Flowers and Greenery
Not West Texas Basketball
Unlike my days playing high school basketball in Odessa and driving around West Texas to games in Midland, San Angelo, or Abilene, basketball tournaments for international schools cross international borders. This year’s MESAC basketball tournament took place in New Delhi, India at the American Embassy School. Over three days, our team, the American School Of Doha, played five other school from India, UAE, and Oman. This definitely is not West Texas.
In the end, our girls varsity team finished fourth place, even after starting 3-0. When you play a press with only seven girls, they were bound to get a bit tired with two games a day.
School Wide Opening Parade – Every Student Was Out
It’s a Bird. Yes. It’s a Kite. Yes.
A fantastic opening ceremony welcomed all six teams on the grounds of AES. Another feature that caught my attention wasn’t what took place on the ground, but kites in the sky. More specifically, the massive kite birds circling overhead. These birds resembled eagles, and in their claws were not little twigs, but large branches hanging in their beaks or claws from various parts of the 70 year old campus. Based on the branch size, you’d think they were building a luxury nest for an extended family. Apparently these kite birds are bold enough to steal food from students too.
You’ve Been Warned – Kites May Take Your Food
Non Naan Bread?
During this brief stay in India, I wanted to get a general idea of Indian food. I enjoyed my share of curry, but it was the naan bread that caught my attention. Before this trip, naan bread was always thin, slightly burnt bread. But what was served at the closing banquet, and clearly labeled naan bread, seemed more like a super thick tortilla or pita bread, not the naan of my past. I leaned over to another coach and pondered, “Is this really naan bread?”
Traditional Indian Wedding at our Hotel
General Impressions about India
Five days in New Delhi spent between the hotel and AES didn’t reveal much. I expected the traffic to be much worse, but I guess given our early departures it wasn’t too bad. Since Hindus rever the cow, I assumed there would be more cows roaming the streets, but only a handful were cruising the streets. Given the fact that Qatar has quite a few Indian drivers who often make unpredicted indiscriminate turns three lanes over was supported by New Delhi driving. Four lanes would funnel into a single turning lane at intersections.
Is That New Delhi Morning Fog or Smog?
