Everything is relative - even manners

Wow, does A love this idea. We are learning a lot about cultural differences here. I started to tell A off for eating rice with her hands when she pointed around the restaurant and I realised our table was the only one that had any cutlery. It was our favourite Sri Lankan restaurant where the curry and dhal buffet is only 7QR (Qatari Riyal) or about $2.50 and the workers arrive by the bus load from their camps. We took our friends for lunch there on Friday and we have challenged them to find a cheaper place for next week. It's all about perspective I suppose. A and her friend delighted in eating in this style.

Let's play - Gardens

We all love gardens in our family and one of the hardest aspects of life here is being so far from natural beauty - especially trees, plants and flowers. But being stuck indoors in the desert wasn't going to stop these girls. (I'm sure once it is a little cooler I will start appreciating the sea). We used to love our weekly picnic catch up with our friends from Melbourne; so one day the girls decided to "play picnics" and they dragged our indoor plants around to act as the trees. Not quite the same as the Botanic Gardens or even our local park, but at least the girls are learning to make the most of life and what they have. Perhaps that's worth going without gardens for a while?

Brief moments of Joy in the sunshine (and heat)

It is hot living in Doha, intensified of course by the lack of trees and greenery. This is probably very obvious but with extreme weather conditions I think it is hard to talk about anything else. It just cannot be ignored. We actually very rarely venture outside during the day as it is unbearable. One day we discovered a fountain along the corniche so the girls delightd in this cool sensory experience. As you can see our least photographed girl took a starring role on this day.

Soccer in the Middle East

Andrew has been visiting the local evening soccer competition which includes teams from various regions of Doha and neighbouring Gulf countries. He has also decided to use this as an opportunity to do something special with a girl on their own. E was first to go and merely talked of the food. A seems the most interested in sport, however, and it seems that last night's game between Al Gharafa (where we live) and Al Hilal, Saudi Arabia did not disappoint. Apparently, it ended with both coaches being red carded and the riot police trying to control 5000 passionate Saudi and disgruntled Qatari players and fans. You can see from the crowd photos here that difficult spectators could be hard to identify as they were all men wearing either white thobes or blue for team colours!

Wacky Wednesday

We declared today Wacky Wednesday. I only decided this yesterday as the girls have been loving reading a book of this title in the Dr Seuss series by Theo. LeSieg. The girls have absoultely delighted in this funny tale of a young boy who wakes to find everything is very wacky and noone else seems to notice. They have fun searching for the strange, topsy, turvy things in the illustrations such as cars with no wheels, mothers pushing prams with baby tigers, houses with a wall missing and other optical illusions and mischief. So Tuesday evening wondering what to do for yet another day indoors, avoiding the desert sun and inspired by many ideas from the book, I started creating mischief of my own. Within moments Andrew couldn't resist and joined in as we turned our dining room chairs and our coffee table upside down; our clock and paintings followed quickly. We put an umbrella in a saucepan on the stove, a plant on the toilet, plugged our iron into the pot plant and put green food dye (natural) in the milk etc. etc. So the girls awoke the next morning to a "Wacky Wednesday" of their own. They delighted in finding amusing and mixed up things around the house, many inspired directly by the story. At least two girls did, one daughter who particularly likes order seemed a little unsure and actually put the chairs back in their rightful position. We also continued to have a topsy turvy day and started with green milk and bedtime stories, then popcorn at 7:30am and followed with icecream sundaes before 8:00am whilst watching a film. We watched "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" as I thought this aligned nicely with our wacky theme. I must admit my girls are not avid movie watches and whilst they loved several of the "rain" and "snow" scenes when cheeseburgers and icecream fall from the sky, they were bored by the end and it possibly had a slightly too complicated storyline for them. We then finished the day with cereal for dinner. It was such a success I'll be looking through our very limited book collection to see if I can create fun experiences with any of our other stories. Any ideas?

The Pet Souq

We often find ourselves down the narrow lanes of the souq and into the pet section where weird and wonderful (and sometimes illegal) pets are possible. The girls love it. I am pleased that at least one of our children seems a little concerned about the plight of the colourful animals here.

The Greatest Among us Serve

One of the confronting realities of life here, and much of this region, is the very obvious servant class. I was reminded of this yesterday when my charming girls adapted their favourite dramatic game of “Mums and Dads” into a new game of “Servants and Bosses”. I was a little bemused when I realised that crying and fighting had erupted over who could play the “servant”. Apparently, to them this was the most prized role. I’m only guessing that this is perhaps because this role actually involved more action and doing rather than the bosses who were merely sitting on the couch watching. Boring! - to my 3 active girls. I was considering interrupting them to instruct them that this was silly, as obviously the “real goal” in life was to be the boss!
I do love to just let them play (so I can do my own thing and sometimes I love to listen or watch. They have always been children who love to play imaginative and dramatic games – with little or no props. I have loved watching them here with very few toys just adapt what they have around them – a few boxes and the everyday ordinary items we need to live – saucepans, cups, shopping bags etc. And only occasionally do I “interfere” with some suggestions or new props, as mostly they have better ideas than me anyway. But, today I couldn’t resist teaching them of something which most of their lives they will be “taught” the opposite. I did intervene to explain that this world is mostly made up of servants and in reality there are very few bosses. But, more importantly I explained, that there is eternal value and honour in being someone who serves.
I took these photos of the typical maid’s uniform for sale at the supermarkets here which is worn by thousands of invisible women at the malls, at restaurants, hotels, homes, everywhere - unnoticed and disregarded these women, many who leave their own children behind, thousands of miles away, and for years, attend to the needs of children far wealthier than they could ever dream to be.(FYI - the maids here are imported like cattle on two year contracts to work all day (and sometimes night), six days a week for often as low as $400 a month. Too often they are treated badly, abused, and at best - like they are lucky to be here compared to the poverty that awaits them in India, Ethiopia and the Philipines.)
I pray my children, however young, are learning the right lessons about injustice and about being servant leaders.

Natural Learning

I’m going to the Grand Hyatt with a friend tonight to hear an American-Iranian Journalist speak about her experiences living under the current Iranian regime. This includes spending 9 months in jail, time in solitary confinement and being tortured after being found guilty in an 8 minute trial. She is celebrating Journalism week and promoting her book - “Between two worlds: My life and captivity In Iran”. I am excited about this as I am going out with a friend to a gorgeous venue. You have to look very closely to find natural beauty in Doha so I always relish an opportunity to be surrounded by impressive architecture and beautiful design at places such as the Grand Hyatt. I am also excited because I love to learn new things and one of the great ways to learn is through knowledgeable and informed people sharing their wisdom and insights (obviously experience is the best way to learn – but there are many experiences like Roxana’s that we pray no one has to share.). This was almost an epiphany for me as I attempt homeschooling. I have always believed in the power of play and guarded playful experiences and opportunities to be free in their natural world closely for my children. Now, as a homeschooler and educator I was struggling with the concept – how should our day look, what should I have at the end of the day to “prove” to the world that we did something. I started with a short schooling at home session and then mostly play but what is emerging is a much more “natural learning” or “unschooling” version. I realised as many great thinkers and philosophers have before me that education should not always be measured in terms of tests and graphs and percentages. I reguarly attempt to make the girls “fill in a language workbook”, partly to make me feel better, for reassurance and partly because of course I know that some essential skills like reading and writing are vital. But I am realising more and more that whilst I COULD read an encyclopaedia to find lots of facts and figures of history and culture but I WOULD much rather see, taste, smell, listen and touch artefacts, art, food, music, maps, to try and learn and understand something new. So our days learning together at home look VERY unlike school. But the the girls are learning so so much. And loving it!

The faces of Oman

Just a few snapshots to highlight some of the faces of Oman. (Okay, so more like the backs of Oman - but I am annoyingly culturally sensitive and way too polite to take too many photos up close). This was my introduction to the real Middle East. I think life in Doha or the Emirates gives you a false sense of "arabia" with its glitz and glamour - Italian designers and American franchises stamped across the landscape. Once I recovered from the shock realisation that there was no cappaccino in sight and I was only going to have access to yellowy cardoman infused arabic coffee or overly sweet syrupy tea when the sun set, I savoured being somewhere that was free from fast food and franchising (along with most other conveniences of the modern world). The first thing you will hear expats say about Oman when they return is "wow, the Omani people actually do all the work themselves". They are considered the poorer cousins as although they have a little bit of oil they rely on other industries (such as dates :) and cannot afford to import people to do everything for them. This refreshingly means that the place has soul...and a rich heritage with pride in their traditional artisans - like beduoin basket weavers (from date palms), silver coffee pots, and jewellery using silver and the coral and pearls of the region, pashminas, earthenware... (As an aside: The photo of the girls and I was taken when we were waiting for Andrew exploring 1000 year old ruins. It was too steep for the girls and so these kind men, resting during the fast, offered us some space on their mat in the shade. We tried to talk using hand signals, broken English and Arabic and markings in the sand. In the heat I adjusted my hat and was politely told by the elder there to keep it on.)

Dates, Dates, Dates

You cannot imagine how much dates are revered here. Perhaps my perspective is influenced by the month of Ramadan where they are endowed with almost spirtual significance. Muslims since the 7th century have used dates - consuming 3 to be precise, to break the fast to begin the Iftar meal. Dates are sold everywhere in every way imaginable. Every mall here has luxurious gourmet date shops like our chocolate shops. I must admit I am growing quite fond of them myself. As we were landing after our flight from Dubai a charming Omani man offered fresh dates to all the passengers, as the sun set as we were in the sky. This was much to the dismay of the poor flight attendants who were desperately trying to push this man back to his seat. Nothing is more imporant than eating dates though! It is a wistful scene to see men seated on the roadside beside their cars with a plate of dried dates waiting for the prayers to begin to signify it is Iftar and the day long fast can be broken. They are one of the oldest cultivated trees dating back thousands of years and are used for food, shelter, fuel and clothing. To sum up, it was bascially the only plant to be growing anywhere. I even read that a blight or death of a date palm tree can trigger grief to a farmer like that of a death in the family as his father and grandfather would have nurtured this tree. It did make me wonder though as we drove through the desert of Oman where date palms abound in small family plantations near every wadi and village - about the balance between tradition and innovation. Had it ever occured to anyone in thousands of years to try another kind of fruit tree? I am learning a lot about the value of tradition here and I regret the lack of respect it is often given in my own Australian culture. But I cannot help but celebrate the spirit of innovation which is also evident in my culture.

Animals of Arabia

Well, there isn't many apparently. And it seems not many can survive the brutality of the desert sun. I don't want to seem too biased but they are not particularly attractive or interesting animals here. We do our best to evoke excitement for them for the girls. These animals are so precious that they still even have shepherds guarding them day and night. But they are useful - It seems they all produce or are consumed for their food - goats and camels are both prized for their milk and meat. One restaurant I went to had "half billy goat" on the menu. Not really an enticing translation.

Weddings - a men's only affair

Andrew was fortunate enough to be invited to a colleague's wedding. Weddings are big events here where hundreds of guests are hosted in enormous and elaborate tents. He was a little surprised to discover that it was men only - the dancing, the feast, the ceremony. We're not quite sure how this works. But apparently the women had a lot of fun at an entirely seperate venue.

Ramadan Kareem!

Ramadan – Wow with only 1 or maybe 2 days to go – depending on the sunset and the appearance of the moon, Ramadan will finally be over. It has seemed like a very long month and I am not even fasting. But forced to participate in a country which strictly follows Islamic rule. So this means it is actually against the law to eat or drink (including water – and yes it is still 45degrees +) between sunrise and sunset. Also, it is illegal for restaurants, cafes, to sell food. Of course, this makes everyone tired and so generally not much happens at all during the day including the favourite past time here – shopping with nearly everything closed until about 7:30pm at night. There are a few exceptions if you are a young child (there is no strict law but some start as young as 8 and most by 12) pregnant, sick or travelling you are temporarily excused. (You are supposed to make up the missed days later!!) So during our holiday to Oman we had a day of reprieve in transit at the airports where we were able to purchase coffee and fast food. E who is particularly sensitive to her adopted culture approved this as being very fair. She always asks before she eats now. It is called the Holy Month as it is a time to sacrifice, give, pray, reflect and draw closer to God and generally appear more pious. There are other restrictions like loud music in cars, shops etc so as not to distract people from their attempts at holiness. We are encouraged to dress more conservatively and cover up – how the local women could be more conservative?? This is partly because sex is also banned during the daylight hours. Again?? The one shop in the entire country which sells liquor is also closed for the entire month. (We stocked up but Andrew is rationing his last few remaining bottles.) This is supposed to be month of celebration but for me these elements don't add up to me feeling very Ramadan Kareemy! It doesn’t appear that the locals eat any less food though, they just eat all night instead and seemingly sleep or rest a lot during the day. Apparently it is very common to pile on several kilos during this time. It also makes for much more aggressive and impatient drivers. (I don’t blame them - I lose the will to live without food and coffee). It is a time of celebration as people gather with family and friends in special feasts to break the fast and pray together. We have been to several Iftar dinners which traditionally begin with water, dates and nuts to provide immediate energy and prepare stomachs for the task ahead. There is also a late night dinner and the early morning meal, the Sohur – where breakfast is eaten at about 3:30-4:00am before the sun rises. Andrew was invited to a special Iftar feast today with a Qatari colleague. He was generously told to invite his family but not his wife or daughters. When he turned up they asked "where are your sons?". I was a little offended until I found out that Baby Camel was the main part of the feast.

Dining Omani style

Here are pictures of a restuarant we loved in Nizwa with traditional Omani food and customs. We all loved it so much we went back the next night. We were all very, very hungry waiting for the sun to set in time for Iftar (the first meal after the fast). Okay, so I hadn't really fasted the entire day but with only snacks for the entire day it almost felt like it. So you can imagine G's disappointment when she walked into our own private dining room (they are all private so that the women can eat with their families) and she exclaimed loudly, and with a rather annoyed tone "there's no table in here!". However, they qickly embraced this new custom and loved the space for its new stage so we patiently waited for our dinner whilst the girls took turns to perform their dances. The menu was a fusion of Indian and Middle Eastern with their own twist on the spices to give it a unique flavour. They also felt very "adult" being served as part of the after dinner tea ceremony. Of course this sugar laden syrupy substance was too sweet even for them.

The Rocky Cliffs of Oman

Oman's scenery is unique. Here, along the coast the cliffs are beautiful and reminiscent of other dramatic coasts around the world. Inland, it is unusual to me, as the mountain ranges are pure rock with little greenery. Apparently in the right season and the right conditions the wadis (valley or dry riverbeds) fill up and around these oasis were built the towns of the modern and the ancient worlds. We were not quite so lucky - despite even witnessing rain. Our first and possibly last time for months. This desert land was beautiful to us, especially in comparison with Qatar as it had depth and shade and hints of colour.