Job Discussion Forums

[yambara]

Hello all!

I been offered a position at QU, and I am more inclined than not to accept, despite what some nasty bloggers say. Though I can understand the need to talk through, or work through, issues at one's work place, but I think it would behoove people to remember how sweetly they actually have it in the world of teaching.

I am wondering if any of the content teachers at QU could tell me a little bit about what I should expect upon arrival. Obviously, I don't expect a novel, but if there were things that really excited you when you got there, or things you wish you had planned for, would you be willing to share? For example, furnishings....I know the places are furnished, but I need to provide sheets and such....would you suggest buying this stuff in the states at a discount store, OR can you find good quality bedding, including pillows, in Doha for not much?

Any advice you could offer would be fantastic ~ warm regards to those who do : ) oh....pm me if you think it is more appropriate

[toughcookie]

You've obviously been reading the forum, so you know what happened 2 years ago when the group I was part of arrived at QU. Because of this, nothing excited me at all when I arrived...

Hopefully, your experience will be more similar to that of last year's group.

I also assume you're aware that the housing compound is quite a way away from campus and that traffic in Doha is murder. You should be ready for that.

Admin-wise, you should ready yourself for a tedious evaluation portfolio exercise, and for non-negotiable scheduling of your classes, level and skills taught.

Now, about your more mundane questions regarding furnishings, it is hard to know what you like and what kind of price range you would, say put in sheets and bedding. Rest assured that there are plenty of shopping malls around in Doha for anything and everything you might need.

Hope this helps.

TC

[veiledsentiments]

I'll give the same advice that I have been giving for years. There is little one can't find in the shops of the Gulf. But, to use myself as the example. I have a preference for a particular kind of bed sheets (super soft cotton knits) so I always brought my own - king sized non-fitted so they fit every size bed. I also took my own pillows. If you aren't picky, you can buy them there.

Kitchen stuff... they will have plenty of pots and pans, dishes, and small appliances. Don't take any small kitchen appliances there as they don't work well on converters. I had a kitchen pack of things that fit into a plastic cake pan... useful on its own... all of my favorite things like a good can opener, jar opener, spatula, etc. Many of us have preferences for items that make things easier for us. (especially for us lousy cooks...)

This is what I took, no matter what the employer provided.

VS

[yambara]

Thank you both for your replies! TC ~ yes, I've been reading the forum ~ smile ~ The logistical/bureaucratic side of things you describe isn't too surprising. I do have one question though.....I keep reading about these "protfolios" ~ can you describe these a little better? I've done portfolios in the past, but each one has been quite different than the other.

As for the mundane questions ~ basically, are prices similar to the US/are they higher. For example, one can go to a discount store in the US and get quite high quality for little money compared to mainstream mall stores. Thanks again, TC!

VS ~ great suggestion about the kitchen appliances in the baking pan! Thanks : )

[toughcookie]

Price-wise, for sheets and stuff like that, if you like high end stuff, I'd say get it in the US. It will be cheaper than here. There is no Ikea in Doha, so your choices will be Home Center, Homes R Us and a few other chains at various malls. If you are particular about some things, bring them along!

About the portfolio business, the instructions alone were contained in an 18 age guidebook... If you don't follow these instructions exactly, you will lose points. There is also an observation; the observation guide is 6 pages long... All is needlessly complicated and overkill if you ask me!

TC

[yambara]

Hi TC ~

I by no means expect you to summarize an 18 page document! : ) I almost wonder if having an 18 page document that you have to follow step by step provides more clarity, in terms of expectations, than a one-two page document. I only say this because I've done one portfolio where there were expectations, but these expectations were supposed to miraculously descend upon us at some point. We would be asked why we didn't include something, and we would say we didn't think it was necessary; only to have the supervisor say afterward that it was. Sort of like the classroom phenomena of "guess what the teacher wants" except with our supervisors.

Anyway ~ just my take after my experiences here. Thanks for your response to the sheets question as well. I think I'll get things here in terms of pillows and such, especially since I'll want them right away.

Thanks again

[toughcookie]

surely there must be a middle ground between 2 and 18 pages... aaahhh portfolio heaven
TC

[dmm]

This year will be a little weird for new arrivals. Ramadan starts really early, so about a week or less after you arrive schedules/hours will be different, some places are closed (restaurants) in the day, and traffic is different. The bonus is your first vacation will be quick (If you want to go away look into flights over the summer, some flights will book up- I think the dates are Sept 26-Oct 3- check academic calendar). It also will probably mean delays of certain things (home telephone and internet being #1) (Last year it took us about 6-7 weeks). Hopefully, you have a kind neighbor you can leech wireless off of; sitting in the streets or hall borrowing someone�s signal is not uncommon. Also, the first couple of weeks, there will be days of getting on a bus going from school, government buildings, and shopping centers. I suggest just sucking up the cost of a rent-a-car (1800-2000 riyal/month- Compact-1.4v Honda City or Nissan Sunny), and get it quickly. Following the bus to places and leaving when finished will cut stress and annoyance. Traffic is bad (on certain roads always and rush hour �of course) and certain people do drive like idiots but I found once you get the roundabout down, driving is a lot easier and not too bad. Do expect 30-50 minutes to drive to school, if you move to Al-Zahoor 2 complex (during slower periods of the day this can drop to 20 minutes). Also, as more roads open up, it might get quicker or they will start a new project and will stay the same. The good thing about Al-Zahoor is its about 5 minutes away from 2 big shopping centers (Carrefour), the bad part is other than a small store in the complex you will have to drive everywhere to get things or eat out. Other older neighborhoods have a lot more cafes, laundry, restaurants built up around them. Though you can drive into 2 such neighborhoods from Al-Zahoor in 5-10 minutes and get great Turkish food, great breads at a Lebanonese Bakery, decent Thai food, and OK Korean food. Probably lots more as you explore more around the area. The complex itself is a bit depressing. Individual gardening has given it a bit more joy, overall it looks like a place 90 percent done. The owner cheaped out on landscaping, finishing the common areas, and giving a good cleaning inside the apartments. Maintenance is questionable � though the electrician & plumber which will come to apartment often are quite nice. So, when you arrive, your apartment will have maybe been moped. Paint splatter on the floors, baseboards, windows, and sinks will probably catch your eye unless you moved into an apartment a former tenant cleaned well. Many of my neighbors hired a villa cleaning service that came for a day a cleaned the place (buffers, paint thinner, furniture moving), and it looked great (Price vary but around 800-900 riyal is what they paid).Also, the complex as whole is not clean, you will see lots of garbage blowing about, kids & teens attribute to most of this but as there is nothing for them to do than litter you feel a little apathetic for them unless they key your car, then maybe pure anger- a low-level of teen hooliganism is about. Overall, the apartments are big and furnished with the main large items (table, chairs, beds, TV, etc). Sheets, dishes, microwave, coffee maker, toaster, and other items similar can be bought here but if you can fit it in your shipping allowance maybe bring what you can. Though I would have to say if you are particular, buy sheets and other bedding in the US, also if you have a favorite brand of shampoo, organic toothpaste (Tom�s), or other Wholefoods-esque items stock up. My wife buys about 4 of everything and packs it in the suitcase and it usually last a year. If those things aren�t important, most creature-comforts can be found though many randomly, making trips to Mega-Mart (western-food specialist) a bit like Christmas-(frozen bagels- Wahoo! - Sad I know). For the most part my wife and I are happy. I don�t work for QU but the first semester was a bit stressful for her. Hours were higher, insufficient classroom material, the portfolio did add to this, and adjusting to the students� level of disrespect. But this semester most people are on 4 days-a- week schedule and less hours, so you feel a more positive vibe in the complex. People�s faces aren�t bitter, tired, and overwhelmed as much, as last year. As for overall happiness, it varies a lot, some singles seem very content, others seem completely miserable, same with families. I guess it is all about perspective. Most people that lived in other GC countries before Qatar liked them better; people from the States & Canada seem mix. Is it the best?, No, a bit boring?, Yes, Annoying?, many times, but as an American find me job that gives you 3 months paid vacation, 16-18 contact hours, free apartment, interest-free car loans, round-trip airfare for you and family, health insurance (though this isn�t the best but free), school tuition, gas less than dollar a gallon and is 7 hours or less away from Europe, Africa, India, and SE Asia. It doesn�t exist in our neck of the woods, yeah, UAE is probably better but I�ve heard they have their own growing pains too. In the end, Last week, I flew 3 and half hours to Jordan and saw Petra. This summer going to Turkey for a month or so, 4 hour flight. To me personally, life ain�t that bad here. Am I painting an overly rosy picture? Maybe, but if you get in a funk here which we�ve all been in, it�s best to look at these things or life as a whole will be sh***y and you�ll be just another of many, many bitter ESL teachers of the world. Well, I hope this is a bit helpful. I think more specific questions about the job can be answered by the mentors. Good luck and have a nice summer!

[veiledsentiments]

dmm...

Thanks for the summary of your take on the place. I hope you can answer a couple questions that came to my mind that newbies might like to know.

Does the uni provide a daily bus back and forth to the campus all the time? Is it once a day or a schedule? Good idea to pick up a rental car ASAP to get organized at the beginning. What is the driving license issue for that? International license?

Ramadhan is certainly going to make first semester a challenge for the next few years.

VS

[yambara]

I second VS's thanks to dmm...

I would like to also second the idea that people seem to forget the situation of many teachers in the states (many hours, or no hours, no benefits, no time off, no guarantee) ~ I would prefer to have all the benefits if it means that I don't have to freeway fly to 5 different part time jobs, sitting for hours in traffic on my way to the next place. We have many creature comforts here, but only if one can afford then, which most teachers I know can't.

As for Qatar being boring ~ nearly anywhere is boring, and a place is only as boring as people allow it to be. Trust me; I grew up in a very "boring" place, but it never occured to me that it was boring, so it's hard for me to understand the constant complaining about boredom.

UAE may be more fun, but you're certainly correct in that they have their own issues. Each place is different, but why wouldn't that be the case?

Gotta run, but thank you again for your fabulously helpful posting!!!

[dmm]

The questions brought up by CV for newbies:

The bus I believed went to the school for the first 4-5 weeks maybe more. I'm not sure the times as I believed it changed by demand. Getting a ride to work is easy, literally you could stand by the front gate and get offered a ride by several people. Many people carpool so that's not too stressful. The bus to the shopping centers was suppose to go on for a month or so but ended after 2-3 weeks. If you have a specific need, HR will want you to come to campus then they'll send you off with a driver/ car and as they say 'God willing/ In Shala' something good might happen.

If you are a Western, your license is good in Qatar for 7 days, and then you must get a Qatar license. This isn't too difficult as long as you have a valid license from your home country. HR will work out the forms. If you are a teacher, they'll accept any countries license so I�ve heard. For someone�s spouse-North America, Europe, Oceania (AU&NZ), North Asia, or another GC country if not, driving test or school. Driving School is an experience but one best avoided. I was unfortunate enough to have an expired license and went to driving school. Learning to drive a manual again while navigating roundabouts with a Sri Laken driving instructor yelling at you is humorous but I really wished I had paid that 10 dollars 3 years earlier for a renewal. If you are married and your spouse doesn't have a license from above countries, a trip home and a license for her/him might not be a bad idea as it cost about 400-700 dollars and takes months to get it, if lucky or In Shala here.

Good luck, DMM

[miesk1ms]

Hi all,
I have been reading with interest all the great information about Qatar and QU. Sure makes it easier to have a clear picture of what I might be getting into. I am also inclinced to accept. I do have a couple of questions I am hoping someone can/will answer for me.

Regarding utilities: How much do they run every month and exactly what does one pay for?

Regarding things like phone and internet: I can live without having that at home (temporarily anyway!) if I can find a cafe or someplace local to visit where I can contact family and friends. Again, is having that at home a huge expense?

I think I heard that QU provides a cell phone upon arrival until you can get your own. Is that true? I will need to be able to contact family asap. Can I count on that?

Ultimately, I did read that it's getting expensive in Qatar. Is it possible to put aside and save money if you are older (hubby is coming, too) and not worried about being bored? How much would you say is a reasonable amount that could be saved?

Any and all advice is GREATLY appreciated!! Thanks!
Maggie

[veiledsentiments]

[toughcookie]

In an effort to improve arrival conditions for newbies, QU does indeed provide a cell phone upon arrival.

Utilities are your responsiblity (phone, internet, electricity and water). However, QU does also provide free dial up internet if you choose to get it (it is painfully slow...) ADSL is around QR 250/month for unlimited usage. Not cheap but... Electricity is very reasonab;e. Last year, I didn't receive a bill for water and electricity until May or June and was very pleasantly surprised that it was only in the amount of QR 900 for 8 months!!! And I didn't exactly watch my consumption either.

Going out to eat at hotels (only place with liquor available) is VERY expensive. Wine and beer are also very onerous. However, you certainly can still save here, as long as you don't have a huge mortgage back home or a student loan to repay, etc.

Hope this helps.
TC

[miesk1ms]

I appreciate the information and encouragement I have received from folks here! Thanks so much! I bet I have more questions later!