Souk and shopping

We were determined not to make this weekend a write off like last weekend so we got in a taxi and headed for the Souk Waqif which is a market place renowned for selling traditional clothing, spices, handicrafts and souvenirs...and some colourful pets!!

I wonder how the chicks get their colouring?

 

After walking around for a couple of hours, we decided, and it was a quick decision, to jump in to a taxi and head to Villagio.  There, we managed to clear out our wallets, and some of our bank account, and had just enough for a quick bite to eat and a taxi ride home. Bear in mind that neither of us have been paid yet and we won't get paid till the end of May.

On the way to Villagio

My new casual bag 

A splash of colour to add to my non existent wardrobe 

...and another but of a safer (boring) colour 

These were a must to keep me from avoiding the walk (while I can) in to work

Weekend number 3

I can't believe it is the start of the third weekend here in Doha.  Aamina and I had planned to explore Royal Plaza, down the road from us, buy some take out and then go home and watch a movie...on a laptop that is.


I am so lucky to have such a great flat mate.  I have known her for less than two weeks but I feel like I have known her forever!!  We giggle like two little school girls and we talk and share our funny family stories.  We get along pretty well and life is so much better when I get to share my days with her.


So our adventure begins...

Looking back down the street to our guesthouse.  The roads up this end of the street are still closed and today they were littered with big trucks and other machinery. 

This entrance so reminded me of Myer 

 

Inside Royal Plaza.  

Not as spectacular as Villagio and much more quieter

Aamina placing our order at a place that we don't even know the name.  We think it is called "Take Away" 

Hahaha...just googled the restaurant and it is called Take Away!!

 

Stopping by Opera to pick up dessert.  Very much like Laurents back home

...except that they have chocolate galour!! 

Our dinner from "Take Away".  

The packaging looks like we went to a jewellery store and bought something instead. 

Fries, Chicken Shawarma and some lovely sweet dessert ball things 

My Chicken Shawarma was delicious 

Our version of a movie night in 

Dessert 

My mango strawberry cake looked much nicer than it tasted.  Not sure if it had nothing to do with my overfilled stomach!!

Nothing but food

So I was told that if I didn't have anything interesting to write about, then I should just write about food.  Unfortunately, food is as boring as what I have been doing on a work night...which is not very much at all.

Anyway, after two very lazy nights on my behalf, we finally decided that we couldn't avoid a trip to the Family Food Centre as we had no water, no milk and not much bread left to get us through the rest of the week.

I vowed to avoid the nanny nap I was having and go straight after work before laziness settled in to my system.  So that is what we did today.  We each had a basket to roll around and we all managed to fill it up.  I had a fruit salad in my basket, not because I love fruit, but because it is something that is healthy and doesn't require cooking.  The fruit here isn't that crash hot and the quality isn't really up to my standard, kind of like the cheap fruit you buy from the Vic Market that is all marked and a bit grotty.  I have learnt that beggars can't be choosers so I reach for the ones at the back as they are bound to be the freshest and just hope that they taste okay.

 

An aisle at the Family Food Centre.  Nothing that exciting really, or special

Aamina's freshly made bread roll with Labneh and chilli flavoured Cheetos

...which of course inspired me to make my chip sandwich.  

These Rosemary and Olive Oil pringles are so delicious.  One thing I will miss when I eventually come back home.

And the other thing I will miss.  

These vanilla cup cakes are so soft, moist and so so delicious!!  A box of 20 only cost me 10QR which is equivalent to less than $3...yum!!

Pre employment medical check

Today was the start of week 2 for me, but most of today was spending running around getting my pre employment health check done.


It was kick started off at the staff clinic where females and males waited in segregated waiting areas.  After waiting for about an hour, my name was called and I was taken in to a room where my vitals (weight, height, temperature and blood pressure) were taken.  Then I had to take a seat and wait again for my name to be called.  A lady came out and called out for what sounded like Jessica something (couldn't really understand) and I didn't really think much of it the first time but after calling it again, I thought i'd check to see if it was me she was calling.  So I asked her and she showed me my label and then got angry at me saying that "I called you three times and I was standing right in front of you blah blah blah"  Well maybe if you pronounced my name right...but I wasn't going to argue with her because I wanted my check completed today.


So I was taken in to another room where there was a doctor and that lady, and asked some more questions about my past medical history, family history etc.  The one thing that I didn't appreciate, was when the doctor and nurse were talking amongst themselves in Arabic, which I obviously don't understand and they would laugh afterwards.  I found that very rude and just hoped that they weren't laughing at me.


Then I was instructed to lie down on the bed, by the not so nice nurse and the doctor came to listen to my heart.  Why he couldn't do this with me sitting in the chair beats me.  So after that, I was told to go and wait outside room 7.


When called in to room 7, the nurse did the TB test which was no big deal.  It was just a little needle which didn't hurt that much.  She completed my paperwork and then I had to get back on the shuttle bus to get my bloods, pregnancy test and chest x-ray completed.


At this point, I had found an Irish friend who was also doing her pre employment health check.  Something about safety in numbers is always reassuring, especially when you don't really know what you are doing or where you are going.


So back to Hamad for the blood test which wasn't so bad.  The 'female laboratory' was one big open room so everyone was watching you get your bloods done.  No privacy here!!  Six vials of blood later and I was done.  Even though I have had many blood tests in my life, this has had to be the worst one ever.  My poor arm is still aching and I find it hard to lift even the kettle!!  Holding my arm straight is painful, holding it bent is painful, it is just painful +++.


So with my sore arm, you can imagine how hard it was to collect a urine sample for the pregnancy test.  The floors in the toilets are always flooded with water from people washing themselves and the toilet I chose was no exception.  It is difficult as it is trying to hike up the bottom of your pants so they don't get wet from the floor with one hand while using the other to pull your pants down so you can go to the toilet, but today, I had to struggle hiking my pants up with one hand, pulling them down with the other while holding on to some paper towels, as there was no toilet paper in the cubicle and juggling a little sample jar to pee in...and all this with one painful arm.  Let me tell you, it was a challenge but I managed somehow!!


Then it was on to the 'female radiology' department.  At this point, I was used to being ushered from one room to another to just have to sit and wait.  This was no exception.  Thankfully the waiting wasn't too long.  I was taken in and given a gown to change in to.  Normally you would expect to have a little change room, but I was shown in to a little storage like room and had to change there.  It felt funny striping down to nothing in a storage room, but I am sure everyone else does the same thing...well I hope they did.  The chest x-ray was completed and then after changing back I was finally done.  All this only took up about 6 hours of my day!!


So that was how I spent the first day of my second week. Fingers crossed my bloods and other results come back fine so that I can continue on with the process of getting my Qatari ID.  Time can only tell.

The pokey little store room/change room 

All gowned up 

The sun trying to poke through the clouds at the end of the day

Random happenings

It's been a week already but it feels like so much longer, but in a good way.  I have done so much in this one week and accomplished so much than I have in my entire life.  Okay so that may be a slight exaggeration but I am pleased to say that I am proud of myself and what I have achieved so far.


I am a true believer in that thinking that things happen for a reason.  Good things, bad things, happy things and sad things.  They all have their place in life and shape us in to the people that we are and those that we will become.


For me, having to leave Zoe behind was hard but I would not be where I am today if I hadn't.  I wouldn't have met my wonderful friends, I wouldn't have had the same experiences and life would have been different.


I am very grateful for all the experiences that I have come across and I am especially grateful to the friends that have helped make Doha feel like home!!


Here are some random snaps that I have taken throughout the week.  They aren't all that exciting but it's something at least.

The Women's Hospital in the distance

My stocked up pantry after a visit to the local Family Food Centre. 

The Fuji apples on steroids that I found.  I don't think they are the Fuji apples that I bought in Australia, but I had to give them a try...which I am yet to do. 

My treat after a days work.  Ice cream and Once Upon A Time.  Great series for those who are in two minds about it!!

The Nandos I found walking home one night.  It was the restaurant we celebrated surviving our first week of work at. 

Two of my good friends.  Aamina on my left is my flat mate and Aaliyah on my right is my work mate.  Life wouldn't be the same without them!!

The walk of all walks

Don't ask me why, but today after work, I decided to tackle the walk home as opposed to jumping in a taxi.  Google maps was telling me that it was one straight road so I couldn't possibly get lost.


What I didn't really factor in was the fact that I was wearing long pants and wedges, carrying a laptop and paperwork in my bag and was attempting to walk when it was 32 degrees!!


Call me crazy but I did it.  I crossed the tretcherous highways with cars coming towards me like bullets.  I crossed the rocky mountains and wind swept sand dunes (my interpretation of a very rocky, gravelly pathway and sandy footpaths) and all for what?  All for the 10 riyals (less than $3) that it would have cost me for a taxi!!  If I didn't walk home, then I wouldn't have found the Nandos tucked behind KFC, I wouldn't have more blisters on my feet and I certainly wouldn't have accomplished another first!!


So there you go.  I did it and have ticked off another 'first time' accomplishment on my list.

 From the little blue dot at the bottom to the Women's Hospital at the top

The beautiful sunshine I walked in.  Oh and silly me walked on the sunny side of the street as opposed to the shady side...duh!! 

My lovely wedges that got me home with a few more blisters.  I guess I did make them all dusty and dirty!! 

My treat to cool myself down...yum!!

Just a few things...

So I said that I would update regularly and I feel as though I am slacking off already, and it's only been 5 days.  How am I going to keep this up for 3 years...yikes!!


Nothing much has been happening in the last couple of days since I started work.  Work is much the same as it was back in Melbourne, but probably what it was like donkey's years ago.  Processes, structure, policies and procedures are non existent and me with my knowledge in ICD 10 AM coding, am expected to be the lead person in introducing all of the above.  Does that scare me?  Well a little but I think it will be a great challenge to sink my teeth in to.  I know what a great functioning department looks like so I have the end goal in mind.  I just have to start from scratch and build it up.  How long do I have to do this I hear you ask.  I have until the 1st June 2012.  That is about a month and a half so please wish me luck in getting it right the first time.


Outside of work, nothing much has been going on.  I have a great flat mate that joined me in my apartment, although I probably shouldn't say 'my' apartment anymore.  She is from South Africa and she is so so friendly.  It is nice having the company at the end of the day and she too has family that she has left behind to start work in Doha so we have some common ground.


I'm still loving being here and everyone has been so nice and friendly.  There has been some communication issues that I just laugh about.  I was asking the Housing Department guy what the street address was for the guesthouse that I was staying in so that I could get a taxi back home.  He said just tell the taxi driver outside Qtel and pointed up the road to where Qtel was (Qtel is the equivalent to Optus).  So I wrote down on a piece of paper, outside Qtel.  I still didn't understand at this stage why he just didn't give me the address for the guesthouse, but I just went along with it.  When I double checked again with him cause I was still unsure about the 'outside Qtel' location, I finally understood that he was saying Al Sadd Qtel not outside Qtel.  That made a bit more sense but I was still a little bit apprehensive.  I did manage to get the taxi driver back to my place and I now can direct them back to my place from the Qtel office.  


Anyway, I have since learnt that there are no address here.  Everything is done by landmarks.  Mail gets sent to the hospital and then I pick it up from there.  I still can't get my head around the fact that mail won't be delivered to my door, so please don't ask me for my address.  I will simply give you directions!!


That's all from me for today.  It must be bed time soon, but I am going to try and push through and go to bed a bit later in the hope that I can not wake so early in the morning.

Oh so tired

Okay so I think I am still adjusting to the time difference.  I am finding myself oh so tired at around 7:30pm and practically falling asleep, but then I wake at around 3am ready to start the day!!  absolutely crazy I know, but I just can't seem to find the energy to push through till 10pm or later to help readjust my body clock.


So I am really pushing myself to even write this now.  It is very tempting to curl up in bed and continue watching Once Upon A Time (so addictive) and I do fall asleep half way between episodes!!


I will write more tomorrow about all my other "first" experiences including my first day at work.  I am just too tired to put down any more words...sorry!!

Day Two

Day two has started off with less sleep than day one, but considering I was woken by a Skype call with Zoe, I didn't mind.  


After napping for a little bit longer, I managed to drag myself out of bed and go explore the neighbourhood.  As it was Friday morning, the streets were quiet and most shops were closed.  I found two shopping centres within walking distance and managed to find myself on google maps so I have a better sense of direction now.  


Walking out in the heat in a pair of jeans isn't as bad as I thought it would be.  Sure it was hot, but the sun was hidden behind clouds so that helped a little bit.  the weather has been bearable so far but we aren't in the peak of summer yet.  I shall let you know how I go then.


The next thing on my to-do list was to visit the Villagio Mall and do some grocery shopping at the massive Carrefour.  Getting a taxi wasn't a problem and I was there in no time and only cost me about $4 to get there.


Once inside, I immediately felt at home.  Amazing how a shopping centre can do that!!  Even though there were all the Qatari people there, it still felt surreal and I often had to remind myself that I was in Doha.  The shopping centre itself was amazing in design.  They have a gondola that runs through the mall, an ice skating rink near the food courts and an indoor amusement park that has a ferris shell, a carousel, bumper cars and a roller coaster!!  The roof of the mall is painted to depict different times of the day.  I wasn't really paying much attention to that but I hope you can see it in the pictures below.  Here is a few snaps of the mall...

Aspire Park next to the Villagio 

The gondola...and the day time sky

Ahhh, Haagen Dazs...you'll know where to find me now!! 

Evening sky 

The canal 

Dusk 

The ritzy end of the Villagio with all the designer brands 

The ferris wheel and carousel inside the amusement park 

A small snippet of the roller coaster.  The track goes under the bridge I am standing on and up the other side.  One word, amazing!! 

Food court and behind those arches is the ice sharing rink (no photographs allowed)

The photos don't really do the shopping centre justice.  I don't think it is as big as Chadstone as such but it certainly packs more than just a shopping experience in. I think this will be my local hangout on the weekends.  Just can't wait to show Zoe!!


Next stop was shopping in Carrefour.  It reminded me exactly of the one in France that H and Lil took me too.  If I didn't think too much about it, I swear I could have been in the once in France instead of Doha.


For those that haven't been to a Carrefour before, it is a combination of Coles and Kmart but on a larger scale.  It sells everything but most things were unfamiliar to me, especially the grocery items but I have picked up a few things that will hopefully get me by for the week.  I did manage to find the tomato flavoured monster chips that I fell in love with while in Switzerland so I am pretty happy about that.  I think I even chuckled to myself when I found them...sad I know!!


So the sun is setting on another day here in Doha.  I find myself feeling pretty good about being here.  Nothing has happened to make me feel as though I have made the wrong decision.  It's an adventure for sure and I am enjoying being able to explore my new home and crossing off more "first time" moments.  Even I have surprised myself with how I am coping.


Until tomorrow...