Uninspired.

Its been more than a year since I sat down and blogged about anything. I have dozens of unfinished drafts but not one single post that I have completed. My tiny fan base occasionally confronts me as to why I haven’t written anything and my excuse is simply that “I do not have the time” which is true enough in a certain sense, but more than that’s its far easier to explain than replying with the truth which is “I am uninspired”

My life has been good, to say the least, and my job has played a pivotal part in the happiness. It helps that I absolutely love my job, but today of all days I feel particularly blessed. and I’d like to share with you…my million imaginary readers, why exactly.

A year ago I was drifting on the blissful clear waters of the Maldives. Unchallenged, lazy, But content. Easy work days, Resorts and snorkeling during off days. Life was laid back and lovely! Today I am in Qatar, working for one of the most prestigious airlines in the world. Admittedly I love the bragging rights that come with working for an airline of this caliber, and the fleet is to DIE for! I have learnt SO much in these few months and I can literally feel my career growing towards my ultimate (short term) goal. And this is an awesome feeling. But not truly inspiring. Which is possibly the reason this post didn’t write itself 10 months ago when I came to Doha.

Doha in itself is yet to impress me. It is a young city and one just wiping itself clean of the sticky,messy, afterbirth! The modern Dubai like skyline is harshly ruined by old dusty eyesore buildings surrounding it. The lifestyle is torn between being a party paradise and an overly conservative society! People are varied and from different backgrounds but are still strangely disconnected and come off as largely impolite, majorly rude. But it does have its hidden little charms. Like Souq waqif where you can try out sheesha and catch up on a bit of the touristy culture. Or go for a desert drive or dune bashing as its called here…But this too is nothing note worthy. I spend my days watching box office movies at City Centre and trying out the hundreds of restaurants there for your picking…But as before this is by far anything but inspiring!!!

But after some pondering and some day long sobering up, I have come to realize that my happiness in life has never really ever been about the place I’ve been. I’m pretty sure you could drop me to the bottom of a well and if I had what I wanted…I’d be happy down there. Blissful. Ignorant. But happy.

People always ask me “How do you live away from Lanka so long”, “The Maldives is so boring…what did you DO in Male’ for three long years” , and since of late “OMG Qatar is just a desert isnt it”? Yes Male’ was boring, Yes Doha is essentially just a desert…but it was never about the place…It was ALWAYS about the people.

A few hours of loitering about my apartment and a huge hangover later…I am inspired enough to sit myself down and write about it. not to please you, my imaginary fan base, But for me to find many years from now, Read, and relive this feeling. Relish the moment gone by. To reminisce.

Doha is home because of my colleagues. My dysfunctional, Multi cultural, Absolutely stark-raving-mad bunch of people I work with. Yes of course we have the random asshole, but for a large part they make my work days just that much more entertaining. It is a pleasure to work with people smarter than you and to gain something for yourself by simply working beside someone. Work is not work if you enjoy it and with this lot that holds true!

Doha is home because of the A319. A320. A321. A330. A340. B777, B787 and in Jan the mammoth A380…because if there is anything that makes me feel at home, its sitting in, on top of, or under a plane doing what I love!

Doha is home because of “Skinny” who cooks for me and takes care of me and is eternally emptying my fridge for me! She is my childhood friend who was lost, now found and she is my link to the social world of clubbing and late nights and pretty girls! She is my unwilling wing-woman and my stable drinking partner. She is a true friend and one I am glad to call one of my own.

Doha is home because of Pretty V and my Blue eyed beauty and Tess and Anna and Sue. Nothing is more soothing than to curl up next to V, hold her hand and live in the moment. It is love. simple. sweet. satisfying. I will do nothing to complicate it and neither will she and together I shall remain happily by her side, knowing that I will always have a hand to hold or a shoulder to rest on when that’s what I truly need. My blue eyed Mila is my constant crush and dance floor addict. Without her, nights out are quiet and mellow…with her they are a blurry dancy riot…and that’s always a good thing! Tess and Anna add to the fun, Tess with her sharp strong ways and Anna with her absolute wit and charm and radiance!!! And last but not least Sue…who I apparently followed from the Maldives to Qatar to be with!

This is what makes Qatar what it is. Its not the Buildings or the views or the promise of a metropolis! It is the people who matter. the ones you love. the families we merge into.

Life is hard. Everywhere I look I am reminded of this. Relatives die. Cost of living soars, It never seems to get easier. Everyday is a uphill climb, everyday you lose something or someone. every second is one less moment of your finite life…and that is scary. unsettling.

But every once in a while, life gives you a break. A tough job completed on time at work, and a pat on the back. Or a few hours spent searching for shooting stars with someone who you truly love, quiet evenings at home watching movies or eating junk food with childhood friends, a night out dancing till your feet are sore, loud drunk parties, watching the sunset where the desert meets the sea, and suddenly…You are thankful. Thankful for the love people bestow upon you. Thankful for the hand to hold or the tight hugs that follow. Thankful to have been blessed with the opportunity to be here. now. with these people who you didn’t know existed a few months ago!!! it is truly amazing!!! I firmly believe that to be happy you need to count your blessings…mine are infinite and unending. and it brings me to tears. who do I thank? why do I deserve this bliss which is mine? The answers will always elude me.

I am inspired. And I hope someday the people who inspire me read this and know that you are the reason I am the eternally smiling Kaiser. Without you my life would be colourless. Without you I would be a desert.

~ by Kaiser Kobayashi on December 10, 2013.