After a holiday.....Before a holiday

PRAYER

It only took 105 days before I got down right tired of the prayer call! If you remember reading my initial post; day 2, 3, 4 my arrival in Doha, you will recall how spiritually awakened I felt by the call to prayer….yeah well now it’s just annoying rotfl (with all due respect).  The prayer call wakes me up in the morning at 4:15am (about an hour before I actually need to get up) and then is heard four more times throughout the day.  Now don’t get me wrong I still think there is something moving and dedicated about people who pray five times a day religiously.  Im just feeling like why does the prayer song/call have to happen five times a day publicly….especially in the wee hours of the morning IF every Muslim knows that they are mandated to pray 5 times. I mean how can they forget if it is in their religion….and why do they need a loud ass reminder that lasts about 3 minutes every single day? Im just sayin’

THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving was exceptionally challenging this year.  Within the last few years, I came to the realization that I am a family person and most holidays I would rather spend with my family/friends than to do anything else.  I enjoy the random arguments, the catching up on each other’s lives, recalling precious family memories, and simply loving each other for our differences.  This year I skyped with my WHOLE family and it almost tricked me into feeling like I was at home.  The smiling faces, the supportive phrases, and the endless jokes showed me how much I was missed…. the 40 minutes of skyping was worth it. I’m in a new country surrounded by palm trees, a different language, and no family but I decided it didn’t mean that I had to give up on tradition.  Amanda and Mike made the best Thanksgiving dinner I could have asked for being away from homeJ I was surrounded by supportive people who just like me, were thankful to be alive and healthy another year. 

This year I am Thankful for friends:  Friends are people in our lives that never falter, leave us, or give up on us. Their mere presence in our lives can give us the much-needed boost, strength, and self-esteem to keep going. Without them, perhaps our lives will be pretty dull, boring, and uninteresting.

LIFE

Life is not guaranteed….not a question but a statement.  After facing a very unfortunate event this past week overseas, I find myself questioning why things happen to seemingly incident people.  I realize I’m not God and cant possibly explain how, why, or when things will happen, but it really does make you think about the type of people who live in the world in general.  This is the best quote that I could find to sum up my feelings…..“Be grateful for all you have, knowing that at this moment, all you have is all you need.”

NEXT HOLIDAY

My Christmas trip to Sri Lanka is 20 days away!  After lots of research here are the top things to do…PLEASE feel free to add to my list if you’ve visited before, I appreciate any and all tipsJ  

1.   Surf….I hear Sri Lanka is the beginner Surfers paradise and I intend to find out

2.   Adams Peak is Sri Lanka’s most sacred site.  I will pay homage to the first place that Adam stepped foot on earth when he was cast down from Heaven.

3.   Ride the Train. I hear Sri Lanka’s trains are like stepping back in time. They are said to chug slowly along through hills and valleys.  I’m excited for a slow journey through the country.

4.   Yala National Park.  Who doesn’t want to see leopards?

5.   Ride in a Tuk Tuk taxi and hopefully see an Elephant and Leopard

Eid al adha compared to Christmas ....among other random things

Eid al adha: The reason for my 10 day vacation/ holiday  

Eid is an important 3-day religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to honor the willingness of ʾIbrāhīm (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismā'īl (Ishmael) as an act of obedience to God, before God intervened to provide him with a ram to sacrifice instead.  Men, women and children are expected to dress in their finest clothing to perform Eid prayer in a large congregation is an open waqf field or mosque. Those Muslims, who can afford, sacrifice their best halal domestic animals (usually a cow, but can also be a camel, goat, sheep depending on the region) as a symbol of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his only son. This tradition accounts for more than 100 million slaughtering of animals in only 2 days of Eid costing over $3 billion US.

Well, Christmas like Eid al adha is a hugely popular holiday celebrated by some 2 billion people worldwide.  It's become such an ingrained part of modern culture that even people in nations with little or no Christian history or tradition are celebrating it in increasing numbers.  Christmas is so big that it plays a key role in the economies of many nations. Oh “Black Friday” so many wait for thee!

Some similarities between Eid al adha and Christmas: 

1.     Children are given gifts when they visit relatives and friends homes

2.     People have big feast and invite many visitors

3.     People go out and spend money that they don’t really have to celebrate

4.     Many celebrate only out of tradition or obligation, not religious belief

While I’m not against religious worship, I realize I’m against any holiday(s) that obliges people to spend above their means and/or make people who have very little feel shameful about their financial situation. Being away from it can cause one to realize the behavior is neither missed nor needed for fulfillment and enjoyment of life.  This is the first time I’ve gotten a glimpse into the Muslim culture so (without being judgmental), I honestly can’t understand why people who don’t make tons of money would go out and purchase gifts for other people’s kids (some of which don’t even deserve presents) just to say they celebrated this holiday.  Isn’t it enough to show how much you love them in other ways?

Lack of Customer Service – Does it have something to do with my skin color?

You never get a second chance to make a good first impression" still holds true today, especially in the hospitality industry, and equally important is the guest's lasting impression.  I thought that the customer service quality in nyc was questionable at times, but now I can fully appreciate how good customer service makes your eating, shopping, or browsing experience a lot more pleasurable.  Race is not and should not be a distinguishing factor in how a person is greeted, treated, waited upon, or addressed.  Unfortunately Im finding that to be very different in a country where most brown people are servants or laborers.   

For me customer service should be colorblind. People should be treated equally, regardless of skin color.  I should feel comfortable no matter where I go and it should means that the rules of business apply the same to one and all.  A simple smile, an acknowledgement, and occasional pleasant small talk when I enter a place of business is the only affirmation I need on a daily basis.  I should not have to feel like I fight for respect and proper treatment every time I enter a store.  I have gone into places with many of my white friends and have seen the kind of treatment they receive simply because of their skin color and the connotation associated with them.  It is off putting to say the least….come on Doha step your game up!

Exploring Doha

This week I went on a mini-tour of the city of Doha.  After living here for over 10 weeks, I realized that I haven’t seen much of the surrounding city.  Here are the things I was able to do on my vacation for Eid al adha:

1.     Islamic Art Museum

2.     Visit the Souq Waqif

3.     Corniche

4.     Dhow Boat ride

5.     Diva Spa Lounge

Check out the pictures……definitely glad I took the time to explore the city.  Although Doha is a lot smaller than nyc, it does have little gems.