Bio
I am an American student studying abroad in Qatar for the Spring 2012 semester. Hope you enjoy reading about my adventures in Doha and beyond!
After every storm, if you look hard enough, a rainbow appears…
This is the Chinese word for crisis. Why am I posting this? Well, like the picture shows, the two characters by themselves mean danger and opportunity. It looks like an oxymoron, but it’s not. It perfectly explains my situation.
I had put myself in danger. Almost a week later, I am not in danger anymore. I now have the opportunity to become healthy and strong again. As bad as this whole situation was, nothing but good things will come from this.
My study abroad experience was cut short due to health reasons. I never expected this to happen. I knew Doha was going to change me and make me a better person, but not like this.
It feels so weird right now. I’m back in the same hotel I was at when I first arrived in Doha. I am going back to the States in the morning. No more blog posts :(
I enjoyed my time here in Doha. I have no regrets. I really wish I could have stayed and finished the semester. I fell in love with this city, with this country, and I fully intend on coming back someday.
These are screenshots of the essays I wrote, photos I Googled, and the powerpoint I put together for my Geography of the Middle East course. This course was the catalyst in deciding where I wanted to go study abroad. My top two choices for the country project (and where to study abroad) were Qatar and the UAE.
One of my classmates, a native Qatari, asked me why I chose to study abroad in Qatar. Besides the cliche answers of, “I wanted to learn Arabic” and “I wanted to learn more about Middle East culture”, I mentioned the Middle East course I took. I told her that after I had presented my powerpoint on Qatar, I felt that I NEEDED to come here. I spent the entire semester researching and learning about Qatar; why waste all this knowledge I obtained?
It’s been about a year since I took that course. I still can’t believe that I am actually here. If you told me I’d be in Qatar this time last year, I would have laughed in your face. Looking through all of the assignments I did for that course, it amazes me that I’ve visited some of the places I mentioned. I squealed with excitement when I stood in front of or drove by some of the buildings I have looked up pictures of. Most importantly, by being here, I have a greater understanding about some of the environmental and social problems that I had written about in my essays.
This may sound a little out-there, but I truly believe that there was a reason I was given my first choice for that country project. It was fate. I was supposed to learn more about this wonderful country and actually get to live in it for a while.
It is now May 1st. I have 45 days left. 45 more opportunities to make lifelong memories; to cherish and enjoy every moment of. 45 sunrises and sunsets. 45 more trips to the shawarma place (kidding. or am I? ;]). 45 reasons to remind myself why life is beautiful, and how lucky I am to be experiencing something most never get to experience in their lifetime.
and so the desert heat begins!
Day 1 of Hijab/Shayla week. I’m also wearing an abaya today.
API Doha #studyabroad student Sarah Lopez won a photo contest at her home university of Salem State and this photo will be featured in their calendar - congratulations Sarah!
hope u like QU and the life in Qatar ?
- asked by basilashqar
I like very much! I can’t believe I have to leave in June!! I want to stay longer! I love Qatar :)
QU has amazing professors.
They are all so accomplished. Collectively they have chapters published in books, published their own books, can speak and/or read like 10 different languages, and have lived and taught in all around the world.
Seriously, they are so amazing. Each could easily be teaching at the most prestigious schools in the US. I am extremely jealous of the students at QU. I’m not saying my professors back home suck; they are all great at what they do and have done more than enough to help me realize geography is what I am meant to do. I think it’s quite brave of them to be teaching in a country that they weren’t born in and aren’t settling for what is safe.
If being a professor is what I eventually decide to do, I can only hope I can be as brave to take that giant leap and teach overseas.
Alrighty then, I should really stop procrastinating and read for class tomorrow.
I am really terrible at names
My villamates can be loud some nights, but they are some of the sweetest girls I’ve ever met.
They offer me foods I have never tried before. They all wished me a happy birthday last week. They even offer to help me with Arabic. This past weekend, they had a small party in the living room for one of the girl’s birthdays and got me out of my room for a bit to join them for a bit. I ended up meeting one girl who is also from The States and has been going through some similar things that I have been going through.
I currently write this from our living room. I have absolutely no idea what they are talking about, what one of them is watching on her computer, or what is going on in the novella they’re watching, but it’s okay. I just like that we’re all sitting together, and that I’m improving my Arabic listening skills.
One thing I need to work on is remembering all of their names. It’s terrible. We’ve lived in the same villa for 2 months and I still have no clue. I know one is named Miriam, but I’m not sure which one it is. The short one is the one who turned 23 last weekend, and then there is the girl from Oman, and the girl from Abu Dhabi. Then there are the other 4 whose names I do not know at all, but I’m sure one of them is the Miriam I mentioned earlier.
Hopefully I learn all their names soon. إن شاء الله
The closest I’ll get to baseball in Qatar!
Madonna, time does not go by so slowly.
Kudos to whomever knows which one of her songs I’m referring to.
Just a warning: This post is going to be one my more serious, realer ones. Get ready.
