Could it be God?
July 1. Stage 2 – an interim change.
Today is our first day of a two-month stay in this apartment hotel as we wait to depart from Doha after 21 years. Can someone tell me how it got to be July already? 😆 I think my brain got stuck in January … then suddenly it was March, and the wedding was upon us. And yes, we checked into Aus in April, but it’s all a blur since then. Where did May and June go? 😁 I have a theory…my brain tuned out so that it could cope only with what each day delivered. Right now, bone-tired, we have entered reset and recover mode. More like total reboot!
It
is said that when you have a major life change in your latter years, your
stress levels are through the roof. We all know about the Scale of Stress … there
is the Perceived Stress Scale, developed in 1983, measured
by answering questions regarding your feelings and thoughts in
the past month. THAT would be a BLOWOUT for us. 🤯
Then there is the Holmes And Rahe Stress Scale, created in 1967, the one I think we are all mostly acquainted with, where 43 life events are given a rating. If you get a score of 300 or more you stand a chance of major health breakdown within the following 2 years, according to the American Institute of Stress. (To this we say, ‘But God …!’ 👆) No. 8 on the scale of stress is being fired – 47 points. (Ummm, 😬 does firing yourself count? 😅) Oh okay, no. No.10 then, retirement, with a scale of 45 points! (But what if you can’t really retire?) 😅 Then we have No’s 15 and 16 – a major business readjustment (like us, trying to start a new business in an economy racked with inflation), and a major change in financial state (zero income if Andries doesn’t get online training) with 39 and 38 points, respectively. Just recently No. 23 applied to us, adding 29 points to our scale with our son getting married.
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| Image: Hendrik Steytler Photography |
Along with that came the stress of his transfer-of-sponsorship application (before his visa expired in June) so that he could remain in Qatar when we leave, along with the complicated process to get their marriage registered within South Africa, The Philippines and in Qatar.
No. 28 on the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale, a major change in living conditions, checks in at 25 points and No. 32, a change in residence, with 20 points – for us it's first the downsize to this hotel apartment, then the move to Australia. Numbers 34, 35, 36… 38, 39, and 40 apply too… shall I carry on? Okay, okay, you get the picture. 😅 Our stress levels are through the roof. Lol. And there is the cause for the blur of passing months. 😅
It feels as though we’ve been getting rid of stuff, packing up and living with chaos since November last year when we went to South Africa to clear out our storage crate. We watched car loads of our belongings being carted off.
"Why did you hang onto it?", I hear you ask.
Well, we were never sure that we would be granted the visa until it came through … and the stuff we held onto would’ve enabled us to set up again in SA. Wise or dumb move? You be the judge.
December
and January, we found ourselves stuck in South Africa since we were locked out
of Qatar for 2 months due to Omicron and the subsequent ban on travellers entering Qatar
from South Africa. THAT was stressful!! And did we bleat about and bemoan our
lot! But, as always, with hindsight, we now realise that it was a huge blessing
as it gave us more of a chance to organise Gus and Cha’s wedding. And oh my, it was such a lovely
wedding. We were immensely blessed on the day as everything came together with
the amazing help of talented people like Kathy, Sydney, Ada, Belinda & her
team, and others who worked so hard. A shout out to InfinityTimesInfinity
Productions
for the amazing job with the video material. If you’re in South Africa and
planning a wedding, contact them for your video.
Andries’ resignation at the end of May was a huge step. We both knew that it was inevitable – the day would come. But no matter how much you prep yourself for the actual event, when it arrives, you’re a ball of nerves. His training schedule never eased off through all the changes and planning, probably his saving grace, giving him something to focus on. At home, I would often find him pacing aimlessly while having tons to do. As for me, the days were long; I was lost in what felt like a vacuous space that used to be ‘home’. With much of the house contents gone it sounded hollow. The silence was deafening. Yet, just six months ago I was as happy as Larry to spend my days alone. (Lol, who’s Larry? That’s a saying worth looking into for its origins.) In the evenings, instead of packing and sorting, we chose to watch old movies to escape reality. 😅 Then I chose to tackle the world of website design with 3 weeks of (procrastinating) fun! Eventually, that was done too, and the mountain of paperwork, faithfully stored in file 13 for 21 years, was waiting for me (three-quarters of which went into the rubbish). Time was fast running out. I found myself asking, several times, why we did this to ourselves?! 😅
Along with all the packing, sorting, throwing out and waiting, we have been immensely blessed. First, our son and new daughter-in-law needed to set up a home after their marriage – at just the time when we needed to get rid of everything in our home. Could it be God? We carted car loads to their new apartment, from cutlery to furniture, linen to paintings. Within 2 days they had a furnished home. 😀 (Maybe not what they would have bought, but for now, it’ll do.) God is good!
Next, our house contract which ran until 30 Nov each year posed a problem. We are booked to leave Qatar on 1 Sept. Dilemma! We would have to pay for the 3 months that we won’t be living in the house. One day, Andries’s colleague, Wilfred, came to work informing him of a massive increase in his apartment rent with only 2 months’ notice. A take it or leave it situation.
"Please can we take over your house?", he asks.
"If the landlord okays it, it’s a deal", Andries replied. We then had to
wait 5 weeks for an answer, as Wilfred had an annual vacation booked beginning
the following week. But eventually, the contract was approved by our landlord in June, the deposit
paid, and the house would be theirs on 30 June. The biggest blessing around
this story is that Wilfred and his family wanted to purchase all that was left
in our house after the newlyweds had removed what they wanted (and this included washing machine, fridge, stove, bedroom suite, dining room suite, and more). They
were moving from a furnished unit to ours which comes completely unfurnished.
We did not need to sell a thing! In a city where there is a huge population turnover,
it proves exceedingly difficult to sell second-hand furniture and household
contents. We were spared the struggle. Could it be God?
Then, gulp! Where will we live for the next 2 months? We had been looking around and asking for quotes, but anything for a reasonable amount was either dodgy or hemmed in with construction (think massive infrastructure construction when you use the word concerning Qatar) and consequently unapproachable by car and/or on foot. 😫
We were forced to look at more upmarket apartment hotels, with a kitchenette in the room, since we did not want to live on hotel food for 2 months. We need to keep our immune levels up! We settled on FraserSuites and approached the sales desk. Yes, they said, we’ll show you three options. I think they saw in our pleading eyes that we needed enough space at a “good” price, please. We were offered a large studio room at a smaller room’s rate (the same price as our house rent 🥴). It has a little kitchen (washing machine and full-size fridge included) and an en suite bathroom. A ‘special rate’ because we would be staying during the height of summer when few tourists visit Qatar. 😅 Floor to ceiling windows, bright and sunny, on the 12th floor with a view over the bay, we are extremely blessed. This, our baptism into living in a smaller space! 😀
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| (image: Fraser Suites website) |
While packing up our home and preparing to move, we were also negotiating the purchase of our van, deciding on the finer details and inclusions. Our stress levels were through the roof over this period as we were arranging everything over the internet. Not being able to be there in person was a challenge; we hoped we got everything right and made wise choices. After all, we are total novices. But we are confident in our choice of manufacturer, and they were extremely helpful (and patient 😅).
When we mentioned that we would arrive on 2 September and would need the van as soon as possible afterwards, we were promised delivery by end of September. Now there’s a blessing, because we would prefer to not be dependent on our kids. Many folks wait up to a year for their vans. But then I remembered that we had enquired last October already, at which point they began to design the van. So, the timing there proved to be a blessing too. (We may be the first customers to take delivery of the model we requested – time will tell.) We can’t wait for the big reveal, soon; keep an eye on our blog. 😊
Once we had decided on what we wanted to ship to Brisbane, we packed it into boxes and put it all together in a group.
We instantly broke into a sweat. What were we thinking?! We began to cull mercilessly ... fifty percent of the clothing went to charity; more books donated to a local library; more documents tossed and shredded. UNISA assignments that I had shed blood, sweat and tears over, thrown out. 😪 We emptied frames and albums and kept only the photos. We replaced several favourite items in the cupboards they had come from for the house’s next occupants to take over.
The shipping quotes we received that met our budget were for 1 cubic metre, except for one that offered us 2 cubic metres at an even cheaper price than the others. We had several doubts about going for the cheapest offer, but we knew we needed the space. We accepted their offer, and they sprang into action. Amazing! Their communication was detailed. They answered every question within 15 mins; replied to every email promptly; their team was there to pack 1 hour before they said they would be; and in 1 hour they had packed, cleaned up and carted away our belongings. It still filled 12 boxes.😫 It felt as if a whirlwind had hit the house, but they were efficient and thorough.
WHAT a blessing! And I couldn’t even remember
contacting them. Could it be God? We hope that their amazing service continues right up to delivery in Brisbane. A shout out to Arrow
Line Logistics Qatar.
Well done!
Now, as we drive around Doha, we take in all the sights and reminisce. We remember what it looked like when we arrived in 2001. We've seen the city develop rapidly, in front of our eyes. We recall key events in key places. We know, without doubt, that this has become home. But we always knew that it could not last … this was a temporary arrangement. Qatar has been good to us and for us. We have been immensely blessed by working and living here. We have learned much and have been thoroughly moulded and pruned through perseverance and diverse experiences. It will be a sorrowful, yet needful parting. To those who are considering an expat life, we would say "Do it!"
“Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.” (Steve Maraboli)
Seasons come and go. We pray for the grace to walk into our new season with boldness and faith. When one of us has an offish day, the other is perky. Make no mistake, we have our moments of doubt, fear, and anxiety. But a quote that came from a dear friend resonated with us, “The opposite of faith is not doubt; it’s our desire for certainty,” by John Ortberg. So, we go easy on ourselves and don’t self-flagellate when we doubt. Our Father understands our uncertainties. The one thing we are sure of is, we are unDESERtED.
Meanwhile, it’s quite a novelty living in such a small space. (The caravan
will be even smaller! 😂) The sofa is comfy. The
bed is a bit low (our knees protest heavily first thing in the morning) but it’s
comfy too. The kitchen has 2 of everything so dishes don’t pile up, and we have
a room with a view. A cleaner will come in once a week, and we are provided
with clean towels every 4 days. Other than that, we are autonomous. What more
could one want?
If you read this far, I’m amazed. Thank you. 🤗 Soon these blog posts should become more interesting as we begin to document our travels around Queensland.
Until next time, thanks for stopping by. 🌼
