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optical communication
Ok. . .now i am just on a roll, but since i am, you benefit my getting to look at more pictures of mine. this time it is Spring Break where we took 17 students from VCU Qatar to Thailand as part of our Field Study Program. basically, it is a chance for us to expose our students to life outside Qatar and their ‘known’ environment. an amazing adventure and an amazing opportunity.
so how about this, huh? now that i have this whole picture thing figured out, i told you would write more stuff (of course i didn’t say when i would be writing), but the fact that i am posting TWO posts in the same day, does say something about my motivation—more likely than not, however, it just shows my guilt.
so, to appease, please find below a link to my photos from my trip to India this past Christmas break. I went with Muneera, Rehanah, Aaleeya and Lizzy. We tried staying in the Western portion of the country, and because India is such a HUGE country, it will take me many times going there to discover it all.
To say that our journey was more than intense, does not do the word ‘intense’ justice. for every magnificent good there is an equal and opposing bad thing that could be said of India. and while i will try and not dwell on the bad, there was a lot that was amazing about this and in retrospect, it is this good stuff that will i remember far longer than any of the bad.
ok. . .it goes without saying that i suck at updating this blog. . . even on a irregular basis like this. please bear with me, i think i have finally hit upon the ideal solution for this—and all the while it has been staring at me in the face.
what has caused me no mount of stress about this blog (and perhaps the biggest contributor to my lack of diligent updates), has less to do with actually writing something here (i always have something to say, right?), but more to do with the editing, the classifying, the ordering, and finally presenting the pictures i take. . . especially those on holiday. not that you care, but it really makes me sweat knowing that i should be updating this site more, but knowing how much effort it takes to do the above, i would just rather flake.
well, flake no more. the answer to my prayers (literally) comes in the form of Flickr (does the word ‘duh’ ring a bell here?). anyway, from here on out, and mostly when i travel and have LOTS of photos to share, you will find a link to a Flickr collection that you can peruse at your leisure. like now, with the last installment of my Jordan trip (lo, these many months hence…nearly six to be exact!).
so, without further ado:
Ok. While this is NOT a miracle, I do have part two of my Jordan trip ready for your enjoyment. There will be a third and final installment shortly. Then. . .and only then, can I begin on my India trip.
Enjoy!
I am perpetually bad at this. . .as you obviously can tell. Here it is 2008 AND I still have, as yet, to post the 2nd half of my trip to Jordan. That and I just got back from India!!! I really suck at this whole blog thingie, don’t I? I would make a point of trying to make this a New Years Resolution to do better, but I already broke it since here it is nearly a week into 2008 and I still have nothing *new* posted (well, except for this). I will remedy the situation shortly, but don’t hold your breath on any faster or more updated posts. I may never achieve that literary goal.
In any event. . .
Happy New Year. . .if somewhat belatedly and haggardly.
As usual, it has been a while since my last post.
This time, however, I have a pretty good excuse. . .I just got back from a trip to Jordan and have 500+ photos I am trying to organize and share. As you can see, it has taken me a while to get only a small portion of this trip ready (hence the roll out of part one). . .but it is a cool part. . .a place I have wanted to visit for nearly 30+ years. So, welcome to the Petra slideshow tour.
Six of us from VCU-Q (Cathy, Levi, Lizzy, Muneera, Nancy & myself) headed there for the Eid al Fitr break (the celebratory end of Ramadan), and had an amazing time. Hopefully, these pictures will do it some justice.
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Just so you know, if you click on any thumbnail picture in this post, it will launch the slideshow, starting from that picture and present you with the image in a larger format. During the slideshow, just click either side of the photo [on the right-side of the picture to advance or to the left -side to go backwards]. Oh, and [Close X] will obviously close the slideshow and bring you back to the post.
Alrighty then, shall we begin…
The holy month of Ramadan has begun here in Doha. Well, actually it has been going on for nearly two weeks now, but as you can see I am, as usual, late with updates. In any event “Ramadan Mubarak” (Merry Ramadan, or rather ‘blessed Ramadan’) and “Ramadan Kareem” (more of the same, but closer to ‘bountiful Ramadan’). This is a special time for most Muslim nations and is tantamount to the Christmas season for most Westerners. (more…)
Ramadan Kareem
Sorry for the protracted silence. I have been settling in and it has taken me a while to get back into the habit of this. That and I don’t yet have an internet connection at my new digs which means i have to carve out a little time for this. . .and like I said, I am out of practice with this. (more…)
Heading out tomorrow.
Oddly, I am not the least bit nervous about this: neither about the flight nor about the prospect of a new life living in the desert. I would think that I should be, but for some odd reason I am quite calm. Usually, I am stricken with anticipation anxiety when faced with such prospects. Not this time. I hope this is a good sign (and will take it as such) and not just some sad attempt on my part at denial…a trait I excel at. Actually, I am still, honestly & truly, very excited about what the future holds and look forward to getting to Qatar and all that life has to offer there.
As preamble to this, I have been thinking a lot about leaving…especially given my recent trip across country. I usually hate good-byes, which seem so final…blunt, even…, and instead prefer the idea of leave taking because it offers the option of a friendly returning. Leaving taking is an older, politer, tradition and one I prefer because it requires both parties involved to acknowledge that there is the possibility to the future and its mutual meeting. I like this.
I have left a lot of people lately, but in each instance, I know that I will be seeing them again and there is no small comfort in that. Even if time were to drag out between visits…as it so often does…it is not an inflicting concern because there is the potential for returning, picking up where we left off and continuing on from there. So, with this in mind, I hereby take my leave (even so soon after starting) and will resume from the sultry heat of my new home.
Until then…