it's so cliche, but i can hardly believe that i landed in qatar just one month ago. i've finalllllly settled into a routine (after feeling like i've been transitioning since april), and i've been slowly figuring out all i need to figure out.
pinkberry. i also found the pinkberry. win.
here is a list of some random things i've adjusted to in the past month... the good and the bad. no uglies yet, thank goodness.
weather
from guatemala: rainy, rainy and rainy for a little less than half the year (just looked it up: 30-60 inches/year.) as a result, lush green jungle-like surroundings. comfortable weather, year-round flip flops and no out of control sweating.
to qatar: one day a few weeks ago it was 50 degrees celsius in my car. 50 degrees. also, they weren't kidding about the desert. sand everywhere. in the house, in the car, in my shoe, in the vegetables. sand. and NO RAIN. (81 millimeters annually! millimeters!) just condensation. i almost miss the rain of guate... almost. air conditioner is on constantly everywhere... i'm told the heat will abate and it will be gorgeous here. waiting. so HOT and i'm not even wearing an abaya.
metric system: oh at last, a country that uses logic.
gas: i filled up my gas tank on about $11 USD the other day. that's like the price of one gallon in europe. and like one third of what i paid in guate to fill up.
produce: i do completely and totally miss the fresh market in zone ten guateholla. when i buy fruits and veg here, i am making up for what i don't pay in gas. fruits are imported from all over the world and sometimes appear that way... but those saudi peaches are darn tasty.
host culture: qatar is a melting pot of expats. i have one kid in my class of 22 who was actually born here... everybody else immigrated, like me. complete opposite of my classes in guatemala!
more soon...
pinkberry. i also found the pinkberry. win.
here is a list of some random things i've adjusted to in the past month... the good and the bad. no uglies yet, thank goodness.
weather
from guatemala: rainy, rainy and rainy for a little less than half the year (just looked it up: 30-60 inches/year.) as a result, lush green jungle-like surroundings. comfortable weather, year-round flip flops and no out of control sweating.
to qatar: one day a few weeks ago it was 50 degrees celsius in my car. 50 degrees. also, they weren't kidding about the desert. sand everywhere. in the house, in the car, in my shoe, in the vegetables. sand. and NO RAIN. (81 millimeters annually! millimeters!) just condensation. i almost miss the rain of guate... almost. air conditioner is on constantly everywhere... i'm told the heat will abate and it will be gorgeous here. waiting. so HOT and i'm not even wearing an abaya.
metric system: oh at last, a country that uses logic.
gas: i filled up my gas tank on about $11 USD the other day. that's like the price of one gallon in europe. and like one third of what i paid in guate to fill up.
produce: i do completely and totally miss the fresh market in zone ten guateholla. when i buy fruits and veg here, i am making up for what i don't pay in gas. fruits are imported from all over the world and sometimes appear that way... but those saudi peaches are darn tasty.
host culture: qatar is a melting pot of expats. i have one kid in my class of 22 who was actually born here... everybody else immigrated, like me. complete opposite of my classes in guatemala!
more soon...
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