Jesse James Spezza

DESERT TRIP

Friday, 20. October 2006, 13:01:40

Excitement never stops here in DOHA with the events and parties getting better and more creative. In September the shindig of all shindigs was held in the Desert of Qatar amongst polished sand dunes and the harmonious inland sea.
We were there to celebrate Shay Witney's birthday who put a lot of effort in arranging the birthday of all birthdays for 120 guests.

This is Shay Witney! - She's very cool!

She did an amazing job in organizing this event - and so she should as she's Village Operation Center Coordinator for the Athlete's Village.

She event went as far to organize commemorative t-shirts for the event...

There were 30 Land Cruiser 4wds that transported us from our accommodation to the desert approximately 45minutes out of Doha. We gathered in the Lulu car park adjacent to the apartment building I say.

Rigged with our eskis & cameras the site in the car park that Thursday afternoon had to be captured...

And to the left an assembly of 4wds are waiting to take us on a joy ride of dune bashing...

We began our journey to the desert with 5 persons to each 4wd, a convey of vehicles driving into the sunset towards the sand dunes of Qatar.

We arrived to the Sealine resort which was the last stop before hitting the sand dunes. There the tyres were deflated to allow better traction and suspension when bouncing off the sand dunes.

I took time out to capture the sunset...

This is what we arrived to...

Have you ever been dune bashing? Well, I thought I'd capture the experience on video.
I'm in the back seat of the Land Cruiser driven by an audacious Qatari. My friends Amr (front passenger) & Paul back seat with me.

Now this is really cool. The sun has set and we continued on to our camp site. The land cruisers in 6th gear speeding through the desert...

We partied through the night as the DJ rocked the crowd who didn't leave the dancefloor all night. Some dancing spilled off the dancefloor and around the camp fire...

The camp site the next day was a mess with people sleeping on sand dunes, by the beach and in Arabian tents.

The camp site the next morning...

Only 150 metres from the camp site, behold the calm inland sea...

Check out the Desert Trip photo Album!

Till next time!!

A month has past... Bahrain & Dubai

Saturday, 9. September 2006, 15:00:48

It seems like forever since I last updated this blog. And many things have happened since my last entry. The highlights during the past month haven't been the villa parties and boat cruises but instead travelling within this region. In the past month I've visited Bahrain and Dubai for 3 and 4 days consecutively.

I visited Bahrain on the 17th of August for the weekend. The four of us were so eager to experience a new city and explore what it had to offer. We soon discovered that Bahrain is similiar to Doha. The social nightlife was a slight improvement but nothing to write home about.

The last day was very enjoyable. We drove to the desert to see the 'Tree of Life'. A phenomenon where a tree flourishes in the desert without any water supply.

Two locals at sunset...

View of Bahrain from hotel rooftop...

A fort...

Here is a short clip of us singing drunk at a chinese restaurant...

There are many photos in the Bahrain photo Album

Dubai is a different kettle of fish. Dubai has a lot to offer in entertainment, leisure and shopping. We spent 3 nights and four days in down town Dubai or Bur Dubai but you really need a solid week to get the most out of it. So refreshing to experience night life very similar to back home. Dubai has so many visitors from all over the globe and you really notice the variety of nationalities when your shopping at the Mall of Emirates (bloody HUGE) or having a drink at a very cool night spot called Budda Bar.

Dubai has the famous 7 star Hotel Burj Al Arab. We had an opportunity to have brunch at the hotel on the Friday. We decided not to do as we thought we could of better spent the 400 Ryial. Some of us do regret that decision because when you convert this into AUS dollars it's only $145. You can easily argue it's a small price to pay for an all you can eat buffet at a famous 7 star hotel.

I took many photos of Dubai. Check out the Dubai photo Album. But here are some of my favourites...
Madinat Jumeirah

Ernie at the beach...

Stand out from the rest...

A wannabe...

Staring at the Burj Al Arab...
Ernie, Jesse, Eleonora, Paul, Celeste, PK

Rockn' in Dubai with Ernie, PK & Paul...

Many photos in the photo albums.. enjoy.
Going on an overnight desert trip this week. Look out for those photos and more.

Villa Pool Party

Sunday, 6. August 2006, 17:54:39

It just doesn't stop pouring parties here in DOHA.

When someone suggests throwing a house party they better expect the whole expatriate community to show up! Especially if it is the only party scheduled for the weekend. This party on Thursday night was INSANE.

100 boys & girls, a gorgeous Villa with a 10 x 5 pool which turned into a wrestling pond by 10pm.

What a way to kick off the weekend! The following day I spent 6 hours at the Doha pool and beach club. GREAT to relax by the pool in perfect weather conditions, drinking the local lemon and mint mocktails and having a game of Volleyball with over zealous Italians.

Back to the Pool Party on Thursday night... this is how it all happened...

For those who couldn't swim, they need not worry as local life guards were on the scene...

The host was demanding no one get more intoxicated than her...

But that wasn't going to stop KIM...

Classic PK dance moves...

Carnage is expected after a night like this. 3 were sent to hospital for cracked skulls and fractured limbs while many others were sent home early from minor injuries or fear of being injured.

Nevertheless it was a FANTASTIC night.

See more pictures in the photo album. I was modest with the picture taking this time as I didn't want my camera to be ruined from the excessive amounts of pool water being splashed about. But look out, for when I get my water proof camera shell there will be no limits!

Regards

JJS

Moonlight Boat Cruises in Qatar

Monday, 31. July 2006, 12:44:35

SORRY I haven't updated my blog in the last couple of weeks - I promise it won't happen again.

I have discovered a wonderful part-time activity here in Qatar - moonlight boat cruises!

As you may have gathered from my previous blog, the accommodation situation has caused me some stress and anxiety lately. Living out of a hotel room for 7 weeks can take its toll on you.
However, following a boat cruise I embarked on last week which took us along the Doha shore line on a perfect warm and calm night, my stresses and concerns seemed to disappear!

I can't describe in words the feeling of total relaxation I experienced on this night. Khalifa, a Qatari National and colleague of ours, owns a power boat with cabin, sleeping quarters, toilet and plasma TV. I've been twice in the last two weeks. The first week there were 10 of us on the boat which left the Four Seasons marina around 7pm, cruised along the Doha Corniche and then anchored around 5km off shore where we swam, listened to music, and enjoyed a drink amongst great company.

The water is warm and shallow about chest high and an phenonemum occurs in these waters which is called BIOLUMINESCENCE. Put simply, it is light produced in the water by a chemical reaction which originates in an organism. When I say light, I mean light! Neon in effect, the color is like blue/green and it occurs when you splash about in the water. It is AWESOME!!!

Word had spread very quickly around the office about our amazing cruise so the following Thursday there were 3 boats and 30 people! Khalifa has two motor boats and he’s friend supplied the third.

The 2nd boat cruise was nuts! More people, more Alcoholic beverages and very few inhibitions.

I took some great photos..

This is Khalifa...

And this is he's boat...

He's boat is docked at the georgeous Four Seasons Marina...

This is a collage of photos from the first boat cruise...

There are plenty of photos in the photo Album - make sure you check them out!!

Another update in a few days!

Frustration with Accommodation

Tuesday, 18. July 2006, 12:24:05

I have established a midweek daily routine which consists of going to work at 7.30am, working back to about 6pm (working day finishes at 2.30pm), stopping at the supermarket on the walk back to the hotel to pick up some supplies, and meeting friends in the lobby at 8pm to find somewhere new to eat dinner.

We've been at the Merweb hotel for over a month now and we're beginning to feel the pinch! The hotel doesn't have a kitchen so it's eating out every night & day during the weekend.
The frustration is compounded by the fact that we should have been out of there 2 weeks ago and relocated to staff accommodation - spacious 2 bedroom apartments with kitchens, large lounges and the feeling of 'home'. But there is a problem with sourcing staff accommodation.

New arrivals on Saturday were placed in serviced apartments with all the amenities. This annoys us further.

Many Merweb guests have experienced stomach pains and cramps - including myself - over the past week or two. This can be contributed to always eating at take-away and restaurants that don't always exercise good hygienic food handling.

We just got word today that we may be staying at the Merweb for another 2-3 weeks.

There is a possibility of an immediate temporary residence – 2 bedrooms with Kitchen – available. If this is approved by DAGOC accommodation unit then only the Merweb girls will be moving in there for the 2-3 weeks. That is so not far. It means that girls who have not been here as long as us may get the apartment accommodation first! Who said women get treated unfairly in Arab countries?

To leave this blog on a lighter note. I wondered into a pharmacy the other day to get some Buscopan for my tummy aches, and I happened to find some interesting ointment:

and on the back it reads...

Do you think there's a market for this product in Australia?

cheers

Jesse.

p.s new photos posted.

The night of the World Cup Final

Friday, 14. July 2006, 07:49:00

Well this will be the last blog entry about the antics of expatriates in Qatar watching a world cup football match. Some of you might be relieved however many of us are at a lost at what we'll do to keep entertained now the World Cup is over. Some suggestions include quad bike riding out at the sand dunes of the Sealine beach resort or ten pin bowling with interdepartmental competitions. I question the success of these replacement activities because they don't involve the alcohol induced fraternization among friends and colleagues.

But let me tell you about the night of the World Cup Final. The viewing venue was again Garvey's and it was host to every expatriate from the Doha region. The place was packed with French and Italian supporters.

Many were sympathetic to the cause of one French individual who is passive in nature yet fierce and passionate about football. Kadar, a.k.a Frenchie, is the leading representative for France in our workplace and he has faced much criticism from a plethora of Italian nationals about the substandard playing standards of the French team (according to the competition). The underdog position worked in his favour that night because he and his team inherited many first time French supporters.

This is Frenchie...

Let me describe the night for you ...

France and Italy are very close geographically...

But on this night the claws were out...

There were those who turned their backs on Italy...

And those who showed their fronts for Italy...

The source of their energy came from a great place...

Body paint was sold at basement bargain prices...

Surprisingly so as it was 'made in Italy'...

I thought it was more like a dance party...

Others thought it was a rave...

Either way they were all dancing...

And caressing...

Want to see the reaction when the winner penalty was kicked?

So they chanted Italia Italia Italia!

There was a lot of 'Amore' in the room...

It was a magnificent night to say the least and CONGRATULATIONS to Italy once again!!!

Enjoy yourselves!

JJS

p.s more photos in the photo album

Another Game Night! Italy Vs Germany

Wednesday, 5. July 2006, 12:41:50

I'm beginning to wonder what will entertain us once the football is over. At the moment our social calendar is built around the game. Who's playing and at what time, determines where we go to watch the game and whether we arrive at work the following morning feeling and looking like death!

Leading up to the match, I had received a number of invitations to join the Italian contingent in watching the game at Garvey's (UK owned bar) - Tuesday night, kick off at 10pm. As I am not a big fan of going out midweek and feeling like hell at work the next day, I refused their invitations all day. (I also was still very bitter from our loss to Italy and was making a half arsed effort of boycotting the competition all together)

My resolve collapsed after extended harassment from some Italian colleagues who couldn't understand that a 'half Italian' didn't want join other Italians in watching their team play in a Semi Final of the World Cup.

So a couple of hours before the game I decided to join the Italian cheer squad. And I was glad I did. An amazing competitive match that had us constantly jumping out of our seats in anticipation of a goal.

This is how the story goes:

My allegiance was clear...

I was in good lookin company...

The thumping of Italian hearts was deafening..

Some were confused as to where their hearts were...

Doubt crept up on some..

And so did a supportive Aussie..

After an agonising wait, the first goal came...

And then the 2nd goal to guarantee victory...

Italy 2, Germany 0

Ok, now they're starting to loose control...

You just can't take them anywhere...

Having a pool as you step outside the club was just asking for trouble...

More photos in the photo album.

Enjoy yourselves!

JJS

Game Night - Australia Vs Italia

Wednesday, 28. June 2006, 13:50:04

If there was a time when I wished I was back in Australia, it was moments before the Australia Vs Italia game on Monday night. And if I was back home, Federation Square would be the place to watch the game.

However, with 20% of the workforce being Australians, I felt right at home watching the game at Garvey’s – a popular bar where most big games are watched by the expatriates.

The anticipation leading up to the game was tremendous, and with a strong contingent of Italians working here also, football fever was ripe and we were ready to bring the roof down.
Let me describe the night for you.

United we travelled to Garvey's…

I was feeling very patriotic…

The crowds were pumped…

The Australian Flag was ‘wrapped’!

There were moments of jubilation...

For some, it was too painful to watch...

The result, what can I say? I was absolutely guttered. Can’t remember when a game or sport, of which I have no direct participation, really shattered me.

Pictures speak a thousand words. This is how we felt when the game ended...

Some wanted revenge...

And some wanted to change religions..

Sanity was regained the following day and looking back we had a fantastic night despite the result. See for your self and check out the photo album.

Take care.

Jesse.

First week comes to and end

Thursday, 22. June 2006, 15:45:08

Life in Doha during the first week has been great. It doesn’t feel like I’m here to work, it feels like I’m on holiday. More so, it feels like I’m on a contiki holiday because of the multi cultural group of people I have been spending time with.

In the evenings we step outside our hotel room into 30-degree warmth, a nice warmth by the way, and make our way to the nearest restaurant. Last night was Persian cuisine. This place knows how to provide value for money. We ordered our mains but we didn’t expect them to deliver unlimited amounts of traditional bread and a variety of dips for free. When you eat in Doha, rarely do you leave your plate empty. They serve heaps of food!

Still on food, they are more creative. Take for example Nandos. Have you ever had this at Nandos?

Qataris are masters at preparing meat. Succulent and marinated, I think that’s all I’ve eaten this week.

The 4 x Italian girls in our group are emerging from their shells and have provided great value to the group this week. Here are the Italians..
Miriam & Nicoletta…

Elenora & Enrica …

We’re all learning some Italian from the Italians and in return we help them brush up on their English – a great arrangement I must say.

Thursday (today) was our first day in the office where we got to meet our department heads, meet our colleagues and begin reading thousands of pages of the operation manual.

I’ve been allocated a shared office at the headquarters. It is only temporary, as we are relocating to the Athlete’s Village in a few weeks. Now this is a major concern for us as the Village is still under construction. You can see the Village from our office window. I’ve taken this picture today…

Scary stuff. Well that picture is only one side of the Village. Even so, there’s still a lot of construction work to do. The whole city is under construction. Everywhere you look you see incomplete structures, cranes, road works and labourers. The population of Qatar is 600,000 but there are 2 million foreign workers here. Many of those are in construction getting this city ready for the games in December.

Oh, I found out why no one swims in the beach here. Take a look…

Take a closer look…

Bloody Jelly Fish!!!

Tonight at 10pm is the big game between Australia and Croatia. Most are going to an Australian and British bar called Garvey’s, which is 20 minutes from my hotel. I may not join them this time as we have a bar in our Hotel and it makes more sense to me to watch the game there.

If you want to me to take photos of something in Qatar or would like info on something just email me at jspezza@hotmail.com

I’ll update in a few days.

Ciao for now.

Jesse.

Arriving in Qatar - First Week

Sunday, 18. June 2006, 02:43:19

Part One...
Hey all I’m in Qatar!! Arrived Saturday morning the 17th approximately 8.40am and it was 29 bloody degrees. The first thought that came to my mind was “6 months of this heat, what have I done?”

But my first day here was great, I’ve checked in to my accommodation for the next week, the Merweb Hotel - a 4 star accommodation. This is what my room looks like….

And this the view out my window…

Air-conditioning is on tap here. Where ever you go in doors there is cool air running non-stop. So you’re only hot when you’re outside.

There are two contrasting sides to this place. The beautiful architecture of sand stone buildings and homes (as above)

And the ‘still under construction’ areas where ‘foreign’ construction workers are working day and night to fix roads, build buildings and get the city of Doha ready for the big event in December.

For example, in some areas of this city you’ll see this….

This place has a strong western influence. If you’re feeling home sick, there is a Maccas, Starbucks, Nandos and so on.

Qatar has a population of 800,000 Qataris and 2 Million foreign workers… Amazing hey! Qatari men are recognisable in the multiethnic crowd by their impeccable white ‘thobe’ (floor-length shirt-dress) and ‘gutra’ (white headdress). Women by their narrow-eyed ‘yashmak’ veil. The nationals are all loaded!! These are the cars you see them driving, including the women…

Spent my first day with Cath and Kim, no not the charismatic duo on ABC TV – but these two…

They were instrumental in helping me settle in on my first day.

I begin work with DAGOC (Doha Asian Games Organizing Committee) tomorrow (Sunday). Really looking forward to it.

Check out new pics on the photo album and I’ll add another update by the end of the week.

Part Two...
Distinctions & The Induction Crew
The first two days has been a real breeze as it’s induction week which has consisted of half days, medicals and filling in forms.

There are some key distinctions about this place (Doha) that I would like to share with you. My colleague James describes it as ‘Hurry up and wait”. This means you’ll be doing a lot of waiting in Doha. Waiting to get served for food, to exchange currency, getting a medical, getting a taxi etc. However once you’ve gone past the wait, you will be rushed through at tremendous speed.
There is no small talk or pleasantries here in Qatar. They cut out all that crap and get straight to the point. Some may interpret it as being rude, but you soon discover that that’s just how they do things here – they are very efficient.

The paradox here is that they are efficient yet unorganised. The waiting will never be accepted in Australia however Australia can take some lessons from Qatar in efficiency, getting things done without all the bureaucracy.

Some other distinctions:
- Driving here is nuts. Fast and aggressive. Roundabouts are everywhere here. A $1000 fine if you go through a red light. I have yet seen a police officer or police car on the road.
- Food is cheap – you won’t be able to finish a $6 meal of mixed grill meats, chips, dips and salad - FANTASTIC grilled meats. Bad fries however
- This place is very safe. You feel very safe- even at night.
- Petrol is dirt cheap. $8 to fill up a standard tank!
- 38 degrees and absolutely no one on the beach or in the water. I mean zip! Yet to find out why.

The crew I’ve been hanging out with this week are great fun. We’re all being inducted this week and have a fun learning experience each time we hang out. The last few days have consisted of half days at work, shopping, some drinking and going to the gym.

This is the crew…

We’re all in the same 5 star hotel with our own rooms. Tonight we’re meeting in the lobby at 8pm and Stan, who has been here for a few weeks, is going to give us a tour of the local area to point out cheap eating spots etc.

I’ve updated the photo album – check it out..

Hope your all well.

More updates later…

Jesse.

Cheers,

Jesse

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