Asia

The past week and a half has been a Vietnamese kaleidoscope that presented the best and worst of Halong Bay and what northern Vietnam has to offer.

The Roman writer, Pliny the Elder, passed by Qatar and called the inhabitants Catharrei. I can only imagine he also recognized the cycling opportunity across this super flat and arid desert and would have called it Qatar Quest.

Sri Lanka is the antithesis of Qatar. Green, inexpensive, and lacking massive amounts of natural oil and gas reserves. It’s also the first country any newcomer to the region visits. Safe and affordable with activities for every traveler. It’s the 1990’s undiscovered Thailand.

Every January, people around the world, in a sense of self improvement, create personal goals. Eat better. Lose weight. My 2020 goal is be more present. Present to my wife. Present to my kids. Present to the people that are around me. A digital detox light.

Moving to the Middle East in late July is never considered the ideal time to relocate your family with Qatari heat. At this point in the year, the relocation was bound to be hotter than almost every single spot in the world, except for maybe Kuwait.

A move to the Middle doesn’t elicit festive times like the Napa Valley or a German pub. Yet in Qatar, an exception is made for non-Muslims, but one needs a liquor permit, and getting this permit requires a bit of persistence. This is how to buy alcohol in Qatar.

The one thing my artistic and creative girl has wanted is a henna tattoo. A plant that stains the skin like a tattoo, but only lasts about a week. One of the most popular sites to visit in Doha is Souq Waqif located downtown close to the Corniche. I figured a henna tattoo at Souq Waqif would be a great spot.

The monumental move from the U.S. to the Middle East was an undertaking to say the least. Since we accepted educational positions in Qatar, a strong seller’s market nudged us to sell our house and put our belongings into storage. The focus became packing 18 bags for 16 hours of flight.