May 8, 2011
They call it a Doha moment. What is it? It’s what happens to everyone who comes to UCQ (University of Calgary Qatar). The jetlag is so bad that you go to work your first week in a complete and total fog and remember very little. Apparently, for every time zone you cross (and I crossed 9) it typically takes one day to adjust. I thought I had some kind of magic forcefield protecting me. And by forcefield, of course, I mean little blue sleeping pills. Not to mention, I figured I was super adaptable to time changes given those 3 summers switching from being a normal, diurnal human being on a reasonable work schedule, to working all night long every night and then some (man, those 18-hour days were totally insane). But I guess nobody gets off scot free. My first night in my apartment (Wednesday), I slept a total of zero hours. Instead I tossed and turned for 3 hours, then gave up and spent the wee hours playing video games and chatting with my brother and then my boyfriend on skype. Unfortunately, this was the night preceding my first day on campus, which was therefore a maze of faces and corridors, none of which I really remembered. Thus (and I’m skipping ahead), when I went in to my office today, I had a ridiculous amount of trouble recalling who I’d met, where my office was, etc.
Still, I did meet this really great girl, CJ, that first day and she took me to lunch at the Villagio (a shopping centre which is a total knock off of the Bellagio in Vegas, complete with canal and skating rink, not to mention Van Cleef and Arpels, Cartier, Versace, BCBG, etc. What do you think I did? Blow the bank on diamonds and pearls, of course ;-) Anyhow, she and I really connected and one thing she told me was that most of the women she’s met who’s come out to UCQ have some hideously traumatic breakup story that preceded their departure for the Middle East. Hah! So I’m not the only one. Good to know.
She also told me that even after being here for 3 years, she has very little insight into the lives of Qatari women. Although they’re definitely not meek, it’s a totally closed society, one whose people don’t mingle with the expats that outnumber them. I’ve learned (from CJ and Joanne) that women here are steadfast about removing all body hair, often wear trashy clothes under their niqabs or abayas, often have vitamin D deficiencies (!), and I certainly don’t need anyone to point out that many of them may as well have their mobile phones surgically attached to their ears. Hah! My students are in for one hell of a rude awakening in their first class with me tomorrow. I’ve indicated in the course outline that texting or otherwise using their phones during class is prohibited and I will ask them to leave if they do so, not to mention that they must arrive on time (apparently they tend to prance in whenever they please – as my hundreds of previous students I TA’d discovered, I’m a super enthusiastic teacher when it comes to bio and I’m fun, but I’m a total hardass when it comes to following class norms and performance on assignments and exams).
CJ also told me that she’ll take me in late June to go sea hawksbill sea turtles hatching off a Qatari beach. All I can say is if that actually pans out, I’ll just about die. Before I even started my Master’s, I went and did a tropical ecology course in Barbados, did a mini-project on sea turtles and got to see a female covering up her clutch of eggs in the middle of the night and then lumbering off to sea, which totally made me and many other students cry. I said at that time that I would give anything to study sea turtles. I said the same thing when Paul and I were in Hawaii and green sea turtles were swimming all around us and I had tears pouring down my face, which totally didn’t surprise him because he knew how I always get emotional when it comes to wildlife spectacles (man, you should have seen me when I captured a female bat with her pup attached to her, or heard me squealing and crying the first time I saw a Townsend big-eared bat). Anyhow, to see a new generation of a highly endangered population (Qatar has lost >80% of its sea turtles) go off to sea would be a highlight of my life.
Oh yeah, I was talking about jetlag. See? I just had another Doha moment. Well, I did actually get off quite lucky. That was my only foggy day. I managed (with tremendous difficulty) not to nap that day and got about 6.5 hrs of sleep that night (Thursday), slightly more Friday night and last night I slept from 00h00 to 7h15. I feel pretty good, hungry at roughly the right times, etc.
Getting used to my life here. I cook now in my apartment, I’ve been practicing guitar, and I even have a ritual: I go up on the roof every day at sunset (but not today because I was too busy prepping for my first lecture tomorrow – and man oh man, am I ever nervous) to hear all the mullahs doing the call to evening prayers. There are so many mosques – the singing seems to come from everywhere. Haunting, beautiful, spiritual and moving.
And I’m really getting to know Abdullah, who’s an extremely nice, honest and intelligent person. I totally love him and he said he’d drive for me my second month and work out a private arrangement with me so it doesn’t end up costing me 5 200,00 riyhals (= approx. 1 600,00 CDN). His living situation (like that of many migrant workers): he shares a 7 bedroom place with 9 other men, and in the bldg, there’s a total of 4 bathrooms for 46 men. Oh my God. The next time I feel like complaining about cramped quarters or my living situation, I’ll remember that. He totally freaked when I told him what it costs me to rent my house in Calgary, because it’s about 3 times more expensive to rent something equivalent here in Doha. Back in Kerala, he has a 3 bedroom house, with 3 bathrooms for just himself, his wife and 2 kids. I’m quite honestly having a very hard time dealing with the ostentatious display of wealth by the Qataris. Plus, I’ve seen how many of the women treat their drivers, which Abdullah basically confirmed for me. Basically, they barely talk to their drivers – treat them like they’re not of the same caliber of human being – so contrary to my view of people. Abdullah says he loves driving for UCQ people and finds Canadians to be the nicest people – no sense that we’re the boss and he’s “just” the driver. I don’t know – I mean here is a 55-year old man, who’s been away from his children most of their life, just to try and give his family what they need – how can you not respect that?
Hmmm, I gotta go get ready for bed, but I’ll update again within the next few days. BTW: it’s bloody hot as hell here (in the high 30’s to low 40’s) and it’s bound to get into the 50’s within the next couple of weeks. My hair is already completely hideous, puffy, frizzy. I was the only idiot yesterday walking to the grocery store – no one actually walks around here. In fact, exercise is only just starting to become commonplace – traditionally being fat is desirable – a sign of wealth.
Missing Canada, my family, my boyfriend, my bird and my friends, but adjusting.
Oh, and I can count to ten, say please, thank you, you’re welcome, sorry in Arabic.
Much love and peace from (and to) the middle east, J
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