tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25457132933328362322024-02-28T14:44:12.803-08:00Scary Azeri Foreign here. Foreign there. Foreign everywhere.
Now in Doha. scaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.comBlogger424125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545713293332836232.post-74028484216815593952023-09-24T00:57:00.001-07:002023-09-24T01:00:53.491-07:00Nagorno-Karabakh-is there any hope for peace? So, Nagorno-Karabakh is in the news again. I am on Twitter… sorry, X every free minute reading all sorts of facts knowing half at least s not true.What I am realizing these days is we are all biased. Even those who pretend to be unbiased. So of course, I am biased too. I don’t have any hatred in my heart for the Armenian people, and that’s a fact. Yet, I cannot help it. Every time i scaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545713293332836232.post-63999601591301821162023-06-12T04:26:00.003-07:002023-06-12T04:28:45.234-07:00Mountain Biking in AzerbaijanMy husband has a very serious (and expensive, I suspect) hobby these days. He loves to mountain bike.In Qatar, where we live, there aren’t many mountains. In fact, there are none. He still manages to go out on his bike every weekend, but the only choice is a desert. Or another location with another desert. So, he and his friends started travelling abroad to scaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545713293332836232.post-47453272010141849972022-11-06T22:54:00.002-08:002022-11-07T04:35:11.246-08:00Gays, deaths and other popular news stories about QatarOne night, a few years ago, I was out in a fancy bar, drinking cocktails, celebrating a gay friend’s birthday.In the middle of the party, he hugged me with a sad face.“I have a problem he said. I need a new boyfriend.”“Thought you had one?” I asked, laughing.“Well”, he said, “The Australian one I had when I just came to Doha was too crazy. This one now, Pilipino, is way too scaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545713293332836232.post-87962232941857337482021-11-24T23:58:00.000-08:002021-11-24T23:58:54.711-08:00Covid Conspiracy Theories- A New Religion Born? I was chatting to an old friend on WhatsApp recently when she suddenly said they were not getting vaccinated. Oh, I said. Are you an antivaxxer? I meant it as a light-hearted joke, and not really a serious question. But, as our conversation went further and deeper into the subject, I realized, with huge sadness, that yes, she was indeed, a conspiracy theorist and an antivaxxer. I scaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545713293332836232.post-54937480154896647402021-10-03T22:04:00.000-07:002021-10-03T22:07:54.244-07:00A protector. As I get older, I started to realise that the scariest thing about aging is not even the fact that you are nearing the end of this journey, but to end up alone at the end. I used to think, when I was young and brazen, that having children was not really that necessary, and getting married was truly overrated. However, as I realize now,&scaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545713293332836232.post-2722873566799877382021-09-22T01:00:00.002-07:002021-09-22T01:00:54.673-07:00An honest confession Got approached by these guys to tell them my favourite thing to do in Doha. Thought long and hard about that. The result was embarrassing, as exposed my shallow, hedonistic nature. But at least it was honest, and that should count for something. See a very short piece in the bottom of this link… under “Bloggers Thoughts about Qatar”https://www.twinkl.com.qa/blog/scaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545713293332836232.post-13791857761660306652021-08-18T10:05:00.000-07:002021-08-18T10:05:21.588-07:00Everything Turkey had to offer, and more. So, we have just returned from three weeks, yes whole three weeks, family vacation in Turkey.I know. You are probably jealous, and is okay, under the Covid induced circumstances, a certain degree of unhealthy jealousy is perfectly acceptable. We were very fortunate to have been able to go, and most importantly, return in one piece. I have not been in Turkey for&scaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545713293332836232.post-82683952811868934772021-05-25T23:28:00.001-07:002021-05-26T02:29:06.677-07:00Why Georgia reminded me of Scarlett O'Hara This is a draft of my next piece for The Caspian Post that I want to share with you all here. My mother reckons I had been to Georgia before. When I was
four years old. Of course, that just does not count, so I claim this visit now
as my first ever experience of Georgia.
It is surprising, in hindsight, that when I lived so close
to it, I had not visited the neighboring country. I scaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545713293332836232.post-85866294388861218152021-03-21T03:39:00.001-07:002021-03-21T03:41:46.160-07:00Mean girls or about emotional bullyingI was discussing, as thousands of others at the time, that Meghan Markle interview with guys at work when one of them smirked at me. “Come on”, he said. “It was the International Women’s day only a few days ago, and you are being mean about another woman?” That logic always fascinated me. It is like when people also say “do you not like children?” Well, to me children, scaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545713293332836232.post-48403436986717726442021-02-28T22:20:00.006-08:002021-02-28T22:48:40.240-08:00Vacations. Yes, that word. Today is the first say of spring, guys! For us in Qatar it also means summer is coming. I was going to work this morning wearing high boots and tights (there were days when you wouldn’t find a pair of tights in my wardrobe. Pantyhose for those of you who are in the US. I find them terribly unsexy! I mean even the word pantyhose?...Is plain awful. But these days, when I scaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545713293332836232.post-78863731709899598772021-02-13T21:40:00.001-08:002021-02-13T21:45:22.879-08:00Friends DayWell… is Valentine’s day today, guys. In case you forgot. For some it is a romantic day, for others I know is just a commercial holiday which means nothing at all. I also read that it originated from some pretty naughty behavior of the Romans.For me, it means a lot. But in the Finnish way. One of my brightest memories of this holiday goes back to when I used to live in Baku still, youngscaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545713293332836232.post-27445152661153749132021-01-04T00:10:00.002-08:002021-01-04T01:28:21.387-08:00Lessons learned in 2020Well....So here we are. Welcome to 2021. Same shite different year.I have not written here for so long that I don’t even know where to start. Is a bit like not having sex for a while- you forget how to initiate it. Much simpler if you are doing it all the time.Anyway. Is not for the lack of stuff to talk about that I have not written. I have plenty of excuses. The Karabakh war scaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545713293332836232.post-76525488898196930902020-10-18T12:31:00.003-07:002020-10-18T12:46:51.150-07:00Nagorno Karabakh- a proof that parallel worlds exist.In the car journey yesterday, I was asked to explain to two teenagers why Armenia and Azerbaijan were “bombing each other”. I explained. But surely, one of them suggested, they just need to stop bombing each other and just go sit down with a coffee and discuss the issue? Funny how kids think, isn’t it. Well, I said…if only. The more comments and coverages by some incredibly scaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545713293332836232.post-37885639378062991362020-10-09T13:28:00.002-07:002020-10-09T20:57:35.968-07:00Some thoughts on Nagorno-Karabakh and the social media. I don't actually want to talk about whats going on right now. But I guess, I have to. This war...what can I say. I am very worried. Wars suck. People die...nasty shit happens- on both sides. What pisses me off the most at the moment though is that nobody seems to be able to keep a balanced view on what is happening. It seems to be impossible. To be honest, even for me is difficult.scaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545713293332836232.post-79143702481913970582020-06-21T05:02:00.006-07:002020-06-21T10:35:38.553-07:00Have you posted enough black squares?
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scaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545713293332836232.post-62674340100536249322020-05-14T09:43:00.001-07:002020-05-15T21:59:56.371-07:00The unexpected shapes of hope.
I was chatting with a girlfriend in NYC whom I had not really talked to properly for many years. But these days, of course, we both have free time for zoom calls. You know, she said, I am having one of those low days. Is difficult to stay positive, isn’t it. Some days I feel our life will never get back to normal.
I was thinking about it afterwards. Shit, I thought.&scaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545713293332836232.post-83391523073089159682020-03-23T12:08:00.000-07:002020-03-23T12:09:26.107-07:00Corona Part 2- The real problem
Media is funny. I sometimes wonder if it is all directed and controlled by one secret control centre somewhere.
Have you noticed with Corona? At first they were all writing that only old people die from it. And now, have you noticed? How many articles suddenly popping up about a little girl who is on the ventilator...and a random young person, only 24...no underlying conditions...and lots scaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545713293332836232.post-49708557487816083972020-03-14T11:27:00.000-07:002020-03-14T11:27:02.183-07:00Corona- Not all of it is bad.
So...Poor Abu Dhabi still not getting its' turn in my blog.
I was going to write about it...and now this corona thing took over my attention completely, understandably.
So...Corona. Well, you already know everything there is to know about it. But I am going to tell you about this strange funny feeling I have from the situation. I cannot quite explain it, can't quite find the right word...itscaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545713293332836232.post-58641404801535128462020-02-16T02:25:00.001-08:002020-02-16T02:25:47.530-08:00Cute love story
I want to share a very cute love story with you.
It filled my heart with emotion when I heard it. No, that’s not quite right. More than one simple emotion, in fact, but a whole bundle of them. Sadness mixed with joy, hope mixed with this sort of comprehension of cruelty of life.
As it often happens on this blog, I was planning to write about my recent trip to Abu Dhabi. But,scaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545713293332836232.post-12474705078310444552020-01-28T09:58:00.000-08:002020-01-28T10:04:49.807-08:008 Years
8 years, Facebook tells me. 8 years is scary long.
As I was walking around the compound, getting some extra steps in, enjoying the weather, and chatting with my visiting mother, I noticed a young expat woman with a pushchair, by herself. Look, I said to my mom, that’s me 8 years ago, when we just moved to Doha. Walking around, pushing my baby in a pushchair, looking for all scaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545713293332836232.post-7527991976704712552019-12-23T13:31:00.000-08:002019-12-23T13:31:13.780-08:00Annus Horriblis
So....it is that time of year again. Normally, I love writing about the New Year. Remember the duck one? I still just love that duck one.
But this time, I just want to officially announce 2019 as the crappiest, shittiest year I remember in ages. As the Queen would say, it was an annus horriblis.
I can't wait for this annus to end, I will be honest with you. This 2019 scaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545713293332836232.post-39071425195030392432019-12-03T08:52:00.000-08:002019-12-06T05:58:26.943-08:00About Pathways
“Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a 🌸 big television, Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players, and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol and dental insurance. Choose fixed- interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisure wear and matching luggage. Choose a three piece suite on hire scaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545713293332836232.post-82142413489220112052019-11-20T03:13:00.000-08:002019-11-20T03:13:12.158-08:00Why you should marry a poor man.
We had a family friend once, who sadly, had a very unpleasant disease and passed away a few years ago. When he died, everyone was terribly sad, including all his ex-wives. Yes, you heard me, all of them- plural. Now, if you ask how come they all attended the funeral and cried- not fake but real tears, every one of them would respond that he was a wonderful man. And I am sure that one of thescaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545713293332836232.post-6636169040287482232019-09-16T07:09:00.000-07:002019-09-16T07:09:28.730-07:00Pravda, or would YOU want to know?
I was browsing through Facebook this morning when I came across a wedding anniversary announcement from someone I knew a long, long time ago.
25 years of bliss and happiness! it announced. I stared at the photo, memories flooding in.
The truth is, I know for a fact that marriage is not quite as blissful as you’d expect a blissful marriage to be. I know for a fact because Iscaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545713293332836232.post-40552633221553456212019-09-06T02:02:00.000-07:002019-09-06T03:56:56.603-07:00About clogged arteries and surprises
Recently, I came across someone on Instagram whom I started following out of sick curiosity. Every time she posts a nude photo of herself, I go ewwwww!
I then send it to my friends who go ewwww!!! What the hell is wrong with you! why are you sending me this?
But it is like looking at a sheep’s chopped off head during Eid celebrations. You don’t want to look and yet you still have to scaryazerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209595384194222929noreply@blogger.com1