Weird Doha Finds Part 1
One of my best buddies recently introduced me to a YouTube channel run by a couple living in South Korea called Eat Your Kimchi. It's basically hilarious and it's what I wish I could do if I quit my job and blogged/shot videos/got lots of sponsors/did everything in stretchy pants.
This has now turned into my life goal. B(V)LOGGING!
My mom is now shaking her head thinking of all those years I spent in college. Okay, yes. I'll continue to be an art teacher (yay!).
ANYWAYS. Living abroad will really give you a glimpse into what other people in other cultures and countries eat, buy, wear that you haven't seen before. Nearly every time Justin and I go to the hypermarket (grocery store plus other junk), we're always seeing things that we've never seen before. These shopping trips usually end with Justin saying, "put down that swirly cabbage thing from Singapore. They're going to think you're drunk!" Hah! I wish.
So basically there are all these types of crazy produce and meats and products. Sometimes it makes you wonder why America doesn't have this/why does this exist/gag/want to buy it this instant.
I know that when we move back to the States next year (already?!) we'll be missing things that we've grown accustomed to buying and eating here. Karak! Biryani! European Family Clubs! Butter Biscuits! Brunost!
For your little eyeballs I've taken some photos of things that are totally a thing here.
Get your Deboned Baby Milkfish here, folks. Now with eyeballs still intact.
To continue with our seafood theme, we've got mussels...with a type of liquid-y mussel sauce (?).
I know this one probably isn't too far fetched for you hunters of quail but for me...this one is weird. It's almost like having deer meat readily available at Wal-Mart (Don't get any ideas, Wal-Mart). Not to mention some of their little foot-less legs were sticking out of some of the packages... :{
The art teacher in me is thinking, "these sanguine-ish lamb kidneys are such an interesting color!" and then I remember I'm talking about organs...
Now your breakfast can consist of teeny tiny quail omelettes.
Makes a "camel sound".
This is actually something I've been wanting to bring up for a while. It seems that Western cultures (European, Australian, North American, etc.) are the ones who are often times preoccupied with being tan. America has such a tanning culture and we surround our idea of beauty around an ideal of that blonde hair, blue eyed tan girl. It's been very refreshing to leave that society and recognize that the world has a very multi-faceted version of what it considers to be "beautiful". It really brings home the point that beauty is such a society constructed concept that it shouldn't really take root in your mind and make you feel like you are less than. because you don't meet this or that definition of what could be considered beautiful.
This is so empowering as a woman because you're taught from such a young age by your society what is considered to be enviable physical traits. You're faced with magazines in the grocery store that tell you how to "lose that belly fat" or "get bikini body ready". I have also been that person who spent many, many years being uncomfortable with my body and now I've come to the conclusion that what someone else deems to be beautiful or not has absolutely no bearing on what I think of myself. I cannot get caught up in negative self-talk or condemning myself for food choices, my pale skin, my short hair, my wide hips, etc. If I am healthy, eating good food and happy with the people I surround myself with..that's all one can really ask for.
Okay, all of that to say:
People here love fair skin and there's a product for you to achieve said fair skin.
See? I'm not tan-i-licious in America and it's not considered beautiful but it is here. See how contrived the idea of beauty is?
Okay, on to the next and down from my soapbox.
Keep your abaya's color from fading with this detergent. If only I had known about this before my favorite black pants turned black-ish.
I can't. Nope.
This...thing? Unfortunately I didn't grab it's name and can you imagine my trying to describe this to the grocer? It's um...got these root-like things and it's round and...green (?)
And finally! Kumquats! That should be everyone's new favorite word of the day. Kumquats!
Believe it or not, friends, but this was the more low-key grocery store. This is like the one that many people frequent and consider to be kind of Wal-Mart Super Center-ish. Now I've got to go walk 2 miles through the desert to take some photos of the good (read: weird) stuff for you.
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-Tiff
