Half a year smarter

 

Last week marked 6 months of living in Doha (2 months of which was spent in a 5 star hotel, and then nearly a month travelling to and from London and the USA to get married, with a couple of weeks on honeymoon mixed in, but you get the idea).

I came here with a very open mind and tried to have absolutely no prejudices or preconceptions.  During my time here I have learned a fair amount about Qatar, the Middle East, myself and how NOT to do a lot of things.  I’d like to say that I’ve learned how to be patient, because Patience (with a capital ‘P’) is what I was told I would definitely need when moving to the Middle East, but Patience is a virtue and I am not yet wholly virtuous.  I’ve learned that Patience will only get you so far, and that Persistence is what really counts here.

I have learned what is required to gain a residence permit for Qatar, how to obtain a liquor license, driver’s license, exit visa, where to go for fingerprints, where the camel races are held, how to say ‘Thank you’ in Arabic, and that I don’t really like hummus as much as I thought I did, but that I actually might be warming to mint as a flavour.

I’ve learned what 50 degrees Celsius feels like, and what the desert looks like when it rains.  I’ve learned about the inner workings of the Ministry of Environment and how to go about obtaining permission to import and store both chemicals and biological samples…and if all else fails, where to find laboratory grade ethanol in Qatar.

I’ve discovered how obvious certain class divisions are, how incredibly rude some people can behave, how hard others work and how genuinely lovely some individuals can be towards complete strangers.

I’ve stumbled upon some pretty ghastly furniture, lots of expensive items, cheap onions, and can confirm that, in Qatar, a gallon of water will set you back more than a gallon of gasoline.  I’ve also learned that, when it comes to all things road related, yes, people really are that stupid.

I’ve also come to the conclusion that I own what could very well be Doha’s worst bottle opener (although I bought it in Carrefour so I suspect there are lots of people who own Doha’s worst bottle opener).

The rest of the cork had to be pushed into the bottle, btw.

And last week I started doing something that I never thought imaginable a few months back; I’ve been going for evening walks outside, like aerobic/exercise-type walks that last nearly an hour that don’t leave me gasping for breath and soaking in sweat.  The weather has definitely started to become a bit more bearable, and this puts a smile on my face.