UPDATE – THE QATARI FILES (A.K.A Musings of an Itinerant Mind) 25/02/20

One week ago, I mentioned how cold it was. Well, that was then, and this is now.

Not cold. Not at all.

Place of extremes, this. Here’s how the weather works in Qatar: Winter kicks in almost exactly on 15 October. In fact, it is as if someone throws a switch. The previous day you still cannot breathe, and then you wake up the next morning and it’s wonderfully cool.

No, there is no autumn…

It becomes progressively colder from November to January, and then becomes warmer again as from about middle February (with the odd exception as I mentioned last time). And don’t think it does not get cold here – maybe its just the adjustment after almost 10 years that makes nine degrees feel like the south pole – especially when the wind blows…

March till about June is what I suppose one could call spring. Still not too bad in March and April. In May you start feeling it. June especially. This is also the time of the year when the shamal winds start blowing – the dust in the air sometimes resembles fog. In fact, I quite like it! Makes me feel like I’m at the sea!

Wait…

Anyhow, July till mid-October is the hell. In fact, to my view of thinking, although August is rated by the locals as the warmest month – temperatures do get up to 50 degrees - mid-September till mid-October is the worst, with the high humidity factor that prevails then. You’ve never been able to literally see water in the air like you can do here.

Absolutely miserable time of the year. And then, as I said, someone throws a switch on 15 October.

This is also a winter rainfall area. Or what passes for rain. It’s not called the desert for no reason.

Although…20 October 2018. A day that stands in infamy…

It was a Saturday. I was at work in Al Waab. Caught Uber back home in the afternoon. A trip that normally takes 20 minutes took me three hours. I walked the last three kilometres to my hotel in knee-deep water. Cars were standing next to the road with water up to the window sills.

This is what happens when a place is not used to lots of water. The drainage systems are not designed to cope – typically what happened here. Now they are of course (coping – although we wouldn’t know till the next deluge, will we?).

And so one can keep on talking about the little idiosyncrasies that make Qatar unique. The potpourri of nationalities. The divide – even here – between rich and poor. Perhaps more pronounced than anywhere on earth, although every effort is made to hide that (Qataris are after all the richest people on earth, GDP-per-capita calculated).

The esprit de corps that exist between expats. I’m part of the larger South African diaspora which, although not unique to my country, has been triggered as of late by the government’s racial discrimination policies. Just yesterday in fact had a couple of bruskies with one of the guys who used to serve in the Air Force with me. Willie now lives in Oman, but has lived in Mozambique, Ghana, Abu Dhabi, Egypt and Turkey since he left the outfit.

Many of us have a similar story to tell. Thousands of South African over here in the Middle East. In fact – all over. Australia had better watch out they don’t become a South African outpost…

Of course, finding and keeping a permanent position in most countries when you approach sixty becomes a real challenge – hence why I’m starting to diversify into writing and online work, training etc.

Presently doing some articles for an ECD publication. My wife works with early childhood. One has to cut one’s coat…

Qatar also has an enforced retirement age of sixty, as do most countries around here. So, it will be back to SA soon. Off there again in March to do a recce for somewhere to live in the Western Cape. Will rent short term somewhere in Somerset West or surrounds till we’ve made up our minds.

 Aluta continua…