High Honours

Max and Simon first day of school last September (before uniforms)

Today was Report Card Day for Max and Simon's second term at Qatar Academy. We are thrilled that they have both received High Honours. This means that you must have a GPA of at least 6.33 (out of a possible 7.0).

This has been a challenging year for Max and Simon, as they adjust to a new school and new routines. QA uses the International Baccalaureate curriculum which has its own lingo and ways of doing things. It was new to all of us and has taken some time to adjust to a new standard. The IB program is based on the premise that "for students to become fully-informed and contributing citizens of an increasingly globalized world, schools must teach them to be excellent communicators, to be aware of multiple cultures, and to make connections between their learning and their lives."

Max with Frosted Flakes -- the breakfast of champions?

Max's highest marks are in Science, Math and Music. His favourite subject is English because the teacher is creative and challenging. Max's GPA is 6.44 and here are some of the comments from his teachers: Max writes fascinating stories (Cultural Studies); Max has great communication, reading and writing (French); Max is an exemplary student and submits work of a high standard (Science); Max contributed positively to his Literature Circle group and showed an interest in the novels (English).

Simon's morning routine:  getting the sleeves rolled up on his uniform shirt

Simon highest marks are in English, Humanities, and French. His favourite subject is Math because his teacher is great fun! Simon's GPA is 6.66 and here are some of the comments from his teachers: Simon's communication is clear, concise and thoughtfully supported (English); Simon participates in all classroom activites with enthusiasm (French); Simon expresses ideas clearly (Cultural Studies); Simon is a pleasure to teach (PE); Simon is a delight to work with (English).

We find it interesting that their best subjects are not the same as their brother, and that their favourite subjects are not their best subjects. We are incredibly proud of both of them and are celebrating by ordering pizza from Dominoes and watching the movie, Mission Impossible 4.

Dubai

Our first family vacation this year was to the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. It was a FUN-FILLED five days.

But it almost did not happen. Because Canada and the UAE have some political disagreements, it is not always easy for Canadians to visit Dubai. In fact, the airline in Doha was reluctant to let us on the plane thinking that we may well be turned away in Dubai and sent home on the first plane back. Tim took a quick trip from the airport back to our house in Doha to get some extra identification papers that would make our entry a bit easier. It worked and, in the end, some extra time and money made the trip possible.

We traveled with some American friends from Doha. They had no trouble getting into the UAE with less time and less money!

Dubai is a city of FUN. Our first stop was the Aquaventure Water Park at the Atlantis Hotel. This is a park overflowing with water fun! With 2 km of lazy river and rapids plus 6 slides that empty into a shark pool and aquarium, there was something for everyone! Tim was the only one that took the 27 metre (90 feet) "Leap of Faith" -- a straight drop into a transparent tube and through the Shark Lagoon. We spent a glorious day relaxing, tanning, being thrilled, and laughing our heads off.

Max is rolling inside this snowball

The highlight for Max and Simon was going to "Ski Dubai". This is a 61 metre (200 feet) indoor ski hill with five ski slopes. It also has a variety of other cold activities: a pool of penguins, a rolling snowball slope, a hot chocolate stand, several tubing runs, and a luge track.




It was -2 degrees Celsius inside and 30 degrees outside. We were outfitted in snowsuits, boots, and fleece mitts. Our noses and toes were frozen after three hours.

Tim's highlight was going up the tallest building in the world. At 828 metres (2800 feet) the Burj Khalifa is also beautiful to look at. It is made of over 26,000 glass window panels and is shaped like a bundle of tubes. It takes 36 workers four months to clean the exterior of the building.

"The hot humid air outside, combined with the cooling requirements of the building results in a significant amount of condensation of moisture from the air. The condensed water is collected and drained into a holding tank located in the basement car park." This water is then used to water the grass and gardens at the base of the building.

We ascended on the world's fastest elevator to the 124th floor. At night the view was spectacular. The Dubai Fountain, at the base of the Burj, is also a fabulous display of water, music and lights. Apparently, the movie Mission Impossible 4 has one scene where Tom Cruise is climbing the outside wall of the Burj Khalifa. We saw photos of this but have not seen the movie yet. 

We spent a second day at Dubai's second water park, "Wild Wadi". Another beautiful day relaxing.

And even more water when we went to the Dubai Aquarium and underwater Zoo. The plexiglass aquarium window won the 2008 Guinness World Record for Largest Acrylic Panel for an Aquarium.

Lisa's most interesting activity in Dubai was to go to a Fish Spa. People sit around a pool filled with thousands of garra rufa fish from Turkey. These "doctor fish" were originally used to treat people with psoriasis by eating off the dead skin to promote healing. Now the fish are used as Spa treatment for dead skin on feet. It feels a little weird to have all those toothless fish nibbling on your skin. But when you get used to it, the result is smooth skin much like a pedicure. Of course, the United States has shut down many of these Fish Spa treatments because of the potential spread of infection. Hmmm.

Tailor-Made

In preparation for a night on the town, Tim and the boys had suits made. A month before the event we found a fabulous tailor down town. On the first visit, Tim, Simon, and Max chose fabric and style and were measured.  Tim chose a black Italian wool for a tuxedo. Max chose a charcoal cashmere made in the UK.  Simon chose a black pinstripe by Georgio Armani. Each one also picked cotton-silk fabric for a shirt.

The second visit was to try on the partially-made suit. The tailor, Philipe, was extraordinary.  Lisa especially enjoyed watching him cut fabric for a new item.  With huge scissors and no pattern, he created pants or a shirt or a jacket in just minutes. Philipe looked at each of our suits and made chalk markings in different places.  He actually ripped Simon's sleeves right off! It was a pleasure to watch him work so quickly and effortlessly.

In total we made four trips to the tailor for various fittings. It became something we looked forward to because there were always the most interesting people hanging out there! One night we met this Professor from Carnegie Melon University.  He was picking up some new bow ties and getting fitted for a new coat. We had a wonderful time talking with him. On another occasion there was a Qatari man having a suit made for his friend. We were all taken by the gorgeous cut of his thobe.

This past Saturday was the night we had prepared for. It was a black tie event for the Model United Nations program at Qatar Academy. Dinner and a Film Festival at the Grand Hyatt Hotel was everything we had hoped for. Delicious food, great company, and 9 short films made by students. The purpose of the event is to give students an opportunity to raise awareness about an issue through the medium of film. Topics included the protests in Syria, bottled water, migrant workers in Doha, victims of Japan's tsunami, and child labourers in Lebanon.