High Rise LIving in Qatar

It's been a few weeks since my last post and I will try and catch up with everything!  First, I moved into my new flat at the beginning of May, and am enjoying it immensely!  I am in Flat 511 and have a lovely view of the apartment building next door and the construction site across the alleyway.  Charming. 

There are some things that take getting used to, of course.



Living Room with "custom" draperies.



My laundry consists of the smallest washing machine known to man which is located under the counter in the kitchen.  I can fit one bath towel and a few small things in one load.  It take 2-1/2 hours per load, since the machine spins out most of the water (there being no dryer available).  I have a drying rack which reminds me of my college days! 

The hot water heater (the "geyser") is mounted near the ceiling in the master bathroom.  It took me about a week to realize the reason I didn't have any hot water was because the mysterious switch on the wall in the DINING ROOM on the other side of the apartment actually had to be switched on to heat the geyser. 

The floors are large marble tiles, which are nice and cool all the time.  They are not very forgiving, however, when I let something slip out of my hand. 



All the "artwork" is hung ridiculously high on the wall. 



The satellite TV is sporadic at best, and, when requesting service, one must realize that they don't make appointments and normally show up in the LATE evening to do the work weeks after being contacted for an appointment.  I have been caught twice in my pj's!  It is interesting to sit in silence with 3 Indian gentlemen who don't speak English, watching the snow on the TV while the satellite resets itself.  As my nephew likes to say, "Awkward".   

I am enjoying the crack security team downstairs.  They let the 3 satellite TV "repairmen" into the building unescorted at 10:30pm, but when my colleagues arrived for a dinner at 6:30pm, they escorted them to my door to make sure they are legitimate.  Hmmmm.  They are very handy for running simple errands.  They will run over to the corner market and pick up groceries, although I found I needed to be VERY specific with my instructions after asking for 1/2 dozen eggs and getting two dozen.  Omelet anyone?

I have a phone on the wall of the apartment which doesn't have a dial tone.  I asked about this - and was told this is the security phone to let people into the building (like guests).  My Canadian neighbor, Gordon, and I have tried it with each other's flats, to no avail.  Besides, I have never known the door to the elevator lobby to ever be locked.  In fact, for a week or so, it didn't even have a knob or handle so if one wanted to exit the elevator lobby, one had to pound on the door to be let out of the building by the security team.  It was perfectly easy to get into the building, however. 

The place is nice, and comfortable.  I really like being about to cook my dinner and have settled in nicely.  I have an air mattress and a second bathroom with hot water if you want to visit!