Happy Birthday to me
Let’s head to the sea
For the dolphins to cheer and glee
Happy Birthday to me!
Alhamdulillah for a breathtaking experience of being out in the sea and among seals, otters, whales and dolphins for my birthday this past weekend.
It’s the first selfie I took a few days after arriving home from Qatar last summer. I was still jet lagged, silly excited yet overcome with emotions.
Still thinking about the delicious Thai yellow curry chicken with potatoes and purple carrots with a side of seasoned steamed rice my young brother made for the family iftar last week. 😋 I’m so proud!!
Is Ramadan really ending this week?
In your darkest of days, a pop of color can go a long way. Here’s to a colorful Monday and an even more colorful Ramadan.
Throwback to My Dinner at Fouj Cafe
A Snapchat Story
By Ms. Hala
Here’s a throwback to my last few weeks in Qatar when I got to dine at Fouj Cafe on Grand Hamad Street (aka Bank Street), in Doha. My favorite, of course, was their take on the Qatari dish, chicken majboos.
I appreciate their gourmet take on the local cuisine without sacrificing on flavor. The chicken was fall off the bone tender and I was surprised I had a picture of it as it seems to have not made it to the video above. Oops! It’s seriously one of those dishes you almost can’t get enough of and can smell it whenever you crave it and right now, I’m having massive cravings!
They are well known for their deserts, with a wide selection as well as custom-made cakes, including tiered wedding cakes. I thought the one they had on display then was quite impressive. Their take on tiramisu that I had was so filling, I ate it slowly for three days, literally! I had to share the goodie bag with friends as it was much and I was moving out of the apartment. I can say though that nothing was left after about 20 minutes.
Shout out to the Fouj Cafe team for making my last few weeks in Qatar a delicious one!
A Tourist In My Hometown
Repatriating Ain’t Easy
By: Ms. Hala
That feeling when you realize repatriating ain’t easy. Not close to how easy I thought it would be at least. Then again, neither was my first year as an expatriate when I first moved to Qatar back in 2012.
I know I need to give myself a little more time to adjust to life back home. Yet the longer it takes, the more anxious I get. Looking for a new job in a competitive market isn’t making anything easier but I’ve managed to keep my sanity with a few side gigs.
Since repatriating back home to the great city of San Francisco, where I was born and raised, I’ve come to find myself playing tourist. Unlike the times I’d visit home for a few weeks a year, I’m finding myself rediscovering a city I once knew like the back of my hand. So much has indeed changed, gentrification is in full effect here, yet much has stayed the same. And with this post begins my new blog series on my life in repatriation mode.
I can’t deny that the first month or so of playing tourist has been a whole lot of fun! I encourage all my peeps reading to come visit this city of mine and explore its wonders. I’ve already had out of town friends and family come visit so it’s been nice to explore a few corners of this city with them.
Click here for my ILoveQatar article on the top things to do in San Francisco!
Discovering the great gastronomic culture I’ve grown up with has been an adventure in and of itself. It’ll also require me to quickly join a gym if I’m going to keep eating all this good food. Until then, I need a taco fix, pronto!
