Mohammad's gift

This morning I was honored with a plastic grocery bag full of cut roses from my little Bangledesh boy that waters the plants. His name is Mohammad Ali, he is about 20-ish and speaks about three words of English, water, morning, hot. He has a sweet face and beautiful smile and likes the puppy. I give him treats and 10QR once in a while (which is about $3.00). I took him inside to look at the map and showed him Texas and asked him to point out Bangledesh, and he couldn't. He did not know where it was! The laborers are here by the thousands, all crammed in a bus and tent type labor camps and are not paid squat and rumors of some places not even having running water. It is like seeing orphan children you want to adopt, except this one is about 20 and his family is lost in Bangledesh somewhere. I want to talk to him and ask him to call his mother on my Vonage phone but we can not communicate. It is very frustrating to me. I am doing charades with him three times a week, Me - Sherry, You - Mohammad, Me 47 -YOU? He says "ONE!" DAMN IT! I feel like I am talking to a cave man.

Anyway I am enjoying someone elses roses today in my little villa. It was the thought that counted, right?

My new friend...

PIXEL CHICKS

The Doha Pixel Chicks founded in Doha in 2008....

Let the fun begin...

Shaikh Al Thani, Al Jazi and Me.

Last week I shot the official opening and ribbon cutting ceremony of the American School of Doha. Here is a shot of me and the "Dude of Doha", Shaikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al-Thani and his gorgeous daughter Al Jazi. He was really short and cute and kept tapping me on the shoulder to take his picture with his children. This time after I asked if this was his daughter, I said "She is beautiful". Then Ashlynn popped up right next to me, "Hi Mom", I introduced her as MY daughter and he said "She is Beautiful too!" He reached down in his white sheet (Thobe) and pulled out a pocket camera and took OUR picture! SO... I've been Shot by the Skaikh!

Alex is Baylor Bound

She has made her decision... Alexandra will be heading to Baylor University this Fall. We paid our deposit last night, and signed up for dorms. We are very excited for her, Alex and Baylor together is a great match. We are trying to have as much fun as we can our last few months together here in Doha. The thought of loosing another chick out of the nest is hard to swallow at times. I know it is part of life, but it doesn't make it any easier.

Remember when you were 16?

Yesterday I took pictures of Josh and Ash for their 3 month "going out" anniversary. Ohhhh, to be 16. Can't say I'd switch, 47 isn't so bad.

Old and happy in Doha...

I have fallen in love....

Not sure if any words are necessary.

Ohhhhh, remember when.....

Alex and her boy "friends" Nathan, Tyler and Cooper, have set out this morning for "Senior Skip Day." in a mini...

Cooper has a Cooper, isn't that cute! He is the one holding the puppy, (which did not go to the beach). They are headed to some place in the middle of the desert that some kid named Amid's father owns... There is no telling where this is, or what place they will be going. The entire Sr. class is invited. So there she goes, off with a car full of boys to some unknown destination between Qatar and Saudi... (deep breath, prayers said, and more prayers).

I don't know about you, but I can still remember what I wore to Sr. skip day. Red short shorts, and flip flops. Not so different... (Actually I think mine were shorter...) We went to Cy Green's parents beach house on the Bay in Galveston Texas in 1979. Different! And Lisa Veale had on a green bathing suit and was HOT! Probably still is... Now that was almost 30 years ago, today my little 18 year old will be making memories that will last a life time. How cool is that!

Senior Smiles from Doha...

Amazing Cultural Experience

I sat next to three blacked clothed, face covered, Muslim women today on a bus to visit Mosques and learn about the local religion, and cultures along with about 15 Chevron wives, and 2 poor boys on Spring break from Texas wishing they were on the beach at South Padre Island getting a taste of their own culture.

We had tea, coffee, donut holes, micro pizzas, and something really nasty I can't describe to start off with in this fancy room. I learned so much. I have a newly formed respect for the faith these people have about their prayer time, 4:22AM, 11:45AM, 5:44PM and 7:10PM, and one more time I forgot. I think we pray to the same God, theirs is just named Allah. They are not all terrible suicide bombers or terrorists, these gals were fun and cute and it was lovely. They were real, I even asked them questions about arranged marriages, How they breathe under that thing, how much their dowry was, and how many wives their husbands had. We are not all that different, it just seems that way.

Then we had a huge lunch with dessert first, dessert, desert??? Can't remember which! Marbled sponge cake, huge pans full of rice and meat and some sort of oatmeal and meat mush, the third dessert/desert of the day was a completely tasteless apricot colored jellyfish that they put in a blender with unflavored jello and served warm. GROSS! Check out the color of that blue sky! No Photoshop done.

There was this one beautiful Head Mother Superior type with the most amazing yellow and teal eyeshadow to die for, (literally) but I was not allowed to take her picture. She was precious and said that only God could see her face, and me! Not being able to take her picture, that just about killed me. But to all your surprises, I respected her wishes. I did come home smelling like an Arab lady covered with what they call perfume, but not sure what camel's rear they got it from... UGH! I even got a fancy bottle of it as a souvenir from the Madam herself, Eau de la Camelrump!

Henna is the Arabic temporary tattooing, and I got mine on the ankle, Chris rubbed olive oil on it tonight so it will turn brown. Now there's a new use for Olive Oil we haven't tried yet.

These are a few shots of the day with the purse camera.

OK Here is the next youtube video clip Amanda sent me as she is preparing to visit Doha.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/726012/funny_arab_girls_eating_habits/

This did not happen today...

Smiles from Doha..

Bella's new do...

Bella now looks like a mix between a alien shaved chihuahua & a lion faced fluffball... But we still love her.

The Doha weekends are wonderful these days. We have been to see Sharapova play tennis, had a real Texas hoe down, a Rugby game (way to go Andor!), and continue to cook great food with our friends in the compound.

(Sorry Tim there are no great pictures of 21 yr old girls in bikinis, you're almost 50, give it up and enjoy the dog pictures.)

Here is a glimpse at my first attempt at Silk Painting.

All of my friends kids are starting to show up for spring break and I am jealous and missing mine. (sniff sniff) I'm sure Amanda is missing me too in South Padre with the 10,000 other college kids.

I will close with a favorite utube video clip... Has to be one of my all time favorites.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HvpRvvfc04&NR=1

Smiles, Sher