Happy Hump Day!

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 traveling to any area that is under a State Department travel warning, and they must obtain approval before traveling outside Qatar. They are also required to obtain international cell phone service while away from Doha in case of emergencies. Maiken ensures that they are covered by Global Rescue, a service that can provide medical care or other assistance in the event of an emergency.

During the lunch meeting with the students, I asked about their experiences in Doha so far. Several said they have been pleasantly surprised by the degree to which they have been able to connect with students from Qatar and the many other cultures represented at TAMUQ.  They noted that they had been prepared for major differences between themselves and the other students, but they were not prepared for how much they have in common with their peers here.

Don't they look happy? That's Maiken and Eric on the right.

The students said they have enjoyed the discussion-based class format that is the norm here, since even core curriculum classes are rarely larger than 25 students. I was able to witness this interactive learning environment firsthand today, when I visited Dr. Nancy Small's English 210 class. Dr. Small worked in our department in College Station until she moved to TAMUQ four years ago. In her course, she has incorporated projects on campus that allow her students to practice the technical communication skills they are learning in the classroom.

In other exciting news, Dr. Troy Bickham, Program Chair of Liberal Arts at TAMUQ, offered some great insight into programs that might present wonderful internship opportunities for English majors. Among these ideas are an upcoming oral histories project and a new undergraduate journal, where student interns could gain valuable experience with editing and publishing.

A meeting with Dr. Kerry Noack, Director of the Office of Records at TAMUQ, completed my business for today.  We discussed the details of what it will look like for our students to switch campuses for a semester, how internships might fit into that picture, and how the TAMUQ campus cooperates with offices on the main campus, such as the Office of the Registrar, Student Business Services, and the Study Abroad Programs Office, to ensure that all of these processes work seamlessly for exchange students.

If camel rides, grinning Aggies, and internship opportunities aren't enough good news for today, how about a soft, sandy beach and clear turquoise water? This place is just full of surprises.

Who knew a desert safari could double as a trip to the beach?