Ramadan Kareem - Part 2

I haven’t been posting lately due to Ramadan. Ramadan is a very busy time of the year for us. With the exception of A, we are all fasting. H has been fasting the entire month for the past few years. N fasts on and off, though I often have to force her to take a break every few days when she begins to look a bit peaked.

Ramadan is primarily a time to reflect inwards and strive to better ourselves, and also to strengthen our bond with Allah (God in Arabic). So we spend much time in prayer.

We do like to have different foods with which to break our fast. So on any day you will find a multitude of wonderful things on my dining table at Iftaar (which literally means breakfast in Arabic).

There may be fried chicken and mashed potatoes (for H), beryani (for K), pasta with marinara sauce or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (for N). There will always be a light soup such as chicken noodle or vegetable, a variety of fruits, croissants, pour moi bien sur, along with the ubiquitous black beans and samosa’s. There will also be many cold and refreshing drinks (well it is 110 degrees outside you know).

So as you can see, it’s an international smorgasbord – quite fitting for us. We often share our blessings with friends, family, neighbors and people who congregate at the local Masjid at the time of Iftaar. This keeps me quite busy, to say the least.


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The following is a recipe for watermelon juice. I often make this for Iftaar since it is very refreshing. Plus, I often have a lot of watermelon left over. Watermelons here come in one size – extremely large – so we usually can’t eat all of it.

Watermelon Juice

8 cups coarsely chopped watermelon pieces (seeds are fine)
1 tablespoon sugar
Juice of 1 lime
1 cup water

Combine all ingredients in blender (you may have to gradually add the watermelon since it won’t all fit at one time) and blend until nearly smooth - the seeds being the exception. Strain the juice through a fine sieve. Serve with plenty of crushed ice. You can change the amount of sugar and lime to your taste.

We're Baack

Ramadan Kareem!

After an exhausting 22 hour journey we are now home. All 18 of us arrived safely – 8 suitcases, 4 items of hand luggage, a Wii Fit, a Wave board, 3 kids and myself. As you can tell, we did our best to help stimulate the lagging US economy.

My eldest 2 are going through withdrawal symptoms and bouts of homesickness. But school started 2 days after our arrival so there was not much time to mope. They are beginning to adjust to their usual schedules and are glad to see their friends. My youngest, the Qatari at heart, is blissfully happy to be home.

Jetlag persists and no one is having trouble getting up for Suhur. I will try to post periodically during the next few weeks, staying close to Ramadan related topics.

Much Ado About Mangoes

Mango frenzy has started here with great exuberance. Much to our delight, grocery stores and markets are now brimming with the heady, intoxicating and sinfully sweet fruits. They are, justifiably so, considered the king of fruit and are a class of their own. Some may tell you their flavor and texture resembles a ripe peach or a papaya; don’t believe them.

Though many countries are now mango (maanjo in Arabic) producers and exporters, the best varieties come from the Indian subcontinent, namely from India and Pakistan. The skins are thin and their flesh smooth and fibreless. Once you taste them, I assure you, you will not go back.

Until last year the Central American varieties were the only ones available in the United States. Since beggars can’t be choosers, we had also once gleefully purchased and consumed them without much complaint.

Now however, the US has begun to import mangoes from India as well. Apparently our current (and thankfully soon to be former) President enjoyed them immensely on his 2006 trip to India, and thus recommended their import. They don’t come cheap however, $30-$40 for a 3 kilo or about 7 pound box.

Here in Qatar we are spoiled. We can buy mangoes from all over the world year round - Indonesia, Sudan and Australia come to mind. But we usually wait for the summer to purchase the varieties from India and Pakistan. We start to see them arrive in May, and they continue to linger until August. The peak season is in July, when the quality is best, along with abundant varieties and the lowest prices.

My favorite mango is from Pakistan called the Sindhri. Its origin is from the Sindh province in the southern part of the country. They are a large variety, about 1 pound apiece. When fully ripe their skin turns a brilliant cadmium yellow. They are extremely aromatic and fragrant with a thin translucent skin and a firm, smooth, fibreless flesh. Just 1 can easily suffice as lunch.

Thought these sweet-smelling fruits are now available in copious supply in every grocery, market and corner store, I have my own source from where I purchase them.

I have a tailor (another perk to living in Doha) to whom I occasionally frequent, who is from Pakistan. A few weeks ago I spotted a few empty mango boxes in the corner of his store. It’s my side business he told me, I will be receiving a new shipment any day now. So a few days later K (who usually detests trips to the tailors) and I went to get a box.


They were fresh picked, straight from the orchards in Pakistan. A 10 kilo/22 pound box cost 65 riyals. Elsewhere Sindhri's are selling for 10 riyals a kilo. But we were not there for the price; the quality is far superior from the store bought ones.

There are many recipes for mango-based foods and drinks. Mango ice cream, fresh juice and shakes are very popular here, along with the yogurt based drink called mango lassi. I personally prefer to eat then just as they are.

The best way to eat them is to first roll up your sleeves, or better yet put on an apron, and hold the peeled fruit in your hands. Stand in front of the kitchen sink and proceed to devour the fruit down to the pit, allowing the luscious ambrosial juices to dribble down your chin, hands, wrists and even elbows. Licking is optional, but highly recommended.

We will miss the peak season due to our trip back home, but for now I am content that my kitchen is filled with their sweet and captivating perfume.

Mango Lassi

Recipe courtesy of the Food Network

Ingredients
9 fluid ounces (255 milliliters) plain yogurt
4 1/2 fluid ounces (130 milliliters) milk
4 1/2 fluid ounces (130 milliliters) canned mango pulp or 7 ounces (200 grams) from 3 fresh mangoes, stoned and sliced
4 teaspoons sugar, or to taste

Instructions
Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend for 2 minutes, then pour into individual glasses, and serve. The lassi can be kept refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

Arabic 101

Something that I had been looking forward to for quite some time has finally come to fruition. A few weeks ago I received a call from the Qatar Guest Center, a non profit organization for the propagation of Islam, the Arabic language and culture. Both Muslims and non Muslims are welcome to join or take the many classes that are offered.

I had called a few months ago inquiring about language classes, and at the time they were not offering them for women. Now that A is in pre-school, I can afford to spend a few hours for self melioration.

Classes in Arabic will start in a few days, I was told. If interested I should come by on such and such date and take a test to see what my level is.

Like the vast majority of Muslims of non-Arab origin (only 15-18 % of Muslims are of Arab origin, out of an estimated 1.84 billion Muslims worldwide) I had learned to read and write Arabic as a child, but never learned to speak. So it has since been a dream of mine to learn spoken Arabic, mainly in hopes of understanding the Quran when I read it. The Quran however is written in a more complex form of Arabic but speakers of the language do procure the essence of it.

The evening before the test K and I went to look for the center. The wonderful folks at a web forum called Qatar Living gave me directions on how to get there. We found it without much difficulty, only to be told that this is the men’s section, the women’s section has recently moved to a new location.

Now before I proceed I must tell you that finding addresses here or giving someone directions is an art form of its own. Forget Mapquest. Often the streets are unnamed, but even if they are no one bothers to know or refer to them.

Turn left at such and such roundabout, after going 2 kilometers you will find a Masjid (grocery store, laundry, palm tree, whatever), make a right turn. You will then see some construction on the left hand side (directions here almost always involve construction), turn left. After this much distance the blank (fill this with destination) will be on your right hand side. And so on and so forth. Having said this however, today’s landmarks may be gone tomorrow, victims of ongoing construction. It is just short of a miracle if you get there without getting lost the first time.

The gentleman at the men’s center told K that the women’s building is near the Immigration Center. Where near the Immigration Center? He tossed his hand in the air meaning of course, ‘near the Immigration Center'. You can not miss it; it is a villa with a white board. Ok, we knew where the Immigration Center was, it is not far from where we live so we headed that way. After wasting ½ an hour mindlessly meandering through every street and alley, we gave up and came back home.

The next morning I called in the hopes of getting better directions. A man picked up. I asked him where the women’s center was. Ok, make right at Immigration Center and left. It is there. Make right where, before or after? You know Dasman center (a department store)? It is next to it. We saw Dasman center in our fruitless expedition the night before, it was not there. Where near Dasman center I dared to ask. By this time the voice on the other side was becoming agitated. No no, not next to it across form it. Umm… can you please give me the number for the women’s center?

A woman (surprise) picked up, who did not know much English. She passed the phone to someone else who then passed the phone to yet another person. Yes we are near a small Masjid near a housing compound. I am of course recapitulating the condensed version of the conversation.

Equipped with this much information, I headed out on my quest. After 15 minutes of blindly driving around, I saw the compound. So, the mosque must be nearby, I thought. It was, one block over on the next street surrounded by construction. Once again I proceeded to drive through every single street and alley. Eureka!

But having said all this, I also want to add that most people who work at the Qatar Guest Center are volunteering their precious time for the betterment of people like myself.

Classes began a week ago, w'ana sa'id jiddan.

Andak Djaaj?

These days the answer to the aforementioned question, which means do you have chicken is almost always ma’afi, khalaas - no more, finished. Of course, as you may have guessed, we are going through a chicken shortage these days. On rare occasions if I do happen to stumble upon a rare sighting on one of my sojourns, I go into the hoarding mode.

Similar to the egg deficiency this is also due to the recent bird flu epidemic. This is particularly agonizing in a country which, after cheese, loves chicken. Think chicken shwarma, chicken kebob, chicken kefta, chicken samoosa, chicken shish tawouk, chicken sandweesh, chicken puffs, chicken hariss, chicken escallop, chicken fatayer, chicken shorba, chicken beryani…I can continue, but you get my drift.

Prices for chicken have increased tremendously since my arrival as well. When I first arrived a whole chicken had cost 12 riyals, now it is 19 riyals. They sell chickens per piece here, not by the pound or kilo. They are also much smaller then what I am generally used to, so if I am making something that everyone loves, (southern style fried chicken comes to mind), I may use 2 or more.

We have however found a few solutions for this. First of all we have started to eat frozen chicken. I have begun to buy copious amounts of frozen boneless chicken breasts. So we now eat a lot of stir fries. But that’s as far as I will go, since I detest frozen whole chicken. I must admit I am also spoiled. I don’t want to defrost it, remove the skin and cut it into pieces myself. I usually get this done when I purchase fresh ones. This service is efficient, courteous and always free 'Madam chicken ready'.

A friend of mine has found her own solution. She hits the stores as soon as they open, 7:30 am, (it still bewilders me why everything starts so early here) and buys as many as she can lay her hands on and will also be able to squeeze into her freezer.

Now those who know me know I am definitely NOT a morning person. In college I would never register for a class which started earlier then 10:00 am, no matter how wonderfully enlightening and fulfilling it may have been. Even then I would drag my sorry body out of bed at 9:45 am whilst cursing myself continuously. Thank God I lived on campus and my first class was right down the hill. Some of you might be thinking I was too busy partying all night, but alas, not so. I was a CS major and spent many a night, often going into the wee hours of morning, spending quality time with my computer.

But K, who is a morning person, will often go out on weekend mornings and hunt down a few. Occasionally he will go to the wholesale market where one can purchase live chickens and have them ‘prepared’ on spot. Besides chicken, the wholesale market is also a great place to buy eggs, other types of meat, seafood and a large array of seasonal and extremely fresh fruits and vegetables.

Yet I suppose everyone is doing the same and everyone’s freezers are full to the brim with chickens. So, you might ask, what shortage? Maybe this is all an evil marketing ploy…



The following is a recipe for brined roasted chicken. Brining makes the meat well seasoned and juicier. I usually put it on a rotisserie since my oven came equipped with one, but the conventional method works just as well.

Roast Chicken

Ingredients
1 large or 2 Qatar sized chickens – about 3 lbs total
1 gallon water – or enough to cover the chicken in large vessel
1/4 cup salt
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
1 lemon

Instructions
Put water in a large bowl and add salt, sugar (if using) and garlic. Cut the lemon into half and squeeze juice into liquid. Add rind as well, and mix well. Make sure all the salt has dissolved. Water should be salty, but not painfully so. If it is too salty add more water. Put chicken into this mixture, turn it over a few times, cover and leave in refrigerator overnight.

Preheat oven to 425 F / 220 C degrees. Remove chicken from brine and shake off all water. Pat dry. Place chicken on roasting pan and place in oven. Bake for 50-60 minutes until golden and juices are clear.

Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before carving.

Bright Lights Big City

We recently returned from a trip to Dubai. K had some business matters to attend to, so the rest of us decided to tag along. Though K had been there many times, it was the first trip for the children and me.

Initially we had decided to drive since Dubai is only 235 miles /377 kilometers, or a 6 hour drive from Doha. But one has to drive through Saudi Arabia and for this we needed to get a Saudi transit visa. Though it is easily obtained, it would have taken a week to process. So we opted to fly instead. The flight duration is a mere 50 minutes. The visa to enter Dubai is given at the airport (or at the border if driving) and it is for free.

Dubai is one of seven emirates which consist to form the United Arab Emirates, or the UAE. Population wise it is the largest yet it is the second largest in size after the capitol, Abu Dhabi. Under the umbrella of a federal government Dubai shares legal, political, military and economic ties with the other emirates. Each emirate however has jurisdiction over local law enforcement and provision and maintenance of its facilities. Each emirate has its own ruler, and with Dubai being the second largest, its ruler is also the Vice President of the UAE.

Dubai can be best described as the El Dorado of the 21st century. The economy is booming, and so is the city, though today it seems to be the world’s largest construction zone. There are however many parts of the city which have been completed and are very much habitable. The rapidly developing skyline has begun to resemble Hong Kong and similar to Hong Kong, it is becoming a hub of shipping, business, trade and tourism (DreamWorks is set to build a theme park there).

But what impressed me the most was how green the city is. The govt. has succeeded in making the desert bloom. It was like a cool drink for my parched eyes, which have become accustomed to seeing mostly sand.

We did a few touristy things of course, even took the children to Ski Dubai which is a man made ski resort inside one of the largest malls in the world – The Mall of the Emirates.

And although I am not a shopoholic, I can shamelessly claim the best part of visiting Dubai is the shopping. There are many, many malls and shopping complexes, each one better than the next, with stores from all over the world. Here you can buy anything your heart desires and wallet allows. Besides malls there are also many souks and neighborhoods which specialize in a variety of items. Since the expat community is extremely large and diverse (about 80% of the total population) there are also many shops that cater to their needs.

My favorite place to shop I discovered was the Dragon Mart. It is a mall that sells only Chinese made products such as household items, electronics, jewelry, construction items, food, clothes, textiles, home improvement, etc. It is shaped like a dragon, hence the name. It is about one kilometer in length with many stores joined together by many labyrinths and mazes, so one should be prepared to spend the better part of the day there. Also one should wear sensible shoes which one, rather foolishly, did not and now one is paying the price. I did buy a beautiful quilt for 100 dirhams, which would have been for over 100 dollars in the US ($1=3.67 dirham).

Compared to Qatar the prices in Dubai are the same or in a few instances even slightly less, and the choices are 10 times more. I have now decided I will do all my shopping in Dubai, and I am already planning my next trip.

Yet in its quest towards modernity and westernization, I feel Dubai’s rich Arab culture and heritage are slowly becoming diluted. Unlike Qatar, we rarely saw the Emirtati Arabs in native garments. We also did not see many traditional Arabic homes, majlis’ (gathering places for men) or mosques, which we are accustomed to seeing in every block in every neighborhood here. We could have been anywhere. Here in Qatar religion and culture is evident everywhere, and this is something which we cherish greatly.

I have heard people say what Dubai is today; Qatar will be in 10 years. We of course believe it will be better.

Great Reads

My previous lament over the unavailability of good bookstores here, or rather affordable and eclectic ones, has been solved in a wonderfully creative way. Previously I had relied upon my travels abroad to stock up, or often K would bring me a few on his return from a business trip.

I received an email a few weeks ago from a friend, citing that some women have joined together and formed a book sale. Everyone was encouraged to donate previously read English books of any genre, which were in good condition. Proceeds were to go to a small local charity, headed by one of the women, which provides basic necessities for expat workers from the lower income bracket.

There is an active and vibrant expat community here, and newcomers to Doha will find that there are a great variety of activities going on, along with many groups one can join. Though events like these are not uncommon, in the past I had mainly seen sales of household items, jewelry, arts and crafts etc., so this was the first event of its kind.

Initially there was a plan for one sale to be held in the morning, for women only. But the first was an overwhelming success, therefore another was held a few weeks later in the evening for the entire family. I was unable to attend the morning one, but managed to cajole K and the kids to come with me in the evening. Both events were hosted by women who not only graciously opened their homes, but provided delectable and mostly home made snacks as well - the hot artichoke dip was out of this world!

It was, to say the least, a great success; both well organized and well attended. I was happy to see quite a few fellow bookworms who also shared my dismay over the lack of availability of good reading material, gleefully sorting through the numerous boxes of books, like kids in a candy store. Besides books there were copious amounts of magazines as well as a small selection of videos, DVD’s and children’s games.

Noshing my way though several boxes, I found enough books to sustain me for quite some time. I bought about 10 books, plus a few more for the children. The prices were extremely reasonable – paperbacks were 5 riyals each or 5 for 20 riyals. The children’s books were a bit less, and hardcovers slightly more. I regret not being able to attend the one held in the morning, since I later heard that the choices were much more abundant.

I am delighted to report that these sales will be an ongoing event; the next one is already planned for the upcoming fall. So, I am happy that I will now be able to get my book fix on a regular basis. I will do a bit of spring/fall cleaning prior to the next event and take out some old and well read books so that others may enjoy them as much as I have.

Happy Mothers Day!

Although here in Qatar, Mother’s Day is celebrated in March, in conjunction with the UK, we still go by our old tradition and celebrate it on the second Sunday of May. This year it fell on May 11, which is today.

My day was pretty uneventful since today is a working day. My children, specially my eldest son, who by far is also the most sensitive, did wish me a happy Mother’s Day. We do plan to celebrate this weekend. We probably will have dinner at restaurant of my choice and I, being a mom, will choose a place where everyone will be happy.

I am however feeling a bit nostalgic today, since at times like these I miss my family the most. Almost always we celebrated holidays together. We would all gather for dinner, which usually would consist of a barbecue - weather permitting - at either my, my sisters or my mothers home (I make killer Korean short ribs!). But I do find comfort in the fact that we are all well and happy, and are looking forward to seeing one another soon.

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There are many references in the Quran and Hadith (traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Prophet Mohammad) towards parents, and mothers in particular. The following are few that I find particularly moving:

We have ordained humankind to show kindness toward their parents, for in pain their mothers carry them and in pain do they give birth. In thirty months they bear and wean; thus when they attain maturity they may pray, "Lord, inspire us that we may be thankful for the blessings You bestowed upon us and our parents. Kindle within us the desire to do what is upright and pleasing to You. Grant us righteous offspring, Lord. Verily, we turn to You in repentance, surrendering ourselves in earnest”. Al Quran - 46:15

Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor. And out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: ‘My Lord! Bestow on them Thy Mercy as they cherished me in childhood'. Al Quran - 17:23-24

The Prophet Mohammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Your Heaven lies under the feet of your mother”. Hadith - Ahmad, Nasai

A man came to the Prophet and said, "O Messenger of God! Who among the people is the most worthy of my love and kindness? The Prophet said: 'Your mother'. The man said, ‘Then who?' The Prophet said: 'Then your mother'. The man further asked, ‘Then who?' The Prophet said: 'Then your mother'. The man asked again, ‘Then who?' The Prophet said: 'Then your father'. " Hadith - Bukhari, Muslim 8.2

The Prophet said, "The word 'Ar-Rahm' (womb) derives its name from 'Ar-Rahman' (The Compassionate, one of Allah’s names). So whoever keeps good relations with his mother, Allah will keep good relations with him, and whoever will sever it, Allah too will sever His relations with him." Hadith - Bukhari, Muslim 8.18

Happy Mothers Day Mom – see you soon …

Only Skin Deep

This posting is for my sisters, with the purpose of enticing them to visit me here. One of my infrequent indulgences in Doha, which amazingly is not related to food, is frequenting a beauty salon.

The beauty business is booming here. You see a multitude of beauty salons in every neighborhood. In high end precincts they are exclusive and elaborate, extremely well staffed, and of course, expensive. The mid to lower end neighborhoods have slightly lower priced ones. The services offered are also varied. In the areas dominated by expats, the services are according to their needs, while mainly Arab areas have their own specialties. But basic services are the same, with something for everyone. Price wise, when I compare them to the salons in the US, they are much more affordable, hence my penchant for patronizing them on an occasional basis.

So my dear sisters, I have it all planned out. We will start off with a facial, then get a relaxing foot massage, then a manicure and pedicure, afterwards we may move on to a head massage complete with shampoo, blow dry and styling … The services offered are numerous, but I will not divulge any more secrets. But rest assured, I have not turned into Miss Universe – yet.

These beauty salons are also, similar to their counterparts throughout the world, a place to socialize. I have often seen groups of women coming in with the intention of spending the greater part of the day there. After settling in, they may also order food from nearby restaurants as well. These salons are mainly owned, managed and exclusively staffed by women and are strictly off limits to men. They are very private, often with curtains at the doors and windows, along with ‘No Men” signs posted at the entrance. Therefore it is a place where women, especially Arab and other Muslim women who observe purdah and wear the abaya (black robes) and specifically the naqaab (veil), feel comfortable.

Having said all this, I do however wish to discuss a little about the women who work there. They are all expats, primarily from India, Nepal, and the Philippines, with a few Arabs, mainly from Lebanon. There is also a hierarchy system in place; the Indian and Nepali women have their specialties, the Filipinos theirs, while the Arabs have their own set of skills.

I have befriended a few of these women. All have left their families and loved ones back in their countries and have come to work, solely with the purpose of sending money back home to support them. Many have children who they have not seen in a long time, often years. Many are also the single bread winner in their family. They usually come on a 2 year work visa, which often gets extended. They are paid low wages and work 7 days a week, 13-14 hours a day. These hours are even longer during the holidays and wedding seasons. So, anyone reading this post who frequents these salons please do try to tip these women if you can. It will stretch their earnings a bit farther and make their day a little brighter, as they are making ours.

Waffling About

I have a confession to make. I have begun to hoard things. This came about after yet another shortage of a particular food item. This time it is waffles. Now I am one who can live without many things, but a recently turned 4 year old cannot.

Like clockwork, it has been A’s morning ritual since we moved to Doha to have a waffle for breakfast every single morning. I sometimes wonder when he might get tired of them, but until then I have to indulge in his little idiosyncrasies. Back home, it was de-crusted Nutella sandwiches and, I kid you not, shwarma strips. But in the land of shwarmas, he won’t touch them with a 10 foot pole.

Eggo brand waffles are not easily available here. I once purchased them from my regular grocery store called the Family Food Center, but they have now discontinued carrying them. My next option was a store called Mega Mart where many western expats go to purchase their groceries. Mega Mart contains many comfort foods from back home (think Cheese Wiz, Oscar Meyer, Marmite for the Brits …). They also charge about 50% more than what one would usually pay, but this is a small price to pay for items that will bring comfort and retain sanity, namely mine.

There were once 2 Mega Mart stores, but the one closest to my home recently closed to make way for a brand new Carrefour. Carrefour can be best described as the French version of Walmart. Very nice, especially if you are in the mood for items such as soupe des poisons, gateau Breton, crème fraiche etc, but they do not carry many items that we are used to. So now expats flock to the lone Mega Mart in Doha. This also means that there’s a fat chance one will find the items they are searching for. After 2 fruitless trips however, we did get lucky. There in the freezer section sat a giant industrial sized box of, you guessed it, Eggo waffles. We grabbed it before anyone else could lay their hands on them.

My freezer is now half full of waffles, and every morning I take out one precious piece. I lightly toast it, butter it with some sublime French butter bought at Carrefour, and drizzle a small amount of Aunt Jemima syrup on top, also purchased at Mega Mart. I then cut it into small bite size pieces and place it on a Batman plate, since in the morning only Batman will do. Now my next project is either to wean A off waffles, or buy a waffle iron. I would bet on the latter.