2 OUT OF 3 AIN'T BAD

A friend of mine recently wrote me to say that my blog sounds more fiction than fact and maybe she is right. Maybe this blog is missing some of the Ed Keller cynical humor and so with that said I give you this:

Someone I know here who has spent time in Qatar said that there are four types of people who come to Qatar. She told me three types and couldn't remember the fourth type.

The types as told to me are:

1. Alcoholics who come to Qatar to dry out. (Being an Islamic state, there is no alcohol sold on the streets, only in Western style hotels.)

2. People who were failures in their home countries.

3. People who have given up on life.

4. "Unknown"

As Meatloaf once sang:
TWO OUT OF THREE AIN'T BAD.

My Pet Ostrich Bob

My new pet ostrich, Bob, was pretty suprised to see my pet camel, Bob.

What do Qataris do when they are happy...they dance!

Man in front is Qatari, man in back in Yemeni, woman is Bulgarian.

The desert just isn't "the desert" without satellite TV

What would the desert be without satellite TV in your tent?

How far is Qatar from Saudi Arabia?

In the South of the country of Qatar at a location call the Inland Sea (a bay, really), the clifts of Saudi Arabi are just across the water. In the picture, the car is parked in Qatar and the hills across the water to the left of it are in Saudi Arabi.

Word of warning: You don't want to swim across to get to Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Arabia Border Patrol have a "shoot first" policy due to smuggling.

Oil - From the Middle East to your car

Wanna see where the oil starts from that you put in your car? By the way how much is it for a gallon of gas in the US these days? Just remember, the more gasoline you use, the higher my raise will be next year (if I stay).

P.S. Don't think you can get around it by not driving you car. Qatar is one of the leading producers of natural gas in the world too, so if you are heating your home with natural gas or using a gas stove to cook your meals...thank you.

Ice in the desert

Say you are going out driving in the dunes...Where do you get ice for your drinks???

Off the back of a truck which is parked next to the ice factory.

Commonwealth of Virginia 1 State of Qatar 0

After three months and 2 and a half hours of waiting and arguing I now have a Qatar drivers license to drive a car AND a motorcycle.

It is valid for 5 years, so I won't have to go through this again for awhile.

I had to show the office drone my drivers record, my license, my vehicle insurance, and the web site that explained how to ADD a M desigantion to three people. I got rejected three times in one day before they finally relented. Hussein, the HR person with me who translated in Arabic and helped me through the process, said they gave in because they didn't want to listen to me argue anymore AND because I had brought more forms then they had ever seen from one person.

Commonwealth of Virginia 1 State of Qatar 0

Free Chocolate What???

Horlicks...think about it, pronounce it...

Neighborhood mosque at sunset

You can take the boy out of Marine Science...

You can take the boy out of Marine Science, but you can't take the Marine Science out of the boy. I have completed preliminary research and photography for a potential documentary on the Foreign Fishermen of Qatar. This project will be along a similar bent as my senior project at the University of Miami on the Shrimp Fishermen of Biscayne Bay and the project I did in graduate school at The George Washington University on the Fish Sellers of Maine Avenue Wharf. They way these fishermen design and build their fish traps is very interesting. A combination of Maryland crab pot and and Powatan Indian fish trap is the best way to describe it but the design is entirely their own. I am curious to find out why they lash the bottom portion of the trap with nylon rope. If they are using non-corrosive metal they should not need to worry about rust. Maybe they are using corrosive metal and they need to reinforce the bottoms with synthetic fibers. I will have to ask next time.

Rain in the desert???

We had our rainy season. It lasted for about 15 minutes.

Truth in Advertising

Anybody else think it's weird that a weapon sight is being used on a billboard advertisment for Q-Tel the communications monopoly in Qatar? Do you think the US government had anything to do with this ad, especially after the rumor that George W. Bush wanted to blow up Al-Jazera that has its headquaters in Doha, Qatar????? Al-Jazera HQ is about three blocks from my villa. You know what they say, almost only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and nuclear warheads! Don't worry, I will meet the apocalypse with my electric guitar in one hand, a bottle of Jack Daniels in the other, smoking a Cuban cigar. Cuban cigars in Qatar are top quality!

World Class Tennis...for free

The Qatar Open brought the #1 player in tennis Roger Federer to Qatar and I got to see three nights of world class tennis for free thanks to the government of Qatar.

Qatari Driver's License, NOT

I have some interesting news about trying to get a drivers license in Qatar.

In order to get a drivers license I need to show my Virginia drivers license.
I gave the DMV here my Virginia license and they rejected me for a automobile license. Why? Because on my drivers license it states that I am class M. Class M means that I can drive a motorcycle, as per the definitions on the back of the license. I can also drive a car in Virginia, but it does not specifically state that on my license. So, the official at the Qatar DMV rejected application for an automobile license stating that my Virginia license is for a motorcycle only. Logically this makes sense, if you read the license at face value. How do I convince the Qatar DMV that my license is in fact for BOTH an automobile AND a motorcycle?

I have three options:

1. Go back to the DMV and see if I can get a supervisor who will agree with me (unlikely).

2. Go to the US embassy and have someone there write me a letter on US Embassy letterhead informing the Qatar DMV that I do have a drivers license that allows me to drive an automobile. I called the US embassy and the extension that they have for Citizen Assistance is not in service. Also, even though their web site states that you can leave a voice message, there is not prompt for you to do so. The only other option is to go to the walk-in hours 10am-12pm Sun, Mon, Wed, and Thurs (also, unlikely).

3. Acquire my drivers license record from the Virginia DMV and hope that it states on there that I am licensed to drive an automobile. In order to get the record online I need a pin. I have asked for a pin but they will MAIL it to my Arlington Address in three days. Also, I have purchased a physical copy of my driver record, which will also be mailed to my Arlington Address in five days.

I have survived three months without a drivers license, but I would like a license so that I can be a driver instead of a passenger.

Putting the D'oh in Doha.

Prayer Mat with compass at the big department store

The Cadillac of prayer mats. A Prayer mat with a compass, so you know that you are facing Mecca.

Traffic on the desert road

Traffic goes at a brisk 120 KM per hour (75 mph) OR MORE in the desert. You are driving at speeds in excess of 75 mph with massive trucks and other vehicles that treat the speed limit as a theoretical concept.

ESCAPE

Sometimes you just need to escape (the exit sign at the City Center Mall in Doha).

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2006 FROM QATAR

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2006 from the Singing Sand Dunes in Qatar.
The Singing Sand Dunes hum when the wind comes over the top of them. Great place for camping, but very cold in the desert.