The new adventure has begun!

So here it is - the inaugural blog of my new life!

After an exciting last few weeks in London filled with good times and good byes it was off to Canada for wedding preparation and visiting family and friends. It was then to southern Ontario for our wonderful wedding, followed by a drive out to Fredericton and now here we are, in the middle of the hot, sandy desert in Doha, Qatar. To say it's been a whirlwind of summer is a gross understatement!

Our wedding was wonderful. It was too quick but was really fantastic! We had such a wonderful time - thanks to everyone who helped make that day special, we are so very thankful. We cannot wait to get some more photographs and will be posting any we can online. If you were there you know Ben was taking plenty of photographs and video and is making a wedding video for us. Once it's done I will be sure to post the link on here so you all can watch!

We left for Qatar unsure of many things. Unsure what to do with our documents to make sure they were valid, visas, our accommodation, what we would be teaching, clothes to wear, and how we would be getting around the city. There were so many things we didn't know it was impossible to even get our heads around it. We certainly knew less than more, if that makes sense! After an incredibly long flight, sitting apart, hot and sweaty - we arrived to a dark, hot place. Thankfully, our apprehension was soon alleviated as two wonderful staff members from our school met us at the airport with massive signs in hand! We both got welcome packs filled with information, including a pre paid SIM card for our phone as a gift from the school. We met some fellow Canadians and soon felt much better. We were dropped off at our compound (which, amazingly, is right beside our school) and found our apartment. We were shocked! The accommodations are HUGE! We have three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a king size bed. The kitchen is not perfect, but it's pretty darn good for being free. We have all the basics and will slowly work to collect other things to make our place homey. We haven't fully unpacked yet but we are working on it!

We've had two tours of the city on a bus so far and are starting to get our bearings. It's a funny place. Everything is sandy and dusty, there are tiny patches of grass scattered throughout the city, but it's not common. The Qatari people have so much money that they just build places. Look up on google images the Doha skyline. These buildings are beautiful and the architecture is quite advanced. You'd be shocked to know that most of them are empty. The people here are anticipating growth and for good reason. Within the last few years the population has grown 9%. The vast majority of the population is expatriate, mostly being from India. The local people are easily recognizable with the women wearing traditional black covering from head to toe, some even covering their entire face with a black veil. The men wear a white covering from neck to ankle with a headdress that has several variations - I am in the process of finding out with the different things mean. It's very interesting. These men, however, do think they are better than the rest of the world. And definitely better than women. An Irish girl we've become friends with kept getting shoved to the back of the queue by Qatari men while trying to exchange money. However, so far I have not had any problems.

We had our first meeting at the school today. We received a lot of information and got to have a tour. It is an amazing facility! Huge indoor pool, gym, and everything a school needs. The best part is that we only have to walk through a gate to get to school! I still don't know what exactly I will be teaching. I was told it would likely be grade 2 and upon arrival I was told kindergarten. At the meeting today I asked for some clarification and now I've been told "no one knows for sure". Haha. So I will have to wait and see. I don't mind either way! There is a new principal and plenty of new heads of departments and whatnot - new, fresh ideas and determination - I think we will have a good time and will have our ideas listened to. I am truly looking forward to work!

Right now is near the end of the Holy month of Ramadan. The time of the year when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. We are not Muslim and are not fasting, however we must respect the culture and not eat or drink anything in public during daylight hours. Including water and chewing gum. It's very important for us to respect this for any hope of successfully blending in! The sun has nearly set so we are off to find some food nearby and get some other shopping done. Speaking of shopping - ANYTHING you want - you can get here! All American franchises are here:McDonalds, Subway, Burger King, Dairy Queen (that store wasn't even in London!) Ponderosa, Applebee's, Chili's... the list goes on! Anyway - I hope that's enough of an update for now - I will surely have plenty more to share as the days go on! I will likely blog again soon since we have a lot of time until school begins and cannot leave the country...

All my love,

Amy