Category Archives: Asia

Asia, Travel

A Layover in Doha

Have you ever been to Qatar? 🙂  I know….but that’s OK!  I didn’t really know where it was before I planned a 48 hour layover either.  This country occupies the Qatar peninsula on the Arabian peninsula…does that help?  There are nearly 3 million people living here, 80% of whom are expats.   

It’s actually a great layover location – as long as you’re not travelling in June-August when temperatures routinely top 45 oC!  American citizens do not require a visa and Qatar Airways has a fantastic transit program that allows you to book a room in a 4* or 5* hotel for as little as $23USD/night.  Come on…..why choose two consecutive red eye flights instead of sleeping in a comfy bed for a bit?!

Although I knew little about this place, it took only a few internet searches to determine that Souq Waqif was the place to be.  It’s centrally located in the heart of the touristic area – perfect for wandering about in a jet lagged stupor.  I booked a room at the Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels – a conglomeration of 9 small hotels spread thoughout the Souq – and ended up in the Najd building.  It’s new, clean and can I mention has a super comfy bed? 🙂

In an attempt to stay up longer than 4pm, I headed out for some dinner and to get my bearings.  Souq Waqif is bustling at night with lots of people enjoying the evening – complete with street music!.  A delicious meal at Al Shurfa Arabic Lounge (try the Al Shurfa mocktail!) with amazing views of the Doha skyline was a perfect way to end the night.

In the morning, the Souq was (mostly) empty and I had time to check out one of Doha’s more unique sites.  Named “Le Pouce”, this is a statue of a….giant thumb.  Yes.  A giant thumb.  I’ve seen it, read about it, and still can’t explain it but it gets 2 thumbs up from me!

Next, it was time for a three hour tour booked through Discover Qatar.  Our guide took us all around the city to see the major sites.  At each stop we got “5 minutes to take pictures”.  Call it a “Doha Sampler”.  Perfect.

Our first stop was the National Museum of Qatar.  No time to go inside, haha, but it was definitely worth a stop for pictures!  The innovative design is meant to bring together the past, present and future and compliments the collections of the museum which focus on the culture, heritage and future of Qatar.  A longer stop will be on my list for “next time”.

Our next stop was the Museum of Islamic Art.  Another stunning building set right on the water.  You guessed it – snap snap snap and we were back in the van.

We cruised down the Corniche, a fabulous waterfront promenade…

…past the dhow harbor on our way to the Katara Cultural Village.  The Village was pretty deserted, so we made a short stop to view the new masjid and pigeon towers, which are typically used to house thousands of pigeons and collect droppings for fertilizer.

On the way out, we swung by one of Doha’s many high end malls.  No one was ready to open their wallets, but the interesting thing about this place is that it has air conditioning – outside!  Those grates on the sidewalk blow cold air when the temperatures rise.  Clever?  Seems like a good way to encourage spending.  I have no comment at this time about the waste….I mean, “utilization”(!)….of energy and resources.

We next crossed the bridge to visit the West Bay area of Doha.  This is where the business of life happens – in very tall skyscrapers!  People (and, thankfully, traffic) were scarce but we can assume they were upstairs chained to their desks while we were gallivanting about having fun…. 

We were on our way to our last stop of the tour – The Pearl.  This is an artificial island created in Doha, where foreigners can buy condos starting from the low low price of $6000USD/m2.  It reminded me very much of the gated communities in Florida.  Perhaps not surprising, since the project is a collaboration between a developer in the US and the people of Qatar. We got a sense of the project at the Welcome Center, where they have a model of the area, and then had a few minutes to enjoy the sunshine.

Throughout the day, I was intrigued by the signs I saw.  The next time you take your “normal” for granted, think about this! 🙂

After 3 hours I was more than ready to exit the vehicle, and took one more walk through the Souq before calling an end to the sightseeing.  I was particularly excited to visit the Falcon Souq!  Collecting falcons is a national pastime in Qatar.  Read more about this hobby (and sport) here.

I returned to what had become my favorite viewpoint in the city to enjoy a cold juice, take in the skyline views and people watch. 

What a pleasant surprise when we were treated to an impromptu airshow.  I do love a good flyover!  These jets are preparing for the celebration of Qatar National Day on December 18.  Maybe that’s a good time for a visit to Doha? 🙂

Asia, Habitat for Humanity, Travel, Vietnam

Hoa Binh, Vietnam (May 2019)

The team had a successful experience in Hoa Binh, assisting Mr Hoan to build the house he’s always dreamed of owning.

While poverty has fallen in Vietnam in recent years, many ethnic minorities and those living in rural areas remain poor. Urban poverty is also a challenge, as towns and cities swell with the influx of people drawn by economic opportunities.

About a quarter of the country’s housing stock is substandard or temporary.  Many homes in Vietnam were built informally and without adequate supporting infrastructure. But with a quarter of the population poor or nearly poor, many cannot afford to repair their house. Additionally, poor groundwater quality makes access to clean water and sanitation another challenge.

Habitat for Humanity Vietnam, established in 2001, specializes in the implementation of sustainable, community-based shelter and water and sanitation solutions. It has experience in rehabilitating and repairing properties damaged natural disasters and by the severe weather that frequently strikes the country’s long coastline. Habitat also works with microfinance networks so families can save and access credit for home improvements, a speedy way to help thousands of families improve their sanitation and housing.

Global Village is Habitat for Humanity’s international volunteer program. Teams travel to over 40 countries to work alongside communities, build housing solutions, and experience local culture. Our goal is to change the lives of the people we serve, as well as the lives of the volunteers.  To join a team or learn more, visit www.habitat.org/gv.

About Habitat for Humanity International

Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in more than 1,300 communities throughout the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.

Asia, Cambodia, Habitat for Humanity, Travel, Volunteering

Battambang, Cambodia (December 2018)

We had an amazing build in Cambodia!  Check back soon for stories of our adventures!

Housing Need in Cambodia

While poverty has decreased significantly in recent years, many Cambodian families are hovering only just above the poverty line of US$1.25 per day.  Nearly three quarters of Cambodia’s population was still living on less than US$3 a day in 2011, according to the World  Bank.  Poverty is largely concentrated in the rural areas though urban poverty may be rising.

Habitat for Humanity Cambodia has enabled more than 18,000 families to build strength, stability and self‐reliance through innovative, durable, affordable housing solutions and human settlement interventions since 2003.  By partnering with Habitat for Humanity Cambodia, families can also receive livelihood training such as agriculture, animal husbandry, business management and other initiatives including liquid soap production and handicrafts, in order to increase daily income and family savings.

More Info

Global Village is Habitat for Humanity’s international volunteer program. Teams travel to over 40 countries to work alongside communities, build housing solutions, and experience local culture. Our goal is to change the lives of the people we serve, as well as the lives of the volunteers.

To join a team or learn more, visit www.habitat.org/gv.

About Habitat for Humanity International

Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in more than 1,300 communities throughout the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.

This post contains information provided by Habitat for Humanity International and Habitat for Humanity Cambodia.  Their help and support is much appreciated.

Asia, Cambodia, China, Habitat for Humanity, Mexico, The Americas, Travel, Uncategorized, Volunteering

Looking back on a great year…

It’s only a few days into 2018 and already I’m in full swing:  planning, organizing, scheming and plotting.  Haha, so many fun things coming up soon!  But before I get caught up in what’s next, I find myself looking back and thinking “WOW”.  2017 brought so many truly special moments.  Many of them were centered around my volunteer travels and none of them would have been possible without so many wonderful supporters.  Let me say that again to make sure it’s clear.  I couldn’t do any of this without YOU! 🙂

In 2017, I was fortunate enough to build homes with Habitat for Humanity Global Village teams in China, Mexico and Cambodia.  I worked with over 40 volunteers to help 3 families build safe and secure homes.  And along the way, more than 20 donors and supporters helped me to raise over $3000 to further this mission – thank you!  Truly amazing numbers.  But the numbers tell only part of the story.  It’s the special moments on these trips are what really get you.

In each location, the families, teams, building techniques and culture were extremely different.  We never knew what to expect until we arrived.  And I can honestly say that none of the trips were what I imagined as I was planning for them – they were all much better. 🙂

In China, our team of 8 volunteers worked with Mr. Long as he built a home for his multi-generational family.  Soon 13 people will be living safely here all under one roof!  You can read more about our trip to China here and see some photos of our work here.

 

In Mexico, a large team of 18 volunteers worked with Margarita – a widow who lives with her 3 daughters, 2 sons and daughter-in-law.  After her husband passed away, Margarita had to take on all of the household duties.  Life is challenging but she never complains – in fact, quite the opposite.  Margarita shared her smile with us daily and after we left, she said that she was still “dreaming about the work that was done and all the faces of the people that helped.”

    

The Big Build in Cambodia was a whirlwind of activity (read more here) and at the future homes of Sopheap and Sophary, you could feel the excitement.  Our team of 18 volunteers helped raise the walls of their homes and were inspired by their stories and outlook on life.

    

2018 will take me to many new places including (Vietnam, Jordan and Brazil) and I continue to be grateful for your support.  To those of you who have traveled around the world with me, thank you for the investment you’ve made!  But you don’t have to join a team to participate.  Whether it be a ride to the airport, a gift of tangible items or monetary donations to share with families around the world or even a message of encouragement, your involvement in this mission is paramount to it’s success and I am so thankful to have you on this journey with me.  Continue to ask questions, I love to talk about the trips!  If you want to be more involved, let me know and I’ll give you a slideshow – we can share the word together!  And remember, when you are ready – there’s always room for you on the next trip. 🙂

Just in case you’ve gotten all the way through this post and these words move you…I’m currently fundraising to help families in Brazil, Jordan and Vietnam .  Click on the country of your choice to access my fundraising page or let me know if you’d like to send any donations of clothing or other supplies. 🙂  Thanks in advance!

Asia, Cambodia, Habitat for Humanity, Travel, Volunteering

A BIG Build

In November, had the opportunity to lead a Global Village Volunteer Team for Habitat to Humanity to Cambodia.  What a great experience!  It was not only the first time I’d traveled to Cambodia, but also a new volunteer experience for me – out of 20+ international volunteer trips, this was my first BIG build. 🙂

What, you may ask, makes this so special and WHY, Tricia, are you emphasizing the “BIG” part of this?  Well, this was no ordinary project.  In summary – 265 international volunteers came together during the same 5 days in Battambang province to build 23 houses for deserving homeowners.  If that doesn’t qualify as BIG I’m not sure what does.

From time to time, countries who are working with Habitat for Humanity decide to put on a special event and focus their resources on helping lots of families at the same time.  It’s their way of boosting their capacity and serving as many homeowners as possible!   This event, known as a “Big” or “Blitz” Build, is not only a mechanism by which homes are constructed, but also serves to build a bigger community of volunteers.  Here’s a little bit of information from Habitat for Humanity Cambodia on this years event.

During this year’s Cambodia Big Build, 17 teams of 2-40 volunteers each from 6 different countries participated.  The largest groups came from the US, Canada and New Zealand, but volunteers from Australia, Great Britain, Hong Kong were there to contribute too!  Here’s a photo of most of the group – wow.

Because of the size of the group, the logistics were obviously very different than most of the other projects on which I’ve participated.  Instead of spending a week in the most remote corner of Kyrgyzstan, Zambia or China where few tourists ever travel, we created our own international convey descending on Siem Reap and Battambang en masse.  We spent time not just learning about the local culture, but meeting new volunteers from home too.  It was great fun!  Well…once we got going.  We arrived in Siem Reap and traveled by 14 buses for about 3 hours to reach Battambang.  Upon arrival, let’s just say the check in area was a little overwhelming…

We were welcomed to Cambodia with a dinner and presentation at the Governor’s Palace.  We learned about the work of HFH Cambodia, enjoyed a good meal, and were treated to some traditional Cambodian music and dance!

  

The next morning, it was finally time to get started building those 23 homes.  We loaded up our buses again and traveled about 20 minutes from the hotel to the work community – complete with police escort!  There was more ceremony for us before the hard work started – HFH Cambodia presented each volunteer with a traditional scarf and then we gathered in the lunch tent for another presentation.  Let’s just say that seeing so many people together in the same place at the same time for the same purpose was inspiring.

But when it really hit us all was when we were introduced to the 23 future-homeowners.  Each family sent one person to the stage and two representatives were selected to give short speeches.  They talked about how excited they were for this opportunity to own a home and how honored they were that we had volunteered to assist them.  Their stories touched our hearts and motived us even more to do everything we could over the next 5 days.

After a little more pomp and circumstance, at last we were released to work!  The 23 homes that would be built were located in two separate communities just a few minutes drive apart.  My team set off for “Site 1”.  Here we are….on our way… 

On this site, 9 houses would be built – all on the same street.  When we arrived, the foundations of the houses were complete and they also had a roof!  The roof is usually put on last but because the weather forecast included rain, local workers put them on so that we could continue our work no matter what.  No rest for the weary.

Our tasks over the 5 days included carrying lots buckets of mortar and sand as well as building all of the walls on each home.  Toward the end of the week, we also prepared the floor and plastered the walls.  The site was a buzz every day with ~100 people scurrying about.  Just looking up and down the street you can tell how hard everyone was working.

Well, we were working hard until the donut lady showed up. 😉 

Since finishing the houses by Friday was the goal, local workers helped to bring all of the houses to the same stage each evening.  On the morning of the last day, we were ready to present the homes to the families!  Everyone cleaned up their respective worksites, decorated the façade, and then (you guessed it!) held a short ceremony.  We allowed the homeowners to cut the ribbon on their home and presented them with a group photo, gift basket and symbolic key before removing our shoes and becoming their first guests.  We shared our thoughts with each other and celebrated this huge milestone together.  Here’s an example of what one of the homes looked like when we were finished: It was an emotional but exciting week and looking back, it’s amazing to think about how much was accomplished!  This was an incredible trip for many reasons and I’m so glad that I participated.  Stories of our particular homeowner will follow soon.  🙂 🙂

***Thanks to Habitat for Humanity Cambodia for hosting this event and for the group photo included in the above post.