Life on the Spot! Life and Leisure in Doha, Qatar

Last night, as it is every year, we waited for the coming of a brand new year. We invited our friends Marlyn, Mel and their daughter Mela over to celebrate the coming of the New Year with us. Instead of the traditional "media noche" though, we had dinner at around 9pm. We had bbq spare ribs, spaghetti with meatballs, quilo and fried chicken drumsticks with a special hot sauce. Then for dessert, there was the painstakingly cooked ube jam (purple yam) and baklava. Tian volunteered to cook and prepare the food last night as he preferred it to cleaning up the house. So he was stationed in the kitchen while I took care of the tidying up. Of all the things that he had to do, it was really the ube that proved to be the most difficult one. He had to cook it for 2 hours, continuously having to stir it, to make sure that it didn't get burned. But it was all worth it because everyone agrees that it was really delicious. I also thought that it was far more yummy than the one we cooked last Christmas. Even Xiane couldn't resist it. She had it for breakfast today and would tell us to just take small bites when we asked her if she could share it with us.

It was not the usual New Year celebration that we would have if we were in the Philippines, simply because it was minus the family and the deafening sound of firecrackers around you (which is actually good). Last night was a very peaceful kind of gathering, something that gives you a chance to enjoy food and have a nice conversation with friends. We finished eating at past 10 and spent the remaining hours just talking. They left at about past 12, as their daughter already dozed off.

We cleaned up a bit after they left then decided to hit the bed. Xiane slept but Tian and I watched "Survivor" until the wee hours of the morning. We were invited to lunch at a friend's home but we missed it because we woke up late and are so lazy to go out because it's so cold. So we might as well just chill out. But for sure we are going out tonight to go to church, to thank God for a wonderful year 2006 was and for the blessing of another New Year. So here's wishing you all a blessing-filled Happy New Year!