Beneath this mask I am wearing a frown (Beatles)

Things are winding down (or up?) for the various work contracts in Doha. I'm kind of aware that I don't mention much about work in the ole blog. Partly that's because I get into a routine groove with the weekly work commitments and it becomes the hurley burley of life but it's about time for an update. This is partly inspired by my taking Aussie Dene to the airport yesterday so he could return to Perth.

A recap first though on events of the last few months or so.

You'll remember that I left the Leadership team in February to join the National Professional Standards' team (NPS). The Leadership team eventually ran out of work and has now been disbanded.

About a week ago Dorothy (aka Drothery) and her husband returned to Australia; Karin (aka Barbie) returned to South Africa: Lawrence (aka Larry) went to the UAE; Maureen went back to NZ and yesterday Aussie Dene (aka Deno, aka Mo) was the last to ship out. Of the original team (the people I joined in December 2009), that leaves only Colin (aka Curly) in the Legends apartment block with me and Jacky. Curly is working on a new project - the induction and exit survey of Cognition people into Doha.

(Johnny, Curly, Larry, Maureen)

(Deno, Wozza and Johnny - Drothery took the pics)

I remain in the NPS team with Andrea (aka Ande) and Aussie Ian as our boss.

We present our Professional Development workshops on Mondays (Accredited Leaders program - about 90 Qatari leaders) and Wednesdays (Diploma of Leadership program to about 50 Qatari Principals). Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays are spent with our translators (Reem and Rami) and helper (Julie) getting the presentations ready.

Which brings me up to date. The place (Legends Apartments and our workplace at Al Khaleej) seems very different without my Leadership compadres. I'm sure Colin will be feeling the same things. There is a feeling of winding up (or down?) in the air. It's a melancholy mood - I loved joining these bizarre people from all over the world in the stew of Doha. We got on and we did some great work but halas (finished). The maple leaves have departed. Maybe we'll never meet up again. That's a bizarre thought (the use of bizarre is an in-joke because the word has absolutely no currency in Doha where everything is pretty much bizarre). If they're reading this while sitting by the pool sipping on a cold one I hope that whatever is next works out well for you, inshallah.

Be here now! It's ANZAC day (25 April) and Jacky and I are off to do some bizarre shopping. I need to find some dice for a game of Snakes and Ladders with 90 Qataris on Monday and I have some dry cleaning to pick up from Magic Laundry. Dry cleaning eh. The little men (that's John Lambert's term of endearment) who clean cars at the malls use no water in the cleaning process and they do a terrific job for 15QR. How does that work?

Next? We have a few presentations to go (four Mondays and four Wednesdays to be specific). That takes me until May 19 and some weeks of marking and annotations). Apparently we have a week of presentations to another programme around this time as well.

Our medium term future plans are a little uncertain. Although my contract is until July 31 I will take some accrued leave and we will return to NZ for a flying visit in July. Hopefully a new contract to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will fall into place beyond that. One thing is certain we will not return to Doha - mainly for Jacky's sake as she can't work here but can in Abu Dhabi (UAE). All will be revealed in the fullness of time - just have to trust in that maple leaf in the meantime.

Love and peace - Wozza