Monday, November 20, 2006
Tuesday 21 November.
So nice to run in relative coolness this morning. Everything is relative of course but it's just perfect running temperature at the moment. A run past Orry this morning tells me there is 10 days 13 hours and 25 minutes to opening ceremony. And today marks three weeks since my arrival in Doha. Started work three weeks tomorrow. It all seems quite surreal that I've only been here 3 weeks. It rather seems like I've been part of the project for a very long time and also that I've known the new faces I've met here for far longer than three weeks. I already know Kisane will be a long term friend. Lorraine was commenting the other day that despite the fact that Michele, Lorraine and I don't necessarily see each other that often (last time I saw Lorraine was in April 2002 at the end of Salt Lake), it's always just like nothing's changed when we see each other and we just pick up where we left off. Characteristics of real friendships.
I was drained yesterday from trying to talk Englabic or Arablish. I told some of my volunteers that by the end of the Games they would speak English perfectly and I would be fluent in Arabic. It's a guttural language, not necessarily flowing and soft on the ear. There is a lot of rolling of Rs. Like 'Sabah el Khair' (Good Morning) is pronounced : Saba el rhairrr. It helps having french as a first language as the rolling R mixed with H sound is hard for english speakers.
All my volunteers are still begging me to talk to Gerry to have them rostered everyday. They just don't want to have a day off. So I'm trying to fix the rosters so it works both for the work desk and for them. When, Mahmood and Mubarak were constantly late on the morning shift I asked them if they would prefer the afternoon shift which they were happy to take. Now it seems my morning shift shows up on time and my afternoon shift as well. Hopefully very soon all this will be ironed out and we can start focussing on other things rather than changing schedules.
I always laugh at Abdulqader because everyday he comes in with a different sports watch matching the color of whatever sport shoes he wears that day. He tells me he has at least 10 sports watches and then at least 6 or so dress watches. My watch has been dying for the last year now and it's no use wearing it anymore as it's inconsistant. Some days it keeps the time and some days it loses an hour here or there. So today Abdulqader brings me a watch as a gift. At first I think he's just lending me one of his watches for the day but he insists it's a gift and that I must keep it. I don't know quite what to say to people who work for me for free, don't want to take a day off and then bring me gifts. When I tell him I'll give him back his watch at the end of the day he says: "No, no. Gift for you. Best friend."
Saad tells me this morning that when he chats online with people from overseas, they often ask where he lives. He replies Doha (Qatar) and no one knows where this is. Then he specifies it's the middle east. The next question is usually: "Are you Muslim" and when he answers yes, the communication ends. I commented the other day saying something like: "You are very nice" to Sameera. And her response was: "You see, we are not all terrorists" as if they really struggle to have a different image around the world. I can imagine how frustrating it must be to have this sort of image and really not deserve it. I've met more extremely kind people here than anything else. And those who were not necessarily open at first have often come around in time.
And just now Sohailia just gave me a little bottle of perfume. She heard that I forgot my perfume (little bottle) in the bathroom when I changed for the bar the other day. I just can't believe the kindness I am shown here.
Bye for now
So nice to run in relative coolness this morning. Everything is relative of course but it's just perfect running temperature at the moment. A run past Orry this morning tells me there is 10 days 13 hours and 25 minutes to opening ceremony. And today marks three weeks since my arrival in Doha. Started work three weeks tomorrow. It all seems quite surreal that I've only been here 3 weeks. It rather seems like I've been part of the project for a very long time and also that I've known the new faces I've met here for far longer than three weeks. I already know Kisane will be a long term friend. Lorraine was commenting the other day that despite the fact that Michele, Lorraine and I don't necessarily see each other that often (last time I saw Lorraine was in April 2002 at the end of Salt Lake), it's always just like nothing's changed when we see each other and we just pick up where we left off. Characteristics of real friendships.
I was drained yesterday from trying to talk Englabic or Arablish. I told some of my volunteers that by the end of the Games they would speak English perfectly and I would be fluent in Arabic. It's a guttural language, not necessarily flowing and soft on the ear. There is a lot of rolling of Rs. Like 'Sabah el Khair' (Good Morning) is pronounced : Saba el rhairrr. It helps having french as a first language as the rolling R mixed with H sound is hard for english speakers.
All my volunteers are still begging me to talk to Gerry to have them rostered everyday. They just don't want to have a day off. So I'm trying to fix the rosters so it works both for the work desk and for them. When, Mahmood and Mubarak were constantly late on the morning shift I asked them if they would prefer the afternoon shift which they were happy to take. Now it seems my morning shift shows up on time and my afternoon shift as well. Hopefully very soon all this will be ironed out and we can start focussing on other things rather than changing schedules.
I always laugh at Abdulqader because everyday he comes in with a different sports watch matching the color of whatever sport shoes he wears that day. He tells me he has at least 10 sports watches and then at least 6 or so dress watches. My watch has been dying for the last year now and it's no use wearing it anymore as it's inconsistant. Some days it keeps the time and some days it loses an hour here or there. So today Abdulqader brings me a watch as a gift. At first I think he's just lending me one of his watches for the day but he insists it's a gift and that I must keep it. I don't know quite what to say to people who work for me for free, don't want to take a day off and then bring me gifts. When I tell him I'll give him back his watch at the end of the day he says: "No, no. Gift for you. Best friend."
Saad tells me this morning that when he chats online with people from overseas, they often ask where he lives. He replies Doha (Qatar) and no one knows where this is. Then he specifies it's the middle east. The next question is usually: "Are you Muslim" and when he answers yes, the communication ends. I commented the other day saying something like: "You are very nice" to Sameera. And her response was: "You see, we are not all terrorists" as if they really struggle to have a different image around the world. I can imagine how frustrating it must be to have this sort of image and really not deserve it. I've met more extremely kind people here than anything else. And those who were not necessarily open at first have often come around in time.
And just now Sohailia just gave me a little bottle of perfume. She heard that I forgot my perfume (little bottle) in the bathroom when I changed for the bar the other day. I just can't believe the kindness I am shown here.
Bye for now
# posted by AdeC @ 9:23 PM 
