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Turkey 2009 | |
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If you are reading this your really have got to get yourself a life!
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Summer 2009 Qatar to T’Heap and Backwards: Part 1
May: Paperwork - Storm before the Lull? Friday May 1 Contact with Adnan to try clarify the situation with the ongoing work. It does make an emphasis on the fact that I should have been there to pick up on points. Even so it has to be admitted that a lot of work has gone into what has been done.
Lazy day with an early night. End up watching some of the films and episodes that have been stored, but not seen.
News still runs with the H1N1 virus alert. Situation, despite the level now one off ‘Pandemic’ is still one of waiting to see when the ‘flu’ falls. Camps called off since they are not considered ‘important’ movement, but considering the amount of movement through Qatar, let alone in and out, it is amusing to think such steps will keep out the ‘unwanted’ porker!
The differing effects in Mexico and America continues to raise several queries though.
Saturday May 2 Late sleep-in disturbed by the guys coming to clean. Payment not due this week, but made, bringing the system back to regularity. Alison makes contact on Messenger and spend an hour coming back up to date with details as well as making tentative plans for both Summer and Christmas.
Then talk with Richard briefly. Confirm details for money already sent to help with house (c 7000 + 2000 + recent c 6500). Anne already passed on hers so Richard now set to move forward. Remaining bits and pieces to be finalised around the end of May. That will make for an interesting time for John.
It may be necessary to make the summer conversion (Euros) with the June Salary, leaving things rather to the last second of the last minute before heading for the hills. No immediate concerns for cash since still got funds in the safe as well as QR 2 k in the bank, however, having got used to having a grand around and not having the cushion, one feels vulnerable, fueled by the memory of last November!
Fasme and Candyban come to query non payments over the past few occasions. Try to note that Fasme started the run. Slightly ruffled since final stage payment was today and I offset that as free and so paid. Worth considering a ‘paper trail’ for ‘next time’?
Sunday May 3 Passport to Khulood so that the Residency Renewal can be got underway.
It actually runs out during the break so has to be sorted early and even earlier since I need to have it in place ready for the Saudi (start of June) and Syrian (Mid June) visa applications. In reference to those I also need to run the gamut of the new bureaucracy system – taking a week what used to take less than one day and this is called progress!
‘And the North Wind shall blow’. Use the argument of discretion being the better part of valour, in either case end up being a chicken and because of the cool wind that blew for most of the day decide to leave the swim for today! This despite the car registering 40 degrees earlier in the day. Getting way too soft.
Monday May 4 IB Exams start.
Forgot to leave the heater on for half an hour last night so have to reverse the order of the morning to have a warm shower! Not quite time for the complete reversal of the taps!
Tuesday May 5 Lessons move on although with the end of the tunnel now in sight everyone is looking with bright eyes and bushy tails to the summer. Particularly since the ‘Camps’ break has been cancelled with the ‘Swine Flu’ scare running around and about. Continue to ask myself why the same concern is not present with car deaths!
Existing flu strains have claimed 36 000 in America alone so far this year, but with only a few tens affected by a strain that the body is considered to have no natural immunity against, it has people running around far more.
Lends weight to the argument that we are more readily scared by what we do not know than by what we do know, but cannot control. Present day equivalent of the witch hunts of the past. McArthy is not dead – he just Flu his course.
Now stir in concern about Swine Flu mixing with Bird Flu and we have a potent mix of possibility to scare anyone. What used to be ‘the Russians’, then ‘the Terrorists’, then ‘asteroids’ can now be replaced by ‘viruses’. Wonder what ‘scape goat’ will be used next when people get used to the present scare?
Wednesday May 6 A quiet day as people settle to new patterns – briefly!
New director takes over. Last official day for Bruno.
Thursday May 7 Series of events today. Some good and some not so good.
Nick finally gets his meeting to pass on his view of the authorization visit. Most of the main concerns of the panel are outside of the control of the staff, but there are a few subject specific points that will be passed on individually.
Also, by chance, find Nick has not registered me for MYP course. Not well pleased about that and now on ‘waiting list’. Will be less so if the list is closed!
Also find out to day how far the passport has gone. Nowhere! Al Fadel is in school to get my signature and ID card so that paperwork can ‘continue’!
Friday May 8 Invigilation from 10 to 11. Up for about half eight and dithering. End up putting bedding in the washer.
About half nine before head off and arrive to relieve Judy about quarter to ten.
Hour passes quickly enough with exam finishing just after ten. Then back to villa and at a loose end. Washing put in dryer before lie down to continuing to listen to ‘Drums of Autumn’.
Afternoon snoozes past!
Saturday May 9 Hazed away. Plenty of tinkering and not a lot of action on my part. Lethargic? Drums continues and gets more entangled.
Sunday May 10 Slow roll for the day with a lab for Grade 08 first thing. Seemed to go well and Yaroub produced some very nice results. It will not be a straightforward lab to write up, but hopefully interesting for them.
Continue to wait on IB course although it is still ‘too early’.
Monday May 11 Grade 08 have the video brought up since Wednesday is shot through. End up having to watch in lab since both units in the library taken up by English. Short by about five minutes which I try to get from Homeroom, but Grade 08 have meet with Chris which goes over the possible time. Cannot use next week since there is a ‘Desert’ video to look at.
Get bad news about Richard and his job from Anne about seven or eight. Connect with Richard about an hour later for a short chat. DB getting leaner, but still takes in three graduates and drops other employees. Richard looking for logic and will be lucky to find a trail in the paper that is no doubt being flurried.
I’m still keen on pushing through on the house and am annoyed we did not push it through sooner, but both he and Anne are not keen on going on. I am sure the job opportunities are more notable in Brum than they are in Leeds . . . unless he considers coming out now. Even so, the property is in my view the place to push for. See what gives as the dust starts to settle on the mayhem that has been unleashed.
Tuesday May 12 Four out of five with a quick meet with Ahmed and Hassan’s mother about one. Note query on Hassan not seeming to be ‘at ease’.
Work done, when include the extra lesson from 4 to 5, with Grade 11. Grade 12 Yousef and Mohammed Al Farsi seem buoyant about their P1 and P2 physics exams. P3 tomorrow morning. Worst is now over for them although P3 will not be too easy, however it is only one hour and they have well over three behind them.
Back at the villa and get fed and watered. Catch up with e.mail (one to Adnan – ‘what is state of play?’) and watch for comms on Messenger, then keel over for a couple of hours as the ‘lights’ just go out!
Wednesday May 13 Beach Clean – Cancelled. Not clear why – noted as the weather; too windy!
Swim gala brought forward. Low key close before the long weekend.
Simon and Bryan busy getting ready for trip to Ras Al Kaimah. Due to leave early, 4 am tomorrow.
Thursday May 14 Holiday IB Exam invigilation 10 to 11 am End of 1st week on waiting list.
Day disappears in a really heavy ‘slob’ haze once the invigilation is done. Only real point of the day since it was a reason to do something.
Making an art form of being really lazy. Lethargic is another description, but truth to tell just not got any enthusiasm to do anything and it is not as if there is nothing to do because there are many things to get on with. Suspect the reason, so just have to slide and let things go their own way.
Friday May 15 Simon returns around six. There and back makes it one long drive. Obviously successful.
Myself, meantime, being very lazy. Can I be bothered? Obviously not! Without Pen, even the summer seems flat. Hope some sparkle comes once it starts. Just difficult to get enthused.
Signs are that Bill is not coming to Turkey. Mixed feelings. The up side is that I can focus on the boys and, once Bill gets to come, spend some time with him without any conflicts.
Saturday May 16 Boys in to clean at about ten. for once, which is very unusual, I am already up.
Clean is a modest term in that even I can note where cleaning has either not been done or is scant, but considering the time spent and the amount done it is really being overly picky. Sure both Irene and Alison will have comments next Christmas about their efficacy. Must be born in mind, this is a four bedroom villa and it is in a dusty country. I cannot complain, especially since it would cost me more personally to do the job myself even half as well!
Got the marking out of the way – finally. Now need to fire yet another warning shoot across the bows of those who are remiss at all levels.
Saudi letter applied for. Sent e.mail to Khulood. If all goes well should be able to submit paperwork next Sunday.
Sunday May 17 Khulood needs copy of Passport etc. The bureaucrats at QF want their pound of paperwork! Passed on and start the wait. Despite the paper-chain, signs from Simon are positive and the first stage with the Residency was very positive. Wait and see.
Picked up a DivX file off the QLA server. Scan through looked promising.
Dropped back at lunchtime and picked up one off the system that may be interesting. Another pair running on the ‘Wait and See’ principle.
Revision sheets printed off for most of the classes (two weeks in advance). However, despite all the new photocopiers, and the B&W are fast, the colour one is not operational and none are on the network, so despite the portent, they are still working on the old format for now. We ‘Wait and See’ just as long as it is not ‘Weight and Seed’!
Forget to go to photographers for passport pics (white background). Try remember tomorrow.
Not that there is any delay, but also waiting on the salary this month so that it can be converted into currency! What with the various transfers, the summer could be a lean one as regards cash flow in comparison to last year. Should know more on several fronts by the end of next week.
Connect up with Irene for a chat. Actually not quite, she is tied up playing golf. Yep, you guessed it!
A real ‘Wait and See’ day!
Monday May 18 Working day and wait.
Tuesday May 19 Another working day and more waiting.
Wednesday May 20 See Khulood about letter. She rings up QFHQ letter ready but not to hand. So much for the ‘three’ days since we are now into four – if we get to details can see then wriggling in terms of ‘days’, but the comparison is one morning on decentralised! Need ‘Dilbert for teaching head shedders.
Thursday May 21 End of 2nd week on waiting list. Should have clarification, for good (in this event Nick should be more relieved than myself) or ill (now hopping not hoping). Actuality is somewhat different. Now on the waiting list for both Mathematics and Physics, with the Mathematics being the more likely. The wait goes on.
Need to decide if going to Bern come what may. Actually of the opinion that I may as well. Certain advantages to going in that it forces me to go somewhere and I will have time to wander about. Who knows, it may just spark some interest in going elsewhere.
Letter not in when I see Khulood period 3 (teaching 1, 2 with cover 4, lab with Ali over lunch break and exam invigilation 5+). Letter arrives during the invigilation dated 21st and with surname missing. More to note is the date because of what was stated yesterday! Are we surprised?
Friday May 22 Final day for IB Exams. Invigilation 10 to 11 am. Came and went and free by 1130.
Back to villa, coffee then off to Ritz Carlton for ‘Brunch’ which last through to about 1600. Auby there looking in very good shape although putting on weight as a result of ‘the good life’. Bruno also notes his adventures with the money men and it reminds me of events in the UAE.
Back in Al Khor and all three started this morning are ready.
Pick up Richard for a minute - he has a friend inbound so matters are deferred. Worried time is being let slip by, but with the summer coming up can we do much else? As a teacher he could not, but . . .
Celine has the passport complete with Syrian visa. Simon heading to Saudi visa Office tomorrow. Another switch – they are now open Saturdays! So passport passed back and paperwork passed also with covering cash. Back to wait and see . . .
Saturday May 23 Lesson with Mohammed Misurati from 1100 to 1200. Graduation ceremony at 1900. Include trip to Jarir?
Simon calls about 1430. Application for Saudi visa in although it took some ‘talking’. Apart from previously noted items, appears ref to Syria was a stumbling block! Taken to mean it was for Syrian Embassy even though they do not need a ‘no objection letter’!
Also it seems we are in before the ‘rush’ so it should not take two weeks. May be ready by next weekend. Once back need to check on validity period – just in case, although it will not be for want of anything Simon will have done since he was at pains to note the timelines both for his and my visas!
Down to four weeks with mayhem in between. Make a start on the reviews. Since only two of us take the three classes and Bryan only has four from Grade 9, as well as 6 and 7, it looks like three not one report this year – all based on the format for last year for expediency since there seems to be no sign it was read carefully by anyone over the past year. Well can one expect of paper generation systems!
Head off at 1630. Simon comes too. Perhaps a little early, but gives us the chance to go to Carrefour as well as Jarir.
Small ‘Dell’ in Jarir for about QR 1100, also note LG projector for QR 2000 and pick up refills (black) for Cross (QR 20 each!!! Double Emirates price), one of which I break!
Also nearly loose the Cross Pen. Seriously Affected by it, mainly because it was from Pen. Happily, found it in my shirt pocket, where it had been all the time!
Sunday May 24 Submit Saudi papers for processing. Cf set up with Simon.
Work ticks on. Many of the students and staff (include me) getting light headed about the oncoming long break.
However, there is still paperwork to finalise. Reviews to write and comments to be included onto the Unit plans. Initial preparations for next year’s schedules not to mention outline comments for the final reports for the year, marks to tidy, keys to centralize etc
Pop in to Al Khor to enquire as to price for 3 GB RAM. Acer no longer there and talk with guy sends me up the path of a Dell Inspiron which is upgraded from 1 GB to 3 GB rather than the ‘Expeditor’ model. End up paying a deposit of QR 500 and QR 2000 balance on Tuesday.
Monday May 25 Day ticks by with odds and ends to sort.
Tuesday May 26 Pick up the new laptop. Playing with it involves updates that take an hour to download and codes only to find that some of the files that play on Windows with the K Lite Mega Codec Pack will not play on Linux.
Wednesday May 27 Saudi visa sorted but because the receipt was given back to me it could not be retrieved. Need to decide when to go for it, probably Saturday.
Stay over at school with Ali. Minimal amount done although he has keyboard and is getting more familiar with problems. End up staying for ten minutes of Staff-Student football match.
Thursday May 28 Got back from school about four full of life and had a bite to eat then keeled over till seven. Talk about a sudden lights out. Head barely reached the pillow!
Late to bed late to rise. Although not that late since I was back in bed for about twelve having not been able to focus on much most of the evening as evidenced by the laptop losing sound and the setting that needed changing took the best part of an hour and a half to adjust even though it was in front of me all the time!
Friday May 29 Potter about and even have a swim about four. E.mails in and out. Some paperwork updated and even the diary gets looked at. Real work looks like being done tomorrow.
No action over the ether waves although Bill is active on the e.mail. He is also gearing up for the summer and his flight arrangements look like coming through soon. That will allow one of the last major pieces to be placed ready for the minor pieces to be slotted in.
Saturday May 30 Need to apply for Syrian transit letter. Dealt with much earlier courtesy of Celine. End up with multiple through to November.
Head off into Doha to retrieve my passport. Get bread while in the vicinity and do some shopping (lens solution, plasters, etc).
Swing by Doha Insurance. If possible get that done; save having to come all the way back!
Get residual marking done from students who should have handed their work in three weeks ago!
Sunday May 31 Reports to get written his week in readiness to include exams marks. Rush as the ground ‘comes up’ prior to landing.
Now for the hang fire period before the flash!
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