Work Life

Al Bida Tower

My day starts at five-thirty a.m. Shower, breakfast, then I chat with my wife using Google+ video. I don't have a car and I don't intend to drive here, at least in the near future. Taxis are everywhere in Doha, but not that reliable as far as scheduled rides. During my second week here I made arrangements with a private car service. A driver picks me up every morning at 7:15 for the short ride to the office. The morning commute is chaotic. It seems like everyone is going the same way at the same time, and traffic is further complicated but the continuous construction and roadway improvements.

I work in the forty-two story Al Bida Tower. Just another example of the amazing high-rise architecture here in Doha. It is all glass curtain wall exterior formed with triangular panels which cover a triangular lattice of steel tubes. That basic form is twisted clockwise from the base, with several offsets around the circumference. The central core is constructed of concrete, of course, with two banks of elevators; low-rise (floors 1-19) and high-rise (20-40).

There's an interesting difference between buildings here and in the States. The floor numbered "1" is not the ground floor; same with the mezzanine. Those are floors "G" and "M". So the building is actually forty-two floors. I'm told that this is commonplace everywhere but in the U.S. There is one floor of parking below-grade, but most occupants park in a six-level structure adjacent to the building.

It is a secure building, just like many in downtown Los Angeles. I wear a badge with an embedded chip, which must be swiped over a reader to access the elevators and to unlock the office entry door. The swiping is required to enter and exit. This building is the home of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, and every floor I've been on has the same access control. Some floors are not yet occupied, and there are construction workers busy on those levels.

Just the same as at the Movenpick and at City Center, the service level is very pronounced. The building has uniformed attendants who constantly clean the lobbies and restrooms. Another group of attendants stand by in the kitchen, and they actually serve coffee, tea and other beverages on demand. They frequently walk the floor to pick up empty cups and take refill requests. I must say that it is a delight to ask for and receive a double espresso every afternoon around three.

Coffee Time

One of the limitations of working in the West Bay is that there are not many options for lunch. Some people bring food from home, as I have done almost every day since I left the hotel. Aside from that, in an adjacent building, there is a shop called "Coffee Time" which serves sandwiches and also an 'executive lunch' - meat, rice vegetables, and water - for 26 rials. That's about ten bucks USD.

Monoprix

There is also a grocery market called Monoprix (a French retail chain) which also serves sandwiches and pizza. Both of these places have limited seating capacity, and quickly fill up at lunchtime. Many people bring their lunch back to the office. Lately when I bring my home made lunch, I walk outside, across the street and sit on the sea wall that surrounds the bay.

I work with a team of sixteen other professionals, mainly from the U.K. and Scotland. We are the Project Managers for a large development related to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Our project director is an American, like me. Each team member is an expert is his particular discipline. It is a very impressive group overall. I count all of them as friends. To them, I am the "BIM Guru", and my opinion and experience is respected and valued. It is a very satisfying situation. We share the floor with a few workers from the project's architect, whose main office is located in the U.K. Most of the floor is occupied by the client and their Project Management Consultant. Everyone works interdependently.

At the end of the day, my driver, or one of his colleagues is usually waiting when I exit the building. Another short ride back to the apartment. It is less than one mile, I could and I have walked on certain occasions, since the weather has cooled down.

That is my work day. Today is the beginning of my eleventh week in Qatar.

Soccer Victory

My grandson has played soccer for six years, starting with the "K" division.
He scored the tying goal in the championship game with 30 seconds to go.
His team, the "Bloodhounds" won in a shootout.

This is one of the "costs" of choosing to work here.

There is no value than can be placed on being separated from this.

Doha Rain

On Sunday it rained here in Doha.

The average precipitation for November is 3.3mm (0.13 inches).

The average yearly precipitation is 75mm (3 inches).

Nonetheless, the rain started after I arrived at my office. I went out after lunchtime and took these snapshots.

Later in the evening there was a fairly decent shower, lasting about fifteen minutes.

The total accumulation was apparently too small to record.

But it did rain. More rain is in the forecast.

Movenpick

I have just moved from my first home in Doha, the 5 Star Movenpick Tower in West Bay. I spent 3 nights at the Concorde, which was also very nice, but I will long remember the level of service and the hospitality which I was shown, and which was so beneficial in my adjustment to being so far away from home.

The arrangements were made by the company's housing coordinator. The change was prompted by the very long commute that I experienced on my second day on the job. That was due to major construction all along the Corniche, which has since been completed. It was the decision of our project director, and I believe it was a bit more expensive, but his preference for me to be closer to our office in West Bay was the deciding factor, I am certain.

Movenpick is a Swiss hotel & resort chain. They have another older facility downtown, but the newer one is completely modern and marvelously appointed. Some may be familiar with this lifestyle, but I was not, and was pleasantly surprised when a tall glass of fresh fruit juice was placed on the counter as I signed the forms. It was Wednesday, after my third day on the job. My hastily packed bags were of course brought to my room, but I arrived first. The first thing I noticed, other than the view of the bay, was a plate of fresh fruit on the table behind which a envelope bearing my name in hand lettered script was neatly placed.

The room was wonderfully appointed and spacious. Just inside the door was the luxurious bath and a small kitchenette. I suppose I could have cooked evening meals there, but I did not. King sized bed, armchair, and desk. I spent quite a few evenings and weekends working there, especially during the first two weeks, before I discovered City Center.

Included in the accommodation was a splendid breakfast buffet in the Animato Restaurant, which quickly became my routine. I was there every work day at six-thirty. After a few visits, the hostess learned my name and I was greeted with, "Good morning Mr. Holland". The servers also greeted me with the same cordiality. I became friends with the young chef Mehidi. His station is the omelette bar, and he also became familiar with my preferences, to the point where I would automatically be served without asking. Fruit juice, cereal, coffee, omelette, potatoes, turkey bacon. I always grabbed a piece of fresh fruit and a container of yogurt on my way out.

Another great experience was the laundry service, also paid for by my employer. this may be commonplace to some, but was a new experience for me. Once or twice every week I packed everything into the bags provided and checked off the accompanying form. It was always returned the sane evening - shirts and slacks neatly pressed and everything wrapped up in plastic. A luxurious experience for someone who is used to 'permanent pressed'.

My room was on the eleventh floor - Number 1116. The tower is thirty floors total, with a pool, spa and workout room on the top floor. My room was on the East side, facing the bay. The view was framed by two other marquee hotels. The Four Seasons and of course the Hilton, where I spent a few evenings unwinding at the Zawaya Lounge. Just to the left of this view there is another massive tower under construction.

Everyone at the Movenpick, concierge, housekeeping, doormen and other attendants always greeted me with a smile and the utmost courtesy. As I wrote at the beginning of this post, my stay at Movenpick was very beneficial in the transition and adjustment to living in Doha.

City Center

I am way behind on this blog, having had many interesting experiences during my four weeks in Qatar. The first two were spent fully involved in my new job, while in off hours I stayed close to the hotel. My third week was coincident with the six day long Eid al Adha National holiday, and I was encouraged to venture out.

Not very far from the Movenpick is the fabulous, magnificent City Center shopping mall. Absolutely everyone goes there.  Consequently, it has a very cosmopolitan atmosphere.  And it is huge! There are two or three levels of enclosed parking, but many people arrive by taxi and bus, or park on the street, and all of these enter through a grand staircase which leads directly to level two.

At the top of the stair, across a wide concourse, a circular atrium reveals three additional levels above, and the level below is an indoor ice skating rink, which is currently half covered, with a stage set up on one end for holiday programs. On the three middle levels, two long wings stretch out in opposite directions, with an endless variety of shops, many of which are familiar Western brands. The center of these wings is also open to all three levels, with elevators, escalators and speed ramps connecting everything.

Doha is cosmopolitan, but at the same time feels stratified. People keep to their own kind, which is natural, I suppose. Nationals shop here, along with everyone else. City Center was the first place that I encountered families. Men in their immaculately clean white thobes. Ladies wearing the traditional Muslim Abbaya. All have their heads covered, some with scarves, many with only the eyes showing, and a few with their heads completely shrouded by a transparent black hood. That seemed unusual in the beginning, but now not so much. It is their country, after all.

Many who are not natives are also from other Islamic countries, and they also were the traditional tunics and styles of those lands. There is another group that dress Western style, in jeans and t shirts with American logos and designs. But their language reveals that they are Arabic also.

Another vast group is those from Southeast Asia.  They are Thai, Malay, Cambodian and Philippine. A lot of these hold service oriented jobs. They are the cashiers, the servers, attendants and housekeeping professionals. I hold them in high regard. Everyone I have met has been extremely courteous.

Another distinct group is the workers from India and perhaps Pakistan. They also have service jobs such as taxi drivers, security guards, etc. It is the "expats" who stand out the most here, and among those, Americans are by far the minority.

Space and Time

One of the challenges of working here is communicating with family, friends and colleagues back home and in others locations. This is something that I have not previously experienced.

I never had much use for Google+ until I arrived here. I saw it a just another form of social media - which is something in which I have not actively participated. It's a generational thing, perhaps. But now I rely on it for one specific feature: video conferencing with my family in California.

Before I arrived, I became accustomed to the thought that Doha is ten hours ahead of California. Ahead meaning earlier. I devised a simple method for conversion which I call Plus Two. Pacific time is Doha time + 2, except of course that AM is PM and vice-versa.

Reversing that conversion is still a bit baffling. In Western culture we tend to create depictions of time from left to right. Perhaps that's because our language is written that way. Just think about the charts and graphs we create. But the world spins in the opposite direction. We move through space (not time) from East to West.

I created this illustration (using Microsoft Excel) to help with that visualization. It depicts the "working hours" in four different time zones. I video-chat with my wife every morning at seven o'clock. That's on the right side of the graphic. My colleagues in London start two hours later. There is a 2 hour overlap in my work day with U.S. Eastern time. My wife is at her job when my day is done. When she finishes her work, it's 3 a.m. here.

Here are some interesting notes on the direction of language scripting and numbering.

Doha Towers

Well I have been pretty busy with my work since my last post ten days ago. It is Monday afternoon. The "weekend" here is Friday & Saturday. I worked yesterday (Sunday) and I have the next six days off work, for the observance of the Eid-al-Adha National holiday. My work continues, in my hotel room, on a more relaxed basis.

I'll have more to say on both of those topics in the near future. For now, I simply wish to reiterate that Doha is a truly amazing city. The weather has started to change, and with occasional dry winds from the West, inland, walking outside is not uncomfortable. I have done that on several occasions, including an early evening sojourn. That's about all that I need to say. These photos speak for themselves...

Jet Lag

Saturday Afternoon

I've walked from my hotel, the Dovenpick, across the street and down a bit to the Hilton Doha. Another marvelously appointed accommodation. This is not my first visit to the Zawaya Lounge. Through the window there is an excellent view of the Doha bay and "The Pearl", that man-made peninsula were dozens of towers (hotels?) ring two circular marinas, much of which is also still under construction.

I am not, however, here for the view. The Zawaya is the closest place where a thirsty American can get a nice, cold beer. Outside, the temperature is 104°, and humidity a dry 15%. Also on the flat screen above me is English Premier League soccer. Manchester City vs. Everton. The score is 1-1. Appropriate considering that "futbol" is the reason I am here.

I digress. This post is about jet-lag and adjusting to the time difference between Qatar and my home in California. Doha is half a world away, ten hours ahead of Pacific time. 3:30 in the afternoon here is 5:30 a.m. there. Because of that offset, there are two narrow bands of time when direct communication is possible: morning and evening. I've just set up a Google+ Hangout and this morning enjoyed a long conversation with my wife back home. (MCI just scored. Now it's 2-1.) 

During the week, I start work at eight; that's 10 p.m. there. I get off at five; 7 a.m. there. That's difficult for both of us. In Qatar, as in other Islamic countries, the weekend is Friday and Saturday; the work week begins on Sunday, which further narrows the opportunity for direct conversation. I'm thankful for email, which bridges the time gap. Technology is my livelihood, and also my savoir right now.

This is my seventh day here in Doha. Anyone who believes this is a hostile environment is completely mistaken. I have the support of my new employer, KEO International, my professional colleagues, family and friends back home, and last but not least, a nice cold brew to help me feel completely at home.

(Manchester wins, 3 to 1.) 

Traffic

Doha is a wonderful city. The Downtown is a cacophony of iconic buildings. More on that later. It is, however, a city under construction. New towers going up everywhere, simultaneously with major roadway and utility work. Consequently, rush hour traffic is a mess. I have moved from the Concorde to the upscale "West Bay" where my office is located for that reason. I am now staying at the Movenpick Tower. Also more about that to follow.

There are major improvements underway to Al Corniche Street, which rings around the Bay of Doha. The work must be complete before the Festival of Eid-al-Adha, which occurs later this month.

I was assigned to a company driver who on Monday picked me up at 8:15 (because of my late arrival) and also dropped me off that evening. On Tuesday, my first full day of work, The 8.3 kilometer trip, took more than one hour.

Shemeer, my driver, is a perfect gentleman and also extremely patient. During all of our trips I never sensed any tension or frustration. On that morning, just getting to "the Corniche" was the major part of the trip. Gridlock. At times a two-lane street became three or four. Space between cars is measured in paint thickness. Owing to the weather, no one drives with windows open, so there is no gesturing or verbalizing as is sometimes seen in the U.S. Everyone seems to accept that these conditions are a necessary part of the city's growth. 


Road intersections in Doha feature "roundabouts" rather than traffic signals. Most of the time they are simple to navigate, but during peak traffic they can be exciting, to say the least. The required skill is to keep the vehicle moving while also weaving though, and sometimes dodging, the other cars.

I have seen some instances of driving over medians, sidewalks and curbs, and even driving on the opposite side of the road, but only one "fender bender". My new hotel is less than a mile from the office. I will be using taxis from now on, at least until I move into a permanent residence. 

Departure and Arrival

My flight to Doha is on Emirates, departing from the new Tom Bradley Terminal. I was accompanied to the airport by my dear wife and daughter. There was a short wait to check my bags, and I delayed my entry into the security check as long as I could.

At check in signs were posted that there was no food or beverage beyond the security check. Distressing, because I hoped for a beverage to relax before boarding. Once through (easily) I noticed that there is a great variety of eateries inside, but they are not yet open. Only one. A bistro style cafe called Vino Volo. Cabernet, $15.

The aircraft is a B777 300. Everyone boarding passes through the first class section, where passengers are cocooned into little reclining stalls that have every possible amenity at hand. Every seat on the aircraft has seat-back video, telephone and USB connector. Two aisles, eleven seats across.

It is a polar route to Abu Dhabi, passing over Greenland. The "ICE" system (information, communication, and entertainment) includes movies, TV, music, and news. I'm listening to the Beatles. Rubber Soul.

Emirates flight attendants are everywhere. According to the announcement, more than sixteen languages are available. They have just handed out little zippered cases containing a travel toothbrush, toothpaste and hand towel. It is one hour into the day-long flight.

On the ICE is a category called "boxed sets" that includes lots of Beatles, Bowie, Dylan, Hendrix and Zeppelin. Floyd, Stones U2. Now I'm into Beggars Banquet. I chose an aisle seat, to make it easier to get up and move around. Seat 43C. Luckily seat 43B is unoccupied, providing a spaciousness that most of the other economy passengers do not have. The beverage server has just passed by, and I'm now enjoying a 2012 Rasteau (red wine). Everything is free, except champagne. Dinner (or lunch) will be served soon. One of my favorite Stones tunes is now playing. Midnight Rambler.

6:50 p.m. (Pacific Time)

We are somewhere over Canada. Meal service has begun. BBQ chicken is the entree. Smells delicious. I wonder if there will be more hot towels to follow. Waiting for the meal, I looked over the printed entertainment guide. It is awesome! Hundreds if films. Thousands of songs, Thousands.

8:23 p.m.

Just finished dinner. Excellent meal, excellent service. I'm listening to a Van Morrison playlist. 34 songs.  Right now is "Moondance". A classic and also a favorite. The plane is somewhere over the North Atlantic. The lights have been dimmed. The ceiling of the cabin is backlighted with little pin holes like a night time sky. Cool. Oh, yeah. Another Rasteau with dinner. Time to relax....

Sleeping is on and off. I'm thankful for the earplugs and sleep mask. One of those horseshoe-shaped pillows would have been great. The little one they provide is supremely inadequate. I must have dozed for several hours. It is now past two a.m. Pacific time, ten hours into the flight. Passing over Scandinavia, and less than six hours to Abu Dhabi. Back into daylight outside, but the lights are still dim, any many are still sleeping. I will try again.

4:20 a.m. Sleep was elusive even though I listened to an hour-long in-flight sleep solutions recording, two times. We are passing over the Black Sea, and it seems incredible that the landing in Dubai is still three hours away.

5:30 a.m. I had a slight headache, I would say from the noise and intermittent sleep. When the flight attendants brought water and fruit juice down the aisle, I asked for relief and received two Panadol tablets. Hot towels again. They've started serving the "morning" meal. It will be 7 p.m. Local time when we land. Listening to Santana's "Supernatural". Now passing over Baghdad.

7:26 a.m. Omelet, fruit, potatoes, juice, croissant. I passed on the coffee. I need to sleep when I get to my final destination, the Concorde Hotel in Doha. Now 40 minutes until touchdown in Dubai. After six in the evening there.

On the plane in Dubai, waiting to disembark. Long line down the aisle. I'm in the 44th row. On our initial approach, when less than 100 meters from the ground, the pilot pulled up in a power climb, later explaining that another aircraft had not cleared the runway. We circled around, providing a marvelous view of the city as the plane banked to the left, and landed without incident.

Passing time at Gate B22 of the Dubai International Airport. The flight to Doha leaves at 10:15, and there's a one hour time difference.

Arriving in Doha, I was confused when we exited the plane by stair to busses, for transfer to the terminal. Later I learned that the new International Airport is not finished. Completion is scheduled for 2015. Inside were two very long lines, one for GCC countries, one for everyone else. At the end of the line, my passport and business visa were examined, and photo was taken. Next I recovered my checked baggage, and towed it through the terminal, past customs inspectors, finally reaching the public concourse. Even though it was eleven o'clock, there was crowd of folks waiting behind a glass wall, including dozens of drivers holding signs for their intended clientele. I walked along slowly; scanning each one until finally, near the end of the line, a sign with the KEO logo caught my eye. I nodded at the gentleman, who eagerly accepted the larger suitcase, and towed it to his car.

It was a short drive to the Doha Concorde, a marvelously appointed business hotel, where the check in was swift. I gratefully allowed the attendant to bring my bags to room 629, tipping 10 rials, my first transaction in the foreign (to me) currency. After a quick, hot shower, I climbed into the king size bed, twenty one hours after departing from LAX. 

Greetings

Greetings from Doha, Qatar.

I have joined KEO International Consultants as Senior Architect and BIM Manager for a project related to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

At the request of many of my friends and colleagues, I have launched this new blog to share my experiences while living and working here.

My sincere thanks to everyone for their encouragement and good wishes.

~AJH