Happy Birthday to Who?

Happy biRthday to one of my favorite people Of all time. I love how the Google search bAr often reminds me of hoLidays or special Days (see the pic above - can you piece together the clues).

Don't miss my other post today below...

Play Along at Home

You're invited to participate in International Expat Appreciation month...

Ramadan begins today, representing one of the more intrusive cultural experiences for expats living in Muslim nations. The Holy Month of Ramadan occurs during the 9th month of the Islamic calendar (lunar calendar so it shifts each yea), and is a month celebrating the fourth pillar of Islam (fasting), marked by prayer, fasting, charity, and self accountability. More detailed information available online:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan

You might be wondering - Brandon, you're not Muslim, how does this religious holiday impact your life? Good question... if you live in a country without a state religion you might not even realize that Ramadan is occurring, since Muslims will be celebrating within their community. But Qatar, along with most other Gulf Countries, upholds Islam as the state religion, so all residents - regardless of religious affiliation - are expected to publicly obey the fasting requirements.

If you'd like to partake in the celebrations we've laid out a few easy steps based on the US Embassy's recent email to citizens in Qatar so you can play along at home:

> Don't eat or drink ANYTHING from sunrise to sundown - to clarify this includes water and gum and includes any setting where you could be seen (office, car, mall)... the only place where it's safe to eat or drink is in the privacy of your own home, with the shades drawn (not necessary since we have shnazzy reflective glass windows on our Villa like those from 90’s Oakleys).

> Don't buy any food or drink from sunrise to sundown - if you want to stock up you'll have to do so amidst crowds that make the day before Thanksgiving look manageable. The alcohol distributor (remember only one shop in town), closes for the entirety of Ramadan, so hopefully you already bought enough liquor to last you through the month. Don't forget to budget for the 60-100% markup.

> Continue working a full day (7 to 5), but let half of your coworkers work reduced hours (7 to noon) in recognition of their religious affiliation and their fast induced weakness. To be fair I have fasted before and it can take a significant physical and emotional toll on you – so I can appreciate the reduced working hours, but if given the option I would give up lunch if it meant leaving at noon (since that’s when we typically leave for lunch anyways).

> To simulate driving home after work during Ramadan, which conveniently corresponds with sundown, wait until there is an accident on your town's major freeway just before dinner (so everyone is hungry and in a hurry), then drive around with your air conditioning off, flipping off everyone around until you're surrounded by a multitude of drivers who have directed the anger from their hunger and terrible traffic towards you. No wonder the embassy recommends you should not drive during the hours before and after sunset, a time when "many accidents occur, some deadly". Likewise we were told to avoid the streets during the new “quitting time” from 11:00-1:00 as most locals are racing home from work.

> It's especially important during Ramadan that everyone observe a radically conservative dress - keeping the majority of skin covered in public settings, so be sure to dust off your jackets and scarves (remember it’s still hitting feels like temps here of around 125F).

> Lastly, for those who are married, it's customary to abstain from sexual relations during the fast - to maintain clarity of mind for prayer and meditation. Some couples may have an easier time than others maintaining this requirement.

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So the first half of this post was written a week ago, in preparation for Ramadan, and I’ve noticed myself progressing through several stages of Ramadan adjustment, laid out below:

1. Denial: “Ramadan won’t effect me, I’m not Muslim”
2. Confusion: “What do you mean I can’t eat, drink, smoke, or have sex in public? (italics indicate a joke)”
3. Anger: “How can a country tell me when and where I can eat / drink / smoke / chew gum?”
*This is the point at which I wrote the first half of the post (and had to revise slightly to avoid being kicked out of the country)*
4. Acceptance: “I can appreciate the sincere motivations of those who are fasting and will adapt my lifestyle in simple ways to express my respect for their religious and cultural beliefs”
5. Subversion: “How can I keep eating and drinking without getting caught and caned (aided by my sarcastic supervisor who is probably still stuck on state #3)”

Despite my sarcastic reaction to being forced to pseudo-participate in Ramadan - there are some positive elements to the event:

> As Qatar enters a month dedicated to religious obedience, I’m inspired to pursue my own religious beliefs more diligently – an activity that would be prohibited in some other countries in the region (certainly something to be thankful for). It is inspiring to see an entire nation embrace religious principles universally… even though I’m not Muslim, I am impressed by the outward devotion I’ve seen in preparation for Ramadan.
> There’s a small sandwich shop and convenience store that stay open during Ramadan, drawing large crowds of non-Muslim lunch-goers, including my supervisor and I today… so for those willing to brave the busy lunchtime streets, there is hope of finding something edible if you know where to go and what password to use. Don’t forget to hide all the goodies in a bag and shuffle back to the car quickly; I’ll admit there was an obvious feeling like we were getting away with something / as if our offices would be raided at any moment, our sandwiches confiscated and our loved ones contacted about our immediate deportation… McDonald’s flavor adding experts could never produce the same endorphins released during a covert Ramadan lunch.
> I used the additional time during lunch to complete a crossword and catch up on the latest news. Did you hear that the Official Kilogram is mysteriously losing mass! – maybe that metric systems isn’t as awesome as everyone thinks it is. Last time I checked the pound still weighed a pound.
> Advertisements have promised much better TV programming during the month of Ramadan (after all those who leave work at noon need something to do) – including a new movie every day on ShowMovies, plenty of sports coverage on OrbitESPN, and new sitcoms / dramatic series on ShowComedy / AmericaPlus...
> I’m leaving for 3 weeks out of the 30 day Ramadan holiday, returning just in time for the best part of Ramadan – the Eid, or breaking of the fast celebration – a three day break from work that we’ll be using to recuperate from our trip back to the States. Finally we start to break even on Holidays after missing out on Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day.

Here’s to new experiences, well timed vacations, and bakeries willing to play neighborhood “lunch-dealer”.

The Bun is Done

Sheri and I became Aunt and Uncle over the weekend, when her older brother Matt and his wife Vanessa gave birth to 7lb 3oz Ava Anderson - a beautiful baby girl.

It's the first big event we've had to miss because of our expatriation, reminding us just how far away we moved. Pictures and phone calls don't quite make up for time in the rocking chair... but we'll be back to civilization in a few weeks to meet Ava face to face and celebrate another lifechanging event - Abby's wedding (you probably thought I was going to say Halo3's release, which coincidentally is released during our trip as well)!

For little Ava's privacy I won't be posting her photos on the blog - but you can send us an email or leave a comment on the blog to get the cute pics sent over.

Do keep mom, dad and baby in your prayers - based on the testimonies of other friends with newborns, they'll need it - especially if Ava takes after her Aunt Sheri!

Medicine for $500

Sheri acquired her "back to school" headcold late last week, and I did what any responsible husband does in that situation - got sick too! Isn't it amazing what a sore throat and nagging cough can do to your productivity at work and home. After one restless night of sleeping in separate rooms to avoid keeping each other awake, we headed straight to the neighborhood Pharmacy to pick up some cough medicine. When we arrived we bought a bottle of Robitussin, only to discover that while it contained the expectorant Guaifenesin to loosen the cough, it did not have the effective cough suppressant Dextromethorphan - DM to help you sleep through the night. Apparently Robitussin DM requires a doctor's prescription in Doha. They did sell us a comparable syrup, but based on last night's performance I'm convinced it's a poor combination of watered down scotch and a splash of cherry snowcone juice. Fortunately, Sheri found a can of Vick's Vaporub, which also performed reasonably well as a 'Zona repellent (apparently dog's don't enjoy the overwhelming aromatic blend of Camphor and Menthol).

I'll take "Medicine" for $500 Alex.

Answer: "If you ever travel to this country, where you can buy name brand birth control pills over the counter for pennies on the dollar, be sure to bring your own Dextromethorphan, because preventing unwanted pregnancies is easier than preventing a nagging nighttime cough".