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.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
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/
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Top 10 Things to Know About Qatar Before You Arrive
Top ten things that everyone needs to know before coming to Qatar:
1 - The banks still use paper transaction sheets and closing any account requires you to visit the bank in person. The bank closes between 3 and 4 pm for prayer, right around the same time that work gets out...so expect long waits!
2 - When transferring the ownership of your vehicle, the documents are prepared on a typewriter.
3 - The sewage system operates by gravity and flows through open pipes that are accessible through metal grates. The sewage is pumped out of a holding tank and taken by truck to a lake outside of the industrial area where it is dumped. Don't believe me? Too bad, I have seen it with my own two eyes and it is visible on Google Maps.
4 - Migrant workers from both Less and More Economically Developed Countries live here. So there are great discrepancies in treatment of people and the service quality provided.
5 - People drive like morons here. The posted speed limit might be 80kph and it is not uncommon to have someone pass you at nearly twice that speed. It is also normal practice to go from the fast lane to the exit. Right across four lanes of traffic on Al Shamal Highway without using that thingy called a signal...that hardly anyone uses.
6 - Get ready to get sick. The air quality here is poor. Ranked in the top five globally, Qatar's air is loaded with small and large carcinogenic particles from the surrounding refineries. On top of that, there is a tremendous amount of dust in the air from all of the construction and desert environment. Furthermore, the air conditioning that you are exposed to for most of the year causes respiratory issues and dehydration.
7 - Poor kids. What do you do if you are a kid, perhaps even a teen in Qatar? Here are your options...go to the mall. Here is my theory. If their options are limited, kids tend to get board. If they are board, they tend to misbehave. So, Qatar is a country full of kids who tend to misbehave. And in all honesty, shortly after typing this into my phone, three boys at Landmark Mall were running all over the place, hitting and kicking each other. Wonderful.
8 - Your employer determines if you can leave the country. As part of the Kafala system, you are under the direct control of your employer. If you wish to go a a vacation, you must have your employer complete an Exit Permit. If they don't want you to leave, you don't leave...sort of like that place...what's it called...prison.
9 - The cost of living continues to rise. Already there is evidence of increased expenses. The first hit is making its presence known in the grocery store. With approximately 90 percent of Qatar's food coming from somewhere else, ultimately it is the consumer who has to pay the price. Qatar has plans to grow food locally, and they are, but the supply does not match the demand and growing food in the desert where temps hit 50C is perhaps just a little unsustainable over the long term. With 2 million plus people and growing, this is gonna be one expensive place to live.
10 - Global Warming and sea level rise puts Qatar in a serious situation. Billions of dollars are being spent in preparations for the 2022 World Cup, yet by 2100 this place will most likely be covered by water.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Reflection.
I had a right wicked week.
In my 10 or so years of teaching, I have never ended the school year the way that I am ending it now. As the year draws to a close, there is usually a sense of jubilation that falls over the masses, despite the chaos that exists as the year winds down. In addition, this year I am moving back home! This should bring on a feeling of joy and happiness, but I have been a downright miserable you know what more then half of the time.
To be honest, I have slowly had my professional morals sucked right out of me.
As I try to fulfil my professional obligations, I am knuckled by bureaucracy and I am forced to accomplish tasks with people who choose not to act in a professional manner. This has resulted in confrontation and animosity.
I invite you to watch the following video. I takes a very candid look at how leaders should make you feel safe, respected and appreciated. I wish that I felt that way...
http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_why_good_leaders_make_you_feel_safe
In my 10 or so years of teaching, I have never ended the school year the way that I am ending it now. As the year draws to a close, there is usually a sense of jubilation that falls over the masses, despite the chaos that exists as the year winds down. In addition, this year I am moving back home! This should bring on a feeling of joy and happiness, but I have been a downright miserable you know what more then half of the time.
To be honest, I have slowly had my professional morals sucked right out of me.
As I try to fulfil my professional obligations, I am knuckled by bureaucracy and I am forced to accomplish tasks with people who choose not to act in a professional manner. This has resulted in confrontation and animosity.
I invite you to watch the following video. I takes a very candid look at how leaders should make you feel safe, respected and appreciated. I wish that I felt that way...
http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_why_good_leaders_make_you_feel_safe
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Seriously!
1 set of MYP Report Cards to be done
60 grade 10 geography exam papers marked
45 grade 10 business papers marked
65 grade 9 geography papers marked
37 pages and 17 000 plus words of report card text in Word
37 pages and 17 000 plus words of report card text from Word transferred over the ManageBac
100s of ATL buttons pushed
4 classes proof read
1 fight with a teaching colleague
21 homeroom comments to be entered
1 set of unrealistic expectations
1 set of DP Report Cards to be done
11 Standard Level geography papers to be marked
8 Higher Level geography papers to be marked
11 marks to be entered
1 worn out teacher who is not done reporting yet and is ready to return to a working environment where he is appreciated and is treated like a human being and not like a machine. Seriously!
60 grade 10 geography exam papers marked
45 grade 10 business papers marked
65 grade 9 geography papers marked
37 pages and 17 000 plus words of report card text in Word
37 pages and 17 000 plus words of report card text from Word transferred over the ManageBac
100s of ATL buttons pushed
4 classes proof read
1 fight with a teaching colleague
21 homeroom comments to be entered
1 set of unrealistic expectations
1 set of DP Report Cards to be done
11 Standard Level geography papers to be marked
8 Higher Level geography papers to be marked
11 marks to be entered
1 worn out teacher who is not done reporting yet and is ready to return to a working environment where he is appreciated and is treated like a human being and not like a machine. Seriously!
Mismatch???
I just stumbled upon an article entitled, " 17 Reasons Why the Qatar World Cup is Going to be a Disaster".
Here is a link to the article.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/17-reasons-why-qatar-world-194307117.html
I'm gonna make it 18 reasons...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/qatar/10883554/Taliban-members-released-in-exchange-for-Bowe-Bergdahl-begin-new-lives-in-Qatar.html
Two weeks to go!
Here is a link to the article.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/17-reasons-why-qatar-world-194307117.html
I'm gonna make it 18 reasons...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/qatar/10883554/Taliban-members-released-in-exchange-for-Bowe-Bergdahl-begin-new-lives-in-Qatar.html
Two weeks to go!
Catch up.
So, there are a few things that I need to tell you about and I am just going to list them off.
1 - We have been invited to five birthday parties in five days and we haven't gone to one of them.
2 - My neighbour Wayne and I went to take photos of a terrible transport truck crash by our compound and we ended up driving through the desert for a bit. I asked Wayne if Qatar had floating rocks. Of course, he gave me a weird look. Off in the distance on a pile of rocks was an owl! I have never found an owl in the wild and it is very ironic that I would spot my first one in Qatar. It is called the Little Owl and it is the exact same colour as the sand. We ended up seeing three of them. Impressive and hardy creatures.
1 - We have been invited to five birthday parties in five days and we haven't gone to one of them.
2 - My neighbour Wayne and I went to take photos of a terrible transport truck crash by our compound and we ended up driving through the desert for a bit. I asked Wayne if Qatar had floating rocks. Of course, he gave me a weird look. Off in the distance on a pile of rocks was an owl! I have never found an owl in the wild and it is very ironic that I would spot my first one in Qatar. It is called the Little Owl and it is the exact same colour as the sand. We ended up seeing three of them. Impressive and hardy creatures.
3 - We spotted a 6/7 year old being bottle fed by her nanny tonight as the grandmother looked on. If you are counting, there are four things wrong with that.
So sorry...
I am so sorry for not posting over the last week. We have been swamped. In our preparations for moving and school stuff, I just haven't had any time. I just wanted to let you know that since we have shipped our computer home, I won't be able to upload any more of our photos, so you will just have to wait for our return to Canada, when I can post some pics from our last days here and our trip to Spain. Two and a half weeks left!
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Moving Day
Today is moving day. Our shipping company, Euro Movers, is coming at 9am to take our stuff and ship it back to Canada. The journey will take 30 to 45 days via ocean freight. We have our fingers crossed that nothing goes sideways, literally.
We just backed up all of our computer files and all of our stuff is lugged out of the closets, nooks and crannies in our place. There is one big pile of boxes in the corner of our living room.
It never ceases to amaze me just how much stuff can be accumulated in a short time.
Wish us luck!
We just backed up all of our computer files and all of our stuff is lugged out of the closets, nooks and crannies in our place. There is one big pile of boxes in the corner of our living room.
It never ceases to amaze me just how much stuff can be accumulated in a short time.
Wish us luck!
Monday, June 2, 2014
Last trip to the Souq...maybe.
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| Linds needed to get her watched repaired. |
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| Nate got a top notch hair cut from this Turkish barber. |
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| Old men and wheel barrows everywhere. |
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| Yep...the family photo is coming soon! |
My Buddy Mohan
My buddy Mohan from Sri Lanka was a maintenance worker at our school. He greeted Linds and I every mooring with a big smile on his face and a healthy hand shake. He would take care of the cleaning of my room after school and his sheepish little voice fit him just perfect.
He came up to my class today to let me know that he was happy to be going back to his home in Sri Lanka after 2 years and 5 months in Qatar.
Take care buddy. We wish you all the best!
He came up to my class today to let me know that he was happy to be going back to his home in Sri Lanka after 2 years and 5 months in Qatar.
Take care buddy. We wish you all the best!
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| Yes...I am much bigger than he is...much bigger! |
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