Friday, July 25, 2008
Movies, TGI Friday's and My Bed
I do not like chain restaurants very much. Scratch that...at all. I just do not feel they have much soul (talk about dark side...) and thus whenever possible I would rather go to a mom and pop place (I think the folks in Syracuse can attest to my whining about our frequent ventures to the chain restaurants on Eric). However, I think I have gone to TGI Friday's more times in these past few weeks than I have in my entire life. And my body hates me more and more each time we go.
But one thing my body is thanking me for is my new bedding. I bought a mattress pad for my bed a couple days ago as well as new sheets and a duvet cover. The mattress pad has made a huge difference. It is so comfortable and thus I have a new best friend. The new sheets and duvet cover also put a smile on my face. First, their thread count (softness) is so much higher (I am totally turning into a thread count snob). Second, they no longer look like something out of a plantation home. I hated the stuff that was originally on the bed. It put me in a bad mood, but now my bed is a slice of heaven. Now I just need to get the rest of my apartment in order. One of these days....
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Norwegian Jade
Anyway, I took another trip to the rug shop. I had never been to a rug shop (I could not even tell you where one was) before I moved here and frankly could care less about rugs, but now I have gone to one twice in two weeks and the dude knows me by my first name (and he knows I have a thing for orange soda). I am doomed to leave this country with a rug or two that will likely put a fatty dent in my bank account (I have a particular fondness for Qum rugs, silk rugs that literally change colors).
I have today off due to working over the weekend. Kristin and I are going shopping (Mission: super wonderful mattress pad) at Villagio (the fanciest mall I have ever seen...there is an ice skating rink in the middle of all the, of course, American chain restaurants, stores for all my needs and wants and then some, and a GONDOLA!) and then we are going to a BBQ at la casa de Dr. Roberts. So today is a rather chill day (except for the hard workout I put myself through in the a.m.). I also did a little possible trip planning (I will be able to come and go from the country as I please once I get my papers back and a multiple exit permit is granted) and found the most amazing thing! The Norwegian Jade! What a wonderful name because my name is Jade too (no way, man!) and I am part Norwegian! It is a ship that sails primarily in the Mediterranean (I am focusing my sights on Greece, Turkey and Italy). I am not a big fan of cruises, but after backpacking around Europe a couple times I like the idea of still being able to go to several different places (to reach by 30 by 30 goal), but keeping all my crap in one locale. And the price is not bad. I am thinking late fall or next spring. Who is in? And I just want my picture taken in front of it. Word.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
My first marriage proposition.
I experienced my first marriage proposition on Thursday. Part of the long process to get a resident permit includes fingerprinting. So, like the interesting field trip to the Qatar Medical Commission a couple days earlier, several of us Education City newbies took a field trip to the fingerprinting place. I experienced here yet another lesson in classism. I was considered a 'VIP' and thus was taken to a large room with AC, clean bathroom, more than enough staff, high tech technology (no ink), etc. The process took all of us only minutes to complete. Anyway, back to the marriage proposition. I was the last person in my group to go. The fingerprinting police officer dude took my papers, we made some small talk ("Hi, how are you?" blah blah blah), and all seemed normal. Then he asked me if I was married. This is a rather frequent question here and thus I now do not think much of it. However, after I told him I was not married he told me (in a very low voice and so I could barely hear him) about his wish to move to America and how he believes he can only move to America if he marries an American girl. I wished him the best luck with that thinking he was just making more small talk (really, what do you say???). He then stopped taking my fingerprints for a hot second, looked at me and said, "What do you think?" I smiled and sort of laughed back and told him, "No, I do not think so." So he went back to taking my prints, but within 10 seconds he asked me if I had any friends in America (never the U.S. or United States, but America) that would marry him. And I gave him more sort of laughing 'dude, not gonna happen' answers (I did not want to be flat out mean to a government dude). Thoughout this experience, again all while he was taking my fingerprints, I thought he was sort of joking and/or having fun. But at the very end he took out a piece of paper and asked for my phone number! I told him I did not have a phone number (which is basically true right now). But this did not deter him. He figured he would just give me his number. I had to put a stop to the madness at this point and told I was not going to help him in his pursuit to marry an American girl (but good luck!). Thankfully, he obliged. The whole thing gave me a good laugh (along with the other EC newbies, all senior staff at Northwestern, in the van). I am getting used to the stares from people and have been told about the various propositions and such I will likely receive, but this was my first blatant one here and I frankly did not expect it to come from a government official. But it was quite the way to start a day!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Qatar Medical Commission
Sunday, July 13, 2008
I wanna rug.
Friday, July 11, 2008
I am not sleeping and it is buggin' me out!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
They have chicken strips!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
I am here, people!
My trip to Qatar started on Sunday morning in Sedro-Woolley. Emotionally, I was good until Sunday morning (except for the tears in Syracuse). However, all of a sudden it hit me (when my mom told me I should get something to eat of all things...) and I was basically a mess the rest of the morning. Then there were the goodbyes to my folks and brother at the airport. Too. Much. For. This. Girl. To. Take! I basically did not stop crying in some capacity until I fell asleep on my flight to Washington Dulles. I want this experience so much, but leaving my family sucks.
I only had two flights to travel literally to the other side of the world - Seattle to Washington Dulles on United Airlines and Washington Dulles to Doha on Qatar Airways. My United flight was a typically United flight - packed and late. They loaded us on time, but then we proceeded to sit on the plane for over an hour. First, a mechanic was summoned to fix a light in the galley and then we were supposedly delayed by heavy traffic heading into Washington Dulles. The flight after that was uneventful because, again, I slept most of it (I can sleep basically anywhere and at anytime...it is one of my special powers...except when I am jet lagged). But I realized right before landing (I was awake at this point) I might be cutting it close to catching my flight to Doha. I was originally supposed to have over two hours between flights. Now I would have less than an hour and my flight was in another part of the airport (and I would have to take one of those super goofy bus things to get to it). Luckily, I was one of the first people off my flight because they had folks with close connections depart the plane first. I busted my ass to the gate and made it just in time. Qatar Airways has mad security (you basically go through a couple checkpoints to get on) and thus it generally takes over an hour for a person to board the flight.
I must say flying on Qatar Airways is quite the experience. The plane was absolutely massive and amazing (it had mood lighting, people! QA puts American airlines to shame). And I definitely stuck out. There are not many young single white chicks with blonde hair flying to the Gulf. Most people on the flight were natives of a country in the region or they were dudes from the West, typically in packs, heading for business or something in the area. So I definitely appear out of place. Anyway, the flight to Doha was amazing - excellent food (and thankfully so since I was starving since United gives you nothing and I did not have time to buy food at the airport, specifically a yummy burger from Five Guys), comfy seats, good service (they have an army of flight attendants but sadly no Ji this time), etc. And I watched two excellent movies - There Will Be Blood and Before Sunset. Two very different movies. I have been longing to see There Will Be Blood since it came out months ago, but I never had the chance to catch it. Daniel Day Lewis kills it in this film (when does he not?). However, I think he should do a comedy one of these days to mix it up. So I highly recommend checking it out. Then I passed out for a good six hours. During breakfast over Turkey I decided to watch Before Sunset. It is the sequel to Before Sunrise, an indie movie made several years ago with Ethan Hawke and Julie Depsy. Before Sunrise is a great little romance movie that is basically all dialogue. Before Sunset was just as good, but the ending totally leaves you hanging (I wanna know what happens!). So that was my travels in sort of a nutshell.
The flight arrived in Doha just after sunset and it was 40 degrees celsius (or about 104 degrees fahrenheit), but it did not feel so bad (and I was wearing a little jacket and pants). I had Al Maha Service when I arrived (in other words, I was greated by a lady holding sign with my name (as usual the sign said Mr. Jade Anderson) to wisk me through immigration (you totally feel VIP because you are taken to this fancy lounge and given refreshments while they process your papers and then you cut lines at immigration and people stare at you...)). Then it was off to collect my bags and we waited and waited and waited...I was totally sweating it! I was worried my bags missed the flight because of the short connection, but at the very end they popped out and I did a happy dance (and the Al Maha lady had a good laugh). And then it was off to security to make sure I was not bringing anything prohibited into the country (basically, pork and alcohol and weapons). Finally, I was greeted by a very pregnant Belle and her husband Curt and was on my way to my new digs (However, they are temporary. I move into my permanent apartment in a few days when it is ready for me. I will then post some pics of my humble abode for your viewing pleasure.). Then I just unpacked, showered and crashed.
But jet lag is a beautiful thing and you promptly wake up at roughly 4 a.m. ready to go. Yesterday, I was up for about four hours reading, playing around on the internet, made myself a PB and mango jelly (not as good as raspberry) sandwich, and called home (good time to catch my folks)... I finally fell asleep again around 8 a.m. and was out until 11 a.m. Then I headed for the office (basically across the street...I love my commute) to do some HR stuff (I will have days of it) and say hello to everyone. After a couple hours I came home and napped for another three hours. Then I went to dinner with Chris, another hall director, at this yum Asian restaurant near the Burger King roundabout. And then I went to sleep again and now it is 4:45 a.m. and I am AWAKE. Ugh. However, tomorrow I do not have much on my calendar other than a trip to the store to buy a few things and do some more HR stuff and so I can sleep again until whenever I want. But all in all and after a super long and rather boring post, life is pretty good. Peace out!