My first experience working overseas and I chose the Middle East. I am about to reach my 9 year anniversary here and that seems like the right time to tell it how it was, is and will be.
This episode is the tail end of 2012 where I welcome my daughter, Rebecca, and grandson Jett back to Doha for more time with mum and grandma. I lived for these visits and any travel I got to do, it's what kept me sane and able to get up each day and do it all again. We saw our first thunderstorm in Doha of course on the day we chose to go to the Aqua Park! My replacement at Psychiatry, Kathleen, arrived in Doha and there was a bit of a misunderstanding at first but we are great friends now, or so I hope lol! I only spoke to her the other day and told her I will be giving my interpretation of our first encounter and she might get a laugh from it. I said goodbye to the Psychiatry staff and Kathleen to head off to the Women's hospital and only do one job for a change. I had been supporting both HIM departments for a few months. I hope you enjoy listening to it all. It is a bit longer than usual but seeing as I took three episodes to talk about the first trip the kids made together, I think I did well to get that in and my departure from Psychiatry. My team was Fayza, Mona, Hafeeza, Rana and Afaf and I remember this time fondly.
I also mentioned that a have a Facebook page which is called CM Consulting as I have been learning a lot about internet marketing and products because I am not sure where my next adventure will take me. I said I would put the link in here because I am telling a different story there, one of a 17 year old who got a job in the Royal Brisbane Hospital Medical Records department in 1982. You may be interested in having a read.
Thanks and see you next time :)
29 Jun 2020
11. Culture Immersion
Bits and pieces of memories from May to August 2012, still learning about the culture and what I can and can't do, should and shouldn't do and trying to stay on the right side of the law. I met Renee Benny and a new world opened up of parties and lots of people. A bit about getting a drivers license, liquor license and dental implants. I hope you enjoy it.
20 Jun 2020
10. Atlantis the Palm Dubai..... heaven!
The last part of Jett and Bek's trip to visit me as we fly off to Dubai for a long weekend at Atlantis the Palm hotel which is extraordinary and you really should have this place on your bucket list! So many pictures and memories of how everything was amazing, we were on the top floor so Jett had to jump to hit the button for the room. Seeing an aquarium that his from the floor to the ceiling is just astounding as was the service in this beautiful hotel. We have been many times and I would go again in a heartbeat! Saying goodbye was the hardest thing and I stayed brave until they were out of sight then I broke down and cried my eyes out all the way home to Doha.
18 Jun 2020
9. Food, glorious food....more of the kids visit
A continuation of what we got up to when Bek and Jett visited me in March 2012. Food is a prominent part of these visits as Bek loves her Qatar restaurants and we went out to dinner every night of course. Souq Waquif and the attached fun park was a memorable night or two. The Torch tower is a landmark that lets you know you are close to home and it is amazing. Discovered Jett is an super soccer player and all in all had so much fun.
15 Jun 2020
8. Here comes the sun...... Bek and Jett Jett
What should have rightly been episode 4 ends up as episode 8, when Rebecca returned to Doha with Jett, my eldest grandson (only grandson at that stage). April to May 2012 on his first international flight and Bek's second, this one was on Emirates though via Dubai and they were both unaccompanied minors, the flight left Brisbane at 9.45pm arriving in Dubai at 0600 and then their next flight to Doha was at 1040 - I know this because I have taken these flights so many times and booked them twice as many more! The joy of seeing Jett after six months was incredible and surreal as was showing him why grandma chooses to live here. We did so much on that trip that this is more than on episode, experiencing the joys of Doha through children's eyes was just so much fun for me. I hope you enjoy hearing about it too.
14 Jun 2020
7. Lost in Athens thanks to the rug/carpet man.....
The last city and country we visited in our three week jaunt around Europe in 2012. As usual we got lost but this time we were scared because it was late at night and in a seedy part of town. We also learned that it is possible to see the SWAT team and be quite calm along with me choosing red as my skin color. Hope you enjoyed our trip which of course ended in tears at the Dubai International airport (in the same terminal at least).
12 Jun 2020
6. When in Rome..... get a tattoo....
The most romantic and beautiful city for me so far in the Europe trip with Lana 2012. I can only put up one photo but as you may have guessed from the title I got my very first tattoo in Rome. I love Roma! I can't explain the look on my face for this photo other than it was hot as??!!! I hadn't learned yet how to smile and get a good photo. My kids will attest that I just upload anything, no matter how bad the photo lol....I thought to put my tattoo up but then I thought oh no better be the Colosseum as I loved it so much.
9 Jun 2020
5. Venice, oh where art thou Venice......
This entire episode is dedicated to our trip to Venice in August 2012. I have differing views of Venice now in 2020 but alas it was not the highlight of our trip!!
31 May 2020
4. If you don't like where you are, move, you are not a tree
This episode I get to reminisce about my first trip to Europe in August 2012 with my best friend Lana. Fortunately she sent me her notes several years ago to remind me of the sequence of the cities we visited. We laughed and got lost in every city we went to. There is an abrupt end as I didn't realize I can only record for half an hour but now I know. I will continue with the stories of Europe tomorrow.
30 May 2020
3. Wandering in the desert.....
This episode I explain a little about what I actually did work wise in the first 10 months of being in Doha and my first EID holiday experience where at one stage I was literally wandering around in the desert hence the title. Unfortunately I couldn't find the picture of the coke, I think it is on a digital camera somewhere but the cover photo is one taken on that day of the Corniche.
29 May 2020
2. The arrival of family, driving and a side trip to Dubai
A little more detail of when my youngest daughter arrived in Doha in January 2012 and our side trip to Dubai.
28 May 2020
1. And so it begins....
This is the introduction to my memories of 9 years in the Middle East, specifically Doha, as an Expat with all the adventures I had along the way. I have traveled all over the world during this time and became very savvy on how to do this over all these years. This episode is a little background of me, the trip to Doha, my arrival and getting my daughter over here all in a high level overview to set the scene so to speak. I plan to go through all my experiences in the different jobs I have had here, the travel I did (mostly this) and the general fun and otherwise experiences I have had whilst I have been here.
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