Arrrgh!!!

[patgund]

Someone really needs to write "Expatriation for Dummies"

In 66 days, I need to figure what I'm bringing to Qatar, pack it, and then figure out how the bloody hell I'm supposed to send the stuff over when I don't have an address yet to send it to.

Not to mention needing to arrange for a rental car for a few months once I get there, (until I can buy or lease one), and finding an apartment once I'm there. (My allowance for housing is $2800 a month, I'm figuring on using $1500 to $2000 of it, which gives me QAR 5000 to 7100 to play with. My transportation allowance is $500 a month, which works out to QAR 1819 for a car lease, gas, licence, insurance, etc.)

Bother

Comments

[sraun]

You know / know of Doug and Claudia Muir, don't you? Their blog is syndicated on LJ - if you don't have it friended already, it's bookcase_claudi. I'd bet you can get some good pointers from them, or their readers.

[silkensteel.livejournal.com]

I remember my friend having most of his VHS tapes vanish then reappear - after which bootleg copies started showing up in the shuks. You might want to consider *not* travelling with any unreplaceable media of the popular kind. I don't know if this still a problem...

[matrygg.livejournal.com]

Could you have it delivered to your workspace until you get housing? How much is rent/housing typically over there?

[kyril.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine who was moving back to Australia but hadn't even picked a city yet arranged for the freight company to either store it themselves, or deliver it to a storage facility, I forget which. Of course, this shipping was by boat, and they were spending a month between Europe and visiting his wife's folks in Texas to give their stuff some time in transit...

[mareklamo.livejournal.com]

The HR department may be able to help. Ask if they have some sort of FAQ or expat info sheet.

[kiarapanther.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

[digital-panther.livejournal.com]

SOmething else you might consider checking... There are a couple of Japanese communities here on LJ which have several expats on them. Sure Japan isn't Qatar but alot of the "what to do before" info should still apply.

Till Anon,
Kuro

[selenesue.livejournal.com]

You may need to -write- "Expatriation for Dummies"!