Staying in Bed, Stampede Training, Mail to Doha & Creating Stampede Fashion

Today was full and interesting. Due to a late bedtime, I stayed in bed quite late this morning, languishing beneath the sheets. You friends know this is very out of character for me. I bound out of bed to get to my morning workout without fail. I can only explain it by saying it must be the magical charm of Chez Bath that inspired me to remain in the cozy sheets.

Anyway, I eventually made my way to the doctor's office AGAIN. For those considering working abroad, I must confess that the paperwork is endless. It helps if you actually know where you want to go and stick to it (UNLIKE me). Every country has a different set of requirements for you to become a resident, or get a work visa, and so does every employer. Some have wanted certified copies of my degrees, most wanted a fingerprinting and police check. Some wanted to know my entire educational history right to kindergarten (no exaggeration). Some needed a doctor's note, or a medical exam upon arrival. In the case of Qatar, I had to have three reference letters, teacher certification, a passport, a digital photo, scanned copies of degrees, a nationwide police check with fingerprints, a doctor`s note of general good health, an HIV blood test, and a TB chest x-ray. This turned out to be something of a pain in the...chest. I had to make an appointment with the doctor, because unlike the Americans, we can not just order our own x-rays up here. Then I had to go get the x-ray done at a private lab. Then I had to wait for them to send the results to the doctor. Did I mention that the doctor didn't want to do it because there's a more reliable test for TB? I explained that, "What the Emir wants, the Emir gets" so the doctor agreed. But when I went to pick up final results today, nowhere was there a mention on them that the x-ray showed no TB. I had to wait 30 minutes so the doctor could grumpily scratch a hand-written note on the lab results. Awesome.

While downtown, I asked the marvelous Amber to scan and email the results for me, since I no longer have access to the HWW scanner. She did so, and we hung out downtown, and bought her some shoes.

Next stop was to mail six paper-sized boxes at Canada Post, containing a few trinkets. My Wizard of Oz poster from NY, a favourite pillow, art books for my new job, plates, cups, and glasses, pictures of friends and family for my new home and so on, were the contents of these boxes that were between three and nine pounds each. So guess how much it cost to mail them? $750.00! Please note international job seekers: If you plan to take more than the shirt on your back, be sure your employer helps you out with moving expenses. I am happy to say that mine does, and $750 is well within the budget they gave me, but I was still shocked.

Tonight I went to training for my job serving at Stampede that starts on Thursday. It was pretty standard. The girls I work with are all gorgeous and nice so far. They gave us t-shirts that we have to wear as our uniform. They are ok in design, but the ugly standard t-shirt cut that makes you look like you're wearing a potato sack. I had permission to "modify", but I couldn't just cut, I had to sew. Upon returning to Chez Bath for the night I immediately designed something I can live with, a lower neck line, shorter sleeves, and I cut off that ugly finish on the bottom that looks bad on everyone, whether you are 110 pounds, or 310 and sewed a cute scalloped edge instead. NOW I can be a kick ass beer girl.

That's what's going on today. Lastly, I will leave you with an Arabic saying (part of my research on my new home). 

 “A foolish man may be known by six things: Anger without cause, speech without profit, change without progress, inquiry without object, putting trust in a stranger, and mistaking foes for friends.”