A Day at the Mall

Today's high temperature: 111 degrees F. I think I have learned why the rest of the world uses Celsius...it doesn't sound nearly as bad. In other words...we reached 44 degrees C today. As a result of the high temperatures for much of the year, malls have become very popular over here. There is a mall, Villagio, within walking distance from my work and this has become my connection with the rest of the world. I have gone to the bank and done grocery shopping here. Here is a glimpse of what I have experienced during my mall excursions...

...in case walking isn't your thing

This is the sporting goods store...

it's really nice and has just about anything you would need...

...including foam rollers...woohoo...

...anything a physio could need.

This photo speaks for itself.

The wall of color:

During my time here I have been fascinated by the fact that bright neon'ish colors are in. I have a bright yellow/green camelback that I brought with me. I was worried that it would standout. Little did I know that everything includes these bright colors. My brief survey has led me to conclude that bright green and blue are the colors of choice.

More color

Gondolandia:

A fun place for kids...and those who haven't grown up yet!

Including a rollercoaster...

...a ferris wheel

...big trampolines

I had breakfast with some friends at PQ's (friends not pictured)

Just a glimpse of how crazy the parking lot becomes if you wait till Friday or Saturday afternoon/evening to go to the mall.

Blogging in Arabic

Hello again! By now you may have wondered what happened to my regularly irregular blogposts. Well...blogger or blogspot...whatever you call this blog provider...decided to change my blog into Arabic whenever I attempted to access it. So for some crazy reason, all of my links were in a completely different language. At first I thought "oh cool," I'll just go ahead and click on these funny looking links and one of them has got be the link for a new post. I either suspected incorrectly...or else I really do not know how to read Arabic. Both are very likely at this point in the game.

I can't really explain it...but there is something inside of me that is drawn to the way things are written in Arabic. So don't be surprised if you see more blogs along these lines in the future!

WHEN ALL MEANS FAIL

During this first week, I have found myself spending spare time listening to Wayfm...a pretty sweet christian station based out of Grand Rapids. This morning they gave an update on the passing of David Wilkerson. Wilkerson was an author and did some great things with ministry outreaches and such. He passed away unexpectedly in a car accident just a couple of days ago.

He wrote a blog hours prior to his passing which just touched me. I wanted to just share his blog and let you take it for what it is. I know it is on target with my heart's cry and my experiences this past week moving to Qatar as well as everything else that has gone on during the past 6 months of my life. Without further ado...here is David Wilkerson's contribution:

WHEN ALL MEANS FAIL

To believe when all means fail is exceedingly pleasing to God and is most acceptable. Jesus said to Thomas, “You have believed because you have seen, but blessed are those that do believe and have not seen” (John 20:29).

Blessed are those who believe when there is no evidence of an answer to prayer—who trust beyond hope when all means have failed.

Someone has come to the place of hopelessness—the end of hope—the end of all means. A loved one is facing death and doctors give no hope. Death seems inevitable. Hope is gone. The miracle prayed for is not happening.

That is when Satan’s hordes come to attack your mind with fear, anger, overwhelming questions: “Where is your God now? You prayed until you had no tears left. You fasted. You stood on promises. You trusted.”

Blasphemous thoughts will be injected into your mind: “Prayer failed. Faith failed. Don’t quit on God—just do not trust him anymore. It doesn’t pay!”

Even questioning God’s existence will be injected into your mind. These have been the devices of Satan for centuries. Some of the godliest men and women who ever lived were under such demonic attacks.

To those going through the valley and shadow of death, hear this word: Weeping will last through some dark, awful nights—and in that darkness you will soon hear the Father whisper, “I am with you. I cannot tell you why right now, but one day it will all make sense. You will see it was all part of my plan. It was no accident. It was no failure on your part. Hold fast. Let me embrace you in your hour of pain.”

Beloved, God has never failed to act but in goodness and love. When all means fail—his love prevails. Hold fast to your faith. Stand fast in his Word. There is no other hope in this world.

So many channels...

Upon my arrival in Doha...I was excited to see that I had a flat screen television sitting in the living room of my villa with my name on it. Ok, so my name wasn't really on it...and it wasn't really calling my name....but hey, a flat-screen tv! Living in Grand Haven these past couple of years we never had a flat screen television in the living room. But alas...I have made it. I now have a flat screen!

Umm...one problem. There are next to no channels in English! I have satellite tv here...but no good channels! This may surprise you, but I seriously have 1715 channels. Unfortunately, they are all from tunisia, india, russia, europe, asia, africa, and of course the middle east. Instead of ESPN, ESPN 2, or Fox Sports...we have Nile Sport, Saudi Sport, Iraqia Sport, Dubai Sports, Dubai Sports 2, Kuwait Sport...you get the idea! Instead of MTV or VH1...we have an unlimited supply of music videos from all over the world and in any language (including polish!). Instead of the many american movie channels...we have american movies dubbed over in Arabic. Instead of the many tele-evangelists and preachers...we have an abundance of islamic programming including prayers and teachings of the quran. As I am typing this blog...I am watching Viva Polska...it's kind of like VH1's Behind the Music and their countdown shows. I think they are currently counting down the top boy bands or something. I have learned there is no Polish word for 'metrosexual' or for 'sexy back,' as in Justin Timberlake bringing 'sexy back.'

Here is just a glimpse of another show that I came across during my first week: (it may look a little familiar)

Needless to say...I used to think it was bad in the States when we got 80 channels and there was nothing on...Now I get 1700+ and there is still nothing on!!!

The Beginnings...

Upon my arrival to Doha, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I had a roommate. Over my first few days my roommate, Abdallah, and I had a great chance to talk and get to know one another. Abdallah is from Tunisia. I have discovered that there are many Tunisian's living here in Doha. He has been very welcoming. Abdallah and I went to the mall over the weekend and did some shopping. Two times he bought me food while we were out and my first two nights he made me dinner! Talk about a great surprise! Sadly...Abdallah moved out and into another apartment this week...so I am left to fend for my own food.

Abdallah preparing me dinner the second night...

Check out the artistic expression!

Who needs to go out for dinner?

To update everyone on my dripping air conditioner situation...

Here's the situation. Note the position of the a/c unit. Note that I like to sleep on the right side of the bed (as pictured in this photo) directly under the a/c unit secondary to the layout of the room. I thank you all for your suggestions and solutions. I am sorry but I did not go with the suggestions from Mari or Erik. As useful as it would be to hydrate while sleeping or in the case of sleeping with my head at the foot of the bed...what would you end up calling the headboard then? So...I did heed the advice from my dear friend Carrie and pulled the bed 2 inches away from the wall. (1 point for the use of 'heed'...and I don't know what makes you a 'dear' friend Carrie...I'm thinking everyone else has their work cut out to rise to your status!) No more chinese...or maybe qatari water torture for me!

Random poll question...do you always get in and out of bed and sleep on the same side of your bed? Prior to my current sleep situation in this apartment...I have always gotten in and out of the bed from the other side...this holds true through the Royal Vista townhouse, Dave's, my undergrad apartment, the dorms, and my bedroom back at home growing up! Just curious what others have done...

Nothing good happens after 2 a.m.

I was going to resist posting a blog tonight once I realized it was 2:46 am. But then I was reminded by an anonymous friend that "nothing good happens after 2 a.m." Thanks Erik. This quote is from our show...How I Met Your Mother. In fact I am reminded of the 18th episode of the first season in which Ted shares this advice. More to come on this show and how it is intertwined with my life...and that of many of you around me.

So I was not going to post anything...but then I realized my first post was written after 2 a.m...and that one seemed to turn out alright. So here it goes. I struggled with whether or not I should post tonight because I didn't want to spend a lot of time on this. I wanted it to be professional and well thought out. But then I decided that if I wait for time or to creatively design this blog...I would never make another post. So that being said...many of my posts may be very informal such as this one. It allows you to get the real me...and my real interactions...and my real thoughts.

Maybe I should rename this blog..."random thoughts during this Qatari adventure." So random thoughts from today...this air conditioning unit in my bedroom (which is placed directly over the head of the bed) has been dripping water on my for the past hour!...it needs to stop so I can go to bed...it hasn't done this the past few nights...there it goes again! You see...the water drops from above, hits the head board, and then splatters all over the back of my head and neck. Maybe I will strategically lay on an angle in my bed so that it doesn't splatter on my head. It is kind of like when someone sneezes on the back of your neck...

Oh yeah...I miss you guys!

I should be sleeping...

Yeah...I really should be sleeping. It's 4:30 in the morning and I've been lying here for nearly 2 hours with no sign of actual sleep. Call it jet lag (I did travel across 7 timezones and arrived here in this small country of Qatar about 36 hours ago) or maybe it's the excitement/nervousness of what is in store for the near future (kind of like the kid who can't sleep before Disney World). And yes...this is coming from the same guy who falls asleep within two minutes of hitting the pillow every night...well most nights I guess.

Either way...what does one do at 4:30am? Well start the blog that so many have been requesting, of course! So here it is. The blog. The story. The adventure...of how a young 28 year old moved around the world from the state that resembles a mitten to the peninsular country that looks a lot like the thumb of that mitten. Oh yeah...that peninsular country just happens to be located in the Middle East...and it's hot! And yes, I did mean to describe myself as a 'young' 28 year old. The adventure is just beginning...care to tag along?