Happy St Paddy's Day!

I don't have anything to report, except an astonishing lack of progress on my residency, my shipping, and my friend coming over to visit. So I'm grumpy today. Thankfully it's St Paddy's Day so I am going to drink delicious beer, and then head home to bed.

Conservative party

Qatar is way more conservative than Dubai! Uncovered shoulders, while not illegal, is frowned upon, and the stares are unbelievable. The same goes for showing your knees! Even covered up relatively modestly, I get hooted at walking down the street. It's quite intimidating!

Bars are still pretty casual, and the expats still run around in next to nothing ;-)

I am getting a diplomatic visa, so I can travel throughout the GCC without a visa - what a bonus, although pretty sure they will end up regretting giving me diplomatic anything!

Hoping to be opening our Dubai office in 6 months, so I can go back! Missing everyone loads. Thank god for my mad housemates here ;-)

The work the work the work

Nothing here at DDB could be further from the mantra of Network BBDO where I used to work. The work the work the work. I have a tough job ahead of me. No-one here places any value in the work, except the management, which anywhere else would be enough, but not here!

Watch this space. I am banging my head against a wall gently already..

I hate dust storms (Shamals)

We have been in the middle of a Shamal for 2 days now. This wouldn't be so bad except I had to walk to the bank yesterday - thankfully because I got paid, even though it was only half a salary - and some uber-intelligent builders knocked through our dining room wall to put doors in.

While this sounds really nice, and it will be great once it's done, they didn't cover any furniture, and they actually didn't get any further than knocking the hole in the wall, before leaving for the day! All the sand in Doha is now in our villa...

But they filled our pool up so am definitely tanning this weekend!

I have booked my trip to SA for Easter, via Dubai, so am really excited about seeing friends, and family again. Hoping to have some visitors here soon too! My shipping should arrive Sunday so am open for business from 12 March ;-)