Shattered Dreams

As the Beijing Olympics fast approach, those watching from Qatar will have a difficult time reconciling these 2008 festivities with the Olympic committees disappointing decision earlier this year to exclude Qatar from the final 4 cities vying for the 2016 games. The local journalism helps put the shear scope of the devastation in perspective (I have a sneaking suspicion that the photograph of ladies crying has NOTHING to do with Olympics).

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=222672&version=1&template_id=57&parent_id=56

There's been plenty of 'talk' that the Olympic committee is biased against Arab countries, but while there are probably several reasons that Qatar was overlooked (heat, tourism, infrastructure, perceived terrorist threat, event attendance) the one that resonates with me is historical Olympic participation. Bringing the Olympics to Qatar would be like bringing the World Series to New Zealand - there's no connection. It might be a nice place (debatable in August), willing to pay for new facilities and infrastructure (if they complete)... but what emotional connection does Qatar have with the Olympics. Shouldn't a host country boast a resume with more than 2 Olympic medals?

There's actually a small Olympic store in one of the big malls here, and if the maroon and gold colored albatross-like mascot hanging in the window is any indication of the plans submitted to the Olympic committee, I can't say I'm sorry to see the likes of Rio and Tokyo battle for 2016 (although Chicago probably has the edge since Rio is dangerous and Asian/Europe are hosts in 2008 and 2012).

Luckily for family and friends the Olympic store refuses to offer a discounted price on the albatross stuffed animals, even 2 months after learning they missed their chance. Maybe they are waiting to see what becomes of the 2020 bid.

Back in Safe Hands

I love hockey.

Lying on my parents' couch recovering from the flu & a fever I nervously listened to the 1997 Stanley Cup Playoffs... rooting on the team I adopted as my own well before the Coyotes came to Phoenix (pause to mention my parents are both from Michigan and I cheered for the Wings long before they were putting together winning seasons - so save all your bandwagon comments). Listening to the final game on an AM radio gave that night a nostalgic feel... once I moved to college, cable TV thankfully allowed me to watch my team play through the greatest Playoffs in Pro sports; twice more hoisting the cup as I followed along at home.

6 years after their last championship I would have easily paid $100 for an AM radio with the broadcast - as you can imagine Hockey isn't a big ratings boost in the Middle East, compounded by the our losing ESPN three months ago (I didn't realize how important SportsCenter had become in my life). Instead I sat in front of a work computer monitor, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes and holding my breath for each 30-second score update. Sure - the outcome was satisfying, but the experience was terribly diluted. Most people buy the championship commemorative DVDs to look back at the defining moments in a series. I'm buying the DVD to salvage the Stanley Cup experience.

Now comes the painful few months between the Stanley Cup presentation and College Football kickoff - hopefully Rugby Union or International Darts League can bridge the gap better than the NBA Finals and Baseball do back home. Offense completely intended.

For more info on what makes Lord Stanley's Cup the best trophy in all sports: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Cup

One Year Wiser

Time flies when you're having... fun?

We survived our first trip around the sun on the 'other' side of the globe, and somewhere along the way Doha became home. To the discerning blog reader (fyi- if you're reading our blog you qualify as 'discerning'), our recent Post drought indicates that a year after our arrival we've run out of unique experiences to share. It's not that life has gotten boring, but rather we have built up an immunity to the experiences that define our lives in Qatar. Think: hopping in a cold pool on a warm day, which seems to be the only thing that shocks us these days!

That's not to devalue the experiences we've had thus far - the lessons we've learned along the way. As the day-to-day activities blend one week into the next, it's easy to forget that nearly each day includes some morsel of cultural significance unavailable within the sheltered neighborhoods of our youth.

Thanks to all of you who continue to support us through phone calls, emails, comments, and prayers. We see tremendous opportunity in Doha for the years ahead, a base of operations from which we intend to continue meeting new countries, stretching our comfort levels, challenging our perspectives, and as always - reporting back on our adventures.

“The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” - Saint Augustine