The Lovely People of Doha

Week #2 was a week for networking and meeting new people. Last Tuesday I had the opportunity to attend the annual Christmas Luncheon for the Qatar British Business Forum. One of the board members is a good friend of the family and he very graciously added Ken, Kate and I to the list (unfortunately Kris had to work). The event started off with a cocktail reception where I was able to meet and socialize with a few friends of the Taylor family. Everyone seems very willing to help Kris and I get acclimated with Doha and lend a word of advice on pretty much anything. Once we were seated for our meal, we were encouraged to introduce ourselves and get to know one another at the table. There were around 250 attendees total at the luncheon. I was able to walk away with a few business cards and the chance to get my name and face introduced to the British ex-pat community, as well as enjoy a familiar meal of turkey, stuffing and the trimmings!!  

Much to my enjoyment, the banquet hall was decorated with Christmas trees and lights.  This was my first taste of the Christmas spirit in Qatar! It was a good feeling because I really wasn't sure what to expect in terms of outward expression of the Christmas holiday. Since then I've been very surprised (and relieved) by the amount of Christmas decor I've seen while we're out and about. Most of the stores in the shopping malls are decorated for the holidays! You can find Christmas trees, stockings, cards, etc. at all of the department stores as well. I've been informed that this is a very recent transformation and just a few years ago you wouldn't be able to find half of the things that are now available. I'm also enjoying all of my favorite Christmas carols in the stores. I even found myself singing out loud when I was in H&M. You gotta love a good Christmas tune! =)

Last week I also had my very first conversation with a local Qatari woman. I accompanied Kate to her Dr.'s appointment at one of the local hospitals because we had a list of errands to run after the appointment. We checked in and were asked to be seated in the waiting area around the corner. We found the waiting area (or so we thought) and had a seat amongst about 4 or 5 men. [Side Note: I should mention that one of the cultural adjustments that I've had to get used to is the staring. It really doesn't bother me too much because I understand that they are just curious. I've also been told that many of the men who are working here haven't seen their wives in many months or even years. They travel to Doha from India, Pakistan and other surrounding areas to work and send money back to their families. This is very common practice in this part of the world. Also, many of the women are covered head to toe, so even jeans and a tee could potentially be a treat to some of these men =) ]  Kate was eventually called back to see the Dr. and there I sat in the waiting area as the only female, cursing myself for forgetting a book. About 5 minutes went by and a Dr. who happened to be walking by suggested that I may want to wait in the "female" waiting area which was just a few steps further than the one I was sitting in. Woops! Maybe that's why we got a few extra stares LOL. It's all a learning experience, that's for sure! 

So I sat down in the correct waiting area and there was only one other woman sitting across from me. The woman was dressed in the traditional long black garment called an Abaya. She was also wearing a head and face cover so I could only see her brown eyes peeking out. She looked me right in the eye and greeted me by saying "Good morning Sister". It's very common that the Arab women call each other "Sister" and it was nice knowing that she felt comfortable enough to greet me this way.  She spoke very broken English but we chatted for a bit. I came to find out that she's actually employed by the hospital within the Customer Service department. She talks with patients about their experience and asks them to fill out a survey. I explained that I'm not a patient and she asked me to start filling out the form for Kate anyway. I was a bit embarrassed that the only portion I could fill out was the "Name" section. Our address is still listed as "Unknown" because our street has yet to be named, and I haven't committed any phone numbers to memory at this point. Regardless of my lack of information, my new friend was eager to chat with me and find out as much as she could, as well as practice her English. I could tell she was young, probably a few years younger than myself. She went to University, but I'm not sure which one. I asked her if she enjoyed her job and she stated that she did, but she'd rather be shopping or with friends [Another side note: Shopping malls are crowded every day of the week with the locals. This is a very social culture and you'll often see many of the women together shopping, and many of the men gathered in the cafe's socializing and conducting business].  I explained that I just recently moved here and I hadn't found work yet. This really got her excited and she told me she's going to speak with her manager and that she'd be right back before I had a chance to stop her. A few minutes later, Kate was done with her appointment and the Qatari woman came back and wanted me to meet with her manager. I wasn't really sure that this was the type of work I was looking for, but I wasn't going to be rude! So right on the spot I proceeded with an impromptu interview for a position of which I had no idea what it actually entailed. I was taken into a room with 4 or 5 Qatari women and one man.  The manager asked me about my previous experience and said that I may be a good fit for a Manager's position within the Customer Service department. I was told "it would be very good to have a person like you on the staff". I'm assuming they meant that it'd be an asset to have a native English speaker to communicate with some of the patients. I collected the contact info of the manager and went on my way. Who knows? I may end up finding out more about the position. We'll see =)

Last Saturday night we were invited to dinner by more friends of the family. We had the opportunity to spend time with and get to know more lovely people. Our dinner hosts have been in Doha for quite a long time.   Frank is currently a professor at Weill Cornell University on the same campus that Kris is working. He's from England and his wife, Jill,  is from Nova Scotia. Their son, who is around the same age as Kris and I, was visiting as well. We also had a Scottish guest (not including Kris, Ken and Kate) and an American who was born and raised in New York. This is the first American that I've met since I've been in Doha. We had a nice chat and were able to exchange stories and discuss the different products that we're unable to find here in Doha. She was kind enough to offer to bring anything I need back when she travels home for the holidays! 

I can't forget to mention that last week (Dec 8th to be exact) was Kris's 31st Birthday! It was a weekday, so Kris spent the day working. We  had a low key celebration that night with some delicious Indian take-out and some homemade (and by homemade I mean Betty Crocker....yes they even have Betty Crocker here) brownies and Baskin Robbins ice cream.  We also surprised Kris by putting up a Christmas tree! In the Taylor family, it's been tradition for Kris to put the tree up on his birthday. I was thrilled to have a Christmas tree in the house! It makes a big difference in feeling more like Christmas in this big sandy desert!

Kick up your feet and have a glass of wine!

Make a wish!

Don't worry, he got a second helping.

Birthday kisses from the Mrs.

Kris's final birthday treat was that our kitties arrived that night! Yes, Little Boy and Little Girl traveled all the way from Coatesville, PA to help make this house feel more like a home! They were dropped off around 1:30 am a bit shaken up and disoriented. Now granted, Kris and I each had to sell a kidney on the black market to pay for the cost of getting them here, but it's all worth it =) The kitties are adjusting pretty well, but I think they're a little jet lagged! They're a bit unsure of all this space so they're staying in our bedroom pretty much all day. They've yet to venture downstairs on their own, but hopefully they'll figure out that this house is theirs to roam and enjoy! It's really been great having them here and having our little family of four complete!