Today was fingerprinting day - the last hurdle I think in the process towards getting my residency status and ID over here. This took another two hours because it is outside the city centre and quite a drive to the Criminal Forensic Centre where they carry it out.
We arrived and I was given yet another ticket with a number on it - this time I had 21 people in front of me and I was in the VIP queue this time. There were three machines with operators doing the fingerprint scanning electronically, and the palms of your hands also. Then the machine takes your photo for the ID. Again a very efficient and automated process.
So all done now and hopefully I will be officially a resident with a work visa and ID very shortly.
More drama at the apartment with the electrics when I got home last night - no lights in the bathroom - they were working when I left for work in the morning but not when I got home. It is quite a worry because there is a shortage of electric sockets and you have to use extension leads so everything is overloaded all the time as well and it is the light bulbs which seem to keep blowing the system.
Went to the Latinos dance party last night with Khawar and Precia, one of her friends from Houston. This starts with a dance class at 8pm for an hour. You pay 60 QR which is about £12 and this includes the class and one free cocktail. Then the rest of the evening is a dance free for all with a mixure of salsa, cha cha cha, machacha, merangue, argentine tango, and a few others. Everyone struts their stuff on the dance floor, beginners and more advanced together. The instructor generally works his way around everyone at least once.
Because I'm a beginner, no one really wants to dance with me so I got stuck with two no hopers who were even worse than me. One just wanted to dance in a circle and wasn't interested in the dance steps and the other just wanted to run on the spot. Either way, I wasn't making any progress with either of them. I think I need a new strategy.
Work has been very interesting this week - I have been able to get out and about and visit a few places - I went to both Qatar University and one of the new American University campuses in Education City. Both were very impressive, one more traditional and the latter, much more modern and more like a five star hotel with fantastic student facilities such as free wifi in the communal areas.
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