Last Friday night we went to a St. Andrew's party (St. Andrew's Day is Scotland's official national day and traditionally celebrated on Nov 30th). Ken and Kate's Scottish friends hosted the party at their condo on The Pearl, which is a man-made island like the ones you're probably familiar with in Dubai.
The view was gorgeous as it overlooked the Persian Gulf and the coastline. The weather was beautiful enough to spend all evening enjoying hors d'oeuvres (even bacon and pork chipolata sausages) and wine on the balcony! I had to laugh at the many conversations surrounding the act of smuggling pork into the country! It's quite a treat when you can get your hands on it.
Our hosts also served a bunch of traditional Scottish delicacies. I tried haggas for the first time.... don't worry, it wasn't cooked in the traditional sheep stomach. It was baked into pastry and topped with whipped mashed potatoes. It wasn't too bad, but definitely not something I prefer. They also had a wide selection of whiskey tasting available, which surprisingly Kris and Ken stayed away from, but I think they just missed it on their arrival.
Saturday morning we went golfing with Kris's parents at the Doha Golf Club.
Luckily they have a ton of free passes that they so graciously shared with us. We played The Academy, which is a 9 hole course. The main course is a PGA course and extremely difficult and long. I'll probably stay on the small one for quite some time. They booked us for 2 rounds so we can play 18, but I only lasted 9.... and barely that. I hit the ball pretty well for a beginner, but was exhausted after only 6 or so holes (more motivation to get myself in shape). We all decided to call it a day after the first 9 which was great by me. Let's just say my game needs a bit of work! Luckily... I have time to practice. Kate and I played 9 holes this past Thursday and Kris and I have a tee time for 11:00 am tomorrow. I'll be a pro before we know it! =)
Qatar has truly been put on the map this week with the country winning the World Cup bid for 2022! The whole country is celebrating this amazing accomplishment. To all those who sent us messages - NO, we will NOT be here to host you! =) But we'd love to come back for the event.
On another note, the celebration has caused quite a road hazard. Qatari flags and scarves are being sold on every round-about (and even in the middle of major highways!).
As I've already warned, round-abouts are dangerous enough on a normal day. Just imagine a Land Cruiser pulled over in the middle to buy a flag and completely blocking at least one whole lane of traffic. Rules of the road just don't seem to apply to people of the cloth (and I don't mean priests, I mean locals). The flags are being attached to cars in every which way - the hood, wing mirrors, sun roofs...you name it! But it really is wonderful to be a part of the excitement and to witness history in the making first hand!
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