Qatar, Doha; Just another American Saturday night...

There was something about traveling half way across the world that made me think my experience would be a little different than (as Brad Paisley puts it) 'just another American Saturday night.' But with the exception that Qatar's Saturday nights actually take place on Friday nights (the weekend here is Friday-Saturday because Friday is the holy day), last night was 'just another...'

To clarify, I accompanied Eric and his friends to a girl's apartment for beer pong, there was debate about who would be the DD, we drank, came back and chilled at another friend's apartment (picked up drunk food on the way), drank more, listened to Brad, Taylor Swift, and Rihanna, had a watermelon-seed spitting competition in the hallway, and stayed up drinking various concoctions while playing your typical drinking games until sunrise (a 5 am occurence since Qatar is on Mecca time... something it shouldn't be if you look at a map).

In talking to various of these young American expats, I learned that they all have found it nearly impossible to integrate themselves with the Qataris. Although they may work in conjunction and co-exist happily, they don't overlap in social circles. My initial reaction was 'that's unfortunate' but in reality I have no idea if that is indeed the case.

The people I have met, however, have an intriguing quality ... and 'adventurous' doesn't quite do it justice... The quality it takes to pack up your life into a suitcase and move across the world, combined with adventurousness and confidence and deeper understanding of other cultures than I could ever have. Almost all of them have taken this opportunity to also travel to other places far and wide (Dubai, Oman, India, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dabi, etc etc etc etc etc etc). I am continually impressed and amazed with their lifestyles and ease of travel, opportunities, and by this quality, which I have yet to find a word to describe precisely. Interestingly, a number of people expressed an interest in my shoes, with 3.5 months to take off and be on nobody else's watch but their own... I suppose the grass, even if really really green (only metaphorically, we ARE in the desert), is still always greener on the other side.

Speaking of deserts, we played in one all day yesterday. Pictures of desert activities such as 4 by 4 ing, rolling down sandy hills, swimming in the Persian/Arabian gulf, and skiing (yes, you heard me) to come when i get them off my camera. A bientot!