Kayaking

As the weather begins to cool we can start participating in more outdoor activities. During the Eid break we took a break from painting to do some kayaking. It was a perfect 34 degrees with a light breeze and a high tide as we set out from Al Khor (45 minutes north of Doha).

After 25 years of marriage, Tim and Lisa know very well that they cannot share a kayak. So we paddled as parent-child partners and this made for a much more pleasant afternoon.

We joined a tour group that was exploring the Mangrove forests on the northeast coast of Qatar. We literally paddled through a forest -- remarkable! Mangrove trees live on the edge of tidal waters and have an amazing ability to adapt to the salt content of water. While most mangroves require some regular "flushing" with fresh water, these trees on Qatar's coastline have no access to fresh water at all. Most trees would die in this situation. Mangroves also have "aerial roots". They breathe air through a system of "snorkels". These snorkels come up from the roots of the tree to breathe above the level of saltwater. But twice a day (when the tide covers the root) they do not breathe -- there is air stored in their snorkels! We also saw hundreds of little fish swimming among the roots. It is common for these fish to jump into the boat. And they did! Tim got hit in the face with one flying through the air! It was an educational afternoon and a great day in the outdoors.

As we neared the end of our trip, Max did ask why we hadn't seen any fruit? Mangroves produce a flower but no fruit. He still looked confused as we explained this because he was expecting to see mangoes. He thought it was a mango grove, not a man-grove. Different species of tree. Glad we cleared that up!

EID -- break week or work week?

When Dad is not watching

This past week was a holiday in Qatar. Eid Al Adha is the "Feast of Sacrifice" which remembers Abraham and the near-sacrifice of his son. It is a week of feasting and being with family. This year we chose to stay in Qatar to relax.

But, alas, we did not relax much. We painted our Living/ Dining rooms. This is a project that Lisa has been wanting to do since moving into the villa. Tim hates painting more than anything else in the whole world!

Our whole house is painted white -- a nice cool colour but not very pleasing to the eye. We chose a neutral sand colour (appropriate too).



We are all pleased with the result. And still married, although it was touch and go for awhile. Along with painting we hung artwork from various trips, and changed the accent colour from blue to green (chair pads, cushions, candles). The result is a warm and cozy place to hang out and entertain.

Today we showcased our new look for four members of the crew of the Logos Hope ship. The Logos is the world's largest floating bookmobile. It houses a bookstore with 500,000 volumns. This is a welcome addition to Doha's port because Qatar only has 4 bookstores (including WHSmith that just opened last week). Good reading material can be a challenge to find. The ship is in port for a week and on its last visit to Doha 40,000 people visited the ship. Our dinner guests were from France, Germany, Australia, and South Korea.

Nose2Nose

Earlier this week Max had opportunity to work with a British Theater group called Nose2Nose. The group was at Qatar Academy for a 2 day workshop with the drama and music students. Nose2Nose is an "international creative arts and media group offering shows and workshops worldwide" (from their website www.nose2nose.org).

The result of their two days of work was a 30 minute original drama entitled "The Fear of Everything". The drama contained multiple segments depicting fear of disappointing family, fear of living after a loved one has died, fear of being different, fear of not knowing enough, fear of mental illness. Max focused on improvisational bass guitar as an accompaniment to the drama. It was an emotional drama and Max was challenged with several solo works in a minor key.

What a difference a year makes

Simon holding the ball, Max trying to get clear

Last year Max and Simon joined the Qatar Foundation basketball program. This is a community basketball club that started very small with a view to create an interest in basketball among young people. In a year the program has grown exponentially!

The practices started with just a couple of players and now has over 250 children ages 7 through 18 practicing three times a week. The program started with scrimmages among themselves to a league of 8 local teams as members of the Qatar Basketball Federation. The teams play each other once a week at a facility built just for youth basketball.

Under16 team wearing new uniforms for this season

Max and Simon play for the Under 16 Boys Team. They have just begun the season and have 1 win and 1 loss so far.  We are so proud that they are both on the starting lineup.

Max and Simon with Coach Mauritio September 2013

We are also very pleased with the quality of the coaching staff. Coach Sandra played for the women's national team of Mexico. She actually was recruited to play in Canada as a teenager and attended University in Nova Scotia on a basketball scholarship. Coach Eric is a former NCAA player for Penn State and Coach Mauritio is a former player and coach of the men's national team of Mexico.

Max and Simon with Coach Mauritio June 2012

And not only has the program grown -- so have the players!

IKEA

Tonight we had a very successful shopping trip to IKEA. The store opened in February this year and it is less than 10 minutes from our home. Our visit was prompted by a desire for a shoe rack and some baskets for storage.  Also Simon's friends say the Swedish Meatballs are the best in the world!

Shopping in Doha is fun but a bit strange -- IKEA really feels like a homecoming. One of Lisa's colleagues recently commented that a visit to IKEA is "magical"!