here, as they mostly keep to themselves, so this was a special opportunity. The most useful information we learned from our guides that night was that “Nick” means something very crude in Arabic. They insisted that Nick be called Nicholas. :)
After talking and looking at the stars for a while, we went to bed. The tents were filled with Persian rugs, large cushions, and sleeping bags. The temperature was definitely much cooler in the desert at night. I slept fairly well (Nick woke up to take pictures of the sunrise with his new camera) and in the morning breakfast awaited us. We spent the rest of the morning walking along the shore collecting pretty shells and starfish and then headed back to the city around 9:00am. It was a great adventure and a lot of fun!

Greetings from The Sandbox!

Well, it's a little late for first impressions. I've been here a full three months or so now, so there's not too much here that surprises me a great deal. Things aren't that different here than they are back home: wake up, shower, ride your camel to school, study, watch a public stoning, go to bomb-making class, eat dinner, etc.

No, I'm kidding. No one rides camels to school - too slow in the roundabouts.

But seriously, it's not really that different from home. I think the best description is that it's foreign enough to be cool and different but familiar and Western enough to not be alienating. You'll have towering Western-style fancy hotels lurking over fenced compounds, cramped apartments stuffed with foreign workers, and midsize apartment complexes all crammed into some twisty, dusty streets. The older neighborhoods do have that Chuck Norris/Delta Force Middle East feel, but the newer sections have some breathtaking modern skyscrapers. Foodwise, you can get anything from local favorites like shish tawooq and chicken shawarma to American abominations like McDonalds and Bennigan's. But that's another blog.

I guess the most popular question I get, other than "What time is it there?" from my sister, is "How hot is it there?" Unfortunately for all of you who laughed as I roasted for my first month, it is absolutely gorgeous. The high is in the mid-80s, and it rarely drops below 70s; it's been perfect weather for running. Of course, it was hard to believe it would be this nice when I stepped off the plane at midnight into an oven; it rarely dropped below a very humid 100 at night, and it warmed to the 110-115 range during the day. I've lived in hotter places, and I've lived in wetter places, but never in that kind of combination. Nightfall rarely brought more than a 10 degree drop in temperature; I would sweat through my pants after about 15 minutes of walking around even after 11PM. The sunrise times are all hosed up here; they don't do Daylight Savings Time, and we should really be in the next time zone to the east; Qatar wants to stay on the same time zone as Saudi Arabia, so we get sunrise at about 4:30AM and sunset at about 4:30PM.

Anyway, I suppose I'll keep this brief. I'll post some pictures of the A&M building and Education City when I get a chance. I need to get a few pictures of everyday things; it's hardly remarkable to me anymore, but I suppose some people might find a Middle Eastern country exciting and different. But I need to rubdown my camel and beat the dust out of my carpet before bed tonight, so I'm off. Until next time...

It is hard to believe that I’ve officially been in Qatar for almost four weeks! After what seemed like an eternity of anticipating my life as an expatriate, I now feel quite at home in the strange, but modern city of Doha. Nick has been patiently waiting to co-author this blog with me for two months after his arrival in late August. Although I was disappointed that we weren’t able to leave at the same time, it has actually worked out quite well. Nick has an internal navigation system and has been my guide around the city. He has eagerly shown me the interesting sights and the delicious restaurants that he experienced before I came and has also introduced me to his friends here—mostly fellow graduate students—who are all very nice and welcoming. However, the relationship has been symbiotic, as I have received quite luxurious accommodations and fantastic privileges as a staff member of Texas A&M University. My apartment is huge, furnished, and fully paid for—I have 3 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, a maid’s quarters (but no maid!), and spacious rooms with huge windows overlooking the Arabian Gulf on one side and the lights of the city skyscrapers on the other. I am on the 23rd floor! The building has everything one would want or need—an outdoor pool (nearly full-sized, with a view of the Gulf), a gym which includes a sauna, hot tub, and steam room, a mini-mart, a restaurant, an ATM, a dry-cleaner, and even men’s and women’s hair salons! The staff members in the building are extremely nice and some of my co-workers and professors from the university live here among many other westerners (predominately Exxon Mobile employees). I am including some pictures I recently took of my apartment for a better visual.




The living room/dining room, the view from my apartment (a bad picture)-the Gulf with a small sand island, the hallway, the kitchen, the maid's quarters w/ bathroom, two of the three bedrooms, and two of the bathrooms.

I have found Doha to be an interesting city, so far. It is new and beautiful in a man-made sort of way, yet a bit dusty and much unfinished. I like to say Doha is “nouveau riche”; it is a place that has recently come into money as a result of its natural gas resources and it is attempting to create a city (similar to Dubai) with the most current technologies and unique, modern architecture. I remember looking out the window at the Corniche (the road that hugs the coast) on my ride from the airport on the night of my arrival. I was enamored by the beautiful city skyline, the lights reflecting over the water, and the fountains that seemed to be everywhere. It is definitely a place with aesthetic appeal; you just need to know where to look. However, there is less charm in the constant construction throughout the city. New, empty buildings are going up everywhere and the roads change daily. There are barriers in an area one day, the next day there is a complete road block, and a week later there is a mile-long detour. I often have to drive two or three miles out of the way to get to my apartment (even though I can see it just a block away). Yet, one thing that none of the local drivers have to worry about is actually following any rules. Driving over medians, through road barriers, and off-roading to get by traffic and construction are all standard procedures.
Speaking of driving, I proudly took the wheel the very first day I spent in Doha and won a lot of respect from fellow ex-pats for getting out there in the mix so soon. Yet, every day is a new “adventure” and my confidence on the road still meets new lows. I will briefly explain the thrills and terrors of being behind the wheel in Doha…
The Good:
-You never really need to worry about getting in trouble; everyone breaks the rules. Just don’t speed too much or run any red lights (see below).
-You can park anywhere that you can make a spot and there is no towing. You wouldn’t believe the creativity involved in parking, especially by the owners of larger vehicles.
-I have become much more aggressive and have learned to get what I want by being a little pushy and much more confident.
-You are never expected to be polite. If someone wants to get in and you don’t let them, there are no hard feelings and no reason to feel bad. It is each man for himself out there.
The Bad:
-I am bound to get some tickets when I come back to the States. I’m sure I have become an overly-aggressive driver by most U.S. standards (however, I may make it as a NYC taxi driver!).
-Should you be caught speeding or running a red light here on one of the many roadside cameras, you will pay dearly. Fines can be from $500 to several thousand dollars. Of course, many of the locals don’t pay any heed to these fines; it is really just pocket change for them. Plus, the cameras are huge and blatantly obvious from a mile away.
-The traffic is terrible! Due to the poor city planning, the ridiculous amount of construction, and the lack of sufficient roads for the number of drivers, traffic is heavy almost all of the time in certain places.
-People honk their horns constantly! I mean, in a grid-lock without an inch of available space. They honk when they want you to move in impossible situations, when they want to let you know that they are about to hit you, when you are about to hit them, when they are about to hit a pedestrian, when they are riding your bumper (while simultaneously flashing their lights), when they are letting you know that they are about to break a rule and don’t really care how you feel about it, when they stop randomly in the middle of the road, and when they want someone to bring them food from inside a restaurant (their version of takeout). It is really just crying wolf to me. I can’t really trust that there is any reason to be alarmed anymore when I hear the sound of a horn…another bad habit to bring bake to the U.S.
The Ugly:
-The Qatari drivers. The locals here have free reign over the roads and they use it to their full advantage. Not only will they most likely get by with breaking the rules, they aren’t too worried about the fines they will receive if they do. They almost all drive Land Cruisers and drive them incredibly fast and with no consideration of other drivers. My rule of thumb: As soon as you see one approaching from even 500 yards away (“objects in mirror may be closer than they appear”), GET OUT OF THE WAY! Further, (Warning: politically incorrect observation) I feel a little unsafe when seeing a woman wearing a burqa/full hijab (only exposing the eyes) while driving. Perhaps I’m wrong, but doesn’t it seem like there would be a serious lack of peripheral vision??
All of this aside, though, I have actually enjoyed driving here. It feels like a real, 3-dimensional version of Mario Kart. Each day that you park your car for the night and get out in one piece is like beating another level! It’s a sense of accomplishment, a lesson in hand-eye-foot coordination, and another reason to be happy to be alive!
I am really having a blast out here so far and get a lot of enjoyment from observing a new culture and living in a place so different from home. I doubt we will ever lack in topics or stories to write about and I’m already quite behind in my entries. I’m looking forward to sharing more about our adventures! :)