Monday, October 30, 2006
Deportation Sweepstakes
Look at that! I've been in Qatar for nearly 4 days now and I've not been deported. That means that some of you have lost the deportation sweepstake already!
Al Jazeera did forget about me though. I arrived at the airport, was taken through customs and to the driver who was waiting outside...or not... They called him to ask where he was, and he said he'd be about an hour and I should get a taxi:
"Will they know where my compound is?"
"Oh yes"
...a little later...
"Taxi driver, do you know where this compound is?"
"Oh yes"
...lots of driving later...
"Here we are."
"This isn't it, it's got the wrong name."
"Oh ok, let's find another one.......how about this one?"
"No"
"....this one?....."
Off to a good start then!
The palace I'm living in...sorry, typo, 'place' i'm living in is HUGE, absolutely enormous. I have now unpacked all my things and it still echoes. I bought 200 pounds worth of plants - still echoes. Bought a couple of massive rugs - still echoes. I think I'm going to have to start loving echoes.
Al Jazeera did forget about me though. I arrived at the airport, was taken through customs and to the driver who was waiting outside...or not... They called him to ask where he was, and he said he'd be about an hour and I should get a taxi:
"Will they know where my compound is?"
"Oh yes"
...a little later...
"Taxi driver, do you know where this compound is?"
"Oh yes"
...lots of driving later...
"Here we are."
"This isn't it, it's got the wrong name."
"Oh ok, let's find another one.......how about this one?"
"No"
"....this one?....."
Off to a good start then!
The palace I'm living in...sorry, typo, 'place' i'm living in is HUGE, absolutely enormous. I have now unpacked all my things and it still echoes. I bought 200 pounds worth of plants - still echoes. Bought a couple of massive rugs - still echoes. I think I'm going to have to start loving echoes.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Brum Brum
Hello from sunny Birmingham!
It's cold up here. I'll be missing the chill when I get to the Middle East, except of course in the over air-conditioned buildings. Sweat, freeze, sweat, freeze, it'll be like a free sauna-thing.
I thought I'd spend my evenings here relaxing, after the crazy hectic social life I've been enjoying, trying to see everyone before disappearing abroad. So I brought with me part of my leaving presents from Sky and Five News. The bunch of roses and some very extravagant bath smellies. I got to my hotel room with only about 423 strange looks, which I thought was pretty good going considering the roses. I walked in, thinking about my lovely relaxing bath, to be greeted with (yes you've guessed it) a shower.
So I went down the pub.
Anyway, I can't stay around here chatting all day, I'm supposed to be training on the new graphics system.
x
It's cold up here. I'll be missing the chill when I get to the Middle East, except of course in the over air-conditioned buildings. Sweat, freeze, sweat, freeze, it'll be like a free sauna-thing.
I thought I'd spend my evenings here relaxing, after the crazy hectic social life I've been enjoying, trying to see everyone before disappearing abroad. So I brought with me part of my leaving presents from Sky and Five News. The bunch of roses and some very extravagant bath smellies. I got to my hotel room with only about 423 strange looks, which I thought was pretty good going considering the roses. I walked in, thinking about my lovely relaxing bath, to be greeted with (yes you've guessed it) a shower.
So I went down the pub.
Anyway, I can't stay around here chatting all day, I'm supposed to be training on the new graphics system.
x
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
It's true....
...today I left Sky...
I've accepted a job at Al Jazeera International in Doha, so I'm off to play in the sand!
It was my last shift this morning - what a strange feeling! I'm so consumed with thoughts of flights, moving, renting out my house etc that I haven't really had time to think about actually leaving Sky. It catches you out when people are nice; when Francis started saying, 'There's still time to change your mind', you think, 'what have i done?!'.
The emails from viewers were really nice too, I printed them all off to show my grandkids - see kids, I was once young like you...now I'm old with yellow teeth - that kind of thing.
Now it's all about looking forward, trying not to panic! I have to hire a car and get myself to Birmingham for Monday, for some training on the new weather system, and on Thursday I'm off to sunshine....which means that for the last 3 days I'm in the UK, I'll be in a city where I know no-one!! What bad planning.
Best go - leaving drinks call
x
I've accepted a job at Al Jazeera International in Doha, so I'm off to play in the sand!
It was my last shift this morning - what a strange feeling! I'm so consumed with thoughts of flights, moving, renting out my house etc that I haven't really had time to think about actually leaving Sky. It catches you out when people are nice; when Francis started saying, 'There's still time to change your mind', you think, 'what have i done?!'.
The emails from viewers were really nice too, I printed them all off to show my grandkids - see kids, I was once young like you...now I'm old with yellow teeth - that kind of thing.
Now it's all about looking forward, trying not to panic! I have to hire a car and get myself to Birmingham for Monday, for some training on the new weather system, and on Thursday I'm off to sunshine....which means that for the last 3 days I'm in the UK, I'll be in a city where I know no-one!! What bad planning.
Best go - leaving drinks call
x
