The English Aggie

My last full day in Doha was certainly an eventful one! I have so many stories to tell, I'm not sure where to begin. So, I guess I'll start with the business side of things. Most of my day was focused on continuing to explore internship opportunities at TAMUQ for our majors. Both Dr. Liticia Salter, Director of OASIS (Office of Academic Supplemental Instruction Services), and Alicia Holland, Director of Marketing and Communication, felt their offices could provide a range of internship options, from writing to editing to planning writing workshops. Between these two meetings and the one with Dr. Bickham in the Liberal Arts program yesterday, I feel quite confident that our innovative English Aggies could pursue experiences here in areas related to their professional interests. I also had the pleasure of talking with Jowaher Almarri, another academic advisor at TAMUQ. Jowaher is a native Qatari who has worked on this campus for about five years. She is just a war...

Guess what day it is! You read that right! Since the work week runs from Sunday through Thursday in Qatar, Tuesday is Hump Day. We celebrated with a desert safari, Right before we skidded sideways down this massive sand dune. Eeeek! Meet Reid, a senior petroleum engineering major. He's part of the fantastic group of Texas Aggies studying at TAMUQ this spring. Since he had some time this afternoon, he came along on our trip to the desert. Before leaving for that adventure, I got to sit in on the exchange students' bi-weekly meeting with Maiken and Eric over lunch today. Much of the meeting focused on preparation for spring break, which will be next week. Most of these students plan to go to Barcelona and Amsterdam. One will travel to Nepal to meet a friend who is currently studying abroad in Germany. It sounds like wherever they're going, they're sure to have a great time! Like all Texas A&M students, this group is prohibited from traveli...

Today was all about the details for me: learning the step-by-step processes of applying to study abroad at TAMUQ, requesting housing in the Qatar Foundation dorms (where all study abroad students live), registering for classes, attending orientation, getting advising and support while in Doha, preparing for any type of emergency that might arise, and so on. I continue to be amazed at the level of care Maiken and Eric take to ensure the study abroad students stay happy, healthy, and safe while on this campus. They make a point of speaking face-to-face with each student at least  once every two weeks, though in reality they seem to run into everyone much more frequently than that. They notice when students look like they're not getting enough sleep, seem to be having trouble adjusting to life in Doha, or just need a home-cooked American meal to fight off homesickness, and they make absolutely certain those needs get met. I also met with the lead academic advisor, Windy Lala (a...

"Peace!" It's such a nice greeting, don't you think? I think it will also give me a tidy structure for recapping extremely busy days like today. I'd like to tell you all about: The amazing sights I S aw Some of the (many) questions I A sked Interesting things I L earned Some tasty stuff I A te The wonderful people I M et Here goes! What I saw: Today's activities included lots of opportunities to get acquainted with the area: a TAMUQ campus tour, an Education City tour, and a Doha city tour. Education City boasts beautiful spaces like the garden pictured below, as well as excellent academic, dining, recreation and fitness facilities. Compared to the main campus, everything seems really un-crowded. The city tour included a stop at the Museum of Islamic Art, which includes many really fascinating historical pieces. As our tour guide Jamal predicted, my favorite part was the jewelry exhibit. Check out this falcon: Our next sto...

I made it, y'all! It's 11:00 p.m. here, and I have an early start tomorrow, so I just want to post a brief update before unpacking and turning in. More tomorrow! First impressions of Doha: The people here are incredibly kind. Even to a rumpled, frazzled, clueless Texan who looks exactly like she's spent the last eighteen hours either sitting on a plane or dashing through one airport or another. The city -- even just the part that I saw on the ten-minute ride from the airport to the hotel -- is just stunning. Exhibit A: The view from my window. Sweet dreams! Er . . . enjoy your lunch? (This time difference is definitely going to take some getting used to!)

Final Clue: The country Jaclyn will be visiting has a maroon flag! (So, of course, it's the ideal destination for Aggies!) The answer is...

Here's your clue for Wednesday: The English word “ream” (meaning: "a standard quantity of paper, consisting of 20 quires or 500 sheets") originated from the official language of the country Jaclyn will be visiting. 

Here's your clue for Tuesday: The country Jaclyn will be visiting next week is roughly the size of Connecticut.  

The English Department is buzzing with news about Advisor Jaclyn Upshaw-Brown and the trip she will be taking this Friday on English Department business. The question is, Where in the world is Jaclyn going?!? Each day this week, we will reveal hints about Jaclyn's destination, culminating with the announcement on Thursday, the day before she leaves. Feel free to speculate and hypothesize in the comments or with friends (hint: there’s a clue in this post), but don’t even think about trying to bribe the English Undergrad Staff with leftover chocolate from Valentine’s Day. The game is on! Good guessing to all!

It has been said that you come to college not simply to learn how to earn a living but to learn how to live. That means surviving in a complex world, sometimes a dark wood in which there is danger behind every other tree. English majors read novels and poems and plays about life in all its facets. They study life... -Dr. Jerome Loving, English Professor at Texas A&M University The study of English language and literature is central to the understanding of our culture and our relationship to it. An awareness of our heritage as it is embodied in great literary works provides us with a sense of the traditions, ideas, and rhetoric that have shaped us and our world. This knowledge enables us to define ourselves and our values in relation to this valued past. The flexibility of the degree in English and the options available in the department enable students to pursue their own interests while acquiring important analytic and writing skills and discovering the riches of our litera...