La vida es una sola...: 2011

Monday, December 26, 2011

Camping in December

The second weekend in December, I had the pleasure of camping in the desert for the first time since moving to Qatar! I went with two other teachers and 17 students who has signed up for the trip through the Outdoor Club in the high school. I had just finished two of the busiest weeks that I had experienced in a very long time and to be quite honest, I was not looking forward to this trip. I had just wanted to lock myself up in my apartment and relax on the couch completely closed off to the rest of the world. Nevertheless, as we arrived to the our camping site (about an hour outside of Doha), the sun was setting and the full moon was about to appear. I have to admit there is always something so calming and surreal about being in the middle of no where and being able to see a sky full of stars. Despite the cold desert air at night, being outside in the fresh air and nothingness really helped to calm my mind and put me at ease. The stress, workload, and anxieties of the the past two weeks and the week to come disappeared from my mind for the time being. I must also mention that it was really great to be able to spend that time with some great teenagers. They were so entertaining and fun to be around. Here are a few pictures from our night in the desert and the next days hike...

Full moon in the desert.

Headed to camp at dusk.

The beautiful sunrise sure made not sleeping all night not matter at all!

Sunrise.

Pretty beautiful I think...

Exploring the desert and playing with their compasses.

Desert wonders.

Ripples in the sand.

Don't let me fall! :)

Dried mud or Doritos as the kids so affectionately called them.

Almost finished with our hike.

Quick stop at the sand dunes on our way back to Doha and reality...

Friday, December 16, 2011

4/5 Cross Country 2011

I again had the pleasure of helping to coach the elementary cross country team. However, this year the teams were divided into two different ones. Along with my dear friend Trish, we coached the grades 4/5 team this year. We came into the season with such high expectations and great ideas on how to improve from last year. Nevertheless, we soon realized that things do not always go according to plan and it takes time to develop these very young runners. Moreover, running is a very intrinsic pass time that some people spend decades trying to learn how to appreciate and enjoy. Not everyone is as obsessive and compulsive about her running as I am, for example.

We soon found that many of our "runners" didn't even really know what cross country was and some really didn't even like running. Can you imagine that? We had one little girl only come to the first week of practice and then explain to us that cross country really wasn't what she thought it was. When I expressed my deep sadness in her quitting, she proceeded to pat me on the back and say, "Don't worry Ms. Houston. It will be okay." I like to think that their parents like to trick them a bit into signing up for this sport! ;)

Nevertheless, we always end up having a lot of fun. It is also quite amazing to see how much the kids improve over the course of only three months. They really became motivated when we began to time their runs and they could see their times drop.

Our race was at the Doha Golf Course again this year on December 5, 2011. The temperature was much cooler than last year though. In the end, I think everyone ran their best times and it was great to see how much some of our runners from last year were really able to improve on their times and places. I would have to say that the highlight of the day was that our girls team placed THIRD! It was a such a great surprise and wonderful achievement for them! Go Dragons!

Last year's post of our race day:
http://katiehouston.blogspot.com/2010/12/asd-elementary-cross-country-2010.html

Here are some pictures from our morning at the course:

Warming up with Coach Trish...

Stretching...

Watching the grades 2/3 teams run.

Great group of girls!

The start line.

And they are off!

Our 3rd place finishers glowing with content and pride!

Showing off their hard earned medals!

And back to school we go! Great day team!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Doha College 10K Run

On November 18, I participated in a 10K race at The Pearl in Doha. It was organized by Doha College, our next door neighbor. Doha College is very similar to ASD, but it follows the UK schooling and curriculum. It was a wonderful day to share with some great people from work! I was rather shocked and a bit proud of my performance for the day. I won my first road race. I beat all 117 women and ended up placing 12th overall. There were 258 participates. In the end, I beat more men than women and I was also the first American to cross the finish line. I guess these "old" running legs still have some spark from time to time...

Crossing the finish line!

You can see the race results at: http://www.premiertiming.com/res/events/Doha_College_10K_2011

You can see some more race pictures at: http://www.dohacollege.com/index.php?option=com_phocagallery&view=category&id=398:dc-10-km-2011&Itemid=139

Coming up to the finish line.

Getting closer and quite tired...

Ok...maybe not that tired... ;)

ASD was well represented. Tara (in the red shirt) finished her first race!

It ended up being very foggy for the end of the race. It was nice to be able to escape the sun.

The entire ASD crew!

Receiving my plaque!

First time shaking the hand of a man in a thobe.

I really don't like being in front of a lot of people. I was a bit nervous.

Smile for the camera!

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Harlem Globetrotters

The Harlem Globetrotters made a surprise appearance at ASD on November 14 and played a game the following night, which many students attended!

Harlem Globetrotters to highlight education in Qatar
The world-famous team will visit several schools in Doha and the Shafallah Centre for Children with Special Needs

By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief
Published: 14:17 November 12, 2011

Manama: The Harlem Globetrotters will be in Qatar next week for the first time since 1993 and will play a match against the Washington Generals on November 15 at the Aspire Women's Sports Hall, organisers said.
The world-famous team will visit several schools in Doha and the Shafallah Centre for Children with Special Needs.

The Harlem Globetrotters will visit the American School of Doha (ASD), the Qatar International School and Doha College. During the school visits the team will entertain and provide an opportunity for students to join the team members in performing some of their tricks.

The exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theatre and comedy will also visit Shafallah Centre for Children with Special Needs, a centre that provides comprehensive services and care to individuals with developmental learning challenges.

The team is expected to encourage school children to stay active in sports while continuing their education.
The Harlem Globetrotters have than played more than 20,000 exhibition games in 118 countries.

International Week 2011

This is one of my favorite weeks at ASD....
It is filled with such amazing activities and events. The diversity of this school and the experiences and backgrounds of the students never cease to amaze me! Here is what transpired throughout International Week 2011... (I know that I am very late in posting this. Life has been very busy!)

(If you want to know how it compared to last year, check out my post from International Week 2010.)

Sunday, October 30
Opening Ceremony and the Parade of Flags
Theme: National Dress