Walking across the central courtyard of the College to meetings. The birds are always chirping madly in the palm trees above and students and faculty are sitting around the reflecting pools. There’s always a slight breeze blowing which makes it increasingly more pleasant as the daytime temperatures continue their slow movement downward into the high twenties. Most days, I revel in these walks and still can’t quite believe I am here.
The way the security guards in my building are always smiling and singing and saying hello and goodbye whenever they see you.
How unfailingly polite and nice Qataris are. They always hold the door for you when you are entering or leaving a building behind them and never once has anyone failed to say thank you when I have held the door for them. We have wonderful conversations with Qataris who serve us at the QTel store or colleagues at work. I am learning a lot about their culture and how they live and it’s so interesting.
How I can attend lunch time yoga and zumba and other exercises classes free and they’re just across one of the many beautiful courtyards on campus.
That we get daily garbage collection in the compound.
Ditto for our water cooler bottles.
The wonderful perfumes that male and female Qataris wear.
That it only costs $10 to fill up our car when it is on empty – and every gas station is full service. I can’t even remember the last time someone filled up my gas tank in Canada.
That there are so many different cultures living here that a trip to the supermarket means you hear at least five languages as you buy your groceries.
That John can get all of his shirts and suits laundered and pressed and/or dry cleaned for such a pittance that it’s really not worth my while spending any time on such things. Next expense: Once a week cleaner and then I truly will be a lady of leisure when I return from work.
That we get home from work at 3:30 every day and seem to be able to accomplish a lot, including dinner, all before 6 p.m. Of course we’re at work by 7 every day but this suits the morning person I am.
How friendly and helpful everyone is. Everyone has been through the expat move and transition so they have many suggestions, ideas, and pieces of advice.
That you have to check any shopping bags with a security person when you enter a store. I like not having to lug around my packages. Of course, this makes you realize why shopping is the official sport of Qatar – malls are always busy. You forgot how many bags you have until you have to claim them again!
How happy Kate is here. Can’t even begin to list all the things she loves about being in Doha. Latest hobby: Learning sign language from a new friend.
Wandering around the souq areas rather than the malls. Haven’t done enough of this yet but we’re starting to get a sense of where everything is and a colleague took me to some neat little places last night that I will enjoy poking around in when I have more time.
That you can get your car washed while you shop in the mall. Just park your car in any stall and tell the attendant you want your car washed. While you shop, someone will do it for you (by hand) and its costs around $5 (including a good tip).
The incredible mix of food and the mix of ancient and modern all around us.
That we are part of building a country that has ambitious plans and the money and will to make it happen – it has transformed itself in a very short amount of time.
That education is the cornerstone of just about everything Qatar does – I’m soooo happy to be back working with people who value education. Didn’t realize quite how wearing it was to feel like I constantly had to convince some of my clients that learning was a good investment.
That I can drive out into the desert to buy tropical plants for my house at a huge green house operation where it feels like you are walking through a rain forest.
That I drive down the highway and see camels grazing at the side of the road and not cattle! Or course it’s all beige and I miss the green but seeing the camels gives you a jolt and reminds you that you are halfway around the world.
Hearing all of my colleagues’ stories of countries they have visited and adventures they have had.
Being so close to so many countries and planning our November Eid trip to Oman and Christmas in Italy. The more I hear, the more it hits me that Canada is just in the middle of nowhere! It takes so long (and so much money) for us to get anywhere from Canada. Here, I can be sipping tea in Mumbai in three hours or buying a carpet in Istanbul six hours after leaving Doha. So many countries, so little time…
Editing the College Social Committee newsletter (yes, I volunteered!). I get to find out cool stuff that’s going on at the College and in Doha before everyone else!
I think the list is long enough for now. Hope everyone is doing well wherever you may be. This weekend we plan on taking lots of photos so my next blog will be fewer words, more visuals.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
wow, it was nice to read about all your interesting experiences in Qatar.. great to know that you all are having good time and enjoying the place..some of the comments brought back the memories of our time in Abu Dhabi..looking forward to seeing more pictures in the next blog..
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