Well, here I am into my third week now and still surviving. I had the tedious medical testing process to endure last week and endure is indeed the right word for it. Patience in bucket loads is required and also a driver who speaks some English to at least start you off in the right direction. Ladies are segregrated from men in a different part of the medical commission building and although we were there quite early, about 9.30 in the morning, there were already hundreds of Indians and Phillipinos already queueing up.
I first had to go upstairs to get my visa stamped - this was the first queue and took about 20 minutes, then back downstairs to the ladies section to register and pay 100 QR (about £20) for the chest xray and blood tests. I was given a ticket with a number on it, my place in the queue and I was 6186 and the ticket stated that there were 69 people in front of me. I then waited one hour and twenty minutes to get to the counter where I registered, had my photo taken by the girl on the counter with a digital camera, and paid by debit card.
I then went to the next section for the blood test where we queued again to have a blood sample taken. This was done with no care or compassion - you are basically just a number in a line of people. Another 15 minutes or so but I have to say it was painless. They were very efficient. Then the last queue for the chest xray which was the longest and most humiliating of all. 8 rows of chairs and the same 69 people in front of me. We were sent in, 6 at a time, row by row. When it was my turn, after another hour and a half, you change into a gown in a cubicle which was shared and queued up again for the xray in one large room, your details were checked and you were sent to the machine, xrayed and sent out again to change back. Not much humanity but a very efficient process. Total waiting time three and half hours.
After that on to the next clinic for another blood test to find out my blood group. Bearing in mind, I had already had all this done before I left England at great expense for the job but apparently, this is not valid for the residence permit. All that remains is to be finger printed for my residence process to be complete.
Great fun this week when we went shopping for Abayas for Khawar and Precia. Khawar occasionally has meetings with the Secretary General and it is a mark of respect to wear the traditional dress. She has looked on many occasions but not yet found anything she really likes. We did find one that was a possibility but had great fun trying them on. I was even persuaded to try one including the headdress but it was far too long. They do all the alterations as part of the process and some of them are fabulously decorated and embroidered. We as Westerners think they are all the same, but they even wear the headdresses differently and they look very glamorous with their designer sunglasses and handbags and shoes with them.
More tomorrow about the dance classes - just going out to Latino.
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