hello one and all, my first late shift in at 1pm and out at 10pm, weekend off, new schedule for next week (revision 4 for next week) back onto 12hr shifts arrgh.
there are already wrangelings to get time off/changing shifts but im not so happy with this, i dont want to do 5 12hr shifts in a row, i didnt like it at discovery and i dont think i will like it there, work is great, im setiling into the job well, getting to grips with the systems well, and it seems to work (* with the caveat that nothing has worked today at all)
i cooked dinner for two of my co-compundees both kiwis, both loveley. think there could be a good thing of cooking going on here, as were all on our todd, why cook for one when you can cook for 3 or more. this weekend sees eid happen tomorow (saturday night) with the official breaking of the fast so parties and madness all around in the muslim community, and parties all round in the non-muslim community as the bars and the booze shop opens again! so there are parties planned next week and the week beyond, pland for garveys (the european family club next thursay 26th) and a compound AJ pool party on the 2nd. so immenent job is to get my booze card, plus finding enough money on a loan to get liquor card, which is mandatory out here to buy alcohol.
Friday, October 20, 2006
hello one and all, my first late shift in at 1pm and out at 10pm, weekend off, new schedule for next week (revision 4 for next week) back onto 12hr shifts arrgh.
there are already wrangelings to get time off/changing shifts but im not so happy with this, i dont want to do 5 12hr shifts in a row, i didnt like it at discovery and i dont think i will like it there, work is great, im setiling into the job well, getting to grips with the systems well, and it seems to work (* with the caveat that nothing has worked today at all)
i cooked dinner for two of my co-compundees both kiwis, both loveley. think there could be a good thing of cooking going on here, as were all on our todd, why cook for one when you can cook for 3 or more. this weekend sees eid happen tomorow (saturday night) with the official breaking of the fast so parties and madness all around in the muslim community, and parties all round in the non-muslim community as the bars and the booze shop opens again! so there are parties planned next week and the week beyond, pland for garveys (the european family club next thursay 26th) and a compound AJ pool party on the 2nd. so immenent job is to get my booze card, plus finding enough money on a loan to get liquor card, which is mandatory out here to buy alcohol.
there are already wrangelings to get time off/changing shifts but im not so happy with this, i dont want to do 5 12hr shifts in a row, i didnt like it at discovery and i dont think i will like it there, work is great, im setiling into the job well, getting to grips with the systems well, and it seems to work (* with the caveat that nothing has worked today at all)
i cooked dinner for two of my co-compundees both kiwis, both loveley. think there could be a good thing of cooking going on here, as were all on our todd, why cook for one when you can cook for 3 or more. this weekend sees eid happen tomorow (saturday night) with the official breaking of the fast so parties and madness all around in the muslim community, and parties all round in the non-muslim community as the bars and the booze shop opens again! so there are parties planned next week and the week beyond, pland for garveys (the european family club next thursay 26th) and a compound AJ pool party on the 2nd. so immenent job is to get my booze card, plus finding enough money on a loan to get liquor card, which is mandatory out here to buy alcohol.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
this is a strangely ironic story.
so i join a arabic news station mid month, said news agency is in a beaurocratic country that takes for ever to get anything done like open a bank account, i apply to open my ban the day after i arrive, in this case the 11th. bank account require all kinds of info that i dont have like local phone number, and local address before they can open my bank. this is anticipated so afformentioned news station give me 2000 rials to survive off for the first two weeks till i can sort bank account out, and do things like buy mobile phone etc.
news station can not pay my regular sallary untill bank is open, however eid the muslim holy holiday comes at the end of my second week. here in lies the rub. i cant be paid during eid as the finace dept and the banks are closed until after eid. so here comes the irony.
i get a email and a phone call 1) at 11.30 from the bank saying they had made extra effort to open my account before eid. and 2)an email from finance at 15.45 saying a big effort had be made to get a cheque had been made out in my name.
so you put 1+1 together and make two right? get cheque from finance and put it in my bank? wrong given the bank shut at midday and finance shut at 1600 hrs and i cant get there in time, so the ultimate upshot despite the monumental effort is... im still not getting paid untill after eid.
ohh the irony
so i join a arabic news station mid month, said news agency is in a beaurocratic country that takes for ever to get anything done like open a bank account, i apply to open my ban the day after i arrive, in this case the 11th. bank account require all kinds of info that i dont have like local phone number, and local address before they can open my bank. this is anticipated so afformentioned news station give me 2000 rials to survive off for the first two weeks till i can sort bank account out, and do things like buy mobile phone etc.
news station can not pay my regular sallary untill bank is open, however eid the muslim holy holiday comes at the end of my second week. here in lies the rub. i cant be paid during eid as the finace dept and the banks are closed until after eid. so here comes the irony.
i get a email and a phone call 1) at 11.30 from the bank saying they had made extra effort to open my account before eid. and 2)an email from finance at 15.45 saying a big effort had be made to get a cheque had been made out in my name.
so you put 1+1 together and make two right? get cheque from finance and put it in my bank? wrong given the bank shut at midday and finance shut at 1600 hrs and i cant get there in time, so the ultimate upshot despite the monumental effort is... im still not getting paid untill after eid.
ohh the irony
well another day has come in the aji news room, feeling better than yesterday and have edited the blog to respect that, it all got on top of me for a while, its just the thaught that prety much the whole of the muslim world(Bar this 24hr news agency) has just checked out for a 10 day holiday that depressed me. rumers of 12 hour shifts are rampent here as we aproach the big kick off, but untill the rest of the team arrives (5 people) we are 50% down on staff.
news that my shuipping should be through customs after eid(inshalla) pleases me, however being broke as broke can be untill then doesent. 652rials & 44 days left till i get paid.
fell asleep on the sofa last night at 8pm, so wiped out the evening.
and have downloaded the latest batch of the USC Public deplomacy podcasts (Yay!) and the latest Berkley cyberculture & Open Scource cources (Double Yay) so i have something to listen to at home!
news that my shuipping should be through customs after eid(inshalla) pleases me, however being broke as broke can be untill then doesent. 652rials & 44 days left till i get paid.
fell asleep on the sofa last night at 8pm, so wiped out the evening.
and have downloaded the latest batch of the USC Public deplomacy podcasts (Yay!) and the latest Berkley cyberculture & Open Scource cources (Double Yay) so i have something to listen to at home!
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
just re-read my last blog - god that sounded angry, ive calmed down a bit, not a huge amount, im headed home soon so i can enjoy a nouroushing meal of 2min noodles as a stirfry with some veg and soy sauce, yum, but till i get paid im on tight financial control. 657rials to go.
other than failed to get the card readers to work on the monitors so for the time being im stuck having to bluetooth to my phone, then my pda then plug the pda into my laptop then usb2 them to my mp3 player which i carry to work and usb2 them to the internet arrgh too much.
upside ive just rembered i have to fill in a p85 form for the uk goverment informing them im nolonger residing in the uk.
everything is difficult at the moment, and ive just remebered i have to cancel my uk mobile contract before i forget and they charge me for another month i cant use.
from a disgruntled michael.
just a quick one Was very foggy this morning, very nice so foggy that i could not see the kalipfa stadium from outside the compund, its nice to see that the weather here isnt only just of one variet -that the hot and sunny kind. was kind of a spooky drive in.
we have a final on air date (however im under pain of death not to reveal it to you!).
more later, have to go sort my shipping.
M
we have a final on air date (however im under pain of death not to reveal it to you!).
more later, have to go sort my shipping.
M
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
just a quick one, that was all fairly easy a couple of cues, a few checksour fixer from external affairs drove us out into the desert to a medical center, he then facilitated a que jump at every oppertunity, if that hadnt haoppened i would probably still at the medical center.
Home news, i nearly set fire to the kitchen yesterday, and having thouroughly searched theoven for an instruction manual and failing to find one i switched on the oven, 15 mins later i smell an acrid smell and see yellow smoke pouring out of the oven, it when i open the oven that i find its on fire, well NOT the oven per say but the instruction manual that has been stuck directly to the elements of the oven!
othermatters, went for a swim last night an car pooled on the way in this morning with the lady (louise) with kidney stones who runs the makeup dept here, i also work next to her daughter who is hot desking on the archive pc.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Hello, first real text post after the weekend, that was a mad one, i moved into the lovley house/bungalow, 3 bedroom, 4 bathrooms 2 baths 1 shower and 4 w/c, kitchen etc, furnished etc. see photos below. its a nice compound of about 30 people/familys all of whom work for AJI - starting to get to know the neighbours theyre lovley. i live about 5 mins (across a building site - the whole of qatar seems to be one big building site) from Guys house
pool is nice and so is the cold jacussi, (yes you need it cold in this climate, its a strange sensation i know) spent a couple of hours soaking off the hangover and reading lord of light, recovery was from my work colleague's birthday party on saturday night, of which was a real blast, first 'session' ive had for a while.
the flats well furnished, nice sofas etc, large tv 3 satelite dishes (why?)
anyway moved in saturday lunchtime then hit the gigantic mega mall thats being built next to the stadium, across the road from my house(across 3 building sites and two freeways). and spent a shade under 1000 rials for everything the modern man could need for a house, except the things that dont exist in qatar 1) a culinder - they dont seem to exist here at all??? 2) a cafitier - ended up having to buy one in starbucks at some super inflated price (something like 100rials or 12quid!!!!!!) but as i concider it an essential to life 3) a large amount of beeding/douvets/blankets/towels - i dont feel like i need them yet (would rather save the money/cash advance for things i need to spend it on like taxis & customs fees. etc - hoping i dont run out befor i get paid)
however i bought the essentials like saute pan & small pan in 18/10 stainless, and the same for knives - no point in buying cheep. a multi region dvd player, food essentials like frozen french mushrooms & white gold basmati rice! frozen veg, canned essentials, and 2 min noodles.
enjoying the drive in in the morning from the compound altho saw 3 crashes this morning all looked quite serious - seriously if there are road rules here no one obeys them - ive seen people drive over roundabouts forcibly cut through 3 lanes of traffic, do u-turns over the median strip on the highways- inshort its nuts.
M
pool is nice and so is the cold jacussi, (yes you need it cold in this climate, its a strange sensation i know) spent a couple of hours soaking off the hangover and reading lord of light, recovery was from my work colleague's birthday party on saturday night, of which was a real blast, first 'session' ive had for a while.
the flats well furnished, nice sofas etc, large tv 3 satelite dishes (why?)
anyway moved in saturday lunchtime then hit the gigantic mega mall thats being built next to the stadium, across the road from my house(across 3 building sites and two freeways). and spent a shade under 1000 rials for everything the modern man could need for a house, except the things that dont exist in qatar 1) a culinder - they dont seem to exist here at all??? 2) a cafitier - ended up having to buy one in starbucks at some super inflated price (something like 100rials or 12quid!!!!!!) but as i concider it an essential to life 3) a large amount of beeding/douvets/blankets/towels - i dont feel like i need them yet (would rather save the money/cash advance for things i need to spend it on like taxis & customs fees. etc - hoping i dont run out befor i get paid)
however i bought the essentials like saute pan & small pan in 18/10 stainless, and the same for knives - no point in buying cheep. a multi region dvd player, food essentials like frozen french mushrooms & white gold basmati rice! frozen veg, canned essentials, and 2 min noodles.
enjoying the drive in in the morning from the compound altho saw 3 crashes this morning all looked quite serious - seriously if there are road rules here no one obeys them - ive seen people drive over roundabouts forcibly cut through 3 lanes of traffic, do u-turns over the median strip on the highways- inshort its nuts.
M
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