I think I'll call this first day on the job a resounding success. Everything went quite smoothly.
Except for traffic.
I dropped Kiddo off at summer camp an hour before I was meant to present at HR. Since her summer camp is a short five-minute drive from the office (literally 2.5 km), I was sure this was more than enough of a time cushion, even for Doha.
Silly me.
Smooth sailing until I veered into the far left lane preparing for the final u-turn before my destination. It had taken me barely 20 minutes to make it that far. Plenty of time to spare.
Or so you would think.
For the next 32 minutes, I sat in that same spot, staring directly across the street at the parking lot meant to harbor my car as I went off to earn some dosh. I watched as the four police officers at the intersection stopped all but oncoming traffic for 32 minutes. I watched as the left-turn traffic light turned green, then amber, then red, then green, then amber, then red, then green ... you get the picture.
I fumed in my car as the other cars corralled around me honked their horns ceaselessly. I resisted the urge to step out, raise my hands in the air and cry out "and WHERE, exactly, would you have me go?" Though I struggled, I managed to maintain my "first day on the job high".
Eventually, all ended well, with me stepping into the lobby exactly 4 minutes before my scheduled meeting with the HR rep. As luck would have it, the HR rep held the elevator door open for me for the ride up.
That's the one good thing about traffic in Doha ... no one is immune. If you're late, chances are most everyone else will be too.
The rest of the day went swimmingly. Other than the call from sports camp saying Kiddo was feeling unwell. After a quick chat with her, we agreed that Smilin' Vic would pop out of work early to bring her home.
One must expect such small glitches on the first day of work. Murphy's Law and all that.
But all in all, I feel like the day was a success. Not a roaring success, but definitely a nice day in a welcoming and seemingly productive environment.
I have a good feeling.
No doubt there could be worse scenarios on the job front:
At least they don't have me doing this ....
(See those teeny, tiny dots dangling from ropes strung over the roof? Those would be some very, very brave window cleaners. There are definitely some tough jobs out there.)