Qatar - WorkWorkWork

---

As mentioned before, my life revolves around work here, but now it is starting to get exciting. Qatar is hosting the 2022 World Cup and they have a "2030 Vision" for countrywide improvements. Things are now starting to kick into high gear and our office is growing everyday.

Currently, I am managing the engineering group here in our office. It is a very busy job because on top of managing, I am also the only engineer, so I am responsible for management, engineering analysis, all reporting, geologic oversight, meetings and engineering site inspections. I am in desperate need for help, so that also means I spend part of my week recruiting people. I am so behind on some of my reports, but the big big projects will be starting soon so I need to invest time in having people prepare to join us. Fortunately, we have a new HR staff here and they are fantastic, helping me by doing a preliminary screening interview with the candidates and handing me the ones that seem to fit the first round of requirements.

Work has become very exciting though, so I am generally pretty happy. We did such a good job on our island project this spring that we are continuing work there on various projects. We also are working for part of the metro, roadways, public works projects, a football stadium, nearshore investigations, pipelines... it just goes on and on!

So yes, my life revolves around work. I am still trying to make this place into some semblance of a home. I like that my apartment is so close to work, but now I am starting to feel isolated. So when my lease runs out in January, I'll be moving to a complex or maybe closer to the city. Now that there are getting to be more functional main roads, the commutes are much easier, especially at certain times of day. I currently live near the industrial area (southwest of Doha) and I have site inspections each week to the north of Doha; previously it took me up to an hour to get to site, but now it takes between 20 and 25 minutes!

Tomorrow, well tonight technically, is the start of our Eid al Fitr holiday. This celebrates the end of Ramadan and the breaking of the fast. So, now we can eat again! I didn't fast during Ramadan, despite a request from one of my favorite clients to at least try for a week... Generally, I do not ever eat breakfast, usually just have a mango juice and pack berries and a granola bar to take to work for when I finally get hungry. I would do pretty well ... I would just drink water at my desk, and pop a few berries into my mouth throughout the morning. Around 2pm though, I was famished. Since our office hours were over at 2:30, I would go home around 3:30 and have a sandwich or something. But by 6pm I was starving. So, close, but no fasting! It also doesn't help with the heat and the dusty desert. Everyday this month, I went home with a raging headache. I would pass out around 4:30 and make myself wake up around 7, with my head feeling like it weighed a ton. So, my sleep patterns are completely messed up, I'm constantly hungry, and I am too tired to work my usual hours to catch up on work! So, while I didn't notice much last year in Dubai, this year Ramadan has greatly affected me. I honestly don't know how these guys do it everyday for a month!

The problem with the Eid holiday is that you don't know exactly what days it will fall on until the day before. So, planning a vacation is extremely difficult. I wanted to get out of town to do something fun, but I didn't even start looking until last week and by then, the flights were too expensive. We get Thursday through Monday off, so it would be the absolute perfect time to get out of town and explore the world! Alas, I'm going to the UAE, but this time instead of relaxing in Dubai, Jamie, Addi and I are heading to Al Ain where we are going to this major water park. So, still something new for me, though I would have liked to get a new stamp in my new passport... I'm sure I'll have some blogging and photos for Al Ain in the next few days. Stay tuned!

---

Photos

Excavation
Site inspection regarding groundwater