Middle East Feet

The End of the Chapter...

2008-07-24T17:33:00.002+03:00

I finally got on the flight and was back in the ‘burg before you knew it. Most of you know what has happened since then, but basically I am spending my time between White Sulphur Springs, Morgantown, and Pittsburgh. I saw my sister get married in a beautiful ceremony where as Carrie's friends put it...they saw a 'sparkle' of a tear during the ceremony. I am applying for jobs trying to enjoy my time off. I am enjoying Greenbrier county and all of the things that make it home. I am riding a wonderful Harley on some amazing trips. Thanks for always riding along, Uncle John. We all miss you. Mom and Dad asked me to help on some projects around the house...be careful what you ask for. I think I am working them crazy, but I am having a blast with the parents that I love so dearly.

I have no idea where I am going to end up or what I am going to be doing. So far I have applied for Jobs in Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Vermont, and Texas. I am still hoping for that fellowship, but we will see.

This is probably the end of this blog. I will start another on whatever adventure I end up on. I have no idea of the name or have no idea of when it will start, but I will put a link to it on here. I will also let everyone know when it is up. I cannot believe how far this blog has reached. It is amazing the people that tell me they read it all the time. I get comments from friends of friends that I never thought had any idea what was going on. People in many of the states and around the world, from 'Mum' in Pittsburgh to friends on the west coast and Europe. Wow. I realize how many friends and family that I have and how special they are to me. It is really nice when I see all of them again…that they already have read what I have been up to…so there is no need to update and tell the story 100 times.

Finally, This has been a heck of a trip. I have grown professionally and personally. I have made some great friends and truly consider myself ‘international’ now. I traveled to some amazing places such as Bahrain, Dubai, Jordan, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Austria. Worked with some really great people from Pittsburgh and Qatar. That included everyone from Tunisians, Australians, South Africans, Canadians, Egyptians, Lebanese, Jordanians, Syrians, Iranians, Iraqis, Qataris, UAE, Filipino, Indonesian, New Zealand, etc. I lived in the Ritz Carlton for 2 Months. I played cards with a great group of people with as many different nationalities. I got Insh' Allahed a thousand times. I learned a lot about Islam and the Muslim culture. I learned that not everyone hates Americans and that not everyone in a white robe is a terrorist.

It was truly a great experience…to have a country boy from West Virginia working with Arabs in the Middle East… Who would have thought it? When asked “Knowing what you know now, would you choose to do it all over again? Or Are you happy you did it?

Absolutely.

Chilling in Rotterdam

2008-07-24T17:31:00.001+03:00

So, I got to Rotterdam finally and was able to hook up with Chad. It was really early in the morning, but he was nice enough to come down and pick me up. The weather was just a bit chilly with a wonderful drizzle in the air. It was fantastic and a welcome relief. We settled in and started our tour around town. We just started walking and they showed me thing like the Cube Houses, Some Local Parks, and just nice sights and sounds of Rotterdam. We hit a few rainstorms throughout the day, but otherwise it was awesome. We stopped at little deli for a awesome HAM sandwich…I am not in the middle east anymore! We continued walking and looking around when I passed a cheese shop. Carol told me that since I was in Holland I was required to import cheese that you can only get in Holland. So I went into the cheese store and was able to procure a few wheels. I got one for Mom and Dad as well.

We continued on to a local watering hole that Chad loves. Since the Tasty beverages are so great in this city we had to start trying them. So we were on a little bit of a tasting mission throughout this weekend. After walking for a while longer we stopped at another place to get a tasty beverage. Since I did not get any sleep on the plane…I was crashing hard. They even said something about me falling asleep while talking to them. So we decided to walk back to the house to allow me to take a short nap. I slept about an 1:00-1:15 and it was fantastic. I woke up feeling great…a much needed renewal.

After the nap we walked to another park. I know…but it is so nice to see green. We walked to the tower in Rotterdam which when we got closer we saw that people were repelling off of. How cool is that? We took the elevator ride to the top and got a great view of the city. After the tower we met one of Chad’s co-workers Slowka at a bar. She is from Slovakia and her English is broken enough to make it funny. She was hilarious and I had a great time making fun of and not understanding my WV accent. It was getting late, even thought the sun was still up so we headed home. Chad and I decided to watch the Sugar Bowl…how great is that? The girls joined us later. Soon after Slowka left, Suzie headed to bed and Chad and I finally crashed. It was so nice to sleep with window open and hear the sounds of the city. It was also so nice to sleep where it was naturally cool outside and you didn’t need air conditioning.

The next morning I woke up to Suzanne and Chad cooking Pancake/Crepe style breakfast. No syrup, just dip it in a strawberry or peanut butter mix for flavor. We walked down to the docks which was a great journey and not too far from the house. We saw that a cruise ship had pulled in and was a wild sight to see. It was huge. It took a while to get there because we had to walk down to the bridge and then back to the boat. We decided to keep walking to another historical attraction, the Hotel New York. This is a hotel that has been around a long time. This is where people stayed while they were preparing to make the transatlantic journey in the early 1900’s. Very historical and very cool. They were in the process of a renovation, so that was a little hectic. However, the tasty beverage counter was open so we enjoyed our first tasty beverage of the day…and we helped Suzy eat a piece of wonderful apple pie. It was getting close to a late lunch for us so we went to Smaak for appetizers. It was a really great meal and it was not that far from their place. We headed back to the house as they were the ones that needed a nap…so I played online and updated my blog.

After the nap we headed to another restaurant near their place to enjoy a nice dinner. It was a fantastic steak place and was not that expensive. Afterwards, we headed down to a very popular area to watch the European cup final game between Germany and Spain. The Dutch are not too favorable of the Germans…so when a German fan went by…they treated them like a Tech fan. It was really hilarious. We watched the entire game and realized it was late…but still dusk. When we got home we realized that the reason for such a late sunset was our latitude. I thought we were in the range of New York…or something…however Rotterdam is more like Nova Scotia or Calgary. They have like 18 hours of sunlight a day. Wow. Plus I was there during the longest days of the year…

It was a really early morning the next day and I really appreciate Chad helping me back to the train. I got on and when I got to the airport, I found that flight had been delayed about 5 hours. FUN! Luckily I was flying business class, which allowed me access to the lounge. When I got there it was awesome. Not as nice as I have had before…but nice none the less. The best part was they had a self serve buffet and a full self serve bar. It had all of the necessities, mixers, and a Heineken tap. So, my feelings about being stuck were slowly abating. Soon I was on a plane for the final leg of my trip.

The End of Doha...

2008-07-04T06:44:00.001+03:00

My last week in Doha was crazy busy. I am going to give you a quick update of what was going on.

Sunday was easy with our normal pod meetings and operational meetings. Sunday evening was making sure I was totally in my suitcases ready for the movers to come. All of my stuff was getting packed and shipped on Monday, so I had to be ready. Monday was nothing special just finishing up some random projects and trying to get out the last edition of the newsletter before I leave. At 3:00 I had another interview for the fellowship and found out I am much closer to getting it. The first round of interviews narrowed the list down to 10. The second round narrowed It down to 6. Depending on how I did, I might get the third round of interviews with the big boss next week. He is going to select 1-2 candidates for the position. No matter what happens, I feel great to be in the top 6 of 51 applicants. That tells me a lot. At 4:00 the movers came and packed up all of my stuff. They did a really good job packing and moving everything and I was a step closer to moving out. Tuesday was another busy day with my last educational meeting at 7:30 followed by a day full of more filling in the gaps and making sure that the new guys were up and running. That afternoon, I had an interview with an EMS service in the Midwest. (Wisconsin) Very cool little service, nice looking town. I think I did really well with that interview as well. After the interview, a group of neighbors and friends took me out to the Irish Harp. We even ran into some people from EMS there. It was a great time and nice to hang out one more time.

Wednesday, I was supposed to teach the Docs from 9-1, however none of them showed up. There loss! I was able to stop and see some people that I probably would not have got the chance to see otherwise. I was able to get to the Helicopter office once more and the Trauma office. About 1:00, the new Pittsburgh project director came to EMS to be introduced and showed around. We had a really big lunch for/with her and it was a good time to sit back and relax. At 3:00, I took her to Majestic Gardens, because she was moving into my place. So I wanted to show her around. Plus, It worked out well as I needed to grab my stuff because I was moving into the Ritz, and she could go back to the hotel with me. She already started moving stuff when she was in the house and I wasn’t even out of there yet. She is a little cooky, as she was telling me that my place was not very Fung Schwa. Whatever. It is not mine any more.

Wednesday I moved into the Ritz and my boss called and asked if I wanted to go to dinner with him. I kinda didn’t but I see him so infrequently that I thought it was a good opportunity. He, our medical director, one of the ED docs, our new director, and a local friend of his all went to an Italian place with really good food. Before going out I had my last performance appraisal and I was glad to hear that I was really a good and valued employee.

Thusday was a little tough, as my last day in the office. I made my rounds to all the offices and gave out hugs and handshakes to as many as I could find. EMS had a great lunch for me at 1:30 from Turkey Central, which was awesome. The entire building came up to enjoy some food. It was great. I was given a really nice plaque and people said some really nice things about me. Of course, Thursday night was my last night of cards. I did not win either tournament, but I didn’t play badly. I did win some on a side game, so I basically played again for free.

Friday was a chill out day. I had nothing really planned. A friend stopped by for some afternoon tea. I worked out, send my laundry away. Visited with some co-workers that were staying at the hotel, and just enjoyed a quiet last day in Doha. It was really nice. Soon it was dinner time and I was ready to call it a day. Hussein was picking me up at 8:15 so I called a bellman and went upstairs to checkout.

Arriving at the airport I was a little scared. The line went from the front doors all the way down the sidewalk. Luckily, there was some confusion as I was unloading and I was able to jump in near the doors. I don’t usually like to do that, but this is Doha and there is not really any rules. I got checked in and headed to the gate where I got my last taste of Doha entitlement. As I was sitting in the non-smoking airport a local came and sat next to me and immediately lit up a cigarette. A few mean looks did nothing and I was glad when he was finished, however much to my luck, he was a chain smoker. So it wasn’t long before he was at it again. Many staff from the airport and the airlines came by and no one would say anything to him. Typical. Did I mention I am ready to get out of here?
The flight was packed, and I forgot to ask for a window seat so I could sleep easier. So sleep was sporadic at best. We had to stop in Saudi, but I did not have to deplane. We were just picking up some more passengers and letting a few off. What was funny was the amount of women coming on to the plane with their scarves and covers wrapped around their neck. I guess many had started to disrobe as they were going down the jet way. Many more were removing the items after they sat down. It sucks that they have to wait until the Mutowwah (the very strict religious police in Saudi) can no longer get them, but you gotta do what you can. About ½ way home there came an announcement for us anyone with medical training to identify themselves. I usually don’t get involved, especially since I was sure a Doc would be on board. About 10 minutes later they asked again so I meandered up to the patient, who I could see they were attending to near the bulkhead. I identified myself to the crew and patient and started talking to a guy. About 15 seconds later the head flight attendant came up and asked if I was a doctor. I told her no, but told her I was a Paramedic in the United States. She told me “Thanks, but we need a medical professional. I am nurse, and there is not much we can do”. WHAT THE F*&$? Are you serious? So I asked her what she knew about the patient. She said ‘He threw up, is sweating, and passed out for a bit…which of course means that he did not have a pulse while he was out…so we woke him up and put him on oxygen. Now we just need a Doctor to look at him.’ I was silent. I guess people cannot be alive but unconscious on her plane. I turned to the guy and asked if he felt OK. He said he was feeling better. I told him that the flight crew, even after asking for my services, did not want them now. If he needed anything, please let me know and gave him my seat number. That really just pegged me right there. Obviously, they were scared, they called for help twice. Who would not want a Paramedic in an emergency situation? Hmmm. Idiots. I saw the guy walk off the plane when we landed, so I do feel too bad.

On arriving in Amsterdam I got my stuff and was at the train station very quickly. I got a direct ticket to Rotterdam and asked the lady when it left. She said 6 minutes. Are you crazy? Crap. I shot through the station to the platform and the guy was blowing the whistle as I jumped on. I got my bags in the door and the train started moving. Then I looked at my watch, It was a few minutes off. So I was worried that I was on the wrong train. I walked up and down the train looking for a ticket guy, no luck. So I found an empty seat and decided I was going to wait a few stops and see. There was only 2 stops (about 40 minutes) and the announcement said Rotterdam Central. So, somehow, I made it to the right station!
I was going to call Chad in Amsterdam, but as you can see I only had 6 minutes so I called and told him I was in his town. I will tell you about my days in Rotterdam in the next post.

Last Week in the Land of the Sand...

2008-06-23T17:21:00.000+03:00

So, here is one of a few updates in the next few days. Things are winding down here. The moving company is downstairs packing up my things to take back to the states. Friday will be here before you know it. I am going to write about a few things that happened in the last month, and then I will start to finish the trip for you.

On June 6th, we had a very cool Pittsburgh type party. I was one of the main planners, and it was fantastic. John’s wife Mary Lou Catered (she makes AMAZING food). I had a friend of mine DJ. Plus I tried to finish out all of the beverages that we had in my house. It was a great night of partying, dancing, etc. Some people, including yours truly, ended up in the pool. The party had a good mix of Local people and Pittsburgh people. The theme of the party was ConFarWel. Congratulations for Mary and Dave. Mary is our project Educator, and she got hitched to Dave a few weekends ago. The Farewell was for myself and Carol. The welcome was for Conlen, Bryan, and John, 3 new employees. Great times.

June 8th I was invited to John’s house where Mary Lou was cooking yet another dinner. (mmmm) The surprise was that Connie and Jacque came back early to see Carol off. She was leaving on the 9th. Myself, Dennis, Carol, Connie, Jacque, John, and Mary Lou had a fabulous evening with some amazing shrimp pasta.

Last week, in a effort to welcome the 3 new guys to the neighborhood, Marlene and her Husband invited Conlen, John, Bryan and myself over for wing night. It was a random weekday night and I love not having to cook. We stayed for a while, however I had to get my stuff ready to get packed up. They just got back from Kenya and had some Amazing photographs. Africa is definitely a place I would like to see.

It seems I have been doing a lot of eating, huh? So one more for you. This past Sat. John once again invited the entire staff to his place for dinner. Our new project director and a nurse and his wife came to get greeted. We had good American food such as bacon cheeseburgers. They did a little presentation during the dinner and I received a very nice glass statue of the county of Qatar, thanking me for my participation to the project. I also received a Picture book from our current project director. It was very nice.

The 2 new guys are getting settled in. Conlen and Bryan will both do OK, as far as I can tell now. Conlen really understands how important these relationships are and Bryan is slowly warming up to it. I have taught them all I can and tried to show them everything I could, along with some common pitfalls and other problems. I think they will do fine, plus they have the summer season while many are away to get ready to go.

I will update you more in the next day or so, as my TV has been shut off and many other things are going to as well. I will be in limited contact the next week or so as I transition home. I am lucky enough to have my flight routed through Holland, where I am going to visit Chad and Suzanne who recently moved to the country. So thanks to my job, I get a free weekend in Europe. No airfare or hotel stays, just the normal food and train fare…which is only a few Euros as Rotterdam is only about 45 Minutes from Amsterdam. It is going to be a great transition home! Talk to you all soon.

Another Update

2008-06-10T21:31:00.000+03:00

So, I know it has been a while but I am going to try and give some brief points to update you.

· After arriving back from Europe, I think I got some food poisoning. We went to a restaurant the week after getting back and that night I woke up with some major stomach pain. Needless to say I did not make it to work the next day and thankfully, I was able to get in the next day. All I could think of was Carrie the time she ate the egg and how much pain she was in. I probably felt similar, but I am in Doha and not Morgantown and I KNOW what the hospital is like…so I let my immune system handle it.

· We had a lecturer here from Pittsburgh who was on the Board of Directors. She actually called me before she came because she had heard about my leadership class and wanted to make sure she had the same message. How cool is that. She was a great instructor, however I could only attend a few hours because I was teaching as well. She and our administrative manager invited me to the Ritz for drinks so I went up and had a great conversation with both. I especially wanted them to know that I had applied for that fellowship.

· Can I tell you how much I hate this culture sometimes. Now, I preface this with the fact that I think anybody should be allowed to do whatever or worship whatever they want. However…read on. So we went to spinning on Monday night as usual. Myself, Mike, and Carol. We arrived and a class that used to have 5 people in it now has about 25 show up at starting time (or after). (There are 2 times in Qatar. Western time (on time) and Qatar time (add about 20+ minutes). So after we start about 10 minutes into it, this group of guys come in and of course they have not been there before, so the instructor has to continue to run the class why trying to get them set up. About 2-5 minutes after she is done setting them up…they all get up to leave and go pray. Are you kidding me? Then, one has the nerve to come out and ask the instructor to turn the music down. Really? I mean, you know Prayer Time is at 6:18. Can you not pray at 5:55 or 6:45? You know, God says it’s OK to miss if you are doing something worthwhile. Like working EMS, etc. So then they came back and got on the bikes for the last 10 minutes and cool down. Wow. That was a tough workout, eh guys. I am sure they talked about how much they worked out and how much they do, but that kind of crap just makes me mad. Common sense. Take the 7:00 class so it does not interfere with you.

· The 2 guys that are replacing me arrived last week. (YES! What you are thinking is correct! It takes 2 people to do the work that I can do myself!...I wish….) Anyway, I am now in the role of teacher again trying to get these guys up to speed quicker than I did. I knew nothing and no one. These guys have picture reference sheets with names to help them while in the field. I take them and explain stuff to them, which is something that no one did for me. Anyway, they are getting adjusted and I think they might be a decent fit for this project. We will see.
That is a quick update for now. I am working on getting so much done plus looking for jobs that I need to space out my posts. Don’t worry I have plenty more where that came from. Talk to you soon.

Short Update

2008-06-06T12:29:00.002+03:00

OK. So I know it's been a while for any real posts, but I promise one in the next few days.

For Now...I will give you an update of my reading list.

Yeager - Chuck Yeager (Autobiography)

How Toyota became #1 - David Magee

One Minute Manager - Ken Blanachard

The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwed

Married to a Bedouin - Marguerite van Geldermalsen

I am trying to finish about 2-3 more before I leave. Let's hope. Cheers!

May 10 and Trip Home

2008-05-26T21:50:00.004+03:00

Saturday morning we were once again up early for our last day in Europe. We hitched a tram towards the Belvedere Palace. On our way, we found the liberation statue and fountain which was pretty cool.

We continued on to the Belvedere Palace, which was a heck of a site. There is an upper Palace, and a Lower palace. There is so much to see in both of them, plus the really cool gardens. A whole lot to see. We are not real artsy, but we did go to every room, every exhibit, and did a quick once over. However it still took us a LONG time to get through it all.

When we got out of Belvedere, it was after lunch. So we found a nice street side café and sat down for a light lunch. We sat and chatted and really enjoyed the afternoon and soon we realized that if we hurried, we could make the last tour at the actual Vienna Opera House. We closed our check and walked to the Opera house and I was somehow able to make my way through the crowd to get tickets. They only let in a set amount of each language, each time. We were able to make it in and got a really nice tour (over an hour) of the opera house. We were shown all the box seats and imperial boxes, standing room areas, and even backstage. They switch shows every night. It is a logistical mind’s dream. They have a performance 300 nights a year. They tear down that night, and set up for rehearsal the next morning . In the morning, the performers rehearse the next night’s show. Then, after rehearsal, they tear down that stage and set up that night’s performance, which was rehearsed the morning before. They have over 160 stage staff working 3 shifts. Get this. They have no room for storage on site, so it all has to go into trucks off site. However, the trucks are not at stage level, so they pull in, are lifted up to stage level on an elevator (these are 18 wheelers), unloaded, loaded, and then let go. Then the next truck comes. It is quite a process.

We stopped and grabbed some coffee on the way back. We realized that we had not had any caffeine for a couple of days and that was probably the reason for our headaches. (That and the thought about going back to Doha)

We stopped at the hotel to drop off our touristy backpack. We got some advice from the front desk and took a tram ride from one end of the line that started in front of the hotel to the very end which was about 20-25 minutes away from downtown. It was a neat little area with shops, restaurants, etc. We walked around for a while and found the restaurant that our front desk had recommended. It was a huge restaurant, and we wanted to sit outside, so we basically had the whole patio to ourselves. Inside they were pretty busy, but I guess everyone else was cold.

We had a great dinner of some Pork products. Mmmmm. We hung around for a while and then headed down towards the tram stop and found another café that had some really good looking dark beer. We decided to stop for a few and before you know it the night was gone. We hung out and chatted for a long time and the beer was so good. It was a really nice European Atmosphere and the people were just so nice. They even had a dog running around this bar…it was great.

Soon we were back on the tram headed for the hotel. Our Europe trip was coming to a close.

The next morning we were up and out the door early, as we had to get to the airport. We had some trouble finding food and the right Metro (they were doing construction), but we did get there on time. The airport was a little different, as you check your bags, then they make sure you have a boarding pass…but you do not go through security yet. You walk a little ways and go through Immigration, then finally get to your gate, where you are screened. Once you go through security, you cannot go back out and get something to drink, etc. Soon we were in the air again. We didn’t have all the room we did before, but we did have a row to ourselves. I did move to the other side of the isle and stretched out (not as nice as before) and got a little nap.

It was an amazing trip. I am sorry if it has been boring for some of you to read, but keep in mind I have to remember this years from now. Next up…what happened when I got back to Doha.
Cheers!

Liberation Fountain

Upper Belvedere. My back is to Lower Belvedere. This is a yard I am glad I do not have to mow.

Vienna Opera House

The Sight of the Last Supper In Europe

Our Last Outdoor Bar.

May 9

2008-05-26T16:15:00.002+03:00

Friday morning we were up and out the door early. We grabbed McDonalds (right beside the hotel) and headed for the Hofburg Palace. You may or may not have heard of the Lipizzaners and the Spanish Riding School of Vienna. However, it is actually pretty neat. These horses are trained to be fighting machines, that were very useful in mid-evil times. They are trained to stand on their back legs and defend against oncoming attack, they are also trained to jump and kick straight back…all with a rider on them. Anyway, a show is something hard to come by, but every morning they have up and coming horses that they are training, some very close to making it. They allow a certain amount of people to watch them. So, we needed to be at the riding school before 9:30, because the ‘Morning Exercise” starts at 10:00am. We got there just in time, because after we got our tickets and got in line to go inside, the ticket line was out the door. Seating was in an awesome indoor riding complex, and it was first come, first serve. So once we got in the gate…there was a little scramble. We stayed till the end of the show which was about 12:00. It was nice to get to see them, although sometimes it was a little boring, because it was practice and not a show and they were working on things that were not that exciting. However, it was a great experience none the less.

We walked back towards the hotel and grabbed some wine and cheese as a lunch appetizer. Then we walked to the Josephium. This is a medical school’s museum that has some interesting things, however the most impressive thing are the wax replicas of many body parts. He has the entire nervous system, cardio, respiratory, full bodies, part bodies, pieces and parts. It was actually a really cool exhibit. It would be great for paramedics, nurses, or even 1st year med students. It really helps to show you what is underneath your skin.

We then walked to the Sigmund Freud museum. This museum was amazing. It was in his old apartment/office. He had his waiting room, office and study in one part of the floor and then it was separated from the rest of the house for private use. It was amazing to see his stuff, much of it original. Such a pioneer.

We then continued on a very long walk across the canal to the Kriminal Museum. This was a pretty interesting museum, but it was in German. They had many things from crimes throughout the years there, plus an array of pictures, etc, sometimes recreations. It was a lot longer than I thought it was going to be, and I was happy. Once I learn German, I am going back.
We then left there and had another long walk to Hunderwasserhaus. This is a set of apartments that has become a tourist attraction. It is very unique, although all you can do is look at it. There are some café’s right below it so we stopped in for a beer. It was then that we realized that we needed to eat, so we grabbed some food as well. After hanging out, we headed back to the hotel to change for the evening. We grabbed a Tram to the Opera House(not the original) but still a very nice location. (Goldener Saal) It was very close to the actual opera house, but this was a more affordable option. We obtained some tickets that were not too expensive to see the Mozart Orchestra perform. This is a group of actually some very good musicians that play nothing but Mozart’s music. There is anywhere from 12-60+ tonight we had about 40 musicians. They are all dressed in period costumes and it was a really neat experience. They even have intermission, which is something I have not experienced. If you do not make it back in time, you will not be allowed to enter the main room. (If it was in Qatar, the room would be full of westerners and there would be many empty seats when it started) It lasted a few hours and it was a truly great experience. We were not allowed to take pictures in many of the places we were at, but I was able to sneak a few. We walked home late and were not long for the world.

Hunderwasserhaus

Goldener Saal

My Illegal shot from inside the Goldener Saal.

May 8

2008-05-24T17:51:00.005+03:00

Thursday morning we arrived in Vienna. We were woken up by the train attendant at 5:30 (our train arrived at 6:00). It was a rough night. I think the driver was mad we got to sleep and he didn’t it was a rough, start and stop ride all night long. We arrived at hit the Metro station, and grabbed us a 72 hour pass, since we were going to be in town for 3 full days. We made our way to the Hotel de France, which was an amazing nice hotel. Wow. They were offering a discount if you stayed 3 nights, that plus Hotels dot com, we were doing really well. They let us check in early again! We were 3/3 on that aspect of our trip. We always go with the intent of storing our luggage and returning in the afternoon, but so far this trip they let us check in every time. Since we were at our hotel at 7:00am and we did not sleep so well on the train. We decided to grab a couple hour nap before we got started. We got back up at 9:00 and were out the door by 10:00. We got to shower too! Awesome! We started walking, we were in the University area of town (which I thought about applying to pursue my PhD) and found a great outdoor restaurant that overlooked town hall and a park. We had a great lunch and then headed on our ad-hoc walking tour. We found random statues, sculptures, Opera Houses, Theaters, Parliament, and Hofburg Palace.

We headed for Stephensplatz which is the main town square. Thousands of people are here daily all hours of the day. It is centered around St. Stephens Cathedral which is massive. We did the unguided tour of the sanctuary, and paid for the guided tour of the catacombs. Wow that was impressive. Remains of people are just sitting on the shelves from 1000’s of years ago. They talked about closing the catacombs for about a week last year because one of the vats was leaking (apparently, you turn into a black goo after 1000 years) and it really stank. We then walked into the new part…which is actually the old part where there are mass graves and places where they had thousands of bodies buried during the plague. These rooms you can look into (and reach in a touch if you want. Thousands of bones from people that were buried here, stacked like firewood. There was one American tourist with us that kept asking the dumb questions. Wow. I tried to not let anyone know I was American. I see why we get bad names. “Are their dead people in those coffins?”, “Do dead people stink?”. She is probably a Hillary voter.

Anyway, after an awesome tour of the catacombs, we headed up to the top of the church to get a panorama of the city. Always a highlight, plus it helps to orient me.

We finished in Stephensplatz and started walking to another old church that was a sight. We passed by another attraction that was a clock between 2 buildings. It has one of the saints work its way from building to building during the hour. Then we found a small café to sit and plan out the rest of our day. All of a sudden, I realize that once again we are sitting at an attraction. The wall to our left is the old church we were trying to find. What amazing luck.

After finishing there we decided to head back to the hotel to drop off the backpack. We stopped at the store to have some munchies with us the next few days and in the room. It was getting late so we walked around and noticed a lot of police in the area. There was a lot of barricades and a lot of police. Traffic was re-routed, etc. I was wondering what was up, and a little scared. We decided to hang out and watch whatever was going to take place. (I know, I know) We found a brat stand, a couple beverages, and found a wall where we could see what was going on and escape if needed. (I make it sound worse than it was) After about 20 minutes a small parade went by, when they did about 6-10 hecklers on bikes and walking started chanting something to them in German. They continued on and the police moved the barricades after they were by. It seems, from a public safety standpoint, what you wanted to happen did. Overwhelming police presence, small group of protesters, no violence. I have no idea what was going on, and no one around spoke English…or at least said they didn’t.

It was getting pretty late, so we grabbed another beer for the road and headed for the hotel to unwind and start the day off right.

Hofburg Palace

St. Stephens Cathedral

Stephensplatz

My New Bike. Made entirely of Wood.

View from St. Stephen's Cathedral down onto the Square.

May 7

2008-05-24T11:01:00.005+03:00

Wednesday started like yesterday. We met for breakfast and ate way too much. We checked out of our rooms and headed for the main train station. This involved the metro with one change of line on the way, but it did get us to the main train station. We were able to find lockers to stow our luggage pretty cheaply. I liked these lockers better because they had keys instead of just a card and a pass code. Made me feel a little better about it. We hopped back on the Metro for a walking tour of the Jewish quarter. It was neat to see typical old style Jews walking around. (Black outfits, big hats, long white beards, etc). Cities are amazing, you go a couple of streets one way or another and you are in totally different areas. Like the time I walked right into the middle of Chinatown in Philly and then walked out 3 blocks later.

After walking around most of the morning seeing many of the closed sites, but admiring the atmosphere, great weather and company, we stopped at a local café to get the day started. After a relaxing drink, we continued on to the river and began a river walk to where we were yesterday. We decided on the way down that we wanted to get a boat ride, so we found one reasonably cheap and got about 1 hour boat ride around Prague. A little food and some beer were included, plus the tour guide was pretty good as well. It was nice to see a different perspective of this wonderful city.

After the boat ride we continued down some amazing riverside streets with absolutely amazing architecture. We continued on getting some good pictures headed towards “Fred and Ginger”. It is two very modern buildings that the locals say look like 2 people (Fred and Ginger) dancing. They are actually pretty nice architectural buildings. Erin and Betty’s train was due to leave in a few hours, so we continued to walk towards the main train station. We found a little out of the way place with some really great food. We of course sat outside and enjoyed the traffic and people, and it was a great wrap up with our two days with Erin and Betty. After our late lunch, we escorted Erin and Betty to the Metro station and said our goodbyes. We all got on the same metro, but Carol and I were going to switch trains in a couple of stops. We hugged and said goodbye and they were off to new adventures in Salzburg. It was absolutely great to get to hang out and relax with the fam.

Carol and I had about another 6 hours until our train left, so we walked towards the Prague observation tower. This is about 5 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower, based on overall height. Prague is at a higher elevation than Paris, plus the tower sits on a hill. So even though the tower is only a few hundred steps, the Czechs say it is taller than the Eiffel tower. We walked through a awesome park up the hill to get to the tower. People were laying in the grass, drinking wine and beer, playing with the dogs, relaxing with friends…stuff you do not see in Doha. I forgot Carol is afraid of heights and confined spaces (and she was a flight nurse?) so I walked to the top of the tower on my own. It was really cool to see some unique views of the city.

After getting to the top of the tower and back, we relaxed for a few before walking back down the hill towards the city center. It was getting late (the sun didn’t go down till way late there…I loved it!) plus we had a train to catch. We decided to catch a metro to a station near the main train station and walk the rest of the way. This allowed us to grab a street side vendor Brat and beer before hopping on the train for the evening. We grabbed our light dinner and headed towards the main station, getting there a few minutes early. Remember, in train travel if the train says departs at 10:28…you usually feel it move at 10:28. So we grabbed our stuff from storage, headed for the platform, and soon our train pulled into station. The train pulled in, and we got on the correct car, but there was about 7 on this train when it pulled up. After we started moving, I got up to use the bathroom before going to bed and to my surprise there were no other cars behind us. I always hear to make sure that the train car you get on says it is going to the place you want to go, as some cars get dropped at certain areas, but this is the first time I have seen that.

Anyway, it was off to bed quickly, and before long we were getting the 530am wake up for our 600am arrival into Vienna.

How awesome are these streets?

Fred and Ginger
The Boat Ride

The tower that I climbed to later in the day.

Erin and I in front of Charles Bridge

May 6

2008-05-23T10:50:00.002+03:00

Tuesday we were up pretty early as well. We met Erin and Betty downstairs for breakfast, which was a huge buffet included in the price of the room. (They had lots of PORK!) I basically ate myself silly, trying to sustain myself to dinner. The food was absolutely awesome. We walked to the Metro station and grabbed another 24 hour pass. After a few stops and some orienting, we were faced with a walk up a side of the hill. It was actually the better way to go. It gave us access to the gardens outside the castle, with really nice city views. Plus, later on we did not have to backtrack.

View of Prague from the Castle

You are able to get into and out of Prague Castle without paying. However, to enjoy many of the things inside you have to pay. So as we were walking in the clouds opened up. As you may or may not know…many castles had walls and huge courtyards…not too much rain protection. So we ended up standing in line in the rain to get inside one of the churches. They had to regulate the amount of people going in so you could move one you got in there. The church was named St. Vitus Cathedral. It was so huge. Holy crap. You Catholics really know how to build some impressive churches. It had amazing stained glass, décor, just everything. Plus, you could walk to the top of the tower to get more views of the city. (Only 299 steps!)

Inside St. Vitus Cathedral

After visiting the church, we hit a café that was up here to have a tasty beverage. We decided that my OCD-ness along with the size of our group to not hit all the museums in the castle. I usually like to read and observe everything in these types of settings, but I would have drove them crazy. Plus, it gives me a reason to go back (which I plan to anyway!)
After the church we took a guide book recommended walk from the front entrance of the castle, down through the kick ass streets of Prague, across the Charles Bridge, and into the Old Town Square. This is a walk that you must do. You really get the feeling like you are walking in Europe. There is no other feel like it. Small shops, streets, people milling about. It is just amazing. The Charles bridge was build in 1357 and legend says that egg yolks were added to the mortar to strengthen the mix. It has lasted this long…so that might be an idea for you construction types. It survived the worst flood in 500 years in 2002, so something must be right. There are countless statues along the bridge, one of St. John of Nepomuk, who was martyred here. The state is a worn from all of the touching. It is said that by touching the statue, it gives you good luck and guarantees you a return trip to Prague. We continued walking along these amazing streets, checking out the local vendors, shopping, enjoying the weather and company. I bought a few awesome pictures of the city taken at night.

The Awesome Prague Streets

The old town square was a plethora of activity. Restaurants, people doing everything, performers, etc. It was quite a sight. The main attraction is an astronomical clock in the side one of the buildings.

The Old Town Square

We continued walking enjoying the many aspects of Prague, and then continued on to the train station. Erin and Betty needed to get tickets for the next day to ensure their trip would continue uninterrupted. After getting things sorted out, we walked back to the National Museum, which was closed today, but I wanted them to see it. We did most of the stuff that I said yesterday, even took them to Uflecku for dinner.

After dinner, Erin and Betty were about wore out, so we took them back to the hotel. Carol and I were not ready to call it a night yet, so we walked close to the hotel and had a few beverages while chatting about the day. The beer was really cheap (about $2 a beer)…and was really good. About 10pm we headed to the hotel to get a good night’s sleep. A great day with the Carol and the Family.

Me from the River looking at Prague Castle. You have to understand how big the castle was. you can see the church sticking out from the top, however the castle starts about where my head is at and goes to far building on the right at the top of the hill. Huge!

May 5

2008-05-22T18:00:00.002+03:00

So after arriving in Prague, we hit the Metro and got to our station pretty quick. It was very busy when we got off and once we came to the surface, we were slightly disoriented. Trying to figure out what street is what, etc. Our hotel was a little off the beaten path, but it was still a Movenpick and a pretty good hotel overall. We were actually not that far out of town, just off the maps we had. Well, we finally found the street which we thought was the right way to go. Soon we passed a sign that said “Movenpick 300meters”…so we did make it! Awesome!

We were lucky again, as they let us check in at 8:00am which is unheard of. I guess that is the nice thing about traveling mid-week during the non-tourist season. It was a smoking room, but luckily it was not too bad. We showered and changed, plus sent our laundry out. We only packed a few outfits so we could travel light with the idea that we would get our laundry done in Prague. (That was an expensive idea) We hit the ATM to get some Czech Koruny in our pockets. The exchange rate was not as favorable, as it was only $1USD to 16CZK. We walked towards the metro station and hit up the McDonalds, which are everywhere. I know some of you are like…”That boy eats fast food a lot”. Actually, I thought about it the other day. I have had fast food 3 times since I have been in Doha. Plus I do not have access to one of my favorite breakfast sandwiches, which is the McD’s Sausage and Egg Biscuit. Mmm. Plus it is an economical way to eat so we can splurge on Lunch and Dinner. (And…I’m on vacation)

Anyway, we stopped at the metro station and bought a 24 hour pass. It was about 5-6 dollars, but well worth it. It allowed us access to all Metros, Trams, and Buses in the city for 24 hours. That is very helpful when you finish in one area and want to get to another.
We had no specific agenda, so we walked towards what we thought was Wenceslas square. From where we came up and according to the guide book, we were there. However, it did not look like the guide book showed. I studied it some more and the walk towards Wenceslas square and the opera house were really similar. They both had items on the way in about the same place, which is weird. I realized that we should have turned right about 4 blocks back…so we had to backtrack. It is no big deal, because we didn’t really have an agenda. By this time it was getting to be around noonish, so we decided to stop and have a cold drink. We found a nice old trolley car in the middle of the road that had a great view of the national museum. Turns out, while I was reading the book for our next leg, I realized that we were once again at a historical spot enjoying the restaurant. That is twice…how funny. The place we were at was Café Tram 11. There are two old tramcars which make a unique cafe. Tram 11 operated at the Vaclavske (Wenceslas) Square from the beginning of the 20th Century to 1974. This tram was borrowed from The Public Transport Museum. The motor tram car number 2077 was manufactured in 1927 at Ringhoffer in Prague. It was transported back to Prague in 2000 and renovated into the cafe it is today. Both these tramcars remain on the rails where they used to operate.

Through the keen research I do while on a trip, I found out that the National Museum is free to visitors on the first Monday of every month. Guess what? It was the first Monday of May! After our break, we headed towards the National Museum, but not before stopping to pay our respects to Jan Palach and to see King Wenceslas’ statue. King Wenceslas is the king you all know from the Christmas Carol. Jan Palach was a university student who in protest to the communist occupation in 1969, set himself on fire on the steps of the national museum. A cross now lays in the ground where he fell. This whole square is very popular and many events have happened here. In 1989, at the shrine for Jan Palach and others who shared his cause became the rallying point for the Velvet Revolution. Over 250,000 people gathered here and started the process of separation from communism and Soviet power.

The museum took a couple of hours and was mainly a ‘bones and rocks’ type museum, which usually doesn’t interest me as much as some of the others. They did have some really amazing species and artifacts, but I can only take so much. A temporary exhibit near the back was interesting and followed people from the beginning of time to the moon. Interesting.
After the museum, we decided to grab a late lunch. We went to Uflecku Restaurant and Brewery, which was listed in the guidebook as a really good time. This is a restaurant that only one type of beer is served. When you sit down, you take a coaster out of the holder and put it in front of you. You immediate get a beer from a guy walking around serving it, which is his only job. The waiter came not too long after and I ordered some awesome bratwurst, kraut, and potatoes. Man was it good. They have people walking around playing the accordion, etc. It is a great atmosphere. We stayed at Uflecku for a while then decided to head back to the hotel as we had some special guests to meet.

We got back to the hotel, but they had not checked in yet. So we went to the room and decided to take a nap for a little while, until they got here. About 30-45 minutes later, the phone rang…and they were here. They wanted to clean up, so we planned to meet them in the lobby in about 30 minutes.

Who are these mystery guests? None other than my cousin Erin and her mom Aunt Betty! Did you ever think you would be tooling around Prague with your extended family in the states? Me either! But it was great to see them and introduce everyone...I knew Prague was going to be a blast.

The hotel was split into 2 parts. One on the bottom of the hill, and one on the top. It is connected by a tram car so we went up to take a look. That is the executive, club section. A really nice part of the hotel. The restaurant up there was a little pricy, so we decided to check out another restaurant in the guidebook.

It was a metro ride and a short walk away, but we decided to head there anyway. When we got there, we were glad we did. It was a traditional restaurant that had a great feel to it. Very similar to the Uflecku that you saw earlier, but still really cool. They had 2 guys walking around playing the accordion and a tuba. They sold old military Czech hats and we ordered a platter in which we could all eat off of. It was an absolutely awesome time. Even better, on the way home…we ran into a hedgehog. You thought Erin won the lottery. She got her picture with it, was playing with it…very odd…I did mention she is the cousin from Virginia…right? Not WV.
After a very long evening of dinner, beers, and chatting…we decided to make our way back to the hotel and get to bed for a great day on Tuesday.

Wenceslas Sqare, Looking toward the national museum

The cross where Jan Palach fell in 1969

Carol and I at Uflecku.

Aunt Betty and Erin

Erin with the band and me trying unsuccessfully to get out of the picture.

May 4

2008-05-21T22:19:00.002+03:00

Sunday, we were once again up and out the door pretty early. We packed our things and stored them at the front desk to pick up later. We checked out of the hotel and headed to Burger King to change it up a little bit, but they were closed. So we went to the staple of McDonalds (actually it was quick, easy, and cheap). We walked to the National Museum, which was actually not too bad. There was way too much of it in a Language that I did not understand, but it was interesting none the less. Plus with our awesome Budapest Cards, we got in free…so that is always a plus. It was a great way to spend a few hours before heading off to the highlight of the day.

After leaving the Museum, we decided to head towards the Gellert Bath and Spa. This is one of the many spas/baths that are in and around town that feed off many of the natural hot springs in this area. Before heading into the spa, we stopped at a café and had a quick club sandwich to alleviate our hunger. After lunch, we decided to try this out. Now, my accent is very pronounced…so I get Carol to do most of the talking to people who do not understand English. They had a board with many options on it, however we could not get anyone to explain them to us. So we paid for our passes, which I think we got what we wanted. We headed to the entrance, and you can see one of the pools through the glass. However 2 sets of steps go down, one left, one right. No signs. Luckily, a man was coming up the left side, so we parted ways to meet later on at the pool. After a long corridor and many steps I ended up at the locker room, which was interesting… The signage in this place was horrible, and you just had to hope you didn’t walk in the wrong door. Granted it is Europe, so I doubt anyone would have said anything if I would have accidently walked into the Women’s bathroom…but luckily I didn’t find out.

I went outside to wait for Carol and got in one of the hot pools. These were extremely nice. Very warm. It was really a neat experience, many people just come and hang out in the hot water for hours. The water is supposed to have some sort of healing effects. Soon, I heard the wave pools getting fired up, so I went and jumped in. WOW. That was cold. Brrr. Especially after being in the hot pool for about 15 minutes. Needless to say, a return visit to the hot pool was in order after 5 minutes in the wave pool.

We went inside to check out the other baths. They had another pool that was probably Olympic size. This pool had bubbles coming up through the floor for 10 minutes every ½ hour. It was a little cooler than the pool outside.

I played and swam around while Carol went and grabbed some pictures. After her return, we went to a smaller semi-circle shaped pool which was great. There were probably 50 people in there, and it was the hottest by far. It was a really neat experience seeing men and women walking around in bathing suits again. I am so used to only seeing eyes, a face, and maybe hands that it was a little weird.

After hanging out for a couple of hours, we headed to the locker room to change. We turned in our towels and got our deposits back and walked in the direction of the hotel. It was really early for dinner, but we wanted to get something before we got on the Train. So we grabbed some easy food at a restaurant near the hotel. I had some Goulash, which is a traditional Hungarian dish.

After dinner we grabbed out bags from the hotel and headed for the main station. Our train left in the early evening, so it was actually a pretty quick day. We boarded the car, which was a first class sleeper car. We had 3 bunks in our room, but only 2 were out. There was room for both of our bags, a sink, a few lights, and that is about it. It would have been doable, but really tight with 3 people. We had a couple drinks and some snacks followed by some reading before heading off to sleep. Carol had the top bunk and I had the bottom, which was great, especially for that late night call of nature. It was ok, except the open side of the bed was towards the front of the train.

The driver started out OK, but about 3AM he was hitting the breaks pretty hard and we both almost fell out a few times. Luckily, both of the bunks had safety rails on them. We arrived in Prague at about 6:00 to start a new day…

Hungarian National Museum

Gellert Baths Wave Pool

Gellert Baths Hot Pool (See me in the middle?)

Carol and I in front of the Wave Pool

May 3

2008-05-17T14:00:00.003+03:00

Saturday morning we were up and out the door early. Since we spent such a large amount on breakfast the previous morning, we decided to do the McDonald’s thing this morning. Actually, we decided to do McDonalds about every morning, to allow us to do it cheap, quick, and allow us to spend a lot more on dinner.

We headed towards Parliament, which you guys saw from the other side of the river in the previous post. The guidebook was vague, so we investigated a visit. When we turned the corner, the line to get in was around the block and probably 300 meters long. We decided that just seeing the building was impressive.

(The back side of Parliment)

After going past parliament, we walked to where there was supposed to be an EMS museum. We arrived and I woke up the person inside the front door who I can only guess was a shift supervisor. He did not speak English, however after telling him that we were there for the Museum…he told us a bunch of words…however we finally found one that we both knew…”Finito”. Our guess is that the exhibit was either closed or finished. We started walking towards St. Stephen Basilica. On our way, we ran across a very small, random marketplace. It was all inside, but had many fresh fruits, foods, items, etc. It was just getting opened, but it was a neat experience none the less. We continued to St. Stephen’s and got some great shots.

(St. Stephens)

(Me from the top of St. Stephens)

You could not take pictures inside, however we were able to pay a few Forints and took the steps to the top of the building. There we had a great view of the city. Wow.

After finishing up at St. Stephens, we started walking towards Szechenyi Spa and Swimming Pool. On the way there we passed a small little street that was open only to pedestrians. It was like Pearl street in boulder. Many outside shops, cafés, benches, etc. We stopped and grabbed some appetizers and some tasty beverages.

After relaxing for a few, we continued on our way hoping to stop at the Opera house for some pictures. It was not to be. It was closed until much later. Our route took us by the Terror Museum, which was quite a site. I highly recommend anyone that goes to Budapest to go there. The museum was located at 60 Andrassy Boulevard which was the headquarters of the Arrow Cross Party (which was the Hungarian Nazi Party), and then became home of dreaded Communist Terror organizations. This place was unbelievable. It was well designed, well put together, had a great flow. It was really a assault on all of your senses. They had many artifacts, videos, etc. of everything that happened. The last communist to leave did so in 1989, his office is preserved. While rebuilding the house in a museum, they unearthed a dungeon below. They found prison cells that were 1.5ft X1.5 ft wide (i.e. You had to stand up) ones with very low ceiling so that you could never stand up. Ones that had 2-3 inches of water in the bottom so you never got warm. Ones with lots of lights so that you could never go to sleep. They had terror rooms, murder rooms, etc. It was really amazing to see what these guys did to people. Then you got to the end of the dungeon and they had a memorial in a very dark room. Words cannot describe how it felt, but I will try. You walked through a doorway into an empty room that was dark. You could only get about 4 feet into the room. There were hundreds of crosses and Jewish stars about 5 feet tall. All of them had lights shining off of them mainly towards you and some others around the room. There was no music, nothing to read, nothing. It was, if you can understand this…HEAVY. Wow. There was nothing to say. There was no way to say it. A very moving and fitting tribute to those who died in 60 Andrassy St…in the house of terror.

After getting out of there, we needed to kinda relax. Wow. So we continued on to find another outdoor café and ordered some pizza and some drinks. It was a nice late lunch for us to enjoy and chat about what we just saw.

After lunch, we continued to Szechenyi Baths passing through a small fair with some live music. We thought about hitting that on the way back to town.

(Szechenyi Baths)

The people and information at the baths were very unwelcoming. We were wanting to come back the next day, but we decided to go elsewhere instead. We walked back through the fair and enjoyed hearing the music and looking at the items for sale. As we were walking back towards the hotel, we came across a wedding that was letting out. You know what was amazing? If you took out the fact that we could not understand anyone, it looked just like a wedding at home. It was actually a neat experience…we are all different, yet the same.

We stopped at a store and bought some items for the impending trip tomorrow. We were going to be on a train for 11 hours, so we bought drinks, snacks, etc. so we wouldn’t have to buy them on the train.

We finally got back to the room (you have no idea how far we walked…wow) it was getting late. We had walked further out of town and in a more adventurous route that we had first planned, so we were running late for dinner. (If there was an actual time and we had to adhere to it, anyway) so, we cleaned up and showered for the evening. That evening we decided to find a unique restaurant, which we finally did by the river. It was right on the river and it was awesome. They had cheap really good Hungarian wine and I had the stuffed peppers which were absolutely amazing. We hung out and enjoyed the evening and some wine for a while. Soon it was time to turn in.

(The view from our table across the river towards the palace)

May 2

2008-05-16T18:23:00.003+03:00

So, after a good night’s sleep we rose early to hit the town. I opened the curtains in my room and saw a view very similar to this…

(The old Palace, now a musuem on the Buda side of the River)

How cool is that. Not long after getting up we were on our way. We decided to have the buffet in the restaurant at the hotel. This meal was awesome. It had everything. EVERYTHING. I had so much bacon, sausage, ham, etc. it was ridiculous. We had a huge meal. We thought with the exchange rate that the meal did not seem to bad. (It is $1USD=160 Hungarian Forint) However, once we were eating, we realized that we were paying a hefty amount for this breakfast. That was another reason that we decided to eat as much as possible…so we could skip lunch. Before leaving the hotel we put down some cash for a 72 hour Budapest card. This gave us free and reduced admission to many sights, plus free transportation on all of the mass transit lines in the city (bus, metro, trams, etc).

So we were on our way. There is no one big attraction in many of the cities we visited, but just a large amount of them. So we had no one place to go so we started on a walking tour of Budapest. We walked up the river towards the palace (overlooking the river). We crossed to the Buda side (we were staying on the Pest side) and came to an incline like you would see in Pittsburgh. Instead of taking the easy way up, plus there was a large line, we decided to walk a path to the top of the hill. It was a great idea. We got spectacular views on the way up and it helped to start working off that ridiculous breakfast. Once we got to the top we had some absolutely awesome views. The palace at the top of the hill was turned into an art museum, which neither of us are really into. So we continued on walking through some various roadside stands towards Matthias Church. We were granted free access to this with our card, so we headed in. (It was great passing all the people in the ticket line) Wow. What an experience. I give all those Catholics a bunch of crap, but one thing is for certain, they can build some churches. The intricacy and design on the interior of this place is just unbelievable. Words cannot describe it at all. We headed out of the church which is right beside the Fisherman’s Bastion. This is part of the old castle wall that has stunning views of the river and into Pest. Our card did not cover going on top of it, so we did the next best thing and went to a restaurant under it. We were only about 10-15 feet from the top and we still had great views.

(Yours Truly with Parliment in the background)

Plus we were able to start partaking in some tasty beverages. After a quick drink and a stop at the water closet, we headed down to another church by the name of St. Annes. (I think…) It was closed buy we could look in the front door and it also looked very awesome. We walked down the river getting as many shots as we could and then headed for the Semmelweis Museum of Medical History.

(Carol and I taking advantage of the wall infront of us as a tripod. That is Parliment behind us)

The Medical museum was the birthplace of Ignac Semmelweis. It was a very interesting overview of the last 3000 years of European medical practice through documents, objects, and pictures/art.
After finishing up at the Medical museum, we walked towards Gellert Hill. On the way we stopped at a small restaurant with a nice big porch that overlooked a highway intersection. On the other side of the road was a large park that had a band playing. It was a great atmosphere. While planning the rest of our day I realized that we were eating at one of the recommended restaurants in the guidebook. This restaurant has apparently been around a long time and has a great reputation. (This happens a few other times during the trip.) We eat and then head on to continue our day. We walked to Gellert Hill which is named for a Martyr that was put in a barrel and thrown in the river many years ago for bringing Christianity to this region. The entire park and some baths are named after him. We switched back and forth up the hill towards the Citidel, which sits on the hill overlooking basically the whole city.

(View from Gellert Hill. The left is Buda, the Right Pest)

What spectacular views. The drinks were not too expensive, so we sat down and had a few tasty beverages. While sitting and talking, I thought that the deck seemed a little spongy…but didn’t think much of it. All of a sudden my chair bent in 2 and collapsed. I was lying flat on my back and laughing my ass off. It was hilarious. You could tell that many of the chairs have been outside way too long and were very brittle. The kicker was that they didn’t even offer me a discount, a beer, food or anything. Dang it.

We walked to the statue of liberty (theirs) and then started walking down the other side of the hill. It was great to be back in parks and nice areas where people were doing stuff. You don’t realize how much people do that until you live in the middle east and no one is ever doing anything anywhere. Here the Arabs smoke, drink tea, talk on their mobile phones, drive aggressive, pray, and go to the mall…not necessarily in that order. In our world, we walk dogs. Go to the park to hang out. Play Frisbee, walk downtown, sit at our door cafes. Read a book by the creek, etc. It is amazing the things you see they don’t have here when you get back to it yourself. We walked down the hill and went to the Rock Church.

(The Rock Church)

This is an actual church they have dug out of the rock. Don’t know how many it holds or anything, but it was still pretty impressive. You go in these gates and then down some steps into the church. There was a sign saying come back in 2 hours, that a service was going on (you know those nice short Catholic services) however, there was a video feed so we did get a little taste of the action.

It was getting late and we probably walked 5 -7 miles (at least) since breakfast. We headed back to the room to shower and put on some clean clothes (it got hot enough to sweat during the day) and then headed to a brewery/restaurant that was very close to the hotel. It was absolutely awesome. They had great beer, great food, plus we got to sit outside like this and eat and watch people. I love this aspect of Europe. I love this kind of atmosphere. I ordered .5 meter of Bratwurst, Sauerkraut, Red Cabbage, plus it came with a pretzel.

(Those awesome European Cafes)

We sat and enjoyed It all for a good while until it was time to call it a night. What an amazing first day in Budapest.

May 1 - EuroFeet Returns!

2008-05-13T19:40:00.003+03:00

So, here is the plan. I am going to try and give you guys an update as often as possible until I get the Europe story told. It takes a while to upload pictures here, so be patient.

So, it was finally here. Escape from Doha for 11 Days….what could be nicer. As you guys may or may not know the frequent flier miles that I have accumulated while I have been here have really added up. (A trip to the US and back really helps!) So I decided to take an 11 day Eastern Europe trip with the best travel partner ever, courtesy of Qatar Airways (FYI-You still have to pay taxes…however I am not going to complain about a $200 roundtrip ticket to Europe). I was going to see Prague one way or another while I was over here, so I am glad that I talked her into going. The ex-military in her makes her so easy to travel with compared to those boys that I trekked with around Europe in 2005.

The day started off with way too early of an alarm clock. We had to be at the airport at about 6:00am…so it was early. The doorbell rang at 5:30 and her and the driver were waiting. However, we had a small problem. Hussein (our driver) had turned off his car when he got to our place, and now it would not start. Thankfully after a little bit of coaxing I was able to get it started and we were on our way. Once we arrived and were checked in, we headed to the Silver Lounge, which I am now a proud card carrying member of the Silver Club of QA. It was early and we had breakfast in the lounge, but to our dismay it was dry. Thanks to a little Yankee and WV ingenuity we went to Duty free and got some ‘tasty beverages’ that mixed well with the orange juice. It was nice not having to pay for food or mixers.

Soon we were on our way to the plane which when we were pulling up to it (Doha uses a bus system instead of jet ways) I noticed that it was rather large. Later on, talking to the flight attendant we found out that it was not the usual plane. It was one they use for intercontinental flights. It was huge and there were only 70+ passengers on board. I asked the attendant when she went by if we could change seats and she had no problem with it. (The seat configuration was 2-4-2) After getting to altitude, I moved up a row and to the middle (we did have the side seats.) Carol moved to the row behind me and we were able to lay flat and get a few more hours of sleep. When I got up about 2 hours later, I noticed a bunch of others had liked my tactic and were doing the same thing. It was a great relief, especially since I had to get up at 0-Dark 30.
Soon, we were descending and it wasn’t long until we saw this sign:

Heck yeah. It was so great to see all the green as we were coming in for a landing. It was great. It was also great getting off the plane and being somewhere where you are in the majority and not the minority. (It is also nice to be in a country that can say your last name correctly!) It took us no time to get some more tasty beverages for the road (It is legal to travel in this country with it) and head for the city.

After some fumbling with the machine and getting on the right train we ended up at the train station we would be departing from in a few hours. After getting some Euros we stowed our luggage in the lockers and headed to find some food. Halleluiah! Right near the station was a bar that had all traditional food and beverages. Before we walked in we decided to take a stroll around the block just to enjoy the nice day and see some of Europe.

Wouldn’t you know it, but a little bit of Doha followed us here. As we were walking around the block I was noticing that a large amount of women were covered. The next corner we turned and ran right into the middle of a Islamic Celebration Party right on the streets of Vienna. Seeing how we just left that culture we decided it would be best to get to someplace that made us feel more at home. So we headed to the restaurant that I mentioned earlier.

Ahh. Wurst, Schnitzel, Kraut, etc. It was so great. Bavarian Beer. MMMMMMMMMMMMM It was unbelievable. After eating and getting ready to leave, we noticed that there were a lot of cops outside. Turns out there was some sort of protest going on and they were marching down the street. I walked out and filmed some and it was great to not feel the least bit threatened. I got some pictures of the signs so maybe I can figure out what they were protesting against.
We headed back to the train station and caught our train to Budapest. We decided in planning to do Vienna last, so we headed to Budapest to really start our trip. We grabbed a second class train and we on our way.

Does anyone think that just Coke was in that bottle?

We arrived in Budapest about 9:00 and were wore out. It was pouring the rain (what’s that?) and I was trying to navigate. We grabbed the metro and found our Hotel which was in a great location. It was right on the River separating Buda and Pest. It was a Marriott and the service was really great. We checked in and were asleep in no time.

As a side note, I am really impressed with Hotels.com. As you all know I do a good bit of research before travelling, and I was able to get some really impressive hotels really cheap. The hotel we stayed in the last part of the trip in Vienna was way over my head. The guide book actually listed it as one of the top 10 Luxury hotels in Vienna and it had many dollar signs after it.

That was May 1. Stay tuned for more!

Gametime

2008-04-30T16:57:00.001+03:00

Get this widget!

Impromptu Pool Party

2008-04-27T16:26:00.002+03:00

Carol and I were chatting on Friday and it was going to be such a nice evening we decided to see if anyone wanted to enjoy it with us. So we started calling all of the neighbors, plus some friends at the Ritz and other compounds for an impromptu pool party. We took my little boom box, a cooler, a few bags of chip and some dip to the pool and it actually turned out to be a blast. The weather was kick ass. We had about 13 people show up and hang out. The weather was so nice that no one was leaving. It was that fun. Well, needless to say I had to run home (luckily I live 50 yards away) to refill the cooler later in the evening. Some people had a really good time. We had a Yoga demonstration (that was hillarous), very insightful discussions on the election process, and driving tips for Doha. There were a few good shots, but I will give you the highlights:

Early evening before more showed up. Relaxing by the pool.

Much later in the evening. This is Carol and her Brother Dave in the pool. I am in the back of the pool (you can see my shadow). Most of the party at some time during the night took a swim, some vountary, others not. It was an absolute blast...funny, I didn't hear from anyone on Saturday. Must have been that cooler refill....Hmmmmm.....

It's getting hot...

2008-04-27T15:57:00.002+03:00

It was about 98 degrees today, with projections of 102 by Wednesday. It is not even May yet. No worries, however...as I am getting very excited about my upcoming trip to Budapest, Prague, and Vienna. Temps there are about at the Morgantownish level. It is going to be 11 days of beer, pork, and some good old fashioned sightseeing. Heck, I am even meeting up with My cousin Erin and Aunt Betty in Prague for a day or so. Good times! I will have plenty of stories and pictures for you when I get back.

So about a week before Jordan I went to a huge Industrial city north of Al Khor (which is about 35 miles north of Doha. This city is huge. It is restricted access. They have a gate just to get into the city. Numerous companies have Liquid Natural Gas plants up here. Very impressive. Anyway, one of the companies had a emergency responder day and we were invited. I thought it was just a meeting, so I was expecting an hour of BS and then head home. Wow, was I wrong. I was attending with out head of Northern Operations and he was running late so we got to the meeting a little after it started. Actually, we missed the Majalis food and drinks they had for us before they started.

We were wisked into this LARGE boardroom, with all kinds of people sitting around. The boardroom table probably seated 30 plus. It was in the shape of a flame (whats that tell you). So today was a "this is how we respond to incidents...in case you have to assist us" "Let us show you all we have" They pulled out all the stops because some of the other LNG companies sent people. This board room was highly electonic..very fancy. They hit one button and the lights went down, floor lighting and house lights were all that was left. Fancy sound system. The works. Wow. After a DVD presentation, and 2 presentations by their CEO and Chief of Fire Safety, we went out for tea. They had a tea and soda room set up with a VERY large table of sweets and assorted foods. The guide told us to not eat too much and save room for lunch.

We headed to the lobby and outside where a full size charter bus was waiting to give us a plant tour. We were driven around the plant and shown all the nooks and crannies. (Jarod and all the PhD boys would have been in heaven) We were allowed to get off the bus at the command center which is a windowless building in the center of this plant. It is like a bunker and a vault all in one. You walk through safe like doors to get in...about 12-18 inches thick. Then through a foyer and another set of regular doors and finally to the command center behind a electrial key card access door. Walking inside it was a pretty impressive system. The consoles were probably 20-25 feet long with about 20 monitors, multiple computers and phones...with one operator. They had 4 of those plus a few extra guys sitting around. They can control every facet of the operation from this room. I found out that we are behind so much concrete and steel not because of security, but because of explosion potential. Since LNG is odorless when mined, then the scent is added, sometimes you do not know if you have a leak. So if the plant blows up, they want to still be able to control things. Good thinking.

After the tour we headed to the fire station. They had a pretty good set up for what they have. The guys were training when we got there (I am sure that was planned) and the station looked like any other fire station.

After the fire house we headed back to the administration building, where lunch was waiting on us. Keep in mind there might only be 20 of us. This lunch was HUGE! They had a wide selection of all the typical Arabic appetizers (hummous, baba ghanous, etc) plus different types of chicken, fish, shrimp, lamb, camel, plus a huge table of desserts. Probably enough to comfortably feet 50 people.

We had a good lunch. After some parting words by the fire chief we were all handed gift bags which included a golf shirt, a hat, pens, coffee mug, keychain, notebook, plus some propoganda. Very cool. It was a heck of an experience. I love getting tours like that I learn so much about processes and stuff.

Anyway, I would have pictures, but cameras are not allowed on site. Actually, no lighters, cameras, matches, etc. anything that could spark. Gas cars are not allowed past a certain point.

I will probably do one more post before I head to Europe! Talk to you soon!

Jordan 4

2008-04-21T17:39:00.001+03:00

I am going to give a quick rundown of the itinerary and then follow with a bunch of picture posts.

Wed:
We worked early so we could leave early and not take a vacation day. We left for the airport about 1:00. A cheap flight was found so we connected in Bahrain. Luckily the Bahrain airport has tasty beverages. On the flight from Bahrain to Jordan I walked back to the bathroom. The vacant sign was on so I opened the door. Guess what I saw? An Abaya. Oh NO! Actually, thank god she was changing her kid and not doing anything. That would have been bad news.

Once arriving in Jordan and getting through customs, (which the x-ray guy was able to tell that I had a CPAP just on the x-ray...no visual inspection...pretty good!) We met a wildcat taxi driver who actually gave us a good rate to town. We rode with him into town. The Jordan Airport is outside of town about 20 minutes or so. Once we got to the hotel (which for some reason, they upgraded us to the executive floor), we scheduled our weekend with a driver. Not as cheap as a big bus tour, but not that much more expensive for side trips and “Hey, Stop! I wanna see that!” kind of stuff. Since we were up so early, bedtime came pretty easy.

Thursday:
This was our Petra Day. I really cannot explain it. It is now one of the 7 wonders of the world. You need to look it up online. Just amazing. We were paired with a driver by the name of Issac. He was Palestinian and he had a great command of English. He was very helpful, funny, and a great tour guide…also a very safe driver.

On the way to Petra (it’s about 3 hours outside of Amman) we stopped half way to get a drink and bathroom break. He offered to get us drinks so since I am not a coffee drinker, I ordered a diet coke and Carol got coffee. We were getting ready to leave and I noticed that Carol’s cup was still pretty full. I thought that was awkward, so I asked. She let me try her coffee without saying anything. WOW. That was the most bitter, strongest, worst tasting coffee I have ever had…and the guys at this place loved it. Ick.

We headed to Petra and paid 21 Jordan Dinars to get in. We paid the extra 50 Dinars for a private 4 hour tour. Mohammed (imagine that) was our guide. He was hilarious…he had been doing this or working at Petra for many, many years. He was very knowledgeable.

On the way back from Petra, we passed through many towns and I noticed something. Many stores had sheep tied up out in front of the stores on the way down. Now they have no sheep tied out front, just fresh meat ready for sale. Many times it was the whole thing, gutted, skinned, and ready for cooking. Really an amazing sight.

We headed back to Amman and luckily in Jordan you do not need a Liquor permit to buy alcohol. We stopped at a store and picked up some tasty beverages and soon after headed to a good restaurant (Houston’s) which actually turned out to be really good, even though it was some type of American chain. (I try to avoid them)
Friday we were up an out early. The breakfast buffet at the hotel we stayed at was awesome. If they had Pork…it would have probably been one of the best ever. Our driver was waiting on time and we headed for a full day. First stop was the Greek Orthodox Church in Madaba. This is where they found (through random chance) a mosaic on the floor showing an ancient map of biblical times. It actually was made sometime in the biblical era. Unfortunately for us, there was a service going on so we were unable to see it. We got back in the car and continued on. Next stop was the Church of the Virgin Mary. This is basically a working archeological site. They have built churches on top of churches here and they are continually finding things. They have found hundreds of mosaics in these sites that are just amazing.

Next stop was Mt. Nebo. I talked a little about this in my pictures, so check it out. It was really moving being up there. You can see so far and it just has a special feel.

After Mt. Nebo we headed to Bethany. On the way, we passed through a couple of checkpoints. Being so close to the Israel and Palestinian border, they try to keep people from causing too many problems. I got to see where they were digging the church up where John the Baptist worked. See the river where Jesus was baptized. Very cool.

Then we headed to the dead sea. What an experience. We paid a daily rate at the Movenpick and got pool and beach access. It is built like a traditional Arabic village.
Afterwards, we headed back to Amman to desalinate and hit the town for dinner.

Sat was an easy day. We were beat from so much touristy activities the last 2 days that we slept in. Then hit the buffet and since we only had a little time left we decided to get Massages before heading to the airport. At the airport, the flight was full so the ticket agent made me weigh my bag and it was over the limit. I pack small, but with my cpap and all it gets heavy. So I had to check my bag. I was so mad. Luckily, it made it to Doha.

What a great time in Jordan. It was a blast. I recommend anyone to check it out.
Cheers!

Jordan 3

2008-04-21T17:03:00.003+03:00

The Dead Sea. This is a view from right in front of our chairs.

In case you didn't know, the Dead Sea is about 400 meters below sea level. How often are you going to be at sea level and still have 18 kilometers to go to the sea?

A graphic picture of what I was just telling you.

This is a viewing platform on the top of Mt. Nebo. Between the two trees on the left is the Dead Sea. It is hard to see in this picture, but you can see the other side of the dead sea, which is Israel. Over my left shoulder and up is Jericho, which of course is in Palestine. This is the view that God gave Moses of the Holy Land.

Although the water looks a little rough, it still was really neat being here. This is the Jordan River. This is very close to where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. Due to flooding and natural events, the place where he was baptized is now about 200 meters to the west. They are currently excavating it and they found the foundation of the old church where John the Baptist spread the word. I am of course in Jordan. The vegatation on the other side of the stream is Palestine. You have no idea how many checkpoints, military, and watchtowers they have in this area. Wow. Until 1996 this was a Military Zone, and no tourists were allowed in.

The Dead Sea has many properties. You are extremely buoyant. The water is 10-12 times more salty than the ocean. You float. No matter what you want to do, you float. Do not get water on your face or in your eyes (voice of experience talking). Nothing lives in the Dead Sea. The mud is supposed to have some type of healing qualities. So you rub it on yourself. Then you let it dry. Then you get in the dead sea and wash it off or take a shower. There are many showers right near the water. You need to wash off soon after getting out, if not you get dehydated very quickly. The picture of me with mud on is not really flattering, so here is someone else covered in mud!

Jordan 2

2008-04-21T16:33:00.004+03:00

For those of you that do not know where I was at, Jordan borders Iraq on it's west side. I thought this sign would help you guys figure out where I was at.

Mt. Nebo (no, not the one near Summersville) is where Moses ended up. He is buried on this mountain, as the story goes. Anyway, God let Moses get here and see the Holy Land, this was as far as he got. He did not actually get there.

A view coming down from the Monastery at Petra. How amazing are the views? Don't worry, I was safe. This is a bit of camera trickery.

Guys they still have shepards here. These guys are everywhere. All day long out in the field they are tending to the flock. Really amazing. I am still trying to figure out what these guys graze on.

Amman, also known as the "white city" due to many of it's buildings being white. This is due to the limestone that many are made of, which is readily available near the city.

Jordan 1

2008-04-21T16:02:00.003+03:00

So here is a series of posts about Jordan. Wow. That is all I can say. You need to go. It is incredible. If you don't know about Petra. Look it up. You will be able to follow along much better.

This is a view into the actual incorporated city of Petra. A few hotels, common shops and restaurants. All in a small city build on a hill.

This is the Treasury, which is the main focus point of Petra. This was amazing. Something you really need to see in person.

As you can see behind me, these people build so many buildings and infrastructre into everything. There are thousands of buildings and much, much more. They have only uncovered about 10-15% of the city so far. Look how much you can see behind me. Wow. They were even able to separate rainwater and well water as it came into town in ditches.

This is the Monastery which is at the top of one of the peaks. It is over 800 steps plus a good amount of walking to get to. Well worth it I think.

This is the view very close to the Monastery. How cool.

So, A real post this time....

2008-04-13T20:16:00.002+03:00

So, regardless of what you may believe or what think, I am actually working over here. Even though I will put pictures of me not working in the same post. Oh well...enjoy!

As many of you know, there is always issues between EMS and the ED. Well, in Qatar, the EMS guys and the Head Nurses did not even know each other. So we facilitated a meeting between my EMS guys and Carol and Connie's nurses. The first meeting went great. They initiallly wanted to have the meeting once a month, but near the end of the meeting there were so many issues on the table that they decided to have it every fortnight. Starting in the front and going clockwise it is Alice- Head Nurse; Abdul Nasser-Southern Operations; Chaker - Northern Operations; Enaam - Head Nurse; Mansour - Transport Division; Connie - Pittsburgh Nurse; Carol - Pittsburgh Nurse; Yours Truly; Julien - Lifeflight; Omar - Doha Operations; Naomi - Head Nurse; (Not Pictured - Maurita, Head Nurse)

The instructors at EMS wanted my leadership course for themselves, so we scheduled it last week. Plus, some of my guys did not attend it the last time I offered it. So, we had a great class and I am getting really confortable teaching this stuff now. It is almost seemless. Front row(l to r) Houcine, Desmond, Julien, Joel. Back row: Hatem, Carol, Nader, Kamal, Mohamed, Ray, Alan, Sunjay, Jason, Sonya, Myself, and Ali.

Not that all that I do is work. Since I have only a few months left I have been trying to get some social stuff going on. I talked a few people into going to happy hour at Garvey's which is a UK style pub. It was a blast. Those brits can drink. (l to r) Marc - EMS Medical Director, Paul - CEO of Rumailiah Hospital, Rich - Pittsburgh ER Doc, Carol, Myself, Mike - Director of Pharmacy. Mike and Paul are brits and hanging out with them is an absolute blast. They start drinking and they slur their words and I cannot understand what they are saying. Too funny.

We talked Connie and John into cooking again. John can cook amazingly. Hard to believe a Scotsman can cook such a variety so well. We had traditional chinese fare complete with chopsticks. No utensils were provided. You had to finish one course before he brought out the other. You have no idea how good that food was. (l to r) John (the cook- Connie's Husband), Marlene, Skosh, Connie, John, Mary, Dave, Carol and me. The dog is Robbie...

There should be more soon. I am going to Jordan this weekend and Eastern Europe the first of May. Should be good times. Talk to you soon....

Sorry Guys

2008-04-08T20:03:00.002+03:00

I have been a little lax lately and I apologize. Let me give you a couple of updates. Baltimore was awesome. This international experience did wonders for me there and it was great being able to meet some great names in the EMS world. I made some really good contacts and hopefully made some in-roads on some jobs. As a side note, I was almost totally disconnected from the world for more than a week...you know what... you need to try it. I had email in my room, and a landline phone, I had a calling card I could check my voicemail in the room or call mom and dad, but that was it. While I was out and about in the city I was totally disconnected. It was like being young again. I went where I wanted, did what I wanted, etc. It was nice not to be at arms reach by anyone for a few days. Now, it might be difficult to do that for a long period of time, but one day leave the phone at home. Leave the IPOD in the car, the laptop in the case and just get out. Get out in the city and NOT be connected...it is a refreshing feeling in our overly connected world. (Ironic now that I blog about this on the internet...)

I am planning some trips and doing many things at work. I hope to give you guys a good update very soon. Take care.

Baltimore, Day 1

2008-03-25T19:29:00.001+03:00

Good day. Thought I would give a short update about what has been happening so far on my trip. The flight was good although hours 9-13 get a little rough. They only change the entertainment (i.e. new movies) every month, so since I flew back on March 3, to Baltimore March 23, and back March 30…I think I will have about everything on the plane watched.
I got to the airport and my stuff was waiting by the baggage claim. How cool. There were a lot of people in the US citizens line, then I realized that it was a lot of college and high school students. Ahh…The last Sunday of spring break. I did get stopped at Customs because I brought some food home for the Family (and some of you, if you stop and see them next week). Although I just went to another desk, told them what I had and was out the door in no time. Pretty painless.
My work had arranged a van for me so I met them outside. There were 2 people going to Baltimore so we had to wait almost 2 hours for the other girl. Oh well. The trip was uneventful and I was the first stop. I got to the hotel and headed downstairs for a beverage and to watch ESPN for a few. I was starting to drag, because I don’t sleep when I travel west on a plane…it helps me to overcome jetlag. I was soon in bed.

So let me tell you about the next morning I tried connecting to the internet. Well the modem in the room was not lit up so I called the front desk to tell them I thought something was wrong. They referred me to a 1-800 help line. I called them and after about 20 minutes they said…we think it is a router issue, let us call the front desk and get them to send a technician. Really? Who knew? So about 20 minutes later a technician came up and said my router was dead, they brought another one up and BAM! Everything works. To add to my frustration, I am in the process of applying for the fellowship program I told you about a few posts ago. So I made some final adjustments to my letter and CV and went to the business center to print it. Well, the business center would not take my card…however they did have a printer that you could hook up a laptop to and print that way. I went and got my laptop and was able to somehow circumvent the system and was able to print everything I needed. I went downstairs to the front desk to get postage and of course, you have to go to the gift shop. Not wanting to put a few cents on my debit card I walked to the ATM…which was Out of Service. So I ended up putting it on my card. I thought this type of frustration was only supposed to happen in Doha…

So I decided after working out to head into the city. Baltimore is actually a really cool city with a lot to offer. Growing up we explored some, but there is really so much more just past the inner harbor. As I was walking towards Fells Point I thought I would stop by the Wharf Rat and have a MicroBrew. No Dice. By the looks of it..they are just closed on Mondays. So, I was going to wait till Carrie got here, but I could always stop at Capital City Brewing…they are out of business. What the crap? So I headed to fells point I stopped and looked for some new swim trunks (mine are really old…like 1999/2000ish) especially since I am going to be floating in July… The Fells Point area is really cool with lots of shops, bars, restaurants, etc. I was looking for a brewery that I knew was there, but I walked up and down every block of that whole area (more good exercise). ( I found out later that I was about one street and a left turn away from it…arrgh!) Anyway, headed towards the hotel and ducked into a nice Irish pub. I rocked out some house brew along with some mussels, and fish and chips. MMMMM. On my way back I saw 2 women walking down the street in Abays. What? Where the heck am I. Baltimore is a multicultural city, so they were not turning any heads. Plus, it just looks like 2 women in black dresses with their head covered. Now, a male walking down the street would certainly get some heads turned. I headed back to the hotel to watch the girls really run out of gas…oh well. It was a good year.
Today I am off to get my stuff for the conference and hopefully do a few museums, plus get back to that pesky brewery!

Update from Baltimore about Doha

2008-03-24T20:08:00.000+03:00

So, as you all know, I made it a back to Doha. What a joy. Let me tell you, I do not think the vacation was long enough. First, here is my disclaimer. I really enjoy learning about the Arab culture and the things that go with it. I think it is a very misunderstood and a scary thing for some in the US to deal with. Now, that being said I am done with them. Actually, not all of them, but the overwhelming attitude in Doha I am tired of. This ‘entitlement’ that flows from all of the Arabs. The driving is crazy. People are always in a hurry to get places and not work. All these guys drive land cruisers, Ferraris, BMWs, etc, but have nowhere to go or nothing to do when they get there. Yet everyone in town has to be on the roads. All the time. There is no down time. Actually, I take that back. Friday Mornings until about 3-4 PM you can actually get somewhere without it taking 3.5 days to get there. However, most things are NOT open until after 4 on Friday…so there you go. The roads are OK and they finally put red light and speed cameras at every intersection, but there is still a long way to go. The construction and amount of cars on the road are ridiculous. There should be a limit of cars that can be imported into this country, but that would be painful because all the locals would still get them. Maybe a limit on the amount of cars they can own per family. Something. This is going to get out of control. Last time I read something in the paper they are estimating that about 10,000 people arrive in Doha every month. Wow.

So, let me give you an example of discrimination and how it is played in different parts of the world. One of our nurses was at our sister hospital in the northern part of the country. She found a ad posted on a bulletin board at the hospital stating “Apartment for Rent. Filipino Couples Only. Contact….” Now think about that for a minute, cause it didn’t bother me initially. Everyone really migrates to their own in this culture, even I am not exempt. US Embassy parties, poker with the Texans and with others from the south and other native English speakers. How would that go in the states? Now we usually do have some items when requesting renters. The house on Cornell where I lived wanted Grad Students. Sometimes Chemical Engineers like to live together, or maybe just boys or just girls. What if I put up an Ad that said, “Nice 2BR Apartment, Close to Town, White Couples only?” or the same with “Black Couples Only?” There would be outrage, probably a media event, maybe a lawsuit…and probably rightly so. I mean that is blatant. Discrimination should not be a part of anything…right?
Now let’s turn the coin. Maybe it is a nice thing to do…really Feet? How can you say that…Well, now stay with me, let’s think outside of the box. Even though we push diversity, there is still a lot of people that resist, and that is going to continue. Sometimes people are not going to get along. (Israel…anyone?) So, is that ad discrimination…or is it preventative medicine? Maybe the entire compound or housing complex is all Filipino. Maybe they all drink and do things that Filipino culture participates in and that Arabs would not appreciate. Maybe they are cleaner or dirtier and want some of the same. I don’t know. There is a lot to think about with this one and somewhere along the way I got philosophical.
Moving on…

I have been buried in work. I do not get to spend as much time with the field supervisors that I would like, but I am getting a good amount of things pushed through right now that would otherwise go unnoticed. I am currently working on training a new set of supervisors to allow for expansion and removal of problem ones if we need to. I am also working on some strategic planning issues as well as a host of other business things. I am really using a lot more of my MBA in this job than I thought I would. The leadership at EMS needs it, that is for sure. I do have a concern. I have not been involved in the process at all for my replacement. I find that odd. I thought I could provide good insight and information to applicants and our bosses. I was also advised that I am not to talk about salary with anyone because people after me are getting a slight pay cut because they are going to be operating and pushing the guidelines that I have established.

So, here is more about this culture that I do not understand. They are all about service…to an extent. I got back and got a car that only had about 11,000 K on it…very cool. However, after work one day it was difficult to start, the next day a little worse…so I KNEW something was going bad. The battery or the starter. So I dropped by the rental place to switch cars and here are the 2 things that bothered me. One, they told me that they did not have any cars to loan me while they fixed mine…are you serious? There is a line of them…well none in my ‘class’ of car. I told them this was crap. Give me a BMW for 2 days and get mine fixed. Nope. Keep yours and bring it back in a couple days and we will have a replacement for you. So guess what happened? The next day after work… the car was still rough to start, but it did. I went to a bookstore to pick up some paper and found it closed. (imagine that) Got back in my car and it was dead… So now I am pissed. I called the guy at the store and he was like…”We do not have anyone to come get you until after 4…” I told him that the car would be in the lot and that the key would be at my house. They got all kinds of worried cause this hillbilly doesn’t play games for too long. Miraculously, they found a car and a person to immediately come to where I was at and give me a car. Hmmm… Why didn’t they just give me a loaner and then we would not inconvenience anyone…nope…we got to make it difficult. The Middle East just wears on you. You know, I watch a movie in January called Syriana. It was about the oil business, politics, and the middle east…you know what…there was a great quote in that movie. They were asking one of the US guys how the middle east was doing. He went off and said something like “100 years ago you guys were living in tents and the rest of the world believes that 100 years from now, you will be again.” Sometimes, I can see the truth to that.

I did attend another Embassy party while I was back in town. It was a St. Pattys day party and it was actually one of the busiest times I have seen the Embassy. Mary, Dave, Dennis, Carol, and Myself headed up the party and had a great time. Not too much dancing, but there was plenty of partying. I found out on Sunday morning that there was some drama at the embassy after we left the party. So I guess a guy collapsed and was in cardiac arrest. Since they are doing all kinds of construction around the Embassy you literally have to go down like 2 alleys to get there right now. So the ambulance was delayed, not to mention that it gets searched before it goes inside the grounds. Anyway, thought It was ironic that 5 medical professionals left the party 30 minutes before the hoopla. We could have guided the ambulance in and probably done really good CPR. Oh well..some things are not meant to be.

Our weekly poker game grew to enormous proportions this past week. We had 27 people there. That made the prize pool very nice. The winner took home 4000 QAR which turns out to be about $1100 USD. Not a bad day at the ballpark. I finished 12th unfortunately, but I played perfectly I thought. I got out kicked on a good hand and there is not much you can do about that. You cannot read people enough to see the difference between KQ and KJ. Oh well. It was a really fun night.

So I have moved to the world of IPODs. Joshy got me an IPOD for Christmas in Feb and it is actually not to o bad. It is really nice to have while working out…so now I don’t have to carry about a boom box and CDs anymore. It is one of the smaller ones, but it hold 1GB of music, which is plenty.

I am getting tired of writing, so that is about all for now. I am headed to Baltimore for the JEMS conference and hope to make some more good contacts, see some good people, and relax in the states for a week. I will be in touch with you guys very soon!

Just Cause I Feel Bad

2008-03-21T13:51:00.002+03:00

I know so many people read this, I feel bad that I have not updated in a while. So here is a little bone I am going to throw to you. This is what I am hoping to do after I get out of Doha. This is a Fellowship Program I am applying for that looks awesome. Basically, if I get accepted I do 13 months in Pittsbugh going to various departments and learning the ropes. Then I get placed abroad for 5 months at one of our other projects (I already know Doha). At the completion of the fellowship I would be granted a Project Manager or similar position at one of our international projects. Pittsburgh is growing so rapidly, that there are many places I could end up. This is by no means in the bag...just something I am shooting for. I am also looking for any type of EMS Executive Director/Administrator jobs or Health Care Operational Jobs. I have become very good at teaching and mentoring leadership, change management, and process improvement...plus I got a MBA. Keep me in mind if you know anybody looking for those plus a bunch of other skills. (Business Manger, Project Manger, etc.) Here is the info for the program I am applying for.

International Leadership and Management Administrative Fellowship Program
UPMC announces the newly-formed International Leadership and Management Administrative Fellowship Program. With the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA), the Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH), and the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business, the program provides fellows with practical experience in international health executive management.

The 18-month program identifies talented individuals with management expertise to support the knowledge and technology transfer of our international programs and cross fertilize our UPMC domestic and overseas operations.
Program Structure

The first 12 months of the program consist of rotations in key areas such as cultural preparedness, finance, clinical operations, physician practice management, clinical support services administration, nursing, and human resources. The remaining six months of the rotation comprise a five-month on-site placement at one or two of our international sites in an executive leadership role. The remaining month is spent in the International and Commercial Services Division. The project assignment is specific to the host facility.
GSPH provides a seven-week course in late summer/early fall which covers global public health care issues in each of the countries in which UPMC has established an ongoing relationship. GSPIA, the University Center for International Studies (UCIS), and the Katz International Business Center collaboratively provide a nine-week course from October through early December to cover cultural sensitivities about the regions in which UPMC operates, the internal politics, and the historical and ongoing economic relationship between the country and the United States.

Core Functional Rotations

§ 1. Clinical Operations This rotation exposes fellows to the key components of clinical operations such as physician relations, nursing, clinical staffing, regulatory compliance, patient care initiatives, process improvement, medical records, and health information management.

§ 2. Finance This rotation exposes fellows to management in various financial and revenue cycle initiatives including registration, coding, billing, collections, financial modeling/forecasting, budgetary development and variance reconciliation, and business plan development.

§ 3. Physician Practice Management This rotation offers fellows a management opportunity in various outpatient clinics, procedure areas, same-day surgery, and the medical center’s largest physician practice, University of Pittsburgh Physicians (UPP). This rotation includes participation in the 12-week UPMC-Katz Physician Leadership and Management “Mini-MBA” Certificate program.

§ 4. Patient Care Services Administration This rotation exposes fellows to the many facets of nursing operations and administration. Fellows are involved with ongoing strategic initiatives with business unit directors to help improve patient care, workflow, staffing, and scheduling issues.

§ 5. Support Services Administration This rotation allows fellows to work on projects that address the current needs of support services administration to gain an understanding of medical center-wide initiatives in key support services areas including facilities planning, construction, and maintenance.

§ 6. Human Resources and Cultural Preparedness This rotation exposes fellows to the many facets of translating the UPMC corporate culture to the overseas experiences. This rotation includes cultural preparedness training and in-depth education on political, economic, and public health issues in the countries that host our international facilities. Opportunities to increase the fellow’s second language proficiency also are available.The remaining six months of the fellowship offer additional opportunities to develop satisfying career objectives in a global environment. Based on the organization’s needs and available opportunities, the fellows are assigned an administrative rotation at one of our international sites. The fellow works under the direction of one of our senior executives at our host site, with project work addressing the current administrative and operational needs at the site. A minimum of a five-month oversea stay is required.

International Leadership and Management Administrative Fellowship Program Overview
Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, UPMC is one of the leading nonprofit medical centers in the United States. Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh schools of the health sciences, UPMC includes 20 hospitals, 5,000 physicians and 48,000 employees, an award-winning health plan serving 1.2 million members, and a broad array of diversified health care services. An integrated health care enterprise, it has the medical expertise, geographic reach, and financial stability that allow it to develop models of excellence that are transforming health care nationally and internationally.

The Graduate School of Public and International Affairs is a professional school distinguished by the presence of public administration, international affairs, and international development in its academic mission. In 2007, Foreign Policy ranked GSPIA at number 15 among the top master’s programs for international relations. The school also is ranked 21st among the best schools in the nation for public affairs and nonprofit management, according to U.S.News & World Report. For public affairs specialty areas, GSPIA’s nonprofit management program was ranked 11th. The University Center for International Studies is home to a European Union Center of Excellence, one of only ten so designated in the United States partially funded by the European Union. UCIS works closely with most of the professional schools at the University of Pittsburgh.

The Graduate School of Public Health is world renowned for contributions that have influenced public health practices and medical care for millions of people. GSPH is one of 37 U.S. schools accredited by the Council on Education for Public health, and the first accredited school of public health in Pennsylvania. Among all public and private schools of public health, GSPH ranks third in the nation for National Institutes of Health funding. GSPH is home to more than 20 interdisciplinary research, practice, and service centers. The Center for Health Environments and Communities, the Center for Minority Health, and the Center for Healthy Aging are only a sample of the more recent community service activities coordinated by GSPH centers.

The Executive MBA programs at the Katz Graduate School of Business are the second oldest in the world. The Katz EMBA program is accredited by AACBS International — the premier accrediting agency for bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs in business administration and accounting. The programs are consistently ranked in the top five percent of all MBA programs worldwide by U.S.News & World Report, Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and the Financial Times of London. The EMBA Worldwide program, designed for the business leader balancing global perspectives with local expertise, is ranked 35th in the world and 17th in the United States according to the Financial Times 2006 survey of EMBA programs.
Application Process

Interested applicants are required to have a master of health administration (MHA), a master of public or business administration (MPA/MBA), or an equivalent master-level degree from an accredited graduate program in a health- and/or business-related field. Applicants should have a minimum of three to five years of experience in a mid-level management position. Preference will be given to candidates with health care experience. Candidates should be highly motivated and self-starting, possess excellent analytic and communication skills, and fluent in English and one additional language. Preference will be give to candidates with Italian, French, and Greek language skills.

Salary and BenefitsUPMC provides a competitive salary and full benefits including medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance as well as generous relocation, retirement, and paid time off programs.

Sorry for the Delay

2008-03-21T13:46:00.002+03:00

Since getting back to Doha, things have been crazy. I will be headed back to Baltimore on Sunday, so I am going to try and write some updates on the plane. I do have to stuff to update you on, but I have done so much computer work lately I don't feel like writing much when I get home.
I have finished some more books. Since my last book update, you can add these to the list:

32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny -Phillip Done
Doctor on Everest -Ken Kamler
Getting to Yes -Roger Fisher and William Ury
Touching My Father's Soul -Jambling Tenzing Norgay
Deception Point - Dan Brown
Breaking Vegas -Ben Mezrich

I have some more in the cooker as well. Anyway, I will get you all an update soon. Take care and keep in touch!

Home Visit

2008-03-07T09:25:00.001+03:00

I do not know where to start. I want to thank everyone for a great visit home. I tried to see and spend time with as many people as possible, but with limited time and busy schedules, it is very difficult. I did learn a few things. I have the best family and friends that you could ever ask for. It was non-stop fun and excitement the entire time I was home. I also learned that this blog is read in many parts of the country, county and world. I cannot believe how many people knew what was going on just from my blog. That is a very nice pat on the back.

Anyway, so to give you a quick update. Here is a brief summary of my time at home.
I flew into Morgantown about 1 hour + late, it was snowing and all the other flights out of Dulles to the PA/OH/WV area were being cancelled, so I am glad ours was finally able to make it. We did a touch and go and had to circle around again in Morgantown. I think it was either wind or deer on the runway, or both. I got off the plane and there was a great friend of mine standing with a sign. Keep in mind the Morgantown airport is really small, and there were 6 people getting off the plane. Don’t think she would have got lost in the shuffle. It was really cool, however. She took me back to the trailer and I got the mail and my truck and headed to the hotel. (My work pays for me to stay in a hotel during my home leave…since I have no place to stay…my house is rented…and there is no furniture.) I got to the hotel and crashed. I stayed up the entire flight and connection, this allowed me to switch back over very easily.
The next morning I headed to Fairmont to go to the dentist. I got my cleaning and got some new impressions made. Afterwards, I headed to Yann’s to have some world famous hot dogs. Mmmmm. Soon, I was back on the road headed towards the Spa City. I got back to town and stopped and saw mom, then sis and Dad got home. It was a great homecoming. We had a great dinner and a great time catching up.

The next day was basically me just visiting around town. Family, friends, EMS, etc. All the regulars. Plus I got really motivated and did my taxes and got a haircut. Very cool. Thursday we headed to Rio, which there is no need to tell you what transpired there. We finished off the evening with a stop at the Irish Pub and the Black Bear. Can you tell I am back in the greater GBR?

Friday I visited some more folks and then headed to see Carrie teach. That was a cool experience. Aunt Pam about knocked me over when she saw me in Carrie’s class. It was really fun to see Carrie go from nice fun teacher to mean teacher so quick. After a while at the school and hanging in the teacher’s lounge….(for those of you that don’t know…like I was…the teacher’s lounge is the place to be. The ‘teacher’ persona gets checked at the door and you really get to see what happens when teachers are on a ‘planning’ period. After school I headed to Roanoke to visit another great friend. We had dinner and had ‘tasty’ beverages late into the evening.
The next morning I headed back to WSS. Stopped to see the parents and have lunch, as well as a few friends. Then it was off to Morgantown.

Donnie met me in Morgantown and I went to pick up a few items at the store and then headed to the Brew Pub to meet Jon and Julie. It was a good time with some great friends. Sunday we visited the future President McClintic-Coates-Gore-Clinton-Obama who had a house full of kids. We grabbed some Quiznos and then headed to the WVU game. Thankfully, we dominated Seton Hall, so it was a good game. After the game we stopped by the house to get some laundry that I did and then headed to the Beanery to do some dinner and hanging out. After much conversation and fixing many of the world’s problems, we headed back to the hotel.

Monday after breakfast, Donnie headed out and I went to spend some time at EMS. It was good to see everyone and catch up. I have such high hopes for EMS, but I think the health system is holding them back (no surprise). I chatted for a long time while my truck was getting an oil change and trailer brake hooked up. (Funny, I am out of the country and ask the family to drive my truck once in a while…when I get it back it has many miles and needs an oil change…what do you think?) Monday afternoon I caught up with Kelly and we had dinner. It was nice to see that she is doing well and continues to expand and grow in her job.

Tuesday was a work day. We had a conference call that I attended in Pittsburgh with the people that are usually in Pittsburgh, however they were in Qatar and I was in the states. So I went to their office and they were at mine and we met for a few hours. I got some things put into motion and cleaned it up pretty soon. Primanti brothers was on tap for Lunch and our Overseas Secretary and myself went to indulge. Mmm….What a great lunch. Tuesday evening it was Porter, Michelle, Sarah and myself went to grab some wings at BW3. There were supposed to be more attendees, but we had some cancellations. After wings, I headed to Dan’s new house and got to see the boys. They were having a poker game (kinda-sorta in my honor). We went and played and it was a good time. Got to see Bill, Dan, Jeremy, Josh, Luke, Dylan plus some new faces I have not yet met.

Wednesday and Thursday were just Visiting friends and family. It was so great to get to see everyone. Plus there were some preparations for Pipestem. Friday morning I got up early ate breakfast and went and got the stereo. Then it was off to Shinnston to pick up Chad. After loading the car we headed to the Greater Greenbrier valley. We started at Route 60, then hit up Rio and then headed to the Irish Pub. We also somehow ended up at the Black Bear in WSS. What a full night with lots of good friends and family.

Sat was extremely busy. Chad helped mom cook (he is into that cooking stuff). I made some rounds and picked up some more supplies for the next week. At about 3:00 the family started arriving for our Christmas dinner. Mom had left up many of the Christmas decorations and we actually had a full Christmas dinner. It was nice. Most of the family was there and it was good to catch up with everyone. After dinner Dad, Myself, Chad and Josh headed to Sugar Camp for an evening with friends.

Sunday morning we got up and headed to Beckley. It was time for Sams and Wal-Mart Supercenter shopping for Pipestem. We got a large amount of supplies and went back down the Mountain to meet Carrie. She didn’t understand until she saw how full my truck was why we needed her to drive Dad’s down with the Stereo and our Luggage in it. When we go away for a week and shop for 7-8 people, you acquire a lot of stuff.

The week of Pipestem was great. It is one of the most relaxing weeks every year. I look forward to it constantly. Plus, the fact that we have reservations tied up for 2 years in advance makes it hard to get off our mind. It was great seeing everyone and catching up with all of my EMS buds from all over the state.

After Pipestem, I headed home. Laundry was needing done and it was such a nice day Sunday and I felt pretty well I decided to undertake a project. When I opened the Garage to put the cooler back in you could not see past the door. Since I had all afternoon, and the weather was awesome…I decided that I was going to clean the Garage. I pulled everything out. Organized it, and put it back in some sort of order. You can now actually walk in there. It was fun going through all of MAMA’s stuff as she kept some really neat things. Plus she left notes in everything, which I know surprises no one.

Monday I helped Dad with some odds and ends around the house. Around noon, Carol, one of my close friends happened to be in the states and stopped by to hang out for a while. We hit up April’s for lunch and then I showed her around town. We hit up EMS, the Fire Department, Memorial Park, and The Greenbrier. After the tour, we took Mom and Dad and met Susan, Jeff, and Carrie at the Irish Pub. After happy hour we headed home and had dinner at the house. The night ended with all of us going to Lara’s to play Nintendo’s Wii.

Tuesday I ran around and said my goodbyes to everyone. Dad and I headed to Beckley, but with the impending storm and the fact that my flight was already 2.5 hours late we made the decision to drive to Dulles. Thank goodness Dad did not have to work the next day. We stopped back by the house and had a quick lunch with mom and then headed to DC. I love him for that quick decision to take me all the way to DC. It was good getting many hours to chat and catch up. My dad is truly a great wise man and I love him dearly.

So after a few hours in the lounge and catching up on some news and happenings it was time to board. I started feeling a little bad the day before but I thought it was just my allergies because the weather was so nice. Well, I was wrong. The fight over was miserable. When we started to descend into Doha, I could not equalize. The pain and pressure in my head was killer. Finally about 10 feet off the ground I was able to get the pain out of my head.
I was hoping it was just a bug, but Thursday morning I felt like I had been hit by a truck. Fever, coughing, aches, chest and sinus congestion, runny nose, sore throat. I stayed home and worked from my office. I needed to clean our my emails and do some computer work anyway. Thankfully Carol had some antibiotics, and told me where her key was to her house. So I am about 12 hours into some antibiotics and feeling a little better. You guys that know me know I am sick because I have been so cold. I actually woke up freezing last night and went and got my other comforter from my other bedroom and put it on my bed. It did not help much. Today I woke up cold and now I am burning up and sweating.

I did go get my car yesterday, so if I need to get out I can. I picked up some milk and some other items so I have some things to eat for the weekend. It will probably be a lot of computer time and some time with The Family Guy.

So anyway, I had a great trip home. I am truly blessed with all the family and friends I have all over the US and the world. Everyone is so warm and welcoming. I love you all and cannot wait to see you again. Those of you that say I don’t blog enough I am sorry. I will try to pick up the pace. It is hard to write when not much happens on a day to day basis. Thank you all for a wonderful experience. See you all soon!

Country Roads

2008-02-09T16:23:00.000+03:00

So guys, I have been trying to get ready to come back to the states and it has been crazy busy. I have to prepare some reports, Board of Directors slides, get my Mentees to continue the data collection I have started, etc. It has been crazy. Anyway, I will be in the states from the 12th until March 4. I will be in WSS, Morgantown, and Pipestem. I will be in Morgantown from around the 16th through the 23rd (ish) Pipestem is 24th through the 2nd. The rest of the time I will be in WSS. If you get a strange number on your cellphone, answer it. I will be using probably my dad's cell phone while I am in town. There probably will not be any major posts on here until I get back. I might throw some thoughts on here about coming back to the states...apprently, repartriation is a interesting process.

Also, I really like the fact that Coach Stew kicked 3 guys off the team for dealing in drugs. I like the precedent he is setting. That is what West Virginians like to see in a coach. Someone that won't put up with crap and acts on it when faced with it. You come to play at WVU, you need to play hard on and off the field. I think Stew will make us proud...

See you all soon. Cheers!

See? I have been working...

2008-02-02T15:43:00.001+03:00

You want cultural understanding? You want to be challenged? Try teaching four 2-Day leadership classes to the emergency nurse leaders at this organization. The EMS/Nurse relationship has always been slightly volatile, but add in cultural issues, 10 nationalities, bad pay, poor working conditions...and you get one heck of an experience. Needless to say I was challenged and I had a blast doing it. Enjoy some of my class photos... Jordanian, Palestinian, UK, South African, Filipino, Indian, Qatari, Iranian, Egyptian, and Tunisian...wow...plus I am sure I am missing a few.

Class One - HGH

Class Two -HGH
Class 3 - Al -Khor

Are you getting the idea of why we are so easily spotted in the ER? I mean, as you can see, if I walked into the ER and these guys were working...I could scan the whole room in just a quick turn.

Class Four - Al Khor
Did you ever think a small town hillbilly would be teaching an Arab woman in a veil leadership? Me either....wow. She (Kneeling, center) was acutally the smarest in the class and got the best score on both the pre and post tests.

Traditional Arabic Dinner

2008-01-25T13:02:00.000+03:00

EMS’ Assistant Director of Support Services is leaving. He is going to work for the Government. In Arab culture, when you get a promotion or move on…you throw a party and people come see you, not vice versa. So, Dr. Faleh had a traditional Arabic dinner at his home for the leaders of EMS and it was quite an experience. Unlike in the states when you show up for dinner and then hang out for a while afterwards, it is the opposite here. You show up a few hours before dinner, chat, smoke, drink tea. Then you eat dinner and leave.

So I showed up and some of the guys I have never seen in thobes (the white outfits) were wearing them and I was basically the most underdressed there. Anyway, you take off your shoes when you go in the house to the reception room. This a huge room with many couches and chairs lining all of the walls. Basically you just go in and talk. You are served Arabic Tea which is a semi-nasty tasting stuff in small cups (like shot glass size). If you don’t twiddle your cup, they will continue to keep filling it up.

At a certain time, the doors to the rest of the house are opened. You are instructed to wash your hands and then head to another room where the food is on a huge platter in the middle of the floor. You are also given water, food, salad, and eating utensils…but no one really uses them. You just reach in and grab. Place some meat and rice in your hand, ball it up and eat it. Eat only with your right hand, as your left is for bathroom use and is considered unclean.
The Arab guys eat and immediately go to the dessert room. The westerners finished the meal and followed. There they had a selection of deserts, cakes, even a chocolate fountain. You get that and also some more Arabic tea.

This is followed by Mint Tea. Once that is done. They bring around an incense burner and you waft it in your face and clothes when they put it in front of you. They go around the room 3 times. About 5- 10 minutes after that…everyone gets up and leaves. It was a very interesting and informative night. That is for sure. Then you get pictures like this:

The reception room. This furniture was all the way around the room. Left to right you have Omar, our new head of Doha Operations; Chaker, who is now the Head of Northern Operations (and he has a awesome new station up north that is a good cleaning and turning on the power, internet, and phones away from moving into). Malcom who is the Assistant Executive Director of Operations, Shaun Assistant Executive Director of Training and Education, and Khalid our Public Relations guy.

Me getting my incense on. I had to plan this just right with the guy next to me, so he could get my picture as they were going around with it. This boy is Dr. Faleh's son, Omar.

Me enjoying the Majaliss style eating on the floor.

A closer version of what the dinner actually looks like.

Then you get pictures like this with Dr. Faleh (the host) on the left, myself, Abdul Rahman who is our Head of Communications, and Dr. Marc who is our Medical Director. Did you ever think you would see me on a couch with 2 guys in thobes?

DOOBUY!

2008-01-25T12:48:00.000+03:00

I know the title is bad, but I was trying to be funny!

Vegas of the Middle East. That is about sums it up. Dubai was an amazingly awesome time. It was so great, that if this job were there…I would probably consider staying until the end of the project. I could probably stand the heat in that city. Here is a little taste of my trip last weekend.

So we used basically the same itinerary that we did for Bahrain, Carol (best travel partner ever!) and I headed to the Airport around 5:30am. Hussein was early to the compound and he was honking the horn outside my door at 5:20. I called Carol and told her he was here and she headed down the street and we were on our way. The flight was easy, another 36 minutes except this time instead of north it was almost due east. (Blew my mind too…check the map). After arriving at airport, which if you ever go through Dubai, spend some time in the airport before/after your flight. Pretty cool experience. Nice airport, big mall…kind of like Pittsburgh. We headed to the hotel via a cab, which we came to find out over the weekend…are everywhere. We never had to wait more than a couple of minutes ANYWHERE in the city to find a cab that was going by us with no fares. We were staying at the Sheraton Four Points in the Bur Dubai area of town, which is kind of like the old downtown area. There are streets and sidewalks, stores as you walk by, etc. The hotel was a little old, but had a bar and a few restaurants. Probably the only problem was that I was unlucky and got the room facing the construction site right beside the hotel. Her room was facing the back pool. So at 7:00 both mornings I heard them fire up the cranes and I think at least 60 Indian/Nepalese/etc men were banging on the rebar with hammers, for what appeared to be no purpose other than to get me out of bed. Anyway, our rooms were not ready, so we stored our stuff, grabbed a backpack and headed to the Mall of the Emirates.

Since the mall is a bit away from town, our cab driver suggested we make a short detour and stop by the Burj Al Arab hotel (The Sail, 7 Star hotel you all see on TV). It was only about 1 KM out of the way, so it was actually a good idea. We got out and got some pictures. However you have to have reservations at the hotel or restaurants to get across the bridge to actually get into the hotel. It was quite an amazing site.

Now, I know some of you are thinking…Feet? At the Mall? Voluntarily? But you have to look a little deeper in this scenario. You see, Ski Dubai is at the Mall of the Emirates. Which was awesome considering that it was a ski slope with a supposed black diamond, indoor, in the middle east. It was just about a 400 meter, L shaped slope with difficulty varying on which side of the slope you were on. They even had a ‘lodge’ halfway up to get drinks and warm up…are you kidding me? It was -3Celcius and I did not wear gloves or a hat. I was comfortable. It was nice to know I haven’t lost all of my cold weather skills. You can get an all day lift ticket, but trust me…the 2 hour deal is plenty. They give you everything you would need…skis, boots, poles, jacket, pants, socks, just not hat or gloves. After staying on that small of a slope for such a short time, 2 hours is enough time. I got my fix and it was awesome. Carol has not skied in many years so she opted out. However, they do have a snow park and snow tubing as well. She got access to the snow park and was able to get close enough to the slopes to throw snowballs at me. After changing back to normal clothes we grabbed lunch at a Lebanese restaurant and I ordered something that I cannot describe. The best way to put it is it was kind of like a Lebanese version of a cheese Quesada, except with different cheese and spices. It was actually not too bad. After lunch we did a quick walk around to see what all was there, which in this size mall took a few hours. Wow. Was it big. You could probably spend all day or more here and not see all that you wanted.

In the effort of efficiency and since we were on this side of town, the Hard Rock café was not that far away from the mall. Now, that is true in some respects, but traffic is so bad here that it takes forever to get anywhere. So we grabbed a taxi from the mall and headed out into traffic. It took us a bit, but we finally landed at the Hard Rock, which thankfully was not too busy yet and we were able to get a table. Probably the only downfall was that there were 2 separate tables of either kids parties or all the parents just put the kids together while they ate. They were not too loud, but we did have some running by the table and screaming a few times. We ate and drank for a while, and the way traffic looked outside we stayed for a few more drinks after dinner because we were not ready to fight that mess. After picking up the requisite souvenirs, we headed back to the hotel. This was another exercise in patience because it took us probably over an hour to get back. By the time we hit the hotel, it was probably closer to 11:00pm. We were both pretty tired, especially getting up so early that we retired to our rooms and didn’t stop at the hotel bar.

The next morning I got a call about 8:30ish and she asked about breakfast. We decided to head out in about 30 minutes and this time unlike Bahrain, I was ready for her. When she knocked I was ready to go. Still getting used to a woman that gets cleaned up and ready to go as fast or faster than I do. We tried to find a restaurant that served a ‘pork’ breakfast but to no avail. We did find a restaurant that had outside seating, right next to the street and the weather was so nice we ate outside. (Still no pork) It was called “The Dome” and was actually a pretty good breakfast for Turkey Bacon. We got on the most touristy of things, the double-decker sightseeing tour bus. It was open on top, and it was such a nice day we had to. Plus, it was hop-on hop-off all day long, and it hit many of the sights. So for the price, it was worth it. We made a trip around town and got off at the souqs. They were not fully open yet, but there were a good amount of shops and people already there. They are a little pushier than they are in Doha, and they will really try to push their wares on you. We got back on the bus and headed toward the Museum, however when we got there it was closed. It was Friday and would not open for a few more hours. So we stayed on the bus until we got to the docks. Included in our bus fare was a Dhow (boat) cruise down the Dubai Creek. It was a nice relaxing day and so smooth and comfortable, I could have fell asleep on the boat. Plus, they offered us beer, so of course we had to have one while on the cruise.

After getting back to port, since there were no bathrooms on there we headed to the Radisson hotel which was across the street. We ran in to the bathroom and since we were there decided to have a cool drink. Afterwards we got back on the bus and headed towards the rest of the tour. We saw all the stops and then went to the JW Marriott Hotel for dinner. They have a Hofbrauhaus there and I wanted to check it out…you know I love my German Beer and Food. We showed up at 4:30-4:45 ish and the manager came and told us that due to Dubai Liquor laws they cannot sell beer between 4 and 6 pm…(what is that?) He told us that we should consider coming back at 6:00 pm because they were having a special that night. 3 restaurants in the hotel were having huge buffets and we can go to any of them, all you can eat. It was also all you could drink from 6pm till Midnight. Can you tell what we did? It was like $70…but well worth it. We went and grabbed some Gloria Jene’s coffee while we were waiting and then headed back to the restaurant at 6:00. Probably the funniest thing was when we first got the buffet they had not put everything out yet and we were picking through the cold table. About that time, Carol stopped and said “OH MY GOD…THAT IS HAM!” We both stocked up and headed back to the table. Later on she found some really thick pork chops and brought me one back to the table. It is amazing how much you crave certain things just cause you can’t have them. (I’m thinking Yann dogs, myself.)

The best part of this is about to come. So, in order to not get totally sick. We spaced out our meal over the course of the night. The other restaurants had a variety food from all over the world, it was crazy. In our restaurant, they had German Music, in another they had beach music, in the third they had a little Filipino band. As I was heading towards the restaurant, I thought I heard some familiar words…and I did! They were singing COUNTRY ROADS! I ran in and started to sing along with them really loud (the other diners thought I was crazy…), then I ran out to get my camera so you could hear them sing. Well, by the time I got back the song was about over… I was mad. What a wasted opportunity…I turned and started to put my camera away and the very next song was this:

SWEET HOME ALABAMA! Are you kidding me? 2 of my all time favorites back to back in Dubai? Wow! We stayed until they stopped serving the free stuff and headed home. What a cool night.

The next morning we got up and headed to a very close Starbucks for coffee. We also grabbed a quick bit to eat and then headed to the Dubai Museum. It was only about $1 to get in, and actually it was not too bad to be only $1. We were there for a little over an hour and then headed to the Harley Shop. We did our shopping and then headed to the Hotel to grab our luggage and head to the airport. Since we were early, we stopped in the pub at the hotel and had a drink and some appetizers. It was after 12:00 – FYI. We left for the airport soon after and headed back to Doha on the 4:00 flight.
Great weekend in a cool city. I might actually go back sometime before I leave because there is so much to do, you cannot fit it in 2 days. Unlike Doha, where you can get most of it in an afternoon!

The pictures are below! Later!

Dubai Pictures

2008-01-25T11:11:00.000+03:00

View from the creek at some interesting Dubai Architechture.

Our Dhow. It was a Majalis Dhow, so you sit on the floor with small tables on the roof of the boat. Really cool.

Dubai Museum. It is located in the Mid-1700's fort that was the beginning of the city.

Hofbrauhaus.

Water Taxis (Abras) ferry people across the creek. There are 100's of these things. It costs 1 AED to ride across the creek (About 28 cents). They put about 20-25 people on these things.

Carol and I at the Burj Al Arab.

This is as close as we got to the Burj Al Arab. Notice the "Right of Admission Reserved" sign...and the secret service style security guards.

In Ski Dubai they had a snack bar built out of ice. I thought this was a great way to showcase the candy bars they had for sale. They were encased in a block of ice...how cool is that?

This is from the top of the slope. When it doglegs right, it is about the same distance from me to the lodge than it is from the lodge to the bottom of the slope.

The Souqs on a "Quiet" friday morning.

BREAKING NEWS!

2008-01-11T13:40:00.000+03:00

So, when I woke up this morning and turned on my mobile phone...I had a few missed calls and some text messages. Major happenings here in the Middle East. Earth Shattering! Crazy! Unexpected! So, what crazy event, what incident or happening could have this much impact that friends from all over the city are calling and texting me to inform me of the early morning news?

IT'S RAINING IN DOHA!!!!

Of course, I ran out side and got an unsuspecting neighbor to take a picture of me in the rain. (He was laughing the whole time). Not to mention the guys in the guard box (down the road to my right) were wondering why the heck I was out standing in the rain...I didn't hear them, but they were probably laughing as well. Slight FYI...all of this concrete, marble, and granite is slippery as heck since it never rains here. Be careful walking around...I have almost fell a few times.

So, there you go folks. I have been in this country since July 2, 2007. Over 6 months later I see my first precipitation. Isn't that crazy? It was a light/medium drizzle, but the drainage is so bad here you would think it rained 3 inches. My back yard is flooded.

I think I am going to pull my car out and let the rain rinse it off....

Cheers!

Short Update

2008-01-09T21:43:00.000+03:00

Sorry guys, not too much going on. I am kicking these guys and pushing them pretty hard, but we are making changes. I found a weekly poker game that I have done REALLY well at. I am planning on hitting Dubai next weekend and doing some skiing. When something exciting, different happens...I will keep you updated....Cheers

Sunrise Photos

2007-12-29T11:21:00.000+03:00

As you can see, this is near the water. I just thought it was funny. The Indian Emabssy is apprently just a sign.

It's beginning to look a lot like...Summer?

2007-12-29T10:50:00.001+03:00

Christmas in the Middle East? It's not cold. Everyone is Islamic. It's their Eid Holiday. Didn't really feel like Christmas. At least there is a LARGE ex-pat community that has parties and such and tries to make it feel like home. All of my staff called or wrote to wish me a Merry Christmas, so that was very nice especially since 98% of them are Muslim. Here is a very short summary:

Christmas Eve:

Went to work. Since it was Eid no one was around. Since it was Christmas Eve, even less Ex-Pats were. Had a full day of paperwork, cleaning out old files, prepping some upcoming classes. Actually the day went pretty quick. That evening, I headed to Connie's and Jacque's for Christmas Eve Dinner. In addition to them it was Myself, Kevin, Kevin's Mom, John, Richard, and Carol. I brought the Nog which was attacked quickly. Jacque is a VERY good cook. They started this tradition years ago, but they have Spanish Tapas on Christmas Eve. It was very cool. Small plates, a wide variety of food from meatballs, mushrooms, shrimp, etc. It was so good. After food and socializing, we headed home about 10:00ish.

Christmas:

Once again it was a work day. Now you guys in the states will probably complain...Why was I working on a day that I could have taken off. (We get US holidays) Well the easiest way to put it is this.
1) This is like being on a Military Deployment. If you are not actually going to leave or go out and do something, you might as well go to work. It makes the day go faster and gives you something to do.
2) Economics. If I work a normal day, I accrue Vacation time of about .1 FTE per workday (or something like that). If I work a holiday, I accrue Vacation time of 1.0 FTE per workday. So, by working Christmas eve I get to take say 2 hours off sometime in the future (like when I come home), by working Christmas I get to take 8 hours off sometime in the future. See how that works?
Since I am here anyway, I might as well work. Plus, Vacation time I do not use I get to cash in. That is something I would like to do at this rate!
So after work, we had a 'Pittsburgh" party. Our project director had a huge buffet at her house and everyone was invited. We drank, had turkey and all the trimmings. I of course brought egg nog. Our Filipino secretaries once again brought the Karaoke machine, so we sang late into the night. We also had a Yankee gift swap. This is where everyone brings a present, then you draw numbers, and open presents. You also have the option of taking someone else's present instead of opening your own. Anyway, this is was a very fun part of the evening and I think everyone had a good time. It was a good Christmas Party.

26th:

So after a long night on the 25th, I was planning on having a quiet night at home. That was all well and good until about 7:30ish. Mitch's kids were in town and they are all College Age. He has 3 and one brought a friend. I told them that if they wanted to get out of the house sometime during the visit to just stop by and we could have a few beers or something. Well, the 4 of them showed up and stayed until about 10:30. I had to be up early the next day, so I had to kick them out. It was fun, even though one of them was going to Pitt.

27th:

I got up super early to assist with training at our hospital in the north. It is about 30 miles north of here and I had to be there at 6:30. I went up and assisted our nursing staff with class and then headed back to deal with our ever present radio issues. Somehow, I was not tired so I didn't take a nap that afternoon, even though I got up early. John and I headed to our now weekly Thursday night poker game and had a blast. There was 15 people in and John and I both ended up in the money. I came in 4th and John 2nd. Last time I was just under the money line, so this was nice. It was a great time, and since they play 8 minute blinds, the game goes quick.
I was home early and in bed.

28th:

Since I got up so Early the day before. I decided to do the same thing on Friday (our day off). I have been wanting to do this for a while, just to say I did and it was pretty cool. I got up early and went to the waterfront. I got to watch the sunrise over the Persian gulf. It was a cool experience and one that not many from our parts get to experience. It was something different and not really something I would normally do. Probably won't do it again soon...

Today, I slept in like crazy. 4 straight days of late nights and/or early mornings took its toll on me. Today is going to be a lay around day, laundry day, get back into workout day, (I have miss 3 days and I am going crazy!) etc. Talk to you later!

You thought I was lying about the nog?

2007-12-27T17:06:00.000+03:00

Egg Shortage by fan_ni_sarap

CONSUMERS looking for eggs in hypermarkets around town are still searching in vain as the shortage caused by a ban on poultry from Saudi Arabia has not eased. Although a ban on eggs from India, the cheapest available before the embargo, has recently been lifted and large consignments are on their way to Doha, it will be another couple of days before they are available, industry sources said. A Gulf Times survey of five major hypermarkets yesterday revealed a bleak picture of no eggs whatsoever and no idea when they will be arriving. The eggs available at small grocery shops were going for QR1 each. "We received a few trays of eggs four days ago, from the UAE and a local farm, but the stock ran out within hours", said a manager at an Al Meera outlet.

Bahrain Photos Two

2007-12-26T18:57:00.000+03:00

Hard Rock Cafe, Bahrain

Very interesting building. I took this while driving by.

Senor Paco's. They made us wear those hats to take our pictures.

You guys in the states will not appreciate this as much as me, but that is a true breakfast. Pork Bacon, Sausage, and Sausage Gravy; something you cannot get in the Middle East or any Islamic Country (Except Bahrain and Dubai)

Bahrain Pictures

2007-12-26T18:38:00.000+03:00

The Grand Mosque. Over 7000 people can pray here at once.

Carol in the Grand Mosque. Women had to wear a complete abaya and hijab to be allowed to enter. Doesn't she look happy in full costume?

Camels in the Desert.

The Tree of Life

Carol and I at the Tree of Life. Notice the graffitti and trash. Somehow, with all the kids around we were able to keep them out of the picture. That was just luck.

Bahrain

2007-12-25T15:26:00.001+03:00

The 14th involved another round of the US Embassy Marine Party. The party was rocking early, however the all of a sudden the place died at like 11:15. We were the only ones left along with some Marines while we sat on the porch and waited for our driver who was supposed to pick us up at 12:00. Oh well…the next day felt better.

Our EMS Director had a small get together before the big Marine Bash. I would have stayed at that party all night, but we were meeting Pittsburgh people at the Embassy. It was a nice time with Nog (no where near as good as the Weyen version), a selection of food, etc. She is not the pre-planner, which is odd since she works EMS. She forgot to put to meat in the oven until the beginning of the party. Needless to say, I didn’t get to eat any food there. It was good hanging out with all the Australian Medics and people from work and around. These Australian and South African guys must really have the mojo. There wives were amazingly beautiful, seemed way out of their league. If you wanted to put it in perspective, like Cam marrying Jennifer Aniston, would be a good example.

As a small thought, do you ever realize that with all the Celebrating we do, everything that is related to Christmas and the holidays, is related to the Middle East? Camels, wise men, Mary and Joseph (who are wearing traditional desert dress…which I see everyday), sand, starry nights, etc. So, we think about the desert every year. Isn’t it funny how the cradle of civilization is contested? Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Syria, etc…it just amazes me. The funny thing is, much of the middle east does not celebrate Christmas, it sure does not feel like it over here. A few of my supervisors called me today to wish me Merry Christmas, but none even turned a head when I came in to work Christmas day. They think it is odd that I am working when it’s the Eid holiday, not because it is Christmas. By the way, its 65-70 degrees and sunny, with a slight wind. Not Christmas-y weather.

So, Last weekend Carol and I headed to Bahrain. I needed a travel partner, and I think I picked a good one. The first story will probably give you all the proof you need.

So, instead of coming the night before and having to spend another night in a hotel, we got up early and took the 8:30 flight to Bahrain. It was a whopping 26 minute flight, and we were out of the airport by 9:15. We had just carry on bags, so it was smooth sailing.
We headed to the hotel and neither her or my room was ready. We knew it was a long shot, but we thought we would ask anyway. She told us that check in time was 1:00, but that if wanted, she could have us both our rooms by 11:00am. Since it was only about an hour away, we thought we would wait and decide on a gameplan for the day/weekend.

We headed to the lounge and the waitress came around. I was looking at the menu thinking about getting a diet coke and a snack. The waitress asked Carol first what she would like, and she asked what they had on tap. I dropped my menu and looked at her in disbelief. She smiled and said “We are on vacation, let’s act like it”. I immediately put down my menu and ordered a beer as well. I knew this was going to be a great weekend with a good friend.

After a couple of beers our rooms were ready. We with the cheap option, so both her and my room had 2 twin beds in it (twin, not double), very European. We stayed at a Movenpick, which is a Swiss hotel and the room had that feel. It was a 5 star place, but really nice and affordable. All the amenities. I was a little disappointed by the TV selection, because they have the same TV I have at home. I was hoping to have some Sportscenter to watch live instead of on my computer. Oh well, we didn’t spend much time in the rooms anyway.

After moving into our rooms, and our couple of drinks, what better way to pass the time than to head to the Grand Mosque? This is a HUGE Mosque in the center of town where over 7000 people can pray at once. It was huge and beautiful. Unlike other Mosques, they are open to non-Muslims and actually give tours. You have to dress conservative as a man, (pants, shirt, etc.) but as a woman you have to cover completely. This is part of the reason that I wanted to go there, just to make Carol put on a complete Abaya with Hijab. You also have to take off your shoes when you go in, and the tour guide gave us a look around, answered questions, talked about the prayer times, what they do when they pray, facing MECCA, all the good stuff. The even give you informational brochures when you leave (I would call it propaganda). These praying rituals are just about as bad as the Catholics…way too much exercise in a service.

After the Mosque we headed to the Hard Rock. Since we came on one of the first days of the Eid Holiday, certain things were hit and miss to be open. The Hard Rock was so we went to have a late lunch and of course some more tasty beverages. Service was good, you would be surprised at the amount of Military guys in there, but this is “Vegas” of the Middle East.

After our lunch, we were going to head to the Souqs, which we were assured were open. After driving around them and seeing nobody with a shop open, we decided to head back to the hotel. We both needed to take a quick nap, especially since I had to get up so early to get to the airport. I am not used to a 5:00-5:30am wake up. We headed off to our rooms and planned to meet up a little while later for dinner. After about an hour and a half we decided to head to the restaurant bar/lounge. We had dinner and then a small band was setting up. Since we had no luck anywhere else today, and cabs were expensive. We decided to just drink in the Hotel bar and try our luck the next day. We stayed out till about 10:30 – 11:00. I fell quickly asleep that night.

The next morning she calls me as she is getting ready for breakfast. As I was dressing, there was a knock at the door. It was Carol. I am not used to traveling with a girl that gets ready as fast or faster than I do. Then I remembered that she is ex/current military, so quick showers and efficiency must come second nature to her. I quickly dressed and was out the door in a couple of minutes. We ate at the hotel’s lunch buffet which had a good selection of European food (cold cuts, etc.) and made to order waffles and omelets. Pretty good start.

Since cabs were so expensive. We found a deal where we could have exclusive rights to a driver for 3 hours for about $60 bucks. So we planned our days after that in 3 hour bursts and bar stops in between.

So we headed out of town about 20km to head to the Harley Shop. I am destined to find some cool destination stuff wherever I go now. However, once again, it was closed. They would be open tomorrow, so not all was lost. We then headed to “The Tree of Life”. It was about 20 km out of town the other way and our driver had no idea of how to get there. We were able to help him with our map and guide book and we did find it. It was one of those feelings that you just cannot explain. On one hand, here is this tree over 400 years old growing in the middle of the desert with no known water source. Then as you get closer it looks like a high school hang out. Graffiti everywhere, branches torn off, there is a small fence around it, but there are kids climbing all over it, trash everywhere. It is really sad. We were able to get some good pictures, but still not as exciting as I would have hoped. Stuff like that really makes you appreciate things like the park service and the national register of historic places. I am glad I got a picture of it, cause I know one day I will see on MSNBC that the tree of life has suddenly died…due to overuse or contamination. I did get some cool pictures of a herd of camels that was near the tree. (Is that what they are called?)

After that, we decided to head back to the Souqs. Well, guess what. Closed. Again. We decided that it was not in the cards for us to hit the souqs this trip, so we would just deal with not experiencing them.

Thanks to a colleague from Pittsburgh, she recommended a GREAT Mexican restaurant that WAS open. Thank goodness. We got there at 2:30, however they were closing at 3 and opening again at 6:30. They did tell us to come in, eat and stay as long as we wanted. Well, 2 pitchers later and after dinner, it was just our waiter left and the night shift was showing up to work when we left. He got a great tip. Senor Paco’s if you are ever in the area. Great place. This is sad, but it made me think of Mom…you all know why.

Afterwards, we headed to the Sheraton because it was supposed to be the party place. They had a 6 piece band and they did pretty well with American and International songs. It was rocking. We stayed and had a great time till about 11:00 or 12:00.

The next morning we decided to move our flight up from 9:30pm till 4:00pm. We had a new staff member coming to town and Carol told her that she would meet her when she got here. Luckily, we have a good staff so they met her and we were going to head back early so she could spend the evening with her.

We were still trying to find the illustrious Pork so thanks finding a Restaurant that we also have here in Doha that serves just about a good a breakfast as you can get without pork, we headed there. We were like kids at Christmas looking at the menu. I ordered Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, and Sausage Gravy. I was in heaven. It was so good. I can’t wait to have mom cook some when I get home.

Afterwards, we headed to the Harley Shop which was open this time and was able to get a few mementos and items. They only had 2 bikes to sell, all of their other just arrived models were sold. These Gulf Arabs and their money….it burns a hole in the pocket of their thobe.

After getting our fill, we still had enough time to spend a few hours at the Bahrain National Museum. It was not the best place on earth, but pretty impressive when you understand how they do things in this part of the world. It had to be set up by a westerner, that is for sure. They had a lot of things in there about death, dying, the burial sites, how the bodies were found. Also…Arab culture and history, traditions, just to name a few. Some of the displays and the flow of the place did not seem to make sense at times, but we got through it all and I enjoyed it.

We headed back to the hotel, grabbed our bags and headed to the airport. We breezed through security and immigration, so we did what anyone else would have done, headed to the restaurant. We had small lunch with of course a tasty beverage. The flight back was so much longer, I mean 28 minutes…that is crazy.

It was definitely an experience, probably not somewhere I will go back to. Since I was here, I had to see it especially since it is only a hop, skip, and a jump away.
I will update you on my Christmas soon!

No Nog? You Kidding?

2007-12-15T16:44:00.000+03:00

There was almost a crisis in Doha today. Major issue, however thanks to Carol all was alleviated. I was planning on trying to make egg nog this evening. I have been scoping out the ingredients since I got here and I knew where to find everything. I got the “good stuff” last week, other than a change on the type of rum I am good to go. Today I went out to borrow a mixer off a friend and then head to the stores…(you cannot find everything at one store in this country). I went to one and got the whipping crème, plus some other groceries that I needed. However, they were out of eggs…so no worries, I will get them at the next store. Arriving at the second store, there was a sign that said ‘out of eggs’…crap this is getting bad. I got the rest of my supplies, minus the main ingredient, and headed to 2 other stores. NOTHING. THERE IS CURRENTLY A RUN ON EGGS IN QATAR. Are you kidding me? So I called Carol who I knew was going to another area of town to do her grocery shopping, I told her my dilemma and she promised to keep an eye out. About an hour later after I got home there was a knock at the door and there she was with 30 eggs in the carton. She stopped at a few mom & pop stores on her way home and found one that had eggs. Thank Goodness! Whew. She just secured her place on the nog list. So, the cooking will commence this evening.

Oh, small aside…when I came home from the store my kitchen was flooded with water from my dishwasher. (FYI- there is a drain cover in the middle of my kitchen floor, that is where it came from) I immediately called our manager and they got someone here in like 20 minutes. Fastest response time in Doha. He got the drain unclogged and then informed me that he was surprised that it has not happened sooner. Apparently, there was an issues with the concrete guy coming after the plumber while they were building and there is a lot of extra concrete piled up in the drain pipes. There is also speculation that they put too small of drain lines in. They are coming tomorrow to re-route my kitchen drains to the pipe out the rear of my villa instead of the one in the kitchen. Hopefully, no more floods!

So, once again I have a bunch of crap to talk about and I want to make it interesting, but I don’t want to do in depth on all of this. So some of it will be so I remember it later.
We had our Administrative Manager come from Pittsburgh and stay with us 2 weeks. We all had to have a 1 on 1 meeting with her. All I can say is wow. Carol, Connie, and I named her Hypertalker. This girl says so much in such a short period of time. Wow. Plus its very ADDish…she is all over the place with her thoughts and comments. She is definitely a blonde, however. We were talking one day and one of us said it was ‘hump’ day. She stopped the conversation and asked what the heck we were talking about. She did not know if it was a reference to something or a sexual innuendo of some sort. She had no idea that the rest of the world calls the middle of the work week hump day…I didn’t even know how to respond. Luckily, she did calm down a little week 2 and was much more tolerable. If I had to put a reference on it for you all, Imagine hanging out with a slightly less intelligent Marcie (Gore-Clinton-McClintic-Coats-Kerry-Edwards),that provides the same level of work, but on speed and with ADD. Very high energy…
So, our Executive VP of my division came over for a board meeting. They fly over once a quarter for these things. It is hard to believe that they are in town for about 24-48 hours…that is not long enough to even figure out where you are. However, they had a nice lunch for us when they got here and we all got to hang out with them. He informed us all that our division is rapidly expanding. They are looking at opening hospitals in Ireland, Cyrus, Italy, maybe even some more in the Middle East not to mention some things they have going on in the states. He said that great opportunities would be available to good employees in the coming years. The Ireland project is going to need a lot of administrative help, so that excited me. I could probably do Ireland. I never thought I would like international assignments, but if I found one where it is not sunny and 70 degrees everyday and there is stuff to do, I might consider it. Plus I am really starting to look at a Project Manager position (The person on location that runs the project) as an opportunity down the road. Many things to look forward to. I would probably still like the opportunity to fix a certain service in West Virginia, but we will cross that bridge when we get to it.

On to work. Our medical director who works with our project has recently re-wrote the protocols and now we are doing a full staff protocol rollout. When you have over 700 staff, this takes a few months. They are getting new skills and drugs, and they are also losing some skills and drugs. They did the EMTs first and everything went pretty well. Now he is onto the Paramedic I’s. Those of you that are confused, Paramedic Is are kind of like the US equivalent of an EMT-I. Actually, they are like an EMT-B with more responsibility and not much more training. A dangerous mix. Most of them are Tunisian anesthesia technicians that were supposed to be good at intubation. Through our new random chart audit, we learned that not only can they not intubate, they do not realize when it is out, or what to do to fix it in a timely manner. So, now these guys can only intubate dead people (in cardiac arrest). Everyone else is getting a King airway, which is kind of like a Combitube-basically idiot proof. Well needless to say these boys are irate that they took skills away from them. However, evidence does not lie. They started arguing that they are skilled in this and they should not take this away. We basically got them down to “Our job description says you are a Paramedic I. Paramedic Is do not intubate. If you do want to intubate, you can probably find a job that will let you” (We didn’t actually say that, but we did) They are really mad, cause the EMTs can now do the same skill. Ahh…the joys of consulting. If you have not figured out we are phasing out Paramedic Is. Soon everyone will be trained to an EMT-I level or they will drop to and EMT level if they cannot pass the course. This will really help the system evolve.

I finally found a poker game. I met a guy at a party and he got me into this game. Tournament style hold ‘em every Thursday. It was the most multinational, random game I have ever played. The house was HUGE. There were 4 bedrooms on the first floor. A living room, foyer, a poker room the size of mom and dad’s living and dining room (which included a bar and a bathroom), a pool room, and the kitchen was detached from the house in the maid’s quarters. It was impressive. The hosts were a very nice older Texas couple, that you can say were very Texan. The husband I think works in the oil business, so no wonder why he has such a big house. They have food, alcohol, etc. I brought a bottle of Jack to give and they told me not to bring any more alcohol, to just drink theirs. They would not take any money for food. The kicker is, they do this every week. Great people. Anyway the poker room has a bar, couches all around, 3 tables set up, TV, music, a snack table, very cool. I played with guys and girls from China, Lebanese, Syria, Texas, Arkansas, New York, Maylaysia, and South Africa. 4 of them were Muslim (obviously, not very devout) Very cool group. The guy from Arkansas used to be a Medic in the states in the early 80’s. He was shot while on duty and his wife made him find a new job. So he went to work for a natural gas company and now makes more money than I could probably count doing medical and safety consulting. He has worked all over the world. They play extremely fast. 8 minute blinds, they have a lot of levels, but once you get to a certain level those blinds skyrocket. I was doing well early caught rockets a couple of times and had some big pairs, and hit the flops but could never get any bites. I made a few scores even when I had the nuts some of these boys would pay to the river and then fold…thanks a bunch. Anyway, I came in 5th out of 13 for my first trip not too bad. They usually pay out top 4, but since they only had 13 they paid out top 3. So, either way I was on the wrong side of the money line. Looking forward to playing with them again. I think some of my hesitation was that we were playing so fast and it has been a while since I rounded. Oh well, I get back in the swing of things.

To follow the previous paragraph, what would be better to tell you that the next day after poker I went to church? I did. There is a place here called the Grace Fellowship and I was looking for someplace that had a Christmas Eve service that I could attend. I wanted to check it out beforehand, so I went with a couple that I work with. It was Ok. It was held in a Villa that the group bought and they are trying pretty hard. It was actually pretty packed. They do not have a resident preacher (it’s non-denominational) so when there is not someone in town, people sign up to do certain Sundays. This guy that talked today was OK, but after his message he kept rambling. I saw more than a few people doing the head bob. It would be so much fun for one of the preachers that I know and love to make the trip over for a few weeks…(hint, hint…you know you have a place to stay). The couple that I went with have about a one year old girl and they invited me to lunch afterwards. Well…wow. There were 4 other couples that went to lunch with us and they all had kids ranged 0-4. 4 sets of families, 6 kids. 2 on the way. Me. That was an interesting lunch. The conversation was good and it is really nice to see some of these kids going to church and experiencing that plus, it is nice to see them so well mannered. It was a little of an overload for me, but I did well. I didn’t drop any of the kids that I held or that wanted to sit in my lap, so that is a start. Luckily I have Nick and Porter to thank for that training (well actually just Nick). I still have yet to meet my other boy.

I am getting longwinded, so I will continue this later. Have a great day. HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Body Blast?

2007-12-11T21:07:00.001+03:00

Ok guys, so here we go. A little update on the Middle East… First of all…it is really hard to get in the holiday spirit. It’s freaking 70-80 degrees during the day and mid 60’s at night. Guys are wearing their coats, which is hilarious, but still no help. Today was a day you are glad you are in the middle east. If it was like today for a longer period of the year, this might not be a bad place to live. It was around 72 degrees, dry (of course), clear, sunny, occasional slight breeze. It felt wonderful. No humidity. I actually went running last week (DO NOT tell my athletic trainer) and it felt awesome (and my knee only hurt a little the next day…although I did try to run on the dirt/sand instead of the payment to help with impact).
So, this last weekend was a busy one. I attended a Traditional Arabic get together at a friend’s house. She is an Arabic teacher and invited her class over for dinner and socializing. I walked in and it was like a Junior High Dance. Men on one side of the room, women on the other. (This is typical Arab culture.) There was very little movement between the groups. They had a huge feast which included cooked Pigeons, luckily by the time we got to the pigeons, I was stuffed. This of course was followed by sweets, which is another Arab necessity. However, it was cool as far as the guys that I met. I met people from China, Indonesia, Senegal, Kenya, Philippines, Egypt, and South Africa. What a collection at a party.
So after, I was invited to another party. The random West Virginia girl I met a month or so ago was having a birthday/Christmas party at her place and called to invite me. I am always up for a party, so I headed that way. Of course I drug Nurse C along with me in case the rest of the people at the party were weird. We tried to get there fashionably late, but we were the first ones there which was slightly awkward. However, we mingled and more started arriving. I met people from all over the US, South Africa, and 1 German! They were all teachers at the American School, Qatar Academy, or in Education City. It was nice to hear about problems that were education related and not Hospital related. However, some of their problems are similar (They get Inshalla-ed frequently as well) I also found out that teachers make crap around the world. Many of these people make about what they make in the states or a little more. The best part is that they do not pay taxes and they have no housing expenses. Crazy. Support your Teachers!
Saturday, I started out my day with what was called “Body Blast” a hell of a workout that uses light weights and high reps. Good workout…very tiring. That afternoon, I followed that up with a scheduled Massage at some Chinese Massage Parlor. All massages are gender specific (because of the country) so to answer some of your questions, NO. Afterwards, I headed to Connie and John’s because they invited Me, Another John, his wife (who was leaving the next day), and Carol to dinner. It was fantastic. That Scottish guy really knows how to cook. We had some Mushroom soup, Ham (yes. Really. It’s like moonshine, don’t ask) covered in a white wine sauce, veggies, homemade bread, followed by ice cream for dessert. Needless to say after that day, I was dead. It was good getting to hang out with everyone. Those 5 people are probably the most sane people on the project, so it is nice to hang out with them.
I truly felt like a consultant this week. Malcolm, who is EMS’s assistant director of Operations pulled me into his office (I am there frequently) to ask me about the status of the organization. He asked me about his management style, what they were doing right and what they were doing wrong. I got to be very open and honest, which I enjoy. I was flattered because I think Malcolm and I are on the same wavelength, and actually I kind of feel like his equal. That being said, I really like throwing wrenches into their Executive Meetings, but I think they are glad when they realize that certain ideas needed some work. Malcolm, Penny (Executive Director), Shaun (Asst. Dir. Of Training), and Dr. Marc (UPMC Medical Director) and myself actually have a really good business relationship. We close the door and knock each other out, but we come to a solution and go forward with it. It is actually pretty cool.
So, on to work. I have moved to the communications center as my primary location of work. I am starting to shake things up there a bit. I have very little experience in communications, but luckily all that time hanging out at MECCA made me a little more intelligent. Plus, they are so far behind I look like an expert. I am trying baby steps now. Trying to get staff to type and talk at the same time, wear headsets, not use the portable radios or mobile radios on your desk, because you have a CAD system in front of you that works fine. Basic crap. I had a problem with the supervisor not using their pod and hanging out at another computer all shift. This gave him no idea what was going on in the country. To fix this, we disabled their passwords on that computer so they have to sit at the pod to work. Ahh, the little things in life. I am sure I will have much more for you on this.
I did start writing my Research proposal, I am hoping to get a little bit done every night so I can get it submitted to the IRBs (Yes I have to submit to 2. Qatar and Pittsburgh.) I am really anxious to get published and I think this study will show some results. We will see. I am going to go type that now, so I get off of here. Cheers!

Performance Issues?

2007-12-05T17:04:00.000+03:00

Hello again. I know it has been a while, but somehow it got crazy busy. I bulled my way through the EMS policies and got them approved. They have been sitting on the desk of the approval department since June, and we needed them. So I went in, had a few meetings and got all but one approved.

Then, the Director of EMS over here (who I basically consult for) wanted to teach these supervisors Performance Management. I agreed and was designing a class for them. Well, she wanted it done before the Eid holiday which starts Dec. 17 (it doesn't relate to Christmas, just happened to fall on it this year. So her and I went and met with the director of Performance Management. We decided that we would teach 2 day long classes to all of my supervisors and department heads Dec. 5 and Dec 6. (We just scheduled this last week) So, they usually team teach it and she was going to do the Lecture part of it, and I was doing to do the group work and exercise part of it. She called me on Monday and due to some corporate problems, she could not teach this Wednesday and Thursday. She asked if she could give me the entire lecture and I present it. So, I agreed. This brought out 2 things. One...I cannot believe that the hospital would allow me to teach a corporate class that I have never taken to a group of supervisors. 2nd...holy crap...I have one day to review slides and get my talking points straight. I hate reading from a powerpoint, I like when I teach to know my slides and know what is coming so I do not have to refer, but today was a little different. I had to make passes by the podium to see what was coming and to see if I was getting all the stuff they wanted covered. Needless to say, it was a headache and difficult to get organized, but I did it and I think the guys liked it. I have been told by numerous sources that I have a lot of credibility with these guys, so I hope to keep that up.

Other than that, not too much else to do since the 'rents left town. I don't want to talk about it...but I am glad that the WVU program is at a point where we are disappointed when we don't go to the National Championship Game. A BCS bowl is crap (yeah right!). It is nice that our program is at that level. My last point...no one in the country this year has stopped us. We have no one to blame but us.

On that note:
TARA NA MAMUMUNDOK - This is Tagalog (Filipino) for Let's Go Mountaineers...I love working with such a diverse staff.

Short Update: Since I have been in Doha I have been able to really read much more than I get to at home. Here is my list for the first 5 months: (In no order)

Qatar-Business Traveller's Handbook - David Chaddock
Ghost Soldiers - Hampton Sides
Islam for Dummies - Malcolm Clark
Living and Working in the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia - Bob Hughes and Graeme Chesters
Don't they know it's Friday? - Jeremy Williams
First, Break All the Rules - Marcus Buckingham, Curt Coffman
Who moved my cheese? - Spencer Johnson
The Qatar Edge - Joey Osslan
Angels and Demons - Dan Brown
Leadership - Rudy Giuliani
All the President's Spin - Ben Fritz, Bryan Keefer, Brendan Nyhan
Paramedic to the Prince - Patrick Notesine
Tales from the West Virginia Sideline - Don Nehlen
Digital Fortress - Dan Brown

Thats all for now...I will talk to you later! Cheers!

Quick Random Post

2007-11-28T21:11:00.000+03:00

So, I forgot to put this down the other day, but it is too funny and I have to include it.
I was looking through the staff roster the other day and came across a name that made me laugh hysterically. Do you think his Filipino parents were witty or is it just a random occurrence? Decide for yourself...

Edgar Allen Hoe

How great is that?

Cheers!

Do they speak American in Qatar?

2007-11-24T17:53:00.000+03:00

Well, they came, they saw, they conquered. The family got about as much of the Qatar experience as you can in one week. It was a busy, fun, great time with some people that I love dearly. It was some of the best money I ever spent.

Saturday, Nov. 17

This was Jet Lag day. It was nice because I was able to get up and get a few things done before everyone emerged from the bedroom. It was after lunch when we got up and I decided to show the family the mall. (There is not much else to do in Qatar) So we went for some easy supplies, and they got their first taste of Arab culture. Mom didn’t believe me that the food spoils over here in just a few days. (There are no preservatives) She found out a few days later when the bread, tomatoes, etc was all bad. Anyway, we followed that up with a trip to Nando’s where we got an Espetata. This is basically a big Kebab that they bring on a big spear that hangs over your plate. Not real traditional, but fun none the less. Afterwards, we did a drive through town and headed to the Ritz for a quick tour and some tea. Soon it was back to the villa to relax and have a few drinks. I was so proud of the family, this did not help their jet lag any…but they all got up at 3:30 am to watch the game with me. Very nice.

Sunday, Nov. 18

After sleeping in a bit, I headed to work to tie up some loose ends. I came home and we hung out. We headed to Turkey Central for some traditional Arabic food for dinner. My co-worker Kevin and friend Rana joined us for the dinner. It was a nice time. Afterwards, we headed to the Souqs…which is the traditional marketplace of the old desert. This is where you barter for everything, and no price is set. It was a fun time.

Monday, Nov. 19

I headed to work for an 8:00 meeting and came home at lunch. We headed to the desert via Gulf Adventures for some kick ass dune bashing. They picked us up at 2:30 in the traditional land cruiser. Our driver was in a thobe and of course was named Mohammad. We had 2 other cars with us, one of which was Dr. K’s family and our Trauma Coordinator. We headed for the dunes. We stopped while they were letting the air out of the tires and took a short camel ride. Then we headed to the inland sea. We were able to see Saudi on the other side. Never thought my family would be within sight of Saudi Arabia. They took us to the camp where they have traditional tents set up and they provide dinner. It was a awesome night and the camp was right on the gulf. It was lit by many tiki torches and had a really nice ambiance to it. This was definitely a highlight of the trip and a recommendation to anyone that goes to a desert country.

Tuesday, Nov. 20

Since I was a nice host and let my family sleep in every day, I headed to work for the morning. This let them enjoy the pool and relax during the morning hours. I came home in the afternoon and we headed to Harley shop. Had to get some destination shirts and other items…lord knows with this traffic I am not riding anything with 2 wheels in this country. That evening we headed to the Ritz. We had a fabulous dinner at Porcini’s which is an Italian restaurant. It was a very nice highlight. Afterwards we headed to Habanos in the Ritz, which is a Cigar bar. Needless to say, Dad was in heaven. They had a Latino band playing some random music, which actually set the mood pretty nice. Hussein came and picked us up…

Wednesday, Nov. 21

I took this day off. We of course hung out in the morning and headed to Thai Chi for Lunch. It was nice to get Mom and Carrie experienced on new foods. Carrie and I went for a swim and then we headed to Majalis for dinner. This is traditional Arabic food, where you sit on the floor in a private room. We had Lamb chops, Hummus, Vegetables, Bread…so good.

Thursday, Nov. 22

I worked all day. Being a business person let me put it like this…if I accrue the equivalent of 2 hours for every 8 hour day I work, and I accrue 8 Hours for every 8 Hours I work on a holiday, it makes sense for me to take another day off during the week and then work on the holiday. I got home and the family was at the pool. Enjoying the nice weather and facilities. We all went back and got dressed, we met John and his wife, Connie and her husband and went to Garvey’s for the evening. This is the British style pub in town that is not too far from where I live. We knew the girl singing and it was a nice time. Carrie actually said it felt more like home. We had some traditional fish and chips…mmm so good.

Friday, Nov. 23

We all got up and headed out in the city. Friday is the best day to drive around and get random stuff done because everyone is at the Mosque (kinda like Sunday Morning in the states). So we went to the Cornice and around the city and saw the random landmarks, fountains, etc. Carrie got numerous random pictures, then we tried to drive into the desert so I could get here a camel crossing sign, but with all of the construction, they had the signs down or moved. We ran out of time. At 2:45, Hussein showed up and took us to Connie’s for Thanksgiving Dinner. There was about 20-25 people there with about nationalities represented, it was awesome. A really good experience for the family. We had all the traditional food with some kick ass pumpkin soup. That is a must try! Our Filipino secretaries brought over their karaoke machine and it was on from there. We sang and partied until late that night.

Saturday, Nov. 24

It was a short, sad day. Everyone was up early, packed and out the door. We had to leave at 9:00 because their flight was at 11:30. We said our goodbyes and it will be February before I see those wonderful people again. The rest of the day was doing laundry and laying on the couch. I have to stay up late tonight thanks to the time change for the game, and the next 3 days at work are going to be killer.
That was a great week, and like I said before a week full of great memories I will remember for the rest of my life. I truly have a great family and I love them all dearly. I apologize to all of my friends and others I have not responded to in the last couple of weeks via email or phone. The impending arrival, work craziness, and visitors I was not able to get back to everyone. Hopefully this week I will be in touch with a few people every night. Talk to you all soon… Let Go’s WVU…Let’s build on the present we got from Arkansas. Cheers!

Pics of the invasion...

2007-11-24T17:17:00.000+03:00

Dune bashing in the desert...

Dad on a Camel

Prior to our dinner after the dune bashing. This is a traditional Bedouin tent

So, they wanted a "No Sunglasses" Picture. So we are probably all squinting. This is on the Cornice, the big Pearl fountain.

The Family in Doha

West Virginia Invasion

2007-11-17T09:05:00.000+03:00

So, to all of those wondering...they are here. Mom's first trip out of the country, and it is to the middle east. They got here safe...so all of you wondering, relax. (Although I think Mom is still looking for the Eiffel Tower) When they met me just out side of the airport Mom stated it was "Just like beach weather". Since I have the smallest car on the face of the Earth, I got Chaker to go with me to the airport because I knew the family would bring lots of luggage. They actually were pretty subdued with it. Anyway, Chaker loaded up all of the luggage...and the family rode with me. We took a slightly strange route home and they got to see Doha traffic up close.
Adults in the front seat are required to wear seatbelts. However there are no car seat laws...at a stoplight, we looked over and there was a kid standing on the center console with a metal knife and fork in his hand. Mom was amazed...welcome to Doha.

Like any Weyen function, last night turned into a drunk fest. Carrie and I stayed up till about 3:00am, Mom and Dad made it till about 1:30 - 2:00ish. Lots of Jack Daniels, John Smith, and Killkenny. I went really traditional with them last night...we had Pizza Hut for dinner. (Don't worry, it was planned that way)

Well I am up and they are still in bed. I am going to read the paper and watch some tv. Talk to you soon.
Cheers!

Doha Endurance

2007-11-12T21:40:00.000+03:00

A team of these guys ride for 8 hours...isn't that crazy? Usually if they wreck, they get right back up and keep racing. These guys are moving...

Endurance Race Pics

2007-11-12T16:38:00.000+03:00

Check out the packed stands! This is the middle of the race. About 1000+ support staff, 160+ EMS providers...and about 200-500 spectators.

These pods are spaced out along the track. Track people, EMS, officials, etc. These guys hang out here for 8+ hours. (EMS rotates their guys!)

So, being with the EMS Director, I could get close. These guys are about 12-25 feet from me.

You know you have money when the race lets you use BMW SUVs as Medical Response Cars. That is our head of scheduling. These guys loved it!

Mountaineers? In Doha????

2007-11-12T16:37:00.000+03:00

Ok…so here I go again. I know I start out most of my posts like this…but it has been crazy busy. I have been pouring over polices all day long reading, retyping, correcting, etc. so when I come home, I do not want to type anymore. Hopefully that will be over soon. Actually, Julie finally sent me the book she has been working on for like 6 months and I am supposed to be reading it…but since it is electronic it is going to have to wait a few more weeks.

So, we had a tussle with these dang radios I am trying to get installed. Actually, I inherited the problem. It was not mine to begin with. Anyway, our Trauma doc…who I like…even though he is from Alabama and is a Tennessee fan… caught me at a meeting and told me the radio was not working (we installed in last week). I knew this, however I was just informed about 10 minutes prior to his rant. I told him I was on it and he kept coming back to this freaking radio crap. I had to basically say “What do you want from me…short of calling the emir himself I am doing everything I can” Moving on…our radio guy showed up after the meeting and we took the radio back to the shop, fixed it and had it back in service in about 30 minutes. It was a simple fuse problem. When putting it back in, the ER director rolls through with our Trauma doc and something came to light. First, that they would be getting very little information from that radio as we are in the stages of training 660 staff to properly use it. This is going on for a few months. Second, the channel was programmed wrong. It was still usable, just incorrect…a programming fix which could be done the next day. This led to an impromptu meeting in his office that included a hurried call to the assistant director of EMS who hurried over, our radio guy, trauma doc, me, and some other guy who is worthless. To make a long story short…he basically wanted us to suspend the entire training that we were doing to teach our entire staff how to use the radio in 3 days. This basically put me, the EMS guy, and our medical director into an uproar. Turns out that with scheduling and instructors, it is not feasible. Also, the funny part is…the Trauma team is supposed to be teaching all of the nurses in the country how to answer the radio…and they haven’t even begun…so who were we going to talk to? Sorry this is kinda jumbled…and I left some stuff out…but now I can remember it later.

We have a new communications guy from Pittsburgh that came to town for a 3 week assessment. I tried to show him around the first week and we went to dinner. After leaving dinner, we were in basically stopped traffic. The guy in front of me took his foot off the brake to inch forward, about 2 seconds later I was rear ended. Very light, no damage. It was by a Qatari. However, you know he was texting or playing with his cell phone and saw the guy in front of me start to move and just assumed that I would ride his ass like everyone else in this country does. Freaking idiots. I am sooo glad there was no damage to either car or injuries.

I did go to a bar last week that made me feel like home. It is called Garvey’s…it is a UK bar and the clientele is mainly white ex-pats. (There has been grumblings of discrimination…trust me…it happens at this bar..) They had a band from the UK that would mumble stuff into the microphone and the crowd would go crazy. It was kinda cool. Had some fish and chips and some beer. Nice change of pace. Not too busy, etc. Anyway…the funny part of it was that I met a girl from West Virginia there. What are the odds? You know me…wearing WVU crap. Anyway, this lady noticed my WVU stuff and came over to chat. She is a school teacher, is from wheeling, and has been here since 1993. Are you kidding me? That is way too long to stay in this town. She did tell me how much the place has grown and how different it is now. It was really cool catching up with someone from WV. Don’t you love the Randomness of Doha? This is truly the new melting pot of the world. I interact daily with people from so many countries. It is not uncommon for a day to go by where I talk with people from 10, 12, even 15 different countries. Crazy…

This is more random. So I have been keeping up with the workouts, exercise, and trying to eat right. One of our Doctor’s wives now has a cardio kickboxing class on Sunday nights. She definitely kicks your ass. Her husband is there too and there is only about 4-6 in the class…so I don’t feel too weird. However, it is a great change from my daily workout routine plus it gets the job done. Also…some other friends at UPMC have starting going to spinning class on Monday nights. I have joined in this as well. It is a different way to ride a bike, but it challenges you and like before is a good change of pace.

So this morning…the power was out. That is easy for me to figure out because my CPAP stops working. (Kinda hard to breathe with a mask on that is no longer giving you air) It sucks when the entire house runs on power. No water pressure (we all have our own pumps), no lights, no TV, etc. Plus today was foggy here. Apparently that happens in the winter. Thick, dense fog…it lifted about the normal time you would expect, but a really sudden change when you are used to looking out every morning for 4 months and see blue skies an bright sunshine.
I am currently getting ready for the WV invasion this weekend. It is going to be fun. Hopefully mom will not get sick when we go dune bashing and Carrie and I do not get arrested for chanting Let’s Go Mountaineers out the window at 3:00 am…we will see! I will talk to you all soon… Cheers!

Masa Il Kher

2007-11-02T15:40:00.000+03:00

First, EMS finally got there website up and running. They were supposed to come to me for editing issues prior to launch, but we went ahead and launched it. Next week I get to spend a day editing it to make it grammatically correct. I even made the site...I am teaching on the training page...check it out.

http://www.hmc.org.qa/qas/

So, I know it’s been a while…but it has been crazy. I am in the thick of things now. I am kicked it into high gear. The supervisors told they have noticed a change, the people at R and A (Regulatory and Accreditation…an entire department that is supposed to work on policies that have let 40 of ours go for over 4 months…sound familiar) do not like the timeline I have imposed on them. We are kicking some ass. I figure that either I will get stuff done or I will get deported…either way, I win!

Ok, first some insights into the country. Everybody hates regulatory agencies, I myself are included in that mix. However, when you move to a 3rd world country (which I firmly believe Qatar is…A friend of mine put it as a 3rd world country with a lot of bling) you see the benefits of regulatory agencies. You cannot get your car’s body worked on over here if it is damaged unless you have a police report. Even if you back into a pole at the mall. However, you can pass numerous cars going down the road that do not have tail lights, the doors are tied on, shooting out tons of exhaust, etc. When you buy an electrical appliance, you have to take it out of the box before you leave the store to see if you need to buy an adapter before you go home. Kids are bouncing around the car like it is a playpen, yet EMS gets complaints that we did not treat well enough last month when some local got into a wreck and their kid was ejected 50 feet and died. You think addressing is bad in WV? You have no idea…this is a slippery slope. If the road has a name, and if it has a sign, and if the people actually have numbers outside of their house, you might get an address…but more than likely not. We are starting to address this because someone finally realized that it is jacked up. Information from home phones will soon come up when you dial 9-9-9 like in the US. Information will also come up when you call 9-9-9 from a cell phone. All phones here have GPS capabilities…and that information is supposed to be transmitted immediately to the 9-9-9 center when called. We will see how that works out. No one has addresses because all mail in the country goes to PO Boxes…actually they are out of PO Boxes now and there is a waiting list. Instead of adding more, they just make a waiting list. Until then…you get no mail.

I spoke of RNA above…but here is the reader’s digest version of what happened. We submitted them in June to the department (before I got here) The director when on leave (for over a month)…then the Assistant Director went on leave…then it was Ramadan, then Eid…then when I approached them about them..they had no idea where they were. The finally looked at them the day before our meeting which I had to schedule to get some of these jackasses working. These policies were reviewed numerous times and compared to JCI standards again and again. We have new protocols that are going online basically the 1st of December…many of our new protocols (that were approved)…related to policies. Like Death in the Field, Undeniable Death, Medication Administration, etc. These have to be in effect before them. This RNA group told me that we had to wait until Jan until an actual JCI person looked at the policies. Whatever. I gave them a week to approve 10 policies at a time and I am going to set up camp in their office to make sure they get it done. It is going to be hard to move a certified West Virginia redneck from your desk without help. We will see what happens.

More work stuff…our Medical Director (another UPMC guy) and I just completed a very comprehensive document that I think would be very beneficial to do at Mon EMS. It is called the 4R document. Recruitment, Retention, Remediation, and Release of needed staff. We analyzed EMTs, EMTIs, Paramedics, Supervisors, Communicators, and Critical Care Paramedics for Australia, South Africa, US, UK, and Canada. We analyzed every part of what was wrong, why we needed it, what we need to continue operations, including salaries. It was really difficult and challenging, but I think it really gives administration something to sink their teeth into. We all know you have to use smoke and mirrors with them to get stuff done, but when you have weeks and months of research to present and defend everything…it is a very good weapon to have in your arsenal.

Ok…so one more work related item before I get to me. We had a guy the Head of Engineering that was very helpful to the UPMC project and everyone else at HMC, a good British guy. We are doing some actual physical changes in addition to the flow and process changes. This guy has been here 25+ years and is a really go to guy. The only problem in an Arab world is that no one will make a decision without the consent of their boss. This causes major issues as he was very integrated in many of our projects and his assistants and stuff were not. Last weekend he was on the treadmill at his gym and he collapsed with a massive infarct. He was Asystolic when EMS got there. That is a huge loss for not only the corporation, but the project and the hospital as well. This guy was doing so much for so many…and now no one knows what all is going on. The moral of this story is to delegate. In all that you do, make sure someone knows a little about what is going on so they can carry on if you need to. Tell your next in line about projects, tell your sister where you keep your will, teach your wife to write checks….etc. Sorry…I digress….Anyway…a huge loss for all.

Good news for egg lovers….

So last week after work one day I went to Rydges with a Dr. that I don’t get along with too well…(actually I called him a dick in a recorded, minuted, meeting)…and another nurse. It was OK, but there is only so much I can handle of I am better than you stories. The big kicker is that I know the way around…I am in the field working with supervisors 2 days a week…We were heading away from our house and it took me 5 minutes of arguing with him that we were going the wrong way home. He kept saying..if we stay on this road we will get home…I was like “If you stay on this road we will see Saudi, the US, and Hawaii before we ever see home” Anyway…the fish and chips were great and the nurse and I found we had a similar like for 2003 Harley’s…He plans on buying one when his contract is finished.

So, last week I went to Oktoberfest held at the intercontinental. It was a freaking blast. They had every type of food you could imagine (German, that is)…German beer and wine, a band that kicked ass and was in the crowd. They had a guy that would chug the 1 liter beers all night long. It was absolutely awesome. I am going to post some pictures and video. You will enjoy. Too awesome to list all of it.

Lastly, you would be surprised how much certain people keep up with US politics. The Australian guys are always talking to me about Bush, the Presidential race, etc. They know very deeply some of the things going on there…and it amazes me that they know it better than some people that actually have a stake in the US. These guys stopped by my office and were talking about the fires, I got emails if I knew anybody in the bridge collapse. That just amazes me. I couldn’t tell you who the PM of Australia was or what the first thing going on down there is. I guess that is just reinforcement that the US has the eye of the world on it…and we need to take that responsibility seriously.

Well, I am going to go watch some TV…then maybe a swim. Have a good day. More to come soon.

WashingtonFlyer.com

2007-10-31T15:42:00.000+03:00

So, why I was staying at the Ritz, I met this freelance journalist and her photographer boyfriend. They were doing a story on Doha and its new flight from DC (hence DC flyer). Anyway, she sent me the link and I copied the article for you so in case they get rid of it. So the main point of this is that I am mentioned in the article as an "Emergency Medicine guy"...so read and enjoy. Also, after she left she called me to get the price of gas and the price of water...you see that mentioned as well. Cheers!

http://www.washingtonflyer.com/article/2007/november_december/east's%20eden

East's Eden
Doha, Qatar, makes its opening salvo as the next big travel thing, looking to prove that big bankrolls for education, science and art can bring forth many happy returns.

by Melanie D.G. KaplanNovember/December 2007

One of the locals I got to know during my visit to Qatar was Abdul, a big, jovial man who drove my photographer and me over 60-meter-tall sand dunes at up to 50 miles an hour. Accessorizing Abdul’s thobe (the traditional ankle-length white shirt) were a diamond-encircled watch and sparkly cufflinks that could only be described as bling in the United States. He wore a gurta (long headdress) and white sandals, drove a 2007 white Nissan Patrol and played ’80s pop music on the radio. A small bottle of cologne sat in the driver’s-side door pocket, yellow prayer beads hung from the grab bar, and A-B-D-U-L was spelled out in silver bubble-letter stickers below the dash.
“You happy?” Abdul glanced back at me in the rearview mirror after we went over a series of steep dunes and my stomach was somewhere between my shoulders. Yes, I assured him, I’m happy.
The desert safari, also called dune-bashing, is the most popular tourist attraction in the state of Qatar, a peninsula the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island that borders Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and juts into the Persian Gulf. It’s not a safari in the typical sense of the word (although one can see the occasional fox or camel), but it’s the best way to see the natural side of a country that is, essentially, one big desert.

Photo: Melanie D.G. Kaplan
Abdul driving in Doha
When I first arrived in Doha, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. I’d heard all sorts of remarkable statements: that 30 years ago, Bedouin tents filled this now construction-laden city; that Qatari women spend $3,000 a week on cosmetics; that one-quarter of the world’s cranes are at work in Doha; that the country earns $50 million a day from ExxonMobil alone. Hearsay, no doubt, but the more time I spent in the capital city, the less unfathomable the comments seemed.
For sure, Qatar has pockets deeper than most Americans can imagine, thanks to its huge reserves of natural gas. This little Islamic state, just 36 years old, is ruled by an emir and has a per-capita income of nearly $62,000, one of the highest in the world. It’s also one of the fastest-growing economies in the Middle East. Cranes hover over Doha like praying mantises, and buildings rise at an amazing rate. The Doha Olympic Games Committee announced in September its bid for the 2016 Games, and the first phase of the $5.5 billion New Doha International Airport (www.ndiaproject.com), which will be managed and operated by Qatar Airways, will open in 2009. The airline, half owned by the government, last year unveiled its $90 million premium terminal at the existing airport—complete with spa, martini bar and 24-hour medical clinic.
But although Doha is on a building spree, it categorically does not want to be the next Dubai, the U.A.E. city of superlatives known for, among other things, having one of the world’s largest indoor ski resorts and building Burj Dubai, set to be the world’s tallest manmade structure on its completion next year. Instead, Doha sets itself apart from its Middle Eastern neighbors by investing heavily in education, science, sports and art, and hoping that when the construction is complete, tourists will come. Hummers are Hip
“If you ask me, things are changing very quickly,” Abdul said as we sped along a flat stretch of desert. “You go to sleep, you get up, there’s a new building.” Abdul said he makes this trip to Khor Al Udaid every day, and I doubt he does it for the money. He seems happiest once he’s left the paved road, deflated the tires and entered a land of never-ending brown-sugar-colored dunes. We drove in a caravan of four vehicles—filled with tourists from Japan, Spain and Ireland—and tore across the sand. Local outfitters, including Gulf Adventures (Jaidah Tower, 8th Floor; +974/431-5555; www.gulf-adventures.com) and Arabian Adventures (+974/436-1461; www.arabianadventureqatar.com) offer half-day, full-day and overnight tours to the desert in four-wheel-drive vehicles. (The SUVs are the latest models, of course, but different than what you’d see on the street. I learned that in town, the Hummer H3 is the SUV du jour—replacing the recent fave, the Porsche Cayenne. And that H3 may be cheaper to drive here than anywhere in the world: Gas in Doha is about 83 cents a gallon, one-third the price of bottled water.) Abdul, who works for Gulf Adventures, says the tour operators must be licensed and never trek out to the dunes alone, in case one of the SUVs needs to be rescued from a giant sand dune. But the desert is wide open for thrill-seekers who want to venture in by their lonesome. “Here, nobody asks for license,” he said. But, he added, it’s risky to drive solo: “If you make your car like this”—he flipped his wrist around so his fingers faced up like a dead bug—“it’s your problem.”

Photo: J.C. Short
A caravan on desert safari in Khor Al Udaid.
Abdul talked with admiration about change in Doha and the emir’s master plan for development. There is a lot of buzz about Education City (+974/492-7000; www.qf.edu.qa), a new 2,500-acre campus in Doha where Cornell Medical School, Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University and Texas A&M are already teaching Qatari and other Middle Eastern students. Out of a Qatari population of 907,200, foreigners comprise a significant chunk of the work force, which makes the population wonderfully diverse. I met a Kenyan spa director, a Sri Lankan driver, an Egyptian concierge, a Canadian public relations associate, a South African technology consultant, a British masseuse and an American emergency medicine specialist, who told me he’s earning six times what he did in the States.
Beyond the Gulf
Being a visitor in Doha is surprisingly easy. English is universal, and the exchange rate of the currency, the Qatari riyal, is fixed to the U.S. dollar at QR3.64 per dollar. The sun shines year-round, and winter months bring weather in the 70s and 80s. (In July and August, the mercury can hit 120 degrees with 87 percent humidity.) Service is impeccable. But Qatar is still in its infancy when it comes to tourism. You won’t find a historic district or cultural center as you might in European capitals, because development and modern business have trumped all, often at the expense of older structures.
But make an effort to meet Qataris, and you’ll find the heart and soul of this city. Begin at the souks, the traditional markets in narrow alleys where you can bargain for anything from spices and shawls to water pipes and swords. The largest and most popular is Souk Waqif (off Grand Hammad Street), but the gold souk, the fruit and vegetable souk and the camel souk (where locals buy camels for wedding ceremonies or for meat) are also worth a visit.

Photo: Melanie D.G. Kaplan
View from the Four Seasons Hotel.
The Corniche, a 4-mile-long promenade along the Persian Gulf (known in Qatar as the Arabian Gulf), is a popular stretch for walking and seeing dhows (wooden boats traditionally used for fishing and pearling and today used for day trips and evening cruises). The warm Gulf is ideal for all kinds of water sports: fishing, diving, water skiing and sailing. Both Gulf Adventures and Arabian Adventures, in addition to offering desert safaris and water excursions, have good tours of the city (which usually include the Corniche and the markets, among other attractions) and trips to the camel race track and oryx farm. Prices range from about QR75–QR300 ($20 to $80).
The city’s one golf course, Doha Golf Club (West Bay; +974/483-2338; www.dohagolfclub.com), is home to the Qatar Masters in January and is open to the public. Spectator sports include horse and camel racing, motor sports and soccer games. Al Jazeera, the government–owned television network, is headquartered in Doha, and visitors can set up private tours of both the Arabic and English stations, with their impressive state-of-the-art studios and robotic cameras. For tours, email press.int@aljazeera.net for the English channel or imr@aljazeera.net for the Arabic channel. Finally, the I.M. Pei-designed Museum of Islamic Arts (+974/485-9888), which will house one of the world’s best collections of Islamic art and textiles, is situated on an artificial island off the coast of Doha and is scheduled to open in March 2008.
If you want to get out of the city, pack a picnic basket with goodies from the souk and have your driver take you up the coast about 50 kilometers to Al-Khor. The coastal town used to be known for its pearl fishing, but today, it’s popular with Qataris as a peaceful respite from Doha. The harbor is dotted with fishing boats, and the beach is perfect for relaxing or walking. When you’ve had your fill, stop by the local souks.

Photo: Melanie D.G. Kaplan
Greeting one of the regulars at the camel souk.
If you have time for another short day trip, head up to Umm Tais National Park (www.doha-2006.com), the state’s first, established partially as a legacy of the Asian Games (hosted in Doha in 2006) and to help offset the environmental impact caused by the event. The park, about an hour from Doha, is an uninhabited island on the northern coast of Qatar; visitors can see mangrove forests and wildlife, including flamingos, lizards, crabs, birds and nesting turtles. If you go, stay ’til dark—locals say it’s worth the trip to Umm Tais just to see the magnificent sunsets over the park.
An Eternal Desert
At some point during our ride, “We Are the World” came on the radio. Soon we stopped, and Abdul pointed out where we were on his GPS, on the bottom tip of Qatar. Then he pointed to the mountains in the distance, across the Saudi border. We continued our drive and eventually saw the giant Inland Sea, so blue and unexpected it could have been a mirage. The glowing sun was setting behind the dunes, so we headed back to the paved road, inflated our tires and drove north to Doha.
GETTING THERE Daily nonstop flights to Doha, Qatar, are available on Qatar Airways from Washington Dulles International Airport.
On the ride back, I fell asleep—the heat of the desert and trudging through the sand had exhausted me. I awoke as we drove along the Corniche, past Doha’s ever-changing skyline. I wondered how much it would be altered in the next year or five years, and I felt grateful that some things—like the vast, magical desert and the sparkling Persian Gulf—would never change. And I hoped there would always be spirited Qataris like Abdul who love to show off their country.
I was still groggy as we pulled up to the hotel. But Abdul was as alert and animated as ever. “OK! We are here,” he said. I got out of the SUV and thanked him. “You happy?” he asked. I smiled and nodded, thinking about my desert trek and the blast of air conditioning that would greet me in the hotel lobby. “Yes,” I said, “I am happy.”
Where to Stay
The Ritz-Carlton Doha (West Bay Lagoon; +974/484-8000; www.ritzcarlton.com) sits on its own island and boasts Bulgari toiletries and a spectacular 2,000-crystal chandelier in its lobby. The Club Lounge on the 23rd floor has floor-to-ceiling windows, making it the perfect spot to watch what look like tiny Tonka trucks zipping around manmade islands, moving sand for new developments. Standard doubles start at QR1800 ($495) through May.
The Ritz-Carlton also manages the new Sharq Village and Spa (Ras Abo Aboud Street; +974/425-6666; www.sharqvillage.com), which has low-rise Arabic villas designed to look like traditional Qatari villages. The rustic Six Senses Spa—the largest in the Middle East—has separate entrances and lounges for women, a prayer room, meditation room and a signature treatment that includes a four-handed massage. The royal villa, called Beit Al Shoukh, can be reserved for just under $28,000 per night and includes an airport pick-up in a Rolls Royce, five butlers, a chef and a driver upon request. (Rumor has it that Saudi royalty reserved the villa before construction was finished.) Standard doubles start at QR1800 ($495).
Four Seasons Hotel Doha (The Corniche; +974/494-8888; www.fourseasons.com/doha) is located on the bay and has its own marina, beach and several outdoor pools. The Spa and Wellness Center has a private spa suite for two, a hydrotherapy lounge and a therapeutic ice chamber in the locker room. Standard doubles are QR1300–1600 ($357–$440), including breakfast, through April.
The W Doha Hotel and Residences (with a Bliss Spa), the Hilton Doha, the Renaissance Doha and the Courtyard by Marriott Doha will all open next year, followed by the Four Pointe by Sheraton Doha in 2009 and the St. Regis Doha Hotel in 2010. Don’t bother looking for hostels or budget lodging in this city, but low-season discounts (usually June through October) can be significant.

Eating, Drinking and Hubbly-bubbly
On their days off, Qataris eat a three-hour lunch, followed by a three-hour dinner. Food consumption in Qatar is a serious social activity. A local explained that if you go to a Qatari’s home, he will present a table overflowing with food—the best and the most he can offer. Restaurants follow suit.
Try lunch at Al Liwan (Ras Abo Aboud Street; +974/425-6666; www.sharqvillage.com) at the new Sharq Village, already a popular destination for locals. Weigh down a plate from a spectacular spread of Qatari and Lebanese dishes like hummus, tabouli, baba ghanoush, grilled vegetables and manakish (small breads filled with cheese or meat), and still have a spread of meat, fish (hamour is the local cod) and stews to tackle, followed by desserts and tea.
The top hotel restaurants are excellent, like Il Teatro (The Corniche; +974/494-8888; www.fourseasons.com/doha) for Italian at the Four Seasons, or La Mer (West Bay Lagoon; +974/484-8000; www.ritzcarlton.com) for French at the Ritz-Carlton. You can order beer and wine at hotels, unlike at the local joints, but that’s no reason not to venture out of your inn. Turkey Central (New Al-Nassr—Al Merqab Street; +974/443-2927) is located in a long strip center, and the entire bustling downstairs is devoted to takeout (BMWs and Land Rovers line up, blocking the street, waiting to pick up their barbecue chicken shish tawouq, kebabs and lamb pie). The second floor feels like a cafeteria with its fluorescent lighting, but the food is delicious, as are the fresh juices. Two can eat like royalty for under QR50 ($13.70).
For more ambiance, try Assaha Lebanese Village (Grand Hamad Street; +974/435-5353), which is decorated to look like a traditional village with clotheslines, stone masonry and old sewing tables serving as dinner tables. The menu is huge, and you can’t go wrong with chicken shawarma, followed by puffing on an apple-flavored shisha (a water pipe, also called “hubbly-bubbly”).

Getting Around
Traffic accidents are common in Doha. SUVs speed around ubiquitous roundabouts, taxis weave, and it’s not unusual to see impatient drivers climb curbs to circumvent obstacles. But being a passenger isn’t nearly as scary as being a pedestrian. Be forewarned: Doha is not a walking city, nor is it one for the tentative driver.
Taxis are inexpensive, but not always easy to find. While hiring a driver may seem excessive for those coming from the United States, it is customary in Qatar for residents and visitors alike. They will stop anywhere (ideal if you want to tour the city and stop at a museum, a market, a restaurant and a coffee shop). You can hire drivers for about QR60 ($16.50) an hour, and it will save you a lot of time and frustration trying to hail a taxi. Doha International Airport is located east of downtown, five to 20 minutes from the major hotels.
Keep in mind that the work week in Qatar runs from Sunday to Thursday. Friday and Saturday make up the weekend, and on Friday—the holy day for Muslims—most businesses are closed.
Shutterbugs, beware: Qatar is serious about limiting photographs. In general, don’t take pictures of the airport, security officers or women in traditional dress. Keep an eye out for “no photography” signs, and when in doubt, ask permission first.
Also remember: When in a Muslim country, keep the public displays of affection at bay; if you use your fingers to eat, do so only with your right hand; and avoid showing the soles of your feet.
Finally, cover up. While Qatar is known to be more accepting of Western dress than other Muslim countries, visitors should still err on the side of conservative attire. Women should cover their shoulders and knees. It’s OK to bust out the bikini on the beach, but on your way to and from the surf, cover up that itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny.

The end of Eid...

2007-10-20T17:32:00.000+03:00

So, Eid finally ends today. Everyone can go back to work and maybe we can get some things accomplished...(yeah right...it’s the middle east!) Anyway, I do have a couple observations for you.

First of all, one of our nurses, always finds this one place to park near the hospital. It is always open and it is not marked or anything. So, she parks in it every day. This week she went to her car after work and there was a note under the windshield wiper. In really bad English "You must move car. This Emir parking spot, big trouble" So, the reason no one parks in the spot is apparently it belongs to the Emir. That is assuming he ever comes to the hospital...which I have never heard him come here, plus if he gets sick I think he goes to London or the US.

Anyway, so one of the Department Heads I work with asked me out for coffee the other day. I was doing nothing in the evening, so I joined him. I thought it was just for coffee, because I made a beef stew and it was in the crock pot. (I ate on that baby for like 5 days…mmm) Anyway, when I met up with him he was wearing normal clothes. Pants, button down shirt, etc. He introduced me to his 5 kids the youngest daughter (like 4-5) he made her give me a kiss on the cheek. Anyway, his wife was in a full Abaya, Hijab, and Nicab (Full black outfit, with head covered and face covered…only the eyes were showing) She stood off to the side and did not speak to me…he also did not introduce her. That was wild. Actually during the entire dinner, he only told a story of the wedding and the process. He never actually said his wife’s name. We went upstairs for what I thought was coffee, but he ordered steak and spaghetti and made me order food as well. So I ordered and appetizer because I had food at home. About halfway through his meal, he started cutting pieces of steak and portions of spaghetti and putting them on my plate. Saying I needed to eat (kind of like that grandmother we all have had…never think you get enough food)…I had to tell him that I had to meet one of my co-workers for dinner later so he would stop trying to feed me. Anyway, I was OK with all of this and I thought we were done…nope. We sat and talked a while longer. Then he said it was time for coffee…so we ordered coffee and sat there and finished it. As we were getting ready to leave, he gave me a bag that had sweets and dates in it he brought from home. It was a gift for me. We went and found his family who were eating McD’s (still baffles me that mom takes the kid and he went with me) and I talked with the kids a couple of minutes. I told them all goodbye and they either shook my hands or gave me a hug. His wife did say ‘Have a good night” before I left and I returned the salutation. Mansour walked me to my car where he shook my hand and let me go. It turned out that I thought I might be gone an hour more or less, but I was out for about 3 hours. Needless to say, dinner was nice and hot when I got home….

So, some of you saw the news article that I sent out about the missile that was accidently shot from the American base and landed without incident at a farm in Qatar. I know, isn’t that amazing…A FARM IN QATAR? Who would have thought?
Anyway, there was some speculation about the time of launch. There were conflicting reports and we finally got to the bottom of it. However, our initial reports and timings led us to believe that the US was shooting at the new EMS helicopter. The helicopter was down near the US base when it was supposedly fired, however that was not the case. It was actually fired earlier in the night. Reason #347 I am not getting on that chopper.
Oh, and in related story, those that know me really well will love this. So they have been flying this chopper now for weeks doing training and it flies everyday from the airport to the helipad at the hospital. So the mechanic came to drop off some pictures and being the good mechanic he was decided to check a few things on the bird before leaving. As he opened the engine cowling there was a swarm of bees inside that would rival most honey producers. They were not aggressive, but they were there. So they decided to start up the chopper and get them to go away. They started the bird and ran it at full power for about 3 minutes. The bees swarmed off and were buzzing in a swam a few hundred feet away. As soon as the chopper turned off…they came right back and moved in. They could do nothing to get them away, I guess the queen was comfy in her spot. So they had to fly the thing back to the airport (which the bees followed) and they had to spray them with engine cleaner to slow them down. They then had to vacuum them all up to get rid of them…how crazy is that? I should have pictures tomorrow.

So yesterday I was shopping for the family…since they are coming I figured they should have a bed and stuff…plus I have allocated money left over I have to use. I stopped at Starbucks because I got a coupon for a free drink at the hospital. I sat down at one of the big comfy chairs that had another one right across from it. The place was just about empty…just me and another table or 2. However, this Qatari came and sat down right with me then asked if it was OK. I don’t mind…it was just unique how they will do, say, and get whatever they want. So, he sat across from me and talked on his cell phone and I just sat and looked out the window. Ahh…the Arab culture.

It was also wild to see true nannies in action. This couple had 2-3 kids and were sitting near me at the mall. (I ate dinner there…it was late and I didn’t want to have to cook) This family had 2 Filipino Nannies. The mom and dad sat down and the kids ran around. The 2 nannies went and got everyone’s food. They brought it back and mom and dad ate. They didn’t even attempt to help deal with the kids. The nannies fed the kids and tended to all of their needs. As soon as dinner was over, the mom and dad picked the kids up and started walking down the mall. The nannies had little if any time to eat…they cleaned up after the family. Got all of their bags. Then tried to catch up…it was amazing to see how disconnected and dependent these families are on hired help.

I have some more… but I am tired of typing…plus IT’S GAMEDAY! Enjoy!

Sweet Home Alabama

2007-10-20T16:48:00.001+03:00

Sweet, Simple, Freebird can you Gimmie 3 Steps?

2007-10-20T15:51:00.000+03:00

So, this is a little off the mark for my normal postings, but since I have such a wide and varied audience I thought I would this would be fitting for today. This topic is very near and dear to my heart....read on....

Back in 1964, 4 guys started a band that would come to be known as Lynyrd Skynyrd. They named it after their high school gym teacher whom they all did not get along with. After finally getting a record deal in the Early 70's this group came to produce some of the greatest anthems in Rock and Roll. They were one of the pioneers of Southern Rock, a term that did not exist when these guys started playing together. Lynyrd Skynyrd made such an impact on the musical world that is still going strong today. They used a unique configuration of 3 lead guitars, a bassist, drums, and a piano; definitely not typical rock and roll set up.

The band that started Southern Rock was tore apart 30 years ago today. On October 20,1977 at 6:42 PM a chartered plane they were on ran out of fuel and crashed into the Mississippi swamp just outside of Gillsburg. 4 Members of the band perished in that crash: Lead vocals Ronnie Van Zant, Guitarist Steve Gaines, Back Up Singer Cassie Gaines, and their Assistant Road Manager Dean Kilpatrick, along with the 2 pilots. This started a difficult time that saw the band try to get back together and break apart numerous times, trying to carry on the legacy. Untimely deaths by Alan Collins and Leon Wilkerson did not help as well as personal issues by Ed King and Artimus Pile.

The band carries on today in a little modified fashion. The lead vocals are taken care of by brother Donnie Van Zant, the 2 remaining original members Billy Powell and Gary Rossington try to keep the music playing. The music now has a southern flavor, but is nothing like the original. Skynyrd has sold over 23 million records (according to RIAA 2004) and was a 2006 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

So, take a moment or two today and get out that old CD or LP and think about one of the greatest bands of all time. How fitting "Simple Man" and "Freebird" can fit into your everyday life, even in this hectic world.

I think Ronnie and the others would be happy to know that 30 years after they sang "If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me?" they are still in the minds and hearts of many.

The home Stretch of Ramadan

2007-10-11T18:12:00.001+03:00

Ok, so I am going to try and give you a LONG update. I will try my best to make it interesting. The last 2 weeks I have taught my supervisor ‘boot camp’ that I have been working on for a while. I had a good time and I think the boys enjoyed it. I had about 38 guys in class throughout the 2 weeks. I covered topics such as Leadership Theory, Performance Management, The Disciplinary Process, Management Documentation, Leadership Styles, Change Management, Decision Making, plus I infused a lot of team building and critical thinking exercises. It all went well; except part of my job is I have to show improvement. So these guys got a pre-test and a post test. You would think these guys were taking there SATs. They would do ANYTHING to try and pass, including cheat. My first class was only 16 people and it was easy to police. The 2nd class I had to make them all leave the room and take all of their materials with them. They could only come back in with a pen/pencil. I set up the room so everyone had about 10 feet of space around them. I had guys coming in and trying to move chairs, etc. It was crazy. I had to tell them to stop talking constantly. People would finish the test and then stay in the room and try to whisper answers to their neighbor. They would also try and put their tests where others could see it. It was crazy. I told them that everyone would pass that I just wanted to see what they learned, but that is not Arab culture. Oh well… the class average went up 19% from pre to post test. One guy did 9% worse, but he missed most of the class and I think was guessing most of the time. I also did a organizational chart review…that increased 65% from pre to post test…these guys didn’t even know where they were in the organizational chart….that will tell you what I am working with.

So, we are having some Pittsburgh communication issues over here. I think everyone is forgetting that everything we do is going to be a challenge. If it worked right, we wouldn’t be here. I also think that it is difficult for some people to be the worker bees again and not the queen. Plus, we have some clock watchers in the group…I don’t have to deal with it since I am at EMS, but it is a presence I can feel. We are not supposed to be a clock watcher group, but some like to talk about it a lot. I talked to my boss (who is in Pittsburgh, but comes over 10 days a month) and he is going to try and figure it out and address it. He said he could feel it to. Don’t know what is going to come of it. This actually is a good segue way for me. I actually got a nasty email from medical director. Here is the story. We are working on some projects together. He is mainly taking the MEDCOM strategic plan and I was working on the 4R report. (Recruitment, Retention, Remediation, and Release of EMS Staff) Anyway, something that I do and that is not that uncommon for any of us to do is send out drafts to the group to get input and more ideas or suggestions. I sent out my part of the 4R and this is when I got the email. He told me that since I sent that out that he thought we were not working together and that he was disappointed in me. He also sent an email to the group and told them to disregard what I sent out. I was pissed. I was hoping to get as much input as possible to make my document the best possible. Oh well. I sent him an email and told him we would talk when he got back. I think he is OK now…just a misunderstanding on his part.

So, I found out that Australia has the opposite problem that we have in the states. The medics in Australia get paid more than the Nurses. This causes a lot of nurses to become medics instead of what we do in the states. How nice of a problem would that be?

So, yesterday I got a knock at my door. The maintenance guy stopped by to turn on my water heater. It’s October 10. They are getting ready for winter. It cracks me up. A lot of stores have their winter lines out…sweaters, jackets, toboggans, gloves, etc. Does it really get that cold? Wow. However I did get to do a bit of shopping this past weekend. I bought a new workout shirt and new swimsuit. Plus I am finally moving into my house and getting all the little stuff like coasters and such. It was nice shopping for some new workout clothes, cause I am kinda big and they have my size stuff in the clearance section. NICE!
Finally, one of my dreams has been realized. It is a month late, (it usually is the last few days in Sept and first of October) but there is an Oktoberfest celebration at the Intercontinental hotel Oct. 24-26. SWEET! They are flying in German chefs, bands, food, etc. It costs about $40 a ticket plus you have to buy your beer, but I am there. I am so pumped.
Until Next time…

Cheers!

More Ambulance Crash Pics

2007-10-07T20:41:00.001+03:00

So, I have not put much on here lately because I have been teaching all day and doing all the teacher stuff at night. I hope to update you a little more in the next few days. Here is some photos of our ambulance wreck.

The little car that could flip over an ambulance. Wow...

October 1

2007-10-01T21:52:00.000+03:00

Ok, so it has been a while since I told you what has been going on. I have been preparing a 16 hour leadership class for these guys which is both fun and challenging. My first day of teaching was today and they seemed to like my teaching style. I hope that I get through to them. They did not like that I had a pre-test, but Pittsburgh requires it so we can show progress, and I think it is a good thing.

So I told you a little about the Iftar dinner, and it was awesome. Every type of food, many types of drinks. (nothing alcoholic). The band and the atmosphere were amazing. The room was decorated like a traditional Arabic tent. It was something to behold. If you ever get a chance to do that, make sure you do.

So, I have been dealing with Satellite issues the last week. On Sunday, my satellite stopped working except for CNN. I thought it was just a signal so I waited until Tuesday to call. After being on the phone for a while the guy told me I needed to send a copy of my credit card to him and they could restore my service. Not wanting to send my credit info over a fax or email to someone I didn’t know I asked for directions to their location in Doha. When I showed up, they had no idea what was wrong with my account. So after about 30 minutes with some guy on the phone (probably with the same people I talked to) he hung up and said that he needed a copy of my credit card. No crap, that is why I came in today. He got a copy and then said they would be calling me tomorrow to confirm and my satellite should be hooked up. So, the lady called me the next day asked if this was the credit card I wanted to charge my account on I said yes…and POOF my TV came back on. Are you kidding me? Apparently, this all stemmed from my initial sign up of satellite. They called to confirm and it was a Dubai number. Every time I answered, no one would talk. After about 2 weeks of this, I just blocked the number. I guess that was the confirmation people calling to see if I wanted to confirm that account. So after a few weeks they just cancelled my subscription. This country…

So, I didn’t think I was going to do it, but I think I am going to get the boys from the Ritz to clean my place weekly. They are pretty cheap, and this place is too big and I am never in a cleaning mood when I am off work. Plus the two things I hate to do…dust and windows are everywhere…and the dust here is crazy. It is nice coming home from work to a really clean house….that part I do enjoy.

So, the A/C in my office broke, twice. The first time the guys showed up they went to my circuit panel and reset the breaker. That worked for a bit but about an hour later it broke again. They never went and looked at the unit the first time they were here. So, they had to come back again and this time get on the roof. The guy came to me for a pitcher of water and soon after they left. It has worked ever since…hmmmSo, in the big news…we had an ambulance get smacked the other day. The guys were making a leading green left hand turn. These two ladies in a car the size of the one I drive over here hit the side door of the patient compartment so hard that it flipped the ambulance. The side door had a wheelchair lift on it, so I think that is where some of the impact was absorbed. These guys stuff all kinds of extra stuff under the seat, including extra O2 bottles. Well, since they are not secured they fell out and cracked the other compartment. What a great teaching aide. I hope to have more pictures and video soon, but it was too big to email to me. The guy is supposed to be bringing it tomorrow. I will talk to you again soon. Cheers!

And some more...

2007-09-30T21:10:00.000+03:00

This guy speaks about 4 words of English. I just tried to get him to wave, but he wanted to salute.

Our gym, it looks bigger here than it really is...that is what mirrored walls will do for you.

Random views of the pool and clubhouse.

More Villa Pics

2007-09-30T20:49:00.000+03:00

This is the front (and only working) entrance into our place. Ah, Le Majestic Gardens...

This greenspace is just to the left of the guardbox. The 2 story building you see is the clubhouse

This is my street in our villa. There are only 2, and they run parallel. My place is between the 3rd and 4th streetlight on the right. The places on the Left are 4 bedroom and mine and the rest on the right are 3 bedroom.

Photos...as Promised

2007-09-26T20:25:00.000+03:00

Of course, we had to stop on 23 before going, but during Ramadan...no 'drinks' are served. From L to R. Carol, Me, Mitch, Pam (GM's Wife), Deb, Jim, and Willie (The Hotel GM). He is German but he cancelled schnitzel night before I left. I told him he needed to recheck his heritage.

This picture comes out fine on my computer but I cannot get it to upload. This is the whirling guy. That is a huge piece of cloth he is spinning above his head. Really Cool. I will try again. Maybe someone else got a pic.

Mitch, Sarah, Carol, John and Connie. (John is Scottish, I love to sit and talk to him. ) The last time we talked I was talking about staying up late to watch the game. He leaned over and asked, "You Americans, Why do you call it football? Only one guy is allowed to kick it" Good point.

Chuck (Our Division VP, flew over for a 24 hour stay to go to a meeting), Alan, Walt, and Greg

Iftar

2007-09-25T22:58:00.000+03:00

So, I still love you all, but I have been on the computer for days and days now. The last thing I want to do is come home and get on the computer. Anyway, my leadership class starts Monday and I am excited. My teaching skills will be put to the test. I get excited when I talk about stuff that I like, so I have to slow down a bit so I don't lose these guys...no worries.

Anyway, we went to the Ritz last night for the Iftar dinner. They had every type of food, hot and cold, drinks (non-alcoholic), seesha, music, dancing, etc. The food was from Morocco, India, Arabia, Lebanon, Italy, etc, etc, too much to mention. I felt like it was thanksgiving dinner you are so full you just want to lay down. It was crazy. They even has a Whirling Derbish? If that is what he is called (I was told..so if I am wrong, sorry) This guy spins in a really heavy dress for about 15-20 minutes. I would be throwing up in a minute, but he does that and keeps going. I think he would win the game where you spin around bat then swing and try to go to first.

Anyway, I will tell you more later, but I need to get to bed. Here are some pictures from last night.

Ok the pictures are not loading and I need to get to bed...so stay tuned folks!

Arabian Nights...

2007-09-14T13:41:00.000+03:00

So, I forgot to mention a couple things prior to me moving out of the Ritz. First, when your bill is so high…how do you tip the staff? I mean I spent 2 months there and those guys were great. The problem is that there were way too many of the people that needed thanks. I mean these guys were good, the cereal that I ate every morning was getting low and they had no stock left. So, one of the guys up on 23 made me a few bowls of cereal, wrapped it in cling wrap…and would give me a bowl every day. How is that for service? So, I made sure that I talked to them all personally. I told them that I should give them all more that they deserve it, but that was all I could do. So based on the level of service that I got from them, how long they worked (some were on Vacation for ½ of my stay) I gave them anywhere from $50-$200. I mean it seems like a lot, but I didn’t buy food or drinks for 2 months. I never had to get out of my seat. Plus I had housekeeping, laundry, bellmen, etc. I don’t feel too awful because I think they get paid OK. Plus there is a service charge added to the bill (which I didn’t have to pay…Pittsburgh did)...so I think I did the best I could.
The rest of this is going to be a collection of thoughts from the last week or so. First of all, The Steelers were on here last Sunday. How awesome is that? (The TV station also likes to rerun games a lot, so actually I have seen it on the TV guide about 5 times this week) However, we did get to watch the Steeler game on Sunday night and it was live. I really enjoyed that. I took some pictures; if they are OK I will post them.
I am now 100% in my villa. I have TV, Phone, and Internet. Everything is working, although some things leak…but they are working on getting all of them fixed. The only non-human visitors I have had are a few ants by the front door. A weekly spray keeps that at bay…and I found a Gecko looking lizard upstairs on the wall. I am careful with the wildlife over here, as I don’t know what is poisonous…but he didn’t look it. They are fast…really tough to catch. I caught him and took him down to our green area. Luckily, he didn’t ask me about insurance so I avoided that awkward situation. (Insert laugh here)
Thanks to my buddy Dan Ward…he got my sling box up and running. So I do not have to worry about bothering my boss’s TV…I can just watch my own. Plus I got the box that has the basic cable option, so I can watch what I want and the people in Morgantown can watch what they want. With my boss’s box it is not like that…I have to watch what he is and vice versa. This is a great technology…especially during football season. The only down fall is the prime time game like Maryland last night. I went to bed around 11:00, had every alarm in my house set for about 2:20am…kickoff was at 2:30 and I went back to bed about 6:00am. That is painful, but I am dedicated so I would expect nothing less.
I have been frequenting our Gym and Pool at the compound. Not elaborate, but OK. I need to get some pictures of it for you. The Gym is a little small, but it has Nautilus, free weights, a few benches, a treadmill, bike, elliptical, and a rower. Enough to keep me content for an hour or so a day. The pool is really nice, especially since they have the chiller on now. When it is not on, the pool is way too hot. Unlike other more strict places, this does feel like home. We can access the pool 24 hours. Bruce called me the other night (like 9-10ish) and we decided to go for a swim. It was really refreshing and surprisingly security does not care. That is difficult to find anywhere in the states. We should have 24 hour access if we want…I mean, we live here. Of course, in true WV style I showed up with some beverages…
Work wise, Chaker (pronounced Shocker) is back from leave. He is the guy that I share an office with and I am supposed to be training the most. He is a smart level headed guy; I think we will do well. I worked with him for a few weeks before he left, so transitioning back to working together was easy. However, in another cultural experience for me when he first came in the office after being off 6 weeks I got the traditional Arab greeting. I got the hand shake followed by a kiss on each cheek (you see this on TV a lot). I see this all the time…but that was my first involvement in it. Definitely a stretch for a boy from the backwoods of West Virginia. Anyway, since he is back we had a bunch of things to do. We needed to go to Ras Laffan, which is a HUGE industrial city in the northern portion of the country. The actual ‘city’ is a bunch of different companies and their labor forces. Plus everyone is building. Jarod, Taylor, Ray, Chad, Cooper, Banes, etc. would have loved it up there. There were pipes and chemical plants being built EVERYWHERE. It is the largest industrial construction project in the world. You have to get though a main gate just to get on the property, and the property is probably close to the size of Washington, D.C. We had some meetings with some stakeholders, as the companies like to have ambulances on site and we provide that for them for a cost. We also staff an ambulance at the labor camps medical center. These camps are huge; they look like the camps you seen after Katrina. Long complexes that have rows and rows of temporary (trailers! Heck yeah) housing. These go on for miles. They have amenities, such as a communal shower that is located every so often. They also provide them with a pool and soccer fields. Each trailer has a light on top of it. In case of emergency you call for help and hit the button to activate your light. This makes it really easy for EMS to find you. What a really nice idea.
Anyway, our first meeting was cancelled which is a pain in the ass because we drove about an hour to get up there. We also had meetings at other places so I got a quick tour and then we went to them. Afterwards, we went to lunch at the employee cafeteria, which is nice. They had 2 lines with a very nice buffet of food. Breads, dessert, coolers full of soft drinks and juice, etc. They even have staff in traditional wait staff attire cleaning up after you and keeping the place flowing. I would say thanks to people like me driving a truck, but these were Natural Gas places. Afterwards we went to another company’s site and saw our ambulance guys. This location for the ambulances was a little more inside the grounds so they had to come pick us up. You are not allowed to take a gas powered vehicle onto these sites; everything is run by diesel power. Going into the EMS base, actually all the doors we went into were heavy…and there was always a foyer. I was told that all external doors and glass are blast rated. Since they work in the middle of a natural gas plant and true natural gas you cannot detect (the companies put the odor in it), that they have to be ready for an explosion at any time. That is stuff you do not think about. On the way home we stopped at the new Northern headquarters for EMS. It is still being built, but very nice. They have a nice administration, education, operations building, plenty of covered parking. They have a 4 bay mechanical workshop that is detached and they also have about the same size building as a store (supply) building that is also detached. It was a very nice place. I hope to have some pictures from that soon after the first of the year…they are supposed to be finished, but this is Qatar.
Also work related I got kind of mad this week. Actually I got really mad and I had to use some of my well perfected Mon Health System diplomacy skills. Basically, we are rolling out new protocols country wide. We need to get all staff through this training, however you can’t train in the summer because no one is here, you can’t train during Ramadan (I’ll explain in a minute) and this is a very ambitious project. The problem is that I scheduled my training a few weeks ago. I have a location, have instructors lined up, have dates, etc. My medical director comes in and basically trumps my whole educational plan. What’s the point of reserving educational space when they give it to someone else? Anyway, my guys are going to have to go through his training as well, so it is going to be a scheduling nightmare. If I still want 2 dedicated weeks to train, I would have to wait until about March. So now, I am basically going to triple my workload to compensate for this. I am going to start teaching classes 3 days a week every other week for a few hours on the same topic. The supervisors must attend one of the sessions; this works out better for them, but kind of defeats my ‘boot camp’ idea. So now instead of teaching the class once or twice, I get to teach it 3 times a week! Awesome… I am not bitter at all!
Ramadan is here. I am anxious to see it in its full glory. There are some awesome things going on around town. It makes the workday difficult. Muslims, who are fasting from daylight to dusk, work from 8am to 1pm…well they are at work during those times. “Work” is up for debate. If Muslims work past 1 o’clock they get overtime. If non-Muslims work past 1 o’clock they get regular time. (Overtime laws here start at 48 hours instead of 40) Stores and shops are closed during the day. Hours now are usually 8am-11am and 6-7pm to about 12-1am. Since Muslims can’t do much during the day, they do everything at night. It is different. However, I am excited to go try the Iftar feast, which is the meal they have to break their fast every day. The Ritz puts on a heck of a spread and they include music and other things. I heard it is a blast. There will be more on this soon.
Ok… I am tired of typing and I just realized that I have typed about 3 pages worth of stuff, so I am going to let it go for now. Cheers!

Whew...

2007-09-08T22:03:00.000+03:00

I was a little worried that first half of play, but I never lost faith in the boys. They need to jump out and stay on top of a team like Huntington High. Oh well, we got through it...how about Devine?

Anyway, I am out of the Ritz. I moved out officially on Friday the 7th. It was kinda sad. I have spent more time there than I did in Italy, at HCOP, almost anywhere except Morgantown. However, I do have a funny story to end my tenure at the Ritz. My second to last night I had just turned off my computer and was heading to bed. My Doorbell rang, which is odd, because if I am in the room, my Privacy sign is always out. (The service at the Ritz is a little too good, you never get to take a nap or anything without being bothered.) Anyway, I headed to the door and opened it up. There was a beautiful Filipino girl dressed pretty tellingly standing at my door. She said, "Mr. Jones?"... I of course was not prepared for such a visitor and before I think of something like "Well, have I already paid?" or "Maybe, I forgot the price, tell me again?" I said No. She got really red faced and said sorry and was down the hall before I got "No" out of my mouth. It was hilarious. Who calls someone for a "Girl Friend Experience" and then does not make sure they know the room? Oh well...

So, on checking out, I get copies of the bills to turn in, plus the amounts I have to pay. These figures are in US dollars. ( I converted for you, thank me later.) My bill was $109.77. That is pretty good staying at the Ritz for 3 months. It also highlights my cheapness. I always ate the free food, rarely put anything on my room, and tried to save as much money as possible. Now, on the other hand, Pittsburgh's bill came to $20,271.07 Keep in mind they get a discount. Just that figure alone tells me that I am very lucky to be here. Very few companies in the US would pay just for room and board for 2 months that much money. Plus, I can now say I lived in the Ritz for 2 months...who else can say that? Thanks Pittsburgh!

Anyway, since I am out I am sharing my neighbor's internet (he doesn't know)...but it is a very weak signal. My internet is supposed to be here on Tuesday, so then I can get back to normal operations. I tried using my V-phone tonight, but the signal is so weak it is not letting me make a call. So, email me for the next few days and I will get back to you when I can.

I will talk to you soon. Cheers!

Random stuff...

2007-09-03T21:11:00.001+03:00

So, this is the second time I am writing this. My mouse screwed up...and I hate to write things twice.

The laundry guy got on the elevator today and asked where my laundry was at. He told me that I usually send stuff down on Mondays and they were wondering. Are you kidding? The laundry staff knows when I send stuff down? I don't even know that...I just send it down when I have a pile.

Watching WVU football (or not watching...in my case) in Qatar is not fun. I had a little too much fun and paid the next day. Do not be dehydrated in the Middle East...painful. I did have slingbox access, but they didn't have the WVU game on. Dang it.

Erin, my wonderful cousin, is a host on a college show at WMLU from 3-5 on sundays. I was talking to her and she gave me a shout out. How cool is that? They have a web cast, so I got to listen to it live. I loved it!

Last, the supervisors are making good progress. They are coming to me with problems and asking what to do. Awesome! I even had one supervisor from last night turn in a shift log (which I make them do) and it had positive comments for a crew on it! I told him to document the positive actions and turn back into me officially, so we can recognize them. I loved it.

This post is alot shorter than the previous one, but since the blog messed up and lost it, I was not in the mood to be as funny as I was in the last one. Sorry.

Lets Go Mountaineers!

Hanging on 23...

2007-09-03T21:06:00.000+03:00

Robert, Khem, me, Matet, Levy, Apriel, Lynn, and Frederick (up front).

Levy, me, Apriel, and Robert

Another week in the middle east

2007-08-31T11:00:00.000+03:00

So, service over here sucks. I will give you a small hint of that. So, they requested my phone be installed in my villa about 4-5 weeks ago. Since you cannot get a phone without a residence permit, they ordered mine under a co-worker's name. I called everyday trying to see when my appointment was set up, to no avail. A little over 2 weeks ago, I got my residence permit...so I went to the phone company cancelled my co worker's request and put my own in. (That will actually help out when it comes to bill time.) So, that evening I was called about an installation date and time. Awesome. Except that it was for Aug. 30, 2 weeks away. So I have been doing what I can to get everything else ready, its just a matter of moving in and saying...crap! I forgot a can opener! (I didn't forget that, thanks to a good friend) Anyway, the guy showed up yesterday and played with my phone for about 10 minutes, he went out to the main junction box and came back. Told me that there was a problem outside and that hopefully someone would be by to fix it Saturday...just to make sure I answer my cell phone on Sat.
The major problem with this is that Q-tel, in it's infinite wisdom, will only set up one thing at a time. You have to order phone service, get it installed, and after they come and set up your phone...you have to order Internet, they have to come back...blah, blah, blah.... So it will be another week or so past Saturday before I get my Internet installed. Bastards.
(Switch cameras...Carrie will Laugh)
In other news, my satellite got installed this morning as well. So now I have a decent amount of channels to watch. I am going to go through and block out the ones that are in Arabic. That will make my channel surfing much easier.

Well, in work news, my medical director who I have actually been talking with and in correspondence with since May arrived yesterday. I have not met him yet, but I am anxious to as he has been very helpful so far. We have actually worked jointly on some reports and presentations and have never met. The technological age is amazing.

Oh...and we have made some progress at work. I have some of the supervisors documenting the actions and positive and negative outcomes of some of their site visits. One of the supervisors even took his own time to update/create a new spot inspection form. How awesome is that? It has all the information you would want on the form, including date, time, location, positive or negative comments area, actions, etc. It even has a place for BOTH crew members to sign as well as the supervisor. It is very exciting to get them off their feet and get them running.

I told you about the staff (dis)satisfaction survey a few posts ago...but in expanding that idea I have created a EMS Workgroup. I have pulled field level staff from all walks of life to join a committee to discuss issues facing the department. We are going to meet once a month and talk about anything and everything. I am going to try and have one topic a day to actually talk about along with an agenda, but the more they talk the more issues we get out. They feel very comfortable around me and I hope that continues. I have pulled an Emergency EMT, Paramedic, and Paramedic II, Communications Officer, Communications Supervisor, Field Supervisor, Mechanic, Quality Staff, Store Staff, Aeromedical, Transport EMT, and office staff. I have asked that the department heads nominate someone to do this that is open and will discuss issues. I think this will be a good thing.

The last thing, I finally went to the Distribution company here in Qatar. Not a bad selection for a dry country. Anyway, I have been warned by numerous people to get as much as you can now, as Ramadan everything shuts down. No liquor is sold anywhere in the country. So, going on the philosophy of "It is better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it" I did a pretty good first pass at the store. Good thing they have buggies. I am going to go back soon and get a few things I missed. Some of it seems excessive, but there is alot of 'parties' during Ramadan and people hang out together alot, so if anything happens in our neighborhood or people stop by I want to have a little selection. Also, I am going to be here another 10 months, so what we don't drink in Sept and Oct, I am sure we will get rid of soon. Heck Mom, Dad, and Sis are coming...so I will probably be back once Ramadan is over!

I will talk to you later...
Cheers

Living Room / Dining Room Update

2007-08-25T17:29:00.000+03:00

The new living room. Notice the color scheme...would you expect anything less from me? I hope whoever moves into this place when I move out hates Blue.

The view from the steps.

The dining room. You know, I don't care too much about furniture...only that it has function. However, I thought this square 8 seater dining room table was something cool and different, plus if you don't like it...I don't really care!

Another view of the living room.

This is looking into the dining area from behind the other couch. The entertainment center is on my right.

Later

A very important message from India!

2007-08-25T13:46:00.000+03:00

So, I have been teaching our driver some very important words during my time with him. Before he took me to get a car I wanted to get video evidence of his progress, since I won't be seeing him much anymore. Enjoy!

Updated Villa Office Pics

2007-08-25T13:38:00.001+03:00

It is still a work in progress, but it will work. Why not have a nice office if Pitts burgh is paying for it and I have the extra bedrooms? In case you are wondering Cam, the curtains are green because the marble floor is green, not because I wanted to support Huntington High School.

Updated Bedroom Villa Pics

2007-08-25T13:30:00.000+03:00

So here are some updated Villa Pics I am going to add them as the rooms look now. There will be continuing improvements. Notice my bedrom is now yellow and not pink anymore. Springer thought my office was the Alumi Center...what is this going to be?

Proof of Work

2007-08-23T18:44:00.000+03:00

So, there has been so much about me and my downtime...I thought I should put something on here that actually shows I am working. This is a group of EMTs, Paramedic I's, Paramedic II's, and supervisors. We were discussing the staff satisfaction survey. Wow...you thought MHS had problems. I found out today that HMC also got the Hay group (same group as MHS) to 'look over' their salary structure. They implemented their recommendations, which included taking away about 8 months of overtime from these guy's salaries. To put it in layman's terms...They promoted some of these guys, and they kept doing the job. However, when they finally got their raise 8-10 months later...payroll said that they were no longer entitled to the overtime they had worked since their promotion. So, payroll has been deducting the equivalent of $50-$200 US a pay from these guys to take the money back. So, just like home...one department screws up and by no fault of the employee, they get screwed. Sound familiar? (These guys did not know they were being promoted to 'exempt' positions at the time of their promotion.) Anyway...here is one of the work groups. I spend a lot of time in this conference room. Oh, by the way, this is the best picture out the group we took. We were supposed to look like we were in a meeting, but all of the guys except for me and John (Our Pittsburgh QI guy) looked at the camera.

New Car

2007-08-22T20:00:00.000+03:00

So, I got a new car. It's a Skoda...whatever that is...I don't even know what model. 5 Speed, small ass engine, and a tape deck...whatever. It was the cheapest they had....enjoy!

This was the other reason I went back outside to take pictures of my car. I don't have a dream SUV (mine is a truck), but this one surely ranks... Notice the Color...

Now look at the kick ass interior! I would love to have this one while I was over here....or even if I was home...oh well....

Cheers!

Day at MY office...

2007-08-20T11:44:00.000+03:00

So, our group meeting was cancelled at 1:00 and since I have a TON of computer work to do I stayed at the Ritz instead of going to the office. That sounds like a great idea at the time, but I have been on my computer since 7:00am and I just looked up and it 10:30. However, I do think I am getting a lot of work done.

Anyway, I have never been here when the cleaners were cleaning. I have always (6 weeks worth) either not been in my room or had the privacy sign up. Plus sometimes I get home and the turn down service has already happened, so I didn't even get to see the room since it was cleaned. Sorry, I digress....

This was something to watch. These 2 guys, only one of which could speak decent English put on a heck of a show. Unlike a cart that you see so much of in the US, these guys each carry a big basket and pull the vacuum behind them. They asked if it was OK for them to clean around me and told me numerous times not to move, but I had to get out of their way...it was too cool.
They were in the bathroom about 8-10 minutes. They pick up everything on the counter, wipe off the bottles (like of my shaving cream and deodorant), the mirrors, clean the shower and the toilet. They place all of my counter items in a row, they replace caps, etc. Then they hand clean the floor. Afterwards, they come out to the bedroom. The choreography of making the bed was something to behold. These guys could be in the Marine Silent Drill Team. They did the entire room and said about 6 words to each other. They actually pull the bed out from the wall, unfold the sheet on it and then bunch it up again. Then the one guy lift the sheet and spreads it out, as it comes down they grab it and you hear lots of pulling, tucking, etc. In about 15 seconds the sheet is on the bed fitted with hospital corners. Then the duvet (i don't know about spelling) is stripped and without dropping it totally on the ground, they put the new one on it with a very interesting 'snake' type motion. The cover is put into place, ends are lined up and tucked. This entire process maybe takes 2 minutes. Very impressive. Oh, and that includes 4 pillow changes as well.

Then one guy goes outside, dusts and sweeps the entire deck. He then cleans the outside of the windows (are you kidding me?) and uses a spray bottle of water to clean the chairs AND floor OUTSIDE by hand! The other guy basically lifts EVERYTHING up and cleans inside. When one is done outside they both just do everything to work together and get it done. They picked up all my books, computer, papers, etc. and cleaned then put them back in exactly the same place. They cleaned lamps, pictures on the wall and on my desk, phones, trashcans (yes they wipe the inside and outside of them...very few trash bags at the Ritz) nightstands, tables, etc. Everything you can think of. They even moved the TV, cleaned it and cleaned under it. This was followed by a quick vacuum and they were gone. Keep in mind these guys did it in a very professional, showmanship type way. I don't think they were trying to, but it sure looked good. I think they just work really well together like a good EMT/Medic team. They did all of this in less than 20 minutes. VERY impressive.

Just thought you would like to know. Later! Gotta get back to work!

Hot as Hell!

2007-08-19T17:26:00.000+03:00

So...the middle east is freaking hot. I know you in the states are having a 'heat wave'...blah, blah, blah. It is very easy to see why so many people leave this country in July and August (the middle east for that matter). I hear that starting in September, the traffic is bad for a few weeks until everyone gets back and settled in (ahhh...just like the students). Anyway, other than work not much has been going on. We did have another party, but I will get to that in a bit.

I really have more respect for educators when you have to walk in their shoes. I am in the process of designing a course from scratch, and its a pain. I want to develop a good course, plus I want them to be able to take what we learn from it and be able to offer it every year. So I have to walk a fine line. Add in there that English is most of these people's second language, the cultural issues of many different countries, plus being in a Muslim state of mind...it is very difficult. However, I do like the challenge. I will gain so much when I get this completed. Then, at my next job, I will make SURE they hire an educator.

I have been working on the villa. I spend a few hours a couple of days each week over there, cleaning, putting stuff away, organizing (me...really?), etc. I did my room painted yellow to go over the pink that was in there, I thought I picked a more light shade of yellow...but it is in your face yellow. So, of course I had to get Navy Blue curtains. I think it looks awesome...however I get a lot of "Wow, that's yellow...." When I show it off to friends and co-workers. I don't care. I think it rocks. I did get curtains in the whole place. Navy blue in 3 rooms, Green in 2, and Red in the other, plus I put blinds up in the kitchen. I was only going to get window length curtains, but others that got floor length talked me into doing the same thing. I am glad they did because in a total concrete building, you need all the sound dampening you can get. I will include pictures as soon as I get moved in and get some more stuff on the walls. I did go buy a 32" flat screen TV along with a surround sound system that kicks ass. It was about $2000 for both, but Pittsburgh is paying for it and I have to use the money or give it back. They should have thought about that before giving so much money to someone that only needs to furnish a couple of rooms. Plus, whoever moves in after me will love me!

This past weekend we had another party, this time however it was at our place. Le Majestic Gardens. I did not get many pictures, so I will include what I have. If I get some more sent to me, I will put them on here as well. It was again a pot luck affair, we had karaoke, a singer, and plenty of beverages. My ETOH connection (I can't buy it until I get my liquor card) went to the store. Jack Daniels was on sale so she got me 2 bottles instead of 1...I loved her at beginning of the party and hated her on Friday. Actually, the entire Pittsburgh staff was not heard from Friday. I think with the heat plus the large amounts of drinking...everyone was just so dehydrated...it kicked all of our asses. Once again, it was a good time.

One last thing...I think I told everyone that I am now a Qatari resident with a residency card...now I get to one up that even more. I now have in my possession a Qatari driver's license. So, now I get to join the madness on the roads. I am probably going to get a car this week as sharing a driver and dealing with his schedule and everyone else's schedule gets old. Actually, you know I might be getting a little tired of the Ritz. Camped in the same room, same food every 7 days, kinda out here in no where, etc. I am sure I will miss it when I am gone, but every once in a while it is nice to have some more rooms than just one. Well, I guess drinks are free on 23...so wait, I LOVE THE RITZ. Just kidding. It has been a great experience. Who else can tell everyone that they lived someplace like this for 2 months?

Anyway, I digress. Here is some pictures from the party.

We were having some issues with everyone looking at the right camera.

In the back its Nurse Carol, April (A guy's name in Indonesia) from 23, Nurse Bruce, Some random person I have never met. I think she or her boyfriend work at the Ritz as well...

Beside me is Levy from the Philippines, and Robert from Indonesia. Both of them work on 23.

Carol, me, Rachel (From Mauritius), and Loid (Ethiopia)

Both of them work at the Ritz. Rachel in Guest Relations and Loid at the Pool and 23.

As you can tell, we think the staff from the Ritz enjoy hanging out with the Pittsburgh crowd. They now call us when they go out and vice versa. I think they will gladly come to more Pittsburgh parties.

So, that is all I have, but when I get the others sent to me I will add more. I will talk to you later! Cheers!

So much like home...better even?

2007-08-13T19:27:00.001+03:00

So, in the last week on Dubai Radio (in English) I have heard Sweet Home Alabama AND The Ballad of Curtis Lowe. Who says the Middle East doesn't know good music?

Ok...

2007-08-12T19:56:00.001+03:00

So I know I already put it on here and something happened to it. I was working the field the other day, and it turned out to be a bad day in Qatar. A court case did not turn out how the families wanted it, so a couple people ended up stabbed (thobes with blood are really interesting). Then across town, another family member ended up shot. I was on both calls and it was wild. The guys need a little help in the back of the ambulance, but in defense of them, they don't see this kind of stuff much.

Anyway, while we were on the stabbing, Mansour (the guy I am working with) and I grabbed the elevator and were heading down with all of the equipment. As the doors were shutting, I heard a loud pop and saw the doors were not all the way closed and actually they were off their track. Now, we were in a elevator that 6 people would barely fit in, so it was tight. It was hot as hell (you know, the middle east) and their civil defense (fire department) is not as highly skilled nor motivated as some volunteer departments in Mon County. Anyway, we figured out after about 10 minutes, that if we held the doors together AND held the button we would move. So we got to the basement and I forced the doors open. I barely fit out of the doors. The guy I was with was like.."this isn't our floor" I was like..."Yeah, and I am going to take the stairs." So he reluctantly handed the equipment out to me and we headed to the steps. We were only in the basement and had to go up 1 floor.

So, I have been busy as hell. I have missed the gym about 2 of the last 6 nights and it really sucks. However, I am getting things situated in my house. I got a 32" flatscreen along with surround sound hooked up today. So now I can play music while I am getting things working. I put together my Vacuum, Iron and Ironing board, a new phone for the house, plus started unpacking all of my kitchenwares and such before my driver came to get me. I hope to do a little bit each day so I can move in as soon as my internet is available.

I hate to be very short, but I have a bunch of crap to type for work....so I don't feel like typing all evening. Don't worry, you are not missing anything exciting. Anyway, Talk to you soon!

Someone help me...

2007-08-11T21:20:00.001+03:00

Did I not put a post on here about the stabbings and gunshots? I was looking back and didnt see them....

I think I lost a post somehow...

Let me know if you know what I am talking about...

2 more things...

2007-08-03T14:21:00.000+03:00

So I am cranking these out today...I forgot to add a couple more things.

1. I am thinking about taking some tennis lessons this weekend at the Ritz. Its not too expensive, it would be a good learning experience, it would take the place of my workout for that day, and maybe one day I can beat Reshae and/or Cam at tennis. I doubt that very seriously, however.

2. Also, I know I haven't really told anyone, but I am seriously considering going back to school after this whole thing is over. I am very interested in getting my PhD. Since Donnie and Jarod are Doctors now, I guess I need to complete the trifecta and keep the 'second generation' gang going. Actually, I have been thinking about this for a long time and after living abroad...I am thinking about making it a reality. Dr. S from Pittsburgh is trying to get me to come do my PhD in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences with emphasis in Emergency Medical Services. I am so interested in Management theory and it practices and procedures, that I think I might go that way. There has been very little study on Emergency Medical Services Organizational Behavior. Now with that idea let me tell you what I am thinking. I am seriously considering shooting for the top if I do this. I might apply to Harvard, Kellogg School of Management, Cornell, maybe Oxford, and one of my favorites the University of Vienna in Austria (most of the classes are taught in English, and I can do my Dissertation in English). I know that telling this to Mom and Dad might give them chest pains, but who wouldn't want to come visit me in Europe? So this is in no way set in stone and I have a year before me before I can plan my future, but its an idea that is gaining a lot of speed with me. Just wanted to put that out there...

I am going to chill and finish my book now...You all should read it.."Ghost Soldiers" It is about one of the greatest rescues in WWII history. A group of rangers needed to liberate a POW camp with leftovers from the Bataan Death March before the advancing US troops got there. This was because the Japanese plan was to kill all the POWs before retreating...Great book....

Lebanese Restaurant Photo

2007-08-03T11:18:00.000+03:00

Just got this in my email, thought I would pass it along. It was from the Leabanese restaurant from last week. You have me, Heidi, Mandy, Sara, and Dr. Greg. Their baby, Taylor is right behind sara, you can see her foot. The hardest part of this place was eating on the floor, very difficult for big guys like me. Food was wonderful, however. Enjoy!

One more week of catch up....

2007-08-03T10:15:00.000+03:00

So, this is probably going to turn into a weekly column, because it is difficult for me to sit down and write in the evenings, especially if I have been on a computer for some of the day. Anyway, did have a few stories this week and I will try to portray them the best possible.

So, the big story of the week is how small a world it really is. I was walking to another supervisor's office at EMS and one of the Philippine EMTs stopped me and said "Mr. Forest, are you from West Virginia?" (They all know my name, I really only know the supervisors and department head names. I don't work primary with the staff, mainly just the management so it is unrealistic that I will remember or even learn everyones name.) "Yes I am" I replied. He said "Well I lived in Logan County for about 4 years with my Uncle." "You have got to be kidding me.." my response. Turns out his Uncle is a dentist or doctor of some kind in Charleston, and they lived in Logan. He lived with them for a few years. So we talked a bit and then when on our ways. What are the odds of running into a Philippine in Qatar that lived in LOGAN COUNTY, West Virginia? Pretty low, I think.

So, the week started off somewhat on a high note (at least with work, anyway). I got to work Sunday and was doing my normal rounds and beginning of the week stuff. We have a senior department head meeting at 9:00 every Sunday. The secretary told me that the director just called in and cancelled the meeting. The assistant director was out of the country for a few days, so I guess she thought that with no direction the meeting could not go on. After the secretary had sent out an email and called everyone, I told her to re-call everyone and tell them the meeting was still on. What a great opportunity to really see what is happening. So when everyone showed up, I talked to them about having ownership in their organization. A meeting of this magnitude does not have to have a director to be productive. I told them that they know the issues and they know what is going on, for them to communicate and discuss. If they need an agenda, they can use last weeks minutes and check on action items. I told them that anyone in this meeting could run it without a problem, and that we would be doing that very soon! I got to also talk about some leadership issues, communication issues, setting the example, etc. I also got them to open up about some things that they would not normally talk about to management. You see, they view me as a 'safe' person so they feel like they can talk, which is a good thing. I got a lot of good information, and we really started to get them thinking.

Since the morning went so well, you can figure that something would go wrong in the evening. I called our driver to take me to a hardware store and then the villa, so I could install some brushes under my door to keep sand out. Well Dr. J, Ms. D, and Dr. A, all wanted to go as well, but had other stops. I wanted to get a Ritz car and go by myself, but the insisted I go with them. So before our driver was supposed to be there, I went to the bank in the hotel to get my check cashed from the hospital for furniture. This was the 2nd time I had my check, as someone else tried to do it earlier and we had to take it back to the hospital because of a missing signature. So tonight, everything was still good to go. I headed to the bank, and because they didn't sign in the right place, they could not cash the check. I had to take my check back to the hospital one more time. So that started everything else off great! Our driver was uncharacteristically late by almost an hour. (He is usually 5-10 min early). So there is whammy 2. So then, traffic is usually worse here in the evenings so it took us a while to find the shop that Dr. J and Ms. D wanted to go to. We finally found that, and then headed to a hardware store so I could grab a hacksaw. I was in there about 5 minutes and we were on our way again. Dr. A wanted to get a haircut and massage, so we were going to drop him off on the way to the villa. Except, he liked this place 'a few roads over' which ended up being a good ways over. On the way back to the villa I realized it was 9:00. I had been driving around for 2.5 hours. I was in no mood to start installing things. So I got my driver to take me back to the Ritz...and that was the end to a greatly wasted evening.
(I was able to get my check cashed the next day after one more trip to the Finance department...thank goodness)

So, apparently it is against the rules to work at the Ritz and also have outside employment. However, some eager young Indonesians and Filipinos have latched on to the UPMC crowd and have started a side business. The cleaning staff here have worked with us to give all of us at the villa a weekly cleaning crew. 3-4 of them stop by a week and clean for an hour or so and go to everyone's place. It only costs about 20-25 US dollars a week , so why not. Being the employees they are, they do an excellent job. Actually, I have not been to my place yet, but they were there last night giving it a deep cleaning. Wiping down all the walls, cabinets, bathrooms, etc for the first time. I have seen some of their other work and have been impressed. It doesn't cost us much and it is one less thing to worry about...so I will probably keep doing that...

So, as you saw before I got my check from the hospital and I also got my allowance from Pittsburgh. So I have started furniture shopping. I have so far got a dining room table, Couch with 2 love seats (That is how they come here...either that or a couch, love seat, and 2 chairs), and a bedroom suit. I think I found a desk, and I have to keep looking for a entertainment center. Plus I need a TV, along with some carpets, kitchen stuff, etc. All kinds of shopping left. Those of you that are worried, don't be. I am doing a very tasteful blue and gold theme.

That sparks another tirate for me. I am not trying to be distasteful, and I hate people had to die. However, I knew it was coming and it got here today. Today on Sportscenter they started talking about how difficult it was to get back to football practice for the Hokies, and how all of their games are going to be played with all this emotion. This is like the Saints after the Hurricane. There is only so much I can hear about this. I am sorry people died, I do not nor ever will like the Hokies and I hope they have a 0-12 season. I hope that every year, not just this year, so for me it is status quo. I just hope that this reporting will go away sometime, however I think that is unlikely.

So, to end on a good note. Yesterday I was having breakfast and the GM asked if he could join me. We talked about numerous things including college football. He is French, and does the head bob and shake when he talks, but he lived in the states for many years and is a big college football fan. (although it is USC, it was still good to get that out) Anyway, he told me that he had a rough day planned and that he would be up late and then be up really early this morning. Apparently some corporate big timers for the Ritz were coming to visit. So I told him good luck and went about my day. So, this morning I get up and on the club lounge level we really don't have to look great to watch any Muslim customs. So I rolled up for breakfast this morning in shorts, sandals, and my HAIL WEST VIRGINIA t-shirt with a huge flying WV on the back. As I got off the elevator and was walking around the corner I met the GM followed by 10-12 guys in suits taking notes and looking in every freaking corner. So much for trying to help him out. I just used my Yes sirs, and no sirs...and tried to go hide in a corner until they were gone. (Not that they would say anything to our about a guest, but I like to be a team player.) You could tell that someone was coming this week, as the usually perfectly cleaned hotel was really getting a cleaning. They had new flowers everywhere, more food on the buffet this morning, carpets were getting shampooed. etc. All that fun stuff.

Anyway, I am getting tired of typing. I am going to work out and then I am supposed to go shopping with Nurse C tonight. Hopefully I can find an entertainment center and start checking off some of the other stuff. We will see...

Talk to you soon!

Pics from the Party...

2007-07-27T17:14:00.000+03:00

These are not the greatest, but its probably the best of what I got. I will see what everyone else has and maybe update them.

Hussein (Our driver) and Deb

Complete with a kick ass dog! That dog didn't bark all night. He was really cool and laid back.

Hankuna Matata!

2007-07-27T16:11:00.000+03:00

So, the guest services agents at the Ritz randomly call or stop you in the lobby to check on the quality of your stay. The last one that stopped me started talking to me and asked where I was from. She figured it was from the south. (Apparently, I have a really pronounced accent) So, in the course of our conversation, I asked her how many languages she spoke. (This is one of my newest questions to ask people, you would be amazed, some people are fluent in 4,5, even 6 languages) She told me Swahili, English, and Hindi. I told her that I didn't know any Swahili, however she informed me that everyone probably knows at least one phrase...thanks to the Lion King! Hankuna Matata...No Worries!

Anyway, so my days and weeks are becoming more structured. My day usually goes like this:
6:15 Rise and Shine
6:45 Breakfast
7:15 Driver is waiting downstairs
11:00-12:00ish Lunch (usually at my desk, and so far it has been an apple, orange, or banana and a granola bar with a bottle of water)
3:30 Driver is waiting at EMS for me
4:00-4:30 Head to the Gym
6:00ish finish at the Gym and head to my room
6:30-7:00 Take shower and head upstairs for dinner
7:00-9:00/9:30ish Dinner and Drinks
9:30-11:00 Phone calls, emails, blog writing, etc.
11:00 Bedtime

My weeks are probably going to be this way for a while:
Sunday 9:00 Senior Staff meeting at EMS (usually until 11:00)
Monday 1:00-3:00 Pittsburgh meeting (all staff)
Thursday 9:00 Paramedic 2 (US equivalent of a paramedic) meeting/in service case review
Thursday 11:00 Pittsburgh Management Meeting
Thursday 4:00 Medical Director Conference Call

The balance of the time I am trying to spend with the supervisors out in the road learning and modeling behavior for them.

Nothing really exciting happened over the last week, work wise. I did go to the North edge of the country. I plan on getting to the south near Saudi border next week and to the western edge. There is still some outposts that I need to see. The range of issues I am seeing is everything from laziness to supervisory documentation issues to not wanting to talk to or communicate with staff. These guys don't think they need to be out on the road checking up on crew members, etc. They only go out when it is a call that requires a supervisor, so we have to change that. I tried to get the guy the other day to show up on a scene that was close, but it was a Priority 2 call. He said, "We don't have to go on those, only Priority One calls" They don't understand showing up, checking, helping, assisting, etc. I have a lot of work to do...

The really exciting thing happened last night. John, one of our Quality guys reserved his clubhouse at his villa. Some people owed him favors, one being in a 2 person band from the hotel. This really beautiful Filipino girl and some guy with her came and played and sang for us. They also brought a karaoke machine that scored you as you sang. Basically the entire Pittsburgh staff, their families, and some of our other workers and neighbors showed up. We all danced, drank, and partied the night away. They even dared me to get up there and sing "Country Roads" and not look at the screen....Are You Kidding Me? I should have put money on it! I did get a favorable applause, I stood with my back to the screen for effect.

Oh, I almost forgot. Dr. G works at the hospital in the northern part of the country. So, the only time I see Dr. G is Mondays during the staff meeting. He told me that he wanted to take me to dinner. They had 2 family friends in town, along with their new 6 month old. So we went to a Lebanese restaurant, where we sat on the floor at the small table. The food was awesome! Hummus, vegetables, different kinds of bread, and then the main course of 2kg of Lamb. It was fantastic. The meat was so tender. It was located right behind the landmark mall, so I should be able to find it again. (Visitors coming to see me...I am finding all kinds of good places to eat!)

So, I got my money from the hospital yesterday to help furnish my villa. HMC gives us some and Pittsburgh gives us some. I got a 20,000 Riyal check. Are you kidding me? That is like USD $5,500+. I have to turn receipts in for everything that I get, but who cares. I am going to use every bit of it. Pittsburgh gives us about $8500 to help furnish it. So it is going to be awesome. I should have the rest of my money with my paycheck next week.

In other news: I am currently reading "Ghost Soldiers", it was given to me by Nurse C when she was done with it. It is about a great (some say greatest) rescue of WWII, following the Bataan Death March. Very interesting so far, I will let you know how it goes.

I will talk to you later! Cheers!

Camels by the road...

2007-07-21T10:15:00.001+03:00