So my sense of direction sucks! I don't know how foreigners esspecially westerners can navigate their way through these streets. I mean everything is messed up. The traffic signals only allow cars to pass one directon at a time and the light stays green for 5 minutes. Yes that is 5 minutes. So if i miss the green light I have to wait another 15 minutes before i can pass. And when I am stuck in traffic a kilometer before the signal I could wait 20 minutes or more. That's how i got stuck in traffic on my way back from the mall. It took me less than five minutes to get there when i had the green light on my side and 50 minutes to get back home when i was only 4 roundabouts away...see my point?
So I hadn't had much luck at finding my way back directly from work to home. I got lost the first day but recovered soon after realizing i forgot to go to the next roundabout (RB) and turn. I got back on to the right street and horay!, was home in no time. My second day at work...i got so lost and ended up on the highway to Al Khor - The Gas and oil manufacturing/distributing area outside the city of Doha. This happened AFTER i stopped at a traditional bedouin tent to get directions.
After two hours of roaming around aimlessly not knowing where i was going, taking roads that looked like roads but then stopped and boom your in the middle of the desert...nothing in sight. I keep doing this until finally i see a tent. I drive by the tent and alas...there are people in it! sitting chatting and drinking tea! I stop the car pull over and walk over to the tent. A very nice Qatari man in his white Thobe welcomed me. I took off my shoes as i saw everyone elses's shoes located outside the tent and asked how do i get to Decoration circle (the nearest landmark by my home) everyone looks at me like. "OH MY GOD YOU ARE REALLY FAR!" Yes i am far, i know. "How did you get to be so far, you know that is far from here." "Yes, Yes I know, i replied, I have only been here 4 days." The nice gentleman says, "Come sit i will tell you." He walks over to his car, grabs a piece of paper and comes back and tells the butler to make me some tea. He draws for me a map and tells me about 8 times how to get there. He then asks me to repeat it to him and i repeat it back at least 5 times. He tells me i must stay have some more tea and have dinner with them. I start talking to his friends who are all foreigners. One from Columbia, Venezuela and France. We start talking about Chavez and all the stuff going on in Venezuela etc. I'm really hungry but i don't want to stay because all of a sudden the thought of eating camel popped in my head as i remembered my last meal in a bedouin tent in Joran...I quickly and graciously got up and asked if i could leave because i was tired and it was pitch black and i needed to go home. The kind Qatari asked me again to repeat the directions, i obliged and was feeling confident about going home. Apparently i can't count.
I guess there are lil roundabouts and big roundabaouts and somehow i only seem to notice the big roundabouts so my count was off and i ended up on the highway. I had to drive out 27 Km before i could turn around to go back in the opposite direction. So after stoppipng for directions spending a half hour drinking tea and mingling with strangers i still managed to lose my way.
Tmrw my boss is taking me for a navigation driving lesson.
So I hadn't had much luck at finding my way back directly from work to home. I got lost the first day but recovered soon after realizing i forgot to go to the next roundabout (RB) and turn. I got back on to the right street and horay!, was home in no time. My second day at work...i got so lost and ended up on the highway to Al Khor - The Gas and oil manufacturing/distributing area outside the city of Doha. This happened AFTER i stopped at a traditional bedouin tent to get directions.
After two hours of roaming around aimlessly not knowing where i was going, taking roads that looked like roads but then stopped and boom your in the middle of the desert...nothing in sight. I keep doing this until finally i see a tent. I drive by the tent and alas...there are people in it! sitting chatting and drinking tea! I stop the car pull over and walk over to the tent. A very nice Qatari man in his white Thobe welcomed me. I took off my shoes as i saw everyone elses's shoes located outside the tent and asked how do i get to Decoration circle (the nearest landmark by my home) everyone looks at me like. "OH MY GOD YOU ARE REALLY FAR!" Yes i am far, i know. "How did you get to be so far, you know that is far from here." "Yes, Yes I know, i replied, I have only been here 4 days." The nice gentleman says, "Come sit i will tell you." He walks over to his car, grabs a piece of paper and comes back and tells the butler to make me some tea. He draws for me a map and tells me about 8 times how to get there. He then asks me to repeat it to him and i repeat it back at least 5 times. He tells me i must stay have some more tea and have dinner with them. I start talking to his friends who are all foreigners. One from Columbia, Venezuela and France. We start talking about Chavez and all the stuff going on in Venezuela etc. I'm really hungry but i don't want to stay because all of a sudden the thought of eating camel popped in my head as i remembered my last meal in a bedouin tent in Joran...I quickly and graciously got up and asked if i could leave because i was tired and it was pitch black and i needed to go home. The kind Qatari asked me again to repeat the directions, i obliged and was feeling confident about going home. Apparently i can't count.
I guess there are lil roundabouts and big roundabaouts and somehow i only seem to notice the big roundabouts so my count was off and i ended up on the highway. I had to drive out 27 Km before i could turn around to go back in the opposite direction. So after stoppipng for directions spending a half hour drinking tea and mingling with strangers i still managed to lose my way.
Tmrw my boss is taking me for a navigation driving lesson.
I was stressed just reading that, I can only imagine how frustrating driving around there must be, let alone getting lost!! More power to you!
ReplyDeletei love ur blogs, candiece!!!
ReplyDeletethey are hilarious!!!
ur quite the comedic blogger...not sure if u knew that or not!!!
im looking forward to your future posts...
p.s. - not sure what my sis in law is up to this week, but my bro is outta town til friday...maybe u guys can do dinner...im sure she can recommend an authentic place...they took me to one while i was out there...and i thought it was quiiiiiite tasty:):):)
take care and keep writing!!!
by the way...
ReplyDeletehow did the navigation driving lesson go?
-susie