Q is for Questions to a Blogger #atozchallenge

I was in a dark place. The summer heat of Doha had sapped me of my will to carry on living in a place I struggled to call home. 

"What's the point?" I'd ask my husband and myself. 

The oppressive heat had taken away the things I thought made me happy: long walks and gardening.

This was almost five years ago. 

"I hate it here. There's nothing to do except shopping and working. Even the people are fake. They only want to talk about their branded bags and expensive cars." I was full of excuses and loving the role of victim I was playing (although I didn't see it as such) and believed that all my woes were because of our move.

"Mum, why don't you start writing again?" suggested my sixteen year old daughter.

One thing led to another. A Book, a trip and a few days of discovering the blogger website later, I posted my first post and saved my sanity.

I'm still in Doha. It still gets unbearably hot in the summer. I walk and garden and take pictures when I can, and when I can't, I sit and blog. I've found my tribe -- people who laugh at silly jokes. 

I've made my peace with bag and car lovers too. Discrimination of any kind is a result of a mind that judges. I'm trying to mute that mind. Who knew people with expensive bags can be kind and fun! 
Live and unlearn Arti...live and unlearn.

Via this blog, I've connected with so many kindred spirits that I can not thank the stars enough for putting me in hot and dry Doha, where I was forced to slow down and look inwards, peep within and find the pool of plenty. A pool that was always part of me, but I was so busy looking out, so busy complaining, so busy trying to fix the right place to live in that I never spared it a glance. This peaceful pool, this heart, this place of rest, this love that was always there, spills out in posts and pictures. 

Funny thing is, the more I share, the more full I feel -- full of hope (despite the news), full of awe, full of stories and sights and inspiration, too.

"What you seek is seeking you."

~Rumi

How true, I feel, especially when it's April and when I'm part of this challenge, I feel this fullness even more. There's this zing, this excitement when I visit other blogs, leave a comment or read one that's been left on my space. 

I'm grateful.

For you, my  fellow bloggers, I have 3 questions on Q day:

1)How did your blogging journey start?

2)Today, websites like Eventbrite allow you to organize a conference in a very easy way. If you could plan your perfect panel of bloggers to speak at a conference or have dinner with, who would you include?

3) What're the questions you'd like to ask your favourite blogger?

Please leave your answers in the comments column below or feel free to send them via mail at: myordinarymoments@gmail.com

Thank you.

Sun rises in Doha (above) 

and on Jersey Shore (below).

He doesn't discriminate.

He shares his rays.

And lights up all:

ants, leaves, cobwebs, trees,

even you and me.

Rise with R tomorrow.

so long...