Two months in Doha

October 28th, exactly two months since I arrived in Doha.  I am still here with no plans for an early return.  Not that there aren’t days when Portland sounds pretty amazing and there is no where I would rather be than home. 

Two months down and I am just beginning the process to receive my residency permit. When you come to work in Doha you have to have a sponsor, my sponsor is Newton Schools.  More specifically my sponsor is Madame Afaf, the owner of the schools. Everything goes through her, she actually signs each and everyone of our checks.  I had to get a copy of my passport, to take to the bank to open an account, and I had to wait for her to sign it.  And the bank account, whew, this experience has given me greater appreciation for the freedom we have in the states.  

To open a bank account you need a signed letter from your employee stating that yes you do work for them, and your monthly salary.  I brought this letter, a signed copy of my passport, filled out their application and then they would have to call and confirm that Madame Afaf is who she says she is, the owner of Newton schools.  I could come back to the bank in one week to get my cards.  One week has come and gone and I received a call from the bank today.  And this is only because Georgie (who went to the bank same time as me) has been trying to ring the banker for days with no luck.  She finally called the customer service line, lodged a complaint.  The very next day our banker calls us both with our account numbers.  We will walk over to get our cards tomorrow, if they are actually ready.  

I got a little carried away there. Back to my residency story.  Everyone has to get a medical examination (which consists of a chest x-ray, blood draw, blood typing), then finger prints and then a residence permit is issued.  All of the teachers that arrived together in mid august went for their medicals before I arrived, handfuls at a time people have gone to get their fingerprints done.  Two people received their residencies this week, they are the first.  Now arriving late, I am a special case.  Turns out I am extra special because someone filled out my paper work wrong and I was listed as working at the Newton British School instead of Newton D-Ring Campus.  I have been politely asking the HR person week after week what is going on with my passport and my residency, and all she can do is tell me about this problem (the wrong school) with my visa.  Weeks go by and I see other staff that arrived when I did and after go for medicals, and fingerprinting, me nothing.  This week was the end for me when a girl who arrived 3 weeks after me went in for the medicals!!  I marched into the HR office and made a big deal, I was really mad.  Turns out the HR woman did not like me coming at her and she came right back at me, (I had to hold the tears back as I left the office).  Basically she repeated the same problem and that there was nothing for her to do.

Low and behold, I get a call the next day to advise me that I am going for my medicals the following day...interesting.  “The squeaky wheel gets the grease,” comes to mind.  I am 99% sure that had I said nothing and continued my usual, “Just checking on my passport :),” routine, I would have not gone for my medical today.

Next entry I will tell you all about the medical, interesting.