Check Please
TGIT - because in Doha, Thursday is Friday and Sunday is Monday... unfortunately every Friday is like Christmas, and not because you get presents, but because not a single store is open - except the restaurants... and even those open later in the evening. The beauty of the system is that it forces you to do something constructive with your day - I plan on working hard on my tan and switching hotels with my Friday - if you want to know what's planned for Saturday you'll just have to keep reading...
On business trips you eat out every meal, which can be overwhelming if you don't plan ahead and avoid the same place too many times. Luckily, as mentioned in previous posts, Doha has no shortage of American restaurants, many of which are located within walking distance of my hotel. Despite where I've eaten though, one thing has struck me as odd - I have to pratically beg for my check at the end of the meal. The first observation is that for a guy who only has to go to work, eat, and sleep I shouldn't be so impatient, but I think it speaks more to the hurried lives we live in America than to the slow paced life in Doha. It's such a strange dichotomy to be narrowly avoid 2 accidents on the way to Applebees only to have to wait 10 minutes to place your order. It's as if enjoying a long supper after racing to the restaurant balances the universe again. For whatever reason, I have developed a sort of paranoia that this time I see my waitress may be the last time I see her, but by watching other tables I'm comforted to know that everyone gets the silent treatment. Tonight I finally realized why that is - in the States your server can usually tell when you've finished the meal (ie your silverware neatly stacked on the plate, your napkin on the table, leaning back in the booth) - but here the servers assume that as long as the plate has food on it, you're not finished. They act surprised when I order dessert but still have mashed potatoes leftover, so the simple answer is to order less food, finish my meal, and I can minimize my wait time between courses.
That same concept makes car shopping amazingly simple in Doha. Rules of shopping for cars:
1. Car dealerships are NOT large open lots; instead they are cramped ground floors of office buildings with high end, fully loaded models to view
2.The prices are clearly marked, doors are all open
3. Salespeople completely ignore you. Not the polite wait a few minutes before striking up an akward conversation. I walked into 3 car dealerships tonight, all in the buildings around my hotel, and was not approached by a single salesperson. My boss explained during lunch that they know that if you want one you'll ask them - almost the same theory as the restaurant. They also said to not get upset if while being helped by a salesperson, a local Qatari interrupts your deal and steals your salesperson, leaving you to start the painful process all over again.
4. Everything in Doha is about the label - Japanese cars cost you a premium, as do German, British, and even Swedish... in fact I think American cars are the only cars you get at a similar price to that which you'd pay in the states. The exception being Hyundai - which had a 4x4 7-seat 2007 Sante Fe for less than I could buy a base model single cab silverado, and you could buy two of these Sante Fes for the price of one fully loaded H3. I must say that although I prefer other brands style - it's hard to avoid being swept off your feet by the pricetag - especially after going to the Chevy dealer first (big mistake).
That said, the Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge, Nissan, Toyota, and Honda Dealerships are all on the agenda for Saturday. As I mentioned before, I would love to check them out on Friday, but I'll be too busy working on my tan and thinking of other fun quirks about Qatar to share with you.
In case the title didn't connect well to the story about waiting for the check at the restaurant, I'll unvail the true pun - while waiting to exchange money at the bank in CityCenter Mall 2 days ago, I happened to see one of the junior hockey teams and their expat dads all skating around on the half ice rink in the center of the mall. Since my ticket was #504 and the current customer who was #408, I had plenty of time to imagine myself lacing up again and teaching those kids a thing or two about hockey. The goalie was the most entertaining kid by far... you can always tell who the coach's kid is - in hockey he's either the long haired problem child who is incredibly talented and never sits on the bench OR as in this case, he's the horribly uncoordinated kid who they put in at goalie when no one else volunteers. I think dads have this inherent philosophy that they can personally overcome their own son's shortcomings. You couldn't help but chuckle to yourself as #13's father gives him endless pointers on how to keep the other kids from scoring - but as hard as his dad might try, poor #13 didn't like getting hit with pucks. Trainwreck in slow motion. Good thing the pratice was long, it took me 30 minutes to have my number pop up at Teller #5, only to have a local gal step in front of me to cash a check. The impatient need not apply...
Qatraziest Maneuver of the Day: Busiest intersection in town, traffic backed up for about a 1/2 mile, stop and go as if the entire queue lurches forward as each car is thrusts into the roundabout spurred on by honking horns, flashing lights, and gentle nudges. Suddenly traffic starts flowing very quickly - a policeman has apparently stopped traffic to temporarily alleviate the masses in one direction (they will post traffic police during rush hours at busy intersections). Just as we start moving, I look over at a LandCruiser (see a trend) with four local guys inside jumping the curb in a parking lot, driving on the sidewalk, jumping 3 more curbs and eventually trapping themselves behind a gate - a.k.a. the most satisfying experience of the trip by far.
iPod Playlist (when you listen to your iPod all day you can't help but post more than a few songs) - if you see a personal fav give it a shout out, music can be a uniting force:
Metallica - "Turn the Page" - as in don't forget to check back tomorrow for more Doha stories
Stereophonics - "Long Way Round" - appropriate for all Doha streets and roundabouts
Collective Soul - "Under Heaven's Skies" - not a cloud in these skies
Bright Eyes - "Down in a Rabbit Hole" - is where I'll want to be when it hits 132 degrees
David Crowder Band - "Wonderful King" - pictures of His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani can be seen in most public places... takes a little getting used
Ice Cube - "Today was a Good Day" - theme song for Thursday
On business trips you eat out every meal, which can be overwhelming if you don't plan ahead and avoid the same place too many times. Luckily, as mentioned in previous posts, Doha has no shortage of American restaurants, many of which are located within walking distance of my hotel. Despite where I've eaten though, one thing has struck me as odd - I have to pratically beg for my check at the end of the meal. The first observation is that for a guy who only has to go to work, eat, and sleep I shouldn't be so impatient, but I think it speaks more to the hurried lives we live in America than to the slow paced life in Doha. It's such a strange dichotomy to be narrowly avoid 2 accidents on the way to Applebees only to have to wait 10 minutes to place your order. It's as if enjoying a long supper after racing to the restaurant balances the universe again. For whatever reason, I have developed a sort of paranoia that this time I see my waitress may be the last time I see her, but by watching other tables I'm comforted to know that everyone gets the silent treatment. Tonight I finally realized why that is - in the States your server can usually tell when you've finished the meal (ie your silverware neatly stacked on the plate, your napkin on the table, leaning back in the booth) - but here the servers assume that as long as the plate has food on it, you're not finished. They act surprised when I order dessert but still have mashed potatoes leftover, so the simple answer is to order less food, finish my meal, and I can minimize my wait time between courses.
That same concept makes car shopping amazingly simple in Doha. Rules of shopping for cars:
1. Car dealerships are NOT large open lots; instead they are cramped ground floors of office buildings with high end, fully loaded models to view
2.The prices are clearly marked, doors are all open
3. Salespeople completely ignore you. Not the polite wait a few minutes before striking up an akward conversation. I walked into 3 car dealerships tonight, all in the buildings around my hotel, and was not approached by a single salesperson. My boss explained during lunch that they know that if you want one you'll ask them - almost the same theory as the restaurant. They also said to not get upset if while being helped by a salesperson, a local Qatari interrupts your deal and steals your salesperson, leaving you to start the painful process all over again.
4. Everything in Doha is about the label - Japanese cars cost you a premium, as do German, British, and even Swedish... in fact I think American cars are the only cars you get at a similar price to that which you'd pay in the states. The exception being Hyundai - which had a 4x4 7-seat 2007 Sante Fe for less than I could buy a base model single cab silverado, and you could buy two of these Sante Fes for the price of one fully loaded H3. I must say that although I prefer other brands style - it's hard to avoid being swept off your feet by the pricetag - especially after going to the Chevy dealer first (big mistake).
That said, the Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge, Nissan, Toyota, and Honda Dealerships are all on the agenda for Saturday. As I mentioned before, I would love to check them out on Friday, but I'll be too busy working on my tan and thinking of other fun quirks about Qatar to share with you.
In case the title didn't connect well to the story about waiting for the check at the restaurant, I'll unvail the true pun - while waiting to exchange money at the bank in CityCenter Mall 2 days ago, I happened to see one of the junior hockey teams and their expat dads all skating around on the half ice rink in the center of the mall. Since my ticket was #504 and the current customer who was #408, I had plenty of time to imagine myself lacing up again and teaching those kids a thing or two about hockey. The goalie was the most entertaining kid by far... you can always tell who the coach's kid is - in hockey he's either the long haired problem child who is incredibly talented and never sits on the bench OR as in this case, he's the horribly uncoordinated kid who they put in at goalie when no one else volunteers. I think dads have this inherent philosophy that they can personally overcome their own son's shortcomings. You couldn't help but chuckle to yourself as #13's father gives him endless pointers on how to keep the other kids from scoring - but as hard as his dad might try, poor #13 didn't like getting hit with pucks. Trainwreck in slow motion. Good thing the pratice was long, it took me 30 minutes to have my number pop up at Teller #5, only to have a local gal step in front of me to cash a check. The impatient need not apply...
Qatraziest Maneuver of the Day: Busiest intersection in town, traffic backed up for about a 1/2 mile, stop and go as if the entire queue lurches forward as each car is thrusts into the roundabout spurred on by honking horns, flashing lights, and gentle nudges. Suddenly traffic starts flowing very quickly - a policeman has apparently stopped traffic to temporarily alleviate the masses in one direction (they will post traffic police during rush hours at busy intersections). Just as we start moving, I look over at a LandCruiser (see a trend) with four local guys inside jumping the curb in a parking lot, driving on the sidewalk, jumping 3 more curbs and eventually trapping themselves behind a gate - a.k.a. the most satisfying experience of the trip by far.
iPod Playlist (when you listen to your iPod all day you can't help but post more than a few songs) - if you see a personal fav give it a shout out, music can be a uniting force:
Metallica - "Turn the Page" - as in don't forget to check back tomorrow for more Doha stories
Stereophonics - "Long Way Round" - appropriate for all Doha streets and roundabouts
Collective Soul - "Under Heaven's Skies" - not a cloud in these skies
Bright Eyes - "Down in a Rabbit Hole" - is where I'll want to be when it hits 132 degrees
David Crowder Band - "Wonderful King" - pictures of His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani can be seen in most public places... takes a little getting used
Ice Cube - "Today was a Good Day" - theme song for Thursday
2 comments:
Grandpa Brandon, it is difficult to imaging what driving must be like in Doha. Knowing how slow you drive (not that I can criticize), I get the mental picture of you with both hands on the wheel, sitting as close as possible to the steering wheel, and the Quatari traffic flying past you on the curb, going 25mph, as you yell out... "slow down you crazy kids".
Just thought your blog looked a little lonely here without any responses. Stay strong and keep up the good writing.
Thanks to the previous ipod song of the day, Usher is now 99 cents richer, and I'm 100% happier.
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