Qatar 3 – Industrial City

I’m not hungry. I wasn’t hungry when I woke up. I wasn’t hungry during lunch, and I wasn’t hungry at dinner. Is it the time difference? I dunno, the food is good and I want to eat, but I’m full all the time. I don’t think it helped that breakfast and lunch the day before were buffets. So I only ate once, and one lonely sandwich. It was a yummy chicken garlic pita thing. It had an official name, but I don’t know what it was called. I think it had some ‘ch’s in it, making it difficult for me to pronounce. This isn’t a good pic, but the only one I have of lunch.

Anyway, Sunday I spent working at the Qatar Scientific Club. Spent most of the day training for icamp. The majority of the people here smoke, and that was something I realized I haven’t been accustomed to for a long time. It was interesting when we were in the Frankfurt airport, there were smoking rooms. Enclosed glass cases where people who wish to smoke can be on display for passing onlookers. In the lobby of our hotel, people can smoke. We all get nice clean ashtrays, and the lobby is well ventilated so most of it travels upwards.

Some of you have been wondering, what do I do? I work for a company called the Children’s Technology Workshop. We teach kids how to apply technology in creative ways. We run summer camps that teach kids how to do animation, digital art, programming and construction with LEGO robotics, audio engineering and video game design. I develop curriculum and stuff for it. We sold a license to a company in Qatar to run our programs so I am here training the people how to deliver our camps. And yes, it sounds like all I do is play at this job, but there is a lot of work to do!

The scientific club has free internet, so I can briefly check mail and such, but I’m training all day. And 30 minutes at the hotel costs 15 Riyals. One US dollar is worth 3.5 times that of a riyal. That means 30 minutes is about $4! Expensive. So I don’t go on that much. For all three of you who commented, I will try and remember your questions and answer them, but because of my limited internet access, I can’t really respond. I miss the Internet.

Did you know that Qatar has about 1.4 million people. Only 200 thousand of them are native Qataris. The rest are all expats! There are three guys that we are working with. Naim is from Lebanon, Omar is from Egypt and the Shadi is from Jordan. Am I spelling their names correctly? I have no idea. I hope they don’t read this and feel insulted. Each of them has been trying to take us out every evening, but we’re either busy or tired. Lots of work to do for us to get ready for the next day. This pic is from yesterdays buffet (the one that filled me up for the next 48 hours)

For example, that evening, we had to travel to “Industrial City”. How awesome is that name? That’s what it’s called if you were to look at the address of the local businesses there. It reminds me of a city you would find in a Miyazaki animation. Have any of you played SimCity? Do you remember that it wasn’t beneficial to put your industry near your residential areas, so you always put them far away? I would put them near a lake. Take that, little sims, I’m polluting your drinking water! Anyway, “Industrial City” was where all the industrial shops were. If you wanted to get tools, or car parts, or stuff Ike that, it was in “Industrial City.” Every time I say that, I do it in the voice of the commander of the Terran Battle Cruiser in Starcraft. It makes it sound even cooler. Try it!

Anyway, “Industrial City” didn’t really have streets. From what I could tell, it was a maze of dusty roads with debris and abandoned vehicles piled high on either side of you, walling you in. Street signs were there more to taunt than provide direction. It was very cool.

It gets dark quickly here. By around 7 or 8 it gets immediately dark. There isn’t a lingering sunset at which you could stare and think, “My spouse wants me to watch the sunset. When can I go back inside? Do I have to wait until it’s completely set, or is there an opportune time for me to slip away?” I usually gauge that ‘opportune time’ incorrectly. I’m beginning to think there isn’t one.

Believe it or not, I usually have a lot more things to say, but because I’m quite tired at night, I’ve been brief in these blog posts. You may not think that, but just ask anyone that knows me. These are like the Coles notes versions. And I rarely tweet too.

Good night all. To Zoe and Ekko, I love you both. I’m sorry I haven’t been answering your questions that you have been asking me on facebook. Hope the bunny is still alive.

And tomorrow I have exciting blog posts! Why, we actually went to a tourist spot! I have cool pics! How awesome is that? I may not even talk about the bathroom this time. Wait… No… I think I have more pics of some…