Best time of the year

We're back home in Doha after the most wonderful summer vacation. We spent seven glorious weeks in Ontario visiting family and friends, and enjoying the cool, green outdoors. It was the most low-key, relaxing summer vacation we've ever had, and more than ever before, I tried to savour every minute of it.

The older I get, the more impressive small things become. I soaked in the smell of wet grass after a rain, the cool breeze on a humid-less summer afternoon, the sound of raindrops on the roof. I got so much pleasure out of watching Caleb discover birds and trees, master the stairs at home and at the park, dip his head in splash pad fountains, and warm up to people who are dear to us. And of course I took advantage of the array of toddler-friendly snack foods, affordable children's clothing and local produce. We were able to celebrate my youngest sister's wedding (at which my thobed ring-bearing toddler ran down the aisle with the biggest grin on his face), spend significant time with most of our extended immediate family, eat all the foods we miss while living abroad, have few but good visits with dear friends, and make daily trips to a park, beach, hiking trail or splash pad as a family.

Through all the transitions this summer included, we couldn't have been more proud of our little trooper. I think in total, Caleb slept in 11 different rooms - including bedrooms, a hallway, a family room, a laundry room and a furnace room - in 7 weeks. The way we would walk into a new home, and set ourselves up there made Darren wonder whether Caleb believes we can simply choose a house and live in it. :)

I admit I am glad to be home again, eating out of our own fridge, sleeping in our own bed (well, we will once we get the A/C in our room working again), and making messes in our own space. And once the school year starts tomorrow, having a stable routine for all 3 of us.

We are grateful to everyone who accommodated us in one way or another over the past 3 summers. Your generosity is not overlooked or under-appreciated. Please consider visiting us in Doha and letting us having the pleasure of repaying you in kind.

Until then, happy fall, everyone!

The beginning of the list

Our weekly dinner and discussion group has just completed a discussion series on narcissism. One of the ways of thwarting our narcissistic tendencies that we talked about was meditating on the things in life for which we are thankful. And boy is my list long:

I am thankful for my husband. He is strong and gentle, challenging and encouraging, logical and full of emotion. He balances me in a way I didn’t know was possible, and supports me through situations I don’t believe I have the strength to conquer.

I am thankful for my son. He is a joy to be woken up by, a pleasure to interact with, and a prize to come home to. Every week we are amazed by how much he has developed and changed, and we look forward with great anticipation to what comes next.

I am thankful for my job. Even on days when my students threaten to drive me crazy, when my curriculum development work seems futile, when my teaching team shows signs of dysfunction, I still have to admit that I currently have the best job of my career so far.

I am thankful for my country of residence. At times I am discouraged by the climate, landscape, traffic and solitude of our current living situation. But I am grateful for all the opportunities – both present and future – that this country affords us.

I am thankful for my people back home. Most of my nearest and dearest are almost on the other side of the planet, but they remain close to my heart. The intensity with which I long for our annual trip to Canada and the reunions it promises is enough to show my gratitude for those whom I rarely
see but love deeply.

I am thankful for my people here. It is hard to build deep relationships anywhere, and even more so in a transient community. However, we have been blessed with friends with whom we can laugh, cry, and share advice. For this I am grateful.

I am thankful for my health, and the health of those I love. I have many little health quirks, but I am strong and able. No one in my family is hospitalized or dying. I am blessed.

I am thankful for my past. Who I am is the summation of all my past experiences. While most of them were positive, I am also thankful for the difficult moments in my life that built character.

I am thankful for so many things. I am thankful for the fantastic solution to our childcare worries. I am thankful for my miracle tomato plants that produced fruit even after the stocks had dried up. I am thankful for good books to read or to have read to me. I am thankful for afternoon trips to the compound pool with Caleb and his friends. I am thankful for a good nights' sleep and feeling refreshed in the morning. I am thankful for the maintenance men who come to fix problems in our accommodation two, three and even four times. I am thankful for the excessive air conditioning in my office that makes the unbearable heat outdoors seem (momentarily) like a welcome change. I am thankful for our furnished accommodation, for its proximity to our workplace, for friendly and quiet neighbours. I am thankful for friends who live literally around the corner and who stop by unannounced. I am thankful for access to a large variety of affordable and healthy foods. I am thankful for evenings of games and sharing. I am thankful for guests who join us here in the desert. I am thankful for small reminders of home, like PC white cheddar macaroni and cheese. I am thankful for the technology that allows us to capture precious moments in time and share them with people we care about. I am thankful for fresh banana cake, especially when it is made by an 8-year old friend. I am thankful for home-cooked meals, even when I have to do the home cooking. I am thankful for competent doctors and nurses who care for us when we are ill and reassure us when we are healthy. I am thankful for good conversations with new friends and old. I am thankful for genuine smiles from security guards and grounds staff. I am thankful for lazy weekends and afternoon naps. I am thankful for second-hand baby clothes and toys. I am thankful for unexpected update-type emails. I am thankful for cool breezes any time of the year. I am thankful for dinner invitations and for having our invitations accepted. I am thankful for good advice and those who give it. I am thankful for people who challenge me and help me refocus. I am thankful for freshly folded laundry and recently washed dishes. I am thankful for the chirping of birds coming through the AC vent. I am thankful for comforting hugs and reassuring words. I am thankful for I am thankful for our weekly discussion group that prompted this post in the first place.

This is just the beginning of the list. My goal is to grow the list each day, and in doing so, cultivate a spirit of thanksgiving which will hopefully begin the long overdue shift from self- to other-focus. Thankfully, there is much to be thankful for.

Happy Birthday, Caleb

It's hard to believe that a year has passed and our little Caleb is one year old. He has grown and changed so much in the past year. Every day we are surprised by something new and every day we fall in love with him all over again.

Happy Birthday to our darling son. Our lives are fuller and more joyful because of you.

Already

For the first time in 4 months, the ACs have switched at the Conley residence. Long pants haven't been seen a few days now - outside of work (Darren has to adhere to the dress code). Trips to the park are being reserved for 4:00 when there is sufficient shade. Looks like winter is on its way out.

It's hard to remember in the midst of the glorious 22-degree weather just how hot it gets here. I mentioned to my students that I thought it was starting to warm up and they said I should be happy. When I questioned that response they said, "Canadians like hot weather." At least now I know that stereotypes are alive and well in my classroom.

While it may be true that many Canadians like hot weather, I'm not one of them. And while it may also be true that this is just a short heat wave (a kind of Qatari Chinook?), I am reminded that whether next week or next month, my favourite time of year will indeed come to an end and I will once again contain myself to the indoors, out of the sun's reach.

I miss you, winter, already.

Christmas 2010

Ok, so it's February and I'm just getting around to posting this. It was begun early in January, but then we went back to work after the winter break and time seemed to slip away on me. (It *might* have had something to do with the ongoing Zuma competition between the Conleys and Dewburys.) Anyway, without further ado, here are my thoughts on Christmas 2010.


Over the past couple of years, we've been trying to figure out what we want Christmas to look like for our family.

Like most children raised in North America, growing up both Darren and I participated in large family gatherings and mammoth gift-opening sessions, holiday movie marathons and over-indulgence in Christmas baking, carol sing-a-longs and delicious turkey dinners. We both have fond memories of the events that developed into family traditions over the years.

When we got married, Christmas got busier in that we tried to fit in as many traditions with as many parts of the newly-expanded family as we could. So we'd travel to my parents' place for part of the holidays and then back to Darren's parents' for another part. It was tiring but good.

Now that we're away from "home" and have our own little family, we're starting to think about how to celebrate the season together. While we haven't established any family traditions, we did spend a fair amount of time considering the values or principles we want to govern our Christmases present and future. Things like spending time with family and friends, and maintaining a focus on people in need topped the list. I'm excited to see how these values will manifest themselves as our family and our situation changes from year to year. I'm also excited about who will join us for Christmas in Qatar, 2011! (Yes, that's an invitation for you.)

I realize that this post hasn't really said much of anything. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the recent changes in our physical location and life stage have given us the opportunity to rethink what is important to us and restructure our lives accordingly. This is definitely a work in progress, and maybe even a work that can never be completed. But being on this journey - and being aware of the journey we're on - gives me hope and joy.


I leave you now with a slideshow of the highlights of our Christmas vacation, 2010. (Only for those of you with the patience to let Smilebox load. I really need to learn another program. Any suggestions?)