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Crouton
I am just finishing my 3rd year of Chemical Engineering at the University of Strathclyde and heading to Qatar in 4 weeks (!) on a work placement through IAESTE. Decided it would be a good idea to blog my experience so that people who are interested can all read it and I can spend less time emailing/phoning/skyping when I'm there and more time doing fun stuff!JCrichton
Countdown to Qatar:
Travel Blog Posts
July 14th 2012
So last Thursday I was invited to attend the Intern Induction Day in Al Khor, which must be almost 50 miles north of Doha. Meeting in Doha at 7am so that was exciting, nice long lie. Then we were shuttled there in a coach. By we I mean to say the 20 odd national interns and me, the only international intern in the company. This is an interesting point actually as currently in Qatar there is a big push to get more nationals in the oil and gas sector and there is an ongoing project called "Qatarization" which aims to get nationals represent at least 40% of the workforce here. So this is why there is a huge focus on getting local students internships and scholarships. So it makes me wonder a little bit why I ... read more
June 30th 2012
OK so this is the last one today, honest. Thursday 28/06/2012 Got back to the Ras Laffan office on Tuesday which is good!! So I’m getting used to being the only girl, and ignoring looks. On Wednesday I went on the plant! It was really cool, got changed into all my PPE in the toilets and got some looks in it but not that bad actually. Got very hot at one point and felt like I was going to be sick or faint so I had to say to Nazri or it would have been TOO embarrassing. And then I was pretty thirsty the rest of the day. Just as we were going in to get out passes back and go back to the offices there was a warning on the speakers that it was heat ... read more
June 30th 2012
More journal from last week, getting there now! Thursday 21/06/2012 So the last couple of days have been working in Doha still. Last night I went with Dina to the Souq and then a classical music concert (I know, right?) but it was actually really good. Starting to realise how rich everyone is here, they are all so generous though with paying for my meals and coffee and karak and chippati! LOVE those last 2 things fyi. Karak is sweet tea with evaporated milk and some spices, and chippati is indian thin bread, we had a sweet one which was really good. After the concert had karak and chippati (is that what it’s called?) with Dina, her Romanian friend who played in the show and a Romanian guy. It was really cool, just chilling discussing life., ... read more
June 30th 2012
Here is an excerpt from my journal after I visited my friend Dina's house for dinner one Friday night, enjoy! This may be the most interesting one (genuine), so pay attention. Friday 15/06/2012 Got a phone call from someone called Dina who asked if I wanted to go for dinner so I agreed. I thought it would be a lot of students going out for a meal which would have been fun but actually it was so much better than I thought it would be! So Dina is lovely and she picked me up and took me on a wee drive around the city before heading back to her house. I had too much food but it was beautiful Arabic sweets and tea (Arabic tea is delish) and Arabic coffee (not so much) to get rid ... read more
June 30th 2012
More journal from the second week of work! Monday 11/06/2012 Work is getting much better now, but my temporary pass has ran out as it has been a week already! So I am getting my fingerprints tomorrow anyway so I won’t be at work but hoping I get my permanent pass tomorrow! (How naiive I was at this point!) I cannot wait to not have to jump off the bus at security and run back on before the bus leaves me stranded in the middle of nowhere again. Anyway. Getting a long lie tomorrow because of my prints so alarm set for 6am instead of 4am! MUCHOS EXCITEMENTO on my part, hence why I am still awake at 21.47!! This is a late night for me, enjoying this immensely! Not much chat otherwise, got my new ... read more
June 30th 2012
Hey loyal readers! So this plan has kind of failed due to a lack of internet since I arrived, and I am now half way through my placement! But I have been keeping a kind of journal on my laptop so I can upload some bits from there. This was from my first day (the rest will not be so long I promise!) Monday 04/06/2012 Got picked up from the airport (to my genuine surprise and delight) and dropped at my apartment on Saturday night. Then had Sunday to settle in and had to go pick up my pass from RasGas Doha headquarters, also managed a short (but hot) walk to the City Centre in town. It is a massive mall and managed to get a Qatari sim card and some food shopping from the Carrefour. ... read more
Pre-Departure (first blog)
Published: May 7th 2012Europe » United Kingdom » Scotland » Lanarkshire » Glasgow
May 7th 2012
SO... I decided to start a blog for going to Qatar this summer, like all of those self indulgent creeps I normally insult. This is my first post to see how this works, and an excellent "useful" procrastination from revision. Still waiting to hear back from the company, QAPCO, I'm meant to be working for which is a bit worrying but hopefully hear from them before I actually leave! Can't believe I start work 4 weeks to the day (probs the only British person who has to work on the Queen's Jubilee- but whatevs.) Been doing some research into what to see/do/wear while I'm there and particularly excited for the Jeep safari tours over the sand dunes, which sound terrifying but lots of fun too. Apparently depending on your tour guide they could have you flying ... read more
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