A Bug in the Sandpit: June 2010

Greetings from the desert, where yours truly is contemplating investing in vitamin D supplements.

Our weather has been systematically between 40 and 45°C, way too hot for either Loule or I (taking the trash out is painful). OK, so the seasoned expats repeat that it will get even hotter by next month, up to 50°+. Interesting fact: Outdoor temperatures never exceed 50°C. Officially that is. Construction sites are shut down if temps exceed that marker. As I type this, a little Indian dude is installing a satellite dish on our roof. How do these guys cope? I cringe when we drive by one of the hundreds of construction sites - to see workers like ants on an anthill bolting, welding, whatever in this intense heat, ouch. My heart goes out to them.

Hades conditions aside, we are doing pretty well. Dave continues to love his job (his boss is the most brilliant man on the planet, his team the coolest, yadi yada), Loule the circus dog learns new tricks every day (clapping, waving, spitting food out). I am overall good, but defo riding the emotional roller-coaster.

Ups include meeting adventurous expats with positive outlooks on living it up in Qatar, spending quality time with my circus dog and her sausage papa, having a laugh with the watchmen/maintenance guys who can't get over that I, the Snow White of Al Wadi 2, clean and iron. Downs hit from all directions, every 10 days or so - missing family and friends, feeling isolated in this large house with nowhere to go, living in a neighborhood where maids work from 7 am to 10 pm every day of the week and are locked in the house when the family is gone, feeling landlocked (we have one exit visa for Louise until November), dealing with yet another thing breaking in the house. Fortunately, this is offset by a good church group (where we have befriended the most gracious and loving couple from Quebec, Richard and Sandra) and a growing circle of expat gals who are also new arrivals so therefore very understanding and supportive.

The great thing about the desert is that time flies. From 6.30 am wake-ups (compliments of the circus dog) to 10.00 pm dead as a doorknob in bed, there is never a boring moment, from the Doha Mums coffees to the twice weekly 5-hour cleaning sessions (mandatory due to the desert sand), we find ourselves as busy as we were in Paris. Weekends are no different. On Friday mornings, we hit our local supermarket Lulu, located a mere 200 meters from our compound, at 8.00 sharp to get the freshest produce and beat the crowds (it gets crazzzzy in there after 9.00, with huge families fighting around the veggie weigher chick, grocery carts colliding, eeek!). After a quick unload, we rush off to church (Friday is the local Sunday), followed by lunch and a nap for all three of us. Errands at 4.00 when the shops reopen, then off for dinner or a therapeutical bowl of pasta in front of the TV (currently watching "West Wing", Dave's bday gift). Saturdays kick off at the same pace, with us out the door by 7.45 (imagine!) to hunt for electricity shops / fabric souqs / carpenter workshops. These close at noon, so the rush is quite mad, then home for a spot of lunch (or at one of the malls, that stay open), nap and feeding for Loule, then back again starting at 4.00. Crazy!

A highlight of last weekend was visiting the newly opened Dean & Delucca store in Villaggio mall. Here are a few pics of the happy Papa Frog and Baby Frog (who is also happy, but for the sheer delight to be out of the house).