Day 5: Street Vendors and Star Treatment

The rooftop view from our hotel (No, it's not a painting!).

This morning, we split into two different groups for a relaxing morning. Some of us went to a Lutheran Mass at 8:00 AM this morning with our guide Godson, while the rest of us decided to rest before meeting up for a walking tour of Moshi at 9:45 AM. It was nice to have an easy morning after so many days of packed schedules.

Mid-morning souvenir shopping.

We spent several hours walking to different markets, shops, and souvenir stands, but who knew the shopping would come to us? As soon as we left our hotel, we began to collect a pack of street vendors who were simply intent on making sure we didn't leave Moshi empty-handed. Whether it was safari gear, soccer jerseys, or local artwork, everyone had something to offer.

The street vendors walked with us all day, hawking their wares.

The scenic walk to lunch

Following our souvenir shopping, we got to see the real Moshi on our walk to lunch. It's an incredible experience to be somewhere so far outside our comfort zone. It might sound a little cheesy, but walking the streets of this town has been eye-opening in the best way. Just before we made it to lunch, we stopped at a grocery store to pick up some supplies for the rest of our time in Tanzania.

The lunchtime view!

Time seemed to fly by before we received our lunch in a local hotel rooftop restaurant. We had pumpkin soup, beef curry, fish fingers, rice, and salad, and it was all the fuel we needed before heading out to the International School of Moshi (ISM).

First-class travel to the International School of Moshi

The second bus to our concert

It was just a 15 minute ride to ISM, where we had our most well-received concert yet! There were upwards of 200 seats in the space, and nearly all of them were filled by students and faculty of ISM and their friends and family. All of us were reminded of stories of the Japan and Latin America tours, with the ISM crowd cheering wildly for us, asking for all of our autographs, and buying out all of our CDs!

The concert venue at ISM

Moving into the space before the audience filled the seats 

We concluded the evening with an all-you-can-eat buffet in a luxury resort just outside of Moshi. We had spring rolls, beef kabobs, corn masala, vegetable noodles, chicken masala, jasmine rise, buttered naan, fruit salad, coleslaw, and marble cake, with complementary coffee and tea. We couldn't have asked for a better end to an exciting day.

Ending the day with an all-you-can-eat dinner!

Tomorrow, we're off to the Mount Kilimanjaro View Lodge, halfway up the mountain! We'll spend the day hiking around the lodge and getting a closer look at the world's highest freestanding mountain, "the roof of Africa!" We might not have access to the internet there, but we'll do our best to post again tomorrow night.

All the best to our friends at home,

The Penn Glee Club

Day 4: Traveling to Tanzania!

There were many groggy faces this morning as we departed from the Kingsgate Hotel, Doha at 4:45 AM. After making sure that we hadn't forgotten anything - or anyone - we headed to the Doha International Airport for our 7:35 AM flight. 

Goodbye, Doha! We hope to be back soon - thanks for the memories!

After a five-hour flight (which felt like nothing compared to the 12-hour flight we took from Philadelphia to Doha!) we made a brief stop in Dar El Salaam, Tanzania. We then had a brief 45-minute flight and finally arrived at the Kilimanjaro International Airport. 

We were able to see Kilimanjaro's peak from the plane!

After checking in and claiming our luggage, we headed outside to meet Godson, our go-to guide for our stay in Moshi. We piled into buses and traveled through the streets of Moshi, heading towards our hotel. While some people stayed awake in order to take in the natural beauty of the region, most people got some much-needed sleep. 

Just one example of the beautiful natural landscape of Moshi. 

We arrived at our hotel, the Osy Grand Hotel, Moshi and checked into our rooms. We then had a briefing by Godson, who explained where we could exchange currencies, as well as what to do and what not to do in order to stay safe in Moshi. 

Our fearless Business Manager, Joseph Ooi (W, E'15)

Godson, our guide in Moshi. 

Each Clubber was given a Mount Kilimanjaro View Lodge bracelet.

After our briefing, we went up to the rooftop, and everyone's jaw dropped. There, rising high above Moshi, was the "Roof of Africa," Mount Kilimanjaro, jutting out above the clouds. The entire Club quickly pulled out cameras to take pictures of the breathtaking view. We were also able to watch the sun set over Moshi, which was one of the most picturesque things any of us have ever seen.

The "Roof of Africa," as seen from the roof of our hotel. Truly beautiful. 

The beautiful Moshi sunset.

We then headed out to an IndoItalian Restaurant and all had a delicious meal. It was the first time in a while that we sang in a public setting - we sang the famous Glee Club "Grace," which was met with applause from the other restaurant patrons. 

The Club performs its "Grace" before tucking into a delicious meal. 

After dinner, we headed back to our hotel. We've been invited to attend a Lutheran Mass tomorrow morning, and some people are taking Godson up on that offer. We also have our concert tomorrow night at 6:30 PM, at the International School of Moshi. If you know anybody in the area, let them know! 

That's all for now, 

The Penn Glee Club

Day 3: Performing at the Qatar Academy!

Our third day in Doha was rather relaxed - we didn't have anything to do until 5:15 PM, so many people slept in. A few people went out to the famous Villaggio Mall, which is huge! There is a river in the mall, and gondolas that the patrons of the mall can use to travel through the Villaggio. The Villaggio also contains an ice rink, a theme park, a roller coaster, a movie theater, and a bowling center! Many Clubbers spent the majority of the day there, purchasing souvenirs and exploring the various attractions in the mall. Some people traveled to the Souq Waqif, while some went to buy shawarma. At 5:15, we piled into buses and headed back to the Qatar Academy for our concert there. 

We started the concert in our standard Khaki Blaze outfits, performing a variety of musical genres - from English glees to full-staged Broadway show tunes. After we finished our last song of the first act, we quickly changed into our formal Ties & Tails for the second act of our concert. The audience was excited to see us running down the aisles in our Ties & Tails to perform "Chicago." After the Penn Glee Club Band and the Penn Pipers performed, the Club finished with its rendition of "Go the Distance," which was met with applause. We received praise from the audience for our performance, with many people clamoring for us to visit Doha again to perform! 

The Club performs in the first act of its public concert in Doha.

The Penn Glee Club performs "Chicago." 

After our performance, we headed back to the hotel. Some people stayed in for the night, while the majority of us headed out for our last night in Doha. We're leaving from our hotel at 4:45 AM for the airport to head out to our next destination, so some people are trying to stay up until then. A few of us actually managed to accomplish that, while some people turned in to try to get some sleep. 

The Band sits down for a meal at the Royal Tandoor Restaurant in the Souq Waqif. 

We've had a blast in Doha, and we're really excited to continue our Tour in Tanzania! We've all made so many memories and strengthened friendships, and it'll be fun to continue that as the Club travels to Sub-Saharan Africa for the first time in its illustrious 152-year history. 

That's all for now - next time this blog is updated we'll be in Africa!

The Penn Glee Club

Day 2: Dune Bashing in Doha!

Our second day of Tour began with our first performance of the trip - we traveled to the Qatar Academy to perform for some of the students there. Upon arriving, we were treated to a performance of The Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun" by the Qatar Academy Choir. The choir is only one year old, but already sounds like a seasoned group! 

The Qatar Academy Choir performs for the Glee Club. 

After listening to the choir, we warmed up and got ready to perform our concert. The concert was well-received, with most of the students recognizing some of the more popular songs we perform. They were especially familiar with "I Can See Clearly" and, of course, our "Boy Band Medley." After the concert, the students asked to take pictures with us, and we happily obliged.

The Club rehearses "Gonna Build A Mountain". 

The Glee Club in concert.

After returning to the hotel, we regrouped and headed out for dune bashing, which is one of the most intense and fun experiences imaginable. Dune bashing involves piling into 4X4 SUVs and having experienced drivers drift down the sides of the sand dunes in the Qatari Desert. Many Clubbers found it extremely enjoyable, and only a few experienced motion sickness! 

The Qatari Desert - perfect for dune bashing!

The hot desert sun finally takes its toll on the PGC.

We stopped at a few sea basins in the Qatari Desert, and finally stopped at a resort just off the Persian Gulf, which included a volleyball court and private beach. A volleyball tournament was immediately set up, while some Clubbers ventured into the Persian Gulf for a refreshing swim. We were provided a free dinner, and then we continued relaxing by the water. A few Clubbers began to sing under the stars, enjoying each other's company and the picturesque beauty of the Persian Gulf. After the nearly 9-hour excursion had ended, we piled back into the SUVs and drove back to our hotel. 

Our first glimpse of the Persian Gulf. 

It was a very long day, and while most of us are staying in the hotel, a few Clubbers are heading out for some food or exploring. We only have a few more days in Doha, so people are trying to hit all of the tourist destinations before we depart. 

We have a full-length concert, free and open to the public, tomorrow night at 7:00 PM at the Qatar Academy. If you happen to know anybody in the area, invite them to the concert! It promises to be a good time, featuring the unique choral sound of the Penn Glee Club. 

Cheers,

The Penn Glee Club

Day 1: Shining, Shimmering Doha!

Hello Everyone!

After a 12.5 hour, 6,796-mile flight, the Penn Glee Club finally set foot where no Clubber had ever gone before: the beautiful city of Doha, Qatar. The last time the Glee Club was even in the Middle East was in 1992 when we visited Israel! As it turns out, we were a part of Qatar Airways' inaugural flight from Philadelphia to Doha, and we flew on one of the nicest planes any of us had ever been on. There were free movies, TV programs, three complimentary meals, and even a little travel pack to take with us!

The plane that we took to Doha!

Many Clubbers found the plane ride particularly enjoyable (can you say 5-movie-marathons?), especially our bassist, Jay Havaldar (C'17), who can now say he's been on a plane!

We were greeted by this warm sign in the airport. 

Our resident videographer, Shohom Basuthakur (W'14)

After we had all grabbed our bags, we naturally decided to be tourists and started taking pictures in the airport.

Baggage claim couldn't dampen anyone's spirits. 

We then piled into buses and headed to our hotel, the Kingsgate Hotel, Doha. Upon arrival, we were told that we wouldn't be able to check in until around 2:00 PM. It was 9:00 AM. No one complained, though, and people took advantage of the few hours we had. While some people stayed in the hotel (the sleeping pictures will show up on Facebook), the majority of us went out to explore the city. 

Some Clubbers ventured to the famous Souq Waqif, a famous standing market with many shops and restaurants. Some of us had some traditional Moroccan food, while others walked around, watching the shopkeepers convince people to buy their wares. 

The Doha skyline. Look at how clear that water looks!

A few of us went to the Museum of Islamic Art, which was holding an exhibit titled "Kings and Pawns: Board Games from India to Spain." Many Clubbers found the exhibit, and the art, very interesting and impressive.

A giant playable chess set in the museum.

The entrance to the Museum of Islamic Art.

After a long day of exploring, we congregated in a conference room in the hotel to start rehearsing for our concert tomorrow - this is a performance tour, after all! We also celebrated the birthday of our director, Dr. C. Erik Nordgren, with a song and some cake. 

Our various set lists for our performances.

The Glee Club rehearsing for one of its many concerts.

After rehearsal, we all parted ways, some to a late dinner and others to bed. Our first performance is tomorrow at the Qatar Academy, and we're really excited to share our music!

While the Internet situation here is less than ideal, we'll be trying to update this blog daily, check back regularly to keep up with our adventures!

Until tomorrow,

The Penn Glee Club