Monday, April 02, 2007

Impending Travels

Well it is under a week until we head over to the UAE. We are all going over on Sunday, but unfortunately K and A will have to return the following Saturday until a replacement actually takes over from her at work, or her notice period is up (whichever comes first). I am very happy they are coming over with me, but just really wish they didn’t have to come back!

As well as being flown over to Abu Dhabi, collected from the airport and driven out to Al Ain, we are also put up in a hotel for the first 6 nights and provided a “meal allowance”. During this first week I will be taken through the Residents Permit process along with the whole settling in thing. As accommodation is more or less provided as a shell, it is up to us to go around and purchase the furnishings and electrical stuff during this first week to make it habitable. This is all done with the “relocation allowance” provided… will be nice to go on a shopping spree at someone else’s expense! After that first 6 days is up I have just over a week to prepare for the 4 courses I am taking over… SCARY!

I must say I have been impressed by HCT thus far (I know… I am not even there yet). Everything has just seemed far more organised and professional than what we experience here. Right from the time I was contacted last December when I couldn’t make it over for an interview to now, a week before departure, it has been a good experience.

Although the initial offer they made was good, I wasn’t overjoyed with my starting salary. I was informed last week that my monthly salary has already been increased two pay increments… and you have to be happy with a substantial pay rise before you even start work! At the most I know I will be working as hard as K does here, and for the higher salary, better living conditions, and environment/lifestyle we are hoping Al Ain provides, I can handle that. Even the flexibility of HCT with my start date has been good. Originally my offer was for commencement on March 11th and I really didn’t think I would be able to make it over until the beginning of the 2007/2008 academic year in August. With not much negotiation at all, we worked out a mid-semester starting date that tied in perfectly with the term break at school here in Doha. I am sure my future colleagues will be happy to pass over their increased teaching load to me when I arrive!

I don't know if I am feeling stress or excitment yet, but I am looking forward to experiencing the Emirates and actually working (... as I am sure K is). It will be good to have some sort of routine as it is far too easy fall into a rountine of not doing very much at all (but I have discovered Civilization IV can easily kill numerous hours here and there)! I think the last 7 months has made me dumb down a bit, although the Qatar experience has been very worthwhile I am pretty sure work would have made it better.

Anyway fingers crossed everything goes smoothly, and in the not too distant future there is going to be a whole other experience to share with you all! I will be starting up a UAE blog and then when we are all over in the UAE we will just leave this one as it is, but link back and forth between them. I am sure we have several thoughts and things we will want to say once removed from this environment, but that is in the future.

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