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Expatriate Life (k|jf;L hLjg) !!!
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Part-1 (Office)
My Interview arrangement with new company
Owo its wonderful experiences!!!!
Somewhere in April 2005, I got one email from an international company where I have been asked to express desire if I am interested to stay and work in Doha and it was also asked me to express my expected salary. Since I had no idea about life style and economy about Doha, I replied the email and requested the sender (she was secretary, but I thought that was man by name…hahahahahah) to highlight me about life style in Doha and also to give me some idea about existing salary ranges. I got her further email response with proper feedback. I still remember her clear information even if she is now not there in our department from last so many months.
I decided to stay and work at Doha. I replied with my interest to work in Doha. After some days I got one mail from HR department along with air ticket (Kathmandu-Doha-Kathmandu) collection information and scanned copy of visa. The scheduled was also given in the email. As per email, I had to fly in the morning flight, reaching Doha at about 10.30AM, somebody (name of receiver was given) will come to receive me at Al Maha lounge in Doha International Airport and he will take me to Head Office and arrange joining interview. After completion of interview I were planned to transfer to Company’s own apartment and at mid night again same person who received me at Doha International Airport will pick up me from apartment and then drop at Airport to catch my flight back to Kathmandu. The next morning I will be there in Kathmandu.
I were so happy because of some reasons…. (1) I were going to a new country which was my 11th country in my life where I travelled (2) tickets were free (3) full arrangement was there no need to worry about any single thing, and (4) opportunity to interact with Managers of internationally established company. The message what I read on my email box was at Saturday. Very next day, I collected my air ticket and made small arrangement. I informed to my family members and they were also happy. I took one small bag with one more set of cloth (may be coat paint, tooth paste and brush thats all). At the very morning, I left my home with blessings of my parents, pray of my life partner and happiness of my kids.
I reached airport quite earlier than my given time. There were lots of people at airport who knows me. Actually I were not interested to let them know what I am going to do. I were trying to hide me from them but the company’s Kathmandu representatives were not seen so helpful on me in giving proper information and helping me to board on aircraft. They were showing some hurdles like they were acting like jealous to me. I needed to discuss with them. Anyway, finally they have given me boarding pass to enter an aircraft. I passed all the airport formalities and reached to passenger lounge. Unfortunately, I got a message that the flight was delayed. The aircraft which was supposed to land at Tribhuvan International Airport was diverted to New Delhi because of weather at Kathmandu.
We (all passengers) have been served with meal at airport because flight was going to be delayed by more than 3 hours. This delay was making my interview times lapsed but still I were not afraid of this entire thing. During meal time I meet one Nepali youth heading to Saudi Arabia via Doha. After small introduction I told him what I am going to do. As a Nepali, he became happy to hear an opportunity given to a Nepali to attend interview by an established company. He suggested me to join if company can give me QAR 3500 (Nepalese rupees 70,000/- at the exchange rate of that time) and he also thought that much amount will be offered to me. After some hours we got information that aircraft is landed at Kathmandu Airport.
In the evening, I landed at Doha. When I reached Al Maha lounge one Bengali man was waiting me with a board displaying my name. I meet him and he welcomed me with smile. At airport itself he informed me that my interview has been rescheduled for the next day and I needed to stay one night here in Doha. Then he took me directly to company apartment at Ben Mouhmoud via Corniche road, beautiful sea, seaport, Amiri Diwan. I were impressed for the way selected by that man to drive his car showing some beautiful scenery of city to first comers otherwise there were other short cut roads to reach to company apartment (I can understand this thing after I started staying in Doha). I have been given with key of room of apartment where there was two fully furnished bed rooms with attached bathrooms, 1 kitchen with sufficient materials for cook and eat, bread, sugar, tea, rice. The driver told me to be ready tomorrow morning at 8 AM to go for interview. Then the person who guided me to apartment informed me to contact him if I needed anything to cook and eat or any other thing. It shows that company wants to make candidate’s stay at Doha more comfortable. There was another person in another room in same flat may be he was also there for interview.
In the evening I went out and walk through streets. It was hot day so I did not walk much. I felt happy when I saw Nepali friends working in shops, workshops and walking through streets talking in Nepali language. I felt I were not alone there but there are lots of people from my country. I took my dinner in a restaurant with QAR 5 (Dal Bhat taarkari achar….a popular Nepali dishes).
After watching television for a while, I slept well.
Next morning I made my preparation to go for interview quite early. Driver came on time and he took me to HQ. When I entered into the office I were impressed by office presentation and decoration. Peoples were walking smartly. Driver introduced me to my HR interviewer. I forgot his name, he was from Philippines. He got my signature in one receipt and after a while he gave me QAR 100/- as allowance for overnight stay and cost of airport tax. Owo it was wonderful. Now it made me not to spend any single money to visit this 11th country. By that money I could manage to bring some cadbury to my family members.
Then HR interviewer took me to my concerned department and introduced to the same secretary who gave me earlier idea about Doha city and its life style. She has given me one question sheet and assigned a table for me to work on that. It means I were asked to attend written test. I were not so hurry and not afraid because I had no such necessity to join this company and not so reason where I had no job in my hand. So I attended written test comfortably. I answered the question comfortably. I wrote sorry or no idea where I were not able to attend any question. After completing written test of about 2 hours I have been taken to interview room and one HR interviewer and my department’s one manager started my interview. It was quite nice and interesting. But manager was not happy with my written answer about question where I suggest solution to one problem was not the one how he was interested to hear. He frankly told me that the way I wrote is not acceptable to him. But what the answer I had given to them was the requirement how I supposed to handle in my existing office that time. Actually he asked me what to do if my subordinate made excess payment to outside party. I said it has to be realised from staff’s salary but he was not happy with this solution. About 30 minutes journey of interview was full of questions related to profession what I were supposed to join. There was no single question related to general knowledge like who is who, name of capital etc etc what we can see in normally typical interview system
Anyway, finally I had been advised to meet Manager to whom I had to report later when I joined the job. But at the time he was in meeting somewhere else so secretary asked me to go out and get my lunch. Ok no problem I had got QAR 100 in my pocket so I went out. It was too windy that day. I reached to nearby restaurant and took my lunch same daal bhat tarkari chicken with QAR 5/- Later, I meet my concerned Manager. He asked me several questions. Finally, that manager wrote something in my interview sheet and took it to his senior manager. I were asked to seat outside Senior Manager’s cabin for a while. After sometime that manager came out and asked me to go to home comfortably and he gave me hints that company will send agreement paper after some days. It means I had passed this interview and almost declared to join new company.
My joining in new company ………formalities in home country
After some days of returning to Kathmandu, I got an email from Interviewer Company along with scanned copies of agreement papers and joining instruction. The original should be collected by me from their local office at Kathmandu. The salary was quite higher than my expectation. I was happy to hear all that. But some clauses in the agreement were beyond my expectation. Among that, one was to submit resignation acceptance letter from my existing employer at the joining to new employer and that was never possible. Similarly, among other conditions, I needed to pass government medical tests, and government police test to continue working with this new employer. My probation period was fixed for 6 months and any party could terminate the same with 7 days notice period.
Anyway I started putting condition to their HR and their HR started not agreeing with me. I were in dilemma in accepting agreement. In one side I had a job of 19 years (where I need to wait another 1 year to get full retirement benefit), and in other side I had got a offer from an internationally established company with the salary ranges of my expectation and a better opportunity to earn international work experience in dynamic working environment.
After passing deadline of about 2 weeks, finally, I decided to sign agreement paper. It was about last day of deadline may be around 3rd week of April 2005. I signed document and gone to Bhaktapur bazaar to search for cyber café to scan and send it to new employer. But unfortunately I could not scan and send it and I also could not got it faxed even after I visited al most all cyber cafes in Bhaktapur. I lost deadline. I thought I missed a chance of life. Then I returned back to home at late evening with some sadness .
That night I could not sleep well and I felt I missed one chance from my hand only. Next morning I decided to try again even if deadline is crossed. Next day I would be able to send all documents. Luckily, they accepted and acknowledged my submission. However, their hard condition was still there. Even after submission of my agreement paper I did not stop writing them to withdraw some of the condition but HR Officer was not accepting my request. However, my recruitment assistant was pressing me to give my arrival date to arrange for work permit visa. Finally I put my strong objection in one clause and express my concern to HR assistant but she simply replied me leave all and just to say ok….and I said okay…….. After some days I got my work permit visa. I asked her I can join only on 1 July and she agreed on same. Actually I had got so many responsibilities and commitment to fulfil before joining new company thats why I asked for some late joining. I had to complete my 1st semester of M Phil programme with Kathmandu University, I needed to complete course of my students, I needed to complete pending job in existing office and to arrange alternate. Faculties of Kathmandu University helped me a lot. I still remember happiness expressed by Dr. Madan Man Manandhar (Faculty KU and Director, Staff College) for success of a Nepali national through global competition in an internationally established and reputed company. He inspired me a lot in joining this new job. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to respected Dr Madan sir for his inspiration. During those days I was too much busy in completing my responsibilities and commitments with my colleges, students, and existing employer. I was leaving home at early morning and returning late evening. I could not help in my sister’s (Sabina) ongoing marriage.
During 2nd week of June I heard I need to take permission from Labour Department before go for overseas employment otherwise Immigration can stop at airport. So I rushed to labour office at Teku very next day of such information. When I reached there I saw one board with a list of required documents. It needed about 14-15 documents to be submitted to Labour department to get permit for foreign employment. I were not able to submit about 4-5 documents at all.
It was saying that original visa to be submitted. I told them I have E-Visa where we do not have original visa. But the officer said me if I have no original visa, I have to get a copy of visa attested from Nepalese Embassy in Qatar. How can I go to Nepalese Embassy in Qatar to get it attested which is really not possible at all. I looked like helpless. My friend did not bear such type of unfair rule and started discussing but the reply from officers was so rude and making me type of visitors mad. One can said that the government rule was not helpful for those youth who personally join and win competition to get foreign employment.
I finally dropped the project. When I discussed this matter with different friends, they have given me their idea and most of them were not agreeable for me. However, all such suggestions were best in my favour where I needed to go through some different ways. After some days I got idea from myself…why not to write to Interviewer Company about this fact. I wrote across them the entire story what it was created at Labour department. But I could not get any response. After one week time I started making follow up. One day I got response from same Recruitment assistant where she mentioned me to wait some time and she will be back with required documentation. Again some happiness was seen in my face and I feel a ship is coming up from some disaster.
Really after some days I got all documents attested and stamped from Nepalese Embassy in Qatar. Next day I rushed to Labour department. This time they did not ask for any more documents. They asked me to get visa translated into English and to submit insurance paper. One staff asked me to contact one person standing outside just in front of labour office. I contacted him and he asked someone to take me somewhere a nearby house for translation and insurance. That man took me to a nearby house. I reached to one room with insufficient light where 2 people were sitting one for insurance and another something look like foreigner for translation of visa from Arabic to English. At the evening I got my passport stamped with foreign employment permit.
Then again I became busy in preparation to move abroad. There were still lots of responsibility on me. On request my faculties help me to conduct examination of my 1st semester of M Phil programme. It was rainy days and I was running here and there from early morning to late evening. After all I submitted my resignation paper to existing employer and moved towards new employer.
Actually it was not easy for me to resign to existing employer where I spent 19 years of my important days of life. I learnt there so many things. Company helped me to learn so many things. I can not just ignore the credibility what I earned from there. That was the credibility which turned me to be saleable at international level. I wished my existing employer all the best.
…and very first day in a new company…..exciting moments
That Saturday I spent my time with my family and also visited my parents in law. Next day or 17 July 2005 Sunday (2 Shrawan 2062), I left my home at the early morning to move for my new working place with blessing of my parents, love and pray of my wife and best wishes from my kids and belongings. I was quite happy and some excited imagining new office. It was morning flight. I reached Doha on time.
When I reached Al Maha lounge, one person was there with the board in his hand displaying my name. I meet him, he greet me and took towards his car. He took me to Hotel Mercure (earlier known as Sofitel). I checked-in at Hotel
At evening, I walked around. I saw nearby a Nepalese Restaurant. I entered there. It was quite decorated with Nepalese arts inside and Nepalese music was also on. There were other Nepalese taking their dinner. I felt something like I am in one corner of Nepal there. Nepalese waiter came and asked me for order…. I asked him what I can get…he told as usual…chicken mutton vegetables etc etc. Ok I told him to bring rice with vegetables. He brought me as I ordered. I saw a hot friend chicken served to other customer. I also decided to eat the same. I asked same waiter to bring me chicken but he immediately replied me “it is not possible once vegetables is served.” I got confused and I saw he was also confused. Immediately he asked me how much and I replied him1 plate. Later I knew we can select rice with chicken or mutton or vegetable…since I selected rice with vegetables he was not agreed to serve chicken under same price…..but I do not know why he changed his thinking but he brought me one plate of chicken. How he behaved me was not good and this was very first bad impression with Nepalese in a foreign country, however I have not seen any such type of Nepalese any more anywhere in Qatar again. Whatever Nepalese I meet working in Qatar all are good in this type of matters.
Next morning, I mean Monday, it was 7.15 AM I gave a call to HR department. My recruitment assistant told me that around 9 AM there will be company driver came to take me to office. Same man earlier who took me to office for interview from company apartment came and took me to office. He took me to HR department and introduced with same recruitment assistant who helped me a lot. She immediately got a voucher signed from me. After sometimes she came back with QAR 700 in hand and gave it to me which was my meal allowance payment for first 7 days. As per company rule I were entitled 15 days to stay at hotel to look for accommodation and for first 7 days I could get meal allowance at the rate of QAR 100 per day (rate of that time). Then she took me to Security department to get snapped for ID card and to get ID card. Then she took me to my department and hand over to secretary. Secretary took me to my Manager. My manager welcomed me and briefed about my responsibilities. Later I came to know that I was recruited there to replace a Senior Finance Officer who is going on vacation next week before retiring next month. He asked me to be trained from that SFO. Then I have been taken to SFO but that SFO was not there. Later he came and welcomed me. He started training me. That SFO introduced me with other Nepali fellow working in same department (now he already left company). That Nepali man was staying in the same area where my hotel situated. We returned together. Now I am the only Nepali working in that department with the fellow employees from Philippines, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, South Africa, Thailand, Kenya, and Bangladesh.
The very first day, an exciting day, I enjoyed a new working environment a peaceful environment. No one seems talking to fellow workers. Every one has got their own PC in their table and giving full attention to their computer. Notable things were attractive carpeting, comfortable chairs, well designed and comfortable tables, all neat and clean atmospheres. Air-conditioning was working well to make all employees not feeling hot temperature of outside office. At the afternoon, I had been called from my Senior Manager (Malaysian national) and he asked me about something which I never worked. Now I am doing same job what he asked me very first day and I responded him I did not know about that job. Now my SM felt that I am something specialist in that job…may be that was the reason he promoted me at 1.5 years of my working in the company.
Now I realised that we have to change the work and working atmosphere when we are young that will help us to make perfect in all part of jobs in a particular discipline.
Working life (usual days)
Working life with colleagues from different countries with different language, culture, religion, and with different values and beliefs is really a wonderful experience. The expatriates are more in numbers than the actual Qatari people here. Only Nepalese are around 275 thousand here in total Qatar as per Nepalese Embassy in Qatar.
Going office in the early morning, start workings with opening computer and interacting with people having different languages, culture and religion is our normal and usual life. There is no discrimination of nationality, religion, and races in the office and office works. All are responsible for their works and linked to productivity.
Sharing culture, values and beliefs in Pantry during short break of work is really interesting and some time enjoyable.
In simple, nobody cares other. All are in their own way of life.…yeah its all.
Early morning starts with some usual routine works and then it goes up with working and responding on trail of emails in mail box followed by telephone calls from stations. We starts getting emails and calls from the stations offices in eastern part of the world, such as, Australia, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Vietnam, Indonesia and then moves ahead with south Asia, and middle east and continue through Europe and Africa and ends with USA and Canada office’s calls.
What time is it there…? It is almost 6 pm here……owo its just 12 noon here in Doha…..
Taking queries from station offices and actioning and responding them to facilitate in their various works is a regular work trend for we at head quarter. Sometimes I feel I am specialist in my field. I think I may be right in feeling so….
My 19 years of working with one airline was just limited up to my table only and very few correspondences. We were needed to prepare letter, get it signed from bosses who mostly busy in reading newspapers and chatting with others, and send it to some parties through traditional channel of communication. However, past 2.5 year what I lead in my life as something like experts in field where I needed to resolve the problem in my work area with my expertise. It gave me lots of exposure in my field. I feel proud for all this.
I never ever thought I would be in that position where I will be able to assist others to work at their work places in different parts of the globe.
Either she is Fransisca from Italy or he is Mr Abe from USA, or Mr Rehan from South Africa or Mr Brian from Morocco or Ms Jenny from China and many more colleagues from different parts in globe are in regular touch to resolve the issues and to perform the work on time. What they expect on me is to seek answer to their question what they have. But its me, always needed to answer all those questions and queries…..owo….I like it…thats why I enjoy my work….
When I am in the office I forget everything except my office and my duty because we have no time to think about other thing.
Part- 2 (Evening at chowks)
Bada Reddy bhai, chotta Reddy bhai, Ravi bhai, Min ji, Kaisser bhai, Kalil bhai, Kalil ko dai bhai etc etc…. Evening out with friends is really an interesting moments of the expatriate life. Gathering at small chowks nearby national area, discussion on various subjects (except subject of debates), and putting lottery to make one man payer for evening tea….really enjoyable. All this leads to wipe out all the tiredness of whole the day. National area is a popular area in Doha. Everyone in Doha knows about National. National is nothing but a showroom of national Panasonic but this name became an identical name of whole the area. This is something busy area in the Doha city. There are many shops, restaurants, cyber cafes, telephone booths and some hotels around here. The shops sell varieties of goods something easy for shopping for people with low earnings and limited access to market from their living camp. In this area only, there are 5 Nepalese restaurants named as Bhancha Ghar, Samshara Restaurants, Himalayan Restaurants, Mehman Restaurant and Nepali Chowk Restaurants. Besides this there are different restaurants. Most of them are run by malbaris (People from Malbaar of Kerala state of India).
In our group, most of the engineers friends are there from Hyderabad in India and some from other part of the India. Sharing experiences in own area of workings and giving opinions in some interesting subjects of international interest are common agenda. Sometimes sharing experience of past life also becomes agenda.
Since most of the bachelors have similar way of going restaurants and dining in monthly mess helps to spend evening time freely and conveniently. It means no need to worry about what to cook and how to cook. So that anyone can spend maximum times with friends in the evening.
However in hot summer, it is not easy for us to spend our evening time in any of chowks. We must have to go to room of anyone friend to spend times. It means every evening there will be some type of gatherings in one or other places.
Going to Dohail at motta Raju’s apartment for evening gatherings or to go to Murki Suresh flat at Al Muntaza, or go for short driving after dinner were common activities those days. Then after short gathering at Kaisser’s room till we felt sleepy.
Now the situation is not like above here. Many friends left Qatar for good. Ravi left for Abu Dhabi, Mota Raju Bhai, chotta Raju Bhai, bada Madhavan Reddy and chotta Reddy bhai left Qatar to settle in their own country. Mr Murki Suresh left for London. Min shifted to another area with his newly married life partner. Very rare I go to Salt Trading to meet friends over there.
Part - 3 (Dinning at Nepalese restaurants)
There are 5 restaurants around National area and many other Keralite, Bengali and Arabian restaurants. Here dinning in monthly mess is common among bachelors. I were also on monthly mess at a Nepali Restaurant called Mehman located nearby National area. During the early days in Qatar, the owner of this restaurant Mr Devilalji arranged for delivery of lunch in our office itself otherwise we do not go outside for lunch in office time. Later because of some problem Mehman restaurant stopped supplying our lunch. Then our office boy Bengali bhaiya Safik Miya was arranging lunch.
After completing evening gathering for first round some bachelor goes to Keralite restaurant and some others to other restaurants. For me, this was Mehman restaurant. I enjoyed all the dinner in this restaurant for 1.5 years till I got health problem.
Going for mutton Briyani in Hyedrabadi restaurant in weekend was another charming those days. Hyedarbadi restaurants are famous for briyani. In the weekend this Hyderabadi restaurant located at Akai Roundabout becomes full and if there is any delay in reaching there we need to wait outside till there is some space.
I enjoyed briyani in this Hyderbadi restaurant on regular basis every weekend till I got health problem.
Now I do not go for briyani. Hahahaha !!!!!
I shifted to flat of Mr Kalil and his brother. Now a days I do not go out for evening gatherings because I started dinning in my flat itself. I need to cook and eat. But it is not a big issue. Hahahahahah !!! hey it is quite enjoyable. I am enjoying the meals prepared by me. But my beloved wife is much worried about my fooding and she always think that I am not taking my meal properly. Don’t worry my life partner, I am taking meal perfectly and enjoying it too much. But I am not interested to cook for all you because when I reach home I become lazy……hahahahaha !!!
Part - 4 (Weekend in Doha)
Weekend in Doha can be termed as crowed in Doha.
I have not seen those numbers of people over there in julus in Nepal but I saw an unbelievable crowd of people here in Doha especially in Friday. During my early days Nepalese were gathered at Bismallah Chowk. Now government has used that space for expansion of traditional Irani market and Nepalese are now shifted to the front side of Souq Najda. Friday is the only day where many Nepalese can manage to see their friends and share the experience of good and pain. Many companies in Dukhan, Al Khor and other far places transport their staff to Doha main area in their own busses. In the evening we can see a long series of busses leaving Doha to reach their camps.
From the early morning we can see gatherings of Nepali in this area. Nepalese daju bhai can be seen right from the small ground nearby Talwar gate in Bank road to other part of Irani market in one side and Arab Roundabout in other side sitting in small small groups and sharing the experiences. We can see lots of Nepalese daju bhai selling Cds, muri, achar and many more things. We can take it as something like haat bazaar in our villages…but not at all. However there are different areas popular for gatherings of peoples from different countries.
In Friday, the National area becomes much busy whether it is super market, or readymade market or restaurant or big shopping malls. We can see a crowed everywhere even in the day of hot summer. People form different area of Doha comes here to meet their friends.
I do not like to walk out in day time. However, in the morning I start my walking from my room going through National Area, then Irani market, Corniche, Amiri Diwan, All Bidda tower and then Al Kharama Street. Then I go to Beirut restaurant, collect hamus (an Arabian dish served with 2 pieces of Khabus, some chana, olive oil, olive dana, and some onions) and come to flat and enjoy it. Sometimes I go for walking only after taking breakfast. It depends on mood.
Binod Khadka,
Doha, State of Qatar
14 February 2008, Thursday, Jhuma raat.
15 February 2008, Friday, Jhumma
29 February 2008, Friday, Jhumma