That's it. Bye bye Barcelona.
I am going to make this my final blog post.
First of all, Barcelona is a great city. Contrary to my first comment on the subway, "Barcelona Sucks", the city has redeemed itself 10 fold. The beach, our long bike rides, MammaMia restaurant, sangria, the people and the sights. All of it good.
It is our 9 th anniversary today. A nice way to finish off our trip.
What a year! France, UAE, Bahrain, Italy and now Spain. A brand new house that I haven't even stepped in yet. A fresh start and home to Canada after almost a full year. Family, friends and summer holidays. We are a lucky family.
The year has taught me a great deal. I have been able to take a look at how the less fortunate live and it has given me a new perspective on teaching. I have also been exposed to the complications facing the Middle East. I understand the value in unionized environments and what quality education really looks like. Finally, I understand that money doesn't mean anything if you are not happy.
After a year of pretty much everything life can deliver, I sign off.
PivasDidQatar!
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Spain!
Up, up and away. Bidding farewell to Qatar felt surreal. For all of the reasons that I have already explained, my departure from that country is bitter sweet.
On the bright side of things, we made it to Spain! The kids were great on the plane. What was not so great was lugging four 25 kg pieces of luggage and four additional bags.
We landed in Madrid and caught a cab to our hotel on the outskirts of the city, a 20 minute bus ride. Madrid was a nice city, but it had a lot to live up to after visiting Italy. We did the tourist bus ride and saw the city that way.
I am writing this blog several days after being there. So it is a fading memory. We did enjoy the big park in the centre of the city. We also visited the Royal Bontanic Garden. And the gelato was great. There was a bull fight the weekend that we were there. I didn't want to go for obvious reasons. It was a blood bath apparently as three out of three matadors were gored, one severally injured when the bull stuck it's horn straight through his artery in his leg. Looks good on him.
So here is the kicker. After three days in Madrid it was time to go the Balcelona. As luck would have it, the flipping taxi drivers went on strike at 11am. We managed to catch a ride to the train station in Madrid. The drivers were a little stressed out because it is more than likely that they would get beaten down here. So they dropped us off a distance from the picket and that was it.
The dark side meant that when we got to Barcelona, there would be no cab service. Just imagine 100s of people trying to figure out how to get to where they needed to go. To make our situation worse, our debit cards decided not to work and I had to call TD via a shoddy Skype connection! To say that I was stressed out would be an serious understatement.
I traded in our high speed tickets for regular tickets, because we could use them again. That saved us some money and would get us to the Metro line. We had a nice man point us in the right direction and we got on the Metro. Two transfers later, several sets of stairs and a lot of sweat and we made it out alive. Linds started laughing and crying at the same time at one point! There was even a guy playing heavy metal. He played a death metal song in our honour!!!
Our trek wasn't over yet, we still had to walk three blocks to get to the hotel. What a nightmare.
Anyways, once all the dust settled, I reminded myself that I wasn't in Doha and that we were in Spain. We are in a really nice up and coming neighbourhood that has a Main Street designated for walking with loads of restaurants, shops and Sangria. Yummy!
We did the bus tour over the past couple of days. We went up into the mountains and visited Guell Park, were Gaudi left some interesting architecture to look at.
We hit the beach today and are just doing laundry. Looks like Mamma Mia Pizzeria tonight.
Home in one week. It is really hard to believe.
On the bright side of things, we made it to Spain! The kids were great on the plane. What was not so great was lugging four 25 kg pieces of luggage and four additional bags.
We landed in Madrid and caught a cab to our hotel on the outskirts of the city, a 20 minute bus ride. Madrid was a nice city, but it had a lot to live up to after visiting Italy. We did the tourist bus ride and saw the city that way.
I am writing this blog several days after being there. So it is a fading memory. We did enjoy the big park in the centre of the city. We also visited the Royal Bontanic Garden. And the gelato was great. There was a bull fight the weekend that we were there. I didn't want to go for obvious reasons. It was a blood bath apparently as three out of three matadors were gored, one severally injured when the bull stuck it's horn straight through his artery in his leg. Looks good on him.
So here is the kicker. After three days in Madrid it was time to go the Balcelona. As luck would have it, the flipping taxi drivers went on strike at 11am. We managed to catch a ride to the train station in Madrid. The drivers were a little stressed out because it is more than likely that they would get beaten down here. So they dropped us off a distance from the picket and that was it.
The dark side meant that when we got to Barcelona, there would be no cab service. Just imagine 100s of people trying to figure out how to get to where they needed to go. To make our situation worse, our debit cards decided not to work and I had to call TD via a shoddy Skype connection! To say that I was stressed out would be an serious understatement.
I traded in our high speed tickets for regular tickets, because we could use them again. That saved us some money and would get us to the Metro line. We had a nice man point us in the right direction and we got on the Metro. Two transfers later, several sets of stairs and a lot of sweat and we made it out alive. Linds started laughing and crying at the same time at one point! There was even a guy playing heavy metal. He played a death metal song in our honour!!!
Our trek wasn't over yet, we still had to walk three blocks to get to the hotel. What a nightmare.
Anyways, once all the dust settled, I reminded myself that I wasn't in Doha and that we were in Spain. We are in a really nice up and coming neighbourhood that has a Main Street designated for walking with loads of restaurants, shops and Sangria. Yummy!
We did the bus tour over the past couple of days. We went up into the mountains and visited Guell Park, were Gaudi left some interesting architecture to look at.
We hit the beach today and are just doing laundry. Looks like Mamma Mia Pizzeria tonight.
Home in one week. It is really hard to believe.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
In retrospect
Well, we have said our goodbyes and I am sitting at the airport. I have mixed emotions right now. I know that we have made meaningful and lasting friendships. I know that our short 10 month stint will give us a lifetime of stories. I will miss certain trivial things like going to the gas station to get freshly squeezed OJ, or eating dinner at Wafi Gourmet, or exploring the desert or teaching kids from all over the world.
But equally I will not miss the early mornings, brutal work expectations, idiotic service, the way that people treat each other and the plight of the migrant workers.
This year has taught me a great deal about tolerance, respect, inequality and patience.
The world is a big place full of triumph and tribulation. As the global population continues to grow and we work to develop the infrastructure to support life, it comes at a tremendous cost.
Life in the desert here is being made possible by immense wealth generated through a finite non-renewable resource. The amount of waste on both land and water is insurmountable and unsustainable.
In the face of this truth, the models predict a sea level rise by 2100 that will flood most of Qatar and many other coastal cities. All of the investing, all of the development, all for not.
So what does it all mean?
I know is this, people of all walks of life are interesting. I have met so many different people this year and I had had the privilege of hearing their stories. Each person rich or poor has their own wants and needs. Everyone has their own perspective that needs to be valued.
In the end, our fate is already predetermined. The way that we approach our fate is entirely up to us.
Thank you Qatar for giving me this experience. It has been a humbling one that will undoubtedly pay me back in spades as the years tick by.
Inshallah.
But equally I will not miss the early mornings, brutal work expectations, idiotic service, the way that people treat each other and the plight of the migrant workers.
This year has taught me a great deal about tolerance, respect, inequality and patience.
The world is a big place full of triumph and tribulation. As the global population continues to grow and we work to develop the infrastructure to support life, it comes at a tremendous cost.
Life in the desert here is being made possible by immense wealth generated through a finite non-renewable resource. The amount of waste on both land and water is insurmountable and unsustainable.
In the face of this truth, the models predict a sea level rise by 2100 that will flood most of Qatar and many other coastal cities. All of the investing, all of the development, all for not.
So what does it all mean?
I know is this, people of all walks of life are interesting. I have met so many different people this year and I had had the privilege of hearing their stories. Each person rich or poor has their own wants and needs. Everyone has their own perspective that needs to be valued.
In the end, our fate is already predetermined. The way that we approach our fate is entirely up to us.
Thank you Qatar for giving me this experience. It has been a humbling one that will undoubtedly pay me back in spades as the years tick by.
Inshallah.
Monday, June 23, 2014
I am grateful.
There is a worker named Rahim on our staff who is leaving to go home to Sri Lanka after two years of working at ISL Qatar. He left Sri Lanka with his home literally half finished. He is returning to Sri Lanka in order to finish the rest of his home himself. His wish is to provide shelter for his family before returning back to Qatar to fulfil another two year term on his contract. He has written a letter to the ISL Qatar staff asking for some financial assistance to make this dream possible.
There is a worker named Ed on our staff who is leaving to go home to Canada after 10 months working at ISL Qatar. He left Canada after selling his home and investing the proceeds from its sale. He is returning home to a brand new house that was finished by a professional home builder. His wish to provide shelter for his family before settling into a comfortable lifestyle in Canada. He is writing a letter to the rest of the world to let them know that his time in Qatar has been a humbling experience that has opened his eyes to the gap that exists between those who have and those who have not.
For this he is grateful.
There is a worker named Ed on our staff who is leaving to go home to Canada after 10 months working at ISL Qatar. He left Canada after selling his home and investing the proceeds from its sale. He is returning home to a brand new house that was finished by a professional home builder. His wish to provide shelter for his family before settling into a comfortable lifestyle in Canada. He is writing a letter to the rest of the world to let them know that his time in Qatar has been a humbling experience that has opened his eyes to the gap that exists between those who have and those who have not.
For this he is grateful.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Last night.
My final weekend in Qatar. I had a few things left on my bucket list and thanks to a good friend of mine, I was able to accomplish them and then some.
1 - An old abandoned compound
Exploring...you never know what you are going to find. We went to an old compound that appears to have been abandoned in the early 90s. The cool thing is that it looks as if everyone just left. So in a couple of places there were still posters on the wall, VHS tapes scattered about and kitchens that had been raided. There was an old British themed pub that looked like a good place to hang out. I even found an old photo album.it with me of course.
2 - Antique Shop
With a pretty mean sweat on, we walked to a nearby antique shop. What an amazing place! We ended up walking around for an hour or so and then spent a great deal of time looking at binders of old currency. Like, really obscure stuff. I ended up buying a bunch of currency from the mid-east and so Yugoslavian money, which of course no longer exists.
3 - Workers complex
On our way to the Souq, we walked through the workers complexes. It is a cultural thing, but they stare right through you. I looked into a number of the places and it is dire. Dirty, dark, smelly. What a terrible sight, but something that I needed to see before I left. My next blogs will help you understand the situation here as Qatar uses the migrant workers to get ready for the 2022 World Cup.
4 - Yemeni Restaurant
Coming out of the workers complex and right into the Souq. A tourist destination right on the doorstep of poverty and filth. We had dinner at a fantastic Yemeni restaurant. We sat on the floor and ate with our hands. Two chicken and rice dishes, soup and very fresh bread. Total bill, 50 Riyals, about $14 CDN.
It think that about does it for my "adventures" in Qatar. But who knows, maybe something will happen this week.
I can count the number of days till departure on one hand...almost. It's time to go home. YES!
1 - An old abandoned compound
Exploring...you never know what you are going to find. We went to an old compound that appears to have been abandoned in the early 90s. The cool thing is that it looks as if everyone just left. So in a couple of places there were still posters on the wall, VHS tapes scattered about and kitchens that had been raided. There was an old British themed pub that looked like a good place to hang out. I even found an old photo album.it with me of course.
2 - Antique Shop
With a pretty mean sweat on, we walked to a nearby antique shop. What an amazing place! We ended up walking around for an hour or so and then spent a great deal of time looking at binders of old currency. Like, really obscure stuff. I ended up buying a bunch of currency from the mid-east and so Yugoslavian money, which of course no longer exists.
3 - Workers complex
On our way to the Souq, we walked through the workers complexes. It is a cultural thing, but they stare right through you. I looked into a number of the places and it is dire. Dirty, dark, smelly. What a terrible sight, but something that I needed to see before I left. My next blogs will help you understand the situation here as Qatar uses the migrant workers to get ready for the 2022 World Cup.
4 - Yemeni Restaurant
Coming out of the workers complex and right into the Souq. A tourist destination right on the doorstep of poverty and filth. We had dinner at a fantastic Yemeni restaurant. We sat on the floor and ate with our hands. Two chicken and rice dishes, soup and very fresh bread. Total bill, 50 Riyals, about $14 CDN.
It think that about does it for my "adventures" in Qatar. But who knows, maybe something will happen this week.
I can count the number of days till departure on one hand...almost. It's time to go home. YES!
Read this and then watch the video in the next post...my goodness!
Report: Qatari families earn almost three times as much as expats
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Jan Smith / Flickr
The average Qatari household earns QR72,700 ($19,918) a month, nearly three times the average expat household income of QR24,400 ($6,685), new figures from the Ministry of Development and Planning Statistics (MDPS) show.
When taking into account housing, free electricity and water, the Qatari income figure increases to QR88,200 ($24,164).
The figures come ahead of a new MDPS publication on Household Expenditure and Income Survey for 2012/13, which is expected to be released in full next month.
The survey’s findings are based on information compiled from 3,723 households between September 2012 and September 2013. Just over half the households were expat (1,897), while the remainder were Qatari (1,826).
Each household was asked to keep a daily diary of their income and outgoings for one month.
The average Qatari household surveyed was made up of 8.7 people, more than twice the size of the average expat household of 4.3 people – a difference that may help explain the expenditure and earnings gaps between the two groups.
Five-year comparison
The figures also show that a Qatari household will spend on average QR49,600 ($13,589) a month, while the average expat household will spend QR18,000 ($4,932).The expenditure marks 21.5 percent increase for Qataris compared to 2007 figures, in which the average household spent QR40,800/month ($11,178).
For expats, the increase was even more marked, with expenditure going up by 35 percent from 2007, when expenses were QR13,329/month ($3,652).
However, the past seven years represent a slower increase in expenditure than the 2001 to 2007 period, when the average monthly spend by Qatari families rose by a staggering 82.2 percent (from QR22,400 per month to QR40,800), according to the MDPS Qatar Social Statistics 2003-2012 report.
The report also shows that in 2012-13, salaries and wages made up almost all (97 percent) of the average expat household income, while it accounted for just two-thirds (67 percent) of the average Qatari monthly income.
Detailed results
According to the latest survey results, the average expat household spends more than one-third of its monthly outgoings on rent (QR6,177).Meanwhile, the biggest single expense for the average Qatari household is transport and communications, which account for one-fifth of its monthly budget (QR9,560).
Food is the next biggest expense for both Qataris and non-Qataris, taking up 16 percent (Qr8,033) and 15 percent (QR2,700) of outgoings, respectively.
Dining out took up the biggest single spend on food costs across the board, with Qataris spending nearly a quarter of their food bills in restaurants (QR1,922 a month), and expats almost one-third (QR852).
Rising cost of living
According to the report, other monthly spending habits included:- Traveling abroad: Qatari households spent QR5,711 (11.5 percent), while expats spent QR1,648 (9 percent)
- Clothes and shoes: Qataris spent QR2,800 (5.7 percent); expats spent QR621 (3.4 percent)
- Personal care: Qataris spent QR2,536 (5 percent); expats spent QR404 (2 percent)
- Education: Qataris spent QR1,571 (3 percent); expats spent QR1,008 (5.6 percent)
- Medical care: Qataris spent QR1,523 (3 percent); expats spent QR178 (1 percent)
- Tobacco, cigarettes and alcohol: Qataris spent QR80 (0.16 percent); expats spent QR69 (0.4 percent).
The consumer price index (CPI) – which measures the average cost of goods and services – continues to be on the rise in Qatar.
MDPS figures for February 2014 showed a rise of 2.7 percentage points on the cost of the same basket of goods one year before.
Prices were pushed higher in particular by a nearly 6 percent rise in the cost of rent, fuel and energy.
And overall, Qatar’s rate of inflation in May 2014 was recorded at 3.4 percent.
The world must know about this.
Please take a few minutes to watch this new video about migrant workers in Qatar.
http://dohanews.co/video-migrants-share-fears-working-qatar/
http://dohanews.co/video-migrants-share-fears-working-qatar/
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