Grant's Eagle Scout project has been approved! Now all he has to do is finish it. He is building two wooden bridges for QAWS (Qatar Animal Welfare Society). QAWS is located on a small farm outside Doha. The farm is surrounded by drainage ditches (the few things they grow are irrigated). They are using wooden planks to walk over the ditches. These bridges will be a big help.
We already have the wood for the bridges. Having scouts here on Saturday to start building. The school Friendship Festival is Friday -about 5,000 people expected to attend. I am in charge of the Silent Auction - over 100 items. Will be a busy weekend! At least it is a 3 day weekend for the kids - they have Sunday off (the weekend here is Friday and Saturday).
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
BETTER PICTURE OF GAS TRUCK FIRE!
Found a better picture on qatarliving.com. That large half-moon structure is a billboard (need large billboards here because people drive fast) and it was completely burned in the fire (see post below for details).
TOO MUCH EXCITEMENT!
Smoke from the gas truck fire, taken at our compound gate.
Can you stand more traffic stories? Again, everyone is OK.
Yesterday (Sunday, Feb. 22) afternoon a truck delivering gas to a gas station overturned and exploded in a major intersection close to the American School. Don't really know if anyone was hurt - hope not. They heard the explosion at school and went into "lock down" until they got the details. I was just about to leave for school (had Girl Scout Thinking Day) when a friend called and told me what had happened. Good thing she did - I didn't panic when I saw the smoke and I knew which way to go to avoid the backed up traffic.
Earlier in the day a Qatari started tailgating me (white Land Cruiser, young guy in white robe - the typical Qatari). I was in the left lane and he was so close I could only see his face in my rearview mirror. Traffic was heavy and I couldn't get over. Picked up camera - turned it on and pointed it back at him. (After what happened to Andy I wanted a video of him doing this - in case he back ended me). He backed off, I saw an opening and moved to the right. He came up beside me - I pointed camera at his car (often times they will then pull in front of you and slam on their brakes - if he did it I wanted it on camera). He sees camera and takes off - OK problem gone.
Oh no, I go up the road a bit and see him in the far right lane, going very slow. I get in right lane behind him- I want to go right into the mall. He goes slower - I go around him and pull into the mall parking lot - wanted to see if he would follow. He followed me - I went through mall parking lot and pulled back out onto main road - he followed (not tailgating, just following). I picked up my phone and put it to my ear like I was calling someone. I moved into left turn lane - he kept going straight - guess he figured I was calling the police and since I had him on camera being a jerk he would go be a jerk somewhere else. If he had kept following me I would have driven to the Embassy.
Leaving here in July - Never returning.
Monday, February 16, 2009
HOW TIMELY - GREAT VIDEO
of Doha traffic on the post below - click and enjoy! Driving is an extreme sport here. And, get this, most of the people don't wear seat belts - only people who belt up are Westerners. Sometimes I see Qatari adults in seatbelts (maybe 1 - 30) but I have NEVER seen a Qatari kid in a seatbelt, let alone a car seat.
http://kellieandnick.blogspot.com/2009/02/road-rules-what-road-rules.html
http://kellieandnick.blogspot.com/2009/02/road-rules-what-road-rules.html
Sunday, February 15, 2009
BEFORE YOU READ THIS POST
would be helpful to go back to my post of 6 January 2009 - "You Know You've Lived in the Middle East Too Long When" - look at #9. Before you begin will give away the good part - everyone is OK.
Feb. 9, 2009 - our car still in the shop. After a week and a half they haven't gotten the part to fix the power steering line! We are driving a rental car - a small sedan - renting a car is very expensive here.
Feb 10, 2009 - Andy and Grant are on the way to a Boy Scout meeting when they are rear-ended by a Qatari. Classic case - guy in a white Ford mustang comes up behind them in the left lane at Warp 3. Do you move to the right lane - or will this starship try to go around you? Starship Mustang rear ends them. Grant's back is hurt. Andy calls an ambulance, me and the Embassy nurse - who tells Andy to have Grant taken to Aspetar (orthopedic hospital - American Doctors - very good). I get a friend to drive Erin and me to Aspetar - who tells me they won't receive him (no nuerosurgeon on duty that night) and that he should go to Hamad Hospital. I have Aspetar call Embassy nurse who agrees - take him to Hamad. Friend drives us to Hamad. I am in cell phone contact with Andy - he and Grant are already there. I go in the entrance for Females (yes, separate entrances, we can't let the boys and girls sit together in a public waiting room) and they tell me I have to go over to the Male side (they actually have 2 Hospitals - one for boys and one for girls). No one at entrance can tell me where my boys are. This is the public hospital - they are bringing in foreign workers with horrific injuries. Very few Qataris here. I walk into the Emergency Room treatment area and start looking for my boys. I walk through treatment rooms, peek around curtains, no one challenges me, stops me, or even seems to notice me. (Because I am white I can pretty much do what I want in a place like this.) Bad scene, dirtly bandages, blood on the floor in one area. Finally I find my boys, Grant is sitting in a chair. They brought him in on a backboard, asked him if he could move his limbs, then put him in a chair. Shortly after I arrive they put him in a bed. Embassy nurse arrives. Dr. on duty doesn't want to do an X-Ray - she tells him to do it. X-ray is done, all is OK, we get Advil and go home (no charge for any of this).
Feb. 11, 2009: Grant is sore and stays home from school with an ice pack. Andy and the Qatari guy who hit him have a 2 pm appointment at the police station to give their statements. Andy goes with an Embassy representative - the Qatari guy doesn't show up . Andy is told to go back at 5 PM - he goes back with the Embassy Rep. Andy is told he is at fault - is being cited for "Impeding Traffic." Andy laughs, Policeman does not. The fine is 250 QR (about $68.50) with no points on his license (points are put on your license for speeding, running a red light, driving while talking on a cell phone, etc;). Embassy Rep advises paying it - could go to court but will lose against a Qatari. Andy pays fine and gets police report.
Later that same day - I go with Andy to return rental car. Agent looks at police report and asks, "The report says the other car rear ended yours - how can it be your fault?" Andy tells him "other car" was a Qatari. Agent nods and smiles - that explains it all. Get the bad news that since the report faults Andy we have to pay the 1,000 QR deductible on the insurance ($274). Incredibly agent asks if we want to rent another car (after we just wrecked one of theirs?). We decline. This agency doesn't have SUV's and, after what has happened, I refuse to drive a sedan. We rent a Nissan X-Trail from Budget - costs twice as much as the sedan which means we are now paying 400 QR per day for a car ($110) - I don't care.
Feb. 12 - Grant goes to school. Get the good news that the part for our Trailblazer has arrived, and our car will be ready on Saturday, Feb. 14.
Feb. 14 - Car repair shop doesn't call and doesn't answer phone.
Feb. 15 - Car repair shop finally answers phone - says their computer system is down and they can't check status of car - call back in one hour. One hour later they don't answer the phone. Two hours later they state system still down - call back in one hour - Andy yells at them. One hour later Andy and I go to the shop - can see computers working. Are told (and this is a direct quote) "we are trying to find your car right now so we can start working on it." Repair manager says car will be done tomorrow. I lose it - yell that they have had the part since last Thursday, said it would be done on Saturday and THE CAR NEEDS TO BE FIXED TODAY! Repair manager gets the big boss who checks on car and says car will be ready at 8:30 that evening.
8:30 PM - go to repair shop - are told car will be ready in a few minutes. One hour later car is actually ready and we drive it home.
Feb. 16 - return rental SUV. Grant had to take some Advil this morning but seems to be doing much better. Hopefully he we be back to completely normal very soon. Our "Qatar Tolerance Level" (QTL) is very low.
Feb. 9, 2009 - our car still in the shop. After a week and a half they haven't gotten the part to fix the power steering line! We are driving a rental car - a small sedan - renting a car is very expensive here.
Feb 10, 2009 - Andy and Grant are on the way to a Boy Scout meeting when they are rear-ended by a Qatari. Classic case - guy in a white Ford mustang comes up behind them in the left lane at Warp 3. Do you move to the right lane - or will this starship try to go around you? Starship Mustang rear ends them. Grant's back is hurt. Andy calls an ambulance, me and the Embassy nurse - who tells Andy to have Grant taken to Aspetar (orthopedic hospital - American Doctors - very good). I get a friend to drive Erin and me to Aspetar - who tells me they won't receive him (no nuerosurgeon on duty that night) and that he should go to Hamad Hospital. I have Aspetar call Embassy nurse who agrees - take him to Hamad. Friend drives us to Hamad. I am in cell phone contact with Andy - he and Grant are already there. I go in the entrance for Females (yes, separate entrances, we can't let the boys and girls sit together in a public waiting room) and they tell me I have to go over to the Male side (they actually have 2 Hospitals - one for boys and one for girls). No one at entrance can tell me where my boys are. This is the public hospital - they are bringing in foreign workers with horrific injuries. Very few Qataris here. I walk into the Emergency Room treatment area and start looking for my boys. I walk through treatment rooms, peek around curtains, no one challenges me, stops me, or even seems to notice me. (Because I am white I can pretty much do what I want in a place like this.) Bad scene, dirtly bandages, blood on the floor in one area. Finally I find my boys, Grant is sitting in a chair. They brought him in on a backboard, asked him if he could move his limbs, then put him in a chair. Shortly after I arrive they put him in a bed. Embassy nurse arrives. Dr. on duty doesn't want to do an X-Ray - she tells him to do it. X-ray is done, all is OK, we get Advil and go home (no charge for any of this).
Feb. 11, 2009: Grant is sore and stays home from school with an ice pack. Andy and the Qatari guy who hit him have a 2 pm appointment at the police station to give their statements. Andy goes with an Embassy representative - the Qatari guy doesn't show up . Andy is told to go back at 5 PM - he goes back with the Embassy Rep. Andy is told he is at fault - is being cited for "Impeding Traffic." Andy laughs, Policeman does not. The fine is 250 QR (about $68.50) with no points on his license (points are put on your license for speeding, running a red light, driving while talking on a cell phone, etc;). Embassy Rep advises paying it - could go to court but will lose against a Qatari. Andy pays fine and gets police report.
Later that same day - I go with Andy to return rental car. Agent looks at police report and asks, "The report says the other car rear ended yours - how can it be your fault?" Andy tells him "other car" was a Qatari. Agent nods and smiles - that explains it all. Get the bad news that since the report faults Andy we have to pay the 1,000 QR deductible on the insurance ($274). Incredibly agent asks if we want to rent another car (after we just wrecked one of theirs?). We decline. This agency doesn't have SUV's and, after what has happened, I refuse to drive a sedan. We rent a Nissan X-Trail from Budget - costs twice as much as the sedan which means we are now paying 400 QR per day for a car ($110) - I don't care.
Feb. 12 - Grant goes to school. Get the good news that the part for our Trailblazer has arrived, and our car will be ready on Saturday, Feb. 14.
Feb. 14 - Car repair shop doesn't call and doesn't answer phone.
Feb. 15 - Car repair shop finally answers phone - says their computer system is down and they can't check status of car - call back in one hour. One hour later they don't answer the phone. Two hours later they state system still down - call back in one hour - Andy yells at them. One hour later Andy and I go to the shop - can see computers working. Are told (and this is a direct quote) "we are trying to find your car right now so we can start working on it." Repair manager says car will be done tomorrow. I lose it - yell that they have had the part since last Thursday, said it would be done on Saturday and THE CAR NEEDS TO BE FIXED TODAY! Repair manager gets the big boss who checks on car and says car will be ready at 8:30 that evening.
8:30 PM - go to repair shop - are told car will be ready in a few minutes. One hour later car is actually ready and we drive it home.
Feb. 16 - return rental SUV. Grant had to take some Advil this morning but seems to be doing much better. Hopefully he we be back to completely normal very soon. Our "Qatar Tolerance Level" (QTL) is very low.
Friday, February 13, 2009
SHAMAL!
Wednesday and Thursday of this week had the equivalent of a snowstorm - a "Shamal" or sandstorm. Wednesday dawned with sun and blue skies but, by mid-morning, was dark and windy with dust literally hanging in the air and being deposited on everything. This is not the first shamal we have seen in Doha, but it is the worst (a friend that has been here 18 years said it was the worst he had ever seen). I have a good picture which I will try to get up later - Blogger doesn't want to let me post a pic right now.
I am writing on Friday AM and we are back to sun and a clearer sky. There is a thin layer of dust all over in the house - now that this seems to be over we can clean up (it's like snow - you don't shovel while it's still coming down).
I am writing on Friday AM and we are back to sun and a clearer sky. There is a thin layer of dust all over in the house - now that this seems to be over we can clean up (it's like snow - you don't shovel while it's still coming down).
Sunday, February 8, 2009
DAY AT THE BEACH HOUSE
Camel Anyone?
Erin with Falcon & Handler
My Falcon Friend
Petting the Cheetah
Interesting day at the Qatar Armed Forces Beach House! It was a cold day with a bit of drizzle, but we still had a great time holding falcons, riding camels, playing with the cheetah, using the wave runners, drinking tea in the bedouin tent, and playing on the beach. There was also a 2 hour fishing trip - which we declined. If the weather had been warmer there was a pool and, of course, the ocean. Topped off the afternoon with a banquet featuring roast camel (a delicacy, tastes like lamb), goat (tastes like lamb) and lamb (tastes like goat and camel). I was a bit wary of the cheetah. It's just a baby girl (9 months old), and very tame, but still a strong, wild animal. It didn't hurt anybody - though did playfully jump on a few people! It liked to play with that soccer ball and I have a great video of Grant playing soccer with it that I will have to figure out how to post. The falcons are used for hunting desert hare and small deer. They keep them hooded so they will remain calm. I held one that could see, though, and she was fine (the females are used for hunting -they are larger than the males). They have very long talons. Grant and Andy had a great time playing with the waverunners. They also had ATV's for desert driving, but it was so muddy that we passed on that.
Ate way too much good food. They had pizza and other snacks, fresh crepes, a wonderful cappucino machine - that was before dinner!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
CAR TROUBLE
Trying to get anything done in this place is frustrating! We have a 2007 Chevy Trailblazer, still under warranty. It started leaking power steering fluid. Since it is still under warranty there is only one place in Doha authorized to fix it (Chevy's are not unique here - why only one place?). Andy took the car in Sunday night - took until Tuesday night for them to determine that the power steering fluid line needs to be replaced. Sounds simple enough - right? Oh no! The replacement parts CANNOT BE FOUND IN DOHA! Parts are "on order." When will the car be fixed? Answer given is, "Several Days" - in this part of the world that generally means a week or more.
The Trailblazer is our only car - we are renting another today.
The Trailblazer is our only car - we are renting another today.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
CAMPING AT FUWRAIT
Camp at Fuwrait
Erin & Friend on the Beach
Sea
Turtle
Actually the Sea Turtle picture is from Andy's scuba dive on Friday off the Qatar coast. He was apparently a friendly guy (gal?) - Andy got several shots of him.
We went camping with the Boy Scouts at Fuwrait, on Qatar's NE coast, Saturday - Sunday (the kids have a 4 day weekend from school). The beach at Fuwrait, as you can see, is rocky. We had nice weather - in the high 70's and sunny. The kids had fun playing on the beach and working on Scout skills. The adults had great food (there seems to be a competition for best cook!)) - Jambalaya and Shrimp! I don't eat that good at home. The kids cooked for themselves and had a lower class of food (I saw spaghetti, tacos and hot dogs).
Fuwrait is very close to Ras Laffan Industrial City - with Qatar's Liquified Natural Gas Plant. There is a very large (200 feet in the air!) flare dominating the coastline, and especially the night sky. One of the Boy Scout Dad's, who is in the oil business, told me that the natural gas is drilled about 40 miles offshore, then piped to the Ras Laffan plant.There it is liquified and shipped out in tankers. This is all fairly new, and the plant is not able to handle the amount of gas that comes in. So, they flare off the excess for now. Seems like a terrible waste!
Other than Ras Laffan there isn't much in this part of Qatar.
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