Monday, August 9, 2010

Hello all!  This is my first attempt at blogging, so bear with me.  We've been here for five days now, and I'm finding there is just too much to tell on FB or by email.  So, if you're interested in finding out what new experiences we're having, please check this website periodically.  I don't promise to make it exciting, interesting, or grammatically correct, but I will try to keep you informed of our goings-on.

My first impression of this country was, of course, THE HEAT.  The moment we stepped onto the tarmac, and walked to the shuttle bus which would take us to the terminal, we were hit with a veritable wall of heat and humidity.  Interestingly, Ben immediately said, "I am definitely going to like the weather here!"  It certainly beats sub-zero weather, but we've experienced close to that here in the malls, and even in our own home!  We're still trying to optimize the air-conditioning...

Today, I started the process of acquiring my Residence permit.  This involved going to a private hospital for a chest x-ray, blood typing, and vision test.  All very civilized, as I was picked up by a driver who escorted me to all the departments and brought me home when I was finished.  Mr. Rilwan was my driver, a nice young Sri Lankan who, coincidentally, drove us home from the airport when we arrived.  Let the education begin!  I had a very informative conversation with him about Sri Lanka, regarding language, traffic, climate...he said that now that the war is over, it's a great holiday destination for residents of Qatar and others in the region.

There is so much more to write about the last five days, but I will slowly dole it out in the next little while...besides, since it's almost 8:00 pm, it's almost my bedtime!  We are gradually getting adjusted to the nine hour time difference, with Jacob and Nicholas being our Sleep Heroes, each logging 12 hours last night.

One last thing...for those who may be interested:  to calculate what time it is in Doha, if you are in Mountain Time, subtract 3 hours from your current time, and change the am to pm or vice versa.  If you're in Central or Eastern, subtract 4 or 5 hours, respectively, and do likewise.  This will all change slightly when Daylight Savings Time ends, as Qatar doesn't change.