Back down to Earth

The other day, a bunch of us were all in the pool at my compound. Now, its been quite hot out recently, and usually they chill the pool in the summer, but for some reason the chiller wasn't working and the pool felt like bathwater by the middle of the afternoon. At one point, I even said, "If this is the biggest complaint in our lives right now guys, that our pool is too hot, then I think we're all doin' ok." Everyone agreed.

A few days later, I realized that my nails looked like crap, and I hadn't been feeling well, so I decided to make a manicure-pedicure appointment at my normal place. The woman doing my pedicure asked me if I was from America, how long I had been in Doha and why I was here, and I asked her the same. I asked her if she was from the Philippines, even though I already knew she was. I knew because everyone in the service industry in Qatar is Filipino. They work the registers and the floor at every chain store and most small shops; they bring tea to employees at work, patients at the hospital, and everywhere in between; they are drivers, nannies, maids, secretaries, security, waiters, and manicurists... the list goes on. To be honest, not once have I had a bad interaction with a Filipino employee, but neither have I really had a chance to talk with any. Our CMU employees are always too busy working, and I, alas, do not have a nanny, maid, personal driver, etc. But manicures are long and there's really not much to do but chat, so I figured this would be a good chance.

Turns out that this particular woman has only been in Doha for three weeks. She said that all of the employees of the spa live together, within walking distance of work. She seemed ok with that, but had a lot of questions for me about what it was like to work at the university, and the benefits of being an American ex-pat. Then she told me that she left her 6 year old daughter and 11 year old son in the Philippines. I couldn't bring myself to ask what circumstances led her to leave her kids and come to work in Doha. I think that's a second manicure conversation.