The answer actually is nothing. But that's the problem. Confused yet?
Ever since stepping onto the plane in D.C., I have been treated with nothing but respect and honor. I have been lavished with gifts (beginning with
the iPod that the airline gave me as a thank you for traveling with them) and kindness. Now, I will stop for a quick second and say that the kindness is more than welcome. I absolutely love my new coworkers and am excited to admit that many of them I already consider friends. No, I am bothered by the sheer scale of the grandeur in which I am living.The apartment I have been furnished with is larger than I will be able to afford in the States for at least a decade. Down the street is a
beautiful pool, workout room, billiards hall, and restaurant, all exclusively for the residents of my compound. I am getting paid well, I won't get into specifics, but suffice to say it is much more than I was being offered in the States. I am getting compensated for the vast majority of my expenses, and all the while am living where I have wanted to for quite a while.I guess the problem I'm having is that I don't feel like I deserve all of this. I am just a recent college graduate who is exploring the professional world. I would be comfortable working out of a small closet, let alone this palace. It just seems like the expenses being lavished upon me could be better served redistributed to those who are working harder. Now, it is important to note that I have yet to actually start my job and so part of this is certainly me feeling guilty for being so inactive.
I am sure that I will appreciate this marvelous place to unwind after a hard day's work. But, to be totally honest, I'm going to have to put in an incredible amount of work each day to begin to feel like I'm doing enough to deserve all of this luxury.When I ask why American expats are so pampered, the response I usually get is that we are the few who are willing to leave our homes, and in my case family and loved ones, to do the job. In that light, I do understand. But I can't stop the guilty nagging that reminds me that I do not personally need the luxury as motivation to do what I believe is the right thing to do.
I came to Doha to learn. But I also came to Doha to teach. It was my hope that by coming here, I could improve the understanding of a few Arabs and a few Americans on what can bring our two cultures closer together. Should I accomplish this goal, the best reward will be peace, not a pool. Yet, in the end, there is nothing truly wrong with being taken care of. Will I do what I can to see money distributed to those more in need? Yes. But it is counterproductive to simply sit here and whine about it.
Maybe this is my culture shock. I am accustomed to the Arabs, I am accustomed to Americans, but this is my first plunge into the unique world of the expatriate. It is a world of hard work, great rewards, and a shared feeling of longing for home. I am certainly not adjusted yet, but, God willing, I will find my path through before this year is out.
For a tour of my fabulous apartment, check out this silly video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
3 comments:
I hear you. My least favorite thing about living in Qatar is the enormous disparity between what we Western expats receive, unmerited, and what immigrant manual laborers have to deal with. One of the reasons it's fun to be a Q-Crew buddy is that seeing Doha through you n00bs' eyes helps me remember not to take my life here for granted.
"Will I do what I can to see money distributed to those more in need? Yes."
Caryl and I are part of a group that is forming to try to address various worker rights issues here. I'll let you know when the next meeting is, if you're interested.
It's probably a good thing that you're aware of your privileged situation and that you're not just taking it for granted (and that presumably in Oman you were in a different situation).
It always makes me cringe when I hear of Luxembourg: "It's a really good place to be an American, because they really like Americans." Sometimes it's better not to be pampered or celebrated just because you're an American - it's better to have a realistic encounter that shows you that the whole world doesn't love Americans simply for being Americans, and sometimes you have to make people like you DESPITE your nationality.
On the other hand, it's probably good to have both types of experiences so you can draw your own conclusions.
So, I'm not going to leave a deep post or anything....just this:
DAMN YOU APARTMENT IS HUGE!!!!!
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