Life in Al-Zuhoor in Ad-Doha, Qatar

I thought I'd share a few long overdue pics of my place in Qatar, at the behest of family and friends. So I've finally sat down and downloaded a few pics. I will continue to do so with time, hopefully. Enjoy!

This is what the front part of Al-Zuhoor 2 compound looks like. On the left, is my Hyundai Accent rental. In the background is the compound clubhouse. What you see here is what the whole compound looks like. Lots of beige and white buildings. My car fits right in!

Our apartment block. A23!

The hallway in my apartment block. There's eight apartments in total. I'm the second door, closest to the staircase. That's me, at three.

What I walk into everyday.

My "dining" table.

My hallway. One morning, I found the ceiling light hanging off its cord. I have since gotten it promptly fixed. With the will of God, it'll stay that way.

My kitchen.

The other corner of my kitchen. Great washer AND dryer, but obviously I prefer to air dry.

Bathroom

My master bedroom. Love the light from the window. Not so much love for the comforter though.

Since the accident, I have been trying to be more cautious and careful on the road. And so far, no more scrapes. The roads here are somewhat scary, with the roundabouts being the toughest to adapt to. It's hard to explain, but picture a circle with four exits extending from it. Cars in the roundabout have the right of way, but the cars outside of it trying to get in, don't. So it's kind of a game of give and take, sort of, where if and when there's a gap anywhere in traffic, you shoot out as fast as you can and try to merge with the traffic. Maybe I can take a video of it someday and post it here. You can't really get a feel for it, until you're driving. Even riding as a passenger, I didn't understand how perilous it was until I was behind the wheel. Maalish.

That being said, I am kind of beginning to enjoy driving around in my own vehicle. I am slowly but surely getting used to driving to and from school, within campus and within the vicinity of my compound. I like the freedom that it provides me - something that I had in fact, thought I didn't need. While I still feel like I'd take public transit if it existed here, I am finding the convenience of driving around, scarily convenient. Eeek...!

On a different note, I am finding that life in the compound to be very weird. It reeks of artificiality, yet it is very much my current life. Nothing about the place seems home-like (except for, maybe my bedroom where I can sort of tuck away in my own little world and forget what awaits outside). People are fine for the most part. Something that adds to the weirdness though, is having to work and live with your colleagues, which I have never experienced before. Some have been making a great effort at lying low and not being seen around much while others are conspicuous figures in the compound and campus. I am doing my best to strike a balance between the two but it's hard. The thought of being here for a year to three is daunting in moments like these...

A highlight amidst all this weirdness was discovering a little Thai restaurant somewhere in Doha called 'Thai Snack'. I will go again I'm sure. It was such a surprise to enter this place and see people of various nationalities stuffing their faces with pad thais, curries and soups. It had a distinctly Thai feel to the place, without the beach. I did feel a hint of nostalgia, remembering my time in Ban Phe way back when, but I digress. So yes, this was a great discovery and I will definitely go back.

Okay, that's it for now. More posts to come, inshallah.

And another one bites the dust...

I got into a car accident today. It was at a roundabout, somewhere in this city. I wanted to keep going, but the guy on my left wanted to turn right. S/he ran into me with his/her ginormous SUV. My Hyundai Accent's rear left-side bumper is dented inward. I'm okay, I'm fine. I will have to pay the repercussions of this at some point. I do have insurance, which comes with the car in this country. The other guy took off and I continued on because one cannot stop at a roundabout, it's just not done. Got the proper papers needed from the rental place and went to the police station to file a report. It is all standard stuff, but I will most likely have to pay for the damages after all is said and done.

If I could have my way, I would not drive in this city. If there were some sort of reliable transportation system, I'd be the first person on it. But there isn't and I have to deal with that. I'm not having my proudest moment right now, I must say.