Settling in

We're nearing the two-week point, and there are a few things that I now realize I took for granted in Canada.

1. Cold water. Since I have been here, the only place I have found cold water is in refrigerated water dispensers. The hot water gets very hot, and the cold water is warm. I think it has something to do with the water being stored on the building roofs! :) It's not necessarily a negative thing, but it takes some getting used to. I have to remember not to turn the hot water on when I'm washing my hands, or it will turn into a hand burning session.
   


2. Quiet mornings. As I've mentioned earlier, the city is in a constant state of construction - deconstruction - reconstruction. As I've also mentioned earlier, it's really hot in the daytime here. These two facts combined mean that we awake at 5am to the sound of jackhammers and backhoes hard at work breaking down what once was a four storey building. when the machines move, it sounds like a train squealing its breaks on a track - not the most pleasant sound in the world. But it will be interesting to see what gets built next door to the south and next door to the east. Oh, and next door to the north! :)
   


3. Recycling bins. We drink a lot of bottled water here, and each of those bottles (except the few we keep to reuse) are thrown in the garbage. The same goes for pop cans, styrofoam containers, cardboard boxes, you name it. The college started a paper recycling program last year (I think it might have been students in the environmental health department, but I'll have to verify that). There are green bins beside the photocopiers that say "paper and cardboard only". The chair of my department reminded us to use them, noting that as far as we know, the paper in the bins is being recycled, although no one has actually followed the truck to its destination. I understand that recycling alone is not the answer to the world's environmental dilemmma, but I sure do miss my blue box!
   


4. Trevor. Before leaving Canada, Darren and I sold our Honda Civic, affectionately caled Trevor. For reasons practical, financial and environmental, our plan is to live in Doha as long as we can without owning a vehicle. There are busses that take employees (and their househusbands!) to the college, and the public bus/taxi system throughout the city is pretty good. So, we're doing fine for transportation. Besides, there's no way I'd get behind the wheel after seeing how people drive around here! Having said that, there have been times already (and many more to come, I'm sure) when it would have been nice to have had the freedom to jump in our own car and go somewhere on our own schedule.
   
   
5. The Internet. I do have access to the net at work, but it's for work-related business primarily. There are plenty of coffee shops throughout the city that offer free or cheap internet access to their customers. We've also visited an internet cafe. These are great options, but nothing is the same as having access to the world`s resources from your sofa. This one is just a matter of time. Once we get our residency settled, we can get a phone line and then DSL. Apparently our apartment is not within the range that can have wireless connection, but Darren will figure that all out. That's what a househusband is for!!