Oh, how frustrating settling here is. Of course, this is the first time I've started over completely in a new country (and very different culture), so I suppose it is not out of the ordinary. Still, though, it would be nice if it were a bit easier.
To begin with, of course, we had to enter under a tourist visa, because for some reason, Chandler's work visa got hung up. That put him behind the others in beginning the Residence Permit process. After much stress, he managed to get caught up, and yesterday finally received the all-important RP. While Americans generally have to go through driving courses and take a test to be awarded a driver's license here, he was fortunate enough to run into someone who was able to take him before a Sheik, who, by signing something, allowed him to avoid that whole process. Now the RP process can begin for me and Cricket. This includes a chest x-ray, a blood test, a blood-typing, and fingerprinting. And, hopefully, I will be able to also skip the driving mess.
It seems as if we have looked at a hundred different housing options, some of which were almost perfect, but always missing some important piece. Though it has, reportedly, come down quite a bit in price in the last year or two, housing is wildly expensive here. We have been looking at options with monthly rent between 11K-18K a month, which roughly translates to 3-5 thousand dollars. Yes, the highest-priced option was absolutely luxurious, with one of the most beautiful views in the world, but below that things quickly get downright shoddy. Thankfully, the company provides 10K a month in a housing allowance, which helps a great deal. Four times we were quite ready to sign the papers, but in the end we have finally settled on a compound villa. There are certain drawbacks-- it is quite far from downtown, so it will be difficult for me to pop down to the Corniche to run or ride, or make a quick trip to Souq Waqif. The upsides are that it is a brand new compound, absolutely full of kids, nice amenities, close to Cricket's school and the nicest mall in the area (not to mention a Krispy Kreme), and we will literally be right across the street from a coworker who has an 8 year old daughter who will be attending the same school. And, inshallah, our conjoined-balcony neighbor will be another coworker. Once bills are factored in, it will likely be at the top of the price range, but the perks should be worth it. Hopefully we will be able to move in at the beginning of next week! FINALLY, out of the Ezdan! If I could ululate in print (or, you know, at all) I would!
As for cars, the progress is slightly lagging. In less than two weeks our work-paid rentals will end. When we haven't been looking at villas or apartments, it seems, we have been visiting dealerships. The banks here really force you towards new cars-- as if the absolute automotive torture we saw during the World Cup celebrations wouldn't do that on its own. Our bank, QNB (which we were ushered to because they will be a sponsor next year), does not offer loans for cars older than three model years. So, when we found a "certified" 2007 Volvo XC-90 at a fantastic price and with low mileage (or, would it be kilometage?) , it was a no go. With some poking around, we were able to find a bank that WOULD loan for such a fantastically old car, but, as Chandler pointed out, if we leave here even in as little as three years and want to sell it, no one will be able to get a loan. The two new cars that were at the top of our list were an FJ-Cruiser and a four door Wrangler, which are similar prices. We were ready to agree on an FJ when we did the math and discovered, while they sell for $25K in the States, the price here translates to $10K more. Chandler has a dream truck (the Ford Raptor, which a good friend tuned and then raced, stock, in the Baja 1000) and I, of course, am drooling over another Evo, and though we could technically afford them, we are slightly more rational than that... look what having a kid will do to you. So at the top of our lists are now Kias and Hyundais. We figure we'll go for cheaper cars and be able to get two, rather than share a very nice one. Of course, nothing being easy, the bank will not give a loan until your first paycheck is deposited, and that is not scheduled to happen until the end of the month-- which would force everyone to stay in temporary housing and pay for rental cars after our first month is up. But, after much pressure, it sounds as if the company will give everyone their December pay early so we can attempt to get settled. Further frustrating (and constraining) is the fact that they pay for the days Chandler worked here in November has been in limbo for almost two weeks-- turns out the UK bank sent it to our US bank in Qatari Riyals, which they refuse to deal in, and rejected. The UK bank, however, didn't think to alert the company. Hopefully it will arrive in our QNB account shortly.
While it is frustrating, all that goes in to settling down, when most companies just provide it all for their employees, I met a woman by the pool the other day who moved here from Texas with her two young children when her husband got a job in the government, and they have no allowances at all for housing or cars or school. So yes, I am, in the end, very thankful.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
The Big Announcement
Though I have been in Doha for less than two weeks, my heart was fully behind the Qatari bid for the 2022 World Cup. While it is far more likely that I will be in one of the other bidding nations in twelve years, such as the US or UK, I wanted it for this little emirate. It is already amazing what they have done and are doing here, and I'm excited to see what they will do in preparation for such a tourney.
Some of the Williams office went to Souq Waqif to view the announcement, others went to the Aspire Zone-- both of which had large screens set up. I would have liked to do the same, but we had plans for others to come to dinner. So we were in our room in the Ezdan, and I was on pins and needles awaiting the announcement. When the note card with "Qatar" written upon it was pulled from the envelope both Chandler and I let out a great cheer.
Instead of going to a Christmas bazaar as planned, I chose to tag along with Max and an Italian visiting to help the team to the Corniche to soak up the atmosphere. We headed towards the bay from City Center, walking on the side of the street, where traffic was crawling. The pavement was covered with streamers and confetti. Everyone was out, everyone was honking and waving flags and hanging out of windows and sun roofs, even sitting on top of cars as they drove. Music was pumping, vuvuzelas were blaring, people was cheering. Mostly it was men, but a woman riding in the backseat of one SUV spotted me, pulled down her niqab to show a bright smile, flashed the victory sign, and then quickly replaced the veil.
There did not seem to be any official fireworks, but occasionally someone would shoot a mortar into the sky above the street. The Sheraton projected "YES QATAR 2022" onto its front. Police were out in force: the regular police, motorcycle police, traffic police and the special police, who drive red SUVs and accompany motorcades (this might sound odd, but you seem to come across at least one a day here). They stood in the road to direct traffic, some annoyed with the revelry, some just annoyed that they were not able to be a part of it all. Several buses lumbered slowly through the mess, filled with workers or shoppers, none of whom seemed to be in a celebratory mood.
Once we made it to the proper Corniche walkway we found it more sparse than expected, but there were many clusters of women sitting quietly on the grass, watching the scene and keeping the children as the men rejoiced.
Many motorcycles began to join the flow, shooting between the lanes of slow traffic, doing outrageous burnouts, flaunting high-speed wheelies when able. Even children were seated on top of cars as they drove along. Some men full stood upon the roofs of cars that were driving swiftly. Those for whom honking was not sufficient revved their engines relentlessly, causing backfires and making me cringe. The air became heavy with the smell of oil and burning rubber as impressively opaque clouds from burnouts grew and floated in the light breeze.
Even now, at 2am on the weekly holy day for Muslims, the party seems to have hardly diminished down on the street.
Twelve years is a long time away, but I am excited to watch this amazing little place prepare, and I hope to return for the games-- to see how it all has changed, and honor the fact that I was here on the night when Doha was, unequivocally, the most excited city on the planet.
Some of the Williams office went to Souq Waqif to view the announcement, others went to the Aspire Zone-- both of which had large screens set up. I would have liked to do the same, but we had plans for others to come to dinner. So we were in our room in the Ezdan, and I was on pins and needles awaiting the announcement. When the note card with "Qatar" written upon it was pulled from the envelope both Chandler and I let out a great cheer.
Instead of going to a Christmas bazaar as planned, I chose to tag along with Max and an Italian visiting to help the team to the Corniche to soak up the atmosphere. We headed towards the bay from City Center, walking on the side of the street, where traffic was crawling. The pavement was covered with streamers and confetti. Everyone was out, everyone was honking and waving flags and hanging out of windows and sun roofs, even sitting on top of cars as they drove. Music was pumping, vuvuzelas were blaring, people was cheering. Mostly it was men, but a woman riding in the backseat of one SUV spotted me, pulled down her niqab to show a bright smile, flashed the victory sign, and then quickly replaced the veil.
There did not seem to be any official fireworks, but occasionally someone would shoot a mortar into the sky above the street. The Sheraton projected "YES QATAR 2022" onto its front. Police were out in force: the regular police, motorcycle police, traffic police and the special police, who drive red SUVs and accompany motorcades (this might sound odd, but you seem to come across at least one a day here). They stood in the road to direct traffic, some annoyed with the revelry, some just annoyed that they were not able to be a part of it all. Several buses lumbered slowly through the mess, filled with workers or shoppers, none of whom seemed to be in a celebratory mood.
Once we made it to the proper Corniche walkway we found it more sparse than expected, but there were many clusters of women sitting quietly on the grass, watching the scene and keeping the children as the men rejoiced.
Many motorcycles began to join the flow, shooting between the lanes of slow traffic, doing outrageous burnouts, flaunting high-speed wheelies when able. Even children were seated on top of cars as they drove along. Some men full stood upon the roofs of cars that were driving swiftly. Those for whom honking was not sufficient revved their engines relentlessly, causing backfires and making me cringe. The air became heavy with the smell of oil and burning rubber as impressively opaque clouds from burnouts grew and floated in the light breeze.
Even now, at 2am on the weekly holy day for Muslims, the party seems to have hardly diminished down on the street.
Twelve years is a long time away, but I am excited to watch this amazing little place prepare, and I hope to return for the games-- to see how it all has changed, and honor the fact that I was here on the night when Doha was, unequivocally, the most excited city on the planet.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
First Week
On our first full day in Doha, we walked down the Corniche towards the Sheraton to see the last round of Powerboat racing with Max. Funny-- they race every year in Detroit, but we never saw them there. The water in the bay is a beautiful blue-green color, and the tiny island in the middle--empty but for one small tree-- somehow looks like paradise.
There were people of all nationalities out, walking along or lounging in the grass beneath the palm trees. Certainly those in traditional dress made up the majority, but one does not feel out of place as a Westerner. I really do not understand how the native women stand it in their full black abayas-- sometimes so much as covering my shoulders and elbows makes me swelter. The women here do not seem to be at all mistreated, quite the opposite, but the fact that the men get to wear white while the women wear black in this climate certainly reeks of ancient misogyny.
There was a children's area set up with activities, inflatables and entertainment. We spotted free camel rides and took Cricket over to take advantage. She had been telling everyone for weeks she would ride a camel when she moved, and less than 24-hours in, she made good.
The work week here is Sunday through Thursday. On Monday, Chandler's work visa finally came through (we had to enter under a tourist visa), so he could finally begin the many steps necessary to receive a residence permit. The full suite at QSTP is not ready for the team, and even the most basic equipment did not arrive on time from the UK, so the work that could be done for the first week was limited. By Thursday, though, he was nearly caught up in the RP process with the rest of the team, but the pads of his fingers were too torn up to be fingerprinted, and so that last step must wait until they recover.
We have looked at many rental properties, both compound villas and apartments. Several are tantalizingly close to perfection, yet each has some big chunk of restriction-- only available fully furnished, pool and gym not finished, etc. Many of the compounds have nice facilities, but the villas themselves are poorly laid out and terribly dark inside. It seems that finding housing with the right ratio of all the necessities is going to be very hard.
Everyone is quite keen on getting out of the hotel as soon as possible-- though advertised as "four star," the Ezdan would be lucky to break two. Lights burn out, suds come up through the floor drain when the bathroom sink is used, the TV in the bedroom has a huge crack in its screen, circuits trip in the middle of the night, the fire alarm goes off briefly every few days, the elevators get stuck, the garbage chute is for some reason unusable and so trash piles up, and perhaps worst of all, the only music played in common areas is Celine Dion!
There were people of all nationalities out, walking along or lounging in the grass beneath the palm trees. Certainly those in traditional dress made up the majority, but one does not feel out of place as a Westerner. I really do not understand how the native women stand it in their full black abayas-- sometimes so much as covering my shoulders and elbows makes me swelter. The women here do not seem to be at all mistreated, quite the opposite, but the fact that the men get to wear white while the women wear black in this climate certainly reeks of ancient misogyny.
There was a children's area set up with activities, inflatables and entertainment. We spotted free camel rides and took Cricket over to take advantage. She had been telling everyone for weeks she would ride a camel when she moved, and less than 24-hours in, she made good.
The work week here is Sunday through Thursday. On Monday, Chandler's work visa finally came through (we had to enter under a tourist visa), so he could finally begin the many steps necessary to receive a residence permit. The full suite at QSTP is not ready for the team, and even the most basic equipment did not arrive on time from the UK, so the work that could be done for the first week was limited. By Thursday, though, he was nearly caught up in the RP process with the rest of the team, but the pads of his fingers were too torn up to be fingerprinted, and so that last step must wait until they recover.
We have looked at many rental properties, both compound villas and apartments. Several are tantalizingly close to perfection, yet each has some big chunk of restriction-- only available fully furnished, pool and gym not finished, etc. Many of the compounds have nice facilities, but the villas themselves are poorly laid out and terribly dark inside. It seems that finding housing with the right ratio of all the necessities is going to be very hard.
Everyone is quite keen on getting out of the hotel as soon as possible-- though advertised as "four star," the Ezdan would be lucky to break two. Lights burn out, suds come up through the floor drain when the bathroom sink is used, the TV in the bedroom has a huge crack in its screen, circuits trip in the middle of the night, the fire alarm goes off briefly every few days, the elevators get stuck, the garbage chute is for some reason unusable and so trash piles up, and perhaps worst of all, the only music played in common areas is Celine Dion!
Friday, November 26, 2010
A Long Trip
We departed from Washington Dulles at night, flew through daylight, and landed in darkness. We checked seven suitcases and a large car seat. Having never been able to sleep on airplanes, I took a double dose of maximum-strength knockout drugs and still was only able to doze. Luckily, though, Cricket did not have the same problem and was unconscious for the majority of the flight. All in all, the fourteen hours were relatively painless. Our seats were just two rows from the back of the 777, and since deplaning is done from the front and back, we were in the first bus to depart for the terminal.
The same welcome service had been booked for us as during our summer trip, but things did not go nearly as smoothly. As we waited for the return of our passports the line to go through immigration emptied several times, and many other travelers came and went. Once we were able to advance through the airport, there were no porters available, so we had to collect and lug all of our own baggage. After doing this, we quickly found that there was no one from the hotel to transport us, as had been arraigned. We were taken to the welcome service's counter, but they did not know of the hotel and could not find the number. After some waiting, they did find it, but the hotel could not find any record of our stay, and so were no help. Twenty minutes later they found it, and said they would send someone. We sat and waited in a coffee shop, and after quite a while the driver appeared. They had been told we were coming in the previous day.
As we drove out of the airport, Cricket spotted a mosque and said "Look, a lid!" We told her it was called a dome and was part of a mosque, an Islamic church. She started right in with "No, you're a mosque!"
The hotel, Ezdan, looked quite impressive from the outside. It is made up of three very large buildings that look like old-school magnets, and at night they are outlined with color-changing LEDs. However, once we entered our room we quickly found that there is much to be desired. Still, it was nice to finally have arrived and be able to rest.
The same welcome service had been booked for us as during our summer trip, but things did not go nearly as smoothly. As we waited for the return of our passports the line to go through immigration emptied several times, and many other travelers came and went. Once we were able to advance through the airport, there were no porters available, so we had to collect and lug all of our own baggage. After doing this, we quickly found that there was no one from the hotel to transport us, as had been arraigned. We were taken to the welcome service's counter, but they did not know of the hotel and could not find the number. After some waiting, they did find it, but the hotel could not find any record of our stay, and so were no help. Twenty minutes later they found it, and said they would send someone. We sat and waited in a coffee shop, and after quite a while the driver appeared. They had been told we were coming in the previous day.
As we drove out of the airport, Cricket spotted a mosque and said "Look, a lid!" We told her it was called a dome and was part of a mosque, an Islamic church. She started right in with "No, you're a mosque!"
The hotel, Ezdan, looked quite impressive from the outside. It is made up of three very large buildings that look like old-school magnets, and at night they are outlined with color-changing LEDs. However, once we entered our room we quickly found that there is much to be desired. Still, it was nice to finally have arrived and be able to rest.
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