"zip zap" written by Ladycroft on estrip.org

08/01/07 03:56 - 90ºF - ID#40343

zip zap

We had a successfull first day of training. I was happy to have the chance to bust out my old facilitator hat and do a lot of ice breakers/team building exercises with everyone. I really enjoy doing that sort of thing. It made me wish that we were moving on to a challenge course so I could hook some people up in ropes and start climing trees!

Honestly though, they were so receptive to everything it was a refreshing feeling. We had a lot of laughs and I learned that 'The Wave' that we use at sporting events, they call 'The Mexican Wave'. I asked why, and they had no reason, they thought it's what we called it. I thought it was very strange. Racial slurs are usually derived from some stereotype, but what does being Mexcian have to do with 'The Wave'?

Permalink: zip_zap.html
Words: 144
Location: Niagara Falls, NY
Last Modified: 05/29/13 05:00

Category: potpourri

07/30/07 11:38 - 78ºF - ID#40309

i got my license

My rental car showed up yesterday as well as my temporary license, so we all hopped in a car together and went on our first lesson. Yay!

I'm also feeling better so that makes me happy. Feeling well enough that I went and worked out in the gym last night and today after work I went swimming. Man I'm out of shape. I only managed to do 10 lengths of the pool. Granted it's an Olympic size pool so a length is a good distance, but I think that only works out to 1/3 of a mile. No matter what, it's a very good thing that I'm getting back into that which makes me happy and fit :) Ciao.

Permalink: i_got_my_license.html
Words: 118
Location: Niagara Falls, NY

Category: potpourri

07/29/07 05:44 - 67ºF - ID#40293

admin rights!

Here you go tiny. Better perspective?

And.... HELLS YEAH....we got administrator rights today! Woot!

I'm working on all the ice-breakers, warm-ups and other games for CDA training which starts this week. It makes me really miss my internship at Project Adventure.

Trying to catch up on past questions and comments:

Q- What's the difference between British and US version of Harry Potter books?

A- The cover for one. Also the language.

Q- What's the gay scene like here in Doha?

A- Believe it or not, it exists. Not among Qataris of course but there seems to be a community of Philippino men.

C- There are plenty of restaurants where I can eat veggie. Though I have learned through trial and error that even if you order a dish that is just veggies, they like to toss meat on it, haha. So I have to order with specific 'no meat' instructions. My search was for grocery items so that I can cook at home. I am missing my Quorn 'chicken nuggets' and Boca 'beef crumbles'.

Lastly, I was stoked to find litchi juice - and it's dirt cheap. I only paid 55 cents for liter carton!

Permalink: admin_rights_.html
Words: 197
Location: Niagara Falls, NY

Category: potpourri

07/28/07 03:52 - 66ºF - ID#40275

captain's log 72807

I got sick this weekend and did not go out :( Nothing to report on the secret society of non-Muslim clubbing in Doha. I'm surprised I lasted 2 weeks without an IBS incident, what with the tremendous stress I was experiencing in the whole moving process. Feeling better this morning after a very rough night. Hope it's ending.

I did sneak out to the mall momentarily yesterday afternoon. I broke down and bought myself a PS2. Can anyone guess which game I bought to start off with? But of course, the new Tomb Raider Anniversary :)

I know I really should have waited until I get my next paycheck at the end of September (gulp) but I was going crazy. I feel semi imprisoned by my environment. If you've ever seen Chronicles of Riddick you'll get my joke. It's so flippin' hot and I'm so far away from anything, you can't go outside. I seriously think I might burst into flames if I stand out there too long.

Eh. I'm sorry for the uneventful update. I will try my best to get that photo up tiny. I don't know what the deal is, the tool doesn't even show up now. Maybe there is something different going on when I'm at my desk in the office. I'll test that theory tomorrow.

Lastly, I was searching online for regional brands of vegetarian replacement foods. I've been having a little trouble finding anything that I recognize. I managed to find some Tofu, but that's not my preferred meal. So I found a great site in Egypt that gave me some leads.

Permalink: captain_s_log_72807.html
Words: 265
Location: Niagara Falls, NY
Last Modified: 05/29/13 03:51

Category: potpourri

07/26/07 07:20 - 67ºF - ID#40255

TGIT

I'm going out tonight (thank God it's thursday!) and lucky me, look what my horoscope says: "Any kind of group activity will delight you today. You feel energised and more enthusiastic about life. People lift your spirits." Let me hear a great big, awwwwww.

We went to their version of the DMV this morning. You know, all we had to do was take an eye exam? I sat in a chair, read 3 lines, he stamped my paper and that's that. What's funny is the tickets they gave us, like a 'take a number and wait to be called' thing, said either FEMALE or VIP. I think it stands for Vehicular Incident Propagators :)

I hope I have something nifty to report on Doha nightlife. Oh, (e:Tinypliny)...1. Yes, I have granite countertops 2. I will take a picture of the coke with another object that will give you a different visual perspective. I assure you though, they are wee cans!

Permalink: TGIT.html
Words: 158
Location: Niagara Falls, NY

Category: photos

07/25/07 11:33 - 71ºF - ID#40250

who's that guy?

Ok, only a few of you may get this but.....at first glance, does the guy on the right remind you of anyone?

clearly i did not take this photo, but it's a cool shot of doha

the super tiny baby cokes i was talking about!

somehow i got the photos thing to work today. i dunno. ciao!

Permalink: who_s_that_guy_.html
Words: 64
Location: Niagara Falls, NY

Category: potpourri

07/24/07 11:58 - 64ºF - ID#40234

tiny coke cans

I found the smallest cans of coke on the planet. I think it takes 3 sips but all you really need. I'm not going through Dr. Pepper withdrawal mostly because it's not around to tempt me.

I've been invited to yet another party this thursday. What shall a girl do? Alone in a foreign land for 1 week and already a crowded social calendar? Well, I'm not complaining. I'd rather have too many invites and not enough time than other way round!

Trying to wash every piece of my clothing yesterday turned into a fiasco of flooding washers and wet clothes hanging all over my apartment. Ciao!

Permalink: tiny_coke_cans.html
Words: 105
Location: Niagara Falls, NY
Last Modified: 05/29/13 03:54

Category: about doha

07/21/07 03:47 - 74ºF - ID#40194

240 voltz!

I do not have a death wish although this photo contradicts this statement. The current runs at 240 over here. It will toast you. For reasons unknown to me, not all plugs are designed for the outlets. In these instances you have to stick a small spoon or key in the 3rd receptor in order to plug in your appliance! I was scared. I honestly thought I might get zapped and die.

To answer the question, "liquor license, for a private person!?"......

Yes. Islam does not allow drinking alcohol. In order to preserve this tradition amidst the 80% foreign population here the government established liquor licenses. You have to pay something like $400 to get one, with permission from your employer, proof of your pay, and statement of your religion. Only the licensee can purchase the alcohol with it. However you can buy individual beverages at a hotel bar without one.

Additionally I got my luggage today. I was very busy buying groceries and running around all afternoon so I was able to peek in just now. Everything is WET and smells like SEWER! What the hell did these people do with my bag!? It's so gross. I'm going to have to wash every last bit of clothing tomorrow. Luckily our bosses have only just arrived back in the country so they don't want to meet with us until early afternoon. I have all morning to wash. Cheers!

james writes at 03:23:49 07/24/07 - Comment #21186: This different plug nonsense has to stop. Not only do you adapters for all your equipment, but you also need a spoon. Just like the railroad was standardized to one grade of track so too must outlets be standardized!

And the liquor license nonsense is crazy, CRAZY! I think it is the duty of every estrip-er to put a bottle of something aside for your return.

libertad writes at 03:19:52 07/24/07 - Comment #21184: That seems insane to stick a spoon into an electrical outlet! I looked at your pics. Is the sprayer hose above the toilet an ass washer or used for some other purpose?

metalpeter writes at 11:03:18 07/22/07 - Comment #21110: First of all nice pictures, and I glad you finaly got your bag and stuff. When you have time you will see that I said that i liked the cloud pictures. What I didn't comment on is Ponderosa. I don't know if we even have any in Buffalo any more and I kinda miss them, yeah the food was kinda unhelathy but you could eat enough for 3 days in there and it was all good quality. Is it just me or does there money remind anyone else of Candaian money. Granted it isn't the same but it looks like the same style of money. I do have one question those two tall buildings they look like there is some curve in them is the curve really there or is that an effect from the camera?

ladycroft writes at 05:31:00 07/22/07 - Comment #21100: not that kind of problem paul. this comp is brand spankin new and i have wifi. it has something to do with IT blocking it once I try to publish more than one photo. i'm going to try to figure it out later. for now you'll just have to visit my pics page.

boxerboi writes at 09:26:21 07/21/07 - Comment #21093: It sounds like you are having an amazing time there. That is so cool! Are you able to spend a lot of time outside or is it too hot? Are you on a campus type setting or like a regular neighborhood?

paul writes at 04:12:13 07/21/07 - Comment #21079: If your computer can't handle the normal version, use the mobile version of the site to public. Just click on the word mobile at the top left of the site and publish from there. You do not need any javascript or flash to publish multiple images from that version of the site.

Permalink: 240_voltz_.html
Words: 237
Location: Niagara Falls, NY
Last Modified: 05/29/13 03:57

Category: potpourri

07/21/07 01:48 - 63ºF - ID#40188

SCUBA

local time: 8:50am

I got the happy news this morning; they found my luggage! Now I have clothes to wear to work tomorrow!

I found a place to get my SCUBA certification. I'm so excited I'm getting ahead of myself with all the additional courses I want to take. I've already done an experiential dive in the Red Sea so I'm ready to just start with Open Water certification. The others I'm interested in are Ocean Buoyancy (because I had some issues with hitting the floor everytime I breathed out), Fish Identification (they have some kind of conservation project going on), Underwater Navigation (seems like a natural thing to want to know), Underwater Photography (bet you can't wait for these photos!), and Wreck Diving (which first requires Advanced Open Water certification).

That's all for now. My day has only just begun and I'm sure some new adventure awaits. OH - and I got invited to my first house party last night, yay! He has a liquor license too, so I'll finally get a beer! Ciao.

Permalink: SCUBA.html
Words: 175
Location: Niagara Falls, NY

Category: potpourri

07/20/07 08:46 - 60ºF - ID#40171

lost luggage....again

local time: 3.33pm
temp: 111 degrees

I just woke up which is a very bad thing. I wanted to sleep in today but I certainly didn't mean to sleep this long! It's not helping the jet lag. Today is 'Saturday' for me. Their weekend is one off from ours. Friday is the holy day.

I was grabbing some very expensive sunscreen at the store last night when I noticed...they sell Playstation2 and Wii at the grocery store! You can just take it off the shelf along with the games, no locks. The Wii cost 1,599 rys and the PS2 cost 529 rys. So that's $445 and $147 respectively. Pretty much the same. Score :)

I'd love to give you a tour of my home and surroundings however my camera cord is in my luggage. My luggage which is missing. They don't even know what country it's in. They tried to track it and it literally says, "unknown location, tracking continues". I just moved here and 98% of the clothes I own are in that bag. I think they give it 10 days before they finally say 'we lost your bag'. Qatar Airways said they wouldn't give you anything for delayed bags if you live in the country. I don't' know what BA's policy is, hopefully I'll hear something soon.

Meanwhile I just bought a headset so I can use Skype to make internet phone calls. If you want to talk to me for free, you can do the same :) The only thing we'll have to consider is the time zone.

Oh, I did get to see Transformers last night, which I enjoyed. I thought it was especially sweet when the opening scene said "Qatar-the middle east" and people in the theatre started clapping. Movie theatres here are relatively the same. With the exception that people don't really make lines to purchase so it's a little chaotic. Also a screen shows the seats and you actually choose them. They are assigned seats! They were big and red and super-duper comfy!
Ciao for now.

Permalink: lost_luggage_again.html
Words: 335
Location: Niagara Falls, NY