The subject line is due to one of the channels here playing only scary American movies. I have seen Poltergeist three times since our arrival.
After our 14.5 hour flight from Houston, we landed in Doha. They don't have jetways here, so once we landed, we were loaded onto buses that took us to the airport from the runway. It was HOT. At 8:45pm, I would guess it was around 95 degrees. I was surprised to see women in flip-flops, shorts and tank tops. Of course, they weren't locals, but still. I was told toes and ankles were the TnA of the Middle East and they were both frowned upon. We were greeted by a driver from the Embassy who helped us with our luggage and getting Joon from the airline. She handled the trip just fine - no accidents in her kennel! Outside of the airport, the driver went to get the car and our "sponsor" Jennifer waited with us. She and I had emailed a few times and it was such a relief to know someone here. We drove around Doha on our way home and the architecture, just at night, was unbelievable. There is no skyline in the US that can compare. Not so much the number of buildings, but the shapes and lighting. It's amazing. We finally made it to our compound where Jen showed us the pool, gym and restaurant. We live next door to a princess who has a Bengal that "gets out occasionally." Looks like I'll be needing to keep an eye on Joon when I take her outside.
The next day, Brian went to work. Yes, after a long flight, jet-lag and still living out of a suitcase, he was called into work. I stayed home and tried to organize, but since everything in the house is being moved into storage to make room for our household goods, there really wasn't much to do....so I read. We've been here a week and I've read almost 8 books. Now that we have the interwebs, I'm sure that will be changing a bit.
The work week here is Sunday through Thursday. Brian's first day of work was on a Thursday, so we had the weekend to explore and catch up on our sleep. We slept so much. I've never experienced jet-lag, but it kicked our hineys. I've never slept so much in my life, minus the teenage years when I could sleep until 4pm. :) That weekend, we woke up at 5am, when the sun is fully risen, and took off exploring the city. We drove through The Pearl, downtown and out by the Embassy. We found a grocery store near the house. Let me preface this next part with my dress: T-shirt (shoulders and neck covered), linen pants and close-toed shoes. We walk into the store and I swear you could have heard a record scratch. Gawking is an understatement. I was waiting for the men to start smelling me or touching my hair. I suppose you get used to it, but it was my first experience and I was very uncomfortable. I wouldn't let Brian leave me to go look at sodas. HA. That was day #3 that we were here - I'm much better now. I even wore a bikini to the pool. :)
Speaking of the pool....it is one block from our front door. There are tents set up for shade and the restaurant offers chair-side service. I told Brian I felt like I was on vacation. The pool reminds me of Schlitterbahn. It's huge, there are three parts, with a slide for the kids, a little bridge that goes over it and one part is only a few feet deep for hanging out. I had on 50 spf and still got a tan under the tent. Seriously, the sun here is brutal. You can bring alcohol to the pool if you pour it in a cup. It isn't sold at the restaurant. We got ours at the Embassy. A case of Corona, a case of Sam Adams and 2 bottles of wine cost us $135 (american). To be honest, though, it is too hot to drink here. I'm serious. My pee hasn't been clear or near clear in a week. I can drink two gallons of water and still be dehydrated.
There are a lot of differences that I've noticed right away: All roads are roundabouts. Quesadillas are held together with a tomato/enchilada sauce instead of cheese. People are AFRAID of dogs. One worker ran out of our house because of Joon. Beef here smells bad. It looks like I'll be a chicken only girl from now on. There is no central AC - we have units in every room, two in the living room. You can smoke EVERYWHERE...the mall, restaurants, etc. The grocery store, restaurant and KFC....they all deliver to your door. I think it's mostly because of the summer weather when people don't leave their house ever. The plugs...I thought an adapter would work on my hairdryer and nearly started a fire. Brian laughed his ass off and then informed me I needed a "converter" and not an adapter. There is a haze here that looks like smog, but it's dust/sand. I had a sinus attack the first few days and my friend, Jen, called it the "Doha Funk." Apparently sinus problems here aren't from oak or cedar, but from dirt in the air. When it rains, it's mud-rain...dirt falling from the sky. Diet Coke is called "Coke Light." I think that is all for now. I'm sure more will come and I'll relay in the next blog.
Until then, we are settling in just fine and our household goods will be delivered in two days. I can't wait to have my stuff to make this place feel more like home. I also can't wait to get a job. Sitting at home all day and reading is not for me. I don't ever want to stay at home again unless I have kids to keep me busy. Joon is not the best conversationalist. ;)
I hope you all are doing well. Our Vonage account is set up and running, so give us a call - it's local for you and us. 512-773-2337 is the number, but remember we are 8-9 hours ahead of you, so no calling at 4am! :)
After our 14.5 hour flight from Houston, we landed in Doha. They don't have jetways here, so once we landed, we were loaded onto buses that took us to the airport from the runway. It was HOT. At 8:45pm, I would guess it was around 95 degrees. I was surprised to see women in flip-flops, shorts and tank tops. Of course, they weren't locals, but still. I was told toes and ankles were the TnA of the Middle East and they were both frowned upon. We were greeted by a driver from the Embassy who helped us with our luggage and getting Joon from the airline. She handled the trip just fine - no accidents in her kennel! Outside of the airport, the driver went to get the car and our "sponsor" Jennifer waited with us. She and I had emailed a few times and it was such a relief to know someone here. We drove around Doha on our way home and the architecture, just at night, was unbelievable. There is no skyline in the US that can compare. Not so much the number of buildings, but the shapes and lighting. It's amazing. We finally made it to our compound where Jen showed us the pool, gym and restaurant. We live next door to a princess who has a Bengal that "gets out occasionally." Looks like I'll be needing to keep an eye on Joon when I take her outside.
The next day, Brian went to work. Yes, after a long flight, jet-lag and still living out of a suitcase, he was called into work. I stayed home and tried to organize, but since everything in the house is being moved into storage to make room for our household goods, there really wasn't much to do....so I read. We've been here a week and I've read almost 8 books. Now that we have the interwebs, I'm sure that will be changing a bit.
The work week here is Sunday through Thursday. Brian's first day of work was on a Thursday, so we had the weekend to explore and catch up on our sleep. We slept so much. I've never experienced jet-lag, but it kicked our hineys. I've never slept so much in my life, minus the teenage years when I could sleep until 4pm. :) That weekend, we woke up at 5am, when the sun is fully risen, and took off exploring the city. We drove through The Pearl, downtown and out by the Embassy. We found a grocery store near the house. Let me preface this next part with my dress: T-shirt (shoulders and neck covered), linen pants and close-toed shoes. We walk into the store and I swear you could have heard a record scratch. Gawking is an understatement. I was waiting for the men to start smelling me or touching my hair. I suppose you get used to it, but it was my first experience and I was very uncomfortable. I wouldn't let Brian leave me to go look at sodas. HA. That was day #3 that we were here - I'm much better now. I even wore a bikini to the pool. :)
Speaking of the pool....it is one block from our front door. There are tents set up for shade and the restaurant offers chair-side service. I told Brian I felt like I was on vacation. The pool reminds me of Schlitterbahn. It's huge, there are three parts, with a slide for the kids, a little bridge that goes over it and one part is only a few feet deep for hanging out. I had on 50 spf and still got a tan under the tent. Seriously, the sun here is brutal. You can bring alcohol to the pool if you pour it in a cup. It isn't sold at the restaurant. We got ours at the Embassy. A case of Corona, a case of Sam Adams and 2 bottles of wine cost us $135 (american). To be honest, though, it is too hot to drink here. I'm serious. My pee hasn't been clear or near clear in a week. I can drink two gallons of water and still be dehydrated.
There are a lot of differences that I've noticed right away: All roads are roundabouts. Quesadillas are held together with a tomato/enchilada sauce instead of cheese. People are AFRAID of dogs. One worker ran out of our house because of Joon. Beef here smells bad. It looks like I'll be a chicken only girl from now on. There is no central AC - we have units in every room, two in the living room. You can smoke EVERYWHERE...the mall, restaurants, etc. The grocery store, restaurant and KFC....they all deliver to your door. I think it's mostly because of the summer weather when people don't leave their house ever. The plugs...I thought an adapter would work on my hairdryer and nearly started a fire. Brian laughed his ass off and then informed me I needed a "converter" and not an adapter. There is a haze here that looks like smog, but it's dust/sand. I had a sinus attack the first few days and my friend, Jen, called it the "Doha Funk." Apparently sinus problems here aren't from oak or cedar, but from dirt in the air. When it rains, it's mud-rain...dirt falling from the sky. Diet Coke is called "Coke Light." I think that is all for now. I'm sure more will come and I'll relay in the next blog.
Until then, we are settling in just fine and our household goods will be delivered in two days. I can't wait to have my stuff to make this place feel more like home. I also can't wait to get a job. Sitting at home all day and reading is not for me. I don't ever want to stay at home again unless I have kids to keep me busy. Joon is not the best conversationalist. ;)
I hope you all are doing well. Our Vonage account is set up and running, so give us a call - it's local for you and us. 512-773-2337 is the number, but remember we are 8-9 hours ahead of you, so no calling at 4am! :)
Glad to see you guys landed and are getting adjusted. Love the part about the Bengal that "gets out occasionally." Looking forward to more updates on your adventures, and what American things you start missing first...Angela
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