teaching, traveling, taking pictures
Image source Ramadan Kareem! Today marks the fifth day of #Ramadan2019. In my last blog post, I wrote about the onset of Ramadan here in Qatar. This is only my second Ramadan in a Muslim country, so I am still learning quite a bit every day about the traditions and practices of the ninth month… Continue reading 30 Days of Ramadan: New Understandings and Challenges
Dear CONAN, We are happy to report you have successfully completed full repayment of the student loan(s) listed above. Congratulations on reaching this exciting goal! We will now release you from your fitted yoke. Please keep this notification for your records. Details about your loan will remain in your online account for 13 months. Log… Continue reading INFO: Congratulations! Your Student Loan Is Paid Off!
The band blares,The naphtha flares,The sawdust smells,Showmen ring bells,And oh! right into the circus ringComes such a lovely, lovely thing...."Circus" by Eleanor Farjeon This past Saturday, I was able to watch the penultimate performance of Cirque du Soleil BAZZAR before the start of Ramadan. There was a circus tent set up across the canal from… Continue reading Cirque du Soleil in Doha
Image source Sunday, May 5th marks the start of Ramadan 2019. Based on the visual sighting of the crescent moon, the month typically lasts 29-30 days. Ramadan is based on the Hijri calendar (a lunar calendar consisting of 12 months of 354 or 355 days), not the Gregorian calendar (a solar calendar of 12 months… Continue reading Ramadan Kareem! and Other Matters Related to #Ramadan2019
Stay calm. Do not panic when you hear the fire alarm. Also, it's important to stay quiet so you can hear any instructions. In fact, it's important to be quiet and calm the whole time the fire drill is happening, not just when it starts. Consider employing alternate nostril breathing to relax your body and mind, reduce… Continue reading Subject: Responding to a Fire Alarm
Nothing that surrounds us is object, all is subject.André Breton
Image source In terms of American pop culture, April 2019 has been a momentous month; the final season of the HBO television show Game of Thrones (GoT) debuted while the 22nd MCU movie, Avengers: Endgame (AE), was released this past week. Both GoT Season 8 and AE represent the culmination of sprawling narratives with throngs… Continue reading Pop Culture Comedown
