The ARET Cafe

There are many things to write about.  I haven’t used the blog much since my mother’s passing in 2019. Six entries in 2 years. In that time a lot has happened.

Quitting & Starting Over

I spoke to RS during the spring of 2020 about my job and my desire to leave it. She supported the idea and I submitted my notice to my Head of Dept after returning from vacation. I won’t  go into the details behind my motivation for leaving the job, other than to say it was a long overdue move. Fortunately, the ensuing job hunt was pretty straight forward. I successfully interviewed for a job in another department a month later.  My transfer didn’t go through until my contract was finished at the end of the 2021 academic year, but leaving was cathartic.  My new job involves helping undergrad students with their writing, and I’m enjoying it a great deal.

Pandemic Life

I feel fortunate to be in Qatar during the pandemic. It’s been disheartening to see how some people in Canada have conducted themselves in these times. Harassing store workers and healthcare workers over ‘freedom’ to choose not to wear a mask at best is ignorant. At worst it can be fatal if someone dies from the vaccine because they were exposed to a person who refused to take simple precautions. I believe masks were recently made optional though the vast majority of people here are still wearing them. Back when the masks were mandatory, you’d get a $2000QAR (~$750CAD) fine. I do not enjoy the same freedoms that I would have in Canada, but the freedom to roam around being an entitled asshole when it comes to wearing a mask is one I can do without. There are plenty of other opportunities to be a jerk available out here anyway.

Rant aside, pandemic life as a teacher fit my introverted tendencies quite well. I taught from home and I actually enjoyed the teaching quite a bit. I look back on my classes last year and I am proud of the work I did with my students.

Married … with Children

To just say RS has been wonderful would be an understatement. She’s been there for the low points and the high points over the past five years. She was unwavering in her support when we talked about leaving my old job. She knows my quirks and has used them on more than one occasion to surprise me in the most thoughtful ways. Gestures like a surprise pack of Ritz Crackers or sour candies hidden in my lunch shows not only how well she knows me, but also how much she loves me. In November 2020 we had our first child, and in a month, we’ll be a family of four.

Or…

RS will go into labor a month early and our second child, AM,  will be born on Christmas day!

I was at home for a daddy-daughter day while RS was at work where she went into labor. I had to stay at home until L, who takes care of  our daughter AR while we work was able to come by. One of RS’s close friends was able to come by and spend part of the delivery with her. Unfortunately, I was not allowed in the room, not by choice, but rather hospital policy. Our second daughter, AM, was born late in the night and because she was premature, she needed an extra four days in the hospital on IV fluids for vitamin D and glucose. On the 29th AM finally came home.

Since I learned RS was pregnant in 2020, I’ve reflected a great deal about my own upbringing, and the things I wish to carry foward versus those I wish to leave in the past. I’ve also thought about how I react ito things when I am stressed or upset. The entire situation around AM’s birth did both to me. At one point when I was at the apartment my frustrations overcame me and I threw a shirt on the floor. A day or so later I watched AR do the same thing when she was frustrated. It was a good reminder of the example I set each day.