teaching, traveling, taking pictures
Sunday, August 9 was the first workday of the semester. I had to appear on campus, sign a slip of paper verifying to the department that I was actually in the country, and (I almost forgot) fill out an online form verifying to the university that I was back from summer break. Normally, this would… Continue reading Daring and Lucky: My Summer Break Traveling during the Pandemic
Prior to the Coronavirus pandemic, when I was able to travel, I tried regularly to send my nieces a postcard about my adventures and whereabouts. However, since I have been on lockdown, like most of the world, my adventures have been nil and my daily life less interesting. Still, if I were to send my… Continue reading Quarantine Postcards
Hello Conan, I hope you are well. Are you considering returning to the U.S. given the DOS level 4 restrictions? Whatever you do, I hope you are well-connected and keeping up your spirits! Best wishes, Friend ---------- Forwarded message --------- The Department of State advises U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel due to the… Continue reading Response to Fwd: Global Health Advisory – Level 4 Do Not Travel, March 19, 2020
Conan! How are you? Are you guys having classes? Is the university closed? I got a job at XXX University! I need your advice as to how to transition and start somewhere new. I am not sure how to begin. Can you give me some advice??? Hey, friend! I am doing well. Thank you for… Continue reading Response to a Friend on Teaching, Traveling, and Job Transitioning during the Covid-19 Pandemic
A few weeks ago, as I was driving my car into the entrance of my apartment building, I noticed a small cat huddled on the front steps. After parking my car, I approached the grey tabby. Hey, kitty! It didn’t flee and allowed me to pet it. Up close, I noticed that the cat was… Continue reading Cat-Free in Doha
As I write this blog post, 722 people have died of the Coronavirus. Many American airlines are halting flights to mainland China (possibly until March 28!). Three cruise ships have been placed under quarantine after several passengers tested positive for the virus. Outside of China the countries with the most reported cases of the virus include Singapore, Thailand and Japan with 20 to… Continue reading Illness and Injury While Traveling
The other day I participated in a photowalk hosted by the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum. The Sheikh Faisal Museum is one of my favorite places to visit in Qatar. It is outside of Doha, just past the Mall of Qatar. I have gone there several times and brought multiple people there in… Continue reading Photowalk at the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum
Last night, I dropped two of my friends off at Hamad International Airport. They had flown all the way from wintery Minnesota to attend a conference in Doha and spend some time with me. It was a short but satisfying visit. My apartment is large enough to easily accommodate them. Plus, there are quite a… Continue reading On Gratitude
On November 1, National Novel Writing Month will begin, and for 30 days, I must write 1666 words per day in order to accomplish the goal of writing 50,000 words (the length of a novel or novella). Since I came to Doha, I have written/created at least one blog post per week of varying lengths… Continue reading Two Truths and One Lie
The other day, as I was preparing a new post for my blog, I noticed that WordPress had congratulated me on 100 blog posts. 100 posts? Seems like only yesterday that I arrived in Doha and started writing my original blog, My Days in Doha. In recognition of my 100 posts milestone, I thought that… Continue reading Top 10 Posts from the Past Two Years
