Settled in - finally

Two big things the last couple of weeks.  1) I finally checked out of the hotel and moved into the apartment.  2) I received my Qatari driver's license, which led to me getting my rental car and finally having mobility.  Yeah!  To celebrate, I bought a twelve pack of the only semi-crafty beer they sell at the embassy store.

Driving in Qatar is interesting, but not nearly as scary as Yemen.  There are actually working stoplights here (more on that...), people generally stay in lanes (other than folks texting and driving...), and they obey the laws.  When I was in Yemen, there was no Waze yet, so I had to quickly learn directions.  Here, I blindly obey 'Bitching Betty' (aka Waze).  Back in the US, I never really liked using Waze or other mapping apps, preferring to trust my natural 'aptitude' at directions.  But here, I quickly decided to give in and obey.

But my driving style had to change.  I tended to be a bit of a dick on the roads back home..  Here, hand gestures are no-no.  Now, you can flip off ~ 90% of the people, but if you do the 10% that are Qataris, that can be really bad.  Not like LA bad, where they start shooting.  But if they find out who you are, the Qatari government can do things like cancel your drivers license, remove military base access...  The quintessential car of the locals is the Toyota Land Cruiser - typically white - and they drive like they own the place (because they do...).  The left lane is sort of theirs - tend to go hauling arse in it and heaven forbid if you are in it and slow them down.  They also tend to make radical lane changes-  like - cutting across lanes of traffic to make a turn.  Once you appreciate that it may happen, you anticipate it.

Driving home - 3 white LCs in front on the left...

About those stop lights.  Qataris are big on automation - lots of money and a small population will do that.  So, lots of cameras...  Running a red light here is a big deal - they treat it almost like attempted murder and fines are pretty steep.  A coworker from Bahrain was visiting this week for some meetings and he refused to rent a car because last time he was here he received a $1200 ticket for accidentally running a red light.  The green light will suddenly flash two or three times, then a brief yellow - then BAM.  Now, Waze will tell you where there are cameras... but I prefer to be safe and already have been honked at for stopping at a light by somebody tailgating me.  One other manifestation of automation is that they generally don't have cops hand out tickets here - you have to go to a website and plug your license plate in.

https://portal.moi.gov.qa/wps/portal/MOIInternet/services/inquiries/trafficservices/trafficviolations

What would you say you do here....

The question is from the Bobs (from the movie Office Space - You Tube makes it easier to make obscure movie references...).  But, it made me think - I said I am deployed and have thrown some jargon, but haven't really explained...  and though Tom Symkowski explains it pretty well, I will offer some insight.  (note - naughty language in the clip).

So, I work for NAVCENT / 5th Fleet in Bahrain - or Naval Forces US Central Command - they are the Navy command in the region.  Now, strangely enough most of the command structure for this region is in the US, starting with the Combatant Commander and most of the components (Army, Marines, Special Forces, and Air Force).  US Central Command HQ is in Tampa, FL, and the other components - with the exception of the Navy - are also in the US.  Only the Navy is local.  Now, all of the other have 'forward HQs' in the area, but they are just small outposts compared to the big HQs back home in the Eastern Time Zone.  (more on that later...)

One of NAVCENT's missions is to partner with Navy and Coast Guards in the region, so in addition to the big HQ staff, they have people like me sprinkled in embassies and bases in the region.  The HQ plans exercises, training events, etc and they pass those wishes on to me, and I go meet with the local Navy and Coast Guard forces and make it happen.  Also, I drink a lot of tea / coffee with my hosts, make small talk (yeah.. imagine that.) and work details.  That is some of it.  Then, I also am a meeting organizer, logistician, letter writer, and whatever else needs to be done.  Those ships that visited?  I made sure that we had the necessary support people here, briefed the ship on Qatar when they arrived, worked to get them access to the big airbase, and helped chase down parts and mail that was flown in to the airbase.   Lots of little details.  And then I will go ride some patrols with the Qatari ships - just to see what they do, what training they could use, etc etc.  Just like Tom...

Now, some quirks with such a role. First, in this part of the world, the work week is Sunday - Thursday.  NAVCENT also works that schedule, but all of the US-based HQs work the US work week.  Now, add in that we are +7 hours from Tampa, so by the time our work day is wrapping up, the home office crew has just processed their morning coffee and their good idea fairies are hard at work...

Then there are the locals.  They wake up early for the first of five daily prayers well before sunrise (which is around 5am) and then are busy through noon prayer.  Then, in general, they go home, spend time with family, nap, get up for sunset and nightfall prayers, have a (for us) late dinner and work some more, then go to bed.  So... the mornings are busy with Qatari interaction, then a quasi lull until the good idea fairies in Tampa get to work, then another spike in work when the Qataris check their phones in the evening.  Thankfully, I have a work phone with e-mail, so it is not an issue.   Another quirk is the use of WhatsApp - a phone app that combines chat and the ability to place voice calls.  The Qataris don't really use e-mail - when I communicate, I send faxes and then send snapshots of the letter via WhatsApp.  My first couple of weeks I texted more in a day than I normally do in a month.  Now, I am used to it and appreciate it.   Plus, the voice calls use WiFi, so I can call home for free.

Finally, a few pics.  A lot of what I do / places I go do not allow pictures, and the Qataris have a lot of rules about pictures... taking pics of government buildings or mosques is not allowed, for example.  So, I am hesitant to pull out my phone and snap a picture. 

Yeah! Clouds!  (really have not seen them much since getting here)  But, they just were a reflection of the wicked humidity during a morning run.

Fox SkyBox lounge at Al Udeid Air Base   Link 1   Link 2

National Museum of Qatar  - my picture does not do the incredible architecture justice.  The inside had excellent displays combined with huge video screens throughout - an immersive experience.

Staying safe, and a sea story or two...

When I tell people I served on a submarine, invariably the first question I am asked is 'what is the longest you stayed underwater' - almost 100% of the time.  I honestly don't remember - never counted the days - and at least we stuck a periscope out every day.  Maybe it was my 3rd class midshipman cruise in the 1980s when I spent my post-freshman summer vacation under the Pacific on USS Florida (SSBN 728-Blue) on a strategic deterrent patrol - that was 62 days.  Sailors get bored at sea, and fresh-faced middies are fun to mess with, so... Now an uncle who served in the Navy had warned me about this, so I thought I was pretty aware.   Well, periodically the ship 'dry fires' a torpedo tube (shoot it without a torpedo in it...) and then they drain the tube and wipe it down inside. (another story there...).  One day they did that and then a bit later they called the middies down to the torpedo room because they had captured a 'sea bat'.  I figured it was a prank and was pretty cocky about not getting tricked.  They had a metal bucket turned upside down on the metal grating floor and they told us to come closer to see the 'sea bat'.  I moved up, all cocky, when all of a sudden the bucket moved.  I must have jumped about three feet... and then as I stared at the bucket (mildly freaked out) I noticed the rope attached to the bucket, and the torpedoman at the other end of rope... but it was too late - they had me.  Now, a part they left out is they normally whack you in the behind with a broom stick or something to complete the 'sea bat' experience.  But they got me fair and square - and I heard about it for several weeks (deservedly so!).

Anyhow, the most common thing people say when I tell them I am deployed to the Gulf is 'stay safe' - and I have said it many times as well to friends / peers deploying.  But was pondering it during my last run and frankly, I should be saying it to all of my friends and family back home.  Qatar is very safe - almost crime free -and I don't worry when I go to a mall or work that someone is going to open up with a gun.  Traffic is a bit crazy here - but I am much less worried about getting creamed by a drunk driver here - and they are pretty strict about red lights as the fine for running a red light is over $1000 (they consider it attempted murder) - and there are cameras at many stop lights.  Actually, my biggest worry is vapor locking during a run. I have been slowly pushing my distance and total time out on my runs - but my pace is also slowly dropping... grr.  But around a certain point, I hit a wall and start feeling off and that is where I stop. Am hoping when the heat drops I will get back to normal... but not for a few weeks yet...

Doha weather - pretty easy job being a weather person here....

Last weekend I Ubered out to Festival City Mall to do a little shopping and sight seeing,  Festival City is a huge mall - not quite Mall of America - but it is close.  The newest attraction is an indoor sledding hill - with snow - it seemed pretty popular.  I opted to dine at Texas Roadhouse and have a burger - sort of strange listening to country music and chowing down on a burger and fries.  But it was a nice change of pace.  (one minor difference - you don't throw the peanut shells on the floor there - they give you a cup to put them in).  

Vans at Festival City mall - trying to excite my teenage daughter about her upcoming visit

One more submarine story:  I found this old pic from my active duty days.   Back in the early 1990s, there was a TV show about a submarine called 'Seaquest DSV' starring Roy Scheider of 'Jaws' fame - and Dr. Robert Ballard (the guy who found Titanic...) was technical adviser.  To get a feel for submarine life, they came out and rode our sub, and I happened to be assigned as their escort officer.  So, for a couple of days, I got to hang with them a bit, even spent some time chatting with Scheider about some of his non-Jaws movies that I liked.  (2010, Blue Thunder, and French Connection)  I didn't get any cameos in the series out of it... I recall the series started off OK, but then they got more into weird sci-fi stuff to try to boost the ratings, Scheider publicly complained, and finally quit after season 2.

With Dr. Robert Ballard and Roy Scheider - submerged in the Atlantic in 1993

I'm too old for this sh*t...

Not really - but as I was running this morning, that phrase (Det. Roger Murtaugh from 'Lethal Weapon') kept going through my mind.

View of downtown Doha from Katara

Late summer in the Arabian Gulf tends to be a bit warm - it was about 100F when I left the hotel for my lazy virtual Saturday run - but the worst part was the high humidity which made the air feel like walking in wet soup. It is so muggy that the air is hazy - not the usual crisp blue sky.  Also, you may notice the green in the foreground - the Middle East tends to be shades of brown, sand, or tan - this happens to be a nice park near my hotel.  So, though slogging up the hill was rough, it was nice seeing some grass and trees (all watered daily..)

Starting week five in Qatar and am enjoying this tour... though it is not without its frustrations.  Qatar is a very orderly society - one aspect is that I just can't drive a car, I actually need a license.  Long story short, I am 2-3 weeks (hopefully..) away from having my Qatari driving license, which makes doing this job a bit harder.  I use Uber quite a bit, but there are some cases where it doesn't work... and not a big fan of Ubering in my cammies...  I tried working around the process and going to the Qatari DMV.  The building was fantastic - like the lobby of a nice hotel, or a Disney attraction - but it is still the DMV.  No dice, but they were polite about it.

USS Bainbridge inbound, USS John P Murtha outbound 

USS Bainbridge pulling up to the pier

One of the elements of this job which is new is hosting US Navy ships - did not do that in Yemen.  Lots of Navy ships in the area, so they pull in periodically for rest / relaxation, as well as resupply and repair.  As the Navy rep in country, I meet them (along with a team of other support people) and we brief them on area.  It is nice way to interact with the actual seagoing Navy.

Settled at home in Qatar

So I am now settled in my home for the next year: Doha, Qatar.  I didn't know too much about Qatar before, but have learned a lot in the last few months and am pretty excited to be here.  It is SO much nicer than Sana'a, Yemen - the ride from the airport was a totally different experience this time. 

One of the geopolitical quirks is that Qatar is in a diplomatic tiff with its neighbors Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and UAE... long story, but one of the side effects is there is no direct air travel between the countries.  So, Bahrain and Qatar are really close - but to get from Bahrain to Doha I had to fly via Muscat, Oman.  I was going to make a snarky comment about flying from Hartford to JFK via Charlotte... but that is pretty much the way it is with airlines anyhow.  And I got to fly in a new Oman Air Boeing 787 from Muscat to Doha, so that was a plus - and it was less than half full.



So, I will pretty much be doing the same thing as I did a decade ago - working at the US Embassy and working with the Qatari Navy and Coast Guard.  Piracy isn't the big issue now, but apparently there is this country just to the north of us across the Arabian Gulf that is an issue...

Final word - trust me, I will NOT need care packages.  Doha is quite modern and I just came back from cocktails and light snacks in the hotel lounge.