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From Where I Sit

View from the bus//Ride to work
When enough time passes and you fall a bit behind, it seems too overwhelming to recap and go over it all. Today I am finally getting around to writing and I think I will just tell it how it is from where I am sitting right now. Most people that I have talked to from home want to know what it's like, the dress, the culture, school, etc. I think sharing the view from where I sit will answer some of those questions.
Drinks at a fancy hotel
For starters, we live in a hotel. This Wednesday marks 1 month in Doha! Hard to believe, but tis true. The night we arrived we were told that we would be staying in a hotel until mid-October. Since then, we have heard numerous ideas about when we will actually move into our new place. We shall see. But this is where we live for now. 

Our hotel home is nice. Certainly bigger and nicer than anywhere else we have lived. It is hard to complain when someone comes and empties your trash each day, and cleans the whole place once a week. We have 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, most of which we do not even go into. We have 4 flatscreen televisions...and we don't watch TV. If the word waste is popping into your mind, then you now have a pretty good idea of what life in Doha is like. I would say that it is going to take some getting used to, but I don't ever want to get used to wasting. I am adjusting, I suppose. 
Malls for days
I am looking out our living room window right now and it looks just about how it does every time I look out it. The outside of the windows are covered in a thick coat of sand, and I spy at least 8 cranes from this angle. I am certain there are 8 more on the other side, but you'll have to trust me on that. From where I sit I see 6 unfinished buildings, with tiny moving objects crawling all about them, wearing blue jump suits. The workers are another part of Doha that I imagine people say take some getting used to, and another part that I would not ever like to consider normal. Sure they are Doha normal, and some may say they are happy to have jobs...but I have not concluded what I think of that yet. Regardless, I will never consider it normal to have workers all around, calling me ma'am, serving me tea, and cleaning the toilets after each use. Such is the routine at school, in malls, hotels, etc. 

2 Fire drills in 1 day!
The sun is different here. Not only is it out every day, all day (I have seen a could once) but it is gigantic, neon orange, and the epitome of round. Obviously the sun is round everyday, everywhere, but there is something shockingly close about it here. That is about the extent I am going to go in trying to describe it. You'll have to come see it for yourself!
Attempt at capturing the sun- ha!
It is hot. 100 degrees is starting to feel cool. Tonight is going to be the first time we go outside. Of course we have been outside but only for seconds at a time, to walk to a car. Tonight we are getting dinner with some friends at the souq, the outdoor market. We are waiting for the orange orb to go down, of course, but I am excited to venture outside. I have not taken a single photo thus far, on my real camera. 

Another shot from the bus

I think that does it! For tonight at least. I will share more soon, inshallah.

Oh! Much more exciting news...I have a new nephew! So grateful for a healthy, happy mom and son, Luke Thomas!

What a precious! So loved already! 

Comments

  1. LaceyOctober 14, 2014 at 1:31 AM

    Can't imagine that heat all the time. And, you ran outside last night - what time was that at? And, how hot was it!? Do the misters really help a lot?

    ReplyDelete

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