One of the many wonderful things about Doha is our membership to our beach club...which also is a tennis club. Deciding to join a club has without a doubt made our life here exponentially better. We've made great friends plus we have a well-equiped gym to work out in, well maintained tennis courts, plus beautiful pools and hot tubs right on the beach. . . something we will most definitely miss if we have to move to any other location!!! There is just not a place like it!
Trying to take full advantage of all the offerings, Eric and I have been regularly playing tennis a few times a week at clinics and club nights since the fall when the weather became more tennis-friendly. It's been a wonderful time for us. Eric has discovered a lifelong sport and has improved so much (before this, he'd only played about 8 times) and he's getting really, really good.
When we heard about the upcoming mixed doubles tournament, we were excited to participate. Unfortunately, (and fortunately because it's a lot of fun) Eric had already committed to the Amazing Race competition (yes, just like the TV show) with some friends from ASD. Since I was now partnerless, luckily, our friend Mohammed volunteered to play with me and we formed our team. We practiced a few times before the big day and had a lot of fun. A real highlight for me was practicing one night with Mohammed and two other Qatari men.
The night before, Eric had to bow out of Amazing Race due to a last minute work commitment. So, he did not get to participate in Amazing Race, but did get to watch some pretty amazing tennis.
The draw
Set up
Greeting our opponents (my partner Mohammed in the blue)
Not the best shot but that 's me and Mohammed
Simon, the hotel manager and a competitive opponent
Ulli, our pro
Sarah and Jeremy during the finals
Cath during the finals
In the end, Mohammed and I got to the semi-finals. We were on roll and were in second place going into the semis. Mohammed left for Friday morning prayer and by the time he got back (an hour later), our momentum was gone :( It was fun playing though.
Frowning Mohammed
Mohammed & Ulli
Me & Mohammed
The trophies and prizes. Runner up: Facials at the spa (1100 QR value!)
Winners: Dinner at Il Teatro (very fancy restaurant at the hotel')
Collecting my medal from the spa manager
Most of the crew minus a few
All in all, it was a great day and looking forward to the next tournament
What a difference a year makes! Last year at this time we were getting ready to board our plane and leave a life we loved in Paris for the unknown Al Zuhoor Compound in Doha, Qatar. . . huh!? It was a quick move (2 weeks from the job offer to demobilization) and very uncertain. Neither of us had ever been to Qatar nor the Middle East and the idea of it was actually pretty scary.
Well, as you can tell from our year of documentation, nothing scary about this place.
We absolutely cannot believe how quickly we settled in here, gotten jobs, made friends....and especially how much we love living here and how fast one year has gone by!
Our home in Doha is Villa A-33 in Al Zuhoor Compound
Our "official" address is Al Waab/Al Aziziya Al Zuhoor Compound Villa A-33
(yea, this is what we tell shops for delivery--but at least we can get delivery here, in Paris it was never anything short of a fiasco to order in!)
Our villa in March 2010.
Moving first from NYC (450 sq. feet) then to Paris (1,000 sq. feet), this place felt positively giant! With 4 bedrooms, a maid's bedroom (this is the Middle East and many have live-in maids), 5.5 bathrooms, and 3 family rooms, it is pretty massive. Unlike in Manhattan and Paris, we did not get a choice of housing, we moved in here the night we flew in. At first we thought it was a joke, but as we drove around Doha as days have gone by, everyone lives in large villas like this, it's just how it is here. We've grown into the space downstairs but really only use our bedroom and family room upstairs . . . and the guest room for our only guests so far, my parents.
Since we are considered "temporary" in Doha (anything under two years), the company provided furniture for these massive villas, thankfully! How in the world would we ever furnish a place like this? Plus, the furniture found in stores here is not really our style. Luckily, the company provided us with black leather couches for the 2 downstairs family rooms and a beautiful dark wood dining room table and server. We've got a semi-sleigh bed and dark wood furniture for the bedrooms. We've had to buy things as the year has gone on (we had a book shelf made, and have bought decorative items such as mirrors, etc) but we definitely would not have had the full house we have now.
February 2011
A little over a year later, we've actually got a tree. Our neighbors swore our tree would never grow. . . it did, and now the gardeners have shaped it rather strangely :)
Side yard behind the car port - March 2010
Much more green. . and dusty! - February 2011
Other side yard - March 2010
Bit of a different view but taken February 2011
Now on to the inside of the house: February 2010
This is the first room you walk into off the foyer of the house. The ceilings are tall and the walls were bare. So many people have done such amazing things with these houses in their 5 years here. We would have loved to have painted but it just isn't in the cards.
February 2011 (Foyer and sitting room)
Same Sitting Room - February 2011
Dining Room looking on to Family Room (this was right after our sea-shipment arrived, yes!) in March 2010 (Shout out to Amos and the Cosmos Author Alan Schwartz :) )
Same Rooms in February 2011
Family Room (off of dining room) Feb 2011
View of dining room to the outside (Feb 2011)
Kitchen March 2010
Kitchen February 2011
Upstairs family room (sea shipment had just arrived)
This room hasn't changed much
These are all the photos I've got now. I think I'll have to go back and take more for documentation for down the road.
As we said above, we just cannot believe our year in Doha has flown as fast as it has.
This assignment started out as a 6 month stint, then 9 month, now we've been here a year already. We've been so fortunate living here. Eric has had the opportunity to work under some of the best leadership in the company, I've been able to start my tutoring business and we've had other opportunities we never would have had elsewhere. This truly is a "big fish, small pond" type of place.
We know our time here is limited and any day we could be moving out of "Never Never Land" as we call Doha. . . but for now, we're going to enjoy our time here with all the wonderful people we have met and continue to be grateful for all of our blessings. Thanks to all of you who have helped us settle in so quickly and welcomed us to to be a part of your Doha Family.
Ever have one of those moments with someone where you've both totally thought you were thinking the same thing but weren't? It's a frustrating experience and sometimes even more so with a spouse. . . Eric and I had a really busy week with work and lots of commitments both during the week and on the weekend. Our friend Nick's birthday happened to be yesterday so I bought him a card. Eric was supposed to see him on Friday so I figured he could give it to him then. I had spoken to him a few times during the week about Nick's birthday, how old he was going to be, etc. So, when the day came, I asked him to fill out the card and give it to him when he saw him later on. Unfortunately, plans changed last minute the morning of Nick's birthday and Eric was not going to see him on his birthday but this connection did not deter Eric. . .
In comes. . . men are from mars, women are from venus...and Eric said it. Being the proactive maestro of efficiency he took it upon himself to hand deliver the card by strolling over to our neighbor Nick's house to give him the card. Problem is, it wasn't that Nick's birthday.
After tennis Eric said "I dropped the card off on Nick's car". This was surprising to me because I couldn't understand where or why he would see Nick's car. Eric then looked at me as if I had three heads..."Nick is our neighbor". . . However, the Nick I was speaking about is our friend who is a teacher at the American School. After a short session of bickering about poor instructions combined with NOT listening, we laughed about it and then Eric called our neighbor to let him join in on the laughter, and also make him aware that he is not a psycho birthday freak.
The card was actually pretty funny but not one not many people would appreciate. It read:
"Happiness is like peeing in your pants. Everyone can see it, but only you can feel its warmth."
Inside: It's your birthday. Let your happiness show.
This fall and winter there have been many opportunities to watch tennis at Khalifa Stadium.
January 3-8, 2011 was another event, this time the ExxonMobil Tournament.
It perfectly coincided with Mom and Dad Marras' visit.
We were able to attend on January 5, 7 & for the final on the 8th.
January 5, 2011
First up: Federer (my personal fave) and Chiudinelli
Chiudeinelli and Federer are long time friends both from Switzerland so it was great to watch such a match.
I just love watching Federer play. This is the 2nd time I've watched him live. Last year we were able to see him at Roland Garros (French Open).
I love it!
In the end, Roger was triumphant against Chiudinelli.
On the break between matches, they played a video that Federer and Nadal shot in Doh out on the water...yup, I said it, on the water. Check out the photos and then video at end for full effect.
The 2011 video :)
Jedd's (my older brother) response after watching this was...."You live there?!?" I wish my brothers (and rest of our families) could all visit and see the amazing country in which we live.
The 2010 video:)
Magic carpet ride anyone?
Next up:
Rafa vs. Lacko
In the end, Nadal was triumphant.
We really got to watch Nadal's quirky ways up close and personal.
He keeps his water bottles at a 45 degree angle from each other. He's got to enter the court at a 90 degree angle. The weirdest is his "undergarment picking" habits . . . those who have seen Nadal play know exactly what I am talking about!
January 7, 2011 (Semi-Finals)
First up: Tsonga vs. Federer
Federer won and is now in the finals :)
Next up: Nadal vs. Davydenky
Nadal at work
Sorry Nadal, this is just weird "superstitious" behavior
Much to Nadal's disappointment, he lost!!!!
I'm not going to lie, I was rooting for Davydenko....well, until the next day when he was to play Federer.
January 8, 2010
Federer vs. Davydenko
Sorry Eric!
Ultra VIPs
Federer's wife in the middle (at the end, she caught the ball that Federer hit ) and won an iPad! She was so cute at the end and seemed very excited he won.
During the match, neither showed much emotion.
Triumphant Federer!!!! So happy he won!
Ending Ceremony . . . one of the weirder ones I have witnessed but nice.
Wacky lights
These were tap dancers on the ledge of one of the boards...different
These guys should have had a spot light on them.... I mean, come on, they're on harnesses over the entire crowd.
Paper lanterns with fire in them flying through the air. . . not the best laid plan, because one caught on fire!
High ranking officials from Qatar and ExxonMobil
They saved this one from near-fire. Not sure whose face is hanging from it? Anyone?
Photo op . . . they were facing the Ultra VIP's chairs so we all either got their backs or their sides.
Again, this is just another "big fish in a small pond" Doha experience. It's amazing we get to see this caliber of tennis played as often as we have.
