I Skyped with my parents this morning. That's enough to put anybody in a good mood. I was eating my morning cereal, and they were eating their after-dinner ice cream.
An uneventful morning otherwise. First day of orientation and they got a bus to take the 9 of us to get our blood type tests done (and it's true, it is much cheaper around here. 15 riyals = $4.10.) I, of course, aced that bad boy with an A Positive.
I've been cruising the internets, though, especially after I heard about QIA (Qatar International Adventures). I mean, I gotta start looking at how to achieve everything on that list!
Which, of course, means I've also found things to add to the list:
- Visiting the Al Zubarah fort
- Seeing an oryx (actually a native Qatar elk-deer-thing)
After my lunch of tuna sandwiches, we were kept on the go (mostly so the jetlagged people wouldn't sleep). We had a chat about different aspects of being here: the administrative differences, a few of the cultural differences, and, most of all, how to say (our study abroad coordinator) Melissa's last
name.A tour of the CMU "campus" (which is just one building), and we found enough people willing to drive the 9 of us to go to a mall for phones, dinner, and some grocery shopping.
I must say, jetlagged people are some of the most interesting zombies to stumble along. Since all of them were architecture students ("archies"), they all compared it to pulling an all-nighter. I didn't know before, but they are TAing "Architecture for Non-Majors", which is a class I really wanted to take. Stupid conflict with Networks, my one computer science that I need to take...
Speaking of computer science, the CMUB here reminds me a lot of the Gates Center. There are some of the same leather-y chairs with wing arms, the same half glass, half white board office doors, and, most of all, the same ridiculous amount of open space, creative space, and what-was-s/he-thinking space. But I will feel at home there, that's for sure.
At the mall, all of the other students got phones and numbers (that I'm sure they are now hard at work memorizing), so there was the Great Contact Exchange. Everything when swimmingly until Arlie left her cell on her tray at the food court, and subsequently threw it in the garbage. We had only gone about ten meters down the hall when she noticed she didn't have it, and a ringing trash can confirmed her suspicions. Thankfully, it was right near the top, cradled by the paper from the tray and a napkin.
We took a quick jaunt to Carrefour, where I continued stocking up on more things I forgot the first round, and headed back to campus.
Spencer, Shaza, and I were in a car with Sam, Sameera, and Mishab, so arrived back to the dorms at about 8:30. I was glad to hear that Spencer was interested in exploring, and Shaza was more than willing to be our guide.
We started in the Language Arts and Sciences (LAS) Building, which has the same pattern on all the exterior wall, all the interior walls, and even the pavement outside. (It was a little much for something that should have just been an accent.) The security guard was highly suspicious, making Spencer put away
his camera and double-checking we were all Education City students. After pretty much ignoring him, we made our way around, then through the back to a playground (with swings!) that entertained us for quite
a while.Then it was off to see the exteriors of the VCU building, the rec center, the Qatar Academy, and possibly climb up some ladders on some light poles that weren't exactly screaming permissibility. We also got to see the stage that (wait for it) Barney, everyone's favorite dinosaur, is going to be on tomorrow afternoon! Wahoo!
A wade in the fountain outside, and we were all set to tuck in. It's an early day tomorrow, full of all sorts of medical tests and a city tour... and hopefully a movie to finish it off!
No comments:
Post a Comment