Inside our apartment

The front door opens straight into the lounge/dining area - openplan. We are on the second floor - one of 12. The walls are thick plastered concrete blocks and the floor is patterened tiles.

We had to put our touch of kiwiana up straight away - thank you to Fiona and the Team Solutions crew. We don't have a dishwasher - actually the bench looks a tad messy - no where to hide the dirty dishes!

We are happy with our tiny tiny outside 'courtyard'. Brian has his own smoking room - thats his smoking chair!!. There is a plant in one corner that I am trying to revive - a yukka. Note the high wall - over that wall is an unpleasant looking construction site with many hens and roosters running around crowing at odd times. That rack is how I dry my clothes. We went up onto the roof - it's quite a cool place with a view across the other places around. Very hot, dusty and sandy during the day - must check it out at night.
There are cockroaches!! - we saw a number of dead ones in the rubbish bin when we arrived - YUCK. Luckily there have not been any live ones so far - fingers crossed, as you know I hate them.
We have 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and would welcome any visitors.

Street scenes

There is so much building going on here - from huge highrise to roads and footpaths. There is a constant haze - not from smog but from construction dust
.This strange looking erection is actually a water tower - they help with the water pressure - this one is just down the road from as and acts as our landmark.



Dotted around the streets are these canvas tents - some are very basic and some are quite elaborate. They are man caves!! They are where men meet to talk and watch TV during the evening. They are very comfortable inside - well the ones we've been able to sneak a wee peak into are.

My new outfit!

That's me on the right - what do you think? ( just kidding)

Thought I would send you a photo of the local dress - we've just come back from shopping at the mall. A lot of the woman walk around in this dress called an abayah. I had to take this pic surreptitiously as you aren't supposed to snap the locals. Unfortunately I didn't get one of the men in the long flowing white gowns and head dress - they look pretty cool.


The mall is very big - about 4 floors with an ice skating rink in the middle that you can look down from the top and watch. There were a lot of local type shops but also many western shops, like the body shop, Hush puppie shoes, Footloose etc. I saw a pair of Ecco shoes that seemed very reasonable. Some very expensive things being sold there - rolex watches, amazing jewellery shops, expensive clothes of the bling bling style.
We actually didn't find much we wanted to buy at this point. There were no coffee machines!
The supermarket on the ground floor is where we bought Brians mobile phone - he's happy as he now has a new gadget to learn.

It's a nuisance not having our own transport - we have to take taxis which aren't all that cheap - or maybe we should have done a bit og haggling - we're still a bit green about all those things.

Where we are living

A view of our front gate.

Brian is feeling heaps better - thank god. It wasn't nice seeing him feeling so disgusting. I was needing me ole mate to be buzzing not groaning. We got dropped off at the apartment - whcih has all the basic food items to make a cuppa, toast, jam white butter?, juice, eggs etc and heaps of bottles of water - we can't dring the tap water. I'm very happy we bought over a couple of jars of vegemite. We have not been to the supermarket - no one came to pick us up yesterday to take us there - probably because they knew Brian was unwell. We have no local currency so can't really venture out too far yet. That should all get sorted to day - I am being picked up soon - will be wearing my orange skirt!!, to be shown the ropes. Brain will be entertaining himself here until I get back hopefully with some money.

We went out last night for a stroll down to the closest roundabout! to try and get our bearings. It was very warm even at 7.00 at night. It felt very exciting to be here I must say - so different. They drive like maniacs - I am expected to be driving myself within the month!! - there is a lot to get used to - the streets are wide and they all just drive fast and don'yt indicate - AND on the other side of the road. The place looks like a construction site - new buildings being built everywhere. They are all sandstone colour - so unlike NZ. Great big stone places with fancy bits on them. Our apartment has a very high stud. I'll take a photo today and send it.
It gets dark here around 6.00pm but sun is up now at 5.00 in the morning. I went to bed last night at 8.00 bloody exhausted hoping to sleep through to the morning - I woke at 11.00, then 1.00, then 3.30 at whcih point I decided to get up and have a cup of green tea and check out the computer for emails etc.
Must go and cook myself an egg for breakfast - I can't eat in public today as it is the month of Ranadan - no one eats between dawn - dusk not even water!! Brain can't smoke in public. I am going to be starving by the afternoon.

Fresh off the plane

We arrived - it took 24 hours from the time we left Auck to landing at Doha - the flight for me wasn't as bad as I was thinking it was going to be. Brian was not well though, he left Auck with the flu and ended up with a bad headache and vomintting. In fact he is still lying in bed - There were some loud screaming babies on the flight as well - bloody unpleasant at times.
I am dog tied but have been told it's best to stay up and then go to bed at Qatari time - I have been sitting trying to read a book but wanted to doze off so thougfht I would send you an update. I am being picked up at 7.00 in the morning tomorrow to be taken into the Cognition office and shown around!!
Haven't been out yet - waiting for Brian to improve - hopefully tomorrow. Have been unpacking - boy I bought over a lot of clothes. Our baggage was spot on - 61kg - we were allowed 60!
Our apartment is not too bad - certainly not luxury but comfortable with all the things we need.