Flying High

48 days to go… Gerard leaves Qatar in only 48 days time… Roz, well she's still waiting for her RP to be able to get an exit visa - a requirement before being allowed out the country… Hmph!

Exams are fast approaching which is both excitement and anxiety rolled into one. They have arrived rather quickly this term, but also just in the nick of time.  Arab school days feel far longer than Western school days purely because we start do much earlier than we would a home.

I keep catching myself with that feeling of wishing the time away - a good thing so that the holiday can start, but a bad thing as I will bid my man farewell for a while.

So, here's to holding thumbs that my RP comes through soon, and that exams are as good as we hope, in behaviour and in results.

Technology 1 ; Roz 0

What a battle today! Between the laptop not registering that a printer was plugged in and installed correctly, a tablet that wouldn't turn on (and then when it did, wouldn't turn the wi fi on) and a cell phone going dead, I've been well beaten today...

It's days like this that we come to realise how much we all rely on technology. If all my electronics were to die on the same day, I'd become one very sad person!

Gerard had magic fingers today - with 1 swift touch on the tablet, a stern glare at my blackberry and giving my laptop the cold shoulder, he managed to get it all up and running for me again! *thank goodness!*

Think about it, if your phone was to give up while you were living away from home, how would you adapt? I receive messages on 3 instant messaging apps, emails form 4 addresses, I also link up on Facebook on my phone.. Something makes me think that "Very Sad", "Defeated" and "Depressed" are not descriptive enough!

So, with all the technology working again, we debated getting cable tv (called OSN tv). We've decided that repetitive replays of the same movies (much like DSTV in South Africa) is not cool - once you've seen a series episode once, you don't need to see it a second time!  The only hiccup to this is that we need to first get our Resident's Permit (RP) to apply for such luxuries. So, once either one of us has this, we'll be getting cable tv *yay; happy dance!*

Electronics, technology and my skills simply did not mix today. But, tomorrow is another day. So, let's all see how it goes!

Good night, sweet dreams!

R x

Downtown Doha

Beautiful Doha, Beautiful City!

What an amazing city! There a skyscrapers everywhere. Many are very shiny buildings. We even found a building close to City Centre Mall that has a huge ball suspended between the 2 columns. Check these photos out:

 

PS: Although this is an amazingly 1st world country, some things never change!

 

Biltong is the Word!

Biltong is a vital commodity in many people's lives. Naturally, few in Doha can get their hands on biltong, let alone good tasting biltong. Don't mind we have a brag, but we think we've aced it! (Shaun, you should be proud!)

With our very own Biltong Box in the Laundry room, we have started making our own. Many South Africans seem grateful for this - noticeable by the orders that have been placed by fellow teachers already.

Gerard is in his element!

Brunch at the Sheraton

The Sheraton Hotel - the chosen destination for the first Lagoon Staff Brunch. This was held on a Friday morning. I had no idea what to expect - I was very pleasantly surprised.

This is the red carpet that runs from the front door through the entrance hall.

 

 

What an amazing place to be having brunch at!

 

Everywhere you look, there are palm trees! What beauty...

 

Without the English translations we'd all be a little lost!

 

A blessing - Check to the right of the urinal, us smokers are still accepted here!

 

 This is a true Ottoman Head Gear! Encased in the foyer of the Sheraton Hotel.

 

A designated Chill Out zone within the hotel - Very soft seats and perfectly located.

 

For a small fee, we could eat all we wanted and drink what we wanted! A genuinely good venue to be dining out at. I ate so much Norwegian Salmon, prawns bigger than my hand (Chandler, you would have loved this!) and drank Heineken at a steady pace (naturally, I ensured I behaved as the managers were around!)

 

Inside the restaurant

 

From the dining area/restaurant, the view was magnificent. These are things I could see:

 This is a privately owned beach where expats can come enjoy the sunshine!

 

 This is a traditional Dhow boat, made entirely from wood. The locals use these for fishing, while the expats use them for a fun day out in the bay.

 

 

What Pristine Beauty!

 

The next brunch we hope to attend will be in the Hilton Hotel: