The Adventures of Ed the Librarian: May 2007

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Why use the road, when you can use the sidewalk

In Qatar, when there is a backup due to construction, people don't wait. They just find other ways of getting to where they need to go on the road, sidewalk, median, desert, or shoulder, usually while talking on a cellphone and within inches of each others bumpers like these drivers.

Yes, driving while talking on a a cellphone is illegal in Qatar and you can get fined, but most people don't seem to worry...or care.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

You can take the Qatari out of the Bedouin, but you can't take the Bedouin out of the Qatari

No matter how many Petrodollar-bought Mercedes Benzs, BMWs, and American SUVs and sports cars the Qataris drive in Qatar, for some Qataris there is nothing like loading up the pick-up truck full of goats and hauling them through Doha.

Monday, May 28, 2007

Overt sexual imagery with Jack Wash

Am I the only one who see the overt sexual imagery in the Jack Wash sign?

The man's Jack Wash HOSE is emanating from the man's groin.
The man is SHOOTING HIS LOAD of water.
The man is using a PISTOL.
The man's BACK is arched when he sprays.
The man is SPRAYING a liquid at his intended target.
When this liquid hits the ROUND, FIRM tire, it splatters everywhere.

Snickers Duo

Why have one Snickers bar, when you can have TWO in one package...

Toooo Sweeeet

Crazy Milk

Would you eat something called Carmel Log?

Qatar Traffic the same

Don't worry no children were harmed when this bus went into a ditch.

Old (usually unsafe mechanically) school buses are used to transport the menial laborers like you see in the foreground, who work in construction and maintenance. This laborer is sweeping the road of sand. Since Qatar is in a desert, he may be doing that for awhile.

School children are either driven to school by family members or chauffers (mostly Qataris) or are picked-up at their homes and driven in mini-vans.

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Future Travels - June 2007

In my quest to use up my 55,000 Qatar Airways frequent flier miles before I leave Qatar, I have redeemed free tickets to Jordan (June 2-9) and India (landing in Mumbai making my way to Bangalore, then Agra to see the Taj Mahal near Delhi and then working my way back to Mumbai, June 13-23).

I still have 15,000 Qatar Airways miles to use. I will probably be using those to go to Khartoum, Sudan in early August.

My new obsession

Coca-Cola is running a promotion over the summer in Bahrain and Qatar. They are giving away 1000 Coca-Cola branded mountain bikes. You need to collect the bottle caps and flip caps off of Coca-Cola products and collect all five bike part game pieces in order to win a mountain bike.

Two thoughts:
Isn't it kinda mean to giveaway a mountain bike in countries with no mountains and with roads too dangerous and too hot to ride a bike outside unless you have a death wish?

Also, wouldn't it be cool to think that there is some "Veruca Salt" Qatari girl who has gotten her father to buy tons of Coca-Cola products and now has armies of third world ex-pats working in their factory to open the products just so she can WIN a mountain bike and brag to all her friends (a la Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)?

From Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory(1971)

Veruca Salt: I wanted to be the first to find a Golden Ticket, Daddy.
Mr. Salt: I know, angel. We're doing the best we can. I've got every girl in the place to start hunting for you.
Veruca Salt: All right. Where is it? Why haven't they found it?
Mr. Salt: Veruca, sweetheart. I'm not a magician. Give me time.
Veruca Salt: I want it now. What's the matter with those twerps down there?
Mr. Salt: For five days now, the entire flipping factory's been on the job. They haven't shelled a peanut in there since Monday. They've been shelling flavored chocolate bars from dawn till dusk.
Veruca Salt: Make them work nights.

Veruca Salt: They don't want to find it. They're jealous of me.
Mr. Salt: Sweetheart, I can't push them no harder; 19,000 bars an hour they're shelling; 760,000 they've done so far.
Veruca Salt: You promised, Daddy. You promised I'd have it the very first day.
Mrs. Salt: You're going to be very unpopular around here, Henry, if you don't deliver soon.
Mr. Salt: It breaks my heart, Henrietta. I hate to see her unhappy.
Veruca Salt: You're a rotten, mean father. You never give me anything I want. And I won't go to school until I have it.
Mr. Salt: Veruca, sweetheart, angel. Now, there are four tickets left in the whole world, and the whole ruddy world's hunting for them. What can I do?

Veruca Salt: I want it now, daddy.

Mr. Salt: Wonka, how much do you want for the golden goose?
Willy Wonka: They're not for sale.
Mr. Salt: Name your price.
Willy Wonka: She can't have one.
Veruca Salt: Who says I can't?
Mr. Salt: The man with the funny hat.

Veruca Salt: [singing] I want the world. I want the whole world. I want to lock it all up in my pocket. It's my bar of chocolate. Give it to me now.

Veruca Salt: [singing] I want a party with roomfuls of laughter, / Ten thousand tons of ice cream, / And if I don't get the things I am after, / I'm going to screeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEAM.

Pocari Sweat Lunch Bag

I got the coolest Pocari Sweat Doha Asian Games Lunch Bag from Liz, Margaret, and Thomas.

The bags have just arrived in the Carrfours in Doha, Qatar.

I know the Asian Games already happened six months ago, but Asian Games swag probably took a long time to get into Qatar with delays in production, customs, etc.

Oh, well, better late than never...D'Oh.