Soon

It's 3:52am and I'm just waiting for the next bus home. The Opening Ceremony is in just over two days time and I doubt I'll get a chance to post for a while as we'll be flat out.

The days have been a bit up and down. I think it's just my body's way of settling into a different rhythmn. Happily I've settled down a bit. Admittedly the weather has changed quite a bit in Doha. Gone are the 30 degree days. Instead we've had 20-25 degree days and light rain.

Monday was a luxurious day off for some of us. Laundry was gratefully cleaned while we stocked up on groceries and other items. Gene, Nick & I spent our day at City Centre where we enjoyed a variety of take away foods for lunch and purchased the odd piece of clothing for the upcoming Europe trip. Gene bought me a watch as I think he finds the Baby G a bit big on me and also because he's been wanting to buy me a watch for a while at least until we get home. He also got a G-Shock watch of his own which he loves.

I'm having trouble getting to sleep at the moment. Again I think it's to do with the different rhythmns and also just the excitement of the ceremony being so soon.

It's interesting to note that 8 months to the day on the Closing Ceremony of the Asian Games, we were Opening Melbourne's.

See you all on the other side of the Ceremony!

Ways to Wait

Currently waiting for our booking confirmation for our tour of Norway in late January. I discovered that up in Tromso they have the Northern Light Festival from 22nd January for about a week. I was pretty excited so I’m hoping we’ll get to spend at least two days of our tour exploring the festival before heading back down to France.

Things are getting busier at work (if that’s at all possible) but it’s going well.

I’m amazed that we’ve managed to stay on top of our laundry needs during this period. I tend to bake cookies and have dinner while waiting for the washing machine to finish it’s 35 minute wash cycle before hanging it out and passing out in bed. At least I have clean clothes and cookies. Add a cup of tea into that mixture and anything is possible!

A serenade, bandages & the unexpected

What a surreal and fantastic 24 hours have just passed!

Last night as I was readying myself to head home I was called over to a seat near the quartermaster's store and serenaded by one of the crew members. Rob (the aforementioned crew members) sang Just the Way You Are as he'd been singing it in our site shed one night after Anneke had the song stuck in her head. Rob then said he needed to work on the song a bit and I suggested a repeat performance one night. So last night it was. Complete with backing track! Then Play that Funky Music resounded over the system and the crew, locals, workshop and general passersby in the compound alike, danced for the duration of the song. It was great to see people smiling as they went past!

I headed home and drew myself a nice hot bath to try and ease my sore shoulder and back muscles. I'm currently waiting to find out if the osteopath that is recommended has enough time to see me. I hope so! There's a little point just to the right side of my spine between my shoulder blades that hurts. I can feel the pressure there... I just can't seem to ease it though. Anyhow, I did that and listened to the soothing sounds of the Baraka soundtrack.

Twenty minutes of meditation finished my relaxation for the night and I crawled in to bed and dozed off within seconds. Can I just say that I've never had so much trouble focusing on one thing for twenty minutes before? I think the meditation is a good thing. I've woken up feeling really good this morning.

Speaking of waking up... I woke up this morning, rolled over to give Gene a hug and was shocked to see a huge, okay rather large, bandage on his left hand. It held his middle and ring finger together and went down across his palm to his wrist. He was asleep though so I didn't want to wake him up but I was alarmed never the less. I went to open a packet of tissues and woke him up doing so and he explained that it wasn't as bad as it looked (typical boy style I thought). His finger (middle) had gotten caught between two bits of steel and there was a cut and some bruising but he didn't think it was broken (he can still move it). Apparently he woke the nurse up so he thinks that's how he ended up with the large bandage instead of the bandaid he was after. Phew! Shall monitor it just incase he is just being a boy about it, but I think he'll be fine.

This brings me to the unexpected part of the twenty-four hours. After fussing over Gene while trying to get ready for work I realised I was going to need to run for the shuttle (nothing new there). I trooped off down the stairs and opened the front door to see... rain. I was stunned. I watched it for a moment with the grin of a cheshire cat on my face before heading upstairs to get a cardigan/jackety thing to cover up so that I didn't have to sit in the office with damp clothes all day. The rain was light but it was actual rain as opposed to the odd drop of water. It's starting to ease now but it's possibly going to continue lightly through the day.

I love it!

Really

Today was the first day in a few weeks that I was at work at 0900. It's funny how you know that you need to be awake "early" the next day and yet the night before you just can't seem to convince yourself to be asleep any earlier, even if you try.

So in an attempt to relax and have a clear head ready for bed I listened to the Learn to Meditate podcast that I'd downloaded recently. There were two things that I really loved about it. Firstly it was a podcast from the Meditation Society of Australia which meant that there were Australian voices narrating. I've forgotten the second... clearly it wasn't that important to me... It was really good though. Certainly cleared my head and made me ready for bed. They advise you not to lie down while meditating as you're more likely to fall asleep. Good advice!

Gene & I played tag at the front door this morning. He ended up working about 14.5 hours last night. Just as I was reaching for my keys to open the front door from inside the villa he opened it. A quick hug and kiss and it was time for him to go to bed and me to run for the shuttle bus. (Well, walk quickly, haven't had to run for a while).

The temperature has cooled in Doha to a pleasant sounding 23-26 degrees at the moment. I say "pleasant sounding" because in all our minds it should be pleasant. However having been in 40-50 degree heat for the last few months, 23-26 degrees seems a little on the cool side. A few jumpers and sweaters have come out of the wardrobe/suit cases and a couple of jackets too.

Everything's relative really...

Able to Fly

Flights have been booked! We’ll be departing Doha on the 23rd December to arrive at around midday at Charles De Gaulle airport on Christmas Eve. What a Christmas present! I’m feeling much happier about the trip knowing that we’re actually going to get there (and back again) and that it’s all confirmed. That’s one less thing to keep me up at night. Now all that remains is finding time with both the lads to talk Eurail passes while they’re still on sale... getting our youth cards organised etc

Gene’s still trying to find time to call his French family but due to work hours and time zones it’s pretty tricky!

Life is stressful at the moment but I’ve discovered the joys of video podcasts. Now I can enjoy some relaxing meditation & yoga in the half hour before I fall asleep at night. I am definitely a bit fan of the audio book as it means that I can keep my eyes closed and still enjoy the story. I’ve always loved being read to. There’s just so much out there! I love my iPod 

Confirmations

Accommodation for the last two weeks in Europe as been booked. Just about to pay the deposit and we're all set for the end of the trip!

Didn't get much sleep last night. Not much of an appetite today either. Busy day though which is good. Will definitely try and make my bus tonight and get some sleep. Am finding it a little hard as the only person in the villa who's not on night shift. C'est la vie.

Four Seasons booking confirmation came through today too which was great. I can't wait :)

Progress

First booking for the Big Trip (working title) has been made. I appear to be working backwards. Our one night of luxury in the Four Seasons Doha in a Standard Room is all set for the 8th-9th February. I think it will be a much appreciated treat after our whirlwind tour of Europe.

Actually I'm in the process of trying to make it a little less whirlwind to make sure that we come home with something in our pockets! As such I've made a booking enquiry for our final European destination in the South of France and we'll try and stay there for two weeks. It looks like an amazing house (I may have posted the link earlier, if not I'll do so when we get confirmation of the booking). It's a great price for the accommodation as well as being in a great place... Here's hoping we can get the booking!

I took a video today of the view from the shuttle to work just for kicks and it was a perfect day to do so. Our bus went almost all the way to the stadium to discover that the road to the stadium had been closed so we drove almost two thirds of the way back to the accommodation before we could get on to the other road to work. Fab! Not to mention the off-road coach driving. Every day has a little excitement in Doha :)

We received word today that SBS will be broadcasting the Opening Ceremony at 3pm EST in Australia so any of you who are interested should be able to watch it!

Okay, must running away to do stuff now.

It's oh so quiet

Weekends are funny things. If indeed they are things at all. Back at home a weekend is Saturday and Sunday. They're days that the majority of people (apparently) don't work. Working in the jobs that we do, Gene & I don't really have weekends as such. We have Monday which is our pseudo-weekend because that's the day when there's generally no shows on. We still refer to Saturday & Sundays as weekends because that's what everyone else does.

In Qatar, the weekend is Friday and Saturday which is a little confusing. To add to the confusion Friday is the holy day which makes it a little like Sunday back at home - shops opening shorter more random hours etc.

So I get easily confused when it's Saturday or Sunday and cyberspace is quiet because I forget that everyone back home is off doing fun and exciting weekend things while I'm at work wondering why there's not even much junk email in my inbox. I'm an easily confuzzled girl when I think about it.

Work is pretty much my life at the moment with brief moments of time with Gene (and now Nick). It's good though. It really makes me appreciate more the time I do get to spend with Gene. It's still hard not to talk shop during these times but I guess that's to be expected when we're at work for most of our waking hours.

Novel is not going well at all. Knitting is doing better though. Accomplished nothing on either of them last night as I got home at 2130 and went straight (literally) to bed. Tried to listen to the first chapter of Abarat but didn't make it through... Shall try again tonight!

A Cool Doha Night

Last night the temperature dropped to 25 degrees Celsius with a cool (probably 23-24 degree) breeze and I kid you not some of the locals had jackets and beanies on. I must admit that it did actually feel cool to us as the maximum temperature that day had been 31 degrees. (Although I would swear that it was warmer)

As I was on the bus on the way home, Under the Milky Way started playing on my iPod. That song triggers a myriad of feelings and thoughts when it comes on. So much so that I can't really find words outside of my head to describe them accurately. I'll always see ballerina's flying in the air with pyro wands and silver trial bikes dancing with them. I still remember how wonderful it was to know that my friends were watching what I was watching and that I had my family in the stadium with me sharing the moment. It also makes me think of home. Not as in Melbourne, but home as in where my friends and family are. I actually think of my friends as a bit of an extended family because like my family they're always there for me. I can't see the Milky Way here in Doha. The light pollution is worsened by the dust and sand that's always in the air and as such there aren't that many stars that can be seen from the city. For the first time since I left Melbourne in mid-August I missed home.

With perfect timing as always, Nick C will be arriving in Doha in the morning. I called yesterday to let him know that I'll be buddying him and meeting him at the airport. I managed to catch him just after Matt's show finished and it was really good to hear both their voices even with the ridiculous delay. There's something wonderful about being able to say to a friend from home, I'll see you on Saturday. It's not something that I've done for awhile!

I've got a long day of work ahead of me but I know that it's going to fly by because I'm working with great people and it's an amazing environment that I'm working in. Gene's at home tucked in bed, apparently not sleeping which is bad because he starts work in seven hours, and well for all who've asked. He sends his love to you all, but in a more, Gene-manner than I've managed to pass on.

We're both really busy and it's kind of strange being in the same place, sharing the same house and not seeing each other. I really should be used to it by now but it still gets me everytime :)

This post sounds more melancholy than I expected it to. I suppose I should stop listening to The Happy Prince just before bed because the story always makes me sad!

Hope you're all well and thanks for the emails. They make this busy, restless and exciting period easier to work through!

PS. The cold is much better. Sleep is a wonderful thing. Novel is doing less well. Completely stuck and have returned to knitting Mum's socks while procrastinating.

Improving

Things are looking up today. I've had 12 almost solid hours sleep. Woke about at the 6 hour mark in a panic because I thought I was late for work, turned out it was only 3:43am. Still sitting on just under 2,500 words of novel but I'm still pretty happy with that considering my workload and recent cold.

Happily the cold has subsided quite a bit after my good long sleep so I'm sipping on my raspberry & echinacea tea having just had my vitamin C, spirulina and garlic oil capsules and I'm feeling fine! :)

Gene & I are both very excited at Nick's impending arrival in Doha and look forward to welcoming him to the glories of desert life (tee hee). No, it'll be fine Nick! No really! You can trust us. :)

I've already bumped into one of the girls I went to uni with over here who's here to followspot. It's always nice to see a familiar face when you're abroad.

Totally stuck on my novel. Have contemplated re-starting but am trying to fight that urge. Next year I'm going to have a plot outline I swear.

iPod is still going well and I'm happily (or tearily) falling asleep to "The Happy Prince" and other stories by Oscar Wilde. I always cry when I hear that story. Not sure why I decided to listen to it before bed.

Okay, running away to be busy now. Can't wait to show you all pictures of Doha when I get back!

Argh. I repeat - Argh.

Keep meaning to post but have a feeling this won't be happening much in the next thirty or so days...

Monday's news:
- iPod finally arrived. YAY! Music all synchronised and have tried all the games. Podcasts are my bedtime stories.

Tuesday's news:
I never thought I'd be so excited about PPE (personal protective equipment for those with more normal jobs) - Gene Hedley

Our brand new Petzl hard hats arrived. Red so that they go faster?

Mail from Melbourne arrived as well. Mainly bills for me. *sigh*

Wednesday's news:
Started handwriting first 300 or so words of novel. Doubt it's going to get far but I think I'm doing better than last year already. Will remember to bring laptop home tonight instead of locking it up at work. Still loving my iPod. V. Busy.

Thursday's news:
ARGH.