Thursday, September 19, 2013
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Don't Wait to Get All the Answers
The Questions were non-stop:
"Where is Qatar?""The Middle East."
"It's dangerous. Why are you going there?"
" Because I haven't been."
"How long will you stay? "Don't know."
Where will you stay?" Same answer.
"What will you do there?" "It's to be discovered."
"Why aren't you settling down?" "Why should I start now?"
The questions started back in November last year. That's when I found out my dear friend, Renee Lewis was working as a journalist for Al Jazeera in Doha, Qatar. I did two things right away; (a) I checked Google to find out where Qatar was, and (b) Asked Renee if there was a little job there she could find for me to do. She got on it right away, starting by helping me to update my ancient resume. Surprisingly her manager was interested in having me come However, it was more complicated for me and the on-and-off nature of the decision-making left all my friends and family in suspense.
Inspite of this unknown, I went ahead with making plans; loose plans. Very loose plans that started with renting my house for the next year. I hadn't planned on renting my house. The idea was totally unexpected, unplanned, and came from someone I never suspected was interested in living in it. But when the proposal was presented to me, I thought it over for 5 seconds and agreed. However, the house had to be unfurnished. Hadn't planned for that. Unfurnishing it was a ghastly job, only made possible with the help of dear friends. While trying to unload all my belongings, I also had to think about packing for a Muslim country in hot weather (it turned out to be very cold), and arranging accommodations in Doha. I decided on couch-surfing which required some research and computer time. I had to find a temporary place to stay in San Miguel until the time I would actually leave. Meanwhile I spent many hours searching for a suitable flight, not knowing how long I would stay away. . Complicating things more, I had to time my departure with other events that needed attention. At the same time, Renee would email me periodically, telling me of the progress or lack of it in getting me something to do at Al Jazeera. Sometimes it looked like I had a job, sometimes not. But I knew I was going to Doha no matter what. While the answers to so many questions mattered to others, the answers didn't matter to me. I knew that however things rolled out, it would be a renewing, exciting adventure. Eventually, I would get what I wanted.
After two months of preparation with many unknowns still hanging, a big, wonderful going-away party, and only two weeks after my 79th birthday, I took a crowed, scruffy-looking overnight bus from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico to Houston, Texas. I was the only non-Mexican on the bus and also the oldest. With a few hours of sleep and 24 hours later, my dear friend, Dawn McCarty met me at the Houston bus station and took me to the International Hostel; a lovely old mansion where I had my own room and attached bath with free breakfast in the morning. I spent the night there and the next evening Dawn took me to the airport for my flight to Doha. Qatar Airways made sure the two oil capitols were directly, non-stop connected..
After a very comfortable 13 hour flight, we arrived in Doha. Tracy, my couch-surfing hostess was at the airport to meet me. She drove me to her beautiful, centrally located apartment where I again had my own bedroom and bath.....free. The next day Renee picked me up and took me directly to Al Jazeera, a thrilling experience. No, I had no job but it didn't matter. Renee made sure I saw what I needed to see there and met whom I need to meet. Later, with time off, she took me to see many other places in the city and to learn things about it I'd never have known without her. Soon, I came to realize that Doha was the strangest place I've ever visited..
Doha, in the midst of the desert, quiet, peaceful, though directly across from Iran, is super modern, feeling somewhat like a more up-to-date Los Angeles . The sand is covered with asphalt freeways, parking lots, shopping malls and non-stop construction of very beautiful, most modern high rise buildings I've seen anywhere. . The architecture is stunning and represents the signature designs of the most famous architects in the world. Surprisingly, most buildings are empty. And so were the streets, except for the third-world construction workers whom I learned worked 10, 12, 16-hour days for shockingly little pay. Rarely was a white-robed Qatari man or a black-robed Qatari woman seen in the streets. They are not the Cat drivers, welders, waiters, taxi or bus drivers, bank tellers, or shop keepers.
While many are academicians, artists, musicians, lawyers, doctors, scientists, politicians, they are also shoppers. Unless you are lucky enough to know them personally, to see Qatari men and women, you must go to any of the many upscale shopping malls in the evening. There you will see men, their heads carefully draped traditional style, wearing their long whiter-than-white clothing. Clusters of Qatari women will be seen covered from head to toe in black, sometimes faces covered with a thick black veil, or completely uncovered. Sometimes only their eyes are exposed which somehow seem to reveal much more about them than was intended. But always could be heard their spike heeled shoes click clacking on the floor as they shop in trendy shops where cute little short dresses were on sale, or low cut blouses in bright colors, along with expensive shoes and everything from French, Italian, Spanish, and American globalized makers of fashion.
In addition to the grand, ostentatious shopping malls, Renee took me to the beautiful Islamic Art Museum, the Cultural Center, an abandoned fishing village in the desert, elegant hotels, a variety of ethnic restaurants, and a very "hot" upscale roof top bar....a bit surprising in this Muslim country. But in addition to all these places that I found so intriguing were the people I met. One particularly interesting woman was Imam, a vivacious, beautiful Palestinian American archaeologist working on a site outside of Doha. She told me about her work revealing the little-known life of the pearl divers that once abounded there...before oil was discovered and changed everything. I was also enriched by meeting another of my couch-surfing hosts, Mohammed, an Egyptian who had a part in the Arab Spring at Tahir Square. His stories were riveting. My world had expanded.
Expanding my world were also the revelations about the darker side of Doha; the stories of wealthy Qatari owners of villas built strictly for their underground parties. Their parties, I was told, consisted of non-stop drugs and alcohol and third-world female prostitutes. This was rather surprising given the strict Muslim exterior.
Of course, there is also the large, international university complex consisting of some of the most prestigious American universities where local students and those from the region come to study. There are the well-known Doha Debates of high acclaim, and the Doha venue for an all-women's international tennis match. All are anticipating the Olympics slated to be held there in 1220.
The bottom line is that my friend's questions were answered this way: when making plans for travelling and when actually doing it, much has to be unknown, even if you think you've planned for everything. But there will always be an answer to your questions, one way or another, and they will all be OK....depending on your attitude. Best to make it a positive one. If you do, all will be as it should be.
Next time I'll tell you why I left Doha after two weeks and flew off to a very different destination....with more unknowns. And more adventure.
"Where is Qatar?""The Middle East."
"It's dangerous. Why are you going there?"
" Because I haven't been."
"How long will you stay? "Don't know."
Where will you stay?" Same answer.
"What will you do there?" "It's to be discovered."
"Why aren't you settling down?" "Why should I start now?"
The questions started back in November last year. That's when I found out my dear friend, Renee Lewis was working as a journalist for Al Jazeera in Doha, Qatar. I did two things right away; (a) I checked Google to find out where Qatar was, and (b) Asked Renee if there was a little job there she could find for me to do. She got on it right away, starting by helping me to update my ancient resume. Surprisingly her manager was interested in having me come However, it was more complicated for me and the on-and-off nature of the decision-making left all my friends and family in suspense.
Inspite of this unknown, I went ahead with making plans; loose plans. Very loose plans that started with renting my house for the next year. I hadn't planned on renting my house. The idea was totally unexpected, unplanned, and came from someone I never suspected was interested in living in it. But when the proposal was presented to me, I thought it over for 5 seconds and agreed. However, the house had to be unfurnished. Hadn't planned for that. Unfurnishing it was a ghastly job, only made possible with the help of dear friends. While trying to unload all my belongings, I also had to think about packing for a Muslim country in hot weather (it turned out to be very cold), and arranging accommodations in Doha. I decided on couch-surfing which required some research and computer time. I had to find a temporary place to stay in San Miguel until the time I would actually leave. Meanwhile I spent many hours searching for a suitable flight, not knowing how long I would stay away. . Complicating things more, I had to time my departure with other events that needed attention. At the same time, Renee would email me periodically, telling me of the progress or lack of it in getting me something to do at Al Jazeera. Sometimes it looked like I had a job, sometimes not. But I knew I was going to Doha no matter what. While the answers to so many questions mattered to others, the answers didn't matter to me. I knew that however things rolled out, it would be a renewing, exciting adventure. Eventually, I would get what I wanted.
After two months of preparation with many unknowns still hanging, a big, wonderful going-away party, and only two weeks after my 79th birthday, I took a crowed, scruffy-looking overnight bus from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico to Houston, Texas. I was the only non-Mexican on the bus and also the oldest. With a few hours of sleep and 24 hours later, my dear friend, Dawn McCarty met me at the Houston bus station and took me to the International Hostel; a lovely old mansion where I had my own room and attached bath with free breakfast in the morning. I spent the night there and the next evening Dawn took me to the airport for my flight to Doha. Qatar Airways made sure the two oil capitols were directly, non-stop connected..
After a very comfortable 13 hour flight, we arrived in Doha. Tracy, my couch-surfing hostess was at the airport to meet me. She drove me to her beautiful, centrally located apartment where I again had my own bedroom and bath.....free. The next day Renee picked me up and took me directly to Al Jazeera, a thrilling experience. No, I had no job but it didn't matter. Renee made sure I saw what I needed to see there and met whom I need to meet. Later, with time off, she took me to see many other places in the city and to learn things about it I'd never have known without her. Soon, I came to realize that Doha was the strangest place I've ever visited..
Doha, in the midst of the desert, quiet, peaceful, though directly across from Iran, is super modern, feeling somewhat like a more up-to-date Los Angeles . The sand is covered with asphalt freeways, parking lots, shopping malls and non-stop construction of very beautiful, most modern high rise buildings I've seen anywhere. . The architecture is stunning and represents the signature designs of the most famous architects in the world. Surprisingly, most buildings are empty. And so were the streets, except for the third-world construction workers whom I learned worked 10, 12, 16-hour days for shockingly little pay. Rarely was a white-robed Qatari man or a black-robed Qatari woman seen in the streets. They are not the Cat drivers, welders, waiters, taxi or bus drivers, bank tellers, or shop keepers.
While many are academicians, artists, musicians, lawyers, doctors, scientists, politicians, they are also shoppers. Unless you are lucky enough to know them personally, to see Qatari men and women, you must go to any of the many upscale shopping malls in the evening. There you will see men, their heads carefully draped traditional style, wearing their long whiter-than-white clothing. Clusters of Qatari women will be seen covered from head to toe in black, sometimes faces covered with a thick black veil, or completely uncovered. Sometimes only their eyes are exposed which somehow seem to reveal much more about them than was intended. But always could be heard their spike heeled shoes click clacking on the floor as they shop in trendy shops where cute little short dresses were on sale, or low cut blouses in bright colors, along with expensive shoes and everything from French, Italian, Spanish, and American globalized makers of fashion.
In addition to the grand, ostentatious shopping malls, Renee took me to the beautiful Islamic Art Museum, the Cultural Center, an abandoned fishing village in the desert, elegant hotels, a variety of ethnic restaurants, and a very "hot" upscale roof top bar....a bit surprising in this Muslim country. But in addition to all these places that I found so intriguing were the people I met. One particularly interesting woman was Imam, a vivacious, beautiful Palestinian American archaeologist working on a site outside of Doha. She told me about her work revealing the little-known life of the pearl divers that once abounded there...before oil was discovered and changed everything. I was also enriched by meeting another of my couch-surfing hosts, Mohammed, an Egyptian who had a part in the Arab Spring at Tahir Square. His stories were riveting. My world had expanded.
Expanding my world were also the revelations about the darker side of Doha; the stories of wealthy Qatari owners of villas built strictly for their underground parties. Their parties, I was told, consisted of non-stop drugs and alcohol and third-world female prostitutes. This was rather surprising given the strict Muslim exterior.
Of course, there is also the large, international university complex consisting of some of the most prestigious American universities where local students and those from the region come to study. There are the well-known Doha Debates of high acclaim, and the Doha venue for an all-women's international tennis match. All are anticipating the Olympics slated to be held there in 1220.
The bottom line is that my friend's questions were answered this way: when making plans for travelling and when actually doing it, much has to be unknown, even if you think you've planned for everything. But there will always be an answer to your questions, one way or another, and they will all be OK....depending on your attitude. Best to make it a positive one. If you do, all will be as it should be.
Next time I'll tell you why I left Doha after two weeks and flew off to a very different destination....with more unknowns. And more adventure.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Travel Coach: Your Travel Coach is now in North Carolina; a firs...
Travel Coach: Your Travel Coach is now in North Carolina; a firs...: Your Travel Coach is now in North Carolina; a first-time for this Californian. I love the beautiful, green-leafed trees surrounding my fri...
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Your Travel Coach is now in North Carolina; a first-time for this Californian. I love the beautiful, green-leafed trees surrounding my friend's spacious, welcoming home in the woods. Alice, my brilliant, loving, lovable friend is a psychologist, opening my life to a whole new spectrum of problems endured by this New Age. But that's another story for another time.
Now, to tell you about experiencing the flavor of this part of the country. To begin with, there was a delightful Passover-Easter gathering at Alice's home. Delicious were lemon martinis served along with matzo ball soup and Easter Bunny chocolates. The next day I was treated to NC's famous bar-b-q pork, not exactly kosher, but delighting my taste buds with new sensations. Visiting several little surrounding towns, I was made aware of the Latinos that live here and the many tiendas and Mexican restaurants in town. Also, refreshing, is a Black American population in numbers not usually seen in White American, middle class neighborhoods on the West Coast. I was reminded that this is The South.
To back up I want to tell you how I got here in the first place..
This part of the story is to remind us that one can have the most detailed plans made and yet it's easy for something unexpected to drop in and change everything. My mantra: always make Plan B. And it's a good thing I did because, while visiting family in the mall-filled desert of Arizona, I suddenly found myself with a health problem that prompted me to leave Phoenix immediately. ER docs there caused me to hurridly shift travel plans and fly to my HMO in San Francisco. To make this happen, I went to the computer, made a reservation online, and took off the next morning. Once in San Francisco, there was no more desert, but lots of fog and a chilly wind, wrapped around its famous hills, all warmed by a welcoming friend. I got settled in and with a quick cup of coffee the next morning, I took the bus to my appointments to begin a week of medical testing...and more testing with lots of anxious waiting for results. Fortunately, all test results had no answers to my medical problem. Naturally, my decision was then to forget about what was thought a medical problem and to continue on with my traveling. What else is a 79 year old to do? .
But before going on, I decided to make the most of being in The City. Loving everything Asian, I got myself on a city bus and made my way to Chinatown. The streets, as always, were crowded with shoppers, but this time I saw something new; upscale tea tasting shops. Serious, professional- looking tea pourers offered and explained the uniqueness of each of the hundreds of teas being sold, while customers paid handsome prices for "the sell." I bought tea in the same old shop where I have always bought it, in little normal tea boxes, for half the price. In the same shop I saw barrels full of traumatized fat green frogs piled one on top of another, their eyes popped open, pleading for rescue,. Alongside them were fish swimming in large fish tanks, and others, very dead, stacked high on wooden planks. I heard lots of Cantonese spoken by older folks while young ones spoke English and when asked, didn't know Chinese.
After enjoying some delicious dim sum and buying my tofu and bok choy, I wandered through nearby, Italian North Beach to my old haunts; the City Lights Book Store and Visuvio's Cafe where I once posed as a cocktail waitress for an afternoon. That was in the pre-sixties, Beatnik Days. Had an Expresso at a sidewalk cafe and overheard The Young talk about their long, very stressful days at work, anxiety over getting into universities, paying off universities, and general anxt endured when living a life.
I later visited old, dear friends in Petaluma where I grew up and other friends further north in Sonoma wine country. Meanwhile, out-of-the-blue, my dear friend in NC offered me an unused airline ticket. It all worked perfectly as all my medical tests were done and there was only one day left to take advantage of her very generous ticket offer. So I grabbed the chance, bussed back to San Francisco, got the early morning Airport Shuttle, and took off. Now you know how I got here. I wonder where will be next.
The lesson to be learned: Never make plans too tight. Leave space for the unexpected and enjoy it!
.
Now, to tell you about experiencing the flavor of this part of the country. To begin with, there was a delightful Passover-Easter gathering at Alice's home. Delicious were lemon martinis served along with matzo ball soup and Easter Bunny chocolates. The next day I was treated to NC's famous bar-b-q pork, not exactly kosher, but delighting my taste buds with new sensations. Visiting several little surrounding towns, I was made aware of the Latinos that live here and the many tiendas and Mexican restaurants in town. Also, refreshing, is a Black American population in numbers not usually seen in White American, middle class neighborhoods on the West Coast. I was reminded that this is The South.
To back up I want to tell you how I got here in the first place..
This part of the story is to remind us that one can have the most detailed plans made and yet it's easy for something unexpected to drop in and change everything. My mantra: always make Plan B. And it's a good thing I did because, while visiting family in the mall-filled desert of Arizona, I suddenly found myself with a health problem that prompted me to leave Phoenix immediately. ER docs there caused me to hurridly shift travel plans and fly to my HMO in San Francisco. To make this happen, I went to the computer, made a reservation online, and took off the next morning. Once in San Francisco, there was no more desert, but lots of fog and a chilly wind, wrapped around its famous hills, all warmed by a welcoming friend. I got settled in and with a quick cup of coffee the next morning, I took the bus to my appointments to begin a week of medical testing...and more testing with lots of anxious waiting for results. Fortunately, all test results had no answers to my medical problem. Naturally, my decision was then to forget about what was thought a medical problem and to continue on with my traveling. What else is a 79 year old to do? .
But before going on, I decided to make the most of being in The City. Loving everything Asian, I got myself on a city bus and made my way to Chinatown. The streets, as always, were crowded with shoppers, but this time I saw something new; upscale tea tasting shops. Serious, professional- looking tea pourers offered and explained the uniqueness of each of the hundreds of teas being sold, while customers paid handsome prices for "the sell." I bought tea in the same old shop where I have always bought it, in little normal tea boxes, for half the price. In the same shop I saw barrels full of traumatized fat green frogs piled one on top of another, their eyes popped open, pleading for rescue,. Alongside them were fish swimming in large fish tanks, and others, very dead, stacked high on wooden planks. I heard lots of Cantonese spoken by older folks while young ones spoke English and when asked, didn't know Chinese.
After enjoying some delicious dim sum and buying my tofu and bok choy, I wandered through nearby, Italian North Beach to my old haunts; the City Lights Book Store and Visuvio's Cafe where I once posed as a cocktail waitress for an afternoon. That was in the pre-sixties, Beatnik Days. Had an Expresso at a sidewalk cafe and overheard The Young talk about their long, very stressful days at work, anxiety over getting into universities, paying off universities, and general anxt endured when living a life.
I later visited old, dear friends in Petaluma where I grew up and other friends further north in Sonoma wine country. Meanwhile, out-of-the-blue, my dear friend in NC offered me an unused airline ticket. It all worked perfectly as all my medical tests were done and there was only one day left to take advantage of her very generous ticket offer. So I grabbed the chance, bussed back to San Francisco, got the early morning Airport Shuttle, and took off. Now you know how I got here. I wonder where will be next.
The lesson to be learned: Never make plans too tight. Leave space for the unexpected and enjoy it!
.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
79 Years Old and Still Going
Hello all you young and young-at-heart folks who want to travel but can't quite get out there and do it. You probably find all kinds of reasons why you can't fulfill your dreams of traveling to new and far-away places. From the questions I've been asked about how I travel, I bet you're afraid to travel alone, don't know where to go, where to find accommodation, how to find affordable flights, afraid of getting sick, don't know what to pack and if you're "of a certain age" and a woman, you think you'd be "jumping off the cliff." to do what you want to do. In fact, your friends and family will try to convince you of that.
. I'm here to help. I can do that because I've had a lot of travel experience, starting when I was a young girl at 17, up to right now, at 79. And I've done it all before there were computers and with very, very little money. No five star hotels for this girl, but delight was always in the travel package.
I get inquiries, especially from single women asking me, "how do you do it? How do you travel at your age and alone?" I'll tell you: you go to the nearest computer, buy your ticket online, and start packing. OK, there are a few first steps, but I'd like to hear from you first, about what holds you up from doing what you want to do. I'll answer your questions and tell you how I do it. For a start, I'll tell you about where I was two months ago; the Middle East and Sri Lanka. Alone. Well, not really. There were people all around me all the time; at the airport, on the airplane, at the places I stayed (wait until I tell you about those!), and at all the sites I saw.
But before I tell you more, let me know what you'd like me to help you with to make your dreams of travel come true. I'm waiting to hear from you.
. I'm here to help. I can do that because I've had a lot of travel experience, starting when I was a young girl at 17, up to right now, at 79. And I've done it all before there were computers and with very, very little money. No five star hotels for this girl, but delight was always in the travel package.
I get inquiries, especially from single women asking me, "how do you do it? How do you travel at your age and alone?" I'll tell you: you go to the nearest computer, buy your ticket online, and start packing. OK, there are a few first steps, but I'd like to hear from you first, about what holds you up from doing what you want to do. I'll answer your questions and tell you how I do it. For a start, I'll tell you about where I was two months ago; the Middle East and Sri Lanka. Alone. Well, not really. There were people all around me all the time; at the airport, on the airplane, at the places I stayed (wait until I tell you about those!), and at all the sites I saw.
But before I tell you more, let me know what you'd like me to help you with to make your dreams of travel come true. I'm waiting to hear from you.
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