If I could make a wish...

If I could make a wish here in Qatar, it would be to find a job! For the past month, I've been looking all over for a job. Okay maybe I'm exaggerating with the "all over" part but still I've been making a serious and committed effort to find a job. I just graduated with an MBA in Management so I'm looking for assistant manager positions or just anything that would make my degree worth all those sleepless nights and endless exams/papers I endured to get it.

First things first, I asked around with some of the expats here to get some insight on how to best increase my chances to get a job here. They let me know that since I do not have strong work experience, it may be difficult to get a top position right away. It may be best to settle a bit and work my way up. That is fine with me. At this point, I realized I just need to get my foot in the door, especially since I'm trying to secure a job before my visit visa expires in April.

The way it works around here is I need to be sponsored by the business in which I want to work since I do not live here originally. I find that part to be the most tricky because most of the businesses hiring here are looking for people that already live here so that they do not have to sponsor them. Then again, I said most not all. So there's still hope.

With an optimistic attitude, I started searching. First I went online to the popular job sites here like naukrigulf.com, bayt.com, indeed.com (Doha), and the like. I saw countless of jobs but most were looking for Filipino/Filipina, Indian, or Qatari nationals and male Arabic/English speakers. Greeaaattt *sighs unenthusiastically*... I didn't fit the bill for any of those jobs. However, I was not going to let those jobs get me down. It's their loss! I'd be a great fit for any of those jobs if only I had the chance. Thankfully I found other jobs through searching American universities here in Qatar like Weill Cornell Medical College, Northwestern University, etc. and I applied. So far, I've applied to countless jobs mostly through naukrigulf.com, American university sites, and indeed.com. I'm yet to hear any reply from those sources.

It's quite hard to apply online here because it's difficult to know if my CV ever got in the right hands or if I was just passed over. I even tried going to Qatar Financial Center to look for a job as an administrative assistant with a law firm there only to be sent on my way because that firm prefers a copy of my CV sent by email rather than given in person. So I asked around again and I heard from a lot of expats, mostly British ones, that it's not about being qualified or not, but about who you know. Because who you know here can really help you out a great deal. They can get my CV into the right hands and the rest is history. After hearing this, I got in touch with some of my auntie's friends and gave them my CV to pass to their HR department. I also got in touch with some recruiters here like Global Women Qatar and Reed Qatar. Recruiters here can help a great deal because they get some financial benefit from getting me a job so that's more of an incentive for them.

Me trying to look professional when looking for jobs

All I know is that if it is God's will for me to stay here, that door will open regardless of my nationality, race, my Arabic speaking skills, etc. I'll keep putting myself out there and I'll keep on trying though. God only helps those that help themselves you know. So I'll remain hopeful and just pray concerning this area of finding a job.

Thank you for reading this. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Until next time, take care.

A Time for Joy, A Time for Sorrow

Hello all! I'm not really sure how many people read this blog but I'm thankful even if one person reads it. So it's been a while now since my last post and so much has happened. Let me recap...I saw Pharrell Williams in concert, I saw a handball tournament (never heard of the sport in my life), I got my visa renewed for another month, and I started applying for jobs here in Qatar. Yep, I like it so much here that I would like to get a job. It's so funny that I'm at this stage of my trip, I'm so comfortable with Doha that I want to stay as long as I can. If I could go back to that nervous and anxious girl one month ago, I would tell her to chill out and relax because everything is going to be okay.

Yes, I saw the Pharrell Williams in concert about a week ago! It followed a handball match that was held in Lusail. Handball is a sport that looks like basketball with a soccer-esque goal. The place was packed! Pharrell put on such a good show! I was really surprised that I got such great seats at a good price. I was in the 11th row and I paid 100 Riyal (about $26). I probably could've sat anywhere actually. No one was really checking seats. In fact, it was quite chaotic. There really wasn't any order to the whole program at all. Despite that I still had a good time and I danced to pretty much all his songs. I really wasn't sure if dancing at a concert is allowed or not but when I saw other concert-goers dancing, I figured I could bust a move. I found strange was that I saw that most of the Qatari citizens, if not all, did not dance at all. They just sat there and watched, which I think is really hard to do since Pharrell's songs have great beats. Let's just say I danced enough for all of them!

Pharrell Williams!!!

Handball sport (Denmark vs. Russia)

A few days later, the King of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah, died at the ripe old age of 90. It sent a shock through this country and the rest of the Middle East. Qatar mourned for his death for about 12 hours. There was no cause for celebration. I was going to go to another concert (British reggae band UB40) the same day that the monarch died but it was cancelled due to the mourning period. Even all the radio stations played music in honor of the late king. I heard that other countries, like Bahrain, mourn for 40 days! What a display of respect and honor!

After the mourning period was over, everything went back to normal. Gwen Stefani played a few days later in the same arena but I did not attend that one. I heard it was a great performance! On another note, my visit visa is renewed for another month! Yay! I feel like I can't get enough of this place! What I love the most is that it is such a mixing pot here with all the expats and I'm learning not only about the Qatari culture but also of the British, Irish, Iraqi, Indian, Pilipino, and so many other cultures as well. I really love that! It makes me more culturally aware and less insensitive.

To try and extend my stay even more, I'm in the process of looking for jobs. This endeavor is challenging but not impossible. Like anything worth having, it does not come easy. It means that I have to get out of my comfort zone (always sitting in front of my computer and sending resumes) and actually put my face in front of potential employers. I think part of the challenge comes with the fact that I'm dealing with a culture entirely different from my own. Here, it is very common for employers to be gender-specific as well as nationality-specific when it comes to choosing potential candidates. I was on a popular website for finding jobs, www.naukrigulf.com, and when I searched for a certain job, the search results came back in hundreds but once I chose jobs seeking females, the number went down to 20! I was floored! However, I won't let that deter me. There are many other sites to choose from, including indeed.com, qatarloving.com, qatarliving.com, and the list goes on. I'm determined to at least try and see what is out there. No harm ever came from trying.

Well that's all for now. Hopefully next time I check in, I would have made some progress in my job search (Insha'Allah). I will keep you posted. Until next time, take care!

Oh Baby Baby!

Hello all! It's been a bit challenging to post a new blog because my aunt just had a bouncing baby boy! Well it's been exactly a week since that has happened but still the excitement hasn't settled yet. I'm so happy to have yet another cousin and he's so adorable! He plus my other cousins here now equal five! What a number! That's where I come in. While mommy and the new baby adjust to home life, I'm here to help out and ease my aunt's burdens a bit. Here's a little peek into my family:

 Mommy and baby 

Daddy and baby

Me and the eldest cousin

Me and the second oldest

The two younger cousins

Isn't my family just gorgeous?! Well, I told myself that when I ever want to have children, I will come to Doha. First of all, my aunt delivered in the Hamad Women's hospital. Her total bill for a C-section delivery was only 400 Qatari riyal, which comes to about $109.90. Wow! She says it's this low because (1) she has a medical card, which only requires her to pay 100 riyal ($27) a year for medical coverage and (2) she didn't deliver in a private facility, which would require her to pay at least 20,000 riyals ($5,495). That's incredible to me! Also price aside, the reason I would like to deliver here is because of the floral arrangement given by family and friends to the new mother. There are very beautifully arranged and so vibrant! My aunt received this one from some Qatari friends of hers and her husband: 

It even came with a side of chocolates that had the words "It's A Boy" written on them. How cute is that?! It's possible my reasons for choosing this place to give birth may be a bit shallow (hehe) but I think the travel bug bit me in such a way that I'm just so happy to be in a new place and to experience a culture so different from my own!

I feel at peace here and I don't feel like an outsider for the most part. At least not when I'm around my family. But when I go out to the supermarket or anywhere, I feel like I'm on display. My faith doesn't require me to wear a hijab but sometimes I would like to just get one so that I can blend in. I get stared at so much it makes me a bit uncomfortable sometimes. It gets even more out of hand when I walk around with my white uncle and my cousins. I'm all for interracial love because love isn't limited to color of the skin so I see no problem with it. My aunt and uncle are so used to it that sometimes they just stare back with the same intensity that they receive. For me, I'm not sure if it's because I look so different or what but the stares will definitely take some getting used to. In the meantime, I just shrug it off. At the end of the day, I know that I'm not dressing immodestly or in any kind of manner that draws attention to myself in a bad way. 

All that aside, I'm still in love with Doha and I would definitely like to stay here for as long as I can. I'm even in the process of seeing how I can get a job here, God willing (or Insha'Allah in Arabic). I'll give further details about that process soon. Doha is definitely a nice place to live in and stay for a while. The food is great! Most of the people are kind and hospitable! And the weather is definitely agreeable! Here are some more pictures: 

Until next time, take care and all the best! Oh and happy birthday Daddy! I miss you!!

First Impressions: Doha, Qatar

(Qatar in Arabic)

I've now spent about a week in Doha. What a week it has been! There's so much to tell you all but I will try my best to keep this memoir as short as possible. Where do I even begin?! Already, I've been to a party and a local park, gone shopping in various shops, and conversed with brilliant diverse people. It is definitely an adventure being here in Doha!

Doha is definitely breathtaking! When I first arrived here, which was at 4am in the morning, all I can remember was that the place looked so clean! I literally could not see one piece of trash anywhere on the highway nor on the sidewalk! At night, the city lit up and the view was amazing. During the day, Doha looks like paradise. There are palms trees everywhere. I can definitely tell that this city is brimming with wealth. The architecture of some of the buildings here are unique and magnificent. Words just cannot describe how beautiful and serene this place looks.

Beautiful scenery aside, I can definitely feel the influence of the Islam religion here. Everywhere I go, it is very common to see the majority of the Qatari people in the traditional Muslim clothing. The women wear their hijab or their niqabs and the men were their thawbs. Seeing them like this definitely makes me more self-conscious about my appearance because I don't want to be that tourist that wears whatever I want and offends others. However, I feel a bit sorry for the women because their clothing is in all black and the heat here can be terrible at times. 

Speaking of climate, the weather here is like being in the desert. The early mornings and evenings are quite chilly but during the day, the sun is out with all its presence. It can get as high as 79 or 80 degrees F (26 or 27 degrees C) and I'm told this is their hottest winter. Let's just say it's nice to pull out the sandals and short-sleeve shirts again.

Additionally, there are some other disparities I found here in comparison to the US. First of all, this country doesn't follow the Western calendar system at all. Here, the week starts on Sunday and ends on Thursday. Friday through Saturday is considered the weekend. Friday is usually when the people go to church. Church here is the mosque. My aunt told me there is one mosque about every 10 meters because they want to make the mosque accessible to everyone. I live close to one and every few hours, I can hear the call to prayer on the loudspeaker.

Also, there are a lot of expats here. Expats is short for expatriates, which are people who live (and work) outside of their native country. My aunt and uncle here (both of Irish citizenship) are expats and a lot of their friends are as well. I've seen a lot of expats from the UK, Bangladesh, India, South Africa, and Thailand. There are many benefits to working and living here. Namely, there is no tax on income here. Whatever you make is what you keep. Also, there is no tax on food so if you go to a restaurant you don't have to figure out the tip. Gone are the days of calculating a 20% tip on a $50.00 meal. Yay! Moreover, the currency here is called the Qatari Riyal and 1 Qatari Riyal equals 0.27 US Dollars. 

All in all, I can definitely see myself living here. Everything I can find in the US, I can find here.  Granted, the religion and the customs may take some time to adjust to (I'm a proud Christian) but that's all part of culture shock. I'm more intrigued by this culture and I make sure I ask a lot of questions just to get an understanding of what is around me. I'm not sure what the rest of my stay will be like but so far I'm enjoying it here. Most of the people I've met are very nice and hospitable, except the drivers. It's such a nightmare to drive here. All the rules are thrown out of the window. And I thought DC driving was bad! God, help me!

On a sidenote, I learned two new Arabic words: "Yallah" (pronounced Yah-lah), which means "let's go" and "Shukran" (pronounced Shook-run), which means "thank you." So shukran for reading my blog and I hope you got something from it. Until next time, take care!

My flight experience

What a trip! Sadly to say it's not even over yet. My journey to Doha has been a test of my patience so far. First, I started my journey in South Carolina. After spending Christmas with my family, I had to fly back to Dulles airport in order to go from there to Abu Dhabi and then later to Doha. That means I'm taking four flights to get to my destination. I'm used to flying so it's not that difficult especially since three out of the four flights are under two hours in travel time. It was the 15-hour journey from Dulles to Doha that I was dreading.

So the first two flights went on without a hitch and I found myself in Dulles in no time. My auntie and cousins came to get me since I arrived in the early afternoon and my later flight was around 10pm. After spending a few hours with them, I went back to Dulles around 5 pm to wait for my later flight. And I mean wait! The flight was delayed for about an hour. I used this time to keep my family posted, to make sure I was sitting at the right gate, and to send silly Snapchats. I was flying with Ethiad Airways, a company I'm not really familiar with but the service was pretty good. I could tell from the check-in process alone that the airlines was detail-oriented, all business, and efficient. They even weigh all your carry-on to make sure it complies with the weight requirement. Let's just say your girl here tried to take everything but the kitchen sink with her. Thank God I was able to shift stuff around and meet all the requirements. Yes Lord!

On my way to boarding the plane, I was just praying that I wouldn't get the middle seat. It's just really inconvenient if you have to use the bathroom and I feel like I have to fight the others for my right to use the arm rest and let's not even get started with bumping shoulders. It's just too much! As luck would have it, I got the middle seat. Yay me! Maybe if I prayed that I did get the seat, then I wouldn't get it. God definitely has a sense of humor. However, at the end of this flight I was kinda glad to get the middle seat after all because I met some nice people sitting around me.

The flight was fine. Other than losing all sensation in my lower extremities, it was fine. The food was really delicious! I only got up once to use the restroom because the lady sitting next to me in the comfortable aisle seat got up so I seized the opportunity to get my stretch on. I went to the bathroom and had a mini-workout in there. I still had about 7 hours of flight left. God please help me!

Sitting on the plane I definitely felt like a minority. Besides myself, there were only about 2 or 3 brothers and sisters on the plane, if you catch my drift. Thankfully there were English translations after the Arabic speaker. The Arabic language is just so remarkable to me because it uses symbols in lieu of letters. It's definitely something I want to try learning while I'm here, even if all I can write is Hello, my name is __.

So far, I'm enjoying this immersion and I hope to learn a lot about a culture outside of stereotypes and what the media chooses to cover about this culture. I want to get that first-hand experience and make my own judgment. Unfortunately I'm yet to get to Doha as I'm waiting on a later flight from Abu Dhabi. I still have to wait for about an hour and I'm praying fatigue doesn't get the best of me. I will inform you all on my first impressions of Doha soon. Until then, take care and be blessed!

P.S. If anyone knows how to insert pictures and videos in this kind of blog, please let me know! Thanks in advance.

Oh the Places You'll Go!

For some reason the book by Dr. Seuss, "Oh the Places You'll Go!" is on my mind today. I remember this book when I was graduating from college and the pastor at my church read it out loud to all the graduates. It instilled in us a hope that our journey in life was just beginning.

“You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So... get on your way!” 
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You'll Go!

 I'm traveling to Qatar today and my day has already been a bit hectic. I have to journey from South Carolina where my parents and siblings live to Maryland to get to the Dulles Airport. Right now I'm waiting for my flight to Maryland and I'm trying to pass the time by crocheting and saying prayers in the hope that the rest of my journey will be smoooooth sailing.

I still can't believe that I'm traveling to Qatar. Doha, Qatar to be exact. It seems so random to me but I'm convinced that God planned this trip way before time and it is just unfolding now. But still...Qatar?! When I think about this trip I'm about to embark upon, my mind goes to the story in the Bible concerning Abraham. In Genesis 12:1, God said to Abraham, "Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you." And guess what? Abraham, illustrating great faith, just left his land and trusted God. That's amazing!

As for me, I won't lie. I had my moments of panic. I questioned God's direction. I was like, "God really? Doha? You sure?" This trip came very suddenly and before I knew it, I was packing all my things out of my auntie and uncle's house in MD the day after I graduated from business school and getting ready for a trip that I believe will undeniably change my life. Despite my whining and complaining, I had to realize that I had to trust God in this and that He is indeed working all things out for my good (Romans 8:28).

So yes, I'm excited for Qatar now! I'm excited for any opportunities that may come my way! I'm excited for whatever God has in store for me! I'm excited to see more of my great, big, African family! So in this excitement, I decided to do a little research of the place to which I'm going. I learned that Qatar is an Arab country located in Western Asia. Its official language is Arabic. It is the world's richest country per capita and has the highest human development in the Arab world. Its culture is influenced by Islam. Its climate is warm and as warm as it is (75 degrees F), I can't wear tank tops. There is so much more information to consider but I'll stop here.

I know that the culture is different than what I'm used to but I'm up for any challenge. I've always had a desire to travel to many countries and immerse myself in as many cultures as possible. I love how God made us all unique and different. I believe it's our differences that actually make us connect. It's all about appreciating the different perspectives and having an open mind. I can't wait to see how the people are like in Qatar and how their culture differs from mine.

I'll definitely keep you all in touch with the rest of my travel and my first impression of Doha, Qatar. I should be arriving there tomorrow evening.