Qatar Living is Smooth Sailing

Well it has been quite a while since my spamming of my blog after my trip to good ‘ol America so I finally have some big experiences to share. The reason for the lack in blog posts is that I am finally feeling settled in day to day life in Doha and things are less shocking than they were when I first arrive. Luckily there has still been no shortage of adventure over the last few weeks so I can share some highlights with you.

In the words of the great Brennan Biddle, “They said it couldn’t be done!”. This is in response to renting a Dhow Boat (see image) overnight for a twelve hour cruise to nowhere. But after some sweet talking and eye lash batting Brennan was able to reserve an overnight cruise for us and 25 of our closest friends. We were able to load the boat with food, drinks, and music to be played on the world’s worst sound system. This cruise basically went out to see off the coast of the downtown Doha skyline as we proceed to party the night away while swimming and meeting all kinds of new friends. One highlight was the inflatable Shamu that Brennan purchased which nearly floated away 25 times. There were also dives from the second deck of the boat and the paper cut out of the one and only Will Nestor. The trip was an absolute blast and something we all want to do again, just not plan. 

After the Dhow Boat cruise there was the Emir Cup basketball championship. Doha has a professional basketball league that features players from around the world and many former Division 1 college players or NBA D League players. The first professional game I attended was the league’s championship between Al Sadd and Al Rayyan, which are basically two areas of Doha. Think of it as the Bronx vs. Brooklyn. My first highlight of the game was realizing that Rashad Anderson, a UConn Legend (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ3vMJu3u4s), was playing for Al Sadd. My next highlight was the fan sections that all brought flags, drums, and megaphones as they led chants throughout the entire game. The gym was so loud my ears were riningng the rest of the night. I later found out that some of these fans are paid to go to the game and cheer for the club team, which made sense considering the fans would cheer regardless of what was happening on the court. The third highlight was the raffle prizes at the end of the game which included 50 free airline flights, 10 ipads, 5 iphones, and several other electronic items. No one won from the group I sat with but only in Doha will you find those giveaways at a sporting event! The game definitely got me more interested in professional basketball here and rumor has it JMU Alum Abdulai Jalloh is playing out in Doha as well. Will have to check that out!

Over the last few weeks there has been a few desert camping adventures as well. We are trying to make the most of the good weather before it becomes unbearably hot for the next few months. About two weeks ago my basketball team went camping to celebrate the end of a season. We parked on top of a sand dune over looking the water, cooked more meat than a Brazilian Steak House, and stayed up until the sunrise just talking and sharing stories. Once again I was the only person in the group who didn’t speak Arabic and I was amazed at how kind everyone was to translate jokes, songs, or stories for me so I was included in the conversation. This past weekend we went camping in the north part of the country and did a moonlight kayaking trip through the mangroves before setting up our tents around a big bonfire. The trip was amazing with a group of friends from when I first moved to Doha and then some new friends as well. There isn’t much nature here in Doha so getting out to see the mangroves was a really cool experience even though we were paddling upstream the whole way and not making much progress.

Over the last few weeks there have been two interesting Doha articles that I have stumbled across. I think both gives you some insight into daily life here, one in a satirical way and one in a harsh reality kind of way. I connect with pieces of both of them but not entirely and would love to hear other thoughts on them. But I think each does a good job of capturing some daily challenges and experiences of being here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/9990816/Fifteen-signs-you-have-lived-in-Qatar-too-long.html

http://thebillfold.com/2013/04/the-cost-of-things-in-qatar/

So that will about do it for now. Big upcoming things? Brennan buys a car this week. Carissa (Brennan’s sister) gets married this weekend. Brandon graduates Delaware on May 25^th (I will be flying to America basically to see him walk across the stage before coming back to Doha). And most importantly, by some act of God, I have convinced my parents to make a trip to Doha in January!!! We are finalizing dates and travel routes but I could not be more excited to have them coming out to visit. It is such a difficult place to describe and capture. You need to see it for yourself. That being said, Brennan, Vilius, and I are always accepting visitors so come on out!

Six Months Down...And We're Just Getting Started!!!

After having lived in Doha for six months now, I have quite a bit to reflect on. Overall my transition could not have gone smoother and I am so thankful for all the support and outreach I have received in my journey. Both my personal life and work life have already proved to be rewarding and I happy to say that I made the right decision in moving here.

One of the biggest challenges when I moved to Doha was connecting with people. Never in my life have I had the challenge of connecting with people that I had here. Generally I am able to make connections quickly, find conversation topics, and after 15 minutes know their life story and act as if we went to high school together. When I moved here conversations were more difficult to come by, common ground more difficult to find, and I found it hard to be accepted for who I was. Over time I have been able to meet some really incredible people who provide such great support for me here in Doha. In addition to these great supports I have here, I also have access to opportunities I never could have imagined. Some are more superficial like flying first class and not having to constantly worry about money. But others are more experiential like meeting people from around the world, traveling frequently, and experiences many cultures simultaneously while in Doha. Something that is not lost on me is the lavish lifestyle in Doha. I valet my car several times a week free of charge. We have a cleaner, Dennis, who cleans our apartment twice a week. I was able to buy a new car. I now know what its like to fly business class. And the list goes on. It is easy to get caught up in this lifestyle and begin to expect these things. But I hope I never will. It never ceases to amaze me that I am able to do something of these things and it makes life that much more enjoyable and easy.

Another somewhat obvious aspect of life here is being an ex-patriate. Being an ex-patriate anywhere comes with a lot challenges but here in Doha it is somewhat “normal”. I say normal because approximately 80% of the country are ex-patriates representing countries all over the world. As an ex-patriate here my transition has been made easier by several factors. First off, I come from an English speaking country and everyone here speaks English. Nearly everyone who speaks English also speaks at least one other language, making me one of the only uni-lingual people that I know. Additionally pay in this country is often correlated to the country that you come from. Americans are generally paid more than other countries and have a reputation for being hard workers. Particularly in the education field I am given a lot of credibility based on my background in US educational institutions compared to other places I may have gone to school. Something I am still wrestling with is figuring out what the ex-pat role is here. Is the role to educate nationals on fields that are new to the region? Is the role to work directly with students offering the best practices from around the world? Or is it a blend of both?

Work has been such an incredibly opportunity and I could not think of a better way to apply my knowledge after completing my Masters degree. The challenge and opportunity to build programs from the ground up has been amazing and it comes with great support from the division. I will say that the work is incredibly more challenging than I could have expected. The branch campus model is incredibly complex and comes with a lot of duplication. Our student body is so diverse that it is difficult to gauge what the student voice is. We have mostly commuter students so offering programs is more difficult. Additionally I work with many colleagues who do not have formal backgrounds in higher education/student affairs so we often have different work philosophies which can cause challenges. Regardless of these challenges I feel very fortunate to be able to work in such a dynamic place and continue to lay a foundation for student involvement in the region. We have done some GREAT work thus far and will continue to push towards creating an environment where our students can have meaningful learning experiences outside of the classroom.

Overall I am glad that I made the decision to move to Doha. Time has gone by so quickly and it definitely does not feel like I have been here for 6 months. Doha has quickly become a place I am happy to call home and feel supported in. When I think about how the entire thing worked out, I am incredibly thankful and humbled to have this opportunity. Brennan moving here has been a HUGE help in this whole process as well as our other roommate Vilius who has been a great addition to the team. Now that 6 months have passed I will be moving to other transition stages of making an impact at work and continuing my adventures with Doha as one of the best launching points in the world!!! It has been a great ride so far and can’t wait to see what is in store next!

The Triumphant Return to America!!!

My first trip back to America was two things. Eventful and Affirming.

The eventful piece is easy to understand. From the moment I landed in America until the moment I left it was non-stop action. And I would not have had it any other way. I spent 6 days in Orlando, FL attending a massive student affairs conference. I was able to connect with friends from Grad School, old colleagues, and make some great connections along the way. Although I didn’t learn as much as I usually would, mostly because my work in Doha is so much different than work stateside, it gave me a lot to think about and kept me current in the field.

Then it was off to DC where I spent 6 days doing everything in my human power to catch up with friends. I celebrated a birthday, had a Witt reunion, laughed with friends, got caught up in March Madness, danced in Patty Boom Booms, walked through Georgetown, went to a beer festival, and even had a snow day. There was no good way to spend quality time with all of the people I wanted to and it was overwhelming to see people coming from all over to spend time with me. I could not have asked for a better visit and it felt so good to pick up right where I left off.

Finally we hit New York to spend time with my parents and family. This was the “slower” part of my trip where I was able to rest a bit, do some shopping, and enjoy some quality time. Being so far away from family has been difficult as you miss so many events. Luckily I was able to see my grandmother, aunts, uncles, and lots of time with my parents. It felt great to have their support and share stories of travels abroad.

The affirming piece is something I didn’t expect. Being away from six month isn’t that long but it is long enough. And I was not sure how I would feel going back to the US. As I spent time with friends, family, and just experiencing America I realized just how thankful I am to have the opportunity to live in Doha. The trip as a whole was incredibly energizing and served as a great reality check from my life in Doha. As difficult as it is to be away from people that I love, it was reassuring to know that they are still there for me no matter what. We are able to catch up as if no time has passed. They are completely supportive of everything I am doing. And couldn’t be happier for me. As my time in the US drew to a close I thought I would want to stay, but I had the opposite reaction and looked forward to returning to my new home…Doha. There is no place quite like the US and I look forward to going back one day. For now I could not feel more privileged to have the opportunity to live in an exciting environment, with great people, in a job I love, and explore the world. Looking forward to my next trip stateside for Brandon’s graduation…until then…keep it real America!

Top Ten Things I Miss About America

10) Access to information: Businesses have websites. Restaurants have menus online. You can get directions easily. There are advertisements for events and locations.

9) Sports: They are shown at a decent hour and they are always on. Can I get some SportsCenter?!?!

8) Busy streets: Busy with people, not with cars. Walking through cities and towns that have life on the sidewalks was amazing.

7) Walking: Being able to conveniently walk through “town” or take public transportation from one place to the next is glorious.

6) Stress Free Driving: Being able to get from point A to point B while knowing exactly how to get there and not being cut off every mile is such a joy. And this comes even after driving in New York for a week. Driving in Doha is mental.

5) Young people: Going out in a place like Arlington or Washington DC reminds me of just how many young professionals there are in the area. It is much harder to connect to that network of people in Doha but progress is being made

4) Democracy and Social Issues: While I was in the US the Supreme Court started to debate Prop 8 to allow same sex marriage. I am proud to be from a country that values openly challenging norms and advocating for equal rights of people.

3) Family: You only have one, and being so far away is difficult. You miss a lot (family holidays, time with grandparents, birthdays, etc) but it feels great to pick up where you left off.

2) Friends: Friendships take a long time to build and nothing feels better than reconnecting with those people who know you so well.

1) Talking to strangers: Whether it is a cab driver, cashier, someone in line, or someone on the street. It felt amazing to be able to connect easily with strangers around me because of speaking a common language. It makes you feel connected to the world around you.

Would you like me to make your bed for you?: Flying Business Class

This probably wouldn’t need its own post but it was just ridiculous. Flying business class was one of the most insane experiences of my life and it starts at check in. There is a business class terminal where you have a private check in amongst birds chirping in the hanger. You are brought to the business lounge where you have a breakfast buffet, champagne, wireless internet, and massive chairs. On the flight you are given your own seat that converts into a bed. You are handed out pajamas, slippers, and comforters. The menu has no less than 30 food options, in addition to a full wine list, spirits that include 15 year old whiskey, and freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. I flew 12 hours directly from Doha to New York and I could have stayed on that flight for at least 48 hours without any problem. It was one of the most unbelievable experiences of my life. Not often to you get to sit in a chair 35,000 feet in the air drinking 15 year old whiskey with a plate of lamb, cheeses, and soup in front of you. Thanks QF!!!