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!
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