So I never write on this thing anymore. But class is about as exciting as, well...well this is really boring. So Ashley and Lulu wanted me to post something. Here it is.

Texas Revisited....

I made it back safely from Qatar. I immediately had Mexican food and some cold beers. Ahh America. After the internship wrapped up, I joined my friend and toured America. We made the drive up north to Idaho in a rental Focus. America's landscapes truly are remarkable. Without a doubt my favorite stretch is I90 West from Billings and on to Coeur D'Alene. The mountain passes make me yearn for those childhood years when that was my backyard and each ski and camping trip was an adventure. I am fortunate in that my family lives in northern Idaho. I don't get there back enough, but I enjoy it every time I make it.

School has started back up and once again I'm suffering from grass is greener on the other side. During my internship I looked forward to the day of being back with classmates learning some new material. While seeing old friends has been enjoyable, the classroom isn't as fun as a paycheck. I will really need to win that lottery to find the balance of pay and a social life. I've seemed to reach my second quarter life crisis. The first one was probably the time I moved to Detroit and wasn't enjoying life and didn't know what I wanted to do. The latest one crisis is determining whats next. I have an excellent job offer with a great company. However I can't seem to get excited for Houston. I'm not necessarily excited about Dallas either, but its grown on me in some ways. I have a few months to figure it out, and God willing, I know the plan is out there for me.


Josh Ritter - Idaho

QATAR FINAL THOUGHTS


Today I had to give a 20 minute presentation to the Controller leadership team in Doha. This presentation very well could help dictate if I will receive an offer. Presentations are generally not my favorite thing to do, and this wasn't an exception. That being said I feel I was able to convey the results of my summer effort and can leave knowing I tried my best. In the end, that's maybe the most anyone can ask for. Now my internship isn't completely over. I still need to go to the office tomorrow and I will have two weeks in Houston. Where alas I will have another major presentation in front of an even larger crowd. In the end I hope to receive an offer, and will know my fate in two weeks. Either way, I can say I had a remarkable summer.


So besides work, what are my final thoughts on my experiences in Qatar? I ate at Indian, Thai, Moroccan, Lebanese, Chinese, and American restaurants. I rode in vehicles as nice as Land Rovers and Jaguars to my lowly Nissan Craptima. I received a parking ticket and nearly caused an accident in one of the famous roundabouts. I became lost on the roads only able to find my way home. I partied at the US Embassy, jet skied in the Persian Gulf, and went dune bashing. I met people from all over the world, each with their unique story. I went to 4 different grocery stores and yet not one of them have all the groceries I'm accustomed to. I felt desert heat and frigid A/Cs. I saw Islamic art and modern day graffiti. I visited my Alma mater's Middle East campus and went to a violin and piano concert.


It's safe to say in that my seven weeks here I took as much advantage of my situation as possible. The city's latest developments are more modern than I expected, but yet they still didn't take the advantage of city planning. Stepping outside the city center one can very easily observe Qatar's roots. I have witnessed first hand modern day slavery. The work conditions of the Filipino/Indian construction workers are inhuman at best. Long days, blistering heat, cramped quarters, all done for a meager wage. It's impressive to me that the most popular store in the mall is the one that is able to transfer money to their respective countries. The dedication these men and women have to their families back home is something I wish all American would be exposed to.


I didn't have that many opportunities to visit with local Qataris. Due to all the construction and business taking place they only make up 20% of the population. That overall lack of them would only be one reason why. There is a pecking order of status here and by all means they are in the upper echelon. There is a sense of entitlement that is anything greater than I've ever seen (that includes the SMU undergrads). It makes me wonder what will happen when the oil and natural gas runs out. I will long be dead. At the current production rates, it is estimated their natural gas supplies should last for 200 years under current technology. To say it's a massive field, is an understatement. The current male receives land and roughly $5000 a month in royalties from the government when he turns 21. This rate will increase as gas prices increase and more of the LNG trains come online. It is no wonder why that there is lack of work ethic or an overall lack of work that a local plans to achieve. Qatar has put in a place 2030 vision. A vision that looks at building business, furthering education, reducing environmental impact, and improving social values. It's an admirable vision, but a culture so entrenched in customs it is one I find hard for them to achieve.


In the end, I could see myself living here (as long as I'm justifiably compensated to do so). For everything that I dislike about America (racism, high government spending, lack of culture in some regards), I generally leave America wanting to come back. It is a powerful country, but is only made powerful for the most part from its ambitious citizens. Even though racism or discrimination (honestly, probably in much less of a degree than most of the world) exists it truly is a land of opportunity. While I didn't vote for Obama, I definitely feel proud in my country for willing to depart from historically white roots. We are a country that was formed by men who believed in freedom and the greater good. I believe much of their original vision is still met today.


Life is truly a remarkable journey. In this past year alone I was able to eat spicy noodles in Taiwan and came to understand how miserable a dust storm in the Middle East can be. I have a lot of wants in my life and I doubt that will change. Even in those moments, I need to take pause. I need to remind myself just how fortunate my upbringing has been. My life so far has been nothing short of extraordinary.

Made it into another paper. I heard we are in Arabic ones too
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=304304&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16

I think my name has appeared in a city newspaper. The result could have been due to highschool tennis or participating in a community event. I don't know if my picture has graced the papers. Funny to think it took me going around half the world to make it happen. Now the picture and the word "citizen" in the title might not be the most fitting, but I'll take it.

http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&month=July2009&file=Local_News2009071915238.xml

QATAR COMMENTARY - WEEK 5

1. If you ever get the chance to go dune bashing I highly recommend it. It's amazing what an SUV can do in the hands of a capable driver. While it felt like we were going to continually topple over, it never did happen.

2. Camping in the desert was more fun than I thought it'd be. But by camping I mean airconditioned tents, food grilled for you, and a freezer with a constant supply of cold water. I don't think I ever drank so much without going to the bathroom. I must have had 10 bottles of water and only went once. The evenings actually dipped down in temp more than I thought. Not cold, but actually comfortable. I tried sand boarding (think snowboarding), but it's actually not nearly as fast as I thought itd be.

3. The constant road construction here is crazy. The last few days I have had to find a different way back to the apartment each time.

4. I learned jet skiing is a lot more fun when you have someone to go ride around with.

5. This website isn't the most conducive for adding photos. I post more on Facebook if you're curious to see what the area looks like.

So below is my old college roommate's blog post and his take on Doha. Thought it was worth sharing so you can have another American's perspective.....

Doha has felt like home. I've had my college roommate Dave to hang out with. I've had the luxury of staying in his 3 bedroom/5 bathroom/2 balcony palatial compound. I've eaten at Quizno's and Chili's (Editor's Note: I also took him to a Morocan, Iranian, and Thai place as well) and drank at the W. This isn't the Middle East. It's Dallas in the desert.

In the last few days, we've packed in a lot of excitement. After a great outdoor Moroccan dinner at the local souq Thursday night, we woke up Friday and headed out to the dunes with an experienced guide. The desolate desert landscape rolled by for about 45 minutes before our guide stopped the Land Cruiser and deflated the tires. Then the fun began. We blasted out into the sand and started climbing and sliding around the dunes at angles I didn't think were possible without flipping. It felt like an air-conditioned roller coaster and we giggled like schoolgirls the whole time.

At the end of the ride, we were dropped off at a beautiful campground on the edge of the Inland Sea. We were far from roughing it though. The tents were air-conditioned, the food freshly grilled, the water chilled on ice, and there was even a token camel to ride. We got in a little sandboarding before relaxing by the water's edge after sunset. And of course, no Arabian Night would be complete without smoking a little hookah before bed (don't worry Mom, it's legal even in the States).

Upon arriving back in the city, we grabbed some jet skies and headed out into the Persian Gulf. With the Doha skyline providing the backdrop, I wondered how I was lucky enough to be having this kind of adventure. We skimmed over waves and buzzed by parked tanker boats for an hour of gas-powered excitement before cleaning up and heading out for drinks. It's all here.

Today while Dave was at work, I toured the impressive Museum of Islamic Art. We then met up and headed out to Texas A&M's extension campus in Qatar to pick up some t-shirts and take some pictures. The Fight Song was written on the wall, Aggie flags were everywhere, and it was cool to see a guy in a throbe throwing a Gig 'Em.

Tomorrow I begin a 4 day whistlestop tour of Egypt before heading back to the States. I'll be in Luxor for 2 days before taking an overnight train up to Cairo for the last 2 days. The time has gone quick on this trip but when I look back, I can see I've already come a long way.

QATAR - WEEK 4 COMMENTARY

Happy 4th of July! This is the second time in the past three years I have spent it abroad. It never feels right, so maybe I'll cook some hotdogs tonight.

1. So how do you celebrate the 4th in another country? Well through meeting different people here in Qatar I was invited to a party at the US Embassy last night, specifically inside the Marine House. I drank a couple cheap beers and played darts with some of our finest. While some of us (and now and then me included) are against US military movements, I always hold these men and women in the highest of honor. Forunately the ones I was able to meet last night are not on the front lines at this time.

2. Tipping isn't common here. If you do go out to eat there is maybe a 10% service charge included. What I have since learned is that if you leave a few additional Qatar Riyals on the table it most likely will not go to the waiter/waitress. These tips are often taken up by the restaurant or hotel. It is frustrating because these people are already living on next to nothing and most of what they make is sent straight back to home for their families. It makes you appreciate the life back home all the more. I have tried to get in the habit of tipping others (baggers at the grocies, etc.) It's generally no more than a few Riyals which is close to a $1, but they always seem grateful.

3. I went to see Transformers 2 (do not recommend). One thing that's different besides the Arabic subtitles is that you choose your assigned seat. Another thing that's frustrating is sitting next to Qatari's that decided to talk. While in the US I would have changed seats or told them to shut up, I don't have that option. There's a pecking order of status here, at the ex-pats are not on top. The same goes to driving. Here's hoping my boiled up road rage from here won't be unleashed in Houston

4. I understand a lot of the workers here may not have access to showers or may not be accustomed to them. That being said, now and then I wish Doha would just crop dust the area with deodarant. There have been many uncomfortable elevator rides.

5. A lot of celebrities died it seems lately. I think I'll miss Billy Mays the most. Here is he using his signature informercial style to order at McDonalds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtYdDK1uTDI

QATAR COMMENTARY - WEEK 3

There's not too many new Qatar observations to report.

1. I went jet skiing for the first time ever. Here in Qatar there was no instructions provided. A key and optional life jacket was all that was needed. I also tried to do some negoitiating, but feel they drive a hard bargaining. In the end jet skiing is fun, but even after like 10 minutes, you get the jist of it. You can go fast in open water and do sharp turns. The scenery doesn't change all that much, it's just water.

2. Now I don't know if this is smart or foolish on my part, but I have started to download songs for free on the internet. I haven't done that in years once the RIA started cracking down on it. But I guess I figure new country, perhaps new rules. The songs are quite the excentric mix from Tom Petty "Wildflowers" to LCD Soundsystem "Daft Punk is Playing at My House"

3. I saw MJ passed away. I'm sure it's all over the news in the US, but here I only watch movie and comedy channels. It's werid, but death does seem to usually come in three's. Ed McMahon and Farrah Fawcett all within a couple days.

4. For as much hanging out at the pool I do, I'm still relatively pale.

5. I feel like I need to follow US legislation a bit more. It seems a lot of bills are being passed at a time when our country is facing massive debt. I would like to assume our leaders are experts or being assisted with experts that will make our country stronger, but when a 309 page ammendment is added at 3AM to the climate bill I can only wonder how many took the time to actually read it. I'm all for organizations reducing emissions, but a cap and trade system isn't going to work. People complain about oil prices, well a lot of the run up was due to speculation. The Street will love to find a way to profit from this new system should it pass the Senate. I'm pretty sure companies will now move to countries that have less restrictions. So the US will lose jobs, and the globe will not be any better off. This purely my opinion and I hope to be proved wrong.

Ok, so I know Doha is a growing city. The North Field, the world's largest non associated gas field, started to bring the country wealth late in the 1970's. Before that it was nothing more than a small pearl and fishing outpost. It wasn't really until late 90's and early 2000's when they developed efficient means to liquify natural gas for exportation. In the previous posts I included pictures of a skyline filled with skycrapers. This photo attached below is an ariel taken only 5 years ago of the exact same area I took those pictures. Just tremendous growth.