We have now been here a week and are working our way through our boxes. Luckily we've found the Lambeth Council recycling bags.
Mr A has done his first full week of work for a year and a half, and is only mildly in shock. His colleagues are probably still recovering from his first day when he sported patches of un-shaved beard that he'd missed in the steamed up bathroom mirror. We are getting used to the low hum of Doha as a million air conditioning units whirr away, and the sounds of construction work beginning in the middle of the night. In fact the city of Doha is almost one very large construction site, which as an architect makes me feel right at home.
We walked down to the Corniche yesterday and failed to join in with celebrations to mark the opening of Qatar's bid for the 2016 Olympics. Qatari officials were keeping people on the dual carriageway running parallel to the corniche, rather than allowing them in to the fun as the crowds were too large. Since everyone in Doha had been invited to join the fun, this meant a lot of people standing on top of flower beds feeling a little disenfranchised which doesn't fill me with enthusiasm for their ability to organise an Olympics. Luckily we walked back via the Sheraton and watched the Olympic-fireworks across the bay whilst sipping beers which more than made up for any frustration. Then we got take-away Pizza Express salads and watched ER which, I think, summarises nicely the creature comforts.
We have also found the Cigar Bar of the Four Seasons Hotel (Note: hotels are going to crop up a lot. They're the only places you can get an alcoholic beverage) and hung out with Al Jazeera journalists who we're hoping will be our new friends. And we have been shopping, a number of times. There are a couple of malls which are ENORMOUS and one of them ('Villagio'!) has gondoliers pushing small children down a 'canal' - Hennes on the left, Topshop on the right, Gap just coming up.....
We don't officially exist in Qatar yet, since we don't have the all important ID cards. But we have had our fingers pricked, our blood smeared onto a glass slide, and our blood groups ascertained so apparently we're on the way. The weather isn't as hot as we were expecting - about 30-35 degrees - but quite humid. It's always mildly disconcerting when your cereal bowl drips on to your legs as the condensation forms on the side from the cold milk you've put in it. And we do have a lot of cold milk as we attempt to fill the enormous fridge in our kitchen. In fact, we need a lot more of everything as we expand to fill a 3-bedroom, 4-bathroom, 5 television apartment. We have been forcing ourselves to use the outdoor swimming pool downstairs too. Actually, I used it a bit too enthusiastically with some ill-advised breast stroke and have buggered my neck. Which leaves Mr A to unpack the remaining books...... what a shame.
We are of course always keen for news and messages of love. Don't send any pork.
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