sorry, i've been a bit slow on the blogs lately - hope i haven't lost your interest!? as mike mentioned in the last blog, i have started my job search so my days have been spent researching the market, preparing my CV and prepping for interviews!!! how on earth am i going to juggle a full time position and still write my daily blog entries?? hehe. oh, and thanks to mike for the mention of my quote - geez, looks as though i have to be careful what comes out of my mouth from now on!!
so...the job process is taking off at an exceptionally fast pace! can you believe that i emailed my CV out yesterday morning and by mid afternoon i received 3 requests to meet with me!?!?! something i really wasn't expecting nor prepared for BUT at the same time quite relieved that there is interest and demand for people with my skill set. i guess when you take a look around at all the new construction of office buildings it really isn't a shock that business is booming in the furniture/design industry!! one interesting factor here is that you can not change jobs within doha during the first 2 years of employment. of course there are a few exceptions (moving out of country, mutually not working out, etc) but it still creates a lot of pressure to find the right job! having said that i am not going to rush into anything especially since i have the time and don't necessarily need to work right away.
aside from staring at my laptop these past few days, i have tried to create a daily routine for myself. i no longer allow myself to have a long lie in - i now set my alarm if i am not already awake when mike leaves at 6:30 - 7:00am. I usually start my day off at the gym located within the compound. it is no four seasons health club but it has all the standard amenities needed for a good workout. i feel better starting my day off like this especially since i neglected exercising the last couple of months when we were in london. besides how else am i going to work off the lunches? ;) i also try to spend some time outside everyday now that the weather is warmer. waking up and seeing the sun shine puts an automatic smile on my face. i remember the many rainy, overcast mornings in london - sure made it hard to get out of bed and to get motivated. the sun is a wonderful thing!! a couple of times a week i try to get to the corniche for a walk usually with jen and her boys. as nice as this compound is, i often feel a bit isolated here therefore, it is nice to get out. mike has noticed a significant difference here as well when it comes to the sun and staying motivated. in london after a long work day we often found ourselves relaxing in front of the television. here we rarely watch tv. and in the evenings no matter how tired mike is he is usually always up for something - whether it is a trip to the mall, a run/walk on the corniche or grabbing a bit to eat/ enjoying a few drinks. so far, we are leading a much more balanced lifestyle.
speaking of the corniche - jen, her 2 year old son and i went for a walk there yesterday morning. it was a stunning day! since the tide was out we were down on the beach watching thomas collect seashells. an arabic lady dressed in full abaya approached and started conversing with us. she said that she wanted to come and meet the little boy. all of her attention then focused on thomas. she then put her purse down beside jen and i and followed thomas's every move - did not leave his side! she helped him collect shells, drew in the sand with him, etc. it was like she was infatuated with him - a complete stranger! it all seemed a bit weird (and creepy) to me but jen is getting used to it! she said that it is common for arabic strangers to approach them and want to touch and hug thomas. one man even picked him up in a starbucks! back home, this would not be allowed and would be forbidden by the parents. here, it is the culture - they mean no harm whatsoever! they adore children especially those with white skin! i would imagine it is quite difficult for a 'western' parent to wrap their head around this but it is one of those things where you must try to accept it as part of the culture.
unlike canada and the usa where the traditional definition of a 'nuclear' family no longer constitutes the majority of households, the family unit is highly valued here and is considered the backbone in their daily lives. children seem to be put on a pedestal here and it is not unusual to see chubby little arabic kids - a sure sign of them being spoiled by their parents! having said that, you often see children climbing all around the inside of moving vehicles - as i think it is only mandatory for the driver to wear a seat belt...? shocking, considering how much they value their children and how aggressive the driving is here!!! that, i will never understand or agree with...
some may be wondering about the status of our condo. well.....turns out that there has been a huge mis-communication and it seems as though nothing has progressed in the last 3-4 weeks, contrary to what they have been telling us. urgh, so frustrating...let's leave it at that...
tomorrow mike and i are looking forward to a day by the pool. mike has hockey in the morning then we are heading over to the four seasons for a day of lounging - something i think mike has been looking forward to all week (he hates the fact that i am darker than him, hehe). the sun here is strong and for someone who doesn't typically wear sunscreen, i have still managed to get a healthy glow of colour wearing spf 20 and sometimes spf 30 on the real hot days! apologies for talking about the sun especially after toronto just got dumped with more snow!!! mr. & mrs. molson were nice enough to email some pictures through of the last snowfall - it was great to see but can't say that i miss it! i hope everyone is staying safe and taking care driving. fortunately, we got our fill of snow when we were home over the christmas holidays...and i think i can wait until this christmas to see it again...
so...the job process is taking off at an exceptionally fast pace! can you believe that i emailed my CV out yesterday morning and by mid afternoon i received 3 requests to meet with me!?!?! something i really wasn't expecting nor prepared for BUT at the same time quite relieved that there is interest and demand for people with my skill set. i guess when you take a look around at all the new construction of office buildings it really isn't a shock that business is booming in the furniture/design industry!! one interesting factor here is that you can not change jobs within doha during the first 2 years of employment. of course there are a few exceptions (moving out of country, mutually not working out, etc) but it still creates a lot of pressure to find the right job! having said that i am not going to rush into anything especially since i have the time and don't necessarily need to work right away.
aside from staring at my laptop these past few days, i have tried to create a daily routine for myself. i no longer allow myself to have a long lie in - i now set my alarm if i am not already awake when mike leaves at 6:30 - 7:00am. I usually start my day off at the gym located within the compound. it is no four seasons health club but it has all the standard amenities needed for a good workout. i feel better starting my day off like this especially since i neglected exercising the last couple of months when we were in london. besides how else am i going to work off the lunches? ;) i also try to spend some time outside everyday now that the weather is warmer. waking up and seeing the sun shine puts an automatic smile on my face. i remember the many rainy, overcast mornings in london - sure made it hard to get out of bed and to get motivated. the sun is a wonderful thing!! a couple of times a week i try to get to the corniche for a walk usually with jen and her boys. as nice as this compound is, i often feel a bit isolated here therefore, it is nice to get out. mike has noticed a significant difference here as well when it comes to the sun and staying motivated. in london after a long work day we often found ourselves relaxing in front of the television. here we rarely watch tv. and in the evenings no matter how tired mike is he is usually always up for something - whether it is a trip to the mall, a run/walk on the corniche or grabbing a bit to eat/ enjoying a few drinks. so far, we are leading a much more balanced lifestyle.
speaking of the corniche - jen, her 2 year old son and i went for a walk there yesterday morning. it was a stunning day! since the tide was out we were down on the beach watching thomas collect seashells. an arabic lady dressed in full abaya approached and started conversing with us. she said that she wanted to come and meet the little boy. all of her attention then focused on thomas. she then put her purse down beside jen and i and followed thomas's every move - did not leave his side! she helped him collect shells, drew in the sand with him, etc. it was like she was infatuated with him - a complete stranger! it all seemed a bit weird (and creepy) to me but jen is getting used to it! she said that it is common for arabic strangers to approach them and want to touch and hug thomas. one man even picked him up in a starbucks! back home, this would not be allowed and would be forbidden by the parents. here, it is the culture - they mean no harm whatsoever! they adore children especially those with white skin! i would imagine it is quite difficult for a 'western' parent to wrap their head around this but it is one of those things where you must try to accept it as part of the culture.
unlike canada and the usa where the traditional definition of a 'nuclear' family no longer constitutes the majority of households, the family unit is highly valued here and is considered the backbone in their daily lives. children seem to be put on a pedestal here and it is not unusual to see chubby little arabic kids - a sure sign of them being spoiled by their parents! having said that, you often see children climbing all around the inside of moving vehicles - as i think it is only mandatory for the driver to wear a seat belt...? shocking, considering how much they value their children and how aggressive the driving is here!!! that, i will never understand or agree with...
some may be wondering about the status of our condo. well.....turns out that there has been a huge mis-communication and it seems as though nothing has progressed in the last 3-4 weeks, contrary to what they have been telling us. urgh, so frustrating...let's leave it at that...
tomorrow mike and i are looking forward to a day by the pool. mike has hockey in the morning then we are heading over to the four seasons for a day of lounging - something i think mike has been looking forward to all week (he hates the fact that i am darker than him, hehe). the sun here is strong and for someone who doesn't typically wear sunscreen, i have still managed to get a healthy glow of colour wearing spf 20 and sometimes spf 30 on the real hot days! apologies for talking about the sun especially after toronto just got dumped with more snow!!! mr. & mrs. molson were nice enough to email some pictures through of the last snowfall - it was great to see but can't say that i miss it! i hope everyone is staying safe and taking care driving. fortunately, we got our fill of snow when we were home over the christmas holidays...and i think i can wait until this christmas to see it again...
1 comment:
Lots going on Kris!!!! Good luck with job hunting- it sounds as though you can be selective in your decision- good.Would hate for the job to be you first priority over blog writing- every-one is enjoying it soooo much.It is like we are there with you --- well almost. Take care -Love you. Mams
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