First day at work 3/3/13

Another film set/out-of-body type experience. Stayed at Cath's apartment (now known as Flat C) and this morning caught a taxi from there to my apartment (now known as Flat B). After a quick breakfast and wash'n'brush-up a driver collected me, and several other new SIDRA employees, from the front lobby and dropped us at the temporary SIDRA offices right on the seafront.

The morning was taken up with the neccessary HR, Health & Safety, setting up bank accounts, sorting driving licence, type of stuff. It was all done in a fantastically professional way and the time really shot by. We were then given vouchers to buy lunch in the very nice cafeteria; it had a very varied menu and being very heavily subsidised will be my daily food of choice.

After lunch we were taken to our individual departments and I met several of the people I'll be working with during their weekly Simulation Dept. meeting. A bit nerve wracking having to do the "Hello! My names Boyd and I'm an....." sort of introduction but I think it went OK and hopefully bodes well for the coming months.

I was then shown my office space, which again was very nice and well appointed. I have included below a view from my office window looking out over the sea which is yet another feature that plebs such as me don't normally get. If this sort of thing carries on I might start to get used to it!

This evening Cath and myself are meeting some of the SIDRA residents down by the pool. They were very keen to meet Cath as they all have young children and they will be attending her school. What a small world it really is!

Enough of this drivel - I need to sort my poolside attire. Will post more as and when.   

D-Day + 1

First proper day in Qatar. Because I was arriving so late, and had no idea how long it would take me to get through customs, Cath and I decided it would be easier to wait until this morning to meet-up. How ever good Skype is it cannot replace the touch and feel of the real person; what a blessed relief to finally be here! It really is great to be here after what seems like such a drawn-out process but was in truth only about four months and, given the time I know some people have waited, I realise I have been extremely fortunate in getting here so easily.

The apartment is everything I thought it would be but with knobs on. Very well appointed with all the modern conveniences, a lovely sized sitting/dining room, large kitchen, two bedrooms and three bathrooms. My new employers have certainly not scrimped on the accommodation and the 'welcome pack', that included all manner of food, drinks and household products, was very welcomed.

View from the apartment window.
The sea is just the other side of the tall buildings.

Cath and I have just returned from a four hour shopping trip to the City Centre Mall. It is about ten minutes walk away and is HUGE with every kind of shopping experience available. First off coffee and a cake to give us some energy before sorting passport photos (sixteen with approved blue background and NO smile), buy Pay-As-You-Go sim card for phone (a requirement for work), some better sandels and a new toothbrush.

So after all that tiring work we're now back at home. I've made a pot of tea with biscuits and so now we will put out feet up for an hour prior to catching a taxi over to Cath's place for our evening meal - Thai take-away form a little place that gets very good recommendations. Cath didn't bring the car as she wasn't sure what the parking arrangements might be (I have now been given a transponder to access our own private parking space). Later this evening she has threatened me with a drive out in Cedric, our new car - named after I know not what, to see the site of the hospital where I will eventually be working and Cath's school (which is strangely only a few hundred yards away).

That's it for day one and too much excitement for a boy is not good so I will no doubt sleep well tonight!

Onwards..........

Whirlpool central.....

......or so it seemed over the last week.

Wednesday 20
Booze-up with our now ex-lodger Chris. Only intended to have a meal and a pint as I drove there taking Chris's bike in the back of the car. Had far too many and then had to walk back.

Thursday 21
Walk back to the pub to collect car feeling a bit hung over and then spent the rest of the day ferrying stuff to the local tip. Intended to go to bed early but made the most of British TV by staying up far too late.

Friday 22
Boxes collected by courier for transport to Doha. They gave the usual "Collection will be between 08:00 and 17:00" so I daren't go out for a nanosecond! The courier actually arrived at about 10:00 so that meant the rest of the day was free. At lunchtime I met up with an old colleague from my days at the University  for a coffee and a cake and spent the rest of the afternoon frustratedly trying to cancel Virgin Media stuff but gave up in the end as:

• No! I don't know the password
• No! I'm not the account holder but Yes! I do pay the bill
• Yes! The account holder has already left the country and she won't know the password either

And around, and around, and around. So sod them; I've just cancelled the bank payments and they can sort it out themselves.

Met up in the evening with Martyn and Dan Peters intending to visit the Derby Beer Festival, but as per last year the queue was far too long so we voted with our feet and went into Derby for a few beers instead. Much to my surprise Chris Shaw, a former colleague from the hospital, also joined us and a jolly boozy night was had by all.

Saturday 23
Let the Porkfest begin - Martyn, Dan and myself had bacon butties for breakfast. Afterwards they did me a favour by helping themselves to as much surplus garage/motorbike stuff as they could carry. Then, once they'd left, I loaded the car with more quality domestic surplus for a quick 150 miles down to South Wales to see my parents, and my sister and her family for the last time. After a quick "Hello!" and off loading the boxes, bags etc. it was off to Cardiff for a farewell and booze-up with, as it turned out quite a few, Thumper Club mates. Thanks to all those who attended, some from a good distance away, and Graham for sorting out the food (and bed for the night). I really enjoyed myself so "Thanks!" again.

Sunday 24
After a full-English breakfast I went shopping in Cardiff. Slightly depressed at what has become of the city centre as it held a lot of memories for me now been blurred by time and unimaginative redevelopment. Was supposed to meet up with my sister-in-law for a curry that evening but went instead to an 'open' music event that I'd seen advertised taking place in the same venue as the previous night. Much to my surprise the standard of musicianship was excellent and far better than I was expecting for a 'back of the pub jam session'. Eventually made it to my sister-in-laws but sadly too late for the curry (Sorry J&B).

Monday 25
Went back to my parents house in Blackwood to have a last meal with them before I left. My sister managed to get the afternoon off so we went to a local pub. My fathers dementia has worsened since I last saw him and I'm not entirely convinced that he knew what I was doing or where I was going. It really is a very sad situation but at eighty years old, and a hardcore smoker all of his life, its a wonder he's made it this far. Thankfully, with my brother-in-law back from work and the kids back from school, I was able to say goodbye to everyone that evening. Obviously I will miss them all very much but they understood why we were undertaking something so different and adventurous this late in our careers; if we don't do it now it will be too late. But with Skype making  communication so much easier these days no one seems so far away now, and truth be told I'll probably speak to them more often then when I was only a short distance away.

Tuesday 26
A quick return journey back up to Derby. Dump the remaining odds-and-ends at the local tip. Finally fill the car with the remaining salvageable items and drop them, and the car, off to an ex-work colleague who's bought the lot for her daughter. Then off for another very nice meal, Thai this time, with some old friends and finally back to my lilo mattress absolutely knackered at 23:30!

During most of the last week without the regulator of family and work I could barely remember what day it was, what time it was or where I'd been the day before. It really has been like swimming in a whirlpool and I just can't wait to get over there now!     

Points of connectedness.....

Just been to the Post Office to have my mail redirected. Got chatting to the ladies behind the counter about my imminent relocation to Qatar and one of them said "My son is in Qatar at the moment working on a new hospital". "Not SIDRA Medical and Research Centre?" I said and she said "Yes, he's there to sort out the legalities of the delayed handover; he comes back on Thursday 28 February". What a small world - we will probably pass each other in the sky somewhere over the Middle East.

I knew that the final completion and handover of the hospital was causing delays for SIDRA, and this indication that 'lawyers' have got involved doesn't bode well for a speedy completion. Hope it doesn't impinge too much on the actual opening date of January 2014 by compressing the internal fit-out and staff training into too short a time. No doubt I'll find out soon enough! 

Beginning of the end.....

Hired a van today to begin moving the large furniture. Thankfully Suze Bricknell offered to give me a hand as I would not have been able to do it by myself. First load - wardrobe, chest of draws, double bed with mattress and large mirror - was delivered to Long Eaton and Eastwood; no drama as we found all the addresses easily and being half-term the traffic was fairly light. At around 1pm, and after we both nearly had ruptures and/or seizures loading the second lot, Suze went home to have her drains rodded! Again many thanks Suze for your help. This second load - the large settees, the washing machine and the tumble drier - went up to Pete in Oakwood, the father of one of my sons mates. Again no drama at all and by 6:15pm I was back at the now very empty house.

I now really am down to the bare bones furniture wise - a trestle table and a few dining chairs constitute most of it. The single bed, moved to the living room as a short term replacement for the settees, is being broken up tomorrow and taken to the tip; I'll have to watch the TV sitting on the floor. I hope Martyn and Dan, who are coming on Friday for the Derby Winter Real Ale Festival, remember to bring their inflatable mattresses as well as their sleeping bags as it would be very cosy triple topped'n'tailed on the only mattress!

Tomorrow I have a handy man calling to put covers onto the two live chimneys in order to keep bees, living in one of the blanked off ones, from getting down into the house. UPS tried to deliver the cowls this morning but obviously I was out (see above). Hopefully they can re-deliver tomorrow but please not during the twenty minutes when I'm returning the van!

To be continued.......

Matlock Bath Farewell

Matlock Bath on the River Derwent, Derbyshire

Met up with Dave & Pat, Trevor and Trophy Dave, all members of the Thumper Club at Matlock Bath to start the first round of farewells to my biker mates. Thanks to you all for making the effort on such a frosty morning and I really appreciated the extra motivation it must have taken. I was very surprised how icy and foggy it was once I'd dropped down into Cromford; I think these last few months of biking abstinence have softened me a bit and I was glad to be sitting in the car rather than braving the elements. Whilst there I made a point of having two bacon rolls as the opportunity to indulge in porcine based treats will be severely restricted in Sandyland.

Strangely as I pulled up in Matlock Bath the car parked behind me contained my old boss, Sue Colledge, and her other half Sharat. I don't know who was more surprised but I was pleased to see them both and especially Sharat as his deteriorating health meant I didn't get to say goodbye at work. I don't know what the prognosis is but my sincere best wishes go out to you both.    

My new home and our new car......

I've gone blogging crazy.

In an idle moment I thought I'd look-up where I'm going to be living and found their website (link below). Looks very plush and hopefully not the front for white slavers that I suspect this whole enterprise must be. So if, after the 28 February, you haven't heard from me you'll know my suspicions where correct.......



It's the 'little one' forth from the right

http://www.alrabbantower.com/

I know my apartment is on the seventh floor and, as it all seems to good to be true at the moment, I'll probably have a view out over the sewage works!

Also just found out that, after much chasing around, Cath has bought us a car. We are now the owners of the V6 4.0L 2010 Ford Explorer below:

http://www.qatarsale.com/showroom_car_e.aspx?carid=100661

Cath is having a 'driving lesson' later in the week to get used to driving such a large, powerful, car on the other side of the road; just as soon as the tyres have been replaced. Being an automatic will also be a challenge, but if she just treats it as a bumper car tank she should be fine! As it might take a few weeks for my driving licence to come through Cath will have to be my chauffeur for a while (Note to Self make sure to pack boxing gloves and gum shield!)

Boyd